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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More heavy rain to continue today in 62 of Thailand’s provinces
More heavy rain is in today’s forecast for 62 of the 72 Thai provinces. The Meteorological Department warned civilians in these provinces, which include Bangkok, to brace for torrential rain. According to the forecast, a monsoon trough is moving its way down the lower northern region of the country and the upper Central Plains over the next day. A moderate southwesterly…
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Ambulance runs a red light and kills a motorcycle rider
A 60 year old man was killed after a speeding ambulance run a red light and wiped out his motorcycle causing a huge ball of fire in Mahasarakham, northeastern Thailand. The ambulance from Yang Talad Hospital smashed into the motorcycle at the Chiang Yuen Intersection in Mahasarakham province yesterday at 6am. Video footage from a vehicle behind the motorcycle captures…
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TAT looks to draw more Japanese tourists to Thailand with new campaign
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking to draw in more Japanese tourists. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced that TAT will introduce a new partnership campaign in the last three months of the year called “It’s Time to Go To Thailand”. The campaign aims to increase Japanese tourists’ average spending per trip, which right now is only 6,400 baht, the…
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Motorcycle taxis & app-based riders fight over passengers
An ongoing row over passengers between motorcycle taxi riders and app-based riders erupted into a brawl on Sunday on Soi Ratchada 18 in Bangkok. One motorcycle taxi rider demanded that the app-based riders give them more respect and stop random pickups on the street when motorcycle taxi services are nearby. The first fight started last Sunday, September 18. One motorcycle taxi…
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Man steals watch & diamond ring at car accident scene
An opportunist thief was arrested today after pretending to help a driver involved in a car accident with a motorcycle rider before snatching a 6-million baht watch and a diamond ring from the scene. The driver of a Mercedes-Benz crashed into a motorcycle in front of the Poon Sub Market in the Mueng district of Pathum Thani in central Thailand…
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Thai navy buys pilotless aircraft from Israel for 4 billion baht
Thailand has signed a contract to buy Hermes 900 “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) from an Israeli defence company, according to an announcement made today by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The purchase will cost 4 billion baht ($US107,003,360). The pilotless aircraft will patrol Thailand’s seas to “protect the sovereignty of Thailand’s waters and shipping routes.” The drones will also assist…
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Lamborghini driver scrambles from scene of egg seller crash
A Thai woman has sought the help of a lawyer to help track down a reckless foreigner who crashed his Lamborghini into her pickup truck full of eggs worth nearly 200,000 baht before he scrambled from the scene, leaving a Thai man to take the blame. Kamlai Sisaengchan had just picked up 1,400 trays of eggs, worth 190,000 baht, when…
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Thailand’s repeat drink driving offenders will be jailed
New legislation in Thailand means that people caught drink driving more than once will go to jail. First time offenders could go to jail or get a fine. The harsher punishments are intended to act as a DUI deterrent to reduce the overall number of deaths on Thailand’s dangerous roads. Thailand’s roads are the deadliest in Southeast Asia and among…
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VIDEO: Man breaks into ex-wife’s home and kidnaps her in central Thailand
A bitter Thai man broke into his ex-wife’s home in Nakhon Pathom province and kidnapped her on Tuesday night. The woman’s home security camera captured the terrifying moment he smashed his way into the house, locked his arms around her neck and dragged her outside. She says it is the second time her ex-husband has kidnapped her. At 10.25pm, Jeerawat…
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Corrupt police chief’s 137 million baht fortune nabbed
A former deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8 found guilty of fraudulent activity has had his 137 million baht fortune confiscated by Thailand’s Criminal Court for Corruption. Pol Lt Gen Somchai Nitayabowornkul was found guilty by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAAC) on August 10 for having assets worth more than he could ever afford in relation to his rank…
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Weakening baht is in focus as meeting called to discuss its impact
The Bank of Thailand is scrambling to find the sources behind the weakening baht as a meeting is called to discuss its impact. Finance Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, says the depreciating currency is adding to the inflationary pressures and is vowing to determine whether the decline is linked to the country’s economic fundaments. The Finance Ministry is set to hold talks…
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Thailand schedules general election for May 7, 2023
The Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) tentatively scheduled the day of the general election next year for May 7. Registration for all candidates will be open from April 3 to April 7, 2023. The general election plan was announced by the EC today as the government’s four-year term of office is expected to end on March 23,…
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Thai Buddhists ask 7-Eleven stores to separate halal labels
A non-profit organization requested 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand to provide a special shelf for products without halal labels. The group said halal labels made goods more expensive. Yesterday, Thai Buddhists from Buddhism Protection for Peace (BPP) gathered in front of CP Tower on Silom Road in Bangkok to hand over a letter about halal labels to the executive board…
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Tangmo: ‘Speedboat gang’ to pay 2 million baht plus salary to Tangmo’s mother
Seven months after famous actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong fell from a speedboat and drowned in the Chaophraya River, the court has ordered all six defendants in the case to pay damages to Tangmo’s mother. Today, Nonthaburi Provincial Court ordered all six defendants – the “speedboat gang” – to pay a collective upfront sum of 2 million baht in damages to…
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2 Vietnamese pickpockets arrested in Bangkok
Two Vietnamese pickpockets were arrested after stealing money and credit cards from a Singaporean tourist at the Erawan Shrine near CentralWorld shopping mall in Bangkok. They deny the allegations. The Commissioner-general of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Samran Nuanma, gave an update on the development of the pickpocket case at a press conference yesterday. Samran made public that three Vietnamese pickpockets…
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Foreigner’s ad looking for highly paid Thai girlfriend attracts hundreds of applicants
A Thai woman posted a job advertisement online last week on behalf of her two Chinese friends who are looking to hire Thai girlfriends. The positions come with a 100,000 baht salary per month with a chance to earn even more if the girlfriends do a good job. Facebook user ‘Ok Mai Mai’ posted the following message last week… “Looking…
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Customer masturbates in front of delivery driver in central Thailand
Yesterday, a delivery driver filed a police complaint after he was sexually harassed by a customer in Nonthaburi province in central Thailand last week. The young driver waited more than one week to submit his evidence to police because he was scared he would be arrested for violating Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), a law introduced in June which…
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Agoda: Thailand leading Asia bookings post-pandemic
Popular booking website Agoda says Thailand is one of the first Asian countries to see tourism rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic. Omri Morgenshtern, Agoda’s chief executive says even though the inbound search rate for Thailand on the website was 39% lower than in the same period in 2019, it has begun to rise since the beginning of 2022. “Thailand is…
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Former Thai deputy PM Suthep cleared of corruption charges by Supreme Court
Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuwan has been cleared by Thailand’s top court of corruption charges. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions also acquitted five co-defendants in the case over a decade-old incident. The charges stemmed from Suthep’s alleged involvement in a project to construct 396 police stations and living quarters while he was deputy PM.…
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THAI expects bankruptcy court to approve revised rehabilitation plan
Thai Airways International (THAI) is expecting its revised rehabilitation plan to be approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court. The submitted revision comes after the ailing carrier bounced back better than expected after its Covid-19-induced downfall. But, its rehab plan hasn’t come without pushback from some creditors. Chai Eamsiri, the airline’s acting chief financial officer and senior chief, says once the…
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US tourist tips Thai woman 100 dollars to thank for her kindness
A Californian traveller and blogger tipped a Thai woman 100 dollars, or nearly 4,000 baht, after she crafted him a handmade poncho for free on a rainy day. On August 22, the man from California, Chris Rodriguez, posted a video of a Thai woman whom he met near Bangkok Chinatown on his TikTok account with a caption that said… “Thai…
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Thailand News Today | Thai airlines discounts on domestic flights
You can get 300 baht off domestic flights in Thailand under the project “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand. ” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Airlines Association jointly launched a special offer to stimulate the economy through domestic tourism this season. Six airlines joined the scheme to offer 300 baht discounts on 500,000 seats on…
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Woman falls down hole while walking on a pavement near Bangkok
Walking on pavements in Thailand is a hazardous affair at the best of times. Pedestrians have a number of dangers to look out for such as speeding motorcyclists, scooters, cars backing up or even street vendors with their carts. One woman fell down a hole after the paving gave way while walking in the central province of Nonthaburi in Bangkok.…
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Thai police undergo training drill in preparation for APEC meeting
Bangkok Police officers took part in a five-day training drill in preparation for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting between November 18 and 19 this year. The five-day programme started on Friday, September 16 at the office of the Special Operation Division in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok. The objective of the drill was to prepare officers for any emergencies…
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Father allegedly beats 6 year old son to death in drunken rage
A father faces up to 20 years in prison after he allegedly beat to death his six year old son in a drunken rage in northern Thailand. Police reported the 33 year old father confessed to killing his son and dumping the child’s body in the Ping River in Kamphaeng Phet province. Police questioned the father, named only as Korakot,…
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Ministry of Labour strives to provide jobs for the elderly
The population of Thailand is collectively getting older, and now the Ministry of Labour is attempting to address the problem of senior citizens without the financial means to sustain themselves. Minister of Labour Suchart Chomklin is working to create a job market for elderly citizens as Thais over 60 struggle to pay their bills without jobs. The plan to reduce…
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Thai police bust illegal piranha trafficking operation in Bangkok
Police arrested a man in Bangkok yesterday for illegally smuggling and selling piranha fish, following a joint investigation by Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Department of Fisheries. An investigation into illegal aquatic operations in Thailand revealed that 21 year old Abhisit Wisetsee had been illegally selling piranhas via the Internet for over a year. Each piranha sold for…
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‘Nazi’ the Pit Bull mauls its owner in northeast Thailand
A pit bull mauled and seriously injured its owner – who named it “Nazi” – in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. At 2pm yesterday, Korat rescue workers were called to a two-storey house on Soi Thaekingphon 5 in Mueang district, where they found the dog’s 60 year old owner Supaporn seriously injured and lying in a pool of blood…
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Tourism is rebounding but travellers expected to spend less
A government spokesperson is saying that tourism is nearly back to pre-Covid levels, though the Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects travellers will spend less money than previously predicted. Since January, 5 million international travellers have now landed in Thailand, about half the amount the government forecasted by the end of the year. One million tourists entered during September, garnering…
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Six airlines offer 300 baht discount on domestic flights in Thailand
Get 300 baht off domestic flights in the Land of Smiles under the project “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand.” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Airlines Association jointly launched the special offer in the hopes of stimulating the economy through domestic tourism this high season. Six airlines joined the scheme to offer 300…
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