News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Thai Airways – Thai Smile merger gets green light
Debt-ridden Thai Airways International (THAI) will merge its subsidiary Thai Smile into its main company as part of its overall restructuring plan. The merger is set to be completed this year. THAI reported that their creditor’s committee gave the merger the green light yesterday. Now, the plan will be put before Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and the Civil Aviation Authority…
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Nitori flagship store to open at CentralWorld in August
Central Pattana Plc, a leading real estate developer, has announced plans to open a flagship store for Nitori, a popular Japanese furniture and home furnishings brand, at CentralWorld in August. The new Nitori store will occupy over 2,600 square metres of space in Zone I on the mall’s fifth floor. The Japanese brand also has plans to open a second…
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Micron to invest £3.7bn in Japan’s EUV tech for advanced chip production
Micron Technology revealed planned yesterday to invest up to 500 billion yen (US$3.7 billion) in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology in the coming years, supported by the Japanese government. The advanced EUV lithography chip-making machines will be utilised to manufacture 1-gamma chips, which are essential for the mass production of materials used in complex applications such as image processing networks. The…
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Sony considers spinning off financial arm to focus on entertainment, sensors
Sony Group Corporation announced today that it is exploring the possibility of a partial spin-off of its financial business, Sony Financial Group, just three years after obtaining full control. The move comes as the conglomerate focuses on strengthening its entertainment and image sensor sectors. Sony is considering a two to three-year timeline for the spin-off, with plans to list the…
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Over 25 million in Sudan need aid amid ongoing war, says UN
In Sudan, a war that has raged on for over a month continues to escalate, with the UN reporting that more than half the country’s population now is in need of aid. Ramesh Rajasingham, head of the UN humanitarian agency’s Geneva bureau, stated that 25 million people in Sudan need humanitarian assistance and protection. This is the highest number ever…
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4 Indigenous children found alive after Colombian Amazon plane crash
A miraculous rescue took place in the dense Colombian Amazon, as four Indigenous children, including an 11 month old baby, were found alive more than two weeks after a plane crash. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his joy for the country and credited the military’s “arduous search efforts” for the discovery. The plane crash occurred on May 1, claiming the…
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A drunk driver crashes sedan into crowd of people, 4 injured
A drunk driver crashed his sedan into a group of pedestrians and motorcycles in front of Chanthaburi Technical College on Tuesday, May 16. The incident resulted in four injuries including three university students and one woman. One of the victims is in critical condition. The 65 year old drunk driver, Charoon, was captured on CCTV crashing his Honda City sedan…
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Bangkok Airways to revive flights to Mae Hong Son, northern Thailand
Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand became a ghost town after Nok Air scrapped the only remaining commercial route to the airport last month. But much to the delight of local tourism operators, Bangkok Airways is planning to revive flights to the province. Bangkok Airways is looking to start flying between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son via Lampang thrice…
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Mother robbed of 300,000 baht, suffers broken arm, misses son’s wedding
An opportunistic thief yesterday robbed a mother carrying her son’s wedding gift worth 300,000 baht in cash and precious gold jewellery. The incident occurred on the day of the ceremony, resulting in not only the loss of valuables but also a broken arm for the victim. As a consequence, she was unable to attend her son’s wedding. The unfortunate incident…
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Climate change makes deadly Asian heatwaves 30 times more likely, study finds
Last month’s deadly heatwaves in Bangladesh, India, Laos, and Thailand were made at least 30 times more likely due to climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution group. The research examined the average maximum temperature and the maximum heat index, which includes humidity. The findings revealed that climate change made the humid heatwave at least 30…
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Ancient Hebrew Bible sells for record US$38.1m, gifted to Tel Aviv museum
An ancient Hebrew Bible has set a new record for the most valuable manuscript ever sold at auction, fetching US$38.1 million in New York. The Codex Sassoon, which dates back to the late ninth to early 10th century, is the earliest near-complete Hebrew Bible known to still exist today. Sotheby’s auction house facilitated the sale, which involved a four-minute bidding war…
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Bangkok taxi driver returns 170,000 baht to Laotian tourist
A Bangkok taxi driver is being praised for his kindness after going the extra mile to return 170,000 baht to a Laotian tourist travelling in Thailand. Bangkok taxi drivers may have received a record amount of complaints last year over bad manners, rejection of passengers, doctored meters, dangerous driving and overcharging. But one tourist from Laos will assure you that…
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Thailand’s National Health Security System starts free condom initiative
Thailand announced a new initiative to provide free condoms to individuals holding universal healthcare cards as part of the National Health Security System, also known as the 30-baht health scheme. The initiative aims to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people of reproductive ages, Pattaya Mail reported yesterday. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek highlighted the…
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Man found dead in love hotel after taking Viagra
A 62 year old Thai man died after taking half a Viagra pill in a love hotel in the central province of Suphan Buri. A woman in the room with the man believed to be a sex worker, fled the scene after he died. A member of the hotel staff discovered the dead body of the man yesterday evening and reported…
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9 dead as floods devastate Italy’s Emilia Romagna, Imola Grand Prix cancelled
Heavy rainfall in Emilia Romagna, Italy‘s northern region has led to the deaths of at least nine people, with rivers flooding and submerging neighbourhoods and farmland. The flooding has resulted in the cancellation of the Imola Grand Prix scheduled for this weekend. Continual downpours over two days caused almost two dozen rivers to burst their banks, displacing thousands of residents…
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Cops catch last suspects in Pattaya robbery of Chinese tourists
Cops caught all the last suspects involved in the robbery case targeting Chinese tourists in Pattaya on May 3. The arrests were made at a border location in Thailand’s eastern Sa Kaeo province. Yesterday morning, Pattaya Police apprehended the three remaining suspects linked to the robbery. The individuals were identified as 31 year old Sarawut Suthaphot, the alleged mastermind behind…
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Disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand adopts, kills and burns at least 18 cats
A disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand confessed to adopting cats via Facebook and beating them to death. Yesterday, the burned carcasses of 18 cats were dug up from behind his living quarters at a temple in Chachoengsao province. Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT), an animal rights charity, reported the horrific discovery of animal cruelty at the hands of an ordained Buddhist monk…
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Thailand detects FU.1 Covid sub-variant, 50% more transmissible than XBB.1.16
Thailand’s Centre for Medical Genomics has reported a single case of the Covid-19 sub-variant known as “FU.1” or XBB.1.16.1.1, which is said to be 50% more transmissible than XBB.1.16. The Omicron variant continues to mutate into new sub-variants, despite a decrease in global Covid cases. Currently, the dominant Omicron sub-variants are XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, and XBB.1.9.1. The Centre for Medical Genomics…
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Tesla to embrace advertising, Musk hints at unique approach
Elon Musk has announced plans for Tesla Inc to venture into traditional advertising, marking a significant shift for the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer that has previously relied on its CEO’s star power and customer enthusiasm. Speaking at the company’s annual meeting, Musk stated that Tesla would “try out a little advertising and see how it goes.” The news led to…
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Former RTN sailor seriously injured after accidentally shooting himself
A former Royal Thai Navy (RTN) sailor suffered a serious injury after accidentally shooting himself while playing with a gun in a rental room in the Isaan province of Burriam. The sailor, Phattarapong Kongkird, was found by his girlfriend last night. She arrived home to discover her 41 year old boyfriend lying unconscious in a pool of blood with a…
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FTX founder eyes Supreme Court ruling in bid to dismiss fraud charges
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking to use a recent Supreme Court ruling to strengthen his defence against fraud charges related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange. However, legal experts have suggested that the chances of having the charges dismissed remain low. Bankman-Fried requested on May 8 that most of the charges against him be dropped, arguing that some…
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Off duty soldier confronts rescue volunteer in Chon Buri
A traffic accident in Chon Buri led to a heated exchange between a local volunteer rescue worker and an off-duty soldier, raising concerns about the behaviour of an individual in military uniform towards civilians during an emergency. On April 16, around 5.50pm, a pickup truck collided with a motorcycle on Sukhumvit Road in Chon Buri. Two people sustained injuries in…
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Parties unite to remember Black May, warn of military’s political power
Yesterday, representatives from three major political parties attended a memorial event to honour the lives lost during the Black May 1992 incident, which took place 31 years ago when a military-led government suppressed demonstrators. The event was held at a memorial on Ratchadamnoen Road. Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the Move Forward Party, was present at the event and stated that…
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Dead bodies of couple discovered at condominium in Chon Buri
The management of a condominium in the Si Racha district of Chon Buri made a grim discovery last night as they stumbled upon the dead bodies of a Thai couple in room number 12 on the 12th floor. Law enforcement officers suspect that the man killed the woman before taking his own life. Upon entering the room, officers from Si…
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Bail denied for Polish murder suspect in Bangkok, Thailand
UPDATE #2 A court in Bangkok, Thailand, denied the bail request of the Polish tourist accused of murdering and dismembering his Ukrainian girlfriend at a high-rise condo last weekend. South Bangkok Criminal Court denied bail to 25 year old Jan Jerzy Lagoda-Filippow, citing that he is a flight risk since he already tried to flee the country for Cambodia once.…
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Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok over Chinese surveillance fears
Montana becomes the first US state to ban the Chinese-owned TikTok app, with Governor Greg Gianforte signing legislation that prohibits Google and Apple’s app stores from offering it within the state’s borders. The ban is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, has faced increasing calls for a nationwide ban due…
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Chinese man with low salary seeks high-earning wife to uphold marriage values, sparks heated debate
A Chinese man attracted a significant amount of criticism on social media after he posted a set of stringent requirements for his future wife on a dating banner at a public park in China. The 34 year old Shenzhen resident’s demands sparked a heated debate about his matchmaking behaviour and gender equality. The controversial banner outlined the Chinese man’s search…
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Speedboat crashes in Phuket, 37 injured
A speedboat crashed into a channel marker in Chalong Bay in Phuket, southern Thailand, yesterday injuring four Thais and 33 foreign tourists, mostly Russians. The driver is thought to have fallen asleep as he crashed into the huge concrete pillar in the sea about 100 metres away from the shore of Chalong Bay at 5.30pm. The boat, the Thanathip Marine…
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Shirtless Patong man scares people with machete
A shirtless Patong man scared locals and tourists by walking around and swaying a machete back and forth. Patong Police arrested the man yesterday morning near the Suwan Khiriwing Temple (Patong Temple). Officers found the shirtless man swaying the machete and wandering aimlessly in the area. Residents were scared since there is a large number of tourists in the area.…
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Pattaya Police ban prostitution on the beach
Thailand’s Tourist Police have banned sex workers from selling services on the beach in Pattaya. Last night, Tourist Police and officers from Pattaya City Police Station headed down to Pattaya Beach and instructed the city’s ladies and ladyboys of the night to move along. The police informed the sex workers that from now on, they are no longer permitted to…
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