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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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Whale shark visits Thailand’s Koh Chang in rare sighting
A stunning four-metre-long whale shark visited a group of tourists on a snorkelling trip in the waters of Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand yesterday in an extremely rare sighting. Danai Unglo, the owner of Mister Khai Tour Company, said he was leading a group of 15 tourists to go snorkelling at Koh Klum island in Trat province’s Koh Chang…
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Chiang Mai issues booster shots to get ready for Chinese tourists
Chiang Mai is preparing to welcome Chinese tourists by giving booster shots to its workers in the tourism industry. The province intends to issue 3,000 doses per day from January 23 to 29. Other residents in the province are also being encouraged to get booster doses. The Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai, Worravit Chaisawat, was chair of the meeting at…
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US Mega Millions jackpot close to US$1 billion
As the Mega Millions jackpot closes in on US$1 billion, with an estimated US$940 million in its next draw, after another draw without a grand prize winner. The lack of a winner of an estimated US$785 million (27 billion baht) jackpot Tuesday means there have been 23 straight draws without a winner. The new jackpot is the sixth-largest in US…
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Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, Guangzhou and Chiang Mai resume
Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, and Guangzhou and Chiang Mai, will resume this month says Shanghai-based Spring Airlines. The budget airline also revealed that flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and Taipei, will also be relaunched in January while the resumption of flights between the metropolis and Singapore is being considered. Another Shangai-based airline, Juneyao Air, announced late last month…
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VIDEO: Indian restaurant owner attacked for ‘stealing customers’ in Thailand
A Thai-born Indian man was attacked on Saturday after opening an Indian restaurant in close proximity to another Indian restaurant in Krabi province in southern Thailand. The victim, Wirent Tiwari, was welcoming customers into his restaurant when he was suddenly attacked by an Indian man. The attacker screamed “I’ll kill you! Then bury you in the ground!” as he slapped,…
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Infected Chinese tourist escapes quarantine in South Korea
South Korean police are searching for a Covid-19 infected Chinese tourist who escaped from a quarantine hotel last Friday. The South Korean news website, KBS News, reported yesterday that local police have been unable to track down the 41 year old Chinese man who escaped Covid quarantine. The website revealed that the man entered the country via the Incheon International…
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‘Buffalo’ Suttipong’s trash-talk tarnishes Phuket’s reputation
The trash-talk of Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Suttipong Juljarern tarnishes Phuket’s reputation, according to the president of the Phuket Lawyers Association. As the highest-ranking civil servant at the Interior Ministry, Suttipong can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth or his name out of the headlines. The latest of the senior servant’s woes comes as people in Phuket…
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Thailand’s public health minister says Chinese tourists won’t be discriminated against
Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says the country’s plans to re-introduce Covid-19 related measures won’t discriminate against Chinese travellers. He then went on to say that the measures won’t discriminate against any particular country. But, the government is expected to finalise measures that would apply to visitors arriving from Covid-plagued countries, which include China. “Relevant officials agree to give…
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PM Prayut proud of Thailand’s pineapples
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha‘s face lit up with joy when he heard that Thailand is the biggest exporter of canned pineapple in the world, according to government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri. PM Prayut was “delighted” when the Agriculture Ministry informed him that Thailand holds a 32% share in the global canned pineapple market – the biggest in the world – valued…
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VIDEO: The WHO accuses China of massaging Covid data
The World Health Organization (WHO) accused China of not being transparent about the true impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese mainland or about its death toll. The WHO believes Beijing is massaging data since it removed its strict restrictions and mass-testing last month. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies director, said… “We believe that the current numbers being published…
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Man arrested for forcing woman to perform oral sex in mini bus
Police arrested a man who forced a woman to perform oral sex on him in a mini bus in the central province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The driver of a mini bus immediately filed a complaint with the police after the female victim notified him about the sexual assault when she got out of the vehicle at her destination.…
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Singapore mum behind bars after stabbing teen daugher over sex life
A Singapore mum is behind bars after she was found guilty of stabbing her teen daughter over her sex life. According to Channel News Asia, the woman is remaining unnamed to protect her daughter’s identity. The woman pled guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt by an instrument likely to cause death. She used a knife to stab her…
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Former US funeral home director gets 20 years in slammer for selling dead body parts
A former US funeral home director in the state of Colorado has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of selling dead body parts. The former director, Megan Hess, 46, pleaded guilty to defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling them without permission. Hess operated a funeral home named Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado.…
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Chinese tourist surge may be small, trains may help
After a flurry of excitement over the return of Chinese tourists, perhaps tempered a bit by Covid-19 worries amidst a huge outbreak there, industry experts are predicting a smaller surge this Chinese New Year. The Association of Thai Travel Agents says that many large tour groups popular in China have not confirmed trips until the country makes an official announcement…
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Video of alleged Chinese Triad drug raid in October released
A new video has surfaced of a drug raid at Jinling nightclub in Bangkok from October that was part of a crackdown on illegal Chinese triad activity. The video was released by controversial politician and soapy massage pioneer Chuwit Kamolvisit who has been active in efforts to curb Chinese gang activity in Bangkok. The raid in October nabbed 104 people…
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New York approves composting of human bodies
New York is the latest US State to approve human composting as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional ways of dealing with human remains such as burial and cremation. Human composting, also known as “natural organic reduction,” is a process that turns a human body into soil after death. The body gradually decomposes over several weeks inside a vessel with woodchips,…
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Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider
A reckless sedan driver fled from the scene of a deliberate crash after smashing into a motorcycle taxi rider and dragging him about five metres on a road in Bangkok. The motorcyclist was injured in the collision but miraculously survived. Another motorcycle rider chased after the negligent motorist but could not catch him. CCTV at the Phasi Charoen Canal Intersection…
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King of Malaysia queues up for KFC
The King of Malaysia and his family were spotted queuing up for some of Colonel Sanders’ finger lickin’ chicken at a KFC branch at a Petronas gas station in Petaling Jaya city in Selangor state on Thursday. Malaysia’s Royal Palace, the Istana Negara, posted photos on Facebook of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah – aka Abdullah…
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Thais can apply for a digital ID next week
Thai nationals using public services provided by government agencies will be able to apply for a digital ID card next Tuesday, January 10. Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul announced the digital ID will apply to agencies under the Internal Affairs Ministry first and then expanded to other government and private agencies, such as commercial banks. The policy will primarily focus…
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Tourists pump 6 billion baht into Phuket’s economy during new year
Tourists pumped over 6 billion baht into the economy of Phuket in southern Thailand over the four-day new year holiday, according to the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Nantasiri Ronasiri. Today, TAT director Nantasiri revealed that between December 30 to January 2, accommodation in Phuket was booked up at 77% of capacity. During these four days and…
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Love affair between Japanese porn star and Thailand goes on
The love affair between a Japanese porn star and Thailand continues. Adult movie star Rae Lil Black is back in the Land of Smiles to try and find a Thai husband, so she says. The 26 year old actress arrived in the kingdom on December 10 last year. Since then, the smoking-hot actress has been pictured in several locations boosting…
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Southern Thailand’s Hat Yai railway targeted again
Train services between Hat Yai and Khlong Ngae in southern Thailand‘s Songkhla province were temporarily suspended again yesterday when officials discovered that several parts of the railway track had been removed by suspected insurgents. Services on the railway, which connects Hat Yai in southern Thailand to Padang Besar in Malaysia, resumed on New Year’s Day after the track was repaired…
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Man lying on a roadside for 6 days survives accident
A man who was injured in a motorcycle accident survived for six days while lying on the roadside before being rescued in Udon Thani’s Isaan province. The injured man, Withawat Nanthapetch, went missing on December 29 of last year after he went to a bar to drink with friends. A bar security camera captured the 22 year old walking out…
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Thailand records a drop in the sale of used homes
A survey by Thailand’s Real Estate Information Center (REIC) revealed there was a drop in the sales of used homes throughout the kingdom in the third quarter of last year. REIC acting director-general Vichai Viratkapan reckons the decrease is down to the cut in transfer and mortgage fees, the easing of loan-to-value (LTV) limits, and an increase in second-hand home…
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TikTok video of nurses drinking in hospital spurs investigation
Officials responded after TikTok videos went viral showing nurses in a hospital drinking and partying. The hospital was not named but the Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council (TNMC) announced that they were launching a probe into the incident after several video clips were uploaded to the popular social media app. The video has since been removed, but many shocked and…
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Furious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours
Furious Thai Smile Airways passengers filed a complaint with the Airport of Thailand (AOT) after they were made to wait on a plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport for two hours because of a lack of shuttle buses and drivers. One of the passengers, Amornrat Viriyaroj, shared her experience on Facebook. On Monday, Amornrat travelled from Chaing Rai to Bangkok with Thai Smile…
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China threatens retaliation over restrictions on Chinese tourists
China is striking back as governments around the world are making policies for Chinese tourists entering their countries. A massive Covid-19 wave has been surging through the mainland, but January 8 reopening plans are still in place allowing a huge tourism demographic of Chinese tourists to flock to holiday destinations worldwide. But not only that! China is threatening countermeasures against…
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Thailand prepares measures to prevent influx of Covid-19 cases from China
As China prepares to open the floodgates on Sunday, Thai government officials are discussing measures to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks from the upcoming influx of Chinese tourists, given the prevalence of the virus in the People’s Republic of China at present. The virus spread rapidly in China after Beijing dropped three-year-long stringent Covid measures last month. Then, Beijing dropped mandatory quarantine…
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Uncovering the Hidden Gems of Thailand’s Islands
Thailand is a beautiful place to visit. It has been home to all sorts of tourist attractions, amazing landscapes, beaches, and nightlife you’ll remember. There are many islands and they hide all sorts of things making Thailand a place that you need to visit. Thai people enjoy lots of different things in their free time and just like anyone else…
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Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents
As Thailand sees the tail end of the dreaded “Seven Days of Danger” where road accidents and death tend to spike over the new year holiday, officials in Phuket are focusing on the number of accidents involving foreigners on their roads. At this morning’s daily briefing at the Phuket Provincial Hall, officials said that foreigners on holiday renting motorbikes and…
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