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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Sponsored How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Bangkok #2, Phuket #11 – World’s most popular destinations
“Phuket rank 11th with about 11.9 million tourist arrivals this year, higher than last year’s 11.6 million arrivals making it Thailand’s most important economy outside Bangkok.” Bangkok has come in second place in the list of the world’s top cities for tourism. The list has been compiled by Euromonitor International. Their Top 100 City Destinations 2018 report has just been…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
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Government poised to cast tax net over online transactions
As the world continues its relentless move online, and away from traditional retail, governments are having to find new ways to track and tax online transactions. The Thai Revenue Department is poised to cast a wider net over online vendors and other businesses that have been evading taxes. The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is soon to approve amendments to the…
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PM says joining Palang Pracharat “is under consideration”
PHOTO: Asia Times In the first real official hint he may be about to enter the political fray for next year’s Thai general election, the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha admits that the pro-military Palang Pracharat Party would be a choice if he is to jump into politics. Normally shrugging off such questions, he was answering a reporter’s question and said aligning…
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Registration renewals will be denied to traffic fine non-payers
Maybe it belongs in the same category as the Patong Tunnel or the Phuket Light Rail – those stories that just drag on for, well, decades… Now the Land Transport Department is finally claiming they’re ready to link the data bases from the Police and Land Transport so they can better track traffic offenders who haven’t paid their fines. The…
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Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
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December 4 – Thailand’s national day of shame
Today is Thai Environment Day. Today convenience stores, trade stores and shopping malls will refrain from providing single-use plastic bags to shoppers and at the same time will campaign for donation of cloth bags to be distributed to hospitals for containing medicines. Whether any of this actually happens, we will see. The proposed plastic bag-free day is the outcome of…
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Friday meeting to discuss lifting political restrictions
PHOTO: Facebook/prayutofficial The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is set to chair a meeting at the end of this week with representatives of the Election Commission and political parties at the Army Club in Bangkok to discuss issues related to the yet-unconfirmed February 24 election. The meeting expects to lift political restrictions and allow parties to launch election campaigns. Spokeswoman of…
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Full steam ahead for the Thai high-speed railway
PHOTO: CRRC Corporation “CRRC has also provided subways and high-speed trains for the US, Argentina, Brazil and Singapore.” Imagine getting on a train in Bangkok and being in Nakhon Ratchasima, in Thailand’s central north-east, within an hour. That’s what will happen when the first of the Thai/Chinese joint venture high-speed trains are launched. The construction for the Bangkok/Nakon Ratchasima link…
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Where do old Thai Airways 747s go?
A Chai Nat local loved the Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 Jumbo jets so much he bought an old one when it came up for auction. OneMileAtATime.com is reporting that Thai Airways is slowly phasing out its fleet of Boeing 747s with 10 still in active service, and a further 10 stored, or for sale. Given there are hundreds of 747s…
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Internet freebies rolled out for Christmas
The government is finalising plans to give more than 11 million low-income Thai citizens free internet SIM cards and other subsidies that will together cost taxpayers billions of baht. The roll out is part of a charm offensive from the ruling NCPO in the lead up to next year’s poll, scheduled for February 24. The Finance Ministry is proposing that…
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Measles outbreak closes Tak school
A school near the Myanmar border in Tak’s Mae Ramat district has been closed indefinitely after local public-health officials discovered 13 students were contagious with measles. Tak is on Thailand’s central west border with Myanmar. Six of the students from the New Road Learning Centre are currently in serious condition in hospital. Most of the school’s students are Burmese children…
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Thaiger Radio News – Sunday
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Five die in Sukhothai car smash
A man has died, along with his boyfriend, parents and aunt after his car crashed into a roadside tree in Sukhothai, central Thailand. Si Satchanalai police were alerted a few minutes after midnight on Saturday morning that the accident happened on the Si Satchanalai-Uttaradit road in Ban Huay Sak village in Tambon Pa Ngiew. 25 year old Saranyu Thanomjit was…
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Influx of Indian tourists expected over the next decade
PHOTO: LookEast Magazine Tourism from India will increase markedly over the next ten years. This prediction from the head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Wichit Prakorpkoson. By 2028 he says he expects 10 million Indian visitors each year. About Chinese tourism, the ATTA chief say he expected the numbers to slow from previous trends but there will still be 20…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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Thais need to have more babies to reverse declining population
A government advisory body is urging the Government to come up with measures to encourage Thais to have more babies. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has urged the government to implement additional measures to improve the birth rate in Thailand, following a recent study detailing the impact of a shrinking population. Thailand, with the fertility rate of…
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Government to give cash handouts to oil palm planters
The National Oil Palm Committee, led by Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, plans to give away 1,500 baht per rai cash handout to 150,000 oil palm planters in a massive subsidy for their production cost. The subsidies arrive with almost perfect timing for the ruling NCPO in the lead up to the national election in February and the rise of the…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
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Thai Khon now listed with UNESCO as ‘intangible heritage of humanity’
Thai khon drama, or the ‘masked dance’ drama, is now listed as an ‘intangible heritage of humanity’ by UNESSCO. On the ceremony yesterday, UNESCO also listed Cambodia’s khon drama as an intangible heritage of humanity. Reacting to UNESCO’s decision, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha posted in his Facebook page that he was pleased with the decision and he credited this achievement…
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Internal disputes in the Future Forward camp
PHOTO: The Future Forward Party secretary general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul campaigns in Rayong province earlier this week – Future Forward Party The new Future Forward Party has removed its youth wing leaders from duties and is accusing them of misusing party funds. The allegations are being denied by one of the expelled members. Khaosod English is reporting that a party spokeswoman…
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Dam levels low in some regions – Dry season
PHOTO: Srinagarind Dam, Kanchanaburi The Royal Irrigation Department says there be enough water for domestic consumption this dry season. But they acknowledge that water reserves in many dams around the country are running low. The RID director-general, Thongplew Kongjun, is assuring the public that the country will have enough water for domestic consumption and businesses during this dry season. But…
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Bangkok man killed when pickup hits wild elephant
A Bangkok driver has been killed after his pickup truck appears to have hit a wild elephant on an unlit road in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district. The driver has been identified as 58 year old Nakharin Boonchai. Officials believe the pickup hit a large elephant as the road was dark and the driver could not see the large mammal. His…
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Thaiger Radio News – Thursday
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
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Arrivals up 20% – visa fee waiver
The Tourism and Sports Ministry is sprouting anecdotal evidence that tourist arrivals are up a massive 20% for the second half of November. This follows the hastily prepared visa-on-arrival fee waivers for 21 countries, introduced on November 15 and intended to run through to January 13 next year. New visitors from India are part of the bounce back in tourist…
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Buffalo smiles end up in tears
by Thanapol Saengthong and Kornkamon Aksorndech Surat Paewkate, the 34 year old Chai Nat farmer who famously made headlines for his unusual friendship with a five year old buffalo called Thong Kham, has been separated from his four-legged best mate yesterday when police took the animal away over allegations that Surat had used this “friendship” to get money from others. Chai…
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Thai Airways – we need more planes
Thai Airways says it’s has lost 10 percent of its market share over the past three years due to a shortfall in available planes. It’s new business plan states that, if the national carrier wants to restore market share it needs at least 125 aircraft, according to Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham. The national airline has submitted its business plan…
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December 7 meeting will clarify lifting of political restrictions
PHOTO: Deputy PM, Wissanu Kreangam A meeting is scheduled for December 7 to clarify election dates and when political restrictions are likely to be lifted. The meeting will be between political parties ramping up for next year’s poll and the so-called “Five Rivers”, which includes the NCPO, the Cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly, the Constitution Drafting Committee and the Election Commission. Thai…
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Tesco Lotus gets rid of single-use plastic bags. For one day.
Tesco Lotus had netizens talking yesterday after the retail giant released plans to abolish plastic bags for shoppers. Except that it was a mistake. It will only be for one day. Khaosod English jumped onto the Tesco media release earlier yesterday with the news that Tesco Lotus were jumping on the no-plastic bandwagon with a major commitment to get rid…
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