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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Death toll during Songkran increases to 158
Forty-four individuals tragically lost their lives, and a further 368 were injured in road accidents across various regions on Friday, the fourth day of the “seven dangerous days” during the Songkran festivities. This has brought the total number of fatalities throughout the celebration thus far to 158. The reported number of deaths during the first four days has decreased by…
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3 detained in seizure of 100kg narcotics
In a significant narcotics bust in Thailand, authorities have apprehended suspects from three countries and intercepted over 100 kilograms of drugs, according to the Narcotics Control Board (NCB). On Tuesday, Thai authorities received information regarding the smuggling of heroin from Thailand to Australia. Working together with a joint task force, the NCB managed to seize 80 bricks of heroin, totalling…
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Oops! Cardi B rips hotpants onstage while twerking in Pattaya
It turns out, even American celebrities have wild nights in Pattaya. A twerking session in Pattaya went massively wrong for music sensation Cardi B after her hotpants ripped onstage, news outlets reported yesterday. This was at the event Rolling Loud Thailand 2023. The event began in Pattaya on Thursday and lasts until today (Saturday). Footage from Daily Mail shows the 30 year…
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Prime minister’s unexpected trip to Khao San Road
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made a surprising appearance at Khao San Road on Friday, taking part in a lively water fight with enthusiastic locals and tourists. Gen. Prayut, the United Thai Nation Party’s prime ministerial candidate, arrived at the well-known location for Songkran festivities on Friday afternoon, accompanied by key party members. Upon arrival, he engaged in a discussion about…
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Phuket kitchen staffer stabs colleague to death
A Phuket kitchen staffer stabbed his colleague to death in the car park of a well-known hotel in Cherng Talay on Thursday, The Phuket Express and The Phuket News reported last night. The suspect, 20 year old Sarayut stabbed 23 year old Roongroj, in the stomach. Cherng Talay Police rushed to the scene after being informed of the incident at around 4.30pm. Upon arriving…
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Egg-thrower convicted of threatening behaviour towards King Charles III
UK authorities found a young man who threw eggs at King Charles guilty of threatening behaviour at York Magistrates Court, BBC reported yesterday. The young man, 23 year old Patrick Thelwell, hurled five eggs at King Charles and the Queen Consort as they arrived at Micklegate Bar on November 9, 2022. All five eggs missed. At the time, Thelwell had…
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Pattaya motorcycle taxi rider threatens to kill 2 foreigners over fare dispute
Pattaya Police yesterday arrested a Thai motorcycle taxi rider after he turned into a knife-wielding thug after a row with two foreign passengers over fare prices. According to reports, the taxi driver threatened to kill both foreigners during the altercation. The incident kicked off on Pattaya Second Road near Soi 6/1 early yesterday evening. Pattaya Police received a call about…
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Songkran celebrations turn sour: Over 100 lives lost, 1,000 injured in road accidents
According to the Director General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Boontham Lertsukheekasem, 114 fatalities and 1,064 injuries were recorded due to road accidents nationwide during the Songkran holiday. Between Tuesday and Thursday, there were 1,055 traffic incidents leading to these casualties a report today revealed. Chiang Mai, a province in the north, experienced the most accidents with…
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International drug ring busted in Thailand: NCB seizes 100kg of narcotics, 3 arrested
A major international drug bust took place in Thailand yesterday with more than 100 kilogrammes of narcotics intercepted, and a group of suspects from three countries arrested, the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) reported. NCB secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhon stated that Thai authorities received an anonymous tip-off on Tuesday about a heroin shipment heading from Thailand to Australia. Collaborating with a joint…
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Limited access to Khao San Road due to overcrowding
Police temporarily blocked access to the renowned backpacker haven of Khao San Road last night, as the Songkran event attracted an overwhelming number of participants. Police are urging new visitors to await the departure of those already at the venue before entering the 400-metre-long road in Phra Nakhon district. Songkran festivities kicked off yesterday and are expected to continue well…
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Elderly in Thailand expect their children to look after them
A recent survey carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) revealed that the majority of elderly people in Thailand expect to receive care from their families, specifically their daughters. This survey aimed to identify who the Thai elderly believe should be responsible for their care, questioning a sample of 1,310 individuals aged 60 and above. The study…
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PM Prayut to join 10 UTN rallies in push for election victory
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is set to attend at least 10 campaign rallies across Thailand, hosted by the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party in preparation for the May 14 General Election. As the UTN’s chief strategist, the 69 year old Gen. Prayut will start his campaign tour in Bangkok, and will put on festival attire to participate in Songkran festivities…
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12,000 refugees from Myanmar depart Tak
Around 12,000 Myanmar refugees returned to their homeland in Myawaddy this week after seeking temporary refuge on Thai territory over the past week, according to the Royal Thai Army (RTA). Maj. Gen. Sirichan Ngathong, the RTA deputy spokesperson, confirmed yesterday that the last 89 Myanmar refugees who were sheltering in tambon Mae Kasa of Mae Sot district departed on Wednesday.…
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Air pollution increases in upper northeastern regions of Thailand
According to the Pollution Control Department, 23 locations, primarily in the northern region of Thailand, have been found to contain high levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter (PM2.5). The most severe levels were identified in Chiang Mai. These concentrations are considered detrimental to human health. As of 11am yesterday, PM2.5 dust levels in the north ranged…
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Songkran to generate billions in revenue for Thailand
After a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand‘s famous Songkran Festival, or Thai New Year, officially kicked off yesterday. Locals and visitors from all around the world gathered at popular spots across the country to partake in the renowned water-splashing festivities. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates that both Thai and foreign tourists will contribute up to…
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Reunited mother and daughter share tears of joy after 32 years apart in northeast Thailand (video)
Tears of joy flowed when a mother and daughter in northeastern Thailand reunited after 32 years thanks to the power of social media. The heart-rendering story was reported from Ban Si Liam, Khao Khok sub-district, Prakhon Chai district, Buriram province, only three days ago, on April 11. Emotions were high and tears flowed as the mother and daughter hugged each other…
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From Songkran splashes to handcuffs: Two Hong Kong men arrested for shooting humourless cops with water (video)
Millions of people all over Thailand today are celebrating Songkran with water fights but spare a thought for two men in Hong Kong unfortunate enough to encounter some humourless cops while celebrating the Thai New Year. The pair were arrested by the party-pooping officers for disorderly conduct after they fired water guns at them at a Songkran event on Sunday…
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Notorious Aussie drug lord sentenced to 20 years in jail
The notorious head of a South Australian drug-trafficking network has been sentenced to almost 20 years in jail. Robert Gordon Pollybank Gee, the alleged drug lord, was sentenced yesterday in the District Court for drug charges dating back to 2006, ABC News reported. The court heard how the 64 year old was a pivotal figure in the operation of a…
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Speed demon down: Former world motorcycle champ crashes near Phuket
A former world motorcycle racing champion, who holds multiple speed records, has been involved in an accident near Phuket. Eric Teboul, better known in the motorcycle community as “Rocketman” after breaking the world quarter mile record on a bike just months ago, collided with another Honda ridden by Oleg Afanasenko, a Russian holidaymaker, on a bend near the scenic viewpoint…
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EC reports 2.3 million people register for advance voting
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced that 2,350,969 people have registered for advance voting ahead of the May 14 General Election. Registration was open between March 25 and April 9, and the EC reports that this year’s figures were similar to those of 2019, when 2.63 million people registered for advance voting, including 119,000 overseas voters, reported Bangkok Post. Of…
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New plant species discovered in Thailand named after Blackpink’s Lisa
The discovery of a never seen before plant in Thailand has been named after Blackpink star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban. A previously unknown flowering plant, belonging to the Annonaceae family, has been discovered by a team of researchers at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Science and dedicated to the Thai-born K-pop singer Lisa. In recognition of the Thai-born K-pop star, the…
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K-pop dance by Thai soldiers sparks controversy and admiration among netizens
Thai soldiers came under fire from Thai netizens after they danced to K-pop music in the Siam neighbourhood of Bangkok last weekend. The soldiers also had a few admirers and many praised the soldier group for their talent. A Smile Army Facebook page posted a video of the soldiers dancing to K-pop music on Sunday, April 9. In the video,…
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Thai woman arrested for surrogacy fraud, identity theft, and human trafficking (video)
Police arrested a Thai woman for her involvement in illegal surrogacy, identity theft, and colluding with Chinese citizens in human trafficking. The Thai woman, Nawaporn Pakiatsakun, who was originally Chinese, married a Thai man to gain Thai citizenship and facilitate her crimes. It was later revealed that several government officials from Thailand were also involved in the corrupt scheme. The…
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Scaly thief steals 100 chickens and ducks from farm in northeast Thailand
A four-metre-long python was caught red-handed stealing poultry from a farm in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand yesterday. The fat snake devoured nearly 100 chickens and ducks in total, causing significant damage to the farmer. The farmer, 58 year old Chaiwichit Sarito, was dumbstruck when chickens and ducks kept going missing from his farm day in and day out.…
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Speedboat explosion in southern Thailand kills 1, injures 1
An explosion on a tourist speedboat docked at a pier in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand injured two people yesterday, one of whom later passed away in the hospital. At around 8pm, the Phang Nga Harbour Office was informed of a loud noise similar to an explosion on a speedboat at Ban Thap Lamu Pier in Lam Kaen subdistrict,…
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Thai man goes on rampage: Attacks 6 people after married woman rejected his advances (video)
A Thai man went on the rampage, attacking six victims, including a couple after a married woman rejected his advances in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The wife’s husband, 24 year old Adisak Wiatesing, filed a complaint with the police after the couple were attacked by a man named Pae on April 10. Adisak told police that he went to…
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Latest Thai social media craze, sweet soy sauce soda, poses serious health risk, says health dept
The Department of Health issued a warning to the public regarding the consumption of a trendy Thai social media beverage called sweet soy sauce soda. According to the department, the drink has unhealthy quantities of sodium and sugar, which surpass the recommended daily intake and can pose a health hazard. The drink is trending after a famous Thai sauce company,…
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Thailand – Cambodia border checkpoint overwhelmed ahead of Songkran
The Poipet International Border Checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia is so busy ahead of the Songkran – or the Southeast Asian New Year – that Thai authorities have had to open a second checkpoint nearby to ease congestion. Like Thailand, Cambodia is celebrating the Buddhist New Year this weekend. In Cambodia, the holiday is called “Moha Sangkranta” and will be celebrated…
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TAT expects Phuket to generate at least 4.5 billion baht during Songkran
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects Phuket to generate at least 4.5 billion baht during the Songkran Festival, with over 200,000 tourists expected to visit the island province. The director of TAT’s Phuket Office, Lertchai Wangtrakundee, stated that 84% of hotel rooms have already been booked from April 13 to April 16. Additionally, 258 international flights with 48,302 passengers…
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Pepsi Thailand introduces bottles made from 100% recycled plastic
Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) will switch to 100% recycled plastic for its 550ml Pepsi bottles, expected to enter the market later this month, under the campaign “Appreciate Fizz: Dare to Change the World.” PepsiCo joined forces with Chulalongkorn University and ENVICCO Co., Ltd. to launch the project, “Pepsi Recycled PET Bottle Campaign.” Pepsi will be the first carbonated drink brand to…
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