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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Two lost children found on Pattaya’s Walking Street
Two lost children were found on Pattaya’s famous Walking Street yesterday. A Good Samaritan alerted Pattaya Tourist Police when he saw a three year old boy and five month old girl near a pumping station in front of the street. The children were alone with two bags of clothes. The police tried to find the children’s parents, but were unsuccessful,…
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Can foreigners legally grow cannabis in Thailand?
The Ministry of Public Health gave away one million cannabis plants to the people of Thailand in June for home cultivation. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dished out the plants to celebrate the removal of all parts of the cannabis plant from Thailand’s list of Category 5 illicit narcotics on June 9. The plants were intended to be cultivated for medicinal…
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Ordination ceremony concert goes on despite flood
“The show must go on,” as the old adage goes, and this was certainly the case at a recent ordination ceremony under threat of flooding in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. The owner of a lighting and sound company, Moo, was hired to set up a concert stage for an ordination ceremony at Samakiyaram Temple in the central province of…
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Flooding may impact Thailand’s tourism recovery
Hopes for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover are being challenged by the worst flooding the kingdom has seen in years. With large areas of croplands being suffocated by seasonal storms and rising rivers, food prices are at risk of increasing while tourism recovery is undoubtedly being slowed. According to Bangkok Post, popular tourist destinations are now being flooded by heavy…
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Phuket taxis drivers promise to quit fighting rivals
Representatives of taxi drivers in Phuket met with provincial officials to acknowledge proposals to avoid fights recently reported in the media. Following a recent fight between a traditional taxi driver and an app-based driver in the Kamala district last weekend, Phuket authorities decided to host a meeting to urge local taxi drivers to focus on the reputation of the province.…
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Miss Ukraine slams Miss Grand International promoter
Ukrainian Beauty queen Olga Vasyliv slammed Miss Grand International 2022 promoters as politically insensitive after they assigned a hotel room for her to share with her Russian counterpart Ekaterina Astashenkova. The Thai-based beauty pageant, Miss Grand International, is promoted by famous Thai media celebrity Nawat Itsaragrisil. The pageant was founded in Thailand in 2013 amid a political crisis in the…
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Cracks in road to popular mountain in northern Thailand
Adventurers driving on the road to a popular mountain in northern Thailand might have a few obstacles ahead of them. Those obstacles include cracks in the road, along with possible mudslides. Highway officials warn drivers that the main road is fractured to the Phu Thap Boek mountain in Phetchabun province. The officials said there were cracks and subsidence on the…
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Thai chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer and wins in court
A Thai man who sells chicken for a living in Kamphaeng Phet province, central Thailand, has been arrested for pretending to be a lawyer for several years. He allegedly faked his license to practise law, fought several court cases, and even won a few. The chicken vendor, Pornthep Kachenpak, got away with it for years by “outsourcing.” His method was…
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Thai actress believes she was drugged on BTS train
Thai actress Chatchaya “Sara” Charoenchan filed a complaint with the police last week after she fainted on the Bangkok BTS train. Sara believes she was possibly spiked with a drug somehow. The 23 year old actress informed the media that the incident happened on the morning of Thursday, September 30 while she was on her way to take an exam…
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French President Macron accepts invitation to APEC meeting in Thailand
President of France Emmanuel Macron sent a letter to Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday confirming his attendance at the upcoming Asia Pacific Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok next month from November 18-19. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thanee Saengrat confirmed Macron’s attendance this morning. In the letter, Macron said he was looking forward to…
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Tangmo defendant repays vow with 5-metre Ultraman figure
A defendant from the Tangmo case, Tanupat “Por’’ Lerttaweewit, repaid a vow he made at a famous temple in the southern part of Thailand by offering a 5-metre Ultraman figure. Thai netizens believe he made a wish related to the Tangmo case after Tangmo’s mother agreed to accept compensation and dropped murder charges. The Kom Chad Luek platform reported that…
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Bangkok asks companies to let employees work from home until October 7
As the Thai capital prepares for another torrential downpour, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) requested that companies allow employees to work from home where possible from October 5 – 7. “City-dwellers prepare for another period of heavy rain. Be wary of certain areas which are prone to flooding. Heavy rain is expected from now until October 7. We ask for…
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Six-legged golden frog brings good fortune in northern Thailand
A six-legged golden frog hopped into a northern Thai man’s life in Phayao province just over a year ago and has brought him good fortune ever since, he told the media today. The special frog jumped into 50 year old Somboon Tuakrua’s house in the Mueang district around a year ago. Somboon said the amphibian was calm and docile, so…
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British Embassy Bangkok to hold a conference on tourism safety and security
This is a one-day conference bringing together the Phuket tourism industry, Thai government departments and the international community to discuss matters relating to tourism safety and security in Phuket. The following topics will be discussed: Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Protective Security Incident Response Panel Discussion: Emerging Consular Trends Post Covid-19 Tourism Industry Cyber Risks Engaging Embassies and Consulates Event…
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Bangkok ranked one of top 5 expat cities
Bangkok is one of the top five expat cities in the world, according to the language learning platform Preply. Thailand’s capital city came in at No.5 on a list of the 60 best cities for expats to live and work. The four cities that beat Bangkok, in order, were Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Tbilisi in Georgia, Lisbon in Portugal, and…
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Woman abandons home after police ignore four burglaries
A homeowner in the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok has abandoned her property after a spate of break-ins ignored by police left her fearing for her life. A picture of the thieves breaking into her house is currently circulating on social media. The Let Me Know If You Wanna Be Famous (อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้รีเทิร์น 5.2) Facebook account posted pictures of the thieving…
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Thai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house
UPDATE After the story hit the media, Thailand’s Government Savings Bank (GSB) released a statement apologising for repossessing and renovating the wrong house in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, one month ago. The bank admits “full responsibility.” However, the apology has been met with disapproval from netizens (gaining 4 thousand angry reactions on Facebook) because it was accompanied by a…
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Thailand wants more tourists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Thailand’s tourism officials are eyeing two Central Asian countries in hopes of more tourists. Those countries are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Travellers from both countries are interested in visiting Thailand, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Monday. Phiphat said that Kazakh and Uzbek tourists started to show interest after Thailand extended its Visa on Arrival from 15 to 30 days on…
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Elon Musk angers Ukraine president with Russia tweets
Controversial tweeter and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, stirred a new dispute, this time with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Musk angered Zelensky, along with many top Ukrainian officials and the people of Ukraine, by proposing his solution for the Russian invasion. The founder of Tesla and SpaceX posted on Twitter that Ukraine should take part in new referendums overseen…
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Thai woman charged for selling fake discount vouchers
UPDATE A Thai woman has been charged with selling fake discount vouchers for hotels in Pattaya. The suspect denies all allegations. Last June, more than 700 victims filed a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok. They made known that they were lured into buying fake vouchers for 5-star hotels, pool villas, restaurants, and activities in Pattaya from…
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Prayut plans to contact citizens hit by power cuts via radio
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggests officials warn locals about flash floods via radio as Thailand did 11 years ago in flooding in 2011. The 68 year old wants to use the radio to update citizens on the news should they lose their electricity. The prime minister joined a meeting via zoom yesterday to discuss how to manage the flooding situation and…
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Submarine purchases could sink over engine debate
Controversy surrounds plans over the plan for three submarine purchases as officials debate which engine is suitable to power the subs. The S26T Yuan-class submarine that Thailand has been in the slow process of purchasing since April was originally planned to be powered by a German engine. Now, factions of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) are debating if a Chinese-made engine…
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VIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher
Paramedics abandoned their ambulance to push a patient on a stretcher through the floods in Bangkok last night. The clip was taken in front of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road where the traffic came to a standstill for three hours. Kontapon Bungwai, who filmed the clip, said… “Bangkok is facing a heavy crisis. The ambulance needs to get…
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Schools no longer need to close for Covid outbreaks
With Covid-19 being downgraded to a communicable disease of concern, schools and universities will no longer require closures for outbreaks. Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong spoke at a press conference yesterday and said that new control measures won’t include definite closures, should an outbreak of the coronavirus afflict a school. With many students often packed into a tight area, schools…
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Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life
The death toll from the fire at Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on August 5 has risen to 24. The 24th victim, a navy officer, died from his injuries in hospital last night after fighting for his life for two months in the ICU. Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch said on Facebook yesterday… “#RIP the 24th victim of…
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Thailand & Australia pledge to stamp out trafficking
The government pledged to make human trafficking its top priority as Thailand renewed stronger trade ties with Australia yesterday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met Australia’s new ambassador, Angela Jane Macdonald, at Government House yesterday to discuss several options including trade opportunities between the two nations as they celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri made it known…
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Girl sustains head injuries while surfing in Phuket
A girl sustained head injuries while surfing at Phuket’s Kamala Beach in the Kathu district on October 2. This news comes as Phuket and Thailand at large are experiencing lots of stormy weather, which has caused strong waves in the country’s seas. Rescuers arrived on the scene and took the girl to a nearby hospital. Her name, age, and nationality…
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Best island boat tours from Phuket – must-visit islands and unforgettable experiences you should not miss out on
Press Release For many people, Phuket is the first place they think of for a tropical island getaway, and rightly so, with its amazing beaches, incredible scenery, fabulous weather and delicious exotic food, Phuket has something for everyone. For some, sunbathing on one of the white, sandy beaches sipping on a freshly cut coconut or enjoying a tropical Sabai Sabai…
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Bank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand
A woman from Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, couldn’t believe her eyes when she returned home to her locks changed, all her belongings seized, and a ‘for sale’ sign outside her house. Thailand’s “Government Savings Bank” (the pink one) sent bailiffs to repossess a house in Wanasiri Park View Village on September 5. The bailiffs changed all the locks…
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Innocent man jailed 7 months for 15.8 million baht theft demands justice
An innocent man jailed for over seven months has filed a miscarriage of justice complaint against the police after being blamed for stealing diamond rings worth 15.8 million baht. The innocent man, Pisit Suwannapim, is demanding justice from the Anti-Corruption Division Police after being jailed for seven months and ten days in Thon Buri Remand Prison. The 54 year old…
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