News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Chiang Mai performance artists demonstrate for free speech
PHOTOS by Will Langston With anti-government protests dotting the nation for over a week, performance artists in Chiang Mai took to the streets yesterday evening with a different type of demonstration – in favour of free speech. As the sun began setting, artists at each corner and junction of the old city’s moat could be found waiting to perform. At…
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Tourism council urges Chiang Mai hotels to open up to meet domestic tourism demand
The chair of Chiang Mai’s branch of the Tourism Council of Thailand says the city’s hotels and tour agencies are showing little interest in reopening, despite the province expecting a surge in domestic tourism as a result of the government’s stimulus offering. Nation Thailand reports that tourism chief Punlop Sae-Jew says many properties continue to keep their doors shut as…
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Malaysia and Singapore to test re-opening of maritime border for business travellers
The Malaysian and Singapore governments have agreed to re-open the Straits of Johor border (the land bridges linking Malaysia and Singapore) from August 17, initially only for those travelling on business. The move comes after Malaysia closed its border 5 months ago in mid-March, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. Now the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries, Hishammuddin…
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Phuket seeks to diversify after Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cripple Thailand’s vital tourism sector, with provinces that rely the most on tourism revenue, being hit the hardest. Thailand may have managed to contain the Covid-19 virus, but at the expense of its economy going into a free fall with the southern resort province of Phuket exemplifying the downturn. Phuket businesses, which rely almost exclusively…
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Best wishes to HM King of Thailand on this auspicious occasion
Today is the 68th birthday of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The Thaiger wishes His Majesty another year of continued good health and service to the Thai people. His Majesty has been the King of Thailand since October 13, 2016. He is the only son of former King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, the beloved monarchs who served Thailand from 1946…
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Koh Chang has a bumper tourist (long) weekend – VIDEO
Tourists have been flocking to Koh Chang off the Trat coast, in the east of Thailand. The TAT says that they estimate some 30,000 people wold have visited the popular Thai island over the long weekend (which runs into tomorrow, the King’s birthday). Kamphon Jaroenkhajornkun, president of the Trat Tourism Business Association says this weekend’s numbers are a record for…
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Pattaya police seize 8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in Bangkok
The Pattaya City Police have seized 8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in green tea bags in Bangkok follow a tip-off and sting operation. Pattaya City Police arrested 26 years old Preecha ‘Bang Reen’ Soamonta last night. (That’s a LARGE haul of crystal meth from a single person) Police seized the 8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (aka. ice) which were reportedly found…
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Vietnam evacuates 80,000 following 3 new Covid-19 cases in Da Nang
After the surprise appearance of 3 new Covid-19 cases, Vietnam officials announced they are evacuating 80,000 people from the central coastal city of Da Nang, mostly tourists. Any festive activities, celebrations, religious ceremonies, sports activities and crowded events in public places, stadiums and large venues are now banned. “The evacuation will take at least four days with domestic airlines operating…
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No let-up in anti-government protests as activists call for constitutional reform
Anti-government protests are intensifying in Thailand, as activists call on officials to stop intimidating people, insisting that Parliament be dissolved, and the country’s constitution re-written. Their demand for constitutional reform is being backed by the Deputy PM, Anutin Charnvirakul. Yesterday evening, protesters walked around Democracy Monument in Bangkok, with some making mocking comments that they were doing so to admire…
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Rohingya boat incident leaves 24 feared dead off Malaysian coast
A Rohingya boat incident has left at least 24 people feared to have drowned off the coast of Malaysia after a sole survivor swam to shore on the resort island of Langkawi. The 27 year old, named Nor Hossain was detained by police after arriving on the island. A search and rescue operation was launched using 2 aircraft and 2…
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Elderly British man killed, monk injured, in Isaan collision
A 70 year old British expat has died, and a monk has been seriously injured, after the motorbike and sidecar they were travelling on was hit from behind by a pick-up truck. The collision happened in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, and is the second such accident over the weekend. A report in The Chiang Rai Times says the…
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Elderly man escapes with minor injuries as motorbike hit by 10 wheeler truck
An 88 year old man is most likely counting his blessings this morning after surviving a collision with a 10 wheeler truck. Chamnong Ketkaew was driving his motorbike sidecar in Phanat Nikhom district, in the eastern province of Chon Buri, when he was hit from behind by the truck. A report in The Pattaya News says the force of the…
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Phuket anti-government protest attracts up to 400 people
Between 300 – 400 people from the Phuket Liberation Group rallied last night in Sapan Hin, Phuket Town, an east coast public park on Phuket. Around 50 police, army officers and security personnel also attended the event to ensure that everything ran smoothly. The demonstration lasted for about 2 hours. The gathering of the young protesters began around 5.30pm. They…
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Leaked documents reveal the reasons behind prosecutors dropping “Boss” charges
In a carefully staged leaking of a document, the alleged “new evidence” has now been revealed which the Office of Special Prosecutors for Criminal Litigation claims was behind the dropping of the charges against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya in a fatal road death in Bangkok in 2012. Meanwhile, the Thai PM has demanded an investigation into the dropping of charges and ordered a…
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Hope among Pakistan’s elderly as 103 year old man recovers from Covid-19
Pakistan’s elderly population is finding hope in the news that a 103 year old grandfather in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has recovered from the Covid-19 virus. Aziz Abdul Alim, from the Chitral sub-district, was diagnosed with the coronavirus in early July and hospitalised for treatment. Given his age, his family say they were very concerned about his chances of survival, but Aziz…
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Thai PM orders investigation into dropping of “Boss” charges
Responding to a massive outpouring of outrage, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is ordering an official inquiry into the Attorney General’s prosecution team and their decision to drop a reckless driving charge against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, an heir to the Red Bull fortune and grandson of the company’s founder. A spokesperson claims that the PM is “following the issue closely” and…
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Buriram man drowns after being struck by lightning
A man in the northeastern Buriram province was struck by lighting, fell into a reservoir and drowned. The man’s body was found early yesterday morning. Police were informed on Friday night that a man was struck by lightning and had drowned in the local reservoir in Buriram’s Nong Rong district. The dead man was identified as 44 year old Thiwa…
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Student protests continue for seventh day
Students and young people held anti-government demonstrations in several provinces yesterday, continuing a week of protests sweeping the country. Demonstrators are demanding the dissolution of Parliament, a rewritten Constitution and an end to official and unofficial intimidation of government opponents – none of which are even remotely likely to happen, especially the first two. In the western Kanchanaburi province, at…
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Constitutional Court judge demands investigation into Red Bull heir case decisions
A judge on Thailand’s Constitutional Court is urging PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to investigate possible mishandling, by both the police and public prosecutors, of the hit-and-run case involving the Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, saying the nation’s justice system has been “rendered meaningless” after prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges and the police’s failure to challenge the decision. In a…
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US donates thousands of masks for Thai hill tribes
Despite Thailand going over 2 months without a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, the US embassy has sent thousands of face masks to Chiang Rai province. A representative of the US embassy delivered the masks, valued at around 458,000 baht, to authorities in Chiang Rai this week. Regional US honorary consul general Sean O’Neil says the USA wants to help…
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Nakhon Panom man shot dead after wounding policeman
A man who went berserk yesterday in the northeastern Nakhon Panom province, bordering Laos, was shot dead by a policeman who tried to calm him down but was attacked and seriously hurt. The man was said to be high on drugs. Police say the incident occurred at about 1pm in front of a house in tambon Ban Kho. Witnesses told…
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Hotel bookings bounce back for long weekend holiday
The long holiday weekend is reportedly seeing heavy bookings at hotels and resorts, reigniting hopes of a revival of domestic tourism, which has been battered for months by the Covid-19 outbreak. Accommodations in the southern provinces in particular have been receiving a good rate of bookings with holidaymakers for the 4 day extended weekend. The tourism authoritiy of Thailand says…
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North Korean border city locked down over suspected Covid-19 case
North Korea has, until now, claimed not a single case of Covid-19 within its borders, a claim widely doubted by experts. Today, North Korea state media reports that the secretive nation’s “dear leader” Kim Jong Un has placed the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, under total lockdown after a person was found with suspected coronavirus symptoms,…
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Navy rescues Thai sailor after electric shock on fishing boat
Members of the Royal Thai Navy have rescued a boat crew member in the Gulf of Thailand after he suffered a severe electric shock on Friday night. Royal Thai Navy Region 1 headquarters in Chon Buri were notified by the officers based in Prachuap Khiri Khan that a boat crew member, 51 year old Sittisak Sripipat suffered a serious electric…
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Deputy PM backs protesters’ demand for constitutional reform
Deputy PM and Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is backing the key demand of student protesters to rewrite Thailand’s Constitution. Responding to activists’ calls for the dissolution of Parliament, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party said yesterday such a move would be pointless without prior constitutional amendment. Speaking at the party’s annual meeting, Anutin, leader of second-largest partner in…
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Newly discovered 3,000 year old cave paintings in Phang Nga
New cave art, reportedly at least 3,000 years old, has been discovered in the southern Phang Nga province’s Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park. The head of the park says he he found the ancient paintings while leading park officials to investigate the Petch Pakarang Cave at Koh Talu in Takua Thung district on Friday. Currently there are 4 locations in…
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A day of shame as Thai police try to defend revoking “Boss” arrest warrants
Thai Police are being forced to defend their decision to “revoke all arrest warrants” for 35 year old Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, claiming that they could face negligence charges if they pursued a case that prosecutors have already dropped. All warrants and red notices in the Interpol website, the Immigration Bureau and the Office of the Royal Thai Police have been revoked…
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Covid-19 UPDATE: 3 new cases in Thailand, world total passes 16 million
On a day when the number of the world’s total infections zooms through the 16 million mark, and the US total for deaths is about to reach 150,000 people, Thailand again registers a mere 3 new cases, again all imported. The USA, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa are the world’s Top 5 coronavirus hotspots with a host of South…
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Woman motorcyclist dies in Chon Buri crash
A woman is dead in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri after a pickup truck crashed into her motorbike. Sattahip Police were notified of the incident, which occurred yesterday afternoon on Sukhumvit Road. Police, emergency responders and reporters arrived to find 44 year old Bussaya Chumchuen, a staffer at the Sattahip Community Development Office. She was seriously injured and after…
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620 baht Covid-19 vaccine could be ready in 2021
The first vaccine against Covid-19 for human use is expected to be available in 2021, and is expected to be available in Thailand for a cost of about 620 baht per dose; this from the secretary-general of the National Vaccines Committee today. Dr Siriroek Songsivilai says the price is based on the 100 million doses, valued at about 2 billion…
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