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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
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E-commerce sites will be blocked if they don’t pay local VAT
Do you shop online? Plenty do, and increasingly retail is heading offshore and the main winners are Thai Post. A legal loophole, allowing foreign e-commerce companies to avoid paying Thai VAT, may soon be plugged with new legislation. But the Thai Revenue Department is threatening to block giant foreign e-commerce websites if they don’t pay VAT taxes in the future,…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 6
More details about alleged ‘tapes’ from Belarus escort | ‘Freak storms’ for central and northern Thailand | Latest in ‘furious aunties’ case | Smog ‘very bad’ in north | 69 year Dutchman and 19 year old Thai in custody over prostitution and human trafficking | Labour Department being asked to ‘fast track’ migrant registration | Krabi Airport runway repairs on…
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What does Anastasia Vashukevich know?
PHOTOS: Instagram The raid on a ‘sex seminar’ in love-making in Pattaya last week has grown into an international story of intrigue with links to the ‘Russia-meddling-in-US-election’ ongoing investigation. A Belarusian escort, with close ties to a powerful Russian oligarch said from behind bars in Bangkok, yesterday that she had more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could help…
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Oscar winners – 2018 Academy Awards
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound” Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” *WINNER Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water” ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project” Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water” Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World” Sam…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, March 5
Thai police getting a ‘make-over’ | Outrigger resorts being sold to Singha Estate | New flights, new locations meanwhile Thai Airways struggling | Parents being urged to watch kids while swimming | 79% approve of poll next February | 40 year old hunter shoots relative.
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Thai Airways continues to struggle against newer, nimble competitors
Fierce competition and rising fuel costs are said to be the main cause of Thai Airway’s tough last year. Thai’s operating profit for the last year was down nearly 30% to 2,856 million baht. This included the parent airline and all its subsidiaries. The main culprit, according to TTR Weekly, was a 24.2% increase in fuel prices for its planes.…
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Over 40 new parties registered in one day
By Kas Chanwanpen As many as 42 groups of people requested to establish new political parties on the first day of pre-registration organised by the Election Commission (EC) yesterday. The EC’s head office at Government Complex was full of energy as hundreds of prospective party founders and their supporters lined up to reserve the names and logos of new parties.…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, March 2
TAT says we shouldn’t focus attention on sex tourism | NCPO warns protestors about Pinocchio masks | March 1 kicks off hot-season and registration of new political parties | Academics warn about coral restoration off Patong | Doctor in Hua Hin arrested over abortion clinic | Fake watch vendors arrested in Pattaya.
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Pattaya detained Belarusian escort says she has dirt in the Trump-Russia case
A Belarusian woman who was arrested in Pattaya over the weekend is seeking assistance from the United States, claiming she has information about links between Russia and US President Donald Trump, the Washington Post has reported. Anastasia Vashukevich, an escort service worker from Belarus – who became well known after filming a yacht trip with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, February 28
PM responds to ‘sex tourism’ remarks | Extra long Songkran | Shoot-out on Samui’s Chaweng Beach | Big crackdown on illegal immigrants along Soi Cowboy last night | High-speed rail gets go ahead between Don Mueang and Rayong | PM pushes election date forward to February | Two Americans held in Chiang Mai over fake US bills.
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Pushing the election date forward, again
By Wasamon Audjarint and Kas Chanwenpen Faced with mounting pressure from critics and the international community, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said the next election would be held “no later than” next February. While making his latest promise about the election date, however, Prayut also warned that it would also depend on the situation at the time. “I am not making…
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Five day Songkran
The Cabinet today (Tuesday) has given the green light for a five-day “Songkran Festival” holiday from April 12 to 16. To accommodate people travelling up-country to visit their hometowns, and to stimulate nationwide tourism, the Cabinet allowed Thursday, April 12, as an additional holiday on top of the festival time from April 13 to 16. As traffic congestion is expected…
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More than 100 new political parties poised to launch next month
PHOTO: Suthep Thaugsuban by Attayuth Bootsripoom More than 100 new political parties are expected to launch next month after registration opens on Friday. It will be the first time since the military coup in May 2014 that political activities will be officially allowed. A junta order signed by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha last December allows new political parties to…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, February 26
59% of those polled don’t want a political party with Prayut as leader | Repairs to Phuket Airport runway | More carnage on Patong Hill | Poorly planned ATM snatch it Krabi | January’s numbers for new cars and tourism | Toon hands over the cash – 1.3 billion baht | Police raid Russian sex classes in Pattaya.
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January by numbers – Car registrations and tourist numbers up
The Land Transport Department has reported 268,989 new cars and motorcycles for January 2018. This included 167,039 motorcycles, 63,646 sedans, 24,117 pickup trucks, 1,129 7-seat-plus cars, 939 buses operating on fixed routes, 724 buses which do not operate on fixed routes and 5,731 trucks, according to Thai PBS. That pushes the total number of registered vehicles in Thailand to 38,428,304.…
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We’re going to see more of the three-fingered salute
Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha said he will call a meeting of relevant parties to discuss and decide an appropriate and acceptable date for the next general election. The public in recent weeks has witnessed a series of delays in the passing and enforcing of laws and other legal manoeuvres that have raised doubts over the timing of the next…
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Spate of attacks in the deep south ahead of visit to discuss southern security
There’s been a spate of violence in the south last night with houses, shops, checkpoints and security bases coming under attack in all three of the deep south provinces – Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat. In all, there were more than 10 incidents – car tyres burning, shootings and houses and shop being set on fire. With no injuries reported security…
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Cobra Gold skews military focus away from China
By Wasamon Audjarint Against the background of China’s increasing power and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is seeking to intensify Cobra Gold, the largest regional joint military exercise, that is annually hosted by Thailand. “I believe that Cobra Gold should look for ways to increase the complexity and scope of the exercise every year because we work closely…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, February 23
Greenpeace demands something is done about BKK air quality | Premchai doesn’t turn up to yesterday’s interview with police | A lift falls at Maxx Hotel in capital | Woman lied about Taxi driver attack | Driveway dispute forces closure of nearby markets | Pick-up hits elephant | Chinese tourist falls off Kamala villa rooftop.
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, February 22
Opening day of Thailand Yacht Show | Prawit extends chat with NACC, again | Best & worst roads in Asia | Chonburi boy gets foot stuck in drain | TaT seeking assistance from counterparts in China to curb tourist behaviour | King Cobra season in Krabi | 4G speeds around the world | Latest in the Great Driveway Drama |…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, February 21
Four die in a Krabi road smash | More of the Bangkok driveway-blocking drama | A BIG find on a Gulf beach | Suthep announces new political party | New engine-size tax for motorbikes | Government caves into power plant protesters.
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Bangkok’s Great Driveway Drama – surrounding markets ordered closed
The Bangkok governor has ordered the immediate temporary closure of five markets operating in Seri Villa housing project in Prawet district, in a bid to find an acceptable solution to the decade-long dispute between residents and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) over the presence of the markets. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1620839177993904/ Governor Asawin Kwanmuang said on Wednesday that he would set up a…
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Suthep’s party to support Prayut as post-election PM
From The Nation Suthep Thaugsuban, core leader of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), plans to found a political party to support Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha becoming premier after the next general election, a former Democrat party-list MP has claimed. Watchara Petchthong said on Tuesday that the party would be named the People’s Democratic Reform Committee Foundation, of…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, February 20
Woman NOT happy with pick-up parked over her driveway | Car chase for two Nigerians on Cambodian border | Vandals leaving their mark in Krabi | How NOT to reverse a container truck | 23 tourists stung by jellyfish | 62 year long-term resident in Pattaya giving back to his community. Coming to you from the Floating Donut in Laguna…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, February 19
Airport has 200,000 passengers in one day | Bikie gang member locked out of Australia after visit to Pattaya | German and Thai held over under-age prostitution | Popular farang YouTuber dies | Phuket’s Ao Po Grand Marina gets dragged into Premchai investigation | Four soldiers injured in explosion in Narathiwat | 7/11 looking to introduce ‘Seven Bank’ banking in…
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Public cynical about justice for ‘influential people’ – Survey
Although the investigation into construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta’s alleged illegal hunting is ongoing, the public says they have little confidence that he will ever be punished if found guilty. Nearly two-thirds, or 64.2 per cent, of people recently surveyed believe the case, where Premchai and three others are accused of poaching and possessing wildlife in a Kanchanaburi wildlife park, will…
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Personal grudge behind killing of rubber tapper in South – Police
An elderly rubber tapper was shot dead early on Sunday morning in a rubber plantation in Narathiwat’s Yi Ngor district. Police suspect the fatal shooting might stem from a personal conflict, although they have not ruled out issues related to the deep South’s unrest and national security as a possible motive. Following a 6.20am report of a homicide, police went…
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Senior DSI official faces probe over alleged rape, extortion
A disciplinary investigation is to begin next week into claims that a Department of Special Investigations official took a video of him raping a 38 year old Pattaya businesswoman at gunpoint in May 2015 and then used the tape to blackmail and extort 2 million baht from the woman. Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Thawatchai Thaikhiew said yesterday that the…
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Kalasin rape, shooting suspect turns himself in
The 29 year old suspect, who allegedly shot a male third-year university student in the cheek in Kalasin’s Na Mon district early on Tuesday morning before abducting and raping a female sophomore student, has surrendered to police this afternoon (February 16). Rubber tapper Thisanu Phonarat, surrendered to Kam Moung police officers at a gas station belonging to his elder sister.…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, February 16
Gong Xi Fah Cai! | Bangkok’s pollution moves further north | New 50 kph speed zones in the capital | Alleged Kalasin rapist/shooter on the loose | Premchai’s gone missing | Authorities NOT going to close Maya Bay | Cambodian parliament introduces new laws restricting free speech | 74 year old Brit found on deserted island off Chumpon.
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