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.
-
Thai medical experts hold seminar, warn of the risks of HPV
Several Thai medical experts discussed the country’s struggles with human papillomavirus (HPV) at a recent seminar. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes several cancers, most commonly cervical cancer in women. Cervical cancer kills 13 Thai women every day. It is the second deadliest cancer for working-age Thai women, after breast cancer. A shockingly high percentage of people…
-
Hospital sends wrong corpse to funeral in central Thailand
The wrong corpse turned up at a funeral in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. Both the hospital and the deceased’s brother have taken responsibility for the mishap. Yesterday, relatives waited at Wat Sawang Arom temple in Kabin Buri district to receive the body of 58 year old Somnuk Kongto who sadly died in an accident. Somnuk’s brother picked…
-
Pattaya tourists enjoy the beauty of Loy Krathong and eclipse on beach
Pattaya tourists got to enjoy the beauty of the Loy Krathong festival, combined with the lunar eclipse, on Tuesday night at Pattaya Beach. The crowd of thousands gathered on the beach to float their krathongs in the sea. A video shows students from nearby schools wearing traditional Thai clothing, and assembling their krathongs for contests. At the beach, there were…
-
Some electric wires in Bangkok urgently buried for APEC meeting
Ugly electric cables in front of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok have been pulled down and buried to provide a more aesthetic scene for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting from November 16 to 19. The action evoked much mirth and merriment from the nation’s netizens. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) of Thailand’s Facebook page yesterday…
-
Taxi fares in Bangkok to increase in two weeks
The Ministry of Transport yesterday approved a motion to increase taxi fares in Bangkok after recent protests by the capital’s cab drivers. The new fares are expected to come into operation in the next two weeks. The Transport Ministry announced a month ago that taxi fares in Thailand would be increased after eight years of stagnation. The department of transport…
-
Thai man drowns after falling into canal on Loy Krathong night
A man tragically drowned in Thailand’s central province of Ayutthaya on Loy Krathong night on Tuesday, after he and his wife fell into a canal linked to the Rama VI Dam. The couple, a 44 year old wife and 51 year old husband had been invited to a Loy Krathong event after work. They decided to go and float their…
-
Police arrest bat-eating YouTuber in northeast Thailand
UPDATE Yesterday, the Thai woman who ate bat soup on YouTube was arrested in Sakhon Nakhon province in northeast Thailand. Officers from Phon Kaew Police Station arrested the YouTuber – who is also a teacher – under suspicion of “possession of protected wildlife carcasses,” violating Section 17 of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act (2019). Police also charged the YouTuber…
-
A trip to Thailand: what to take and leave behind
Thailand or bust? If you are planning to move or travel to Thailand, we have a packing guide that can help you skip the headache of knowing what to bring to the country and what to leave behind. As Thailand is a tropical country which features hot, very hot, and rainy seasons, there is really no need to bring anything…
-
Two Thai airlines among Top 10 most timely in the world
Thailand is not known for its timekeeping, yet two Thai airlines were among the most “on time” in the world in September 2022. The Top 10 Most On-time Airlines were ranked using real data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) flight database. OAG provides “the world’s most accurate and information-rich flight data.” Flights that leave within 15 minutes of their…
-
MOPH to investigate Krabi’s holy water after a disabled woman claimed she could walk after drinking it
The Ministry of Public Health yesterday revealed it intends to investigate Krabi’s holy water after a disabled woman claimed she could walk again after drinking it. The holy water is prepared by putting a miracle rock in water that was found in the area. Locals believe the rock has magical qualities. A shaman then conducts a ceremony to conjure a spirit…
-
1 thousand people celebrate start of Buddhist festival at Pattaya temple
About 1,000 people celebrated the start of a Buddhist festival at a temple in Pattaya on Sunday. The Nong Or Temple had a kick-off event for the Thod Kathin Festival with about 1,000 people in attendance. Photos show a happy crowd of attendees smiling and clapping, as well as attendees presenting offerings to a monk. The Thod Kathin Festival begins…
-
Thailand is 1 billion baht short for World Cup 2022 broadcasting license
Thailand’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBTC) approved a 600 million baht budget today to purchase broadcasting rights so that Thais can watch the Fifa World Cup 2022 on TV. However, broadcasting rights cost 1.6 billion baht leaving Thailand one billion baht ($US27.2 million) short with just 11 days to go to kick-off. The NBTC committee sat down at 9.30am today and…
-
Kush House: Bangkok’s most unique cannabis dispensary
You are invited to the grand opening of Kush House cannabis dispensary, in the heart of Bangkok, tonight at 9pm. Two things set Kush House apart from other cannabis stores in Thailand: Thai Traditional Medicine and art. The visually striking atmosphere at Kush House – conveniently located at the entrance of Sukhumvit 22 – has been carefully crafted to give…
-
Teen boasts he escaped murder charge because his family is rich
An 18 year old allegedly boasted on social media that he escaped being charged with the murder of a 14 year old boy because his family is rich and powerful. Thai social media is outraged that 18 year old Dome killed 14 year old Fluck and bragged about it on Twitter. Netizens are furious after seeing the trending hashtag on…
-
Join ICONSIAM’S Bangkok Illumination 2022 for magical light displays
Press release The most anticipated festive illumination festival on the bank of Bangkok’s majestic river now lights up ICONSIAM, a global landmark by the Chao Phraya River. The ICONSIAM Bangkok Illumination 2022 runs from today to 5 January 2023, celebrating the opening of Thailand to welcome international tourists and ease travel restrictions across the globe. This festive extravaganza will again…
-
VIDEO: Billowing fire spoils Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai
Thousands of glistening paper lanterns lighting up the night sky in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, disappeared into a thick plume of smoke after a foam pagoda went up in flames in the middle of the Yi Peng Lantern Festival celebrations last night. Billowing smoke rose into the sky after a lantern fell on top of the flammable replica pagoda, made…
-
Thai women tricked into sex work in Nigeria seek help
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand is on a mission to rescue a group of Thai women stuck in Nigeria who claim they were offered work as masseuses but forced into prostitution instead. Last week, relatives of the women sought help from Paveena Hongsakul, who is a Thai women’s rights and children’s rights activist, ex-Minister of Social Development and…
-
12 people injured by illegal fireworks in Loy Krathong event
A Loy Krathong festival celebration almost turned into a tragedy last night when 12 people were injured by illegal fireworks set off at the event in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom. The Meung Nakhon Phanom mayor announced the victims only suffered mild injuries. Nakhon Phanom provincial governor, other officers, and hundreds of residents joined the grand opening ceremony of…
-
Police arrest 2 Chinese mafia chiefs, 3 slip the net
Thailand’s deputy national police chief revealed yesterday that the authorities have captured two heads of Chinese mafia gangs in the kingdom. Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate ‘Big Joke’ Hakparn announced a covert undercover operation managed to successfully arrest two mafia chiefs adding that three heads of illegal activities managed to escape their clutches, fleeing the country on private…
-
Bill Heinecke suggests Thailand charge foreign tourists extra 300 baht per night
Hotels in Thailand should charge foreign tourists an extra 300 baht (US$8) per room per night to aid the economy’s post-pandemic recovery, suggests outspoken American-Thai hotel tycoon and billionaire Bill Heinecke. Heinecke is the founder of the Minor Group, which runs more than 500 hotels worldwide. In an open letter addressed to Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Heinecke said the…
-
Thai actress defies laws to build house on Koh Samui mountain
Locals in Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani filed a complaint with authorities after a luxury house belonging to a Thai actress was built on a mountain area that belongs to the government. Officers from the Department of Land and Royal Forest Department yesterday investigated the house, and land around where the building is under construction, in…
-
Over 3 million people in Thailand living below poverty line, census shows
Over 3 million people in Thailand were living below the poverty line as of January this year, according to a government census agency. The Thai People Map and Analytics Platform (TPMAP) surveyed 36.1 million people across Thailand and found that 3.44 million were living without their basic needs being met. This categorised them as poor. The survey found that 1.02…
-
Suvarnabhumi Airport offers 7 days free parking for APEC Summit
Suvarnabhumi Airport is offering free parking for one week from November 15-21 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit which will be held in Bangkok this month. Free parking will be available for passengers and service users for a total of seven days at Long Term Parking Zone C, which can accommodate 718 cars. The airport is expected to be…
-
VIDEO: Bat-eating YouTuber sparks outrage in Thailand
Netizens in Thailand are outraged at a Thai YouTuber with 400,000 subscribers for eating bat soup – and encouraging others to eat bat meat – on her channel ‘Gin Zap Bep Nua Nua’ (“Eat spicy and delicious.”) The YouTuber confidently rips apart the bats, swimming in a mud-coloured soup with cherry tomatoes, and dips the meat in Nam Jim, a…
-
British man sentenced for rape in UK flees to Thailand
A British man sentenced to eight years in jail for rape is believed to have fled to Thailand. A jury found Michael Foster unanimously found guilty of rape in absentia in September, reported Lancashire Police. Yesterday, he was found guilty once more at Preston Crown Court. The 35 year old man, formerly of Fishwick Parade, Preston, was given eight years…
-
Thailand pulls the plug on foreign land ownership regulation
The Thai government has already pulled the plug on the draft ministerial regulation that would open up new foreign land ownership options in Thailand. The regulation proposed allowing foreigners who hold a 10-year Long Term Resident visa to buy a property and/or land of up to one rai in Thailand, given they invest a minimum of 40 million baht into Thailand…
-
Thai police accused of using power to get free food & drinks
Officers from Krathum Ban Police Station in Samut Sakhon province near Bangkok have been accused of using their power to get free food and drinks from a bar in the province. Celebrity Thai lawyer Sittha Biabangkird claimed yesterday that a number of police officers frequent a bar named Good Zone several times a month, order food and drinks and allegedly…
-
The ancient story behind Thai film coming in December
A Thai film depicting a beloved character from the ancient Ramayana story is coming up in December. The film, titled “White Monkey” will be in cinemas on December 5. The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic about Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from his enemies. In the story, the white monkey is a Hindu god known…
-
Unfolding Bangkok – video mapping in city’s hidden temples
Unfolding Bangkok is a new city project offering people the chance to see temples in a new light, via video and projection mapping, from November 12 to December 31. Unfolding Bangkok is a part of the Colourful Bangkok 2022 project. This sub-project is divided into three phases, which include Hidden Temples, Greeting Benjakitti, and Living Old Building. The programme kicks…
-
Pattaya NGO to hold fundraiser for abused and trafficked women
An NGO in Pattaya is holding a fundraising event for abused and trafficked women this Friday, November 11. The event, titled “Fashion Rocks, will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Pattaya International at the Pattaya Hilton Hotel. The event’s Facebook page says it starts at 5pm. The fashion show aims to raise funds for children, young women, girls, and…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.