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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BMW eyes bright future for electric cars in Thailand
That growth makes Thailand number three in the world in terms of market acceptance of PHEVs, according to Krisda Utamote, BMW Group Thailand’s director of corporate communications. Christian Wiedmann, president of BMW Thailand, says the German carmaker would continue churning out new electric vehicle models due to confidence in its global market expansion, with Thailand included. “In Thailand, BMW is…
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Thai teen pregnancy education gets real
The Education Ministry will include a test on sex education and life skills in the Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet) from this year forward as a part of efforts to prevent teen pregnancy. “We will soon inform all students about this decision via their schools,” Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya said on the weekend. The decision was reached at…
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The closure of Maya Bay and Boracay island in The Philippines is part of a brave new management strategy to save these, and other, mass tourism magnets from long-term vandalism – to a point where they are beyond reclamation and salvation. Maya Bay closed on June 1 for four months. During this time tour boats will be able to travel…
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New business model proposed for elephant attractions
Canadian-based World Animal Protection has released details of their plan to sign a MoU that will “remove all physical interaction between tourists and elephants” at the Chiang Mai elephant camp. The Happy Elephant Care Valley is about to launch into a landmark agreement that will transform it into a “truly elephant-friendly” tourist attraction. The animal welfare charity says changing the…
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15,000 smuggled cigarette packs seized in Hat Yai
FILE PHOTO: The Nation (from January this year) Excise officials have seized 15,000 packages of smuggled cigarettes in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district last night (Thursday). The goods were found at a house in a rubber plantation in Tambon Klong U-tapao following a tip-off, says Thammasak La-or-iam, an official of the Excise Area 9 Office. The 25 cartons of cigarettes were…
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’11 months’ until the next election. Do the maths….
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam election will take place about 11 months from now after the Constitutional Court ruled the organic bill on the election of MPs as ‘constitutional’. The 11 month timeline puts next years election around April, at least two months after PM Prayut promised the next general election for Thai voters. Bu the deputy PM assured that…
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Draft plan to allow foreigners to work in 11 ‘reserved’ occupations
A plan by the Labour Ministry would allow foreigners to enter 11 of the 39 occupations that are currently reserved for Thais. If the plan goes ahead, foreigners will be able to work as civil engineers, accountants and architects in Thailand under certain conditions. “For example, we won’t allow them to work independently or become business owners,” Labour Minister Police…
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Durian being sent into space. Yes, really.
PHOTO: Thai Residents Thais are set to send durian into outer space in July. The fruit – that has people either delighted or revolted by its smell and taste – will be sent into space in what scientists say will be the first Thai food to leave earth. (We can confirm that there have been no Pad Thai or Som…
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76 year old ambushed and killed in Chumpon
A 76 year old man has been snared by a cable while riding his motorcycle on a Chumphon road and then stabbed to death. His gold necklace and amulet worth 300,000 baht were stolen. This happened yesterday morning (Wednesday). Ban Nai Hood police say Somporn Chubanna was found dead on the Ban Khuan Hin Mui-Huay Sai Khao road in…
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Three arrested with drugs and firearms in Phang Nga
More than 10 police from the the Phang Nga Provincial Police raided a house in the Muang Phang Nga District. Police arrested 47 year old Wirat, 44 year old Aditep and 47 year old Kamon. Police seized 378 methamphetamine pills, 21.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine, nine firearms and some ammunition. “Wirat and Aditep have been charged with illegal possession of…
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Five injured in Phayao bang fai rocket explosion
A bang fai bamboo rocket exploded inside a temple compound in Phayao’s Chiang Kham district last night (Tuesday), injuring five villagers. Police report that the explosion occurred at 10.30pm at the Wat Phra That Sobwaen in Tambon Yuan after villagers performed a candle procession around the chapel to mark Visakha Bucha Day after the procession. Witnesses told police that the…
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Police poised to introduce new points demerit system
Police are getting closer to linking their computer networks to marry speed and traffic cameras, and traffic tickets with vehicle registration data, making it possible to start automating fines in the hope of having a more thorough and accurate penalty system. The Royal Thai Police say they plan to introduce a penalty point system to deal with traffic offences in…
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Flooding in Thailand’s north and northeast
Heavy rains last night (Wednesday) in mountains in a national park swelled canals to bursting levels in a village in Lampang’s Thoen district. About 30 houses in Ban Mae Pa Doi were flooded when the Mae Pa Canal overflowed with runoff from Wiang Kosai National Park, a common occurrence according to local officials. The waters subsided after about three hours.…
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Long-tail boats at Koh Phi Phi damaged by storm
Yesterday (May 29) Nitipat Mongkolpradit, director of Krabi Tourist Assistance Centre was notified that strong wind waves had damaged eight long tail boats which were parked along Ton Tai Beach on Koh Phi Phi. Some equipment on the boats has also been damaged. Mr Nitipat says, “the incident happened yesterday (May 29) at 6 am. Strong winds swept in and…
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Nipah Virus. What is it?
What is the Nipah virus and why do we need to know more about it? Whilst there are no recorded cases of the virus in Thailand but an outbreak in India has experts concerned. Thailand is not safe from a Nipah virus outbreak, as fruit bats in Thailand are a natural host for the deadly infection that can cause encephalitis…
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Illegal hostel crackdown in Krabi
Administrative officers, soldiers, police and land officers in Krabi have conducted another raid in efforts to crackdown on illegal hotels and hostels. They measured the boundaries of some hostels after receiving complaints that public areas have been encroached. Officers found that a few of the hostels checked were using traffic cones to block public areas such as car park areas…
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Yingluck granted 10 year UK visa – BBC Thai website
The UK is reported to have granted a ten-year visa to former Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who has been ruled in absentia to a five-year prison term back home for her role in her government’s rice-pledging scandal. The BBC Thai website has quoted a close aide as saying that Yingluck is now free to travel in and out of…
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Property report tips Phuket property boom
According to Knight Frank Thailand’s research, the Phuket condo market is expected to perform better in line with the brighter economic situation and the growing population of the island. Increasing supply and higher selling prices will be the key drivers, while demand is forecast to improve slightly. The number of launches in Phuket is predicted to increase and Thai developers…
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Landlords petition PM to kill off the new tenant protection laws
Business operators are urging PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to cancel a Consumer Protection Board measure implemented at the start of May1 to protect customers from being overcharged on utility fees by hostels, apartments or rented rooms in residential buildings. Another measure in the new Consumer Protection Board legislation prohibits landlords from removing the belongings of a tenant alleged to have breached…
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Future Forward’s Thanathorn vows to dump 2017 charter
Thanathorn Juangroongru-angkit was predictably chosen yesterday to be the leader of the Future Forward Party, which he co-founded with the agenda of not only becoming the prime minister but also dumping the current, junta-written 2017 Constitution. The scion of the Thai Summit Group won 473 votes with one abstention during the party’s first official meeting, attended by more than 700…
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Coral bleaching report, “widespread but minor”.
By Pratch Rujivanarom Coral reefs in Thailand are currently facing the onset of widespread but mild coral bleaching, as some reefs in both the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand show symptoms of heat stress. Tourists are meanwhile being encouraged to observe signs of coral bleaching and report them to authorities. Despite around 5 to 10 per cent of corals…
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Whale sharks threatened with extinction
SPECIAL REPORT By Piyaporn Wongruang, The Sunday Nation Its head was down, while its tail was up to the air, after being tied up tightly with a rope attached to a big reel on that trawler. Once in a while, the three-metre-long whale shark jerked, prompting its tail to sway, suggesting that it was still alive. “See! It’s still alive!…
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New airports in Phuket and Chiang Mai will ‘ease congestion’.
There’s been mainly positive response to the news that the AoT have approved the construction of two new airports – one in Phuket and one in Chiang Mai. The Director of the Thai tourism department says the decision is an important part of the support needed for ever-growing tourist arrivals. Yuthasak Supasorn, says it is a good sign for the industry,…
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Ten boys set to face gang rape charges after attack on 15 year old
Ten boys are facing charges of rape after a 15 year old school girl was attacked in Ratchaburi. The story received wide coverage after it was featured on Amarin TV. Following the TV show, Bang Pong police spoke to the victim and her family. Now armed with evidence they are set to charge ten boys with rape, abduction, illegal detention and obscenity.…
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New airports approved for Phuket and Chiang Mai
After four years of false starts and rumours it looks like Phuket will now get a much-needed second airport to feed the island and the surrounding region. Yesterday’s announcement by AoT (Airports of Thailand) comes after extensive studies to examine the extension of the current Phuket airport runway which is hemmed in by Thepkasattri Road at one end and the…
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Pro-election activists released on bail
Fifteen political activists have been granted bail shortly after the Criminal Court ordered their 12 day detention following charges resulting from participation in last Tuesday’s pro-election assembly in the capital. The activists were released yesterday on 100,000 baht bail each with the condition that they must not take part in political gatherings that will “break laws and put society at…
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Asian boat shows merge
The local boating industry’s been calling for it for years – a single boat show to showcase the best of Phuket and Thailand’s boating opportunities, destinations and marine lifestyle. In a joint statement issued today by Andy Treadwell, CEO of Verventia, owner of the Singapore and Thailand Yacht Shows, and Gael and Olivier Burlot, owners of Asia RendezVous, organisers of…
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No ban on controversial toxic agriculture chemicals
By Pratch Rujivanarom A verdict on the use of herbicides and pesticides paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos has been handed down following a long debate between farmers, officials and environmentalists. This, despite opposition groups pointing out connections between some of the Committee members making the decision and the Agri-chemical companies. The use of the controversial farming chemicals will continue to be…
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change.org calls for a ban on ‘otter trawling’
An online petition campaigning for a ban on a form of fishing was launched yesterday after an endangered whale shark was caught by a trawler in the waters off Phuket last Friday. Piya Thedyam, creator of the campaign on Change.org for ending the use of so-called otter trawls, emphasised that the marine ecosystem, biodiversity and seafood sustainability of Thai seas…
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12 million meth pills seized in Chiang Rai
Police in Chiang Rai, far north Thailand, say they’ve seized a huge cache of 12 million methamphetamine pills from an abandoned vehicle. National police adviser Pol General Thanitsak Thirasawat said that the pickup truck was found on the Chiang Rai-Wiang Chai road in Wiang Chai district loaded with 57 sacks of narcotics weighing 1,425 kilograms. The truck’s licence plate number…
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