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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Former Thai airman signs up to fight Russian forces in Ukraine
A former member of the Royal Thai Air Force is volunteering to fight alongside the Ukrainians defending their country against a Russian invasion. According to a Coconuts report, the former airman, who gives his name only as Chanapong, turned up at the Ukrainian embassy in Bangkok yesterday, saying he was there to enlist. “I want the Ukrainian people to know…
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BREAKING: Tangmo’s cause of death revealed, 5 boat buddies face charges
BREAKING: Police are considering whether to charge all five of Tangmo’s boat companions with negligence leading to death and making false statements, the Bangkok Post reported. After the actress fell into the river and drowned, one of the men on the speedboat phoned some influential friends to seek advice, according to phone conversation records obtained by the Provincial Police Region…
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Bali to trial a quarantine-free entry scheme this month
On a trial basis, Indonesia’s resort island Bali will start allowing foreign travellers to enter without undergoing a quarantine. A senior minister says the new travel policy will start March 14, or sooner, depending on the Covid-19 situation in Bali. The Indonesian government will extend the travel scheme across the country if the trial is successful. To enter Bali from…
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Thick smog in Mae Hong Son causes pilot carrying acting US ambassador to detour
Due to poor visibility caused by haze above Mae Hong Son airport in nothern Thailand, a private plane flying the acting US ambassador this morning cancelled a landing and returned to Chiang Mai International Airport. Smog has been a longstanding problem in northern Thailand and kicks up every year during burning season from February to April. Today, the local air…
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Myanmar’s army accused of holding children and teachers hostage
On Sunday, a newspaper in Myanmar accused the country’s military of taking 85 children and 10 teachers hostage during fighting with rebels. Reuters could not independently verify the report, and a spokesman for Myanmar’s junta did not respond to requests for comment. But the country’s National Unity Government, which opposes the junta, said some children were younger than five years…
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Tangmo: Top Thai crime investigator debunks witness claims, calls for truth
A former top police crime investigator has come out of retirement to dismiss the story of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong’s death, as put forth by her so-called friends, and call for the truth to come out. In a video interview with Nation Thailand, Kamronwit Toopkrajang, former Lt-General and Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, is seen sitting on a boat analyzing…
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One of north India’s most wanted gangsters found in Thailand, entered on fake passport
A gangster wanted in India on multiple murder charges was arrested in Delhi after he was detained and deported from Thailand on Tuesday. Indian media say the man was a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jathedi syndicate and was known as one of the most wanted criminals in north India. 28 year old Virender Partap, also known as Kala…
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Two Texas women who allegedly helped stab woman to death arrested in Cambodia
Two women who allegedly helped stab another women to death in Texas in 2020 were caught in Cambodia last week. They had fled to Cambodia after they escaped house arrest in December. The women are Nina Marano and Lisa Dykes. Marano is 50 years old, and Dykes is 58. The woman they allegedly helped murder, Marisela Botello-Valadez, was 23. One…
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Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
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Thai Buddhist monk hosts funeral for himself as lesson about death
A Buddhist monk made headlines in Thailand when he invited residents in the northern province Phittanulok to a funeral… his funeral. The abbot at a local temple is alive and well, but wanted the ceremony to send a message to his followers that death is normal and just a part of life. The funeral at the Pothiyan Temple followed traditional…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,197 new cases; provincial totals
45 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,021 with 1,323 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,197 new Covid-19 cases and 19,093 recoveries. There are now 218,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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38 Thais evacuated from Ukraine to Bangkok, 58 more arriving today
The first group of 38 Thai citizens evacuated from the Ukraine arrived in Bangkok this morning. Thailand’s embassy in Warsaw, Poland, posted on Facebook yesterday saying another 58 Thais will arrive midday today from Warsaw. Those who arrived this morning were taken to be isolated and an infectious diseases institute in Nonthaburi. There they wait for the results of Covid-19…
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Asia News Today | Japanese government “on alert” for local provocations, here comes 6G”
The Japanese government says it’s on alert for any provocations in East Asia… specifically from China, Russia and North Korea. In addition to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan last Sunday, military exercises conducted by China and Russia are becoming more active in the waters and airspace around Japan over the past 3 months,…
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Thai couple arrested for allegedly running fake travel agency advertising trips in Krabi
A couple was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a fake travel agency advertising tour packages in the southern province Krabi off the Andaman coast. Reports say the couple had been doing the scam for seven years, scamming tourists out of a total of 100 million baht. Tour packages with accommodation included were advertised on Facebook for costing 2,500 baht…
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Autopsy report shows TV actress Tangmo drowned
An autopsy report indicates that TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong drowned. Forensic examiners also noted that there the large cut on her leg was likely caused by the speedboat’s propeller. (Bangkok Post and Thai PBS have published differing facts about which leg was cut) The other people on the speedboat last Thursday night when Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
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Biden condemns Putin, praises Ukrainian people in State of the Union address
Read the opening pages of US President Joe Biden’s prepared speech for his State of the Union address to lawmakers on Tuesday night at the Capitol, in which he addresses the most urgent situation: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threat on the free world… PRESIDENT BIDEN: Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of…
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Australian officials find $55 million worth of meth and heroin in shipment from Thailand
Border police in Australia have uncovered AU$55 million worth of smuggled meth and heroin in a shipment from Thailand, according to a report from the Australian Associated Press. The shipment was concealed in boxes of green tea and magnets and discovered at Melbourne Airport. The 27 boxes had been shipped from Thailand on February 19 and came to light when…
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Spokesperson says Covid-19 treatment budget adjustment will not affect quality of care
Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, a spokesperson explained the decision to decrease the budget covering Covid-19 treatment costs, saying the price of some medical supplies have gone down. He told reporters that the budget adjustment will not affect the quality of care for Covid-19 patients. Thai media reports do not mention how much the budget is, but say medical centres and…
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Thais can now work in Saudi Arabia
As of yesterday, Thai workers can now work in Saudi Arabia, and will be protected by Saudi laws. Thailand’s cabinet approved two draft agreements about this yesterday, which will last for five years. They will be extended for another five years unless one or both parties decide against it. Both countries will cooperate to make sure recruitment and employment is…
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National park officers rescue 5 German tourists lost in Koh Phang Ngan forest
Officers from the Than Sadet National Park on Koh Phang Ngan have rescued a group of 5 German tourists after they got lost yesterday while on a forest hike. The 4 women and 1 man had been doing the Khao Ra hike, which takes in the highest peak on the island, when heavy rainfall caused them to get lost. A…
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Tourism authorities greet first Saudi direct arrivals, plan new schemes
The Tourism Authority of Thailand greeted Saudi tourist arrivals with traditional Thai performances and a water salute on Monday. The flight was the first direct flight to Thailand from Saudi Arabia in 32 years landed in Bangkok, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This flight symbolised the recent reconciliation between Thailand and Saudi Arabia after decades of frosty relations following the Blue Diamond…
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Thailand to remain neutral on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says Thailand will keep a neutral stance toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Speaking to MPs during their cabinet meeting yesterday, Prayut said they must consider Thailand’s the long-standing relations with Russia and tread carefully, an unnamed government official told the Bangkok Post. “We need to be composed and make decisions carefully. Thailand must maintain a neutral stance…
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Government launches outpatient service as it prepares to make Covid-19 endemic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has launched a new outpatient treatment scheme for Covid-19, as it prepares to transition the virus to endemic status. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Outpatient under Self-Isolation scheme should replace the current home isolation programme for most patients. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum says around 95% of cases are now either asymptomatic or have…
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Ukraine Embassy in Thailand asks for donations to support its citizens, save lives
The Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand is seeking donations to support Ukraine and to save lives following Russia’s invasion. The embassy made a post on its Facebook page saying two special accounts in Thai baht have been opened to support the efforts. Donations can be made to Bangkok Bank account 911-0-20757-9. The embassy says “each donation matters.” Both Ukrainian and…
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Cabinet approves budget to make Phuket a “world class health destination”
Thai officials plan to make Phuket a “world class health destination.” The Cabinet just approved a 1.411 billion baht budget to develop health and wellness centres on the island and improve medical services. Over 45 acres of state-owned land in Phuket will be used to develop health centres and facilities. The project was expected to take four years to complete…
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LATEST: Massive Russian convoy nears Kyiv, Kharkiv bombed, as peace talks falter
On the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, satellite images show a mammoth convoy of Russian armoured vehicles with militia about 64 kilometres long is slowly slithering down from the north toward the capital of Kyiv. The serpentine convoy is now less than 30 kilometres away. Air raid sirens have been sounded again, with Russian strikes on the…
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Indonesia evacuates citizens from Ukraine to safety in Poland, Romania
Indonesia has evacuated 31 Indonesian nationals residing in Ukraine into neighbouring Poland and Romania, where they are awaiting repatriation flights, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day. A group of 25 Indonesians were evacuated from Odessa in southern Ukraine and arrived in Romania on Sunday, The Jakarta Post reported. Another group of 6 Indonesians and 1 foreign spouse…
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First flights of Thai evacuees from Ukraine to arrive on Wednesday
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says around a hundred Thai citizens evacuated from the country are set to arrive in Thailand on Wednesday in a first round of repatriation flights. The ministry said the first group of 38 Thai evacuees would depart from Bucharest today and arrive in Thailand on Thai…
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Foreigner’s body found on Koh Larn beach off the coast of Pattaya
A man’s body was found on a beach on Koh Larn, an island off the coast of Pattaya, this morning. Police have not identified the body, but claim the man “is a foreigner”. At around 8am, the man’s body was found on the island’s Tien Beach. There were wounds on his right eye and eyebrow, and he was wearing two…
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