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 Where to travel in Thailand in April [2025]
Travelling in Thailand is peak during April if you are looking for a real taste of summer. With high temperatures, amazing beaches, and exciting events, April is an amazing time to visit the country as a whole. Due to the...
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Why would Hong Kong chief break electoral law?
The office of Hong Kong’s new chief executive, John Lee, failed to respond to revelations yesterday that he received about US$1.4 million in donations during his election campaign, and broke electoral law. The revelation he received donations is bizarre, to say the least, because he was the only candidate. He ran for the city’s top job against no one! Furthermore,…
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Popular Thai lottery ticket app to get 2 million more tickets
With the high demand for the government’s legal lottery tickets sold online, the Government Lottery Office will likely add 2 million more tickets to its digital distribution system, Pao Tang, for the draw on August 1. The director-general of the Revenue Department, Lawaron Saengsanit, says that people are buying more tickets. “The latest sales were faster than expected and reflect…
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“Khao San Road should be a cannabis hotspot to boost tourism” – local businessman
“The chance for the government to use cannabis to boost tourism shouldn’t be turned down.” The words of a local Khao San Road businessman who sees an opportunity in the government’s recent announcement to decriminalise cannabis products. President of the Khao San Road Businesses Association, Sanga Ruengwattanakul says that foreign visitors passing through the infamous party strip “could be encouraged…
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Confused car finds itself driving a steep narrow pedestrian bridge
We’ve all been there, driving along, spaced-out, and minding our own business, when we suddenly find ourselves driving on a pedestrian path with motorbikes honking and warning us. If this scenario hasn’t happened to you consider yourself luckier than a driver in Samut Sakhon, who ended up haplessly driving a car halfway across a narrow bridge intended only for pedestrians…
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Chadchart points finger at Bangkok’s corrupt high-profile officers
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt informed Thai media yesterday that there are a number of high-profile district officers in the city involved in corruption. The identities of those officers have not been revealed, but leaked media reports allege most of them worked under a former Bangkok governor. According to reports, leading district officers from Latkrabang, Bang Khum Tien, Prawet, Taling Chan,…
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Suspect caught in mass shooting at American Independence Day celebration
Yesterday was the 4th of July, American Independence Day, but in Chicago’s Highland Park suburb, celebrations were marred by an all-too-familiar American phenomenon: a mass shooting. Police have now taken a suspect into custody for an attack on a 4th of July parade where a man opened fire with a high-powered rifle, killing 6 people and injuring at least 36…
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Brazilian student arrested in Bali for smuggling cannabis from Thailand
A Brazilian man who was arrested for smuggling 9.1 grams of cannabis from Thailand into Bali last week says he “didn’t know” that the plant is illegal in Indonesia. His arrest came just days after the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta warned the people of Thailand against taking cannabis into Indonesia, where they could face harsh penalties – or even…
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Bangkok taxi driver arrested a 7th time for random knife attacks
A motorbike taxi driver in Bangkok was arrested for criminal damage, again, with the police claiming it was due to their favourite new scapegoat, marijuana. He was taken into custody yesterday along with his Honda Wave motorbike, a 60 centimetre piece of wood, and a 16 centimetre long Sparta knife, both of which the taxi driver had been wielding in…
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Andaman Sea tremors draw attention to the lack of tsunami warning buoys
A series of minor tremors in the regions off Thailand’s Andaman coastline is drawing attention to the lack of operational tsunami buoys in the Andaman Sea. There’s been a number of small earthquakes and tremors near the Nicobar Islands, about 540 kilometres northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea. A series of three underwater tremors, between magnitude 4.6 and 5.0…
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Battle of the Beetles: Man gets rich selling rhinoceros beetles in southern Thailand
Beetle fighting season is almost upon us, and one man from southern Thailand says his rhinoceros beetles are heading straight to the top of the beetle battle championships. Every rainy season in Thailand, male rhinoceros beetles go head to head on a wooden pole. A female beetle is placed underneath, whose scent stimulates the males to fight until one backs…
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Thai public health ministry warns medical workers of new Covid-19 wave in a secret document
The Permanent Secretary of the Thai Public Health Ministry, Kiattiphum Wongarajit, has launched an urgent report to warn the provincial public health officers of the “new wave” of Covid-19 in Thailand. The official Facebook page of the Rural Doctor Society reported on their “urgent and secret document” to the public yesterday. The page said… “The warning sign to get ready…
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Expert: Covid-19 underreported, estimates 50,000 daily cases
While government figures report around 2,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day, a respiratory disease specialist says that the actual number is hugely underreported. In a Facebook post, Dr Nithiphat Chiarakun, head of the department of respiratory diseases and tuberculosis of Mahidol University’s Siriraj Faculty of Medicine estimated that there could be as many as 50,000 new Covid-19 infections every…
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Thai energy chief suggests senators shed suits to save energy
The Deputy PM and Energy Minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, has urged the nation’s senators to be energy-saving role models for Thailand. The 62 year old MP has suggested every senator should avoid wearing suits to reduce the use of air-conditioning in Parliament. During today’s senate meeting at the Parliament House senators, Sakon Satjayanit and Suradet Jirathiticharoen raised questions about solutions to…
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Student’s body ripped in half in freak motorbike accident in central Thailand
A 20 year old engineering student died in a motorbike accident at around 8am this morning in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand. Police found the man’s body completely ripped into two pieces after he crashed into a power pole. Witnesses said they saw the man waiting at a red light on the Rangsit – Nakhon Nayok road outside Nattawan village.…
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Renowned economist says Covid-19 was born in US bio-lab
A prominent American economist further fanned the flames of who is to blame for the Covid-19 outbreak by pointing the finger at US scientists, saying it came “out of a US lab biotechnology.” There have been a number of conspiracy theories about where the coronavirus outbreak originated and who should shoulder responsibility for the pandemic outbreak and this isn’t an…
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BKK Airport reports increase in flights after Thailand Pass nixed
Since the elimination of the Thailand Pass complicating entry into Thailand, flights and passengers have increased at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by about 10% on average. July 1 saw the lifting of travel restrictions, including the need to apply in advance for a Thailand Pass, which the government touted as opening the floodgates to a surge of international travellers, predicting 3…
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Drinking alcohol increases risk of threadworms, says Thai university
Regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing threadworm infections, according to new research conducted by the Parasitic Disease Research Centre at Suranaree University of Technology in Bangkok. The university recommends alcohol drinkers test themselves for threadworms at least once or twice a year to prevent severe infections. Threadworms – Strongyloides stercoralis – are tiny parasitic worms that infect the…
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Man killed and 2 injured in Bangkok canal tragedy
The captain of a canal boat was killed yesterday afternoon after his vessel collided with another boat on a canal in the Bang Bo district near Bangkok. The 32 year old man, Prasit Nadam, was navigating his long-tail boat when it collided with another similar vessel at 4.30pm in Khlong Kalaya canal at Moo 2 village in tambon Bang Bo.…
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Teen killed and 2 year old in critical condition after motorcycle tragedy
A teenage boy has died and a 2 year old child is in critical condition after an accident yesterday at a motorcycle racing charity event near Krapang Surin Public Park in the southern province of Trang. A motorcycle racer lost control and crashed into the watching crowd alongside the racing track causing 1 death and injuries to 7 people. Sixteen-year-old…
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Omicron subvariant likely to be a dominant strain in Thailand
There is a chance that the new Covid-19 sub variants, BA.4 and BA.5, will likely dominate new Thailand Covid infections, as they have already in other countries. However, they have not yet caused serious problems in the Land of Smiles. The latest sub-variants have been characterised by the increased transmissibility and immune escape – such “immune escapes” could mean more…
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AirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route
In August, Thai AirAsia will resume direct flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong. The airline will also pilot a special flight to Guangzhou in China this month, on July 13. Thai AirAsia is a joint venture between Thailand’s Asia Aviation and budget Malaysian airline AirAsia. The airline will operate weekly flights between Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport and Hong Kong…
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Thai Vietjet celebrates July’s double day with ‘7.7 Awesome!’
Press Release Celebrating July’s double day with a great promotion, Thai Vietjet today launches ‘7.7 Awesome’, offering special fares starting from THB 477 (inclusive of taxes and fees) for travel on the airline’s entire domestic flight network. The special fares are available for booking from July 4 – 9, 2022, with the travel period from August 1 – December 31…
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No Thais were killed by Burmese bombs says army
There were conflicting reports yesterday of Thai residents being killed as a result of the bombs dropped on Karen village in Myanmar near the Prop Phra district in Tak province in northern Thailand. The media reported there were Thai casualties as a result of the bombing at the border on Friday but the Thai army denied this was the case.…
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Family of trampled woman calls for UK ban on elephant parks ads
More than 20 years after a British woman was trampled to death at Nong Nooch Village Elephant Show in Thailand, her family is frustrated that elephant shows and rides are still being advertised and promoted in the UK. Andrea Taylor was just 20 years old in 2000 when an elephant charged into the crowd, killing her and injuring her sister…
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OIC commends treatment of Muslims and quality of life in Thailand
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation hailed Thailand as a shining example of how well a multicultural society can coexist during a visit to the Deep South provinces. Delegates from the OIC visited 3 of the southernmost provinces in Thailand on June 29 and 30 after the Thai government invited them to come and see local religious activities, education programs, and…
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Search launched for suspects after name changed on symbolic Bangkok bridge
An investigation has been launched into the mysterious overnight name change of a symbolic bridge in Bangkok. The name of Phibun Songkhram Bridge, at Kiak Kai intersection, near Parliament House, was bafflingly renamed Tharap Bridge on Saturday night. Sunsern Rueangrit, Dusit Thani district of Bangkok assistant director, posted the news via his Twitter account after a Bangkokian asked why there…
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Thailand-France business investment discussed in PM meeting
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha recently met with MEDEF International, the largest employer federation in France, to discuss future partnerships with Thailand. Francois Corbin, the Vice President of the Movement of the Enterprises of France, along with other delegates, met with the Thai prime minister on Friday to look at the future of Thai-French business partnerships. French firms are examining the post-pandemic…
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Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand
An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn’t get the memo about Thailand’s updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you. Thailand Pass was scrapped on…
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Cyber police bust illegal gambling ring in Pattaya valued at 100 million baht
Cyber police busted an illegal online gambling ring in Pattaya and arrested 11 suspects in connection with the illicit activity that pulled in over 100 million baht in revenue. Director of the Cybercrime Suppression Center Region 2, Surachit Chingnawan, yesterday announced the arrest of the 11 suspects accused of operating the illegal online gambling website in the Chon Buri area.…
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King tide in Phuket spurs online fears of a tsunami – it wasn’t
There was a lot of online chatter yesterday which was claiming there had been a small tsunami along the western shores of Phuket. The posts were correlating a king tide (unusually high tide) in Phuket, that was at its highest at 1.27pm (Sunday afternoon), some rough seas and a strong south-westerly swell in the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay,…
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