Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Constitutional Court dissolves Thai Raksa Chart party and bans party members
The Thai Constitutional Court has ordered the dissolution of Thai Raksa Chart Party for naming Prince Ubolratana, a member of the Royal Family, as its prime ministerial candidate. The Court claims this action undermined Thailand’s constitutional monarchy. The court has also banned all 14 members of the party’s executive board from politics for 10 years in a stunning decision that…
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Weather for March 7
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 34ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds NW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 37ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Hua Hin Generally clear. High 33ºC. Winds SE at 15 to…
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Cooking spotted eagle ray is OK – Fisheries spokesperson
“The use of spotted eagle rays as a main ingredient in a reality TV cooking show is not illegal, though the aquatic animal should be conserved rather than consumed.” This from the Deputy Fisheries Department Director General Arunchai Puthcharoen. He referred to controversy over the use of eagle rays as the main ingredient in the Thai MasterChef program, raising concerns…
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Fire engulfs textile factory in Chon Buri
PHOTO: The Nation A fire has partially destroyed two warehouses at a textile factory in Chon Buri’s Ban Bueng district, north-east of Pattaya. The fire started at the Dtex Industry Company factory in Moo 1 village in Tambon Map Phai before 6:30am yesterday morning. Ten fire engines arrived when the fire had swept through the first warehouse, whose roof collapsed,…
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Three dead and nine injured after truck brake failure in Sa Kaeo – VIDEO
SCREENSHOT: Facebook/อนันชัย พูพิลึก Three people are dead, nine people are injured and five vehicles have been damaged after a truck’s brakes failed in Sa Kaeo, near the Cambodian border. Thairath reports that the accident happened in Sa Kaeo yesterday. The truck collided head on with five vehicles as it sped down a hill. One of the sedans caught fire after…
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Weather for March 6
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 35ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. NE winds shifting to WNW at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 36ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Generally clear. High 31ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Hua Hin Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds SSE…
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Chinese man arrested for using Thai ID card to lure foreign investors
PHOTOS: Tourist Police Bureau A Chinese man has been arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after using a Thai ID card to operate fraudulent businesses. The Tourist Police have arrested Chinese man ‘Zhang Qing Po’ who used a Thai identification card with the name ‘Tawatchai Laoyeepao’ The arrest follows an investigation where officers discovered that Tawatchai was advertising on a Chinese website…
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Thanathorn’s “unfinished 1932 mission” questioned
PHOTO: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit appears on Channel 3 “May I ask what is the 1932 unfinished mission that Thanathorn, the party leader, announced he will complete?” The Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s controversial remarks, that one of the party’s policies is to complete the ‘unfinished mission of the 1932 coup makers’, has provoked a strong reaction among Thai royalists. The…
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Weather for March 5
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. NE winds shifting to WNW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 36ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Hua Hin Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds S…
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Royal Coronation schedule takes shape
His Majesty King Maha Vachiralongkorn has asked that his coronation ceremony should be ‘economical’ and ‘in line with Royal tradition’. The instructions have been forwarded to Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, head of the coronation organising committee. The Coronation ceremonies will be held between May 4-6. Describing the ceremony as second only in importance to the Royal cremation of the late…
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Event Round-Up – March 2019
The month kicks off with one of Thailand’s most unique and bizarre festivals and celebrations, that of the Tattoo Festival in Nakhon Chaisi in the province of Nakhon Pathom, around 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. Held at the Wat Bang Phra temple on 2 March, the festival also goes by the name Wai Kru Sak Yant after the spiritual tattoos…
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Parents urged to monitor children on ‘Momo Challenge’
PHOTOS: NBT / NNT The Mental Health Department is urging parents to closely monitor children’s online activities due to the ‘Momo Challenge’ reports. The Nation reports that ‘Momo Challenge’, associated with a grotesque bird, has sneaked into YouTube and its YouTube Kids platform and coerced young watchers to take up risky, potentially deadly challenges. The Momo Challenge, dismissed by many…
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Same same but not very different – Election 2019
By Jintana Panyaarvudh Campaigning ahead of the March 24 election is getting a little too heated in the view of some observers. The old habit of slinging mud between rival politicians has revived prompting critics to raise concerns. “The world has evolved but Thai politicians have failed to develop or employ new, creative methods in their campaigns to attract voters,”…
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Weather for March 4
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. E winds shifting to W at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 37ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of rain 80%. Hua Hin Partly cloudy,…
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Chinese resurgence, Russian stability feature in tourist arrivals for the start of 2019
The Chinese returned in numbers at the start of 2019 giving the Land of Smiles a spectacular start for the year with a total of 3.7 million visitors in January 2019. This was a nearly 5% rise in total tourist numbers from the same month last year. Mainland China continues to lead Thailand’s source market with just over a million arrivals…
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Woman attacks Lottery MC during draw in Phatthalung – VIDEO
The live broadcast of the government’s bi-weekly lottery draw was interrupted when a 35 year old woman threatened one of the MCs with a screwdriver. The lottery draw, held in Phatthalung province’s City Hall yesterday, was being broadcast live on Channel 5. The hall was full lottery enthusiasts and government officials when the attack happened. The attacker, later identified as…
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Weather for March 1
Bangkok Generally clear. High 34ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Generally clear. High 32ºC. E winds shifting to SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Partly cloudy. High 36ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Generally clear. High 31ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 30 km/h. Hua Hin Generally clear. High 33ºC. Winds…
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Thai Airways resumes flights to Europe via Chinese airspace
Thai Airways International has resumed flights to Europe via Chinese airspace instead of over Pakistan after an abrupt cancellation of flights last night. The cancellations were due to armed tensions between India and Pakistan. Pratthana Pattanasiri, director for aviation safety at Thai Airways, said today that the national flag carrier was granted permission from China to fly to their European…
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Flights delayed and cancelled at Phuket Airport – Closure of Pakistan airspace
Flights have been affected at the Phuket International Airport, a knock-on affect from the closing of airspace over Pakistan. Latest in the tensions between India and Pakistan HERE. Thai Airways resumes flights. Read about that HERE. The Phuket International Airport has announced flights that have been affected at the Phuket International Airport. Delayed flights… AEROFLOT airlines flight SU278/279 from Moscow…
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UPDATE: Thai Airways resumes flights
Thai Airways has resumed flight between Bangkok and Europe today after cancellations due to Pakistan’s emergency closure of its airspace. The cancellations, announced late last night, have caused havoc for travellers hoping to fly between Bangkok and Europe on Thai Airways last night and today. Flights between Bangkok to Europe, in both directions, normally fly over Pakistan’s airspace but since…
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Constitutional court to rule Thai Raksa Chart’s fate next week
by Kas Chanwanpen Thai Raksa Chart Party will know its fate next week after the Constitutional Court yesterday scheduled March 7 to read its verdict on whether the party should be dissolved following a petition from the Election Commission (EC). The final judgement next week will be made based on the evidence submitted to the court earlier and there will…
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Weather for February 28
Bangkok Generally clear. High 34ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. E winds shifting to SSW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 36ºC. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 km/h. pattaya Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Hua Hin Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds SSE…
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Pregnant wild turtle rescued from Lampang forest fire
PHOTO: Lampang PR Office Fire fighters have rescued a pregnant wild turtle which was trying to escape from a forest fire at Doi Prabat in Lampang yesterday. The Thai News Agency reports that fire fighters from the Royal Forest Department, who were fighting at the firefront on Doi Prabat in Lampang found the pregnant wild turtle which was doing its…
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Weather for February 27
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds ESE at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 36ºC. Winds SSE and variable. pattaya Partly cloudy. High 30ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Hua Hin Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. Winds SE at 15 to 25 km/h. Ko…
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Phitsanulok man arrested for sex blackmail of 200 women
A man in Phitsanulok province has been arrested for allegedly luring some 200 women to videotape sex on their phones and later extorting them for money. Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, in his role leading Thailand’s Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression (TACCTICS), held a media conference yesterday to announce the arrest of 35 year old Kittisak Nimboonchuen. Surachate says…
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PM disses debates “I just don’t see the necessity to take part”
by Kas Chanwanpen A prime ministerial candidate is refusing to take part in any of the televised political debates in the lead up to the election on March 24. Dismissing growing calls to join the up-coming round of debates, NCPO chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha has affirmed that he attached no importance to the calls for him to outline his vision,…
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Dutch man arrested in Chon Buri on trafficking and overstay charges
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau Immigration officers have arrested a Dutch man in Chon Buri following an Interpol posting and notification. The Immigration Bureau reports that Jacob Jan Schipper from the Netherlands has been arrested for human trafficking, operated a smuggling ring and tax avoidance. He was arrested at a condominium in Sattahip, Chon Buri. When he was found Immigration police also seized cash…
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Weather for February 26
Bangkok Morning thunderstorms. High 32ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Phuket Generally clear. High 32ºC. Winds ESE at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 36ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. pattaya Morning thunderstorms. High 30ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Hua Hin Partly…
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Undoing a 90 year ban on female monks
STORY & PHOTOS: Kate Geraghty Perspective from Sydney Morning Herald writer Kate Geraghty. It’s not only western religions that bar woman from participation in religious teachings. It’s 4am and the odd rooster is crowing in the cool hours before day breaks and three saffron-robed monks from the all-female Songdhammakalyani Monastery are making their way through the back streets of Nakhon Pathom,…
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New points system for traffic violations comes into force mid-year
Keeping your license will now be a bit more complicated under amendments to the Thai Road Traffic Act. But good drivers have nothing to worry about. There’s now a new points system added to the Road Traffic Act which will come into force when it’s finally announced in the Royal Gazette. The National Legislative Assembly sat yesterday to vote the…
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