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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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12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
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RTA lieutenant general accused of assault, illicit drug use during sexual encounter with man
Investigations are underway at Sadao Police Station in Songkhla, regarding the alleged illicit drug use and assault by a Royal Thai Army (RTA) army lieutenant general while engaging in sexual activities with another man. The authorities have issued a summons for the lieutenant general to be questioned about these allegations. Police officials interviewed the alleged victim, identified solely as Nut.…
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China offers engine substitutes for Thai submarine project with benefits
Chinese authorities have committed to meeting three conditions concerning warranty, compensation, and safety if the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) opts for a Chinese-produced engine to replace a German-made one for an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China, according to Navy commander Adm Choengchai Chomchoengpaet. Following a recent meeting with China’s navy chief and defence minister, Adm Choengchai revealed that…
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Man stabbed to death in shopping mall near Bangkok
A man was stabbed to death after a silly staring row in the Zeer Rangsit shopping mall in the Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani province near Bangkok last night. The attacker surrendered himself to the police at the murder scene. Officers from Khu Kot Police Station and a rescue team arrived at the murder scene at 9pm and discovered…
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Pattaya motorcyclist dies from crashing into tour bus after reportedly running red light
Another motorcyclist has lost his life in Thailand‘s ongoing plague of road accidents. A motorcyclist died after crashing into a tour bus after he reportedly ran a red light on Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya. The accident occurred at 1.20am yesterday. Police and rescuers arrived on the scene to find a white Scooby I completely destroyed. The motorcyclist, 35 year old…
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Myanmar’s snake rescue squad’s mission to protect reptiles and humans
Shwe Lei and her team were outside a monastery in Yangon at 4am, struggling with 30 squirming pythons. They put them into old rice sacks and then loaded the sacks into a van. They were continuing their daily duty as part of Myanmar’s leading snake removal squad, tasked with freeing pythons and coaxing cobras from dangerous encounters with humans and…
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Deputy interior minister criticizes tap water fee hike plan amid rising energy prices
Deputy Interior Minister Naris Khamnurak spoke out against the Metropolitan Waterworks Administration’s (MWA) and Provincial Waterworks Administration’s (PWA) plan to hike tap water fees yesterday. Naris was responding to media reports suggesting both agencies intend to raise bills to counterbalance the higher expenses brought about by rising energy prices. The Deputy Interior Minister emphasised that neither the MWA nor the…
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Lucky fisherman finds whale puke worth 3 million baht on Thailand beach
A lucky fisherman stumbled across 3 kilogrammes of rare whale puke – or ambergris – while taking a stroll on the beach in Rayong, eastern Thailand, on Sunday. If genuine, he can sell the “floating gold” for 3 million baht (US$87,931). Ambergris (“grey amber” in French) is a rare and valuable material produced in the digestive system of some species of…
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Thailand denies bail to suspected serial killer as cyanide poisoning toll rises to 13
The Criminal Court of Thailand denied bail to the suspected serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn. The number of victims has increased from 8 to 13, with two of them luckily surviving the cyanide poisoning. The Criminal Court of Thailand denied bail and issued a detention notice against Am for 12 days from April 26 to May 7. During this time,…
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Actress Halle Bailey faces backlash for posing with animals at controversial Bangkok zoo
Animal rights activists have criticized US actress Halle Bailey, known for her upcoming role in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, after she posed with wildlife at a controversial Bangkok zoo. Bailey and Disney were accused of promoting animal exploitation and cruelty at Safari World in Bangkok, which has been under international scrutiny for years for their treatment of animals, particularly orangutans…
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Another Uyghur refugee dies after 9 years in Thailand detention centre
Human rights groups are urging Thai authorities once more to end forced prolonged detention for Uyghur refugees following the death of a Uyghur man who spent nine years inside a detention centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Mettohti Matturson, a 40 year old Uyghur refugee from Xinjiang in China, died of suspected liver failure at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Centre (IDC) on…
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Chinese tourists return for May Day holidays, boosting international bookings
After a long hiatus due to travel restrictions and pandemic-related concerns, Chinese tourists are gearing up for international travel once again. According to DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel distribution company, Chinese travellers are eager to explore the world and bookings for trips abroad are recovering fast. The upcoming May Day holiday, which runs from April 29 until May 3 and…
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Unusual ventilation break-in shocks Thai homeowners
A recent burglary in Thailand has drawn attention due to its unusual method of entry and the theft of assets worth around 2 million baht (US$60,000). The thieves entered the home through the bathroom ventilation system on the second floor and also stole the entire server of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system installed in the house. According to the homeowner’s…
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Secret Myanmar crisis talks held in New Delhi with neighbouring countries
Representatives from Myanmar and its neighbouring countries, including Thailand, China, and India, have been secretly holding talks to de-escalate the bloody crisis unfolding in the military-led nation, according to anonymous sources. The discussions, known as the Track 1.5 dialogue, commenced in Thailand last month and continued in New Delhi yesterday, amid growing discontent within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations…
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Thai and German nationals arrested for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan
Thai authorities arrested a Thai national and a German man on Monday for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The arrest was made after the officers found drugs hidden in scented candles delivered from Germany. The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Wichai Chaimongkon, released details of the arrests,…
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Man caught smuggling 45 crab-eating macaques out of Thailand
A Thai man was arrested on a highway in Udon Thani province in northeastern Thailand yesterday with 45 crab-eating macaques stuffed into 13 boxes inside his car. He confessed that he was taking the monkeys to the border to be smuggled into neighbouring countries, most likely to be experimented on or killed for their brains. The monkey trafficker, 44 year…
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Laotian woman arrested in Pattaya for overstaying visa by three years
During a routine inspection at a Pattaya nightclub, local police arrested a Laotian woman who had overstayed her visa by three years. The arrest took place last night at Club Panda, a popular establishment on Walking Street. The inspection occurred around 10pm yesterday when law enforcement officials entered the establishment and found 160 patrons, both local Thais and foreign nationals.…
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Japan’s population predicted to fall to 87 million by 2070, with foreign residents making up 10.8%
Japan’s population is expected to experience a significant decline over the next few decades, with predictions that the total number will fall to 87 million by 2070, representing a 30% decrease from 2020 figures. As the nation grapples with the challenges of an ageing population, this decrease suggests that in the coming years, the government will likely need to rely…
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Thai politician foresees Phuket and Phang Nga as new global business centres
Thailand’s Phuket and Phang Nga provinces, according to an imaginative proposal by Thai politician, Settha Taweesin, could become the new global business destinations and potentially draw in talented individuals from around the world to work in these areas while simultaneously enjoying the natural beauty and tourist attractions on offer. Settha Taweesin, a candidate for prime minister representing the Pheu Thai…
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Child prodigy creates mesmerizing Sak Yant tattoo in Khon Kaen, Thailand
The skills of a child prodigy went viral on Thai social media after he created a traditional Thai tattoo (or Sak Yant) on a customer in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The 10 year old child prodigy, Nakrob “Puen” Sooksusi, is considered the youngest tattoo artist in Thailand. Sak Yant is a popular form of tattoo art in Thailand.…
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Lululemon to open store in Thailand this July
Canadian athletic apparel, accessories, and footwear brand lululemon athletica will open a store in CentralWorld in Bangkok this July. It will be the brand’s first store in Thailand. The brand did not give an exact date in July for the store’s opening on CentralWorld’s first floor opposite H&M Home – joining the mall’s newly-opened American burger joint Shake Shack. Lululemon…
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Conflict at Patong massage shop leads to car ramming and injuries (video)
A conflict at a Patong massage shop led to a car ramming and injuries on Monday night, The Phuket News reported. The incident happened at around 8pm. The driver, Panudet, had a dispute with the co-owner of a luxury massage shop, Chatchanan “Patty” Charoenjai. Panudet previously reported to police that Chatchanan had slapped him across the face. The reason for…
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Singapore ignores UN’s pleas and executes man over 1kg of cannabis
Singapore ignored pleas from the United Nations and executed a man this morning found guilty of conspiring to traffic 1 kilogramme of cannabis. At dawn, 46 year old Tangaraju Suppiah was hanged at Changi Prison in eastern Singapore, the Singapore Prison Service reported. His family received his body and a death certificate at the prison this morning. Tangaraju was sentenced…
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Increase in international fights expected for Hua Hin Airport this year
The number of international flights to and from Hua Hin Airport is expected to increase in the near future, according to John LaRoche, CEO of the Phoenix Group, which is leading the upgrade of the airport. Speaking at the recent meeting of the Royal Coast Riviera Club on Friday, April 21, LaRoche said that despite various setbacks, including the pandemic,…
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Crafty Chiang Mai tuk tuk drivers paint pavement yellow to avoid traffic fines
Crafty Tuk Tuk drivers were caught on camera painting yellow paint over the red lines on the pavement in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand so they could park their three-wheeled vehicles next to Tha Phae Gate without getting traffic fines. Red and white means absolutely no parking, whereas yellow and white means parking there temporarily is permitted. In a short…
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Stray dogs intimidate foreign tourists at Krabi’s Ao Nang Beach
There’s been more drama involving stray dogs at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi province. A pack of stray dogs intimidated two foreign tourists on the beach, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The couple was walking their pet dog along the beach when the pack of five to six strays aggressively barked at them. The couple tried to chase the dogs away, but…
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India’s girl power: Newborn tops population milestone
India has officially become the world’s most populous nation, with a newborn baby girl marking the milestone moment. Manu Bala, a 22 year old housewife, gave birth to her as-yet-unnamed daughter in a government hospital in the country’s Himalayan region on Monday. The mother and her child were among the more than 67,000 born across India that day when the United…
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China accelerates nuclear arsenal expansion amid potential future conflicts with the US
China’s nuclear arsenal is expanding at an unprecedented rate, with experts suggesting that the nation is increasingly focusing on the potential for future conflicts with the United States. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s stockpile currently comprises around 350 warheads, a small number compared to the US and Russia. However, the Pentagon has predicted that this…
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Kenyan mass graves prompt calls to regulate religious cults
Kenyan self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge sparked shock and outrage in the country after leading his followers into the forest near the coastal town of Malindi, allegedly convincing them to starve to death to meet God. The Good News International Church closed in 2019 after Nthenge claimed that Jesus told him his work had come to an end. However, authorities…
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Thailand welcomes new controversial Chinese-built amphibious assault ship
Thailand yesterday welcomed a new Chinese-built amphibious assault ship to its naval fleet. The HTMS Chang, a Type 071E landing platform dock, arrived at its homeport in southern Thailand a week after its official handover at the Chinese shipyard. The ship, which left Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s facility in Shanghai on Tuesday, April 18, travelled through the Taiwan Strait before arriving at…
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New Balance kicks out of Thailand
American sports footwear brand New Balance closed all of its stores in Thailand after the contract with its importer and distributor in Thailand, CRC Sports, expired. CRC Sports, a retail company under the Central Group, was established on December 26, 1996, with a registered capital of 370 million baht. It operated under the Supersports brand and offered sports products. According…
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