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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Man centre of unsolved “Nong Chompoo” murder case gets jail over protected wood
The man who has been in the centre of the highly-publicised death of his 3 year old niece known as “Nong Chompoo” sentenced to a year in jail… but not for charges related to the unsolved murder case. He was convicted of possessing protected wood and was sentenced to four months in jail, which has been suspended for a year.…
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Thailand and Cambodia will sign MOU to crack down on call centre scams
A Thai government spokesman has announced that Thailand and Cambodia plan to sign an MOU together soon to crack down on call centre scams. The spokesman said the Police Cyber Taskforce recently raided the operational base of a network of four gambling websites in Nonthaburi. He said the network had more than 200,000 clients with 200 million baht a month…
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EVs take limelight at Bangkok motor show, spurred by subsidy as fuel prices surge
Electric vehicles took centre stage at the Bangkok International Motor Show this week, where thousands gawked at the latest fuel-efficient models that car manufacturers have to offer, as global fuel rices continue to soar due to the war in Ukraine. Attendants were intrigued by the additional perk of a 15 percent government subsidy for select EVs. The show highlights the…
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Iran still bars women from football stadiums, officials express disagreement
Women in Iran still can’t enjoy watching football matches at the country’s stadiums. On Tuesday, about 2,000 women who bought tickets for the World Cup qualifier against Lebanon went to a stadium in Mashad, but couldn’t enter, according to Iranian media. The Islamic republic has banned women from sports stadiums since its government came to power in 1979. Since then,…
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Songkran 2022: Bangkok allows “traditional water sprinkling”
No foam parties or powder smearing will be allowed in Bangkok during Songkran next month, but when it comes to water splashing on the Thai New Year, known for massive water gun fights, the rules are a bit vague. “Traditional water sprinkling” is allowed, but officials did not go into detail about what exactly that means. The Bangkok Communicable Disease…
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Thai PM Prayut not worried about (un)popularity poll
Thailand’s prime minister ain’t that popular, but he doesn’t seem to mind because “the government is doing a good job”. That’s the gist of his response to a popularity poll indicating his favour among the Thai public is fading. After chairing Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said… “Even though the government has not yet achieved everything it set…
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UPDATE: Iranian tourist’s body found after white water rafting accident
The body of the Iranian tourist who went missing yesterday after a white water rafting accident in Phang Nga province has been found. Police are preparing to investigate everyone involved in the incident. 42 year old Bahzadifar Javad Gholamabbas was white water rafting in Song Phraek with his four friends and two tour operators when their rubber boat hit a…
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Thailand takes number one spot as most searched destination on Agoda
Thailand is the most searched destination in the world for trips in the next six months, according to the travel search engine giant Agoda. Thailand has seen a 500% increase in searches on Agoda from January to March 2022. The top three incoming travellers to Thailand are from Japan (#1), the US (#2) and Singapore (#3). Travelling into Thailand can…
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Taxi driver accused of driving off with tourist’s luggage says he was using the restroom
A taxi driver who was accused of robbing a tourist and leaving him at a petrol station told police that he never left the tourist, saying he was in the restroom the entire time because he needed to poop. The driver taking two people from the Ubon Ratchathani International Airport to the Khemmarat district had stopped at a petrol station…
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Huge fire in Prachinburi Market, Central Thailand, 100 million baht worth of damage
A huge fire destroyed more than 30 shops at the Prachinburi Town Municipality Market yesterday. The fire reportedly destroyed properties worth more than 100 million baht. No injuries and deaths were reported, and volunteers rescued seven bedridden local residents who lived in the area where the fire broke out. Officials were first alerted about the incident at 5pm, and arrived…
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Exorcist in Thailand expels evil spirit from woman’s vagina
A woman who claims she had “black magic in her private parts” for 25 years finally had the evil spirit expelled by exorcists in central Thailand’s Ratchaburi. A somewhat disturbing clip circulating online displays an exorcism for a woman who claimed that her vagina had been possessed by an evil spirit for 25 years. She described the spirit’s presence as…
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More Karen flee Myanmar to Thai border, Myanmar arrests Karen journalist
Around 1,000 Karen hill tribe people crossed the border into Thailand on Saturday, only for Thai authorities to send them back, according to an official from a refugee camp. This month, over 10,000 Karen from Myanmar’s Kayin state have fled after clashes between Karen rebels and Myanmar’s military. Now, Burmese police have arrested a reporter for the Karen Information Centre.…
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Homemade bomb explodes on Rayong road, 8 other bombs being defused
A homemade bomb packed with gunpowder, nails, and steel nuts exploded and eight undetonated bombs were found on a main road in eastern Thailand’s Rayong. The blast caused minor damage to the road and no one was injured. The nine bombs are being defused today by the province’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. One bomb defused today caused a big blast,…
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Thai Airways makes 1 million baht in 1 minute from selling airplane seats
Thai Airways International made over a million baht in just a minute yesterday by selling their colourful economy class seats from a decommissioned Airbus A330-300. The strapped-for-cash airline climbing out of an around 400 billion baht debt has been working on ways to stay afloat financially during the pandemic, like selling off its warehouse items and opening up a pop-up…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 25,389 new cases; provincial totals
87 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,045 with 3,347 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 25,389 new Covid-19 cases and 26,084 recoveries. There are now 244,372 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Asia News Today | Vietnamese automaker Vinfast invests big in the US
A mentally disabled man is now awaiting execution in Singapore after Singapore’s highest court rejected a final appeal by a man sentenced to death for drug trafficking. There’s been a concerted campaign over the man’s situation… his lawyers claiming that the trial violated international laws as the man has intellectual disabilities. Yesterday’s ruling ends all legal avenues to prevent his…
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Thailand redesigns warning labels on cigarette packs showing extreme effects of smoking
Thailand has redesigned the graphic warning labels on cigarette packages, which show the harmful -and extreme – effects of smoking. Retailers and wholesalers across the country must start selling cigarettes with the new packaging starting April 11. The new labelling will be in line with an official announcement made in 2021 by the Public Health Ministry under the Tobacco Products…
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Taxi leaves passenger at petrol station, drives off with luggage, tourist’s passport
UPDATE: The taxi driver has met with the police and says didn’t leave the tourist, he was just using the restroom. Read more HERE. Original story… A taxi driver allegedly robbed a passenger and left him and his friend at a petrol station in Isaan province Ubon Ratchathani. The tourist from Bangkok says that not only did the driver overcharge…
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Hill tribes in Chiang Mai resist construction of coal mine
Villagers from Omkoi, a district 150 kilometres south west of Chiang Mai, are running a campaign to resist an upcoming mining project which they say will impact their way of life, health, livelihoods and the local environment. The villagers are filing a lawsuit against the International Energy Agency who did not notify or involve local people in the planning of…
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Homemade booze regulations being drafted to allow Thais to produce alcohol
The Thai government is looking into allowing citizens to produce alcohol at home, but the spirits would only be allowed for personal consumption and not for sale. The revised laws will likely allow Thais to brew beer as well as distil whiskey, which is often brewed with herbs to make the traditional and homemade spirit “ya dong.” The deputy government…
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Health Ministry denies claims of short supply of anti-viral medicine for Covid patients
In response to complaints about a shortage of the anti-viral medicine Favipiravir, with hospitals running low on the primary drug in Thailand used to treat Covid-19, the Public Health Ministry has said that the country’s supply is enough to meet the local demand. Hospitals may experience a “temporary” shortage with the uptick in Covid-19 cases, according to Public Health Deputy…
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Cyber police raid Nonthaburi luxury house, 10 gambling suspects
The Thai Police Cyber Taskforce raided a Nonthaburi luxury house yesterday, where they believe 10 suspects helped facilitate gambling activities. The suspects allegedly used the house as a base for four gambling websites, which made 20 million baht. The taskforce found that the house was connected to 16 other locations in Bangkok that police had raided earlier on the same…
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Thailand’s central bank may revise inflation rate, GDP to battle economic downturn
The Bank of Thailand’s rate-setting committee with meet today to discuss a possible revision of key economic figures such as interest rates and GDP, as the country battles an economic climate that has soured high hopes for the year. Various factors include a weakened baht, rising inflation and the impact of the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in spiking…
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Drunk Chon Buri factory workers get in knife fight over who works harder
On Sunday, two drunk Chon Buri factory workers got into a knife fight over which of them worked harder. Emergency responders rushed one worker to Chon Buri hospital. They found bottles of liquor and a broken point-tip knife near the worker. There was a small pool of his blood. The worker who stabbed him claimed he was defending himself. The…
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Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party set for Songkran, but no word on water fights
Koh Phangan’s famous Full Moon Party has been given the green light for Songkran, the Thai New Year known for massive water fights, but there hasn’t been any word if water splashing will be allowed. Koh Phangan, one of the trio of Gulf of Thailand islands off the Surat Thani coast, is known for its massive parties on Haad Rin…
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Police arrest man who made 75,000 baht a month selling cannabis on Facebook, Line
Police arrested a man in a post office yesterday in the central province of Samut Prakan after being tipped off that he was selling marijuana via Facebook and Line and sending it to customers through the post. The man’s regular customers were granted entry into a special Line group and sent a Buddhist amulet with their brick of marijuana as…
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Muay Thai gym opens som tum shop for income during the pandemic
Headshot kick knock-out som tum. That’s what happens when Muay Thai boxers put away the gloves and get out a mortar and pestle to smash chillis for the spicy papaya salad. With fewer students participating in close-contact sports due to Covid fears, a Muay Thai boxing gym in the central province of Ratchaburi adapted by opening a weekend restaurant selling…
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Pirate-fighting pact bolsters maritime safety in Southeast Asian seas
The seas of Southeast Asia are getting safer, after joint naval patrols in the waters of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have successfully deterred piracy in the region. It all comes down to a Trilateral Cooperation Agreement, or TCA, in which the nations pledged to conduct joint anti-piracy patrols in their waters and share information. The result has been a…
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Murder investigation launched, 2 arrested after dog carries human skull out of forest
Two suspects in a murder investigation have been arrested after a dog found the remains of a police officer’s missing brother in a forest in Thailand’s Isaan region. Officers are still searching for four other suspects. A farmer taking his cows out to feed near an abandoned shoe factory spotted a dog carrying a human skull out of a eucalyptus forest…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 21,678 new cases; provincial totals
78 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,958 with 3,260 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,678 new Covid-19 cases and 27,183 recoveries. There are now 245,154 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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