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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Dusit Poll: 83% believe government can’t solve soaring prices
A new survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University finds that most people don’t feel that the government is capable of effectively dealing with the soaring prices of consumer goods with many saying they won’t be able to last 3 months with the current inflation levels. 82.69% of the people polled said they have either no confidence or very little confidence…
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Man barely survives attack by 3 tigers in Kanchanaburi
After the horrific story that spurred multiple headlines about poachers killing 2 tigers in Kanchanaburi 2 weeks ago, the tables have turned as a local man barely survived an attack by 3 tigers that took the life of 2 of his dogs. A Karen tribal man was out herding his 9 buffalos as they grazed in the Samathor forest inside…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: 12 deaths, over 2.4 million total infections
Today, the CCSA reported 8,444 new Covid-19 infections, down 174 since yesterday, and 12 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 7 from yesterday. Since April 1, 2021, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, today the country surpassed 2.4 million infections with a total of 2,403,661 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. 22,157 total deaths have been recorded from the pandemic.…
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Controversy for Khao Yai National Park Chief over wild party
After a video surfaced showing a wild party with sexy girls in tiny outfits held in Khao Yai National Park, the Park Chief has been transferred while a full investigation is conducted. The party was held on January 26 and seemed to be in violation of both the Covid-19 control laws and the National Parks Act. The event was a…
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Anutin trolls US handling of Covid-19, compared to Thailand
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul praised the way Thailand handled Covid-19 in comparison to the US over the past 2 years. In comments he made this week he said that in the US, many were still unvaccinated and death tolls remain very high, while in Thailand people are following Covid-19 safety rules and bringing the numbers down. GRAPH: Daily…
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Thailand’s Rayong province declares emergency as oil slick reaches beach
Attempts since last Tuesday morning have failed to avert the oil spill reaching the Gulf of Thailand’s east coast beaches. Yesterday the oil started washing up on the Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong, an hour’s drive south of Pattaya. Up to 200 people were patrolling the stricken beach using back hoes to try and scoop up the oil. Other volunteers…
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Australia to Kanye West: you must be fully vaccinated to play here
After the Australian public and government overwhelmingly agreed they didn’t want unvaccinated tennis champion Novak Djokovic in the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has a strong working for hip-hop superstar Kanye West. Kanye announced plans to tour Australia in March, but the government has responded: not without a vaccine you aren’t. While Kanye’s vaccination status is unknown, he has made…
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Fundraiser for survivor, funeral for victim of the attack on 2 British men
After a shocking stabbing attack in Kanchanaburi that left one British man dead and another severely wounded, an online fundraiser has begun to help pay the medical costs of the survivor. After being stabbed and left in critical condition, 55 year old Shaun Dagnan is still recovering from his wounds. A crowdfunding campaign has been created on JustGiving to raise…
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Body of unknown dead man found floating in sea near Pattaya
A local fisherman had a morbid catch when he stumbled upon the body of an unidentified man floating in the waters off the coast of Pattaya. The lifeless body was discovered yesterday afternoon in the ocean between Koh Larn and Koh Sarn. Pattaya City Police were notified of the floating man and they brought rescue divers along with them to…
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Asia’s second largest drug bust: 36 million meth pills in Laos
After a record-breaking bust in October, police in Laos have just captured 36 million meth pills, the second-largest Asian drug bust on record. A United Nations official confirmed the bust earlier today and say it points to changes in the patterns of drug smuggling in Southeast Asia. In the bust earlier this week, 36 million meth pills were found along…
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Chinese New Year uptick in BKK arrivals, but mostly domestic
More than 450,000 travellers will going through the turnstiles at Bangkok’s main airport Suvarnabhumi between January 26 and February 7, including the annual Chinese New Year celebrations. But they’re not all from overseas, indeed the majority, some 349,000 travellers, are domestic. The airport’s GM reports that 115,931 international travellers will be travelling through BKK during the 14 day period. That’s…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 19 deaths, over 200,000 infections in 2022
Today, the CCSA reported 8,618 new Covid-19 infections, up 168 since yesterday, and 19 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 9 from yesterday. Since April 1, 2021, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,395,217 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported, with 22,145 total deaths from the pandemic. Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 200,655 new…
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Covid-19 vaccine does not kill athletes, despite consistent rumour
An apparently false conspiracy theory that the Covid-19 vaccine is killing athletes has once again been pushed by prominent “anti-vaxxers.” US Senator Ron Johnson claimed that 22,000 people have died from the vaccine including many athletes. And Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton contended that over 100 athletes had died after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine. Neither of these statements were…
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Police charge motorbike rider for excessive speed through crosswalk that killed doctor last week
After a reflective week of Thai social media mulling over the death of the ophthalmologist Dr. Waraluck Supwatjariyakul last Friday, police have reported new circumstances surrounding the incident. Investigations have revealed that the policeman rider was well in excess of the speed limit when he struck, and killed, the doctor. Police now say that 21 year old Pol Lance Corporal…
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Countdown to February 1 – opening Thailand’s tourist floodgates?
The Test & Go program of the Thailand Pass is set to start again on February 1. Test & Go Version 2.0. In this reboot you will need to book an extra pre-paid SHA+ room, and PCR test, for Day 5 of your stay, in addition to the original version of Test & Go when you only had the one…
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Philippines reopens Feb 10 for the vaccinated from most countries
After nearly 2 years of closed borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines plans on reopening to some fully vaccinated tourists on February 10. Officials made the announcement today that travellers from most countries will finally be allowed to enter, after plans to reopen on December 1 were scrapped due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The announcement…
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Local coffee shop fined 500 baht for tables placed on a crosswalk
Following the fatal accident where a police officer crashed his Ducati into a woman walking across the crosswalk, authorities throughout the country are tightening measures around traffic enforcement and working on ways to improve pedestrian safety. Many are now sharing photos of recently painted crosswalks, many painted a vibrant red to alert drivers to slow down. But one crosswalk in…
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“Pig Sandbox” to reopen farms in isolated areas to control the spread of African Swine Fever
We’ve all heard of the Sandbox entry programmes, designed to allow vaccinated travellers to roam freely in areas considered to be at low risk of Covid-19. But now authorities are discussing a so-called “Pig Sandbox” as a way to isolate farms from areas at high risk of the African Swine Fever, which is said to have caused a shortage of…
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US funds upgrades to border patrol police training centre in Chiang Mai
Thailand today inaugurates the US-funded Close Quarter Battle Thai Border Patrol Police training centre in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district, which will enable law enforcement officials to better defend Thai and regional people from transnational crime. Ranges, a mock village, a three-story tactical training building, and equipment are all part of this US$600,000 (19.8 million baht) project provided to the…
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Laos workers to return Thailand as borders reopen for migrants from neighbouring countries
For the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Thailand will reopen its borders to migrant workers, especially from Laos, who are now granted permission to return to Thailand with the approval of their employers next week after a hiatus due to Covid-19. Reports say many people continue to cross the border illegally in search…
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Thailand and Saudi Arabia patch things up 33 years after Blue Diamond Affair
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week, and Thailand and Saudi mended relations they broke 33 years ago following the Blue Diamond Affair in 1989 where a Thai cleaner in Saudi’s royal palace stole diamonds worth US$20 million from the prince. The next year, three Saudi diplomats and a businessman trying to recover the gems were killed. According…
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Surat Thani immigration police arrest human trafficking suspect from Myanmar
A 46 year old Myanmar national was arrested by Surat Thani Immigration Police today for allegedly smuggling six others into Thailand. The suspect, who is identified as Bumaw, was reportedly seen on a road in Tambon Talad in Surat Thani province’s Mueang district, and Immigration Police arrested him at the spot, nearly four months after the Surat Thani Court issued…
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Sneak peek into MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition coming in March
A new version of MONOPOLY heads to shelves this March, this time it’s Phuket edition. The game will include sights like Sarasin Beach, Kata Beach, Central Phuket and Karon Viewpoint. All these sites are well know to both locals and tourist. Sarasin Bridge was the first bridge that linked Phuket to mainland Thailand (a mere 300 metres). Kata Beach is…
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Pathum Thani man arrested selling child pornography via LINE
A 27 year-old man nicknamed Kij was arrested in the Bangkok suburb province of Pathum Thani, accused of selling child pornography online. The suspect was arrested yesterday and is being charged with profiting from the sale and distribution of child pornography. Police raided the man’s home in the Beung Kham Phroy sub-district of Lam Lukka district outside of Bangkok yesterday.…
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10 year high: Real estate price spike in Singapore
Last year, Singapore home prices rose to their highest level in more than a decade, boosting the island state’s government’s decision to impose “cooling” policies that will hopefully help the Singaporean property market’s stability. According to estimates released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on Friday, prices increased by 10.6% in 2021. This is the highest level since 2010, when they…
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Insurance fraud ring uncovered after woman breaks her own finger
A woman busted for breaking her own finger led to the uncovering of a syndicate perpetrating insurance fraud around Thailand. The leader of the group and 16 members have now been arrested after at least 16 cases of buying insurance and then cashing in 1 to 2 months later. The group offered a service where they would find someone to…
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Top doctor asks tough questions on transitioning Covid-19 to endemic
After a meeting of the National Communicable Disease Committee was held yesterday, Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 as an endemic disease by the end of this year according to the Ministry of Public Health. While this declaration has raised hope and excitement among many who are sick of the seemingly never-ending pandemic, some have questioned some of the details involved…
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Australia at the top of women’s world cup, defeats Thailand
Australia now leads Group B of the FIFA Women’s World Cup after players Emily van Egmond and Sam Kerr scored two goals against Thailand, beating Thailand 2-1. Thailand still made it to the quarter-finals as a third-place team, along with Vietnam. Up next, Thailand will play against Japan in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Thailand started the cup this Monday, losing…
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WARNING: Thailand Pass spoof email with malicious links
It seems that government websites in Thailand are often the target of successful hacker attacks and now it appears the Thailand Pass site is no exception. Reports are surfacing of people receiving a spoof email regarding the Thailand Pass pointing them to malicious content. It is believed that the email database collected by the Thailand Pass website has been accessed…
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Suvarnabhumi airport predicts Lunar New Year flights up 37%
Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main airport in Bangkok, is predicting a swell of travellers for the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays. The bustling airport located in the Bangkok suburb province of Samut Prakan, is expecting to see about 380 flights each day during the holiday according to the Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager. Airport officials, along with travel industry experts and airlines,…
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