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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  • Night shift employee at Pattaya guest house robbed while asleep at reception desk

    Night shift employee at Pattaya guest house robbed while asleep at reception desk

    An employee working the night shift at a guest house in Pattaya fell asleep at the reception counter and woke up to find valuables missing from the lobby, which are said to be valued at a total of 160,000 baht. The 49 year old staff member filed a report to police and provided surveillance camera footage showing a man entering…

  • Non-profit Watchdog Thailand saves over 20 cats locked in house, 5 found dead

    Non-profit Watchdog Thailand saves over 20 cats locked in house, 5 found dead

    Over 20 cats were found starving inside a locked house yesterday in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok. Activists from the non-profit organisation Watchdog Thailand saved 17 of the cats while four escaped and a total of five dead cats were found inside the house. The cats are now being cared for at Watchdog’s shelter. Villagers contacted Watchdog Foundation…

  • Couple having sex in car allegedly attempt to run over security guard after confrontation

    Couple having sex in car allegedly attempt to run over security guard after confrontation

    A security guard narrowly dodged getting run over after asking a couple who were having sex in a parked car at a Bangkok market to move along. When the head of security approached the car in the early hours of Sunday morning, the driver attempted to run him over and fled the scene. No one was injured. 20 year old…

  • Wildlife rangers capture aggressive elephant that killed a villager

    Wildlife rangers capture aggressive elephant that killed a villager

    An aggressive elephant wanted for killing an elderly woman and raiding plantations in Prachin Buri has been caught and taken back to a sanctuary after an effort involving around 150 forestry and wildlife rangers as well as volunteers. The 25 year old hot-tempered elephant had been causing extensive damage to orchards and farms for months, and stomped a 73 year…

  • Thai police charge 32 university students for involvement in fatal hazing incident

    Thai police charge 32 university students for involvement in fatal hazing incident

    A total of 32 university students in Thailand’s Isaan region are facing criminal charges for a brutal initiation where a first-year student died after being beaten. Of those students, seven of them have reportedly confessed to using excessive violence against the student and are facing charges of colluding in physical assault causing death and assault. First-year students at the Rajamangala…

  • No survivors in China Eastern Boeing 737 crash carrying 132 people

    No survivors in China Eastern Boeing 737 crash carrying 132 people

    Rescuers searching the wreckage of the China Eastern Airlines passenger jet say there are no survivors. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft carrying 132 people crashed into a mountainside in southern China’s Guangxi region after a sudden nosedive. Rescuers are searching a deep pit in the mountainside to find the plane’s black box, which holds flight data and voice recordings from the…

  • Asia News Today | China plane crash latest & HK looking to relax restrictions

    Asia News Today | China plane crash latest & HK looking to relax restrictions

    Investigators are now trying to piece together the final moments of a Boeing 737 flight in southern China yesterday before it plummeted into a hilly area as it was approaching Guangzhou. The China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 jet, flight MU5735, carrying 132 people crashed in Wuzhou. The sudden nosedive of the plane has left aircraft accident specialists baffled as authorities…

  • No flights to new Betong airport, Yala tourism officials talk promotions to boost travel

    No flights to new Betong airport, Yala tourism officials talk promotions to boost travel

    After the highly-publicised launch of the new airport in Southern Thailand’s Yala went sour, with Nok Air suspending flights to the airport due to a lack of passengers, tourism officials in the Betong area plan to offer discounts on hotel rooms and food for travellers to help the flights takeoff. Nation Thailand says the Betong Airport was “built to boost…

  • Ranger wanted for murder found dead in Thailand forest after week-long search

    Ranger wanted for murder found dead in Thailand forest after week-long search

    After a week-long search involving around 100 officers, the body of a forest ranger wanted for murder was found hanging from a tree in Buriram. The senior ranger was wanted for firing shots at his ex-wife’s home, killing the woman’s 20 year old son. 45 year old Phitphirun Phiraphop was a senior forest protection ranger at Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.…

  • Isaan tradition of scattering ashes banned at local river after 7 villages complain of debris

    Isaan tradition of scattering ashes banned at local river after 7 villages complain of debris

    The tradition of scattering a loved one’s ashes into a river in the Isaan province has been banned in a popular area for the ritual after locals reported that a service was arranging boat trips for families to dump not only the cremated remains into the river, but also ritual items and personal possessions of the deceased. Sometimes even mattresses…

  • UKRAINE UPDATES: Ultimatums ‘not feasible’; Russian offensive stalls; Putin’s ‘back is against the wall’

    UKRAINE UPDATES: Ultimatums ‘not feasible’; Russian offensive stalls; Putin’s ‘back is against the wall’

    As Russia’s invasion continues, here’s the latest headlines from the war in Ukraine… • In a televised address, President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine could not submit to ultimatums from Russia. The only way to do that would be to “destroy us all” he said. The remarks come after Ukraine rejected a Russian ultimatum for Mariupol authorities to surrender the city…

  • Hua Hin reports surge in infections, despite drop in overall provincial cases

    Hua Hin reports surge in infections, despite drop in overall provincial cases

    The number of cases of community transmission has surged in the resort town of Hua Hin, despite a fall in overall case numbers in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. According to a Bangkok Post report, Hua Hin reported 272 new cases on Sunday, jumping from just 44 the day before. A sharp rise in infections was also reported…

  • Phuket man paralysed by drunk officer seeks 15 million baht in compensation

    Phuket man paralysed by drunk officer seeks 15 million baht in compensation

    The family of the noodle vendor who was shot by a drunk, off-duty police officer last year on Phuket’s Bangla Road is seeking compensation of 15 million baht. The 25 year old vendor was shot in the stomach with the bullet lodged in his spine, paralysing him from the waist down. The officer is now on trial for attempted murder,…

  • All quarantine rules lifted for international travellers to Indonesia

    All quarantine rules lifted for international travellers to Indonesia

    Following in the steps of a number of other Southeast Asian nations, Indonesia is lifting all quarantine requirements for international arrivals in a bid to revive its tourism industry. International arrivals will still need a negative PCR test result before travel. The move follows a trial period of 2 weeks, during which quarantine-free travel was introduced on the islands of…

  • Hong Kong to ease some Covid restrictions, lift flight ban from April

    Hong Kong to ease some Covid restrictions, lift flight ban from April

    There may be the tiniest flicker of light at the end of a very dark Covid-19 tunnel in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has confirmed that from next month, it will ease some restrictions and lift a travel ban imposed on 9 countries deemed high-risk during the Omicron outbreak. They include the US, the UK, France, India, and Nepal.…

  • CBRE recommends top 5 luxury condominiums in Phuket with fantastic locations

    CBRE recommends top 5 luxury condominiums in Phuket with fantastic locations

    Luxury condominiums in Phuket are an appealing alternative to villas or houses because you can purchase them on freehold, which means that the condos are 100% in your name. It is just like owning a property in your own country. Luxury condos also typically feature their own private pools, as well as a broader range of onsite amenities and 24-hours…

  • UPDATE: Boeing 737 carrying 132 passengers crashes into mountains in China

    UPDATE: Boeing 737 carrying 132 passengers crashes into mountains in China

    A Boeing 737 passenger jet carrying 132 people has crashed in China, according to a Chinese state media broadcast earlier today. Reports say the Chinese Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 went missing earlier in the day as it was headed from Kunming to Guangzhou. The plane was carrying 123 passengers and 9 crew. The China Eastern Airlines aircraft plummeted rapidly then…

  • Daughter of former PM Thaksin moves up in political career, closer to PM candidacy

    Daughter of former PM Thaksin moves up in political career, closer to PM candidacy

    Thailand’s main opposition party is leaning closer to choosing their candidate for prime minister and reports say the daughter of the former leader Thaksin Shinawatra might run as the party’s candidate. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, was announced as the project leader for a Pheu Thai party campaign to draw in new members, but when asked about becoming a candidate for prime minister,…

  • Man caught with endangered tortoise faces charges for hunting in Thailand wildlife sanctuary

    Man caught with endangered tortoise faces charges for hunting in Thailand wildlife sanctuary

    Thai authorities caught a man with an endangered tortoise he reportedly caught in a wildlife sanctuary and planned to cook up and eat. The man was found in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan province with firearms and a yellow elongated tortoise which he claimed he was cooking. The man faces charges relating to illegally entering a wildlife sanctuary, hunting…

  • Businesses on Khao San Road push for Songkran rules to be eased

    Businesses on Khao San Road push for Songkran rules to be eased

    Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road are pushing for government officials to allow the gritty nightlife district to host activities for Songkran, the Thai New Year which is celebrated with massive water fights. Khao San Road has been known as a top destination for backpackers on a budget with cheap beer, buckets of alcohol, laughing gas balloons, and scorpion-on-a-stick.…

  • Crayfish alien species found at Phetchabun waterfall, Thais discuss potential effects to ecosystem

    Crayfish alien species found at Phetchabun waterfall, Thais discuss potential effects to ecosystem

    After a non-native species of crayfish was found at a Northern Thailand waterfall, some are discussing the effects the species can have on the environment. A photo of a Redcraw crayfish, originating from Australia, at a waterfall in Phetchabun, sparked a debate about the potential damage this “freshwater lobster” can cause to the local ecosystem. Crayfish (also known as crawfish,…

  • Thai woman dresses as bear to sell more Kratom

    Thai woman dresses as bear to sell more Kratom

    Now that kratom is legal in Thailand, one woman in the Isaan province Buriram is dressing up in a bear costume and standing on the side of the road to attract business. Apparently, it has worked and her roadside sales of kratom leaves have shot up to over 1,000 baht per day. 40 year old Monradee Mordham from Udon Thani has…

  • Thai villagers put up sign told tell an aggressive elephant to go away

    Thai villagers put up sign told tell an aggressive elephant to go away

    After attempts to lure a hot-tempered elephant back into a wildlife sanctuary failed, locals in the village where the elephant has wreaked havoc, destroying plantations and killing an elderly woman, have put up a sign – even though the elephant cannot read – telling the animal to go away. Park officials in eastern province Prachin Buri were ordered to detain…

  • Flash flood warning in Phuket, southern Thailand

    Flash flood warning in Phuket, southern Thailand

    Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi are expected to face flash flooding following heavy rainfall today and tomorrow, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is expected to move northward resulting in a cyclone on the southern west coast of Thailand. Increased rainfall and heavy winds are also expected in…

  • Monday Covid Update: 23,441 new cases; provincial totals

    Monday Covid Update: 23,441 new cases; provincial totals

    88 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,246 with 2,548 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,441 new Covid-19 cases and 23,153 recoveries. There are now 240,339 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights

    Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights

    Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for business, but you might be hard-pressed to book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it needs an additional two to three months to promote the airport among domestic and foreign tourists before it can reopen the route. Last week, Nok Air cancelled its flights…

  • 200 crocodiles on sale in Trang, southern Thailand

    200 crocodiles on sale in Trang, southern Thailand

    A crocodile farmer in Trang has slashed his prices after accumulating 450 crocodiles which he has found hard to shift since the coronavirus pandemic began. Around 200 of the crocodiles are currently for sale for the cheap price of 3,500 baht to 6,000 baht each, depending on the size. Before the pandemic began, Sommart Srisuk sold the crocodiles for 8,000…

  • Thai woman who claims she escaped organ harvesting sentenced to 6 months in prison

    Thai woman who claims she escaped organ harvesting sentenced to 6 months in prison

    A Thai woman who claimed a Chinese gang stole her blood and attempted to steal her organs in Cambodia has been sentenced to six months in prison with no parole. 25 year old Areeya Komkratok admitted she fabricated the entire story because she urgently wanted to return to Thailand. Areeya, along with seven other Thai people who were lured into…

  • Most of Thailand to be hit by heavy rainfall today and tomorrow

    Most of Thailand to be hit by heavy rainfall today and tomorrow

    Get your umbrellas out, you’re going to need them in most parts of the country today and tomorrow. The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast “very heavy rain” for the north, central Thailand, and the east coast of the southern region. A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is the reason for the wet conditions, according to the TMD, with a…

  • Chiang Rai officials detain 12 Chinese nationals after illegal border crossings

    Chiang Rai officials detain 12 Chinese nationals after illegal border crossings

    Border officials in the northern province of Chiang Rai have caught 12 Chinese nationals, in 3 separate operations, after the men entered Thailand illegally. According to a Bangkok Post report, the arrests happened in the Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts of the province in recent days. The detainees claimed they worked in casinos in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos and…