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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thailand tourism: India No.1 country sending tourists
The government has been extremely focused on tourism numbers and recovery in the post-pandemic world and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration reported that 2.2 million visitors have entered Thailand so far this year, over 10% of them from India. More travellers have come from India in the first half of this year than any other country in the world.…
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Nearly 1 million people approved to grow cannabis already
If you have been wondering what the fuss is about over the decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand, you probably aren’t one of the nearly 1 million people who have now been issued a certificate to grow the plant. The Food and Drug Administration announced that as part of its Plook Ganja mobile app program, over 980,000 people have now registered…
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Emergency Decree extended, but vows not to infringe on freedoms
The Emergency Decree, declared throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, has officially been extended for another 2 months. The decree which declares that Thailand is in an official state of emergency was set to expire on July 31, but this extension covers from August 1 to September 30. This is the 19th time the Emergency Decree has been extended. Prolonging the decree…
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TAT promotes I Lert U mobile app to connect tourists to police
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has issued a press release touting the Tourist Police I Lert U mobile application and encouraging visitors to download it. The app was launched on December 15 to allow tourists quick access to emergency response and general assistance, and yesterday’s press release was intended to raise awareness of the application as tourism begins to ramp…
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Thailand Post increases rates, pilots 24-hour delivery services
The good news is that Thailand Post will begin 24-hour delivery services, but the bad news is that mail rates have gone up. The new round-the-clock delivery and pick-up service will begin as a pilot project from Thailand Post’s main sorting facility in Chaeng Wattana servicing Laksi, Pak Kret, and Ram Inthra areas. The rate hike is the first in…
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Bangkok preparing to reopen community isolation centres
With Covid-19 infections on the rise again, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration may reopen community isolation centres in crowded areas of the capital city. The plan would open facilities in 50 districts to help protect vulnerable people like pregnant women, the elderly, and those with underlying diseases from those infected with coronavirus. Bangkok has seen a rise to over 2,000 infections…
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Police bring home 6 Thai women forced into prostitution in Myanmar
Police brought home 6 Thai women who posted videos on social media to say they had been forced into prostitution in Myanmar and needed help. The police picked up the women from the Thailand – Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, after coordinating with Burmese authorities. The group includes 31 year old Nanny from Nonthaburi, 25…
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Bangkok chief answers residents’ call after rats as big as cats take over
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt answered a call by residents in the Din Daeng district after their community became infested with rats. The problem became public knowledge after a woman posted a video on her TikTok account, panadda010, featuring hundreds of rats running around the community area. The woman said, “They will climb over me very soon. I’m still in shock.”…
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To wear or not to wear a face mask (in Thailand) – that is the question – OPINION
The Thai PM, chairing today’s CCSA meeting, has asked people in Thailand to keep wearing their masks. The words were carefully crafted. “…although there are no legal obligations for people to wear face masks, people are still very strongly advised to do so, especially when it is deemed necessary.” In other words, you don’t HAVE to. So nothing has changed…
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Life of Thai digital nomads made easier by Airbnb TAT alliance
Airbnb today announced it is going to work closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to make it easier for remote workers to live in the kingdom. The California-based vacation rental company reported that a number of projects are in the pipeline, including constructing a dedicated custom-built hub for Thailand, showcasing local long-term stay listings as well as providing information on entry…
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UPDATE: Former Japanese PM dies after being shot – VIDEO
BREAKING: Shinzo Abe dies WARNING: Video of the shooting may be disturbing for some people. UPDATE: Reports are circulating that the former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe is in critical condition after being shot at a campaign event in the city of Nara. The BBC describes his current condition as ‘grave’. Abe was shot at twice, the first allegedly missed with…
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Thai hospitality sector opposes dual accommodation pricing
Many hotels have voiced their opinions over the government’s proposal to adopt dual pricing in the hospitality industry. They described the plan as “impractical” and asked that the government come up with promotions and campaigns to boost tourism instead. A government spokeswoman said yesterday that hotels would be expected to adopt a dual pricing system where Thais would continue to…
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BREAKING: CCSA address face masks, emergency decree, and foreign arrivals
Today, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met with the Covid-19 Situation Administration – the CCSA – to discuss Covid rules and restrictions in Thailand. Namely, the use of face masks, the extension of Thailand’s emergency decree, and foreign arrival figures. The CCSA started by saying that cases of Covid subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are on the rise in Thailand. Face…
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UPDATE: Police arrest man who stabbed elderly lady to death in central Thailand
UPDATE: Police arrest man who stabbed elderly lady to death in central Thailand Police have caught and arrested the man who broke into an elderly woman’s home in Cha-am district in Phetchaburi province and stabbed her to death on Tuesday. Police arrested him in Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province yesterday at about 3pm and took him to…
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Corrupt Thai tourist cop and friend caught in police sting
A corrupt Thai tourist cop and his friend were arrested last night in a police sting after they swindled thousands of false operating taxes from entertainment venues in the central province of Nontha Buri. Officers from the Department of Provincial Administration Special Wisdom and Tactics, and Bang Yai Police Station, were alerted to the scam after receiving complaints from several…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion capacity up to 15 million visitors
The eastern side of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s main terminal will be modified to boost Thailand’s arrival capacity to 15 million travellers annually. The upgrades will be completed in 3 years. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Suvarnabhumi hosted 65 million passengers, international and domestic, through its arrival gates. The eastern side of the terminal will be large enough to accommodate up to…
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BREAKING: Former Japan PM shot during campaign trail
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been allegedly shot during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, this morning. Photos of the former PM laying on the ground, with people trying to assist while removing his blood-stained shirt, appear to support the report of a shooting. The 67 year old fell to the floor holding his chest and is…
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Norwegian man drives into ravine in southern Thailand, 1 killed & 5 injured
A Norwegian man drove his car off a cliff and into a ravine at a viewpoint in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand yesterday. His Thai mother-in-law died from her injuries and 5 more were injured in the crash. Jorn Silva of Norwegian nationality was driving the car and inside were his wife Suwandee Silva, his daughters Natalie and…
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Gun-toting Thai YouTuber arrested for attempted murder after 5 years on the run
A famous YouTuber was finally arrested at his home in Nontha Buri province in central Thailand yesterday for attempted murder after 5 years on the run. Worrachate “Taek” Jantaphan was charged with attempted murder in 2017 after he used a gun to shoot at a truck, injuring its driver, because it was parked in front of his resort accommodation. The 63…
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US cop gets extra 20 years for George Floyd’s killing
The US cop who murdered George Floyd yesterday received another 20 years in prison on top of his original sentence for violating the victim’s civil rights. Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, is already serving over 22 years after being convicted of the 46 year old’s death in May 2020 after pleading guilty to the separate federal civil rights…
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Singapore executes two men for heroin trafficking
Singapore has executed two convicted drug traffickers, in what anti-capital punishment and human rights campaigners fear could be a “new wave” of hangings in the city state. The 48 year old Singaporean Norasharee bin Gous and 31 year old Malaysian national Kalwant Singh had their capital sentences carried out yesterday at the Changi Prison Complex. Their executions follow another execution…
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UPDATE: UK PM Boris Johnson’s resignation speech in full
UPDATE: Boris Johnson today resigned as Britain’s prime minister. The 58 year old gave a speech outside of 10 Downing Street at 1pm UK time. Here is the full resignation speech: “It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister, and I’ve…
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Thai man appeals to robbers to stop as he has nothing left
A Thai man today appealed to thieves to stop robbing him after declaring he has nothing left to steal. Niphon Muangkram’s home in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen has been robbed 6 times in 3 months with 40,000 baht of valuables taken. One of the ironies of all this is that his home is only 1 kilometre away from…
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Young Frenchman dies in motorbike accident in central Thailand
A 22 year old Frenchman died in a motorbike accident this morning in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand. The man lost control of his motorbike while driving over a bridge and fell off onto a footpath, breaking his neck in the fall. At 10:30am this morning, police at Bang Bo Police Station received a report that a man had…
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Petrol prices in Bangkok reduced tomorrow
Good news for Bangkok motorists as the PTT Oil and Retail Business today announced the cost of petrol will be reduced from tomorrow (Friday) morning. The retail prices of petrol and all types of gasohol except E85 will drop by 3 baht per litre, E85 by 1.8 baht per litre, at 5am tomorrow. It’s not all good news for motorists…
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Thai student slashed in high-speed car chase after school row
A schoolgirl was slashed by a knife after the mother of a schoolboy pursued a group of teenage students down a highway following a row at her son’s sports day. The Facebook page, Let Me Know If You Want to Be Famous Return Part 3, อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทิร์น พาร์ท 3, posted a video of the high-speed car chase, which was recorded…
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Thai leg of the high speed rail to Laos and China will be completed by 2028
The government has stated that by 2028, it will have finished its part of a long-delayed high-speed rail system connecting Thailand with China and Laos. The 434 billion baht project’s first of two phases will be completed by 2026, according to officials. According to the director-general of the Department of Rail Transport, Pichet Kunadhamraks, 12% of the first stage is…
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UPDATE: Boris Johnson has agreed to resign as UK prime minister
UPDATE: Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says there will be “a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end” as and when Boris Johnson resigns as Conservative leader. But the SNP leader questions the sustainability of Johnson staying on until the autumn, and says he was always “manifestly unfit…
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British man beaten up and robbed in Pattaya, Thailand
A British tourist who woke up in his underwear on the floor on a Pattaya path says he got beaten up and robbed by 4 Thai men after a night of heavy drinking. Police found 29 year old Farnie (surname reserved) of British nationality covered in bruises on the floor of North Pattaya Road yesterday at noon. Farnie was missing…
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‘A poll is just a poll,’ Thai PM Prayut unfazed by opposition’s popularity
Thailand will hold a general election at some point before March 2023, but polls reveal that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is not the favourite to win. PM Prayut says he’s not worried about the poll results, because “a poll is just a poll.” Paetongtarn Shinawatra – daughter of ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and central figure of the Pheu Thai Party…
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