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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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German celebrity says she was mugged at a Thailand beach, Phang Nga police investigate
While on a trip to Thailand, Cathy Hummels, the wife of German footballer Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund, was allegedly mugged. She told German media that she was hit by a stranger and robbed at a beach in Thailand. Some of the reports repeat her claims that she was mugged on the southern island of Phuket, but local police say…
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Vin Diesel doppelganger in Thailand drives car inspired by Fast and Furious
Thought you’d seen Vin Diesel driving around Thailand in a lookalike of the iconic black 1970 Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious? Your eyes may not have been that far off. There’s a Thai Vin Diesel ‘sort of’ lookalike living in Chiang Rai who drives a black (makeshift) Ford Mustang. In one photo he captioned “Win Diesel Thailand.” The man…
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Phuket hotel is first to roll out ‘Life Bag Initiative’ with Living Waters
The Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon in Phuket has became the first hotel to complete and roll out the joint initiative by Living Waters Phuket and the Phuket Hotels Association Life Bag Project. On Wednesday, February 9, the hotel handed out 200 Life Bags directly to the local Saku area, their local community in the area around The Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon.…
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Criminals pretend to be police, scam Swiss man in Phuket
Scammers went after a Swiss national living in Phuket when they pretended to be police, and told him he had to pay a fine for receiving funds through illegal activities. The “police” contacted the man, Alain, saying a FedEx package couldn’t be delivered. Since Alain was expecting a FedEx package, he listened. The story then changed to say Bangkok police…
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Pumice from volcanic eruption found on southern beaches off Gulf of Thailand
Locals who live near the beaches of Songkhla and other southern districts along the Gulf of Thailand have found numerous small pumice stones that are believed to be from a volcanic eruption. No one knows where these spongy greyish-green stones came from. They were discovered along the shoreline in various locations, including Chalathat and Samila beaches, and other major tourist…
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BTS promotes Samsung’s ocean cleanup campaign in ‘Galaxy for the Future’ MV
In a new music video, South Korea’s BTS is promoting the recycling of ocean-bound plastics and the use of eco-conscious packaging for the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Series smartphones. The MV capped off last night’s Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event, which saw the release of Samsung’s newest devices, with an eco-friendly emphasis on their Galaxy for the Planet initiative and the…
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28 year old woman’s body parts found in canals off Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River
Human body parts, including a head, were found in canals connecting to Bangkok’s Cha Phraya River yesterday. Investigating officers say the body is believed to be a 28 year old woman who went missing on Monday. Officers initially launched a murder investigation, but have since said the death was suicide after reviewing CCTV footage which showed a woman jumping off…
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Insurance companies “hesitate” to give Covid-19 insurance to foreign tourists
After facing losses from Covid-19 claims from local cases, many Thai insurance companies are indicating that they are hesitant to provide Covid-19 insurance for foreign tourists entering Thailand under the current regulations. The deputy governor of marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said only a few companies are now interested in joining the Test & Go programme, the…
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Thai official says don’t spray hand sanitiser on the body – or near a naked flame
Thai people are being warned not to use hand sanitiser spray elsewhere on their bodies or near a naked flame. The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning after a woman sprayed disinfectant spray all over her body (no, we don’t know why either), then lit a mosquito coil. She sustained serious burns for which she’s still receiving hospital treatment.…
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Former Malaysia PM tests positive for Covid-19 after ministers’ meeting
Malaysia’s former prime minister tested positive for Covid-19 just a day after he chaired a meeting of the National Recovery Council, which advocated reopening the country’s borders to vaccinated travellers as soon as March 1. Former PM Muhyiddin Yassin says he will be quarantined at home in compliance with the health ministry’s protocols and urged those who may have been his…
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Activist ousted from protest movement amid sexual misconduct allegations
A student activist has been stripped of his membership of the Dome Revolution Party, a movement he led, over sexual misconduct allegations. Sirichai Nathuang, a 21-year-old Thammasat University student, has also lost his seat on the Thammasat University Student Council, according to a Bangkok Post report. Sirichai has been come in for fierce criticism on Twitter after a fellow student…
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Human trials of Indonesian Covid-19 vaccine get underway
Indonesia has kicked off human trials of its homegrown Covid-19 vaccine as infections continue to surge across the country. Indonesia’s drug regulator has given the go-ahead for human trials of the Merah Putih (Red White) vaccine, so-named after the Indonesian flag. The trials are being conducted by research teams from Airlangga University and Biotis Pharmaceutical Indonesia. Progress on the homegrown…
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Bangkok man who poured beer over female kickboxer loses his job (VIDEO)
A man who poured beer over a woman who turned out to be a professional boxer, has just been fired from his job at a top Bangkok hotel. Not a good week for the unnamed perpetrator, who hit the headlines thanks to the power of social media and a video that went viral. The incident occurred at a food court…
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Bangkok experiencing Covid surge as new infections rise to 2,000 a day
The Department of Disease Control has reported a surge in Covid-19 infections in Bangkok, with daily cases rising to around 2,000 a day. According to a Bangkok Post report, most patients are adolescents or of working age. Dr Suthat Chottanapund from the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention says the capital is now recording between 1,800 – 2,000 cases…
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Thailand Pass hotlines, emails for assistance with registration process
Thailand Pass hotlines were launched to assist travellers with registering for the various programs to enter the country at the moment. We know aspects of it are a pain in the arse, but for people wanting, or needing, to get back into Thailand at the moment, the Thailand Pass is not that difficult to navigate. And The Thaiger has some…
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Songkran to be cancelled if daily Covid numbers hit 30,000 – DDC
Thailand’s famous water festival Songkran might be cancelled for another year if the daily Covid-19 cases reach 30,000 cases per day, the Department of Disease Control says. The massive water gun fight, celebrating the Thai New Year, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. The DDC warns that Songkran, which is April 13 to 15 this year,…
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One Night in Bangkok: Top 5 hotels to wine and dine your dinner date for Valentine’s Day 2022
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, choosing the perfect place to celebrate with your current or soon-to-be significant other can be quite the challenge. Fortunately, for those living in the Big Mango, there are numerous hotels offering a delectable array of luxurious menus and memorable views — at unforgettable (i.e. exorbitant) prices. So here’s a shortlist of our Top…
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Government cracks down hard on pork hoarders
After Songkhla authorities accused one food company of hoarding 200 tonnes of pork in January, the government is on a mission to crack down on pork hoarding. Authorities have gotten more strict about storage and receiving procedures, and inspected 24.48 million kilograms of pork. They then seized 1.07 million kilograms of it that was hoarded. Pork prices are finally lowering…
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Villager in Indonesia rescues crocodile trapped in motorbike tyre for five years
A villager in Indonesia was about to free a crocodile of a motorbike tyre that had been stuck around its neck for more five years. Since 2016, conservationists have been trying to capture the crocodile to free him from the tyre, but had not been successful. But this week, a villager from Sulawesi island in the east of Borneo, along…
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Singapore’s LGBT content ban slammed after gay kiss caught in news broadcast
In a Singaporean news broadcast on the Winter Olympics, it wasn’t the coverage that got the attention of viewers, it was what was happening in the background at the Beijing bar. Behind the Channel News Asia correspondent were two men passionately kissing, a taboo for Singaporeans where broadcasting laws prohibit LGBT content and homosexual relationships between men are illegal. Although…
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Election campaigns kick off in the Philippines, Marcos Jr. a favourite
The campaign season in the Philippines leading up to the May presidential election kicked off this week. Channel News Asia says this season is candidates are running a “chaotic” and “colourful charm offensive” which is aimed at attracting the millions of voters who are “typically more interested in personality than policy.” Analysts have already foreseen the victory of Ferdinand “Bongbong”…
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Travellers can register for the Thailand Pass no less than 24 hours before their trip
For those planning a trip to Thailand, travellers will need to register for the required Thailand Pass QR code no less than 24 hours before a trip, but the Thai government is highly recommending that travellers register and plan a trip at least seven days in advance as the processing time before approval can take three to seven days. For…
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Siam Piwat aims to generate over 500 million baht to revive the economy and tourism industry
Press Release Siam Piwat emphasizes its vision “The Visionary ICON” with the strategy of “Creating Shared Values” by pursuing the mission to stand by Thais’ side in many crises and support Thailand to get through the hardship together. The company aims to boost the tourism industry that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by generating over 500 million baht…
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Changes in Covid-19 laws impact house plant sales
Changes in Covid-19 have impacted house plant sales, and plant growers bear the brunt of this across the country. Growers say now that lockdown rules have lifted, people don’t have time to care for plants anymore, and their sales have gone down. One plant company owner told Thai PBS in an interview that his sales have dropped between 20-30% since…
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Tinder Thailand launches Valentine’s campaign at Bangkok shrine of love
If the god of love is too busy to fulfil love wishes, Tinder might be able to help. The dating application Tinder Thailand is collaborating with CentralWorld in Bangkok to launch the Valentine’s Day campaign LOVE destiNATION right in front of a popular shrine where many go to pray for love. In front of the Trimurti Shrine by the shopping…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 13,182 new cases; provincial totals
24 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,344 with 646 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,182 new Covid-19 cases and 8,571 recoveries. There are now 98,830 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Democrat politician jumps ship to join Move Forward Party
A prominent MP, formerly part of the Democrat Party, has resigned and joined the opposition Move Forward Party. The MP, Tawil Praisont, said he had been considering leaving the Democrat Party for quite some time because it didn’t want to decentralise local administrative organisations, especially after Thailand’s 2019 general elections. Tawil said he started to regularly meet with a Move…
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Police officer in northern Thailand arrested for assaulting restaurant staff, damaging property
An off-duty police officer was caught on CCTV cameras assaulting a man in the northern province of Lamphun and then going back after the fight to damage a car. Reports in Thai media say the officer refused to leave the restaurant after a night of drinking and also sexually assaulted a female staff. The officer works under the Crowds Control…
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Government will focus daily Covid-19 reports on serious cases, wants to reduce anxiety
After Thailand’s number of Covid-19 infections per day went above 10,000 this weekend, the government plans to change how it does daily Covid-19 reports. In a two-day a week test, the government reports will only focus on deaths and serious cases where people needed to be hospitalised with ventilators, or had pneumonia. The Ministry of Public Health says that even…
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Thai police track down, arrest suspect in bank robbery case
Police arrested a man suspected of robbing a bank in the central province Saraburi and running off with around 210,000 baht in cash. In an expedited investigation, with local police promising to find the suspect within the week, officers tracked down and arrested 33 year old Weerachai Auttaparp at his house about 10 kilometres from the bank. Videos from the…
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