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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Sponsored How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Where you can get high-quality cannabis in Pattaya
Recently, Pattaya has become a popular destination for cannabis enthusiasts. With its relaxed laws, Pattaya has become a hub for cannabis tourism, offering an array of cannabis-related activities, products, and services. Whether you’re looking to relax with a puff of a joint, enjoy an edible, or explore the science behind cannabis, Pattaya has something for everyone. So, if you’re ready…
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Latest Banksy artwork deemed a ‘safety hazard’ and demolished
The latest artwork by pioneering street artist Banksy was demolished hours after the mysterious virtuoso confessed it was his. The authorities deemed it a “safety hazard.” The piece, Valentine’s Day Mascara, allegedly themed on violence against women and girls, was dismantled by Thanet District Council yesterday afternoon. A caricature of a 1950s housewife, donning yellow washing-up gloves and a blue…
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Nearly 100 Pattaya couples register marriages while riding elephants on Valentine’s Day
Love was in the air in Pattaya on Valentine’s Day (yesterday) when nearly 100 couples registered marriages while riding elephants. A total of 99 lucky couples registered their marriages on elephants’ back at Pattaya’s Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. Sattahip district Sunthorn Munawaro travelled to the garden to register the couples. The event, which has been held annually since 2010, was…
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Canadian placed on ‘watchlist’ over Thai girlfriend’s death in Phuket
UPDATE Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said the Canadian man whose girlfriend was found hanged in Phuket, southern Thailand, last week has been placed on a “watchlist” and will be investigated. The deceased, 31 year old Wanvisa Riewklang, reported her boyfriend, 51 year old “Landy” to the police for alleged assault just days before her death. Wanvisa’s…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand tells India ‘a million thanks’
Thailand’s tourism officials are expressing their gratitude to India for the high number of Indian tourists in Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recently hosted an event in New Delhi, India, titled “A Million Thanks: Amazing Thailand Night Reception,” to express gratitude to the Indian travel industry for promoting Thailand as a top tourist destination. The event took…
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Fake fortune teller uses nude images to blackmail 11 year old girl
An 11 year old girl and her parents sought help after their daughter was blackmailed by a fake fortune teller she met online three years ago. The blackmailer lured her into sending nude images and forwarded them to her friends. The family reached out to Pavena Hongsakun, the President of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, who then referred…
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Jealous Pattaya man stabs girlfriend in neck in front of teenage son
Yet another grizzly incident of domestic violence has been reported in Pattaya. A jealous Pattaya man stabbed his girlfriend in the neck with scissors in front of their teenage son, after catching her texting another man. The incident happened last night in the Nong Prue sub-district of Bang Lamung district. Police and rescuers rushed to the couple’s apartment to find…
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English-born Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro becomes Thai
HRH the King may have bestowed Thai nationality upon famous farang Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro back in 2020 but it took almost three years to get his Thai ID card. On Sunday, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro took photos for his new Thai ID card in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. On March 9, 2020, King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand bestowed Thai…
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Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province sees large tourism rise in 2022
Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province saw a significant rise in the number of tourists visiting in 2022, with the number of both domestic and international tourists showing a substantial increase. The province is home to the world-famous, scenic seaside town and district of Hua Hin. The data, released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), reveals an almost five-fold increase…
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Don’t wank during video calls, warns police
A day after Royal Thai Police warned women to be wary of “sextortion” on Valentine’s Day, men have been told not to wank during video calls. Police reckon it could lead men open to blackmail by fraudsters using fake profile photos of attractive women. Pol Col Siriwat Deephor, deputy chief of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), reported that dozens…
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Phuket taxi busted gambling online while driving
In a tough economy, it’s not unusual for people to work two jobs to make ends meet, sometimes even overlapping and working both at the same time. But a van driver in Phuket learned that the two jobs that don’t mix are driving a taxi while gambling online. The Phuket van driver received a 2,000 baht fine and had his…
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Thai Vietjet to launch only direct Bangkok – Okinawa route
Budget airline Thai Vietjet is expanding its wings with new direct flights between Bangkok, Thailand, and Okinawa in Japan, in collaboration with leading Thai travel agency Tourladfah Co., Ltd. The new route is the only nonstop service between the two major Asian hubs. The route between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Okinawa’s Naha Airport will fly twice per week on Thursdays…
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Pays to be single! Filipino single staff get bonuses
This Valentine’s Day, how much is your relationship worth? No really, exactly how much? Because employees of the town hall in one city in the Philippines are getting bonus pay for being single on Valentine’s Day. The incentive comes as a thank you from Mayor Matt Florido, a lifelong bachelor himself, who’s giving extra salary to single staff members of…
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Most visited websites in Thailand in 2023
A new data report reveals some fascinating trends among Internet users in Thailand in 2023, including which websites are visited the most. ‘Digital 2023: Thailand’ reports data, insights, and trends revealing how people in Thailand use digital devices and services. At the start of 2023, there were 61.21 million Internet users in Thailand. Thailand’s total population was recorded at 71.75…
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China says the US, not them, are flying spy balloons
Tensions between China and the United States have increased following accusations from China that the US has been flying surveillance balloons into its airspace. The White House shot back that it is China, not them, launching spy balloons worldwide. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson responded on Twitter. “Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC…
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A Valentine’s Day surprise: agency spots heart-shaped forest in Chiang Rai
Nature nerds will be delighted to learn on Valentine’s Day (today) that Thailand’s space technology agency has discovered a heart-shaped forest in the northern Chiang Rai province. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) added a unique touch to the celebration of Valentine’s Day by releasing an incredible aerial photo of the forest. The photo was captured by the…
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Woman files lawsuit after cheating husband infected her & now dead baby with HIV
A woman sought assistance from a renowned Thai lawyer to file a lawsuit against her husband after he infected her and their baby with HIV after cheating on her. Sadly, the virus later killed their newborn baby. The famous Thai lawyer, Kirdphon Kaewkird, revealed the woman’s story on Facebook account yesterday. He said… “I am depressed… I received a call…
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Earthquake hits Phang Nga
Although Thailand doesn’t experience catastrophic earthquakes like those that have hit Turkey and Syria, there are occasional tremours in the region. Yesterday afternoon, the southern province of Phang Nga was rocked by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake, following two others around the country in the wee hours. The earthquake shook the Thana subdistrict in Kapong district, Phang Nga province. The trembler was…
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Big Joke urges police to step up search for missing baby in central Thailand
Thailand‘s Deputy National Police Chief General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn urges police to step up efforts in the search for a missing baby in the central Nakhon Pathom province. Surachate summoned a team of investigators to meet with him at the Royal Thai Police headquarters to assess the progress of the case and to see what can be done to…
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Feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day? Name a cockroach after an ex and feel better
Single and feeling a little lonely on Valentine’s Day, then why not name a cockroach or rat after an ex and feed it to an animal to make you feel better? No, we’re not kidding and it’s more common than you think. Naming a cockroach after a former lover is the brainchild of San Antonio Zoo in Texas. The zoo…
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Mystery surrounding monkeys disappearing from temple
A monkey mystery has been forming in the northeast province of Loei, complete with unexplained clandestine g-men. Tham Pha Mak Ho Temple was a popular hangout for hundreds of monkeys, but they have been disappearing in big numbers recently. An investigation has been launched in the Wang Saphung district in the sparsely populated Isaan province following the mysterious disappearance of…
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Woman accuses famous durian shop owners in Thailand of brutal rape and assault
A woman filed a complaint with the police claiming her employers raped and brutally assaulted her but the police refused to investigate the claim. The police advised both parties to settle the matter amongst themselves. The couple, who run an online durian business in the Pluak Daeng district in the central province of Rayong named Mon Thong Durian, Online Fruit…
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Thailand’s K9 dogs wear safety boots to search for victims in Turkey earthquake
As rescuers in Turkey continue to find miracle survivors beneath the rubble a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, K9 dogs from Thailand are assisting in the search for victims. Thailand’s Environmental and Social Foundation posted photos of the police dogs hard at work on Facebook yesterday with the caption… “It’s time to put on your safety…
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‘No roses on Valentine’s Day!’ Bangkok election commission advises candidates
It turns out roses on Valentine’s Day aren’t a good idea for everyone. The director of the Election Commission’s Bangkok branch yesterday advised candidates in the upcoming general election on May 7 not to hand out roses on Valentine’s Day. The director, Samran Tanpanit, said that roses handed out on such special occasions could be considered by authorities as a…
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Conflicting reports emerge on Canadian man reportedly mugged in Patong
UPDATE Conflicting reports are emerging on the Canadian man who was allegedly mugged in Patong on Friday night. Earlier, Phuket Tourist Police said that the man, 28 year old William Lamarche Saint Louis, told them that five men violently mugged him near Patong Beach. Saint Louis said he had been drinking at a bar before going for a walk at…
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Phuket fishing crew rescued after almost one month at sea
A Phuket fishing crew survived for nearly one month at sea after their boat, the Soi Sakul Petch, suffered engine failure a week after it departed from the island in southern Thailand on January 19. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) launched a huge search operation after losing contact with the boat, combining marine and air searches, and reached out to…
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Czech Republic star comes out as gay on Twitter (video)
A high-profile Czech Republic international football star yesterday came out as gay. Getafe midfielder Jakub Jankto, currently on loan at Czech side Sparta Prague, announced in a video on Twitter: “I no longer want to hide myself.” The 27 year old who has made 45 appearances for the Czech national side, previously played for Italian clubs Sampdoria, and Udinese. Jankto…
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Nearly 2,000 Chinese flights to enter Thailand in coming months
Nearly 2,000 Chinese flights are set to enter Thailand in the coming months. Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) authorised1,910 flights from China to enter the kingdom, with 671 expected to arrive in February and 970 slated for arrival in March, according to CAAT president Suttipong Kongpool. In addition, the CAAT has received 6,318 flight requests for the period from February…
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Australia and New Zealand best places to survive nuclear apocalypse
As Valentine’s Day casts its mushroom-cloud shadow over ambivalent or forgetful lovers everywhere, it’s heartening to know where the best places to survive a nuclear apocalypse really are. A recent study by the University of Otago, Wellington, reaches the same conclusion as every other such survey in living memory. ‘Continuing’ civilisation It’s probably best not to survive, but if you…
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Thai woman accuses Philippines airport officers of attempted theft
A Thai woman accused customs officers at Manila International Airport in the Philippines of attempted theft. She said the officers tried to steal 40,000 yen (about 10,000 baht) from her bag. The Thai woman, Saruta Jansila, shared her unnerving experience at the Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport (Manila) in the Philippines on a Facebook group named People Who Like to Roam…
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