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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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FBS celebrates 16 years with an adventurous Birthday Quest
Leading global broker FBS is marking its 16th anniversary with a special campaign — FBS Birthday Quest. Over the past 16 years, FBS has been on an incredible journey alongside its clients. Now, as a way to give back, the...
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Booster vaccines really do boost immunity to Omicron, says National Vaccine Institute
Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute has refuted a rumour spreading on Thai social media that claims booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines aren’t necessary for the Omicron variants, as infection from Thailand’s dominant virus stain effectively provides robust immunity. In fact, those who rely on “natural immunity” from infection potentially risk severe illness or death, the institute has warned, saying adults are…
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Thai robber who stole gold valued around 4.5 million baht caught
A gold robber, 28 year old Kittipong Phaethaisong, has been caught in Pattaya today, April 15, in a hotel after stealing gold necklaces valued at about 4.5 million baht in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeastern Thailand earlier this week. He told police the motivation for the crime was that he was unemployed and short on cash. The police have already found several…
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Argument between Bangkok ‘Win’ drivers ends in a fatal shooting
A motorcycle taxi driver, aka. ‘win’ driver, has surrendered to Bangkok police after shooting and killing a fellow Win driver. The incident happened in the Prachacheun area, north of the Bangkok metropolis near Chatuchak. A CCTV video shows 53 year old Chatchai Sukjaidee travelling down Soi Sarmsuk in the Bang Sue area. But 44 year old Sompong called him back to the…
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Police arrest 7 suspects in cherry bomb attack on PM Prayut’s home
Police have arrested 7 youths suspected for involvement in the throwing of a cherry bomb on Sunday at the home of Thailand Prime Minster Prayut Chan-o-cha, whose permanent residence is located on the grounds of the First Infantry Regiment of the Royal Guards on Vibhavadi Road in Bangkok. Police say that CCTV footage from around the military barracks helped them…
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Thai durian shipment to China detected with Covid 19 on packaging
After signs of the coronavirus were detected on the surfaces of boxes of Thai durian, the delivery to China was blocked from entering for 3 days. Companies in Thailand’s fruit export industry have been advised to follow strict Covid-19 guidelines. A shipment of the famous King of Fruits, aka. Durian, from Thailand was reported to be infected at China’s Mohan…
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Democrat deputy leader quits party to fight accusations of sexual harassment
Thailand’s Democrat deputy leader, Prinn Panitchpakdi, announced his full and immediate resignation from the party on Thursday, in order to fight claims of sexual harassment claims, which he is denying. As of today, about 20 people have reported to police accusing Prinn of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or rape, according to Khaosod. During a press conference yesterday afternoon, he appeared…
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Economic aftershocks of Russia’s invasion on Thailand’s economy
Nearly two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine, countries across Asia are bracing themselves for rising inflation and supply chain disruptions, following increasing sanctions on the Russian state. According to experts, the most affected country in Asia is Thailand, where commodity trading with its European counterpart has become almost impossible. Different types of commodities traded and…
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UPDATE: Bangkok authorities try to limit the water games on Khao San Road
We warned you, but we can’t stop you. That’s the message being conveyed by the actions of Thai authorities, who have shown restraint toward prohibited water splashing on Khao San Road in Bangkok during this week’s Songkran festival. Police, and even soldiers, have been called in to remind tourists and Songkran revellers about the government’s ban on water splashing this…
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Italian man and Thai woman attacked in Pattaya – VIDEO
A 32 year old Italian man and a 35 year old Thai female were allegedly attacked just after 2am yesterday morning along Soi LK Metro in Pattaya. They told police they were travelling on their motorbike, arriving in front of a closed bar called Crystal Club (currently registered as a ‘restaurant’). There were four people on the motorbike. A number…
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UPDATE: Russia’s flagship vessel sinks in Black Sea after Ukrainian missile strike
As Russia’s war in Ukraine entered its 50th day, its flagship cruiser has sunk in the Black Sea, after a “fire” onboard caused ammunition explosions. It’s the first major war ship to be taken down by cruise missiles since World War Two. At least, that’s the Ukrainian side of the story. Russia’s Ministry of Defence has released a statement on…
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40 dead, 323 injured on Day 3 of Songkran’s ‘7 Deadly Days’
Thailand saw 331 road accidents, resulting in 40 deaths and 323 injuries on Wednesday, Day 3 of the “Seven Deadly Days” of the Songkran holiday. The main causes of road accidents yesterday were the same as the previous two days, namely speeding and drink driving, according to data provided by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Since the start of…
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Thailand deploys troops to Khao San Road to combat water splashing tourists – VIDEO
Call in the troops! That’s been the response from Thailand’s government after reports of foreign tourists (you get bet there were plenty of locals in there as well) engaging in “dangerous water splashing behaviour” spread like wildfire on social media at the start of the Songkran festival, well Songkran eve to be precise. Bangkok authorities deployed the military, in addition…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport adds arrival QR code to ease confusion
Travellers are being recommended to download a QR code had been created and is available from April 14 at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, aka. BKK. Airport management are claiming the new QR code will assist them and help them to find the booth of their booked hotel. After numerous complaints, confusion, and congestion in the arrival area, angry visitors looking for…
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Former Thai PM denies his daughter will run for the top job
On Clubhouse this week, a favourite platform for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s former elected leader denied rumours that his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, will run in the next Thailand election as the nominated PM candidate for the Pheu Thai Party. Instead, he wants to see her in the party working on the marketing and strategic side of things. On April…
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Dozens of Thais rescued from Chinese gang, phone scam centre in Cambodia
Thai police forces have reportedly rescued dozens of Thai nationals who were allegedly being held captive by a Chinese gang operating a phone scam centre in a Cambodian coastal gambling town. About two dozen Thais were rescued last Sunday from a guarded townhouse in Sihanoukville, after negotiating with the Chinese gangsters who were running the operation. Pictures from the Royal…
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Thailand to welcome East-West flight detours as airlines avoid Russian airspace
More planes might be detouring through Thailand’s airspace as a result of Russia closing its skies to airlines from “hostile” nations, after an overwhelming majority of nations condemned its invasion of Ukraine at the UN General Assembly last month. The nation’s Ministry of Transportation has called for the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, or Aerothai, to draw up a contingency plan,…
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Time to say goodbye to Test & Go and the Thailand Pass?
The government will propose removing the Test & Go scheme and Thailand Pass at a meeting with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on April 22. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is again requesting the cancellation with the tourism ministry, according to Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The goal is to attract more travellers and boost Thailand interrupted tourism…
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Thailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for fifth straight day
As people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the nation’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 5 consecutive days from Sunday to today. This morning, the Public Health Ministry reported 115 new Covid-related fatalities and more than 24,100 new infections nationwide. Yesterday, 106 deaths and more than 23,000 cases were reported. The ministry reported 108, 105 and…
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Spreading Thai Culture Overseas in an RV | Songkran Special
The Cooking Nomads couple – Anne & Hassan are a Thai – American couple who live the RV life in the USA. They share their experiences and spread Thai culture everywhere they park their RV home. How difficult it was for Anne as a Thai person to adapt to the RV lifestyle? How do they manage a tiny space? and…
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Phuket tourists better stop splashing water, or else – PM Prayut
Some splash-happy tourists, and probably a few locals, in Phuket obviously didn’t get all the “dry Songkran” memos. Reports of foreign tourists splashing water in and around some of Thailand’s tourist hotspots these past two days has drawn the ire of Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. In the case of Phuket, and specifically Bangla Road, the local walking street, the PM…
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Songkran: Where to celebrate the Thai New Year in Thailand 2022
Despite the lack of official water fights this year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Songkran 2022 in Thailand. Events in Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Songkhla, Chiang Mai, Samut Prakan and other major cities have been organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or the TAT, in line with Covid-19 prevention measures. So put the water gun down and take…
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8 year old driving motorcycle dies in accident
An 8 year old boy was driving a motorcycle with a sidecar attached to it when he lost control and flipped over at around 10:30am this morning in Chanthaburi province in eastern Thailand. The vehicle fell back down on top of him and crushed him. He hit his head off the concrete road and sadly died from his injuries at…
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Thai monk celebrating Songkran passes out drunk, says he didn’t do anything wrong
A Buddhist monk was found passed out on the floor with his private parts on show at his temple after he got drunk to bring in the Thai New Year. The monk, who resides at a temple in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, says he didn’t do anything wrong. The 50 year old ex-policeman, who has been ordained as…
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At least 53 dead after tropical storm Megi hit the Philippines
At least 53 people have died in landslides and floods after tropical storm Megi hit the Philippines last weekend. Rescue crews are still looking for survivors in the aftermath and the death toll is expected to climb as the rescuers discover more bodies and move into more remote areas. The storm caused landslides and floods which buried people alive and…
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Thai government to control inflation prices for consumer products
As the Thai government attempts to control inflation, the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says that there must be no shortages of consumer products or outages, and the prices must not be too expensive. The world wide inflation problems have been created by government’s artificially over-heating economies with quantitative easing rising energy and commodity prices and exacerbated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.…
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Shorter quarantine times proposed for Thailand. From 7 days down to…?
Starting in May, high risk groups who have been in close contact with Covid 19 will still have to self isolate at home, but the time will be shortened from 7 days to 5 days. While the self isolation period is shorter, they will need to monitor their health for another 5 days, according to the Director-general of the Department…
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Two Thai women escape sinking car after GPS leads them into a canal
Another GPS horror story occurred this morning when 2 women driving home for the Songkran holiday ended up trapped in their sinking car in a canal in Prachin Buri province, northeast Thailand. Their GPS navigation system led them off the edge of the road, causing their car to drop 10 metres and land in a drainage canal. The women managed…
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80 year old woman dies after falling from the seventh floor of a hospital
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand, an 80 year old woman has died after falling from her room on the seventh floor of a hospital where she was being treated for Covid-19. She was taken to the emergency room but it was too late. The incident happened at the Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat last Monday.…
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Why is Thai New Years 3 Days Long? | Songkran Special
Have you ever wondered why Thai New Years celebration is 3 days long? Traditionally, each day of the Songkran festival has a different meaning. What does each day symbolise? Watch this clip to find out more about the Thai new year as Nan dives deep into the meaning and traditions of each day from 13 -15 of April.
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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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