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.

  • Sponsored

    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...

  • Avalanche strikes mountaineering team in Indian Himalayas, 4 killed

    Avalanche strikes mountaineering team in Indian Himalayas, 4 killed

    An avalanche struck a mountaineering team in the Indian Himalayas yesterday morning, killing four people. Meanwhile, another 28 people are still missing.  The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering said the team had been training on a mountain in the northern state of Uttarakhand. The institute’s statement said the team was returning from a 5,670 metre peak when the avalanche hit.  The team…

  • Can foreigners legally grow cannabis in Thailand?

    Can foreigners legally grow cannabis in Thailand?

    The Ministry of Public Health gave away one million cannabis plants to the people of Thailand in June for home cultivation. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dished out the plants to celebrate the removal of all parts of the cannabis plant from Thailand’s list of Category 5 illicit narcotics on June 9. The plants were intended to be cultivated for medicinal…

  • Ordination ceremony concert goes on despite flood

    Ordination ceremony concert goes on despite flood

    “The show must go on,” as the old adage goes, and this was certainly the case at a recent ordination ceremony under threat of flooding in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. The owner of a lighting and sound company, Moo, was hired to set up a concert stage for an ordination ceremony at Samakiyaram Temple in the central province of…

  • Flooding may impact Thailand’s tourism recovery

    Flooding may impact Thailand’s tourism recovery

    Hopes for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover are being challenged by the worst flooding the kingdom has seen in years. With large areas of croplands being suffocated by seasonal storms and rising rivers, food prices are at risk of increasing while tourism recovery is undoubtedly being slowed. According to Bangkok Post, popular tourist destinations are now being flooded by heavy…

  • Myanmar youth artists hold art challenge to raise awareness of country’s plight

    Myanmar youth artists hold art challenge to raise awareness of country’s plight

    Myanmar’s youth artists are hosting an art challenge to raise awareness of their country’s continued struggle for democracy. According to Irrawaddy, the challenge is named #Revtober, an off-shoot of the worldwide art challenge of Inktober. The challenge will see daily drawings and paintings that follow a prompt list for the 31 days of October. The artwork will be shared on…

  • Disabled lottery seller swindled out of one million baht

    Disabled lottery seller swindled out of one million baht

    A lottery ticket seller with a disability filed a complaint with the police yesterday after a man, pretending to be the President of the Association of the Disabled Union of Thailand, lured her into investing one million baht in lottery tickets. The Secretary of Punyaphat Foundation for Persons with Disabilities yesterday filed a complaint on behalf of the 36 year…

  • US, South Korea respond to North Korea’s missile over Japan with bombing drills

    US, South Korea respond to North Korea’s missile over Japan with bombing drills

    In response to North Korea firing an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile over Japan, the US and South Korea carried out precision bombing drills. South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the drills aimed to demonstrate the allies’ “capabilities to conduct a precision strike at the origin of provocations.” “With the participation of four South Korean Air Force F-15Ks and four…

  • Angelina Jolie claims Brad Pitt abused her and their children

    Angelina Jolie claims Brad Pitt abused her and their children

    Angelina Jolie has accused her ex-husband Brad Pitt of physically and emotionally abusing her and their six children, several news outlets reported today.  Jolie’s court papers allege that Pitt began to shout at her while their family was on a private plane in 2016. They say Pitt told her she was “too deferential” to their children. The papers say Pitt…

  • Miss Ukraine slams Miss Grand International promoter

    Miss Ukraine slams Miss Grand International promoter

    Ukrainian Beauty queen Olga Vasyliv slammed Miss Grand International 2022 promoters as politically insensitive after they assigned a hotel room for her to share with her Russian counterpart Ekaterina Astashenkova. The Thai-based beauty pageant, Miss Grand International, is promoted by famous Thai media celebrity Nawat Itsaragrisil. The pageant was founded in Thailand in 2013 amid a political crisis in the…

  • Cracks in road to popular mountain in northern Thailand

    Cracks in road to popular mountain in northern Thailand

    Adventurers driving on the road to a popular mountain in northern Thailand might have a few obstacles ahead of them. Those obstacles include cracks in the road, along with possible mudslides.  Highway officials warn drivers that the main road is fractured to the Phu Thap Boek mountain in Phetchabun province. The officials said there were cracks and subsidence on the…

  • Thai chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer and wins in court

    Thai chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer and wins in court

    A Thai man who sells chicken for a living in Kamphaeng Phet province, central Thailand, has been arrested for pretending to be a lawyer for several years. He allegedly faked his license to practise law, fought several court cases, and even won a few. The chicken vendor, Pornthep Kachenpak, got away with it for years by “outsourcing.” His method was…

  • VIDEO: PM Prayut gives army veteran a haircut in northeast Thailand

    VIDEO: PM Prayut gives army veteran a haircut in northeast Thailand

    Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off his barbering skills yesterday at the Second Army Area in Ubon Ratchathani province. PM Prayut stopped to give an army veteran a trim during his inspection of the flood situation in northeast Thailand. The 66 year old army veteran joked that he was not as handsome as PM Prayut, who complimented the…

  • Hundreds of water pumps installed for floods in Bangkok and nearby provinces

    Hundreds of water pumps installed for floods in Bangkok and nearby provinces

    Thailand’s Royal Irrigation Department is working to fight the floods currently wreaking havoc on Bangkok and its vicinity. Yesterday, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister announced that the department installed more than 220 large water pumps to drain water from the capital and its surrounding provinces, Nation Thailand reported. The minister, Chalermchai Sreeon, said the pumps were draining 45 million cubic…

  • Phuket taxis fined for yet another fight in front of customers

    Phuket taxis fined for yet another fight in front of customers

    The battle between traditional taxis and ride-hailing app drivers seems to have reached a boiling point. Yet another fight between taxi drivers in front of customers took place in Phuket. It resulted in charges against both of the drivers and highlights the continuing problem Phuket and other tourist destinations in Thailand face with taxis. This incident took place at a…

  • Thai actress believes she was drugged on BTS train

    Thai actress believes she was drugged on BTS train

    Thai actress Chatchaya “Sara” Charoenchan filed a complaint with the police last week after she fainted on the Bangkok BTS train. Sara believes she was possibly spiked with a drug somehow. The 23 year old actress informed the media that the incident happened on the morning of Thursday, September 30 while she was on her way to take an exam…

  • French President Macron accepts invitation to APEC meeting in Thailand

    French President Macron accepts invitation to APEC meeting in Thailand

    President of France Emmanuel Macron sent a letter to Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday confirming his attendance at the upcoming Asia Pacific Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok next month from November 18-19. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thanee Saengrat confirmed Macron’s attendance this morning. In the letter, Macron said he was looking forward to…

  • Phuket Vegetarian Festival wraps up

    Phuket Vegetarian Festival wraps up

    The Phuket Vegetarian Festival officially wrapped up its last day yesterday. The last day began with street processions in the main city district. The processions started in the morning at the Lor Rong Shrine and headed toward Saphan Hin Public Park. Later in the afternoon, there was a fire-waking ritual from Kathu Shrine. In the evening, there was another fire-walking ritual…

  • China warns US with display of aircraft killer nuclear missiles

    China warns US with display of aircraft killer nuclear missiles

    The Chinese government has aired footage of aircraft carrier nuclear missiles, with military analysts taking it as a warning to the US. The dual-capable Dongfeng missiles are thought to pose a great threat to US aircraft carrier strike groups. The missiles, thought to be China’s most powerful nuclear-capable weapons, were unveiled in footage to mark National Day. But, as tensions…

  • Kanye West’s ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt at Paris Fashion Week

    Kanye West’s ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt at Paris Fashion Week

    Controversial attention-seeking right-wing rapper Kanye West has once again made waves. Kanye hosted a surprise fashion show during Paris Fashion Week where he wore a t-shirt reading “White Lives Matter.” The American rapper made headlines recently after all ties were cut between his Yeezy sneaker line and GAP and Adidas. The unannounced fashion show took place at a secret venue…

  • Tangmo defendant repays vow with 5-metre Ultraman figure

    Tangmo defendant repays vow with 5-metre Ultraman figure

    A defendant from the Tangmo case, Tanupat “Por’’ Lerttaweewit, repaid a vow he made at a famous temple in the southern part of Thailand by offering a 5-metre Ultraman figure. Thai netizens believe he made a wish related to the Tangmo case after Tangmo’s mother agreed to accept compensation and dropped murder charges. The Kom Chad Luek platform reported that…

  • Father & 2 year old son shot in Chiang Mai

    Father & 2 year old son shot in Chiang Mai

    A father and his two year old son were shot while riding a motorcycle in Chiang Mai in the early hours of this morning. The man died at the scene while his son is in critical condition. Officers from Chai Prakarn Police Station were notified of the incident on Mae Khi Road in the Si Dong Yen sub-district, Chai Prakan…

  • Officials predict over 100,000 people at Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

    Officials predict over 100,000 people at Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

    The annual Pattaya International Fireworks Festival is coming up in November, and city officials have made some estimates about how many people will attend. Officials have estimated that over 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists will make their way to the festival.  The festival will be held from November 25-26 on Pattaya Beach. If estimates come true, the festival will be…

  • Six-legged golden frog brings good fortune in northern Thailand

    Six-legged golden frog brings good fortune in northern Thailand

    A six-legged golden frog hopped into a northern Thai man’s life in Phayao province just over a year ago and has brought him good fortune ever since, he told the media today. The special frog jumped into 50 year old Somboon Tuakrua’s house in the Mueang district around a year ago. Somboon said the amphibian was calm and docile, so…

  • British Embassy Bangkok to hold a conference on tourism safety and security

    British Embassy Bangkok to hold a conference on tourism safety and security

    This is a one-day conference bringing together the Phuket tourism industry, Thai government departments and the international community to discuss matters relating to tourism safety and security in Phuket. The following topics will be discussed: Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Protective Security Incident Response Panel Discussion: Emerging Consular Trends Post Covid-19 Tourism Industry Cyber Risks Engaging Embassies and Consulates Event…

  • Bangkok ranked one of top 5 expat cities

    Bangkok ranked one of top 5 expat cities

    Bangkok is one of the top five expat cities in the world, according to the language learning platform Preply. Thailand’s capital city came in at No.5 on a list of the 60 best cities for expats to live and work. The four cities that beat Bangkok, in order, were Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Tbilisi in Georgia, Lisbon in Portugal, and…

  • Woman abandons home after police ignore four burglaries

    Woman abandons home after police ignore four burglaries

    A homeowner in the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok has abandoned her property after a spate of break-ins ignored by police left her fearing for her life. A picture of the thieves breaking into her house is currently circulating on social media. The Let Me Know If You Wanna Be Famous (อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้รีเทิร์น 5.2) Facebook account posted pictures of the thieving…

  • VIDEO: Brave citizens save delivery driver swept away by floods in northeast Thailand

    VIDEO: Brave citizens save delivery driver swept away by floods in northeast Thailand

    A viral TikTok clip posted on Saturday shows the severity of floods in Srisaket province in northeast Thailand. A group of brave citizens formed a human chain to pull a delivery driver who was swept off the road back to safety. To save himself, the delivery driver had to bid farewell to his motorbike which he depends on to make…

  • Chiang Mai wakes up to a flooded city district

    Chiang Mai wakes up to a flooded city district

    After Chiang Mai’s Ping River overflowed last night, residents woke up to a flooded city district this morning. The river’s water level this morning was 4.51 metres. This was 0.81 metres above the critical level. Residents were using sandbags to stop water from getting into their shops and houses. Small vehicles couldn’t pass through several roads. This included Loi Kroh…

  • Book on Trump reveals casual racism and homophobia

    Book on Trump reveals casual racism and homophobia

    A controversial new book on Donald Trump by a New York Times journalist reveals that an intriguing look into his life from businessman to United States President, from casual racism to homophobia, and fear of dying from Covid-19. The book, Confidence Man, written by Maggie Haberman chronicles Trump’s time as a New York businessman and life during and after his…

  • Thai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house

    Thai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house

    UPDATE After the story hit the media, Thailand’s Government Savings Bank (GSB) released a statement apologising for repossessing and renovating the wrong house in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, one month ago. The bank admits “full responsibility.” However, the apology has been met with disapproval from netizens (gaining 4 thousand angry reactions on Facebook) because it was accompanied by a…