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 How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Six children rushed to hospital after bridge collapses in South Thailand
Yesterday was a terrifying day for a group of 50 fifth graders and teachers on a nature field trip in South Thailand. As the group was walking across a bridge in the Chian Yai district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, the bridge collapsed, causing everyone to fall into the water below. Six children were rushed to nearby hospitals for their…
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Unpaid Cambodia casino workers swim home to Vietnam
In Cambodia, about 40 Vietnamese workers fled alleged slave labour conditions in a casino, swimming to freedom across the border. The staff fled the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino, located in the border province of Kandal in Cambodia, making a daring escape past security and through a river to reach freedom in Vietnam. The few dozen Vietnamese employees said they were…
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CCSA spokesperson says 30,000 Covid infections per day
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesperson is warning that Covid-19 infections are growing, with an increase seen in 44 of Thailand’s 77 provinces, including Bangkok. He said that between August 7 and August 13, daily Covid infections had averaged 31,148 cases per day, despite the Department of Disease Control reporting official numbers of about 1,900 infections today and 2,100…
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10 things that can make expats life way easier in Thailand (2022)
Thailand is a popular place for expats from around the world to settle because of the affordable luxury lifestyle it offers. Living here you get to enjoy spectacular scenery, comfortable tropical weather, delectable inexpensive cuisine and low-cost living. Moving to Thailand is also like stepping into a gorgeous paradise if you are coming from a very cold country, On the…
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261 billion baht profits in 2022 for AirAsia X
Many airlines have been fighting to stay afloat amid a downturn in tourism and sky-high operating costs but one airline, AirAsia X, reported a profit of 261 billion baht for the fiscal year that ended on June 20, 2022. The net profit for the year was weakened by the fourth quarter recorded a net loss of 5.19 billion baht, compared…
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Why plant-based foods are the superior diet ft. Root the Future | Thaiger Podcast Ep.3
Joanna and Max, Founders of Root the future, Thailand’s largest plant-based and sustainable community. They’re on a mission to raise awareness about sustainability and plant-based foods through various community-building activities and charity runs, Shining light on environmental issues and providing a platform for many sustainable living establishments to make an impact in Thailand.
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Visa extensions for foreign visitors to Thailand coming in October
It’s official, that Thailand’s CCSA has said yes to longer visas for foreign travellers to the country. Starting October 1 this year, the exemption period extension for foreign visitors will be extended from 30 days to 45 days. Meanwhile, the visa-on-arrival scheme will go from 15 days to 30 days, the CCSA announced yesterday. The visa extensions will last until…
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Giant monitor lizard climbs up power pole to escape pack of dogs in central Thailand
A ginormous Asian water monitor lizard was chased up a communication pole by a pack of dogs at a village in Sara Buri province, central Thailand, yesterday. The giant reptile clambered up the pole when it got chased and bitten by a pack of stray dogs, but then it got stuck and had to be rescued. The “Tua Hia” –…
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CCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing
Hotels on Khao San Road in Bangkok were ready to offer special hotel room rates of 500 baht per night to guests if the government extended closing time to 4am. Unfortunately, no decision has been made and it’s left bar, restaurant, and hotel owners in limbo. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed last week that he would seek…
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Tourists by locals in Bangkok: mad, bad, and dangerous to know
Pre-Covid-19 Bangkok was the most visited city in the world according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. The Land of Smiles’ capital city attracted about 23 million visitors, more than any of the globe’s favourite other destinations including Paris, London, and Singapore. But ever wondered what the locals think of millions of farangs who visit the metropolis? The Latvian-based independent…
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‘Dead body’ on Thailand beach turns out to be sex doll
Beachgoers were horrified when a naked corpse turned up on Chon Buri province’s Bang Saen beach in eastern Thailand yesterday. Rescue workers rushed to the scene to investigate, but upon closer inspection, the “corpse” turned out to be a rubber sex doll. The top half of the doll was covered with a shirt while the doll’s bare bottom and legs…
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Shooting after comedy show in central Thailand, 1 seriously injured
A comedy show has turned into a not-so-funny night. A shooting has been reported after a comedy show at a bar in central Thailand. One customer was shot and rushed to a local hospital seriously injured. The shooting happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in the main city district of Ratchaburi province. The bar had hosted two famous…
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Police shoot and kill major drug trafficker in Kanchanaburi
Police have shot and killed a major drug trafficker in the western province of Kanchanaburi, Thai media reported yesterday. The trafficker, a 30 year old man known as ‘Mot Daodam’ had been a major distributor of narcotics in Kanchanaburi, as well as Ratchaburi. Ratchaburi police found out about Mot Daodam through small-time dealers they had arrested. A team of Ratchaburi…
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RTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem
A Royal Thai Navy marine conservation activity day has set social media on fire. Thai netizens heavily criticised RTN’s activity day, which charged people money to take part, saying it did not improve the environment or create environmental awareness, but it destroyed the ecosystem. The RTN and the Royal Thai Marine Corps came under fire after their conservation activity day…
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Ferocious cobra bites rescuer’s girlfriend in Chon Buri
A ferocious cobra bit a rescuer’s girlfriend in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district this week. Locals had called the rescuer on Tuesday after spotting the two-meter-long monocled cobra in their house. The species is highly venomous. The 41 year old Pattipan, an officer from a foundation, arrived on the scene. He brought his girlfriend, 29 year old Apirat, along with…
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Angry tourists demand refunds from tour operators in Thailand
Dozens of angry tourists are demanding refunds from Thai tour companies after they were denied entry into South Korea. The Thai Tourism Department acknowledged they had received complaints from 67 Thai travellers between August 5 and August 17 saying they had not been compensated by Thai tour companies to the tune of 1.4 million baht. The department’s deputy director-general, Jaturon…
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UPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings
UPDATE The insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) announced on its Facebook page that they were behind this week’s bomb explosions in the Deep South provinces. The BRN group said it was an act against capitalism that affected local businesses. Yesterday, the official Facebook page of the group expressed condolences for the death and loss. They said group…
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Alleged kidnapper arrested, girl reunited with parents after months
A man who allegedly kidnapped a young girl in Phuket in February was arrested in South Thailand on Tuesday. The victim, a 13 year old girl, has been reunited with her parents. The suspect, 33 year old Somsak, allegedly kidnapped the girl on Rawai Beach in the main city district of Phuket, where she had been selling flowers. The girl’s…
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New govt bill on cannabis hopes to clear blurred lines in Thailand
A new government bill on cannabis and hemp use revealed that people will be allowed to grow no more than 15 cannabis plants for household use while selling and advertising cannabis and cannabis-based products online and in vending machines will be prohibited. The House committee spokesperson scrutinising the latest cannabis and hemp bill yesterday announced the amendment will go before…
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Father tragically drowns while fishing in Chon Buri pond
A Chon Buri woman tragically lost her father, after he drowned in a deserted pond in the main city district yesterday. The woman, 22 year old Maneemol, went to look for her father, 54 year old Kwanjai after she noticed he had been out fishing for an unusually long time. Maneemol arrived at the pond to find her father’s bucket…
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PM’s office is one of Thailand’s top advertising spenders
Thai netizens are curious as to why the Office of the Thai PM has spent so much money on advertisements after a recent poll by Nielsen ranked it in 13th place for the most money spent on advertising in Thailand. New York City-based Nielsen is a US information, data, and market measurement firm with clients in over 100 countries around…
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Health dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’
The Health Department’s “Let them eat curry and rice” response to Thailand’s cost of living crisis is not quite Marie Antoinette’s ‘Let them eat cake’ quip to the starving peasants of France in the 17th century, but it’s not far off. The Thai Health Department urged people to buckle their belts and accept the fact that consumer products are more…
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Sri Lanka’s exiled president to head home after Thailand stay
Sri Lanka’s exiled president is planning to finally head home next week after staying in Thailand. The ousted leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has been on quite a journey ever since 100,000 angry protesters forced him to flee Sri Lanka on July 14. He first travelled to the Maldives and then to Singapore, where he was granted a temporary residence but without…
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Two Indians stopped for taking restricted goods to Bangkok
Delhi Air Customs arrested two people at Indira Gandhi International Airport yesterday for carrying restricted goods. The couple, Indian nationals, were on their way to Bangkok when they were stopped and had their luggage checked. Customs officers found cash in two currencies, US$19,200 and 15,700 euros, in bangle boxes. Delhi Customs reported the pair had been detained and were helping…
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China not cod-ing about its zero Covid policy as it tests fish
China was not cod-ing when it said it remains committed to its zero Covid-19 policy. This week fish caught off the coast of Xiamen, in southeastern Fujian province, were given nucleic acid tests alongside the fishermen who hauled in the catch. China’s overzealous zero Covid strategy was made fun of by a Chinese media outlet, Sohu (搜狐新闻), who posted a video on…
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Female soldier seeks help after being abused by senator’s wife
A soldier appealed to a Thai influencer for help after revealing she was almost driven to suicide after years of physical and mental abuse by the wife of a senator. The woman contacted Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet, aka Gun Jom Palang, to share her story. In turn, Gun spread the news on Facebook and said helped her file a complaint against…
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Thailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85
A close friend of one of Thailand’s best-known actors, Sombat Metanee, revealed he died peacefully in his sleep today. The 85 year old, who made more than 2,000 films and television shows, was hailed by Thai fans as a heroic actor. At one time, Sombat held a Guinness World Record for most film appearances at 617 times. The media reported…
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Monkeypox victims told to avoid animals after pet dog is infected
The World Health Organisation appealed to those infected with monkeypox to avoid exposing animals to the disease after the first reported case of a human-to-dog transmission emerged. The British-based medical journal, the Lancet, last week reported an Italian greyhound, living with two men in Paris, had caught monkeypox. Rosamund Lewis, the WHO’s technical lead for monkeypox made it known that…
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2 men on a motorcycle rob a gas station in Chon Buri
Police are on the lookout for two opportunist thieves who robbed a gas station in Chon Buri yesterday. The two men arrived at the PTT gas station. No. 114/22, Village No. 2, Nong Samsak Sub-district, in the Ban Bueng subdistrict on a motorbike wearing full-face helmets and robbed about 6,000 baht in cash before fleeing the scene. Pol. Lt. Col. Ekachai Pakwat,…
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PM Prayut suggests studying Buddhism to cope with rising electricity bills in Thailand
Thailand’s electricity authorities approved record high electricity prices on Monday to offset the rising prices of imported gas. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s suggestion of studying Buddhism to cope with expensive bills is a slap in the face to Thailand’s poorest people, who will disproportionately suffer the most due to the price hike. “Go and study the Dharma. Study the Four…
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