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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    10 biggest challenges retirees face in Thailand (and how to overcome them)

    Retiring in Thailand comes with many benefits, like warm weather, affordable living, and a rich culture. However, it also brings challenges. Retirees must deal with visa rules, healthcare costs, language barriers, and cultural differences. Rising medical expenses, required insurance, and...

  • Monk gives residents 200 baht each after winning 18 million baht lottery

    Monk gives residents 200 baht each after winning 18 million baht lottery

    A monk won the top Thai government lottery prize of 18 million baht and is now giving the money away to locals, other temples, and various organisations. The monk in the northern province Nakhon Phanom says he doesn’t usually buy lottery tickets as monks shouldn’t join any kinds of gambling, but says he recently bought a ticket to help a…

  • Event Announcement: Sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery to be held on 16-17 March

    Event Announcement: Sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery to be held on 16-17 March

    Press Release The Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2022—Sustainable Solutions for Southeast Asia’s Recovery will be held on the 16th and 17th of March by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). SEADS 2022 brings together a powerful lineup of thought leaders, decision-makers, and insight influencers to discuss new insights, innovative solutions, and policy responses that can help Southeast Asian nations “build…

  • UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia allows civilians to flee — to Russia, as 95% of its amassed forces now in Ukraine; China to provide humanitarian aid

    UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia allows civilians to flee — to Russia, as 95% of its amassed forces now in Ukraine; China to provide humanitarian aid

    Here’s the latest headlines from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… • Russian sate media has announced a new ceasefire proposal, which would allow civilians to flee key cities via humanitarian corridors. But the Ukrainian government has denounced the plan as “immoral,” as civilians in Kyiv would be offered safe passage north to Belarus, while those in Kharkiv would have a corridor…

  • Cannabis is Thailand’s “secret weapon” to bring back tourists, health official says

    Cannabis is Thailand’s “secret weapon” to bring back tourists, health official says

    One public health official says Thailand has a “secret weapon” to bring back tourists… It’s cannabis. Some experts and officials hope that decriminalising marijuana, alongside declaring Covid-19 as endemic, will help tourism in Thailand bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. The public health official made the statement over the weekend at a medical marijuana conference at Surin’s Rajamangala University of Technology.…

  • Homeless man allegedly stabs Japanese man in Bangkok’s Nana area

    Homeless man allegedly stabs Japanese man in Bangkok’s Nana area

    Police officers arrested a Thai man for stabbing a Japanese expat in Bangkok’s Nana area on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Reports say the suspect ran down to Soi 19 with a bloody knife still in his hand. An officer shot him with a stun gun before detaining him. On Saturday, the man allegedly stabbed the 36 year old Japanese businessman in…

  • Bystander struck in the head by rubber bullet in Bangkok rally dies

    Bystander struck in the head by rubber bullet in Bangkok rally dies

    A 64 year old man who had been struck by a rubber bullet fired during one of the violent clashes with police at Bangkok’s Din Daeng area back in August died after several months of being bedridden. The Din Daeng area had been the site of numerous clashes between police and anti-government protesters, particularly a young group called “Thalugas” which…

  • Prices for instant noodles, condensed milk to rise next month

    Prices for instant noodles, condensed milk to rise next month

    Prices for instant noodles and condensed milk are set to rise next month as the Ukraine-Russia conflict has affected imports and exports in Thailand, according to the Ministry of Thai Commerce. The ministry says that the situation could cause inflation, but says the state would try to control the price of food and necessary products as much as possible. Commerce…

  • Asia News Today | Shares in Asia-Pacific decline & oil prices to surge

    Asia News Today | Shares in Asia-Pacific decline & oil prices to surge

    Shares in Asia-Pacific have declined in today’s trade as oil prices continue to surge, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continuing to weigh heavily on investor sentiment. The Hang Seng led losses across the region, dropping more than 4% at one point before a small bounce back. Shares of HSBC plummeted 6%. China’s Shanghai composite shed 1.42% and the Shenzhen composite…

  • Monday Covid Update: 21,162 new cases; provincial totals

    Monday Covid Update: 21,162 new cases; provincial totals

    65 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,300 with 1,602 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,162 new Covid-19 cases and 23,159 recoveries. There are now 230,459 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Global oil prices hit 14-year high as Western nations consider import ban on Russian oil

    Global oil prices hit 14-year high as Western nations consider import ban on Russian oil

    Global oil prices have risen more than 6%, surging to the highest prices since 2008 on Monday, as the US and European allies consider an import ban on Russian oil. Meanwhile, fears of a global oil supply shortage are being further compounded by the delay of Iranian crude’s potential return to global markets, as the Kremlin demands a guarantee that…

  • National police chief suspects Tangmo’s death was an accident

    National police chief suspects Tangmo’s death was an accident

    Thailand’s national police chief says the death of actress Tangmo seems to have been an accident. He says evidence shows the death of the celebrity in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River appears to have been an accident. An autopsy report shows the actress died from drowning. Her body also had a large cut on her leg, possibly from the speedboat’s propellor.…

  • Hospital in Bangkok interrupts funeral, says they accidentally gave the wrong corpse

    Hospital in Bangkok interrupts funeral, says they accidentally gave the wrong corpse

    Staff from a hospital in Bangkok interrupted a funeral right before the cremation ceremony to tell the family that they had accidentally given them the wrong corpse. After discovering that the wrong corpse had been given away, staff from the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok quickly went to the ceremony and told the family “the corpses were switched!” The husband of…

  • Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect

    Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect

    Police in Thailand are asking a Canadian court to refuse a bail application for a man wanted for murder on the southern island of Phuket. Canadian national Matthew Dupre is 1 of 2 suspects wanted for the murder of Indian gang member Jimi Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down outside his Rawai villa on February 4. Dupre and his alleged…

  • “Joe Ferrari” objects to presence of human rights observers at torture-murder trial

    “Joe Ferrari” objects to presence of human rights observers at torture-murder trial

    Former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon is calling for human rights observers to be blocked from attending his trial for torture and murder. Thitisan, who has been nicknamed “Joe Ferrari” because of the lavish lifestyle he lived and the luxury cars he accumulated while on a policeman’s salary, has asked the Criminal Court to stop the rights observers from attending his…

  • Body of Australian cricket legend to be flown home following autopsy

    Body of Australian cricket legend to be flown home following autopsy

    Police on Koh Samui say the body of Australian cricket player, Shane Warne, will be flown home for a state funeral once the autopsy is completed. The 52-year-old was found dead at a villa on the island on Friday, a day after he arrived. The player is thought to have died of a heart attack. According to a Bangkok Post…

  • Health ministry says Covid-19 could be considered endemic in Thailand by July

    Health ministry says Covid-19 could be considered endemic in Thailand by July

    Thailand’s health ministry believes the Covid-19 situation will have improved sufficiently for the illness to be considered endemic by July. According to a Nation Thailand report, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the situation continues to improve, paving the way for the virus to be moved from pandemic to endemic status by the middle of the year. He adds that PM…

  • Amidst boycott of Russia, Putin threatens Ukrainian ‘statehood’

    Amidst boycott of Russia, Putin threatens Ukrainian ‘statehood’

    Amidst a boycott of Russia by several international corporations, Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened the existence of Ukrainian statehood yesterday. “The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood”. The most recent high profile boycott of Russia involves Mastercard and Visa suspending operations…

  • UPDATE: Shane Warne’s death, “blood found in villa”

    UPDATE: Shane Warne’s death, “blood found in villa”

    UPDATE: Thai Police have reported a “large amount of blood” found in the room of Shane Warne at the rented villa he was staying at in Koh Samui. Despite the latest revelations Police don’t believe there was any foul-play involved in Mr. Warne’s demise. New photographs have emerged of the room where Mr. Warne was staying at the Samujana Villas…

  • Mastercard and Visa suspend services in Russia, Russian banks downplay effects

    Mastercard and Visa suspend services in Russia, Russian banks downplay effects

    Mastercard and Visa have announced that they will suspend their services in Russia. Visa cards issued in Russia will also stop working outside the country. The US President Joe Biden said that he welcomes the suspension. Meanwhile, Russian banks are downplaying the effects it will have on their clients. The Russia Central Bank stressed that cards would still operate normally…

  • Should Foreigners Still Come To Live and Retire In Thailand?

    Should Foreigners Still Come To Live and Retire In Thailand?

    Thailand has always been popular as a country to come to live and retire. Many foreign retirees could come to Thailand and live a pretty good life. However, since the exchange rate has tightened up and the covid 19 pandemic, how has that effected retirees living in Thailand? Tim sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find out more…

  • Vaccinated Travel Lanes between Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia starting March 15

    Vaccinated Travel Lanes between Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia starting March 15

    A network of new Vaccinated Travel Lanes is starting to open up around South East Asia as the government’s find ‘safe’ ways to reopen their borders whilst still maintaining some precautions. The Omicron variant continues to surge in many of the regional Asian countries despite similar surges and declines already over in many countries in the EU, the US, UK…

  • Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay

    Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay

    Despite Russia banning Facebook in the country just 2 days ago, the Russian Consulate in Phuket has posted on its own Facebook page yesterday to announce that Russian citizens in Phuket can stay at least month longer than the original date on their visa. To do this, Russian travellers must go to Phuket immigration with their original letter from the…

  • Russian embassy warns Thais “don’t fight with Ukrainians”, threatens prosecution

    Russian embassy warns Thais “don’t fight with Ukrainians”, threatens prosecution

    Yesterday, the Embassy of Russia in Bangkok posted on Facebook urging Thais not to join the Ukrainian military. The post was originally in Russian, but viewers can see a translated version in English. The embassy alleges that under international law, such ‘merceneries’ who join Ukrainian forces are not qualified as combatants, and have no status as prisoners of war. It…

  • Shane Warne’s death, “he had chest pains and asthma”

    Shane Warne’s death, “he had chest pains and asthma”

    Thai Police have made some further comment relating to the death of legendary Australia cricketer, Shane Warne’s, death on Friday afternoon. One of Cricket’s finest bowlers of all time, and ‘Aussie icon’, died aged 52, a day after arriving on Koh Samui for an extended vacation with friends. He died of a suspected heart attack after taking an afternoon nap.…

  • Myanmar junta revokes citizenship for National Unity Government members

    Myanmar junta revokes citizenship for National Unity Government members

    Myanmar’s junta government announced today that it revoked the citizenships of several members of the country’s opposition government, which it considers a ‘terrorist’ group. This ‘opposition’ is mainly composed of the previously elected government that were overthrown on February 1, 2021. The Bangkok Post did not report the total number of members whose citizenships were revoked. But it included the…

  • Sending Money Overseas From Thailand? Save Costs With DeeMoney

    Sending Money Overseas From Thailand? Save Costs With DeeMoney

    SPONSORED: Looking for a better and easier solution for sending money overseas from Thailand? Look no further, then DeeMoney.

  • Malaysian minister announces vaccinated travel lane with Thailand, Cambodia

    Malaysian minister announces vaccinated travel lane with Thailand, Cambodia

    Malaysia’s Transport Minister announced today that the country’s government is preparing to start a Vaccinated Travel Lane with Thailand and Cambodia as early as the middle of this month. The minister said the VTL will follow the same model as the VTL between Singapore’s Changi International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In the VTL, travellers who enter Malaysia take…

  • Russia threatens up to 15 years for ‘fake news’ on military actions in Ukraine

    Russia threatens up to 15 years for ‘fake news’ on military actions in Ukraine

    Russia amended its criminal code yesterday and passed a law making the spread of ‘fake’ information a criminal offense. Intentionally spreading so-called fake information about the country’s military actions in the Ukraine can now be punishable with fines, and up to 15 years imprisonment. Russia’s lower house of parliament outlined a ‘sliding scale’ of penalties for people who have discredited…

  • Shane Warne dies in Thailand – friends tried CPR for 20 minutes – OBITUARY

    Shane Warne dies in Thailand – friends tried CPR for 20 minutes – OBITUARY

    Thai Police have made a statement today that they don’t suspect foul play in yesterday’s death of legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne. The 52 year old, who had only arrived on Koh Samui for a vacation with fiends on Thursday, died of a suspected heart attack sometime early on Friday. “No foul play was suspected at the scene based on…

  • Thailand’s Criminal Court makes man pay 100,000 baht bail out for satirical photo

    Thailand’s Criminal Court makes man pay 100,000 baht bail out for satirical photo

    Thailand’s Criminal Court made a man pay 100,000 baht yesterday to bail himself out of two years imprisonment on a lèse majesté charge. The charge was for pasting a sticker with a logo for his satire page GoKult onto a picture of Thailand’s King. Thai PBS reported the court’s ruling that pasting the sticker “May subject the monarchy to contempt…