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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Monk ends Buddhist Lent with a bang in northeast Thailand
Police picked up an inebriated, half-naked monk from the side of the road in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand, on one of the most auspicious Buddhist holidays of the year – Awk Pansa (exit Pansa) on Monday. Buddhist monks and maechis came out of their temples for the first time in three months on Monday upon completion of a period of…
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Thai army chief vows no coup after polls
Thailand’s chief of defence forces is vowing that there will be no military coup after the country’s next general election on May 7, 2023. Chalermpol Srisawat remarked on a reaction to reporters’ questions about how the military will respond if the elections produce a shift in the political landscape. He says the armed forces have no role in politics, but…
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King Charles III to be crowned May 6 next year
Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III will be crowned on May 6, 2023, at Westminister Abbey. The Palace noted that the ceremony will focus on embracing the past but also look forward to the modern world after the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. Rumours have spread that the coronation will be less glamourous than the three-hour coronation of Queen…
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Abusive husband murders estranged wife & commits suicide
An abusive husband murdered his estranged wife in the car park of a condominium in Bangkok before later committing suicide at his house in the southern province of Pattalung. The man’s estranged wife, 47 year old woman Klongkamon Sooksawat, was shot dead at the underground car park of a condominium in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok at about 6.30pm,…
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Singapore taxi drags traffic police officer from window
And you thought Thai taxi drivers were bad… A cab driver in Singapore was arrested after failing to comply with a traffic policeman. Instead, he argued before rolling up the taxi window on the police officer’s arm and driving off, dragging him down the road. The 69 year old taxi driver was arrested and faces charges for his reckless escapade.…
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IMF says world economy about to hit recession
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns the world economy will be in a recession as it downgraded global growth projections for next year. The IMF warned policymakers that a worldwide recession will occur if the fight against inflation is mishandled. The IMF’s bleak assessment comes after reviewing the World Economic Outlook report. According to The Straits Times, the report was…
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Japanese woman loses millions in intergalactic romance scam
A woman from Japan transferred 4.4 million yen to a man who said he was stuck on an International Space Station (ISS) and needed money for a rocket back to earth so he could marry her. The 65 year old woman, from Shiga Prefecture, told police that she fell in love with a man she met online in June and…
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US imposes more sanctions on Taliban over its treatment of women
The US handed down more sanctions on the Taliban as punishment for its treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan. The announcement was made on the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child yesterday. According to The Straits Times, a new visa restriction policy for current or former members of the Taliban and others involved in repressing women’s rights through…
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Vietnam elected to UN Human Rights Council despite poor track record
Despite human rights groups calling for Vietnam to be excluded from the United Nations Human Rights Council, the country has won a three-year term in the Council. According to RFA.Org, the Southeast Asian nation received 145 of 189 valid votes, joining 13 other countries that were elected by members of the UN General Assembly in New York. Vietnam recently conducted…
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New MRT Yellow Line monorail train starts trial run today
The new MRT Yellow Line monorail train in Bangkok and Samut Prakarn province starts its trial run without passengers today and is expected to be fully operational by June next year. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced yesterday that the new MRT Yellow Line would be on trial today from 10am to 5.30pm. The trial is running…
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No peace for Maddie as ‘prime suspect’ charged with historical sex offences
The latest of so many prime suspects in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been charged in Germany with unrelated sex offences. Convicted sex offender 45 year old Christian Brueckner is accused of five offences in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is ongoing. Brueckner was identified as a suspect in the case in June 2020…
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Manager of famous Thai rapper ‘Illslick’ given 2 years in prison over sex scandal
Yesterday, the court sentenced ‘Lily,’ the manager of famous Thai rapper ‘Illslick’, to two years in prison with no parole for ‘luring’ an 18 year old to have sex with the rapper in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand in February last year. Khon Kaen Provincial Court found Lily [surname withheld] guilty of “satisfying the lust of others by luring, supplying, leading…
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Over 1,000 Thais repatriated from trafficking in Cambodia
Scam gangs have made big headlines this year for trafficking Thais and other Southeast Asians to Cambodia. Traffickers often make adverts promising easy work and cushy benefits, drawing in thousands of young, educated victims. When the victims arrive at their destinations they are held captive and forced to work in online scam centres known as “fraud factories.” These include love…
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Thai motorcycle taxi rider rips off Malaysian tourist
A Thai motorcycle taxi rider in the southern province of Songkla said he ripped off a Malaysian tourist because his washing machine was broken. The rider claims it is the first time he overcharged a customer after demanding 500 baht from the stranded tourist for a trip that is only two kilometres. A member of the Hat Yai Municipality Council…
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Thaksin suggests 3 month ‘amnesty’ to register illegal guns in Thailand
Ousted former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra suggests that the government hold a three month amnesty period in which illegal gun owners can register. Then, police should crack down on the illicit gun trade in Thailand, said Thaksin. Exiled Thaksin addressed the issues of guns and drugs from his home in Dubai on his weekly talk show, in response…
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Off-duty officer reportedly carried gun and “acted eratically” in Phuket
An off-duty police officer was reportedly spotted walking around carrying a gun and “acting erratically” in a Phuket housing estate, according to residents. The residents told police they saw the Phang Nga Police officer, 27 year old Corporal Korn, at the estate in Thalang district on Monday morning. Thalang Police Chief Colonel Pisit Chuenpet said police were first alerted about…
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Unhappy days! More Haagen-Dazs destroyed in cancer scare
Almost 28,000 Haagen-Dazs ice creams worth 12 million baht were destroyed in Samut Prakan Monday, even though the samples had not been found to contain a chemical linked to cancer. According to today’s Bangkok Post, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy secretary-general, Weerachai Nolwachai, said on Tuesday that a number of countries in Europe had recalled Haagen-Dazs ice cream…
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Funeral for victims of daycare centre massacre in pictures
Three temples held royally-sponsored funeral and cremation ceremonies today for the victims of the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand on Thursday. Toys, bicycles, flowers, fruit, and incense were laid out in front of wreaths adorned with pictures and names of the victims, who were mostly young children. Locals from over 6000 households…
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Woman arrested for operating illegal dental clinic from her car
A woman was arrested yesterday for operating an illegal dental clinic out of her car in a parking lot outside of a shopping mall in Bangkok. Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) were notified about the illegal dental clinic and its adverts on Thai social media. The fake clinic, named the Fashionable Brace Shop, by sister Ploy from…
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Political activist finds refuge in noodles shop after being shunned by family
A noodles shop in Bangkok has provided a safe refuge for a political activist ostracised by her family who disagrees with her views. Talented artist Thorpad Autta-a-nan uploaded a drawing to her Instagram account that some zealous monarchists may consider offensive. The drawing certainly offended her family and as a result, the 27 year old artist was shunned by her…
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Singapore Air announces new policy for pregnant stewardesses
Singapore Air announced a new policy for pregnant stewardesses. Stewardesses who become pregnant will now be able to keep their jobs at Singapore Air, the airline said in a statement. The statement said that pregnant cabin crew members can now choose to work in “a temporary ground attachment.” The statement said crew members can resume flying duties after maternity leave. Singapore…
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Drug-addled cabbie faces jail for driving under the influence
A drug-addled cabbie faces time in jail for dangerous driving while allegedly under the influence of narcotics in the Kathu district of Phuket. A motorcycle rider brought to light the drug-taking cab driver’s antics after becoming a victim of his erratic behaviour on the road. The taxi driver scolded the motorcycle rider after the latter complained. He said… “Don’t butt…
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Missing boat racers found dead in northeast Thailand
UPDATE The three boat racers who went missing in northeast Thailand after their boat capsized on Sunday have been found dead. Two bodies were found at the foot of the Tum Lam Chi bridge in Maha Sarakham’s main city district. They were about 4 kilometres away from where the boat crashed into a pillar of the bridge. A fisherman found…
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Loan shark shoots debtor 8 times in the head in southern Thailand
A loan shark chose revenge over repayments on Sunday when he shot a debtor eight times in the head outside a tea shop in Songkhla province in southern Thailand. At 8pm, officers at Khuan Meed Police Station received a call that someone had been shot dead in the Chana district. Police found the body of 42 year old Chusit [surname…
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Israeli girl in stable condition after jellyfish causes cardiac arrest
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday reported that the six year old Israeli girl who suffered a cardiac arrest after being stung by a dangerous jellyfish is in serious but stable condition. The Israeli child’s heart stopped after she was stung by a poisonous box jellyfish on a beach in Ko Pha Ngan on Sunday. She received first aid on…
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Beware of snakes when the Chao Phraya river overflows, officials warn
As Bangkok and Pathum Thani prepare for the Chao Phraya river to overflow, officials warn people affected by floods to look out for poisonous snakes, scorpions, and centipedes. Water levels in the Chao Phraya river are reaching breaking point in lower central Thailand. The river is teeming with snakes which will flood into urban areas when the river overflows, warns…
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BMTA replaces mushroom seat on Bangkok public bus
UPDATE The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) today apologised to the city’s passengers after a story of mushrooms growing out of a public bus seat went viral on Thai social media. The picture of the mushroom-growing seat, posted by political activist Jatuporn “New” Saenueng, drew complaints from Thai netizens. The BMTA responded to the criticism on its official Facebook page…
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Non profit donates cremation ceremony uniforms to child massacre victims
A non-profit organization is donating dream job uniforms to the children who lost their lives last Thursday as a result of the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province. The gunman, Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman, killed 37 people including his wife and son before turning a gun on himself. Those who survived the killing spree are in…
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Janitor finds young man’s corpse on fire behind school in NE Thailand
Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 23 year old man was found at a school last night in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. His body was badly burned and the smell of oil pervaded the crime scene. At 8.30pm yesterday, a janitor started his shift at Ban Salangthon school when he noticed a “burning stench.”…
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TAT going green to smash a Guinness World Record
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is calling on all diving enthusiasts to help smash an official Guinness World Record. The TAT wants tourists and residents to get involved in their Go Green Active drive, a conservation diving event at Phuket’s famous Patong Beach between November 18 and November 20. The TAT wants to set a new Guinness World Records…
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