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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Sponsored Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort puts sustainability at its heart
The term sustainability is often thrown around as a buzzword in the hospitality industry, but at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, it’s genuinely part of their mission. Located in Makham Bay, just south of Phuket Town, the beautiful resort puts...
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How did the Phuket man, who won 18 million baht in the lottery, receive his winnings?
The Phuket man who won 18 million baht in the lottery on Friday has now been officially presented with his winnings. In cash! Lottery organisers arrived at the man’s house in a red Ferrari yesterday with his cash, and also a hard copy of his winning ticket, which is numbered 970618. The man’s friends and family were at his house…
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Police arrest alleged Sri Racha drug dealer with gun, Chon Buri
Yesterday, police arrested an alleged drug dealer in Sri Racha, Chon Buri. According to reporters at The Pattaya News, the alleged dealer had 92 amphetamine pills and 10.8 grams of crystal meth, along with a gun and six bullets. The alleged dealer reportedly confessed that all the illegal substances and weapons belonged to him. Two suspected female addicts were with…
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Asia’s weird Covid twilight zone – VIDEO
Tens of millions of people in China are under lockdown, including in the largest city Shanghai. Thailand’s infection numbers continue to creep up, already much higher than at their peak last year. Hong Kong morgues are overwhelmed and patients being turned away from hospitals. In South Korea health authorities are reporting the most cases per capita in the world. Vietnam…
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Pattaya police arrest 10 in alleged Chon Buri gambling party
Pattaya police arrested 10 people after busting a gambling party in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province yesterday. An undercover agent had tipped off the police, saying a gambling party was secretly being held in an abandoned area. After the police arrived, the alleged gamblers tried to flee, but police caught 10 of them. The police found gambling…
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Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road kiss goodbye their Songkran plans
Businesses on Bangkok’s popular Khao San Road are axing their Songkran celebration plans, following news that they would have to abide by several restrictions. This would include an alcohol ban, having to provide free face masks to partiers if their masks got wet, and being held responsible if partiers took off their masks. The president of the Khao San Road…
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Strange cold spell in Thailand caused by high pressure system from China
An abnormally strong high-pressure system from China caused a cold spell in Thailand today, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The high-pressure system is now covering most of Northern Thailand, where temperatures were 18-23 degrees Celsius this morning, meaning they had dropped by two to four degrees. Highs in the North are expected to peak today at 26-28 degrees Celsius.…
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Spiking Songkran tourist demand on ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan
Ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are trying to meet an influx of tourist demands leading up to Songkran. Songkran will be between April 13 – 15 this year, followed up with a convenient weekend on April 16 and 17. A ferry port managing director at the Raja Ferry terminal at Don Sak told Nation Thailand that his…
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How Safe Are Roads In Thailand For Disabled People?
https://youtu.be/cEaf5oxOAWs Thailand road safety needs a lot of improvement and so do the side walks. In particular access for the people who need it the most, people with disabilities. We took this opportunity to highlight the issues and troubles people in wheelchair have to deal with on a daily basis when they want to travel and go around Bangkok. As…
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Bum Gun vs Toilet Paper, which is better for your butt?
Life’s important questions… Is there a God, Honda vs Toyota, bum-guns (aka. arse-blasters) vs toilet paper. It’s a cultural shock either way. If you’re an Asian travelling to the west you may be left pondering what happened to the water gun, usually found casually hanging on the wall next to the toilet. Or if you’re a westerner heading to Asia,…
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Chon Buri man shoots and kills son, wounds wife, before killing himself
A man shot and killed his son before killing himself at a school in Mueang district of Chon Buri province yesterday. The father and son both had gunshot wounds on their heads. The man also shot and wounded his wife, who was rushed to Chon Buri Hospital. The wife, Arissara, had arrived at the school with their son first. The…
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First case of new Omicron variant ‘XE’ detected in Thailand
Thailand now has its first case of a new variant of a new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Yesterday, the Centre for Medical Genomics Ramathibodi Hospital confirmed tests of Thailand’s first case of the new recombinant variant, a hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The World Health Organisation flagged concerns about the new variant last Tuesday, warning that XE could be the…
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Pope Francis says Ukraine visit is “on the table”
Pope Francis was recently invited to Ukraine by the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky. When asked if he was considering visiting, Francis told a reporter today, “Yes, it’s on the table”. Although Francis has not mentioned the word “Russia” explicitly, since the invasion of Ukraine, he has condemned “unjustified aggression” and “atrocities”. Other Ukrainian officials that invited Pope Francis include an…
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Phuket introduces new seafood and gastronomy “Tastival” festival
Following Phuket’s Roi Rim Lay seafood festival last weekend, the island’s officials have come up with another seafood and gastronomy festival for the first time yesterday. The festival is called “Phuket Tastival Seafood and Gastronomy: Roi-Yok-Lo”. It will run until Monday, April 4. Phuket Deputy Governor Anupap and several other officials attended the opening at Saphan Hin, the huge public…
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UPDATE: Malaysian drivers bewildered by Thailand Pass, as southern border reopens
THOU SHALL NOT PASS. That’s the message some northern-bound Malaysian travelers received when they attempted to drive their cars into Thailand on yesterday morning, only to find they’d forgotten the most important thing: you STILL need to register for Thailand Pass. In advance. Thailand finally reopened its land border with Malaysia on April 1 for travelers by private transportation. But…
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Increasing number of Singaporeans think racism is an important issue
The percentage of Singaporeans who think racism in their country is an important issue is growing. While 46.3% thought it was important in 2016, that number has risen to 56.2%. Channel News Asia and the Institute of Policy Studies reported these statistics after surveying more than 2,000 Singapore residents aged 21 and above. CNA says the survey questioned accurate numbers…
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Thai student activist charged with lèse majesté will be allowed to study in Germany
The South Bangkok Criminal Court ruled yesterday that a student activist charged with lèse majesté who was barred from studying abroad in Germany earlier this month will now be allowed to study there. The activist, Rawisara Eksakul, nicknamed “Dear”, won a prestigious scholarship for a Master of Management in Non-Profit Organisations. The court was told that Ms Rawisara holds a…
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Thailand’s finance ministry closes 2 insurance firms due to Covid-19 claims
After an overwhelming number of Covid-19 claims caused 2 of Thailand’s insurance providers to owe billions of baht in compensation, Thailand’s finance minister has revoked the providers’ business licenses. The decision was made effective yesterday. One provider, Southeast Insurance, owes 13 billion baht in compensation, while the other, Thai Insurance, owes 4.6 billion baht. The Secretary-General of the Office of…
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Thailand International Motor Expo 2022
A lot of shiny cars, a lot of shiny lights and a whole lot more pretties. Check out all the new car, bike, boat and beauty models out this new year! Tim Newton reports live from the Impact Challenger Arena as he takes a look around Thailand’s International Motor Expo 2022.
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American arrested in Bangkok for alleged 3 million baht fraud
Bangkok police arrested an American national in Klong Toey district of Bangkok yesterday (reported as Nana in some media). The man arrested allegedly lured investors into fraudulent contracts. Thailand’s Economic Crime Suppression Division says the victims lost over 3 million baht altogether. The man allegedly offered victims options in energy and precious metals as well as futures contracts through 60…
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Thai swimmer recovering after being ‘speared’ by Needlefish in Trat
Spearfishing is still a thing, but usually by humans hunting fish, not the other way around. Thai national Noppadol Sringam is now in a stable condition recovering from a freak marine accident. The Thai tourist was left in serious condition after a needlefish skewered him in the neck while he was swimming on the Trat coastal beach of Ao Tan…
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Will Smith steps down from the ‘Oscars’ Academy
Will Smith announced yesterday that he has resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. The actor posted an apology on Instagram the morning after he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage. Millions of people across the world viewed and commented on the dramatic incident, quickly making viral memes out of the photo of Smith slapping Rock. Now…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: EU’s Metsola visits Kyiv; Russia blocks aid from Mariupol; Russian oil depot attacked
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters the month of April, here’s the latest headlines… • In a show of European support, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visited Kyiv on Friday. During a meeting with EU leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said… “I sincerely want to thank you personally, Roberta, and your entire team for being here at such an important…
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Villagers pay homage to giant mango in central Thailand
Villagers offered incense to a giant mango in Uthai Thani province in central Thailand on Wednesday. Locals believe that the mango, weighing in at 1.8 kilograms, is sure to bring good luck. The average mango weighs in at a measly 150 grams in comparison. The owner of the mango, 47 year old Wirat Haewphet, is a farmer with many mango…
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90 year old woman in Thailand dies from wasp attack
A 90 year old woman from the northeast province of Chaiyaphum passed away after she was attacked by wasps near her home on Wednesday. The woman suffered hundreds of wasp stings all over her face and body and was rushed to hospital but later died. The woman’s son said his mother, Chutima Phongchaiyaphum, liked to eat mangoes and was possibly…
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9 of Thailand’s restaurants ranked on “Asia’s 50 Best” list, all in Bangkok
“Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” has included nine restaurants in Thailand on its 2022 list. The Thai restaurants featured on the list are located in Bangkok. While some of the restaurants serve traditional Thai cuisine, others serve international flavors, as well as fusion dishes. One restaurant, Le Du, serves Thai food with a French twist. Le Du ranks number 4 of…
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Cheers! Chiang Mai restaurants can now serve alcohol until 11pm
Crack open a beer and don’t worry about hiding it in a paper cup. Restaurants in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand are now permitted to serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm, according to the Chiang Mai Communicable Disease Committee. The new rule is effective from today, April 1. And no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. Under Thailand’s colour-coded zoning…
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Test & Go travellers have trouble reporting Day 5 ATK result, here’s what to do
A number of travellers entering Thailand under the Test & Go scheme say they are having trouble reporting the results of their self-administered rapid antigen test, or ATK, which is required on Day 5. For those unable to report the results through the government’s Mor Chana application, the next best option is to take a photo of the test with…
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Officers from Thailand’s cybercrime police allegedly involved in kidnap for ransom plot
A woman claims officers from the cybercrime investigations department were involved in a kidnap for ransom plot after she had won 2 million baht in gambling. The woman is seeking help from a celebrity lawyer and claims that she, her husband, and her 11 year old child were kidnapped by a group of 15 people, including police officers, and were…
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Man allegedly pours oil on neighbour and sets his body on fire
A man poured oil over his neighbour and then set his body on fire while the victim was relaxing on a chair at home. Witnesses saw the man engulfed in flames running out of the house. He survived but was severely burned. One witness says the two men would often fight about the victim’s roosters making too much noise. 35…
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Indonesia and Malaysia agree not to compete over palm oil prices
After a meeting yesterday, Malaysian and Indonesian officials agreed that their countries would not compete over palm oil prices. Malaysia’s PM announced the agreement with Indonesia’s president after their meeting. He said that he and the Indonesian president will determine the price together. The two countries account for roughly 85% of the world’s palm oil production. Indonesia is struggling to…
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