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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Siam Piwat brings home 7 awards at The Best of SHA Awards 2021
Press Release Siam Piwat’s properties and world-class convention centres received the plaque of honour and won first place at The Best of SHA Awards 2021, an award given to the best establishments that strictly comply with SHA standards Siam Paragon received the plaque of honour and won first place at The Best of SHA Awards 2021 in the department store…
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Famous Thailand monk caught drink driving, carrying methamphetamine
A famous Thailand monk, known for his predictions and visions, was reportedly caught drink driving with methamphetamine pills hidden inside his robes after a 20-kilometre police chase yesterday in eastern province Mukdahan, which borders Laos. Police followed a pickup truck after it ran a red light in Mukdahan city. Turns out a famous monk was behind the wheel. Officers chased…
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7 students at Thailand university face charges for allegedly beating a student to death
Since 19 year old student Padyos “Prem” Chonpakdi was beaten to death, allegedly by university students in a violent initiation ceremony on Sunday in Nakhon Ratchasima, seven upper-level students have confessed to using excessive violence against Prem which lead to his death. Prem was forced to undress, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, sing and was punched in the stomach and…
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Thailand football player could face lifetime ban for elbow strike to opponent
A Bangkok Football Club player who struck his opponent with a Muay Thai-style elbow strike to the face could receive a lifetime ban. Aitsaret Noichaiboon slammed his elbow into the player’s face, fracturing his cheekbone. He received 24 stitches on his upper lip and doctors say he also suffered a blood clot in his nose. The football club terminated Aitsaret’s…
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Officers find suspected hideout for alleged hitman on Thailand’s most wanted list
Officers found a camp at a mountain in the southern province Songkhla where they suspect an alleged hitman on Thailand’s most wanted list was hiding. The 45 year old who is wanted on multiple charges involving murder allegedly shot an M16 rifle during a police chase, killing an officer. Following the gunfire exchange, the alleged hitman Chamrat “Chui Chaochan” Rakchan,…
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Murderer of Swiss tourist in Phuket sentenced to life imprisonment
The Thai man who murdered the Swiss tourist at a Phuket waterfall last year has been sentenced to life in prison by the Phuket Court. 28 year old Teerawat Thothip was initially sentenced to death, but it was then reduced to life imprisonment given that Teerawat confessed to investigators. The body of 57 year old victim Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, the…
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Esteemed Thai monk dies at the age of 85 after cancer battle
One of the most revered monks in the kingdom has died at the age of 85. The Bangkok Post reports that Somdet Phra Wannarat, who was abbot of Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, a major Buddhist temple in Bangkok, died yesterday after losing his battle with gall bladder cancer. He had served as abbot at the temple since 2015. According to the…
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Thailand marine officials look into building cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui
Marine officials in Thailand are looking into building a cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui, a popular Gulf of Thailand island off the Surat Thani coast. A terminal is considered to be more convenient and safe for travellers as, at the moment, cruise ships must anchor by the island and smaller boats transfer travellers to the island and back to…
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Lèse-majesté charges against political activist dismissed due to lack of evidence
A political activist charged with lèse-majesté offences and violating the Computer Crimes Act has had the charges against him dismissed. Security officials brought the lawsuit against 31-year-old Harit Nahaton in 2016, claiming he committed lèse-majesté offences while chatting to 48-year-old Nattharika Warathanyawit on Facebook Messenger between January and April 2016. Lèse-majesté, or section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising,…
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Police continue search for forest ranger in Isaan Thailand who allegedly killed ex-wife’s son
Officers in the Isaan province Buriram are still searching for the senior forest ranger who allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife’s son Sunday night. The victim’s family says the ranger called them after the shooting, saying he threatened to murder the entire family. He is believed to be hiding in a forest near the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. The 45 year…
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Province in Western Thailand works to revive tourism in new scheme
The governor of one Western Thai province whose tourism income plummeted this year announced yesterday the need for a “comprehensive strategy” to revive tourism. The province of Prachuap Khiri Khan made 1.85 billion baht in tourism in 2020, but that dropped to 36 million baht in 2021. “We expect travel activities to pick up once Covid-19 is classified as an…
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Villas in Phuket offering fabulous views of the island
Phuket is an adaptive and dynamic island that continues to evolve and its elegance unceasingly expands. Its real estate landscape changes from year to year as new developments match the demand for the most recent and biggest trends. Phuket is home to arguably the world’s most stunning private villas. In addition to stunning vistas, private pools, and uninterrupted privacy, these…
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21 million baht lawsuit filed against resort after man trampled to death by elephant
Almost a year has passed since an elephant trampled a man to death at a hotel resort in the Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima. Today, a lawyer, authorised by the man’s wife, has filed a lawsuit amounting to 21 million baht in damages against the resort. 53 year old Raja Thiraphitthayatrakul was trampled to death by an elephant which came loose…
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Professional Muay Thai fighter trains Thai and US troops
As a special instructor, Thailand’s internationally known Muay Thai boxer, Buakaw Banchamek, has been coaching Muay Thai to Thai and US soldiers participating in the joint exercise Hanuman Guardian 2022, which is taking place in Thailand’s central province of Lop Buri. Buakaw, who is currently an army officer, taught theoretical and practical techniques on Monday in the 31st Infantry Regiment’s…
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Bus driver in fatal accident gets licence revoked, Transport Company faces punishment
The bus driver in the fatal accident in Saraburi, killing eight passengers after he crashed into a bridge pillar, had his licence revoked by the Department of Land Transport. The department is also considering penalities for the state-run Transport Company, which was operating the Bangkok – Suwannaphum bus carrying more than 30 passengers. The driver, who was later found to…
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Fire breaks out at luxury hotel in Bangkok, no injuries reported
A fire broke out at the 18-storey luxury hotel in Bangkok early this morning. There were no reports of deaths and injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters say it may have started at a pile of trash outside the hotel and moved up the electricity pole to the wires connected to the eighth floor…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 19,742 new cases; provincial totals
70 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,848 with 2,150 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 19,742 new Covid-19 cases and 24,125 recoveries. There are now 221,436 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Young Swiss man needs O negative blood donations after heatstroke on Thailand island
A 25 year old Swiss man needs donations of the blood type O negative (O-) after he went running on Koh Chang off the coast of the eastern province Trat and suffered a heatstroke. Theo Zwahlen is in a coma in the ICU at Bangkok Hospital in Chanthaburi. Theo has kidney failure, acidosis, brain damage, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) and a…
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Freshman student beaten to death in hazing incident at Isaan Thailand university
A freshman university student died during a hazing incident where he was reportedly beaten by students and forced to drink lao khao, a Thai distilled spirit. The 19 year old was punched in the stomach and face. At one point, he became unconscious. He died on the way to the hospital. The activist group ANTI SOTUS, which is against the…
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Phuket tourism official reports low number of calls to Russian, Ukrainian helpline
An official from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office says most Russian and Ukrainian tourists on the southern island appear to be “coping”. Nanthasiri Ronasiri says there have not been that many calls to a hotline set up specifically to help tourists stranded by cancelled flights or facing financial problems as a result of sanctions on Russia. Russia’s invasion…
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Police investigate after photos of university entrance exam papers shared on app
Police in the central province of Pathum Thani have been asked to investigate after images of university test papers were posted online. Thammasat University’s Professor Chalie Charoenlarpnopparut, who manages the Thai University Central Admission System, says the photos of the General Aptitude Test and the Professional and Academic Aptitude Test were shared on the Snapask app. The app is used…
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Elephant camp in Chiang Mai put up for sale due to drop in tourists during pandemic
Elephant parks and sanctuaries relying on foreign tourists for an income and funds to feed the animals have been hit hard during the pandemic. One elephant park in Chiang Mai is now up for sale due to the drastic drop in the number of visitors over the past two years. The owner says she’s been unable to afford the 2…
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Thai officials say no cause for concern as 4 cases of Hong Kong sub-variant reported
The Public Health Ministry says there’s no cause for concern after the BA2.2 Omicron sub-variant was reported in 4 Covid-19 patients in the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, the patients are 3 Thai nationals and a foreigner. The BA2.2 sub-variant was first discovered in Hong Kong, which is battling its worst Covid-19 wave since the start of the…
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Thai officials suspect 4 patients are infected with new Omicron strain found in Hong Kong
Four new Covid-19 cases appear to be the new mutated Omicron BA.2.2 subvariant that was first found in Hong Kong, according to the Department of Medical Sciences. Authorities have insisted that the public should not worry about the spread of the new subvariant as there has been no confirmation of any severe symptoms and the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian…
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Swimming pools built for monkeys in Lop Buri to prevent aggression from heat
With Thailand entering the summer season, macaque monkeys in the country’s “Monkey City,” Lop Buri, have a swimming pool to cool them off – and to prevent another as the war between the groups of macaques. As temperatures rise, so do tempers, and hot weather has possibly played a part in the massive clashes between groups of hundreds of monkeys.…
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Officers search forest for ranger who allegedly shot and killed ex-wife’s son
A senior forest ranger allegedly shot and killed his estranged wife’s 20 year old son in the Isaan province Buriram yesterday. A team of 50 police officers and wildlife officials have been searching for the ranger who is suspected to be hiding at the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. The suspect, who is head of the forestry team at Dong Yai…
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Tangmo: Police examine ‘fresh evidence’ — CCTV video of person on speedboat
Police are examining “fresh evidence” from a CCTV camera that recorded footage of the speedboat TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong fell from before drowning in the Chao Phraya River last month. The video taken from a riverside building reportedly shows a person at the stern (rear) of the speedboat standing up and sitting down, as the boats moves along the…
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Monday Covid Update: 22,130 new cases; provincial totals
69 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,778 with 2,080 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,130 new Covid-19 cases and 23,508 recoveries. There are now 225,889 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Deaths due to Covid-19 pandemic much higher than reported figures, study shows
The Covid-19 death toll is much higher than what has been officially reported, according to a recent analysis published in The Lancet, a medical journal. The analysis estimates that the global number of fatalities related to the Covid-19 pandemic reached 18.2 million by December 31, 2021, which triples the number of deaths reported at 5.94 million. The findings were based…
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8 passengers killed, 20 injured after bus headed to Bangkok crashes into bridge pillar
Eight bus passengers were killed and more than 20 injured after a double-decker bus crashed into the concrete pillar for the overhead bridge. A total of 32 passengers were on the Bangkok – Suwannaphum bus operated by the state-run Transport Company. Five people died immediately at the scene and three later died at the hospital. 22 people, including the driver,…
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