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 Travel vs international health insurance: Which coverage do you need overseas?
The Thaiger key takeaways Travel insurance is ideal for short-term trips, covering emergencies, cancellations, and lost luggage, but not routine care. International health insurance suits expats and long-term residents, offering full medical coverage, including checkups, maternity, and chronic care. Choosing...
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NACC finds Prawit innocent in relation to luxury watches
“The controversy erupted late last year when Prawit showed up at a Cabinet meeting sporting a Richard Mille designer wristwatch said to be worth nearly 3 million baht.” The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ruled in favour of Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, saying he was not guilty of falsely reporting or concealing his assets. The national anti-graft commission’s secretary general Worawit…
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Two Koreans drown in freak golf buggy accident in Phitsanulok
FILE PHOTO Two South Korean men have drowned after their golf buggy collided with one driven by their wives in northern Thailand today. The Guardian reports that the group were on a ferry on Wednesday preparing to cross the river that runs through the course in Phitsanulok province when the men were accidentally rammed by their wives in another. The…
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Hotel room rates remain stagnant whilst Airbnb continues to grow in Thailand
PHOTO: Airbnb As the head-scratching continues as to why traveller aren’t drinking expensive beers in girlie bars and avoiding ‘traditional’ tourist haunts, Airbnb has a record year in Thailand, signaling more problems for the hotel business as tourists seek alternative holiday experiences. As the number of guests continues to trend upwards with more than 1.65 million inbound Airbnb guests to…
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Prawit’s luxury watch probe, delayed outcome by the NACC
Uncertainty over the fate of Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwan continued yesterday after the country’s anti-graft watchdog failed to deliver its report on the probe into Prawit’s collection of luxury wristwatches. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was scheduled to discuss the case and make a decision on the matter yesterday but postponed its meeting yet again, because a commissioner had…
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Tourism arrivals in Thailand up 7.5% so far this year
• Chinese tourists are still accounting for nearly a third of arrivals. • Russian, UK and German tourists record strong rises for 2018 • Australian and New Zealand arrivals down just over 1% (average) for the year The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced the tourism figures for January-November 2018, providing an accurate indication of what the country can…
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Man kills ex-girlfriend and two others during jealous rage in Lampang
The estranged ex-boyfriend of a university student has killed a security guard before shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing himself in Lampang province. The Nation reports that 39 year old Damrongchai Monotham died at the scene, but not before killing his former 21 year old girlfriend Boonyaporn Kantalah and a 28 year old security guard Weerapong Morpa. Umaporn Srichampa, a female…
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Free internet for low income earners with registered welfare cards
Photo: Backyard Travel The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced a project where some 1.8 million registered low-income earners, especially in remote areas, will receive internet in their home for three years. As part of a Universal Service Obligation (USO) project, the aim is to close the ‘digital gap’ providing internet access to 2.1 million households or 6.3…
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Medical marijuana is now legal in Thailand
• Possession of marijuana and krathom within legal limits will be allowed for treatment of certain diseases, for first aid or in cases of emergency •The committee has the authority to give permission to requests for production, import and export of marijuana A new law that legitimises the use of marijuana for medical purposes has sailed through the National Legislative Assembly…
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Imam shot in Christmas Day shooting outside Pattani mosque
An Imam has been shot dead in front of a Pattani mosque today. Police report that the shooting happened in front of Ban Tha Rab Mosque in Muang district and identified the victim as 45 year old Sama-ae Jehma. Pol Captain Sirisak Wangkulam said Sama-ae led prayers and delivered sermons this morning. He then went to leave the mosque when someone…
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Political parties urged to push for lifting of media gag
PHOTO: Thai Journalists Association The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) has issued a statement urging all political parties to join its campaign for the revocation of four executive orders issued by the NCPO that have imposed restrictions on press freedom and freedom of expression. Even though NCPO have already rescinded some of the executive orders to pave the way for political…
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“Prayut unfit to be the PM” – ex Cabinet colleague
The Thai PM and the recently formed pro-junta political party are on the defensive as the chains are off other parties criticising them in the lead up to next year’s election. A Government Spokesman, Buddhipong Punnakanta, has been wheeled out to speak to the media over the allegations made by a former Cabinet member citing the Junta chief’s indecisiveness, aggressiveness…
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PR Model claims ex boyfriend kidnaps father for third time
PHOTOS: Pailin Yokklin (FB) Pailin Yokklin, a 23 year old model from Kanchanaburi, is filing a police report against her ex boyfriend Sukhum Manaim as he has allegedly kidnapped her father three times now. Sukhum will be charged with ‘confinement’. He has previously tried to stop Pailin from working at her PR job due to jealousy. Pailin claims the man…
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Thailand now in world’s top 100 most expensive places to live for expats
Singapore and Thailand are among the fastest risers in a survey of most expensive locations in the world for expats. Asian Correspondent is reporting that multinational human resource consultants ECA International, in its recent Cost of Living survey, revealed that Thailand rose 32 places this year to enter the top 100 most expensive locations in the world. Lee Quane, the…
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Road toll drops but still 60 deaths a day
The good news is that Thailand is no longer in the top couple of countries for road death tolls in the world. The bad news is the toll is still horrendous with an average of 60 deaths every day. Thailand has seen fewer road casualties this year and is now listed as the world’s ninth-most dangerous nation when road accidents…
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More than 300 involved in search for missing two year old
• 300 officers and volunteers involved in search for missing two year old • Police haven’t ruled our kidnapping as a motive in the disappearance PHOTO: vaaju.com More than 300 people have been involved in a search for a missing two year old as they scoured a 200 rai plantation in Suphan Buri, north west of Bangkok. The boy has…
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Fine tuning on same-sex Bill before it goes to Cabinet next week
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun The Life Partnership Bill has been updated to recognise more rights for same-sex couples before it heads to the Cabinet for approval next week. The latest version of the bill now includes a phrase that says non-heterosexual couples will have the right to “make medical decisions” and “hold a funeral” for their incapacitated or deceased spouse, both…
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Baby elephant saved after being snared in a hunter’s trap
A female baby elephant, less than a month old, has been found alone, with a rotten, worm-filled leg caused by a metal trap. The Nation reports that she was found by villagers in Khao Hoi Hua, Moo 8, Amphoe Khao Chamao, Rayong Province who alerted forest rangers from the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary and took her on the…
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First satellite made-in-Thailand enters orbit
PHOTO: ABC Action news, Bangkok Post A Thai university has announced that the first domestically produced satellite has now entered orbit. Weighing in at 1 kilogram and measuring only 10 centimetres on each side, the tiny educational satellite was one of 64 on board the recent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California on Tuesday. Pongsatorn Saisutjarit heads the research…
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UPDATE: Second victim emerges in horrific Saraburi gang-rape
State agencies have become embroiled in a case in which an 11 year old schoolgirl (reported as 12 year old in yesterday’s news) is alleged to have been gang-raped by five teenagers last Sunday. The incident, that happened in Saraburi, has flared up after the girl’s father expressed concern that justice was not being served and that the accused had…
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Plain tobacco packaging by September 2019
The Thai government has made a new legislative announcement regarding plain packaging for cigarette packets, making it the first country in Asia, and first low and middle-income country to do so. This legislation adds to the 2017 Tobacco Control Act, which currently mandates an individual must be 20 or older to purchase tobacco, bans tobacco advertising in the media, sponsorship,…
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Bank of Thailand ups policy rate to 1.75 percent, first rise in 7 years
The Bank of Thailand has increased its policy rate by 25 points, up from 1.50 percent to 1.75 percent. It’s the first rise in seven years. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 5:2 to raise the one-day repurchase rate to 1.75 percent with immediate effect after the rate was kept unchanged for seven years, noting that the need to depend on relaxed…
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POP – Thailand’s first satellite-based rain algorithm
The daily forecast gives us an approximate idea of expected weather and rain. But now researchers have a new tool which will provide much more accurate predictions of precipitation around the Kingdom. The system will be an invaluable tool for water management and flood prevention. They’ve successfully developed Thailand’s first satellite-based algorithm to accurately estimate rainfall. “We call this algorithm…
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“The Election Commission can decide” – PM on foreign observers for election
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is making it clear that the Election Commission (EC) are the sole authority to decide whether or not to allow foreign observers to monitor the election scheduled for February 24, 2019. But, Gen Prayut insisted that Thailand must solve its own internal problems to ensure transparency and fairness in order to restore international community’s confidence in…
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Civil groups urge political parties to strengthen national welfare net
Just last week a report was released claiming that Thailand is the most ‘un-equal’ country in the world, in the same company as Turkey, Russia and India. The Government swiftly dissed the report, deeming it as ‘unreliable’. You can read about that report HERE. Now the We Fair Network of 13 peak organisations has presented its proposals for reform of…
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Driver killed and eight injured in passenger van crash
PHOTOS: js100.com Eight South Korean tourists have been injured in a fatal passenger van accident in Chachoengsao today. In this case it’s alleged that the speeding van they were travelling in hit the rear of a pickup truck whilst it was making a U-turn. It also hit a motorcycle, before colliding with a concrete barrier at noon today. The driver…
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Digital driving license coming to Thailand next year
Stopped at a checkpoint? Fossiciking around in your bag for your license and ID? A new app will be launched in January in which motorists will be able to show their credentials to any law enforcement officer in Thailand. This means you will no longer have to carry a physical license with you.The police will be able to scan a…
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Surachete doubles down on expelling illegal foreigners
“I want to keep the number at zero.” Immigration Bureau chief Surachate Hakparn is admitting that the frequent and highly public crackdowns on immigration suspects living in Thailand illegally is making other foreigners feel uncomfortable. But he says the Bureau’s success in the X-Ray Foreigner campaigns outweighs the concerns of expats. He has once again claimed that the number of…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
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Royal Decree for February 24 election has been sent to HM the King
PHOTO: Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam – The Nation The Royal Decree on the election of members to the parliament has already been submitted to His Majesty the King for his Royal approval, according to the Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam. He reaffirmed that the election date remains unchanged on February 24, but the date for advance voting for overseas voters…
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Sedan careers into family food shop in Tak
PHOTO: The Nation A couple running a roadside family food shop in Tak’s Mae Sot district have been injured following a car making an unexpected ‘drive thru’ attempt. Tak is on Thailand’s western border with Myanmar. The incident occurred last night when a car driven by a Burmese man slammed into it. Police were seeking to determine whether Aung So,…
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