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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Prosecutor in Red Bull heir case kicked out of civil service
Today, Thailand’s public prosecution committee unanimously agreed to kick ex-general attorney Nate Naksuk out of the civil service for choosing not to indict the “Red Bull heir,” who killed a police officer in a hit-and-run incident back in 2012. Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidya – the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya – became a fugitive after speeding through the…
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Health and safety a priority as kids return to Bangkok schools after two turbulent years
The Thailand Ministry of Education yesterday allowed schools to reopen their doors for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the nation in 2020 in line with the government’s transition to living with Covid as an endemic disease. Some children celebrated their return to school in style in Tak province, northern Thailand, taxied in by elephants, as reported in…
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LINE app popular in Thailand warns users, look out for scams
LINE, a chat app popular in Thailand, is warning users to be on the lookout for scammers who might use SMS and LINE chat to steal personal information. The app said today that recently, some scammers claimed to be company officials, and posted job announcements via SMS and Line chat. LINE said that scammers are also adding people as ‘friends’…
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Indonesian cleric barred from Singapore over alleged extremism
Singaporean authorities have announced yesterday that officials had barred a popular Indonesian Muslim cleric from entering their country due to his allegedly extremist teachings. Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs claims in a statement that the Abdul Somad Batubara, has called suicide bombings “legitimate” and “martyrdom” in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The MHA also claims that the cleric has…
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Risk of dengue fever is higher in rainy season, warns Thai doctor
The risk of contracting dengue fever in Thailand is higher in the rainy season, because pools of water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, warns Songkhla Provincial Public Health Doctor Songkran Maechum. Monsoon season began last Friday, and intermittent rain is expected to cause a spike in dengue fever cases in Thailand, so be prepared. In Songkhla province in southern Thailand,…
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Black box data on crashed China Eastern 737 suggests possible “intentional nosedive”
Some preliminary findings have now been released in relation to the crash of the China Eastern Airlines 737-800 on March 21. The plane crashed, nose-first, into mountains in southern China. Investigators are now examining further if the crash was due to “intentional action on the flight deck”. The early reports say that there is, so far, no evidence of a technical…
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Grandson makes wax model of deceased grandma “to make grandpa happy”
A young Thai man from Uthai Thani province in northern Thailand made a life-size wax model of his deceased grandma to ensure that his grandpa doesn’t get lonely. Grandpa liked the idea so much that he requested his grandson to make a wax version of himself too, before he dies, so that he can see himself and his wife sitting…
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UPDATE: Phuket’s Narong visits recovering German tourist in hospital
UPDATE As Barbara Lange recovers in Bangkok Hospital Phuket after she went missing for a week, Phuket’s Governor Narong has paid Barbara and her family a visit yesterday. The governor reportedly went to the hospital with other officials, and the group presented Barbara and her family with flowers. The 76 year old woman first went missing from a hotel in…
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Songkhla woman charged with trafficking young girl
A woman in Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla has been charged with trafficking a young girl, forcing the girl into prostitution at her karaoke shop. The woman was arrested last week, but police announced the arrest yesterday. The woman arrested is 48 year old Nattha Meenche. The 13 year old girl says she was forced to provide sex services to…
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Outdoor mask mandate to be ditched in Indonesia as infections continue to fall
From today, people in Indonesia are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, as Covid-19 infections continue to fall. According to a Reuters report, Indonesian President Joko Widodo says “the pandemic is getting more and more controlled”, removing the need for an outdoor mask mandate. However, he goes on to say that a mask mandate on public transport and other…
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Pentagon reports increase in UFO numbers over last 20 years
US officials say the number of unidentified flying objects reported in the last 20 years has increased, according to an AFP report. Scott Bray, a director of Naval intelligence, says there has been an increase in the numbers of unidentified objects in certain areas. “Since the early 2000s, we have seen an increasing number of unauthorised and/or unidentified aircraft or…
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Thai officials visit Saudi Arabia for roadshow, push for more tourists
As part of a push to draw more Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand, tourism officials visited Saudi Arabia on May 15-16 in a roadshow. There, the Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation with Almosafer, the biggest OTA in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The TAT also signed an MoC with Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, to promote a…
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Thai aviation industry says international flights at only 20% of pre-pandemic level
The Thai Airlines Association says that in the first 4 months of this year, domestic flights have returned to nearly 100% of their pre-pandemic level. However, international flights have still only reached 20% of pre-Covid-19 levels. TAA president, Putthiphong Prasatthong-Osot, says the lifting of some travel restrictions has led to an increase in passenger numbers, but adds that it will…
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Police hunt foreigner wanted in relation to violent assault at Pattaya gym
Police in Pattaya are searching for a foreign man wanted in relation to a violent assault on another foreigner at a local gym. According to a Pattaya News report, 46-year-old British national, Gary Reed, was assaulted with a dumbbell in a row over gym equipment. The victim says that he was exercising at the gym when a foreign man started…
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ASEAN nations agree on mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates
The Malaysian Health Ministry has confirmed that ASEAN nations will recognise each other’s Covid-19 vaccination certificates, in a bid to facilitate cross-border travel. Malaysia’s Deputy Health Minister, Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, says the agreement was reached at a meeting of ASEAN health ministers in Bali at the weekend. According to an Asia News Network report, he says ASEAN members have…
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Students ride elephants to school in northern Thailand
Some might take a bus, others ride their bike, some will walk. But some Thai kids arrived at school via elephant this morning in Tak province, northern Thailand. Today was the first day of nationwide on-site classes in Thai schools after almost two years of online, remote studying. To mark the occasion, parents from Baan Ya Por School in Phob…
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Superstitious Cambodian PM to change his date of birth
Superstitious Cambodian PM, Hun Sen, announced today that he will change his legal date of birth from April 4, 1951, to his actual date of birth on August 5, 1952. The 69 year old former military commander decided to change the date of his birth after his older brother passed away earlier this month from a heart attack. Cambodia’s longest-serving…
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Top 10 Best Ways To Avoid Condo Hotel Property Rip-Offs
One recent topic of discussion in Thailand’s real estate circles has been about how possible defaults in the condo hotel or investment sector can have a negative impact on the industry. Based on my own two decades of experience with C9 Hotelworks in branded residences in Thailand and throughout Asia Pacific, I thought it might be helpful to give some…
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Water park pool slashed causing a flood at gated community
A knife-wielding hoodlum caused chaos at the SansaNook water park in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, by sinking a blade into a huge artificial pool resulting in a flood to a nearby gated community. Water park staff alerted owner Nathapong Pathaveesathian to the vandalism on Sunday just before 7pm after residents complained their homes were being flooded. Nathapong arrived…
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Thailand to welcome one millionth tourist this year by end of May
Thailand expects its one millionth foreign tourist this year to arrive by the end of May, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The kingdom has seen a sharp increase in tourists since the Test & Go programme and other entry requirements were scrapped at the start this month. However, the current influx of tourists still has nothing on pre-pandemic…
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Laos experiencing a petrol crisis due to high inflation
The Lao government denied there was a national petrol crisis despite calling an emergency meeting and hours’ long queues witnessed throughout the country’s filling stations. The government, who import the majority of its petroleum from Thailand, scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the country’s inflation, panic buying and why a large number of petrol stations were closed last week in…
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14 year old student takes her own life after teacher expels her from school
A 14 year old female student in the southern province of Songkhla has committed suicide after a teacher expelled her from school because of her financial and family problems. Thai media reported that a 14 year old female student decided to hang herself at a house in Songkhla province on May 13. Her friends told police that she had problems…
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Stop plucking the endangered ‘penis plant’, urges Cambodian government
A phallic-looking plant is at risk of extinction in Cambodia because people keep plucking it out of the ground to take selfies with it. After a video of some women picking the “penis plant” went viral on social media, the Cambodian government has issued a statement asking citizens to leave the endangered penis plant in the ground where it belongs.…
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450 charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2022
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) plans to increase its electric vehicle (EV) business by adding more charging stations in the nation’s shopping malls by the end of the year. Terminal 21, Fashion Island, and The Promenade are next in line to get the charging stations under the PluZ brand. Five more stations, two in Bangkok, two in Pattaya and…
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Northeast Thailand sees worst floods in 10 years
Many areas of Thailand have experienced heavy rain and flash flooding since monsoon season began on Friday. Yesterday, two hours of continuous heavy rain caused flash flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. A pottery village in Chok Chai district experienced the heaviest flooding to occur in 10 years. Hook 31 Rescue Team deployed boats to evacuate villagers and their…
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6 million baht worth of gold stolen in Northern Thailand
Police are on the lookout for an armed robber who fled the crime scene with nearly 6 million baht worth of gold from a Big C Supermarket in Tak, Northern Thailand, on Sunday. The robber burst into the popular superstore, withdrew a handgun, demanded cash and several trays of gold jewelry, before making his escape on a white Yamaha motorbike…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 3,893 new cases; provincial totals
38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,550 with 7,852 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,893 new Covid-19 cases and 7,323 recoveries. There are now 63,337 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded today,…
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Family Pit Bull attacks 8 year old girl in central Thailand
An 8 year old girl was seriously injured after she was attacked by her family dog at around 4pm yesterday in Samut Prakan province, central Thailand. The child said she was skateboarding in the kitchen when the Pit Bull – Thai mixed breed dog suddenly got up and repeatedly bit her head and hands. Grade 3 student Apichada Khampan was found…
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Thai woman struck dead by lightning in cow field
A farmer was killed by a lightning strike in a cow field in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday evening. The 53 year old woman was herding her cows into their cowshed to escape the storm when she was struck. Wanida (surname reserved) was out working in the fields with her 53 year old relative Thongbai (surname reserved) when it started…
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Kremlin says Russia willing to supply North Korea with Covid-19 vaccines
A Kremlin spokesperson says Russia is willing to consider any request from North Korea for Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Reuters report, Dmitry Peskov says that if such a request is made, it will be responded to promptly. “North Korean comrades are well aware of our various inoculations; they are aware of our extensive experience with Covid. If there are…
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