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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The 5 most common travel emergencies in Thailand and how to be prepared
Thailand is a popular destination known for its dynamic culture, stunning beaches, and bustling cities however, travellers can face unexpected travel emergencies that include medical issues, road accidents, petty theft, and natural disasters. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip,...
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English tourist seriously injured after fall from hotel balcony in Thailand
A 23 year old English tourist is seriously injured after falling three floors from a hotel balcony on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand two weeks ago. Kieran Martin, a personal trainer from Castleford in England, sustained an open-book pelvic fracture which caused internal bleeding when the accident happened ten days into his three-week dream holiday to Thailand with…
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Scammers nab 16 million baht from Chon Buri businessman through app
Thailand’s scammers have struck again, nabbing 16 million baht from a Chon Buri businessman through an app. They used what they claimed was an Internal Trade Department app to take control of the victim’s phone. The victim, 40 year old Watchara Srichuengcharoenchai, said one of the scammers called him on Friday, claiming to be an official from Internal Trade Department.…
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‘Dilbert’ dropped from hundreds of papers after racist remarks
After “Dilbert” comic strip creator Scott Adams made derogatory remarks about Black people in a video he posted online, hundreds of US newspapers have announced that they will no longer publish the popular comic strip. The iconic comic strip that lampooned office life became massively popular in the 1990s, even spawning a TV show briefly. But, in recent years, Adams…
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Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand
Thai and foreign passengers were left stranded at Krabi International Airport in southern Thailand yesterday evening after the runway was closed due to an electrical short circuit, causing disruption to several flights. Facebook page Krabi Provincial Public Relations Department announced at 8.30pm that the airport sent out a Notice to Airmen (NOTEM) announcing the temporary closure of the airport from…
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Mother of missing baby ‘Nong Tor’ confesses
The mother of the eight month old baby who went missing from Nakhon Phatom province in central Thailand on February 5 has confessed to dumping her son’s body in the Tha Chin river, reported Deputy National Police Chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn this morning. According to Thai Rath, the baby’s 17 year old mother “Nim” confessed to the police that Nong…
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Company ranks Bangkok 30th best city in the world, 2nd best in ASEAN
Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok has been ranked high lately on several lists of cities in a number of different areas. Now, a famous tourism consulting company, Resonance Consultancy, has named the Bangkok the 30th best city in the world, and the second best in ASEAN. A Thai government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, announced on the ranking on Saturday. Resonance Consultancy…
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Udon Thani thief with a heart of gold, and head of lead
What happened to an Udon Thani thief last week could so easily happen to any of us. You are strolling down the street – or cycling – and something in a shop window catches your eye, shiny and glittery. You pause to admire some random treasure beyond the glass and you think: “That’s beautiful. I’d love to own that.” But…
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10,000 baht offered for missing stray dog in Kathu
While Thailand is riddled with stray dogs roaming the street, one lost dog could net you 10,000 baht. That’s the reward a devoted pet owner has offered in Phuket for the safe return of a dog that has gone missing. Residents of Kathu in Phuket are being asked to help find an ex-stray dog that has been missing for three…
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Krabi homeowner shocked by 5-metre king cobra snake
If you were a giant king cobra snake, where would you live? The answer is apparently “anywhere you want.” A homeowner in Krabi got a major surprise when they discovered a five-metre-long king cobra relaxing at their house this week. A team of snake handlers successfully caught the king cobra that was hiding under a chair in front of their…
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Police in Rayong destroy thousands of guns
Thousands of guns seized by police were destroyed in a ceremony at a Millcon Steel Company facility in Rayong this week. The destruction marks the latest effort by the Royal Thai Police to enforce gun control in the country and combat illegal firearm possession. The national police chief Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas and his deputy presided over the gun destruction…
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Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging
If you are frustrated at the rising costs of airfare to Phuket, you’re not the only one. The popular resort island has been facing complaints from tourists regarding rising airfare prices during the high season. In response, the Provincial Public-Private Joint Economic Development Committee has warned airlines against overcharging customers for flights to Phuket, especially during long holidays. The warning…
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Where’s our money? Chiang Mai bank loses farmers’ 100 million baht
More than 200 angry members of an agricultural cooperative laid siege to Chang Phueak Police Station in Chiang Mai on Friday demanding to know where their farmers‘ 100 million baht has gone. Members of the San Pa Tong Agriculture Cooperative claim that more than 100 million baht (US$2.8 million) deposited with a “reputable bank” has vanished from their account. Police to…
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Thai Airways to merge with Thai Smile to ‘reduce losses’
Thai Airways is to merge with Thai Smile to “reduce losses.” The plan is expected to be approved by the end of this year. Piyasvasti Amranand, chairman of THAI’s committee overseeing the airline’s rehabilitation, said the restructuring had been on the cards for a while and had always been part of the plan. “A study about the merger plan is…
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Metal sphere dubbed ‘Godzilla Egg’ washed onto Japanese beach
A mysterious metal sphere that washed ashore on a beach in Japan has left residents and authorities wondering what it could be. The sphere, approximately 1.5 metres wide, was spotted by a local man in the coastal city of Hamamatsu, who alerted the police after noticing the unusual object on Enshuhama beach. Authorities came to check it out and promptly…
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Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi’s ex-husband accused of dismembering her
Police in Hong Kong search for the ex-husband of socialite Abby Choi after her headless body was discovered in a village house. The home in Tai Po had been rented by her ex-husband’s father recently. The 28 year old model was reported missing on Tuesday. Parts of her dismembered body were found to have been cooked and stored in a…
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Drunk Saudi tourist steals jet ski on Patong Beach
A drunk foreign tourist caused a commotion on Patong Beach in Phuket yesterday after he was caught trying to steal a jet ski. The tourist, who was described as anxious and intoxicated, also attacked a jet-ski caretaker and tried to escape. The incident was reported to the Patong Police at noon yesterday, and when they arrived at the scene, they…
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Federal baht bus standing ban puts drivers in a pickle
A new law has been published in the Royal Gazette, stating that passengers are no longer allowed to stand on the back of baht buses, also known as songtaews. But drivers are also obligated to pick up all passengers, leaving drivers with the dilemma of either illegally not picking up passengers when full or illegally overcrowding and allowing passengers to…
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Thai army punishes 5 soldiers and their commanders for gunfight in Bangkok
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) punished five non-commissioned officers and their commanders after residents living near the premises in Bangkok complained about a gunfight and loud party at night. Locals living near an army premise in the Chaeng Watthana district of Bangkok have recently released a video of soldiers engaging in violent behaviour. The caption said… “The gunfight on February…
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Thai drug lord ‘becomes Korean’ with plastic surgery to evade the law
Thai police arrested a “handsome Korean man” in Bangkok today who is in fact a wanted Thai drug lord who underwent loads of plastic surgery and changed his name to present as a Korean man to avoid prosecution. Police arrested 25 year old “Jimin Cheong,” formerly Sarahat Sawangjaeng, at a condominium in the Bang Na district of Bangkok under an arrest…
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Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injures pedestrian
A Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injured a pedestrian on Wednesday night. Rescuers rushed to the scene on Soi Bun Samphan 13 to find the victim, a 49 year old woman named Pornthip Kiatkamonchai, lying in the middle of the road. The rescuers found the rider, a 15 year old boy, with only very slight injuries. The rescuers said the boy…
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Thai-Bangladeshis commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya
Thai-Bangladeshis gathered on Wednesday to commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya. The community commemorated the day at the Unique Regency Hotel on Pratumnak Soi 5. Dozens of residents, esteemed guests, and other members of the Pattaya Thai-Bangladeshi Community attended the event. International Mother Language Day is globally observed and formally recognised by the United Nations. The day aims to…
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Thai Airways Q4 loss narrows
Thai Airways Q4 profit almost tripled as tourists started to return to the holiday kingdom. The carrier’s net income for the three months ending December 31 rose to 11.2 billion baht (US$300 million) from 4 billion baht a year earlier, chief executive officer Chai Eamsiri said on Friday. Thai Airways Q4 profit to support strong growth in 2023 Operating income…
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Malware and ransomware biggest threat to Thai businesses
Malware and ransomware continue to be just as much of a threat to businesses this year as last, according to a cybersecurity firm FortiGuard Labs. The global cyber threat study and research team, found malware and ransomware with sophisticated attack patterns and delivery remain the main threats to Thai organisations. Vulnerability will increase During the fourth quarter of 2022, FortiGuard…
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Officials find illegal houses encroaching on Phuket mangrove area
Officials found illegal houses encroaching on a protected mangrove area in Phuket. The team of officers from the Mangrove Resource Conservation Division of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) found the six illegal houses on Wednesday. The team found the illegal houses on Soi Rong Foam in Moo 1 in Ratsada. The houses had been built in an…
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TAT expects roadshow to help bring 5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year
Earlier this week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched its ‘Amazing Thailand Amazing New Chapters Roadshow to China 2023.’ The roadshow began on 21 February in Shanghai and later moved to Chengdu and Guangzhou. TAT expects the roadshow to help it reach its goal of welcoming 5 million tourists to Thailand this year. The roadshow aimed to create business…
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Romance scam: Dutchman files 4 million baht lawsuit against Thai ex-girlfriend
In another romance scam case, a Dutchman is trying to get 4 million baht from his former girlfriend, a woman from Sakhon Nakhon province in northeast Thailand, who he says deceived him into sending her millions for land and a house before abandoning him. The Thai woman says it’s the Dutchman who is in the wrong for starting a relationship…
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Oman Air announces network expansion for 2023 summer schedule
Continuing its ambitious and dynamic strategy of fleet and network expansion, Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has unveiled its summer schedule for 2023. The schedule specifies significant frequency increases on existing routes, and the addition of four destinations—representing a 60% increase in the number of flights from its hub in Muscat compared to the previous…
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Big Joke to visit America to discuss Thailand’s human trafficking ranking
Deputy National Police Chief General Surachate Hakparn, aka ‘Big Joke,’ is set to visit America to discuss Thailand’s human trafficking ranking. Big Joke is answering questions from American officials about Thailand’s efforts to tackle human trafficking, before the US releases its annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report in July, Nation Thailand reported. Countries are ranked on their efforts to fight…
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Thailand votes for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine at UN Assembly
Thailand was one of 141 countries at the United Nations (UN)’s General Assembly yesterday that voted for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and withdraw troops immediately. Seven countries voted against and 32 countries abstained. Thailand’s vote is significant since Thailand refused to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukraine at a UN Assembly in October 2022, abstaining from the vote.…
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Driving instructor intentionally crashes into and kills Thai police officer (video)
A driving instructor crashed his sedan into the motorbike of a highway police officer in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand yesterday, instantly killing him. The crash was captured clearly by the camera attached to the highway police officer’s helmet. After inspecting the footage, police believe the crash was intentional. At 4.30pm, the Highway Police received notification of an accident…
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