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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The 5 most common travel emergencies in Thailand and how to be prepared
Thailand is a popular destination known for its dynamic culture, stunning beaches, and bustling cities however, travellers can face unexpected travel emergencies that include medical issues, road accidents, petty theft, and natural disasters. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip,...
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Scam bam thank you mam! Thai PBS anchor scammed out of 1 million baht.
A Thai PBS TV anchor is the latest high-profile victim of phone scammers in Thailand. Thai PBS is a government-owned public broadcaster. Pattima Komolbawonkul posted on her Facebook that she had lost 1 million baht through a phone scam. She claims that the scammer posed as a Thai police officer from the Ranong police (just north of Phang Nga province).…
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Chinese tourists attack Pattaya hotel worker
An incident last night when a 29 year old hotel staffer in Pattaya was injured after being attacked by a group of allegedly drunk Chinese tourists. Just before midnight the 29 year old employee was attacked and his wrists injured after trying to stop the “severely intoxicated” group from trying to drive home after several hours of drinking. He was…
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Bangkok gets the Sht Holiday treatment (their spelling, not ours)
Sht holidays has blessed us with their withering review of the Thai capital. Some may wonder where exactly they visited when they cobbled together this unpleasant collection of Bangkok sex-tourism clichés. The Sht Holidays Facebook page only has 41,763 followers but does the same for tourism around the world as Rotten Tomatoes does for film-reviews. Clearly rather cynical ‘Aussie’ humour,…
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Thai rapper ‘Elevenfinger’ suspected of bombing PM Prayut’s residence
A political rapper known as “Elevenfinger” has become the main suspect in the bombing that happened at Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha’s residence on Sunday. The rapper was pictured with the group of motorcyclists who approached the gates of the PM’s residence and threw a bomb, which exploded on the lawn opposite the house. The rapper was arrested today…
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26 killed in 200 plus vehicle accidents on Day 1 of Songkran’s ‘7 Deadly Days’
On Monday — the first day of the “Seven Deadly Days of the Songkran” — there were 237 vehicle accidents, killing 26 people and injuring 238 others. Speeding is the biggest problem so far. Thailand’s road-safety campaign spans the week of the Thai New Year, from April 11 to 17, during which vehicle accidents are notoriously common. The government has…
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Drink driving claims 70% of traffic violations at start of Songkran’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’
The Department of Probation is releasing its statistics for the first day of driving violations administered by the court during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran” from April 11 – 17. On Monday, the court issued 459 fines, 328 of which were for drink driving cases. The top three provinces with the most drunken drivers were Nonthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani and…
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5 Thailand expressways waive tolls for motorists during Songkran holiday
Five expressways in Thailand will waive their tolls during the Songkran holiday, in order to encourage domestic tourism by helping people save money and speed up travel times back to their home provinces. From April 12 to April 18, the Bang Na-Chon Buri and Bang Phli-Suksawat expressways will be free of charge. The Chalerm Maha Nakhon, Si Rat and Udon…
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Floods cause mass buffalo starvation at Thale Noi park in southern Thailand
More than 200 dead water buffaloes have been found floating today at the Thale Noi Waterfowl Park in the southern Thai province of Pattalung. Prolonged flooding in the region had destroyed the grasses that the buffalo rely on for food. Without it, they starved to death. Local authorities quickly rescued another 300 buffaloes, giving them dry grass and supplementary food…
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Nok Air requests operational fee waivers to help restart Betong flights
I just need a little help from my friends. That’s the song Thailand budget airline Nok Air is singing, as it calls for additional support to cover its operational costs, in order to continue servicing its Betong and Nakhom Ratchasima flights. The news comes just days after the beleaguered airline signed a memorandum of understanding with local tourism agencies to…
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100 snakes emerge from flooded sewer in Chon Buri
For the first time in hisssstory… more than 100 snakes popped up out of a flooded sewer in eastern Thailand’s Chon Buri province. The snakes were caught and safely released into a natural setting yesterday afternoon, fangs to some brave volunteers. Water from “Ang Kep Nam Nong Nam Kiao”— or “The Green Reservoir” — in Chon Buri province was released…
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Thailand predicts a million passengers to catch flights during Songkran festival
Airports of Thailand, or AoT, expects about a million air travellers to transit through its 6 airports during Songkran this week. The estimate includes both international and domestic passengers who will catch flights to, from and around Thailand. Since the government scrapped the pre-travel PCR test requirement on April 1, the AoT says that’s the reason the number of travellers entering…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 19,982 new cases; provincial totals
101 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 26,289 with 4,591 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 19,982 new Covid-19 cases and 28,057 recoveries. There are now 237,399 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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UPDATE: Bangkok airport claims Test & Go crowding was temporary, problem already fixed
Suvarnabhumi International Airport has responded to the complaint from a Thai YouTuber about the seemingly chaotic crowds of international travellers arriving under the Test & Go entry scheme on Sunday. He said that people coming into the arrivals hall didn’t know where to go, couldn’t find their hotel transport, the awaiting hotel shuttles were randomly crowded behind barriers and it…
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You can grow ‘as many cannabis plants as you like’ in Thai homes from June 9, but…
People in Thailand will be allowed to grow “as many cannabis plants” as they like in their own homes from June 9, according to Thailand’s health minister and medical marijuana pioneer Anutin Charnvirakul. However… if you don’t read the fine print you can still get into trouble with the law. As usual, the fine print is confusing. Bottomline, don’t be…
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Opposition leader Thanathorn indicted for lèse majesté, says he’s political target
Public prosecutors in Thailand have indicted Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on a lèse majesté charge and for violating the Computer Crime Act on Monday. The charges centre on remarks he made during a livestream talk he gave last year, in which he discussed the government’s procurement of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and allegedly casting indirect suspicion on His Majesty the…
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Thailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for third day, new infections decline
As people throughout the country begin their Songkran break, Thailand’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 3 consecutive days — with 108 deaths, 105 and 101 deaths reported for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Today, less than 20,000 new infections were reported, compared to yesterday’s nearly 22,400 – in that case a downward trend. Sunday…
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Phuket shuts down ATK checkpoints at Bangla Walking Street from tomorrow
The ATK checkpoints at the entrance of Bangla Walking Street in Phuket will be shut down from tomorrow onwards, according to the Patong Entertainment Association. The checkpoints have been operating since January this year. Today, the President of Patong Entertainment Association shared with Thai media that the two ATK checkpoints at the entrance and exit of Bangla Road or Bangla…
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Northeastern Thai man accidentally shoots and kills himself
A Thai man accidentally shot himself in the mouth and died while shooting birds on Saturday morning in northeast Thailand’s Roi Et province. Investigating officers believe that the traces of gunpowder found on the man’s toes suggest he was holding the long wooden cap gun with his toes and checking the gun’s gunpowder levels with his mouth when he accidentally…
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Thailand extends expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines, after 3 companies re-register
The Public Health Ministry has directed hospitals to adjust the expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines in their inventory according to each company’s new registration rules. Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines will all be extended. Deputy permanent secretary for Public Health, Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, notified all public health chiefs last week, instructing them to reset the expiration dates of vaccine doses and…
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Phuket police set up 11 checkpoints to prevent road accidents during Songkran
The Songkran holidays, or the Thai New Year, is a time notorious for road accidents all over Thailand. During the long holiday, drunk driving increases and road accidents are even more common than usual on Thailand’s dangerous roads. Phuket police officers have set up 11 checkpoints around the island to catch anyone drunk driving or driving dangerously and to help…
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Thai government plans to procure Covid-19 antibody drug for immunocompromised
The Thai government is planning to procure a long-acting antibody drug for people who have conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a Thai government spokesperson. “Evusheld” is an injectable Covid-19 drug developed by AstraZeneca. The drug may even replace some doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand in the future, according to the Centre for…
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Chiang Mai elephant camp invites tourists to visit for free this Songkran
If you can’t splash each other this Songkran, splash an elephant instead — in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai’s Maesa Elephant Camp invites tourists to splash in the water with elephants during the Songkran holidays, which will be celebrated this week from April 13 – 16. The camp is open from 9am – 3pm every day and admission is free. After…
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Nok Air resumes Bangkok-Betong route, partners with allies to fill charter flights
If at first you don’t succeed, try again — with a few more friends. That’s the message from Thailand budget airline Nok Air, which is teaming up with a handful of tourism industry partners in a renewed bid to provide charter flights from Bangkok to the recently opened Betong airport in Yala province in the south. Beginning on April 29,…
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Songkran travellers can enjoy FREE parking at Suvarnabhumi airport from April 11-17
There’s good news for those flying out of Bangkok during the Thai New Year. You can now park your car at Suvarnabhumi Airport Zone C for FREE during the entire Songkran period, as the parking fees are being scrapped from April 11 to April 17. Zone C is zoned for long term parking and has 700 parking spaces. Airport authorities…
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Businesses blame high ‘entry fees’ for deterring travellers at Thai-Malaysia border
The reopening of the Thai-Malaysian border this month raised the hopes of local business owners around the border areas, who thought it would boost the economy in southern Thailand, and the northern states of Malaysia as well. However, things seem to be moving more slowly than expected, with merchants blaming the 5,000-7,000 baht “entry fees” as being too expensive for…
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Bomb thrown at PM Prayut’s house, protesters burn coffin decorated with his image
Yesterday, a teenager threw a “ping pong” bomb at Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s house. On the same day, a mob of “Red Shirt” protesters took to the streets of Bangkok to burn a coffin adorned with pictures of PM Prayut’s face. Yesterday’s protests were to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 2010 Red Shirt protests, where 90 people died…
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Thai YouTuber complains about Test & Go: ‘Foreigners won’t come back if facing this…’
After reportedly seeing crowds of tourists left waiting for hotels at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a Thai YouTuber has voiced his discontent about Thailand’s unpopular Test & Go entry scheme. He said the system was a mess, with hotel staff having to shout to finding their guests, while tourists searched for the logos of their hotels, “as if they were playing…
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Thailand’s daily Covid death toll exceeds 100 twice in 24 hours as Songkran begins
As people throughout the country begin their Songkran celebrations, Thailand’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark twice in the past 24 hours — with 108 deaths and 105 deaths reported for yesterday and today, respectively. Sunday marked the first time the nation recorded a hundred daily deaths from the virus this year. The Public Health Ministry…
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6 Reasons Why Expats in Thailand Need a VPN
White-sand beaches, warm sunshine, and delicious food. Living in an exotic country like Thailand can help you achieve the lifestyle you always wanted. Nevertheless, as an expat (a person who lives and works in a foreign country), you have to be aware of the cyber threats you may face. Phishing emails, data breaches, compromised passwords – there are only a…
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48 ‘restaurant’ goers test positive for drugs in Northeast Thailand
48 ‘restaurant’ goers tested positive for drugs in Khon Khaen province in Thailand’s Northeast in the early hours of this morning. Police found 62 customers in the restaurant. Apart from food, they found alcoholic drinks and packets of crystal methamphetamine on the tables. Empty packets were found in trash cans. Officers from Ban Pet police station had been tipped off …
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