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.

  • Tattooed Thai gangster-turned-movie star arrested on gambling charges

    Tattooed Thai gangster-turned-movie star arrested on gambling charges

    Thai gangster-turned-actor Panya Yimumphai – famous for his role in ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ – was arrested on gambling charges at a house in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, on Monday. Thailand’s Cyber Police raided the property after Panya, better known for his gang name Keng Laiprang (“Keng Camouflage”), posted a TikTok clip inviting his followers to gamble on…

  • Protests across Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest and military rebuke

    Protests across Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest and military rebuke

    Protests broke out across Pakistan following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan during a court appearance in the capital, Islamabad. The arrest comes amid political turmoil and hours after the powerful military criticised the former international cricketer for accusing a high-ranking military officer of plotting to kill him. Demonstrators in several cities directed their anger at the military,…

  • Elderly woman dies in heatstroke after walking 2km barefoot

    Elderly woman dies in heatstroke after walking 2km barefoot

    An elderly woman, famously known for walking barefoot for two kilometres to ask for money for food, was found dead alongside a road in Udon Thani province yesterday. The 81 year old woman named Boon, who was discovered naked, is believed to have succumbed to the sweltering heat. At 9am, Ratpol Mora Rat, an investigator at Na Kha Police Station,…

  • Man discovers his 17 year old twins aren’t his, DNA test reveals wife’s cheating

    Man discovers his 17 year old twins aren’t his, DNA test reveals wife’s cheating

    A man was left stunned after discovering that his wife cheated on him and that the twins he had raised for 17 years were not his children after they took a random DNA test. The unnamed American man immediately realised that his wife had cheated on him when news of the DNA test was revealed. He shared the story on…

  • Trump ordered to pay US million for defamation and sexual abuse in landmark trial

    Trump ordered to pay US$5 million for defamation and sexual abuse in landmark trial

    A US jury ruled yesterday that former president Donald Trump was liable for sexually abusing and defaming an ex-magazine columnist, ordering him to pay her US$5 million in damages. The nine jurors dismissed E. Jean Carroll’s accusations of rape but upheld her other claims in the high-profile civil trial, which concluded after less than three hours of deliberations. The lawsuit…

  • Sam Smith plans to kick off Asia leg of tour in Bangkok area in October

    Sam Smith plans to kick off Asia leg of tour in Bangkok area in October

    Musical superstar Sam Smith is heading back to Thailand. The 30 year old Smith announced plans to kick off the Asia leg of their ‘Gloria’ world tour in the Bangkok area in October. They will perform at IMPACT Arena in the Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province on October 3. The pop sensation announced the performance dates on their social…

  • Chinese tour minibus crashes in northern Thailand, 8 injured

    Chinese tour minibus crashes in northern Thailand, 8 injured

    A minibus carrying 30 Chinese tourists overturned in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand on Monday. Eight people were injured in the crash. Officers from Mae Chan Police Station were informed that a minibus lost control and crashed on the Mae Chan-Fang Road in Ban Thung Thang, Pa Tueng subdistrict, Mae Chan district. Police rushed to the scene with Highway…

  • Kerry Express partners with All Speedy to expand services into 7-Eleven branches in Thailand

    Kerry Express partners with All Speedy to expand services into 7-Eleven branches in Thailand

    Kerry Express (KEX), a leading express delivery provider in Thailand, has announced a partnership with All Speedy Co, a subsidiary of CP All, to extend its services to 7-Eleven branches across the country. Through this collaboration with All Speedy, Kerry Express is set to broaden its network of service points, offering services from as little as 19 baht and providing…

  • In memory of Arman Soldin, an AFP journalist who witnessed Ukraine’s war

    In memory of Arman Soldin, an AFP journalist who witnessed Ukraine’s war

    As a testament to Arman Soldin’s dedication to journalism, one only needs to view his recent coverage for AFP from the embattled Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. With Russian forces progressively tightening their grip from the north, south, and east, Bakhmut appeared to be on the brink of collapse. Despite the risks, Arman braved the dangers to document the military conflict…

  • 80 million baht cash found buried at Buddhist temple in Thailand

    80 million baht cash found buried at Buddhist temple in Thailand

    A stash of 80 million baht cash and a pile of gold bars were found buried in the soil behind Wat Pa Dhammakiri temple in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand on Monday. The temple was searched after the former abbot and two others were arrested under suspicion of embezzling 180 million baht of temple funds last week. The three…

  • TAT anticipates Chinese tourist arrivals to reach 1 million per month in October

    TAT anticipates Chinese tourist arrivals to reach 1 million per month in October

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates that Chinese tourists could reach one million arrivals per month by October, similar to figures from 2019. An increase in flight capacity during the high season and resolving e-visa issues are factors expected to contribute to this growth. Chuwit Sirivejkul, TAT’s Regional Director of Marketing for East Asia, expressed confidence that Chinese tourist…

  • Pig farmers raise a stink outside Government House, demanding to ham-mer out solutions against pork smuggling

    Pig farmers raise a stink outside Government House, demanding to ham-mer out solutions against pork smuggling

    An estimated 1,000 pig farmers gathered outside Government House yesterday, demanding action against the smuggling of foreign pork and the high cost of feed. They claim both issues are driving up pork prices and threatening the livelihood of local farmers. The group’s representatives submitted their complaint to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, stating that both problems are causing serious harm to…

  • Former Coinbase product manager sentenced in first cryptocurrency insider trading case

    Former Coinbase product manager sentenced in first cryptocurrency insider trading case

    In a landmark legal decision, a former Coinbase Global Inc. product manager has been sentenced to two years in prison in what is being deemed the United State’s first case of insider trading involving cryptocurrency. Ishan Wahi, 32 years old, received his sentence from US District Judge Loretta Preska in a Manhattan federal court yesterday after pleading guilty to two…

  • Biden and Republican lawmakers fail to reach debt limit agreement

    Biden and Republican lawmakers fail to reach debt limit agreement

    In a recent meeting at the White House, US President Joe Biden emphasized that the country’s debt limit must be addressed, warning that a default “is not an option” for the world’s largest economy. Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell met Biden, along with the top two congressional Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. However, no new developments were…

  • Sex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    Sex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    A man formerly imprisoned for sex crimes has confessed to murdering the Thai-British teenager who was found dead in the woods of Lampang province, northern Thailand, on Sunday. The police are still searching for the deceased’s missing girlfriend. Police arrested a 44 year old Thai man named Chaiwat Boonkarin under suspicion of murder and concealing a corpse on Monday. Initially,…

  • Police attacked while investigating voter fraud, former MP involved

    Police attacked while investigating voter fraud, former MP involved

    Four to five men attacked a police officer when the officer was investigating voter fraud in a community in the central province of Ratchaburi. The former Member of Parliament (MP) to Ratchaburi from Palang Pracharath Party, Pareena “Ae” Kraikupt, defended the attackers.  The officer, identified as Jaruphat Khakaew, suffered neck and knee injuries and had his gun stolen during the…

  • New Phuket project sees 100 sterilised monkeys released into forest

    New Phuket project sees 100 sterilised monkeys released into forest

    Phuket wildlife officials sterilised around 100 monkeys and released them back to their natural habitat in the forest, to control the birth rate of monkeys and address problems that monkeys have caused locals and tourists. The monkey sterilisation project aims to reduce the number of monkeys in Phuket, as well as prevent the spread of diseases that can be transmitted…

  • Man brutally kills 4 stray dogs in southern Thailand

    Man brutally kills 4 stray dogs in southern Thailand

    A man reportedly killed four stray dogs at Kantang Stadium in Trang province in the southern part of Thailand on Monday, May 8. The dog killer in question brutally slashed each dog and left their dead bodies on a road causing outrage among locals and animal rights activists. A 43 year old local man, Apichart Leeasa, who encountered the dead…

  • Royal Thai Army officer shoots dead junior soldier over alleged theft

    Royal Thai Army officer shoots dead junior soldier over alleged theft

    A senior Royal Thai Army (RTA) officer shot dead a junior officer whom he suspected of stealing belongings from his residence in the central province of Lob Buri. The victim, 69 year old Sub Lieutenant Theerapong Ngernpan, was found dead near his house with gunshot wounds to his neck and left eye. An investigation by officers from the Mueng Lob…

  • Biden meets Republican leaders in bid to resolve US debt limit impasse

    Biden meets Republican leaders in bid to resolve US debt limit impasse

    A significant meeting took place between President Joe Biden and Republican leaders yesterday, with the hope of breaking the deadlock over the US debt limit, which could have repercussions in the upcoming presidential election. The key gathering had President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell discussing the national debt ceiling, which currently stands at US$31.4…

  • Thai woman accuses police officer in Lampang of embezzling 75,000 baht

    Thai woman accuses police officer in Lampang of embezzling 75,000 baht

    A Thai woman recently filed a complaint with the Damrong Dharma Centre, alleging that a police officer at a Mueang Lampang Police Station in the northern province of Lampang had embezzled 75,000 baht from her. The woman, Auttaporn, claims that she was charged with buying some stolen property in 2021 and was released on bail for 75,000 baht. After the…

  • Over 500 people fall victim of jewellery fraud causing 60 million baht damage

    Over 500 people fall victim of jewellery fraud causing 60 million baht damage

    More than 500 people fell victim to a jewellery fraud in central Thailand. A Thai couple who owned a jewellery shop in the Samut Sakhon province lured unsuspecting customers into buying jewellery worth about 60 million baht.  Paisarn Ruengrit, a lawyer representing 30 of the victims, complained with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) after discovering that the jewels sold were…

  • Thailand’s struggle with high household debt and political promises

    Thailand’s struggle with high household debt and political promises

    Kavita Wongyakasem, a 48-year-old business owner in Bangkok, struggles daily to keep her household afloat. Running a company that provides services for a major energy firm, she owns a house in Nonthaburi, drives a pickup truck, and sends her two daughters to good schools. But beneath the surface, she is eight million baht in debt and lacks any cash savings.…

  • Arrested ‘New Pakaphum’ caught attempting suicide in cells at police station in Sa Kaeo province

    Arrested ‘New Pakaphum’ caught attempting suicide in cells at police station in Sa Kaeo province

    New Pakpoom, a close associate of drug lord Sua, was apprehended yesterday just before crossing the night and later attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself in his cell at Klong Luek Police Station, Sa Kaeo Province. Today, Atchariya Reuangratanapong, the President of Crime Victims Assistance Club brought a 25-year-old female victim and the family of a 25-year-old deceased male…

  • Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand set to hit pre-pandemic levels

    Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand set to hit pre-pandemic levels

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that Chinese tourist arrivals are set to reach one million a month starting from October, a figure last witnessed prior to the pandemic. The increase in travel is likely to gain momentum during winter and long national holidays. TAT has observed a rise in advanced hotel bookings and chartered flight requests, indicating…

  • ASEAN at a crossroad as violence escalates in Myanmar

    ASEAN at a crossroad as violence escalates in Myanmar

    Southeast Asian nations are at a “crossroad”, as escalating violence in junta-controlled Myanmar threatens to overshadow a regional summit, warned Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Security, Mahfud MD. The two-year-long crisis has left Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) diplomatic attempts to resolve it fruitless. Last month, an air strike on a village reportedly killed around 170 people,…

  • Scoot flight horror: Technical fault sparks panic among passengers on Singapore to Bangkok route

    Scoot flight horror: Technical fault sparks panic among passengers on Singapore to Bangkok route

    Passengers on a Scoot flight from Singapore to Bangkok feared for their lives when a technical fault caused the aircraft to catch fire yesterday afternoon. Pictures taken by a passenger on the TR605 flight showed a plume-filled cabin. The Airbus A321 departed Bangkok at 3.56pm and was due to arrive in Singapore at 7.15pm.  As a result of the technical…

  • Canada expels Chinese diplomat accused of bullying Canadian lawmaker, Beijing hits back

    Canada expels Chinese diplomat accused of bullying Canadian lawmaker, Beijing hits back

    China refuted allegations that one of its diplomats in Canada had engaged in threatening, intimidating, and bullying behaviour toward a Canadian opposition legislator and interfering in the country’s internal affairs.  Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced yesterday that the Canadian government had declared Zhao Wei as “persona non grata” and ordered him to leave the country immediately, despite Beijing’s denials. She…

  • Pattaya’s real estate market soars thanks to Chinese and Russian buyers

    Pattaya’s real estate market soars thanks to Chinese and Russian buyers

    Real estate in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, is being snapped up like hotcakes thanks to Russian and Chinese buyers, according to leading real estate developer Habitat Group Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer of Habitat Group Chanin Vanichwong revealed today that demand for real estate in Pattaya from both Thai and foreign customers is continually growing, reports Thansettakij. Demand from the foreign…

  • Bersatu dismisses claims of opposition having numbers to challenge Anwar Ibrahim

    Bersatu dismisses claims of opposition having numbers to challenge Anwar Ibrahim

    Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has dismissed claims that the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition has the numbers in the Lower House to challenge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim amidst speculation of a move to oust him from his position. According to The Star, Bersatu information chief Razali Idris noted recently that there have been claims that his party has enough…