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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.
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Tear gas used again in Indonesian football stadium
Indonesian police apparently have not learned their lesson about the use of tear gas in football stadium crowds. Yesterday they used a water cannon and tear gas to disperse a large crowd of football fans trying to get into a sold-out match. Officials decided to bar spectators after security concerns. The game was between PSIS Semarang and Persis Solo. Fans…
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Thailand’s new lotteries sold via Pao Tang app
The Government Lottery Office approved a plan for Thailand’s new lotteries – the six-digit (L6) and three-digit (N3) lotteries. The move was proposed by the Finance Ministry. Entry into the L6 lottery will be 80 baht (US$2.30), the same as lotteries currently available. The L6 lottery will only be available in digital format. Tickets will be sold via the Pao…
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Singapore sees first Covid vaccine death
The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore announced the death of a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man, likely related to a Covid-19 vaccine. He died away 21 days after receiving the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine. The State Coroner has confirmed that the cause of death was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. The MOH has also stated that the man’s death was a “medical…
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Longtail boats with roofs pulled after several capsized
After two deaths and many injuries so far this year, about 80 longtail boats in Krabi that were modified by adding roofs are being called in. The Krabi Marine Office made the announcement after three longtail boats capsized in the last two months. The roofs make the boats less stable in stronger winds. They also make the small boats heavier…
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Minister Pipat gets earful about Phuket tourism issues
Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn visited Phuket yesterday to listen to the range of critical infrastructure issues harming the local tourism industry. These issues include mafia-run hotels, problematic taxi drivers, heavy traffic, and a shortage of tap water. The meeting was held at the Andaman Health Promotion Coordination Center Conference Room at the Prince of Songkhla University Phuket…
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Thailand’s cheating lecturers – the lazy academics faking their research
Thailand’s cheating lecturers are under investigation as eight of the kingdom’s universities claim that a third of lecturers have submitted research papers that they bought on the Internet and claimed as their work. Sirirurg Songsivilai, permanent secretary of the department of higher education, told the media that… “Thirty-four universities have conducted separate investigations into research papers submitted by more than…
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The Importance of Wellness ft. Niels Steeman | Thaiger Podcast Ep.24
Click the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/WaQ-gHWE1NA Niels Steeman. Health, Fitness & Life Coach. A former senior executive in the travel and tourist industry turned health and wellness expert. Throughout his transformative journey he has gained an extensive amount of knowledge that has led into providing sustainable success stories for many of his clients using The Thrive Approach. A…
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Police major killed in Yala bomb blast
The police major killed in a Yala bomb blast has been named Pol Maj Prasan Kongprasit, an inspector at Bannang Sata District Police Station. Prasan succumbed to injuries yesterday sustained when a homemade explosive device went off earlier in the day. Four others were wounded by shrapnel when the bomb exploded as they examined a crime scene in the southern…
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Cloud Nine Celebrates their “GET LIFTED” Grand Opening Wednesday March 1st, 2023
Press Release Cloud Nine has officially opened its doors, offering a fun and immersive space where guests can find a highly curated selection of the finest cannabis and head shop accessories throughout Thailand. On March 1st, Cloud Nine will celebrate by hosting a “GET LIFTED” Grand Opening extravaganza. The exciting atmosphere of Cloud Nine lures guests in by offering comfortable…
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Chuwit stirs up nest of triad rats
The pied piper of Bangkok, Chuwit Kamolvisit, is whistling out another nest of triad rats. King Rat, toots Chuwit, is none other than a certain Chinese national known as Yu Xinqi. Triads show up in Thailand under the protection of Yu’s “Shaanxi Association of Thailand,” nothing more than a trafficking ring that allows the wrong sort of Chinese people to…
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Russian man rushed to hospital after being found in stolen pickup truck in Phuket
A Russian man was rushed to a hospital after police found him in a stolen pickup truck parked at a Phuket beach. Sakhu police found the man, 27 year old Egor Andriesh, in the truck parked on Nai Thon Beach, The Phuket News reported. The doors of the pickup were locked, and officers had to call a locksmith to open…
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SRT insists 96.3 million baht robots are worth the dosh
The Thai public demanded clarification regarding the benefits and quality of the UV-C light disinfection robots after the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) splashed 96.3 million baht on the equipment. Many have claimed that they have yet to witness the costly robots in operation despite the SRT’s purchase of them. According to a report from the Public Relations Department of…
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Patong Police arrest 5 over fight involving foreign motorbike racers
UPDATE Patong Police have arrested five people in connection with the recent fight involving foreign motorbike racers on Bangla Road earlier this week. Police said they used CCTV footage to hunt down two Swedish nationals and three Thais. One of the men arrested admitted that he got involved in the fight after he warned a group of foreign motorbike racers…
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Phuket beaches issue jellyfish warning after increase in stings
Phuket beaches now have signs warning swimmers of jellyfish after an increase in the number of beachgoers being stung by the marine creatures. According to the Phuket News, officers from the Phuket Marine Resources Conservation Centre and local administrative organisations have been stocking lifeguard stations with extra bottles of vinegar and other medical supplies to help treat stings. The west…
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Thai Airways cancels flights to Germany due to strikes
Thai Airways announced the cancellation of all flights from Bangkok to Frankfurt and Munich and vice versa today – February 17 – due to labour strikes at airports all over Germany. Airport workers at major hubs in Germany are taking part in a day-long strike today over pay disrupting airline operations. Public sector workers and ground handlers are striking at…
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Thai Parliament authorises lese majeste law changes, including the word ‘monarchy’
In a move that could see even more people prosecuted for insulting the Thai monarchy, the far-right Thai Pakdee Party has been given the green light to gather signatures for proposed changes to the lese majeste laws. The changes would expand the definition of those protected by the law to include former Thai kings of the current Chakri Dynasty, princes…
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Chiang Mai school director shocked by former student and Wild Boar football captain’s sudden death
The director of a school in Chiang Mai says he is shocked by his former student and Wild Boar football team captain’s sudden death. Duangphet “Dom” Phromthep was a Mathayom Suksa 5 (Grade 11) student at Vachiralai School in Chiang Mai’s Saraphi district before he received a scholarship from the Zico Foundation to play football at an academy in England.…
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Big Joke says Canadian businessman didn’t murder Thai girlfriend in Phuket
UPDATE 2 Deputy national police chief “Big Joke,” says that a Canadian businessman did not murder his Thai girlfriend who was found hanged in her nail salon in Phuket, southern Thailand, on February 8. Landy came into the spotlight when the deceased’s elder brother Kriengsak accused him of murdering his younger sister Wanvisa Riewklang. Surachat “Big Joke” Hakparn said that…
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Pattaya boy stabs schoolmate in stomach
There’s been another disturbing stabbing attack in Pattaya. A Pattaya boy stabbed his schoolmate with a knife on Wednesday. The boy, 16 year old Nattapol Slipchart, stabbed 15 year old Ratchata Marudok in his stomach with a pocket knife outside of Ban Nong Ket Yai School. The school is located in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. Police arrested Nattapol, and…
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Govt confident new programme will stamp out illegal drugs in Thailand
Thailand has long been plagued by a history of drug abuse. The kingdom has harsh penalties for those caught possessing, taking, or selling illegal drugs. The Thaiger writes story after story of Yaba-fuelled chaos, drug busts and the illicit trafficking of narcotics dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited pharmaceuticals. The government, however, is optimistic that it…
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Police find underage prostitution at Pattaya go-go bar
In a sting operation, police found evidence of underage prostitution at Club 4, a go-go bar in Pattaya in eastern Thailand. Police ordered the closure of Club 4 – in Soi Bong Koch 8 in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district – for five years. A woman was arrested under suspicion of human trafficking. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station…
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Despite population being unknown, India is set to become most populous country in world
Despite its population being unknown, India is slated to become the most populous country in the world in two months. According to the United Nations (UN), India may surpass China in population on April 14 when it reaches 1,425,775,850. But, as the latest census data hasn’t been released, it is hard to tell if the UN’s prediction will be correct.…
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Elderly Thai market vendor wins 12 million baht lottery jackpot
An elderly Thai lady says she will continue her career selling fried chive cakes at the market despite winning 12 million baht in the government lottery yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, 72 year old Phuangphet Pelacheun from the northern province of Uttaradit forgot to check the lottery results. When her colleagues started talking about the winning numbers, Grandma Phuangphet leapt up, screamed…
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Senior Buddhist monk’s visit to Islamic education centre in Thailand’s Deep South sparks uproar
A senior Buddhist monk in Thailand sparked uproar over his visit to an Islamic education centre in the south. The visit to the centre in Narathiwat province in Thailand’s south came with heavy criticism on the second day of the House debate against the Prayut government yesterday morning. According to Thai PBS World, army officials defended the visit by saying it…
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Thai election explainer – Constitution, House and Senate
Thailand’s democratic structure consists of a Constitution, House of Representatives and Senate. The constitutional monarchy is ruled by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the head of state. The king has limited formal power but is highly influential in politics. He has significant influence over the military. Constitution, House and Senate – Constitution The current constitution was developed by a committee appointed by…
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Taiwan’s turn as military says weather balloon discovery most likely from China
It’s Taiwan’s turn to take on a crashed weather balloon as the military claims it most likely came from China. The country’s military found the balloon on a remote and strategically located island near the Chinese coast. Taiwan’s army says it observed an unknown object falling from the sky over Dongyin island. The object fell with remnants appearing to be…
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Thai ecologist sounds alarm on declining shark numbers
A Thai ecologist is sounding the alarm on the decline in the number of sharks in the country’s waters. The marine ecologist, Assistant Professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat, the deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, presented some worrying facts about the situation. Dr Thon said that around 75 of the 87 shark species in Thai waters are endangered.…
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75 Foreign lives lost by road accidents in 2023 | GMT
In today’s episode, Thailand’s plastic bag use plunges by 148,000 tonnes in 3 years, Phuket health spa slams travel agency for ripping off foreigners, 400 people fall victim to Japan tour scam resulting in 14 million baht loss, Massive fire breaks out in front of Pattaya massage parlour, and Thailand’s perilous roads claim the lives of 75 foreigners so…
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Body of Thai woman killed in Turkey earthquake returns home
The body of the young Thai woman who was killed by the recent earthquake in Turkey has been returned to her family in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand. At 4am this morning, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs returned the body of 29 year old Chamaiphon “Dao” Homsanthia to her home town in Nong Bua Rawae district in Chaiyaphum.…
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Movie star Bruce Willis diagnosed with dementia
American movie star Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The disease can cause a person to experience a variety of cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms. In a statement released on social media yesterday, Willis’ family said it is a “relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.” Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects a…
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