News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Mayor sentenced to death over land activist’s murder in Thailand
The Lower Court sentenced the former Mayor of Wang Wiset district to the death penalty today over the murder of a lawyer and land rights activist in Trang province, southern Thailand, two years ago. The hitman and another man were sentenced to life imprisonment. Today, Trang Provincial Court sentenced 52 year old Charinrat “Chuan” Kruthirat to death after he and…
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Singapore’s key exports drop for seventh month amid electronics slump
Singapore‘s non-oil domestic exports (NODX) suffered a decline for the seventh consecutive month, with a 9.8% drop in April compared to the same month last year. This is according to data from Enterprise Singapore, which also revealed an 8.3% contraction in March. The decline in April was worse than the 9.4% drop predicted by a Reuters poll. The slump in…
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FTI urges swift Thai coalition to back high-tech hub and green growth
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is preparing a position paper outlining the economic policies favoured by businesses, with plans to submit it to the newly formed government once it takes office. Montri Mahaplerkpong, the FTI vice-chairman, stated that the paper is in its final stages and should be approved by the end of the month. The document will highlight…
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Man mysteriously jumps off bridge after crashing car into truck
A Thai man mysteriously jumped off a bridge after he crashed his car into a 10-wheel truck on the New Ratchaphruek bridge in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. It is believed that the man committed suicide because he was suffering from overwhelming stress. According to the police, a 26 year old man named Chayanin Sipho, crashed his white Honda City…
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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un approves military spy satellite plan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly inspected the nation’s first military spy satellite and given the go-ahead for its future action plan, according to state media. Kim met with the Non-permanent Satellite Launch Preparatory Committee and viewed the satellite, following his announcement a month ago that the satellite’s construction was completed and ready for launch. The development of the military…
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Brigitte Macron relative attacked near family’s chocolate shop
In an apparent politically motivated attack, a family member of French first lady Brigitte Macron was assaulted outside the family’s chocolate shop in Amiens, northern France. Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was returning to his apartment above the renowned Trogneux chocolate shop when he was surrounded by anti-government protesters who insulted the president, his wife, and their family before physically attacking him. Jean-Alexandre…
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Tesla to test traditional advertising, Elon Musk reveals irony
In a surprising move, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced today that the electric vehicle manufacturer would experiment with advertising to evaluate its effectiveness. This decision comes as a notable shift for Musk, who has previously shunned traditional advertising methods for Tesla. Interestingly, Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter, a platform heavily reliant on advertising, may have influenced his change of heart.…
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Thailand’s economy defies global recession fears with post-election boost
Thailand’s economy is predicted to gain momentum during the last three quarters of this year, despite the looming threat of a global recession, partly due to the boost from the May 14 General Election, according to analysts. The country’s GDP growth for the first quarter was 2.7% year-on-year, surpassing the expected 2.3% and marking an improvement from the 1.4% growth…
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Groups urge Senate to back Thai majority’s choice for PM, Pita Limjaroenrat
Two prominent civil society groups urged the Senate to honour the majority’s decision in favour of Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party’s (MFP) candidate for prime minister. The Rural Doctors Society (RDS) and the Law CU Student Committee, Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University (CU), expressed their support for the MFP to lead a coalition government with Pita at the helm.…
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MP candidate loses election but wins 24 million baht lottery
He may have lost out trying to be a Member of Parliament (MP) in Sunday’s General Election but Pheu Thai Party MP Udom Kanmuang was a lucky winner in yesterday’s Thai lottery, scooping an incredible 24 million baht. Udom represented the Pheu Thai Party in the 1st constituency of the Mueang district of Samut Sakhon. The former village chief of…
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Council of Europe gathers to discuss future prosecution of Russian leaders
A year after Russia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe (CoE) due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the leaders of the 46-nation human rights body convened in Iceland to take preliminary steps toward the potential prosecution of Russian leaders. The summit’s main focus was the creation of a “register of damages” to document evidence for use in a special…
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MFP candidate demands General Election in Sattahip to be void
A Member of Parliament (MP) from the Move Forward Party (MFP), Nitchanan Wangkahart, demanded the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) invalidate the General Election results in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri province after corruption allegations emerged. On Monday, May 15, a Thai voter, Wiranda Pandee, and others spotted that votes in the 10th constituency of the Sattahip district exceeded…
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American drunk driver tried to switch seats with dog to dodge arrest
In some rather embarrassing news, an American drunk driver in Colorado tried to switch seats with his dog who was in the passenger seat, to dodge arrest as police approached his car. Springfield Police wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, the man had been driving 52 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone near 7th and Main Street. The…
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American tourist rescued from 4-hour nightmare in Pattaya sewers
An American tourist was rescued from the sewers beneath Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday after getting trapped in the murky, pungent pipe system for more than four hours. A security guard was bewildered when he heard a voice coming from beneath a covered drain at the entrance of Soi 8 Thep Prasit, Moo 11, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. He…
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Beijing woman catches subway harasser, awaits police while holding him
A woman in Beijing bravely stood up against a man who sexually harassed her on a subway train, grabbing his collar and taking him to the police herself. The South China Morning Post reported that the incident took place on May 9 at the East Sihui subway station in the Chinese capital. Initially, the woman tried to evade the man,…
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Cleaners find Chinese businessman’s body with stab wounds at South Thailand resort
Cleaners at a resort in South Thailand‘s Trang province found a Chinese businessman‘s body with stab and slash wounds yesterday. Police were alerted of the incident in the Tub Tieng sub-district of Trang’s main city district in the afternoon. The victim was 43 year old Zhiru Li, The Phuket Express reported. According to resort staff, a room cleaner attempted to…
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Over 1,000 Care Bears toys seized for failing to meet TIS
The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) confiscated more than 1,000 Care Bears toys worth 900,000 baht after a raid at a shop in the Sampeng Market in Bangkok. The CPPD conducted the raid after they stumbled upon a TikTok advertisement inviting netizens to buy Care Bears toys. They found that the toys did not comply with the Thai Industrial Standard…
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Police help 9 foreign tourists stranded at the border of Thailand
The Royal Thai Police helped nine foreign tourists who were stranded near the Cambodian border in Sa Keao province, eastern Thailand, to find a place to rest their heads last night. The tourists, including six Spanish nationals, one Ukrainian national, and two Indian nationals, were “very impressed” with the work of Sa Keao Tourist Police, soldiers of the 13th Ranger…
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Malaysia braced for heatwave until September, no emergency declared yet
Despite the sweltering weather in Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government has no immediate plans to declare the heatwave an emergency. However, he added that the government is prepared to do so if necessary. This decision was made after a National Disaster Management Committee meeting, which Ahmad Zahid chaired. “For now, we don’t think there…
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Prayut’s political career uncertain as United Thai Nation suffers election losses
Bangkok’s Deputy leader of the United Thai Nation, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, expressed doubt yesterday over whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will continue his political career after their party’s losses in the General Election. Wangboonkongchana mentioned that 69 year old Prayut has not discussed his future plans, but he may have to step down from politics. The preliminary results from Thailand’s Election…
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Polish killer asks Bangkok taxi driver to help cut up Ukrainian woman’s body via Google Translate
UPDATE In an interview with Thai news platform CH3, a taxi driver revealed that the Polish man, who was arrested for allegedly murdering his Ukrainian girlfriend, “Alona,” and attempting to dismember her in a Bangkok condo room, asked him to help get rid of her body via Google Translate. The taxi driver said that he picked up the suspect, Lagoda…
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Burmese people celebrate MFP General Election victory
In astonishing scenes, thousands of Burmese people gathered in Myanmar to celebrate the 2023 General Election victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP). Burmese netizens made known that the MFP triumph will have a positive effect on the rights and well-being of Burmese workers in Thailand. Local media agencies in Myanmar reported yesterday, May 15, that thousands of Burmese took…
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Thai motorcyclist dies in high-speed Chon Buri sign post collision
A tragic accident occurred today in Chon Buri, as a 34 year old Thai motorcyclist lost his life after crashing into a signpost. The motorcyclist, Eknakakorn Krasaechan from Sisaket province, was found dead near the 132+800 kilometre marker in the Thung Krat sub-district of Banglamung district, Chon Buri. He had sustained severe lacerations on his forehead and head and was…
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China’s April economic data falls short amid low demand, high youth unemployment
Official figures have revealed that China’s economic data for April failed to meet expectations, with low demand and high youth unemployment contributing to an uneven recovery after the easing of strict Covid-19 regulations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), retail sales, a crucial gauge of domestic consumer activity, grew by 18.4% year-on-year. However, this fell short of the…
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Som Tam served at 31 baht in Chon Buri to celebrate MFP’s victory
A restaurant in Chon Buri province is celebrating the General Election victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP) by serving discounted som tam (also known as papaya salad). The restaurant, Loei Ma Tam Na Nar Pa (เลยมาตำ ณ. นาป่า), usually serves som tam for 50 baht but reduced it to a mere 31 baht, mirroring MFP leader Pita “Tim” Limcharoenrat’s…
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Taiwan permits joint adoption for same-sex couples in marriage equality milestone
Taiwan‘s parliament approved an amendment permitting same-sex couples to adopt children jointly, a significant milestone for marriage equality in the country. Taiwan has been a leader in Asia’s growing LGBTQ+ rights movement since becoming the first nation in the region to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019. However, same-sex couples still faced limitations, such as being unable to adopt children together.…
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Thai cyanide serial killer reveals cyanide source, x-husband implicated
The Thai cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, yesterday made a shocking confession to investigating officers that she obtained the poison from her now-dead ex-husband. While Sararat has yet to confess to any murders, she did acknowledge giving cyanide to her late husband, Suttisak “Dae” Poonkwan, as well as one of the victims, Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong. Police Officer Namkiat Theerarojanapong…
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Future MFP MP arrested for drink driving in Bangkok
A soon-to-be Member of Parliament from Thailand’s Move Forward Party (MFP) was arrested for drink driving in Bangkok in the early hours of the morning. Today, she apologised for her behaviour and announced her resignation from the party. The drink driver held the 27th spot on the MFP’s party list, meaning she would have definitely become an MP once MFP…
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AI revolutionising search engines, shifting from links to direct answers
The online search experience, which has been dominated by Google for the past 25 years, is set to undergo a significant transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the way users seek answers to their questions. AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing are revolutionizing the classic search-and-click method, enabling users to receive direct answers to their queries rather than sifting…
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Active gunman training in Thailand with FBI boosts police crime response
In a proactive move to address the increase in crime, Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukwimon organised an active gunman training session yesterday. The event took place at the Border Patrol Police Headquarters in the Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province, located in western Thailand. A total of 150 police officers participated in the training, which aimed to enhance…
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