News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Famed cabaret show sold out as tourists flock to Pattaya after 2 years of closure
“Life is a cabaret old chum”, so sang Liza Minnelli’s character in the musical Cabaret, and it was no different in Pattaya at the weekend. Every seat was sold out at the famous Alcazar theatre after it reopened on Friday night for the first time in 2 years. Following the official easing of restrictions on entertainment venues on June 1,…
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Underwater utopia being created out of decommissioned oil rigs
An Aquaman-type underwater utopia is being developed near Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province, out of redundant oil and gas rigs. Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment department revealed plans are well underway to utilise decommissioned oil rigs to develop a new diving destination for tourists located around 7.5 nautical miles north east of Koh Pha Ngan island. The…
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Bangkok’s first LGBTQ parade in over a decade
Bangkok yesterday held its first LGBTQ+ parade since 2006. Many members of the community flocked to the Naruemit Pride event, wearing outrageous rainbow-themed attire and waving rainbow flags down Silom Road. A collaboration of non-governmental organisations planned the first event in 16 years, which also received the blessing of the city’s freshly elected Governor, Chadchart Sittipunt. Several LGBTQ+ activists attended…
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Cannabis penalties to be quashed from Thursday
Thailand’s Courts of Justice announced that suspects and prisoners on charges related to cannabis use and possession would be freed after cannabis and hemp are removed from the Public Health Ministry’s Category 5 drug list. But as we slowly learn the details of cannabis in Thailand, post June 9, we are learning that it’s not all clear and plain sailing…
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Singapore is looking to Thailand and other countries for its chicken supplies
Singapore’s chicken supply is depending on Thailand, plus a few other countries, after Malaysia banned poultry exports last month. Before the ban, about a third of Singapore’s chicken came from Malaysia. In a country that takes its Chicken Rice meal VERY seriously, the situation has become an acute supply chain shortage in the island nation. Singaporean Minister of State for…
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Three charged over rape of a mother of two on a train in Pakistan
Three men in Pakistan have been arrested over the rape of a woman on a train from Karachi to Multan on May 27. Pakistan’s railway ministry reported that the men asked the woman to move to a carriage with air conditioning, before they attacked her on the moving train. One of the accused is a ticket checker for the train.…
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Starving Rohingyas found in South Thailand national park
The chief of a national park in south Thailand announced yesterday (Saturday) that 59 Rohingya migrants had appeared on a beach there .The chief, Phanpong Kongkaeo, said his assistant alerted him that the 59 people appear to be starving and had no food or supplies with them. Phanpong said he has ordered food and drinking water for them. Tarutao National…
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Another tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day
Thailand’s tourism authorities seem to announce a new goal every day. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for Saudi and Australian tourists in Phuket, TAT has also announced a goal last week for Thailand as a whole: 3,000 Indian tourists a day. The TAT is aiming to meet its goal through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives.…
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BKK Governor to Discuss Easing of Mask Requirements | Weekend Update
Today is Bangkok’s pride parade, Cabaret shows in Pattaya are back, All suspected monkey pox cases in Thailand test negative, Phuket officials on their toes as night life re-opens and the governor of Phuket asks people to remark. All this and more on todays weekend update.
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Police investigate blast in Northeast Thailand that killed lecturer
Police in Northeast Thailand are investigating a blast that tragically killed a university lecturer in Sakhon Nakhon province’s city district on Friday. Police say the lecturer, 41 year old Pichai Srimanta, was killed when doing a research project to extract oil from plastic waste at a garbage dump, where the explosion happened. A worker who witnessed the tragedy said the extraction…
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Dolphin washes up on Phang Nga beach, likely from strong waves
Locals discovered a dolphin washed up on the shore of a beach in Phang Nga province yesterday, just north of Phuket. A local man tipped off the Royal Thai Navy about the dolphin, and officials from the navy and the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre arrived on the scene. The dolphin was then transferred to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre in…
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Check-in mayhem for Thai Airways flights last Friday
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered airlines and airports to make urgent adjustments after acknowledging long queues for Thai Airways flights at Suvarnabhumi airport. The early morning flight check in delays at the Thai Airways counters in Suvarnabhumi Airport was caused by a lack of check-in staff at the Thai Airways counters, according to the Civil Aviation…
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United States CDC says over 700 cases of monkeypox worldwide
The United State’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that it knew of over 700 cases of monkeypox worldwide. The CDC said there were 21 cases in the US. Today the number of cases, worldwide has reached nearly 900. Although 14 of the cases in the US are thought to be travel-linked, CDC officials say that at least…
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Bangkok’s governor says officials will discuss easing outdoor mask requirement
After the confusing mask policy flip-flop in Phuket, Bangkok’s new governor Chadchart Sittipunt has announced plans to discuss easing mask requirements in Thailand’s capital. Chadchart stated late this week that Bangok Metropolitan Administration will meet with public health and medical departments to discuss the outdoor mask-wearing regulation. Chadchart did not, however, specify when the meeting will happen. The governor also…
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Japan facing rise in ‘Long Covid’ cases
Japan is seeing a number of people report having so-called ‘Long Covid’ symptoms, including fatigue, coughing and memory memory loss. Tokyo’s metropolitan government found that of the 2,039 people reporting Long Covid symptoms, 97% only had mild symptoms when they were infected with the coronavirus between January and April. 74% had no underlying disease, and more than 70% were aged…
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Pub fight in South Thailand leaves 3 dead
Three men were killed in a pub fight in South Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the early hours of the morning yesterday. Another man was seriously injured in the fight, which occurred in the main city district. City police said 2 rival groups were gathered at the pub’s car park after visiting the pub, when the deadly exchange began.…
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As night venues reopen, Phuket officials on their toes
As Thailand’s bars and nightclubs reopen (until midnight ‘officially’) in 31 provinces, Phuket officials are still on their toes about Covid-19. This week, Phuket officials inspected night venues in the island province’s city area of Phuket Town. Vice Governor Pichet Panaphong, along with Phuket City Police and others officials, visited venues around the Nimit Circle (well known as Seahorse Circle),…
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“Cases could reach 10,000 a day again”. Thai Public Health Minister.
Thailand’s party-pooper-in-chief, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has made another spurious claim to Thailand’s media. He’s predicted that Thailand’s Covid infections could soar to 10,000, a day, now that Thailand’s nightlife has ‘officially’ reopened. He said that the numbers of new coronavirus cases could “soar” within 3-5 days after the country’s entertainment venues were given the official nod on June…
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Don’t forget Bangkok’s first real Pride parade tomorrow
In case you didn’t know, Bangkok will hold its first real Pride parade tomorrow (Sunday), Bangkok Naruemit Pride, as a celebration of Thailand’s LGBT+ community. The parade is set to start at 4pm at Maha Uma Devi Temple, a Hindu temple sometimes called ‘Wat Khaek’ or ‘South Asian temple’ in Thai slang. The temple is located on Pan Road and…
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Who will be Thailand’s PM by the end of 2022?
There are clear and present challenges ahead for the current Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. His hands on the levers controlling the hearts and minds of Thais, and south east Asia’s second largest economy, is in peril. The next general election in Thailand has to be called before March next year. It’s the prerogative of the sitting PM to call…
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An Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation in Thailand for Foreigners
Have you ever wanted to visit a temple in Thailand and learn more about Thai buddhism and meditation in English? No matter who you are or what you have been through, iMONASTRY teaches you about the benefits of meditation and provides you with an opportunity to be ordained as a monk, with a possibility of an ongoing visa. …
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Illegal Burmese immigrants arrested in connection with local man’s death
Police arrested more than 100 illegal immigrants yesterday as they ramped up an investigation into the murder of local man Maddol Binson. The 40 year old, from Hat Yai district in Songkla, was found in a freshly dug shallow grave in a forest beside a golf course near his home on Wednesday morning. His hands were tied behind his back,…
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Phuket governor reverses decision easing mask-wearing
Easy come, easy go. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew today reversed yesterday’s mask-wearing easing order, insisting people must wear a mask in all public places even if they are practicing social distancing measures. Only yesterday the governor relaxed all measures saying healthy people could to take off their face masks while in open-air places, beaches, public parks and stadiums, as part of…
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Ancient gold Buddha artifact comes home
Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome hailed the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security after a 500 years’ old antique gold crown was returned to Thailand from the US. The 48 year old minister revealed the department was set up by the government around five years ago to track artefacts, which have been smuggled out of the kingdom, and thanked the…
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Gunman in Oklahoma shooting killed surgeon treating him for back pain
A gunman who shot 4 people dead at a hospital in the US state of Oklahoma wanted to kill the surgeon who’d operated on him. The perpetrator, Michael Louis, blamed Preston Phillips for back pain he was experiencing following the surgery, say local police. According to an AFP report, Louis stormed the Saint Francis hospital building in search of Dr…
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Heard’s lawyer says actress unable to pay Depp more than US$10 million in damages
Following a court ruling that, for the most part, went against her, Amber Heard’s lawyer says the Hollywood actress is unable to pay her ex-husband over US$10 million in damages. On Wednesday, the jury in a defamation trial held in the southern US state of Virginia found both Heard and Depp guilty of defaming each other, but ruled far more…
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Budget bill boost to government
PM Prayut Chan o cha’s government received a boost today when Parliament passed the first reading of an almost 3.2 trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting October 1. After a 3-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions. Pm Prayut says the bill will help the nation restore…
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Government under fire on military spending plans
The government yesterday was criticized over the Defence Ministry’s weapons procurement plans. Shots were fired by deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yuttapong Charasathien who says a number of procurement projects lack transparency and spending is too high. Yuttapong criticized the navy’s request of almost 41 million baht for a number of weapons systems, but in particular its decision to buy…
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Taiwan battles Covid infection spike as it continues to re-open borders
Taiwan is currently Asia’s Covid-19 hotspot, following years of keeping the Covid variants at bay. The island-nation’s relaxation of travel curbs has fuelled a record spike in new infections. Taiwan began the process of prying open its borders in March, initially allowing business and essential travellers to enter the island. They were welcomed with quarantine in a hotel or state quarantine…
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Is Thailand famous for coffee and is Thai coffee good?
PRESS RELEASE Thailand now ranks in the top 15 coffee exporters of coffee in the world. Thai coffee was never really known, but in recent years, international recognition for Thai coffee has rapidly increased. And this time, Thailand isn’t just known for Robusta coffee beans but also Arábica coffee beans. To date, Thailand still exports very little coffee as most…
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