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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Tourists in Surat Thani & Trat warned to beware of jellyfish
Tourists have been warned to beware of jellyfish while swimming in the sea off the beaches at Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani, and Koh Mark, and Koh Kood in Trat. The Director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Auttapon Charoenchansa, reported that it is venomous jellyfish season in Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan…
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Police detain SWAT officer who fled after nightclub shooting in southern Thailand
UPDATE Police have tracked down and arrested Sergeant Bird, the SWAT officer who shot dead a man at Country Home nightclub in Trang province, southern Thailand, yesterday morning. Sergeant Bird fired 11 shots with a 9mm gun, nine hitting 32 year old Chitkorn “Khao” Kongchan. Two others were injured in the gunfire. After the SWAT officer fled the nightclub, he…
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Thailand scoops best costume at Miss Grand International
Miss Grand Thailand, Engfa Waraha, scooped the best national costume prize at the Miss Grand International 2022 final in Indonesia yesterday. Unfortunately, the Thai beauty queen had to make do with the first runner-up prize in the overall competition after being edged out by Miss Grand Brazil, Isabella Menin, who was crowned Miss Grand International 2022. Beauty queens from 72…
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Police seize 263 guns in 15 days in southern Thailand
The Royal Thai Police confiscated 263 guns and 1,702 rounds of ammunition in eight provinces of southern Thailand over a 15-day period this month. Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered a crackdown on illegal firearms following the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province earlier this month. Between October 10-24, police confiscated 263 firearms in Provincial Police…
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9 year old boy shot dead while working in cornfield
A nine year old boy was shot dead while working in a cornfield in the north-central province of Phetchabun. The boy’s heartbroken mother revealed he was working to save up for a toy the family could not afford. A funeral ceremony is being held for the nine year old boy, Chaiyakorn “Seven” Niamklai, at Huay Toom Sutthawas Temple, according to…
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Drunk Chonburi FC goalie kills 1 and injures 1 in car crash
A goalkeeper for Chonburi FC crashed his car early this morning while driving under the influence of alcohol, killing a woman and seriously injuring a man, in the province’s Mueang district, in eastern Thailand. At 4.30am, officers from Mueang Chon Buri police station received a report that a car crashed into pedestrians on a bridge on Liap Cha Thahle Road…
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Temporary field hospital opens after road collapse in Patong
After a road collapsed on Phuket’s Patong hill last week, health officials have worked to set up a temporary field hospital. The Kathu Field Hospital opened yesterday at the Kathu Public Park, as a result of a partnership between the Phuket Provincial Public Health and Patong Hospital. The temporary field hospital is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to…
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Cabinet agrees to let foreigners buy land and houses in Thailand
A major decision was made today by Thailand’s Cabinet which will allow foreigners to buy houses and land in Thailand. The foreigner will be eligible to buy houses and land if they invest at least 40 million baht in Thailand and can maintain the investment over three years, according to Bangkok Biz News. The land purchased cannot be bigger than…
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A naked burglar robs 8 houses & tries to rape a young girl
A naked burglar is on the run after he was spotted on CCTV cameras robbing eight houses and allegedly trying to rape a 12 year old girl in the Isaan province of Sisaket. Aek Danairit, the owner of a house in the Baan Na Nuan community in the Huay Thap Than district of Sisaket, reported to the police that a…
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Pattaya clubs and police deny allegations of bribes
Netizens believe a photo circulating on social media, showing a list of names and numbers, reveals the names and numbers of police officers involved in soliciting bribes from local businesses. The officers and business owners allegedly named deny any wrongdoing. In the fallout of the Club One Pattaya drug raid, both Pattaya Police and venue owners are denying claims of…
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VIDEO: Sex doll consecration ceremony infuriates Buddhism officials in Myanmar
Buddhism officials in Myanmar are filing a lawsuit against a group of people who conducted a religious ceremony for two sex dolls at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, which is considered one of Myanmar’s most sacred sites, on Saturday. A group of people arrived at the temple with two sex dolls dressed in traditional Burmese clothing and wearing tiaras. The group…
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US school shooting kills teacher and student
There’s been another horrific school shooting in the US, this time in the city of St. Louis in Missouri state. The gunman attacked the Central Visual & Performing Arts High School on yesterday morning, killing two people and injuring seven, according to the latest updates. The two people killed were 16 year old student Alexandria Bell, and a health teacher…
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Bangkok police give motorists 30 days to fix up noisy, illegally modified vehicles
Bangkok police want to fight noise pollution in the capital by cracking down on loud, illegally modified vehicles. Police said they will give car and motorbike owners 30 days to ensure their cars are no louder than the legal limit before imposing fines. According to Thai law, exhaust pipes cannot produce a sound exceeding 95 decibels. Superintendent of Prachachuen Police…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport calls for more taxis amid surging queues
While most are elated to see tourism returning to Thailand and international flights picking up, there’s one thing virtually everyone can agree they did not miss: taxi queues. As flight arrivals ramp up, there’s a shortage of available taxis for incoming travellers. Officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport are putting out the call for more taxis to register for pick-ups as the…
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Air strike hits concert in Myanmar, at least 50 killed
Myanmar’s civil war appears to have no end in sight. An air strike killed at least 50 people at a concert in Kachin State yesterday, several news outlets reported. The concert had been held to celebrate the anniversary of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO). The number of casualties is believed to be the highest in a single air attack ever…
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Cruise ships return to Phuket post-pandemic
After a long drawn-out pandemic absence, Phuket was thrilled at the sight of the first cruise ship returning to the Thai port. The massive Royal Caribbean ship, christened the Spectrum of the Seas, anchored at around 7am yesterday for a quick one-day stopover on the island. The cruise ship dropped anchor just off Patong Beach for the day before heading…
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AirAsia X expands medium-haul routes from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
Air Asia X group (AAX) – including Malaysia AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X – announced an expansion of medium-haul services out of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to meet the ever-growing demand. CEO of AAX Tony Fernandes says the airline is “well and truly back.” The low-cost airline has “reactivated” 175 pilots and 285 cabin crew who were furloughed during…
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Thai MP to swim across Chao Phraya River for charity
A Member of Parliament from the Thai Civilized Party, Mongkolkit “Tae” Suksintharanon, will swim across the Chao Phraya River on Loy Kratong Day to raise money for the victims of floods in Thailand. On Saturday, October 22, Thai actor and singer, Pakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak swam across the Mekong River under his project named One Man and the River to raise…
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Drunk SWAT policeman shoots man 9 times at nightclub in southern Thailand
A drunk Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) police officer shot dead a man inside a nightclub in Trang province, southern Thailand, at around 1am today. The SWAT officer fired 11 shots in total with a 9mm gun. Two more nightclub revellers caught in the gunfire were injured. At 1.13am, officers from Mueang Trang Police Station received a report that a…
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Thai doctor kidnapped in Africa returns home
A well-known Thai doctor who was kidnapped in Mali last month returns home today after being released by his captors. The 49 year old surgeon, Nopparat “Song” Rattanawaraha, was kidnapped while travelling near the Republic of Mali border in West Africa and held captive for 25 days. His captives let him go yesterday after he raised six million baht (US$156,000)…
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VIDEO: Krabi resident secretly films gambling den
A resident in Krabi’s main city district secretly filmed a gambling den, Thai media reported on Sunday. The blurry footage shows a crowd of people in a big house around a table. The video recorder said the house belongs to a former politician, although they did not specify who. However, some gamblers insisted that said the house belongs to a…
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Refrigerator saves fisherman’s life in southern Thailand
A refrigerator saved a young fisherman’s life when his boat sank off the coast of Krabi province, southern Thailand, on Sunday. He lay in the fridge and floated for six hours until he was rescued by a passing fishing boat. On Sunday, 33 year old Anat Massoyot from Village 3, Nong Thale subdistrict, Mueang district took his long-tail boat out…
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Rishi Sunak becomes first Asian UK PM
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will be the UK’s next prime minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest. His nearest rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race in the final minutes before nominations closed. The 42 year old will become the UK’s first British Asian PM. Nearly 200 Conservative MPs backed the former chancellor ahead of…
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The Coming War on China
As President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader yesterday The Coming War on China draws ever closer, predicts award-winning journalist John Pilger. In Pilger’s thought-provoking documentary, The Coming War on China, he notes the United States, backed by Western mainstream media (MSM), has been “beating the drums of war and the world has…
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Kathu illegal excavation investigated as possible factor in landslide
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to the agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
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Abandoned Phuket hotel to be demolished after landslide
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to the agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
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Thai golf superstar Atthaya goes close in S Korea
Perhaps the hottest property in women’s golf today is rising Thai star Atthaya Thitikul, one of the game’s brightest prospects. Not yet 20 years old and she has already claimed multiple victories on the Ladies European Tour. Atthaya hit a 9-under 63 on Thursday to set a tournament record at the BMW Ladies Championship at Oak Valley Country Club in…
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Patong Hill opened to foot traffic only after landslides
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to an agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
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Missing Russian tourist seen exiting the sea, search continues
New information in the continuing search for the Russian woman who disappeared in Phuket suggests she may not have drowned at sea, as previously thought. Elena Rusradchenko, the 53 year old Russian woman, was reportedly spotted coming out of the waters at Nai Thon Beach around noon on Thursday. Lifeguards had called for all swimmers to get out of the…
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No chance of parole for Bangkok’s imprisoned gorilla
After the latest round of public outcry, authorities claim for the umpteenth time that little can be done about gorilla Bua Noi, 33 years old, confined to a small cell in a Bangkok shopping mall. According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, the owners are free to continue doing as they please with the beast they have kept…
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