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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“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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Elephants help search for missing Burmese boy
PHOTO: Thairath The latest update in our recent coverage of the missing boy in Suphan Buri is that four elephants have joined the search party, which now includes, police helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs, and frogmen. Police, military personnel, local administration officials and private rescue workers make up the 300 strong search party. The missing 2 year old Burmese boy is…
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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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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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Wealth inequality becomes a focus of the election campaign
GRAPHICS: Karnjana Lao – The Nation Thailand is among the countries with the largest gap between the rich and the poor, with a disproportionate slice of the national wealth and income going to the wealthiest 1 per cent of the population. Inequality has been on the rise across the globe. Economic gaps have continued to grow as the richest few…
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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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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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Her Majesty the Queen visits hospital for checkup
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has been admitted to the Chulalongkorn Hospital yesterday for a general physical checkup. The announcement from the Bureau of the Royal Household. The announcement says that the Queen will remain at the hospital until Friday.
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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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“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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Neighborhood quarrel suspected in brutal killing of family
by Somjit Rungjamrassamee Police are searching for three Burmese suspects in a brutal murder of four people, including a four year old boy and a four month old baby. The four family members, all from Myanmar, are believed to have been killed while they were sleeping on Saturday night. The gruesome killing took place in the border province of Tak…
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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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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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Search on for person who tried to drown puppies
“Paitoon, accompanied by many, also made merit for the deceased pups.” by Saichon Srinuanjan Authorities suspect somebody may tried to drown seven puppies and succeeded in killing five of them in Ratchaburi’s city district, west of Bangkok. Two puppies from the litter were found wet, but alive, though five other likely siblings were found at the same spot but lifeless.…
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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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Thaiger Radio News – Sunday
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Phichit collision kills three, injures four
A pick-up has flipped, throwing workers off the back tray, killing them when they crashed into another pick-up in Phichit this morning, in central Thailand. Three people were killed and four others injured when the pick-up smashed into another pick-up truck transporting construction workers. The accident happened at 8.30am on highway No 115 linking Sam Ngam and Muang district in…
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Leonid meteor shower displays across the early morning skies
“…at some times, about three to four meteors per minute.” PHOTO: Nexter.org More than 500 stargazers, many from Bangkok, camped out at the Prachinburi Observatory last night and early this morning to witness the annual Leonid meteor shower. The Bangkok observatory set up 12 large telescopes for the stargazers to watch the meteor shower. By 5am, over 500 people were…
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Foreigners will be allowed to serve as arbitrators – NLA votes
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has voted to pass the draft amended Arbitration Act in its first reading which will allow foreigners to serve as arbitrators in Thailand. The NLA yesterday voted 139-0 with 2 abstentions to pass the bill amending the 2002 Arbitration Act in its first reading. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, who presented the draft bill, told legislators…
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Thailand’s digital economy and data use to expand x 4 in the next 3 years
by Nophakhun Limsamarnphun Data use in the country’s fast-paced digital economy is forecast to jump four times over the next three years, resulting in massive demand and growth for data storage facilities. The managing director of Supernap Thailand, Sunita Bottse, says that the number of Thailand’s mobile device users has reached 46 million out of the country’s 69 million population, while…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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506 more people rounded up and arrested in latest immigration sting
PHOTO: The Nation Police have rounded up and arrested another 506 foreigners in their X-Ray Outlaw campaign, mostly for living illegally in the Kingdom. The results of the recent operations, checking foreigners nationwide, were announced at another late night media conference at the Grace Hotel on Soi Sukhumvit 3 at 1:30 am today by the deputy Immigration Bureau chief. He said…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
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Thailand’s Islamic council bans children under 17 from marrying
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun The Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT)’s has passed a new regulation banning children under the age of 17 from marriage. But there is a loophole in the new regulation. Thailand’s Islamic council has, for the first time, issued a ban on child marriage nationwide. This follows public anger sparked by the marriage back in July of…
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Finance Minister foreshadows slowing economy in 2019
“We expect the GDP growth for 2019 to be at least 4 per cent. However, the economic growth for 2019 is expected to be slower than 2018,” Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong predicts Thailand will encounter slower economic growth in 2019,. The Minister cites uncertainty from the trade war between China and the US, the upcoming Thai election and a slump…
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