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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Convicted South African drug trafficker writes letter from inside Thai prison
A 23 year old South African woman serving a long prison sentence for drug trafficking wrote an eloquent letter offering a glimpse into how it feels to be locked away in Thailand. Ashley Oosthuizen was found guilty of international drug trafficking after she signed for a package containing MDMA at the restaurant she worked at in Koh Samui, ‘Hot in…
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Owning pets for Thai people found to be increasingly popular
Owning pets for Thai people has been found to be increasingly popular, according to data from Euromonitor. Data from the site has indicated that the number of Thais who count pets as family members has increased by 3% from 2019 to 2022. The number is expected to continue to rise as more Thais take a liking to pets. In 2019,…
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Phuket fishing crew missing since last month
Crew members of a fishing boat in Phuket have been missing since last month. The boat, named Soi Sakun Petch, was captained by Roong Luekamwong and had three other crew members on board, including one Thai national and two Myanmar nationals. According to the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, the boat had set out to fish in the Southwest…
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Thailand’s first ever seaplane airline to launch this summer
Thailand‘s first-ever seaplane airline ‘Siam Seaplane‘ is preparing to launch this summer to take the kingdom’s tourism industry to the next level. Siam Seaplane has formed partnerships with 60 luxury hotels and resorts, including top brands Intercontinental and Four Seasons. In an interview with AirwaysMag, Chief Business Operator Dennis Keller revealed that the company faced plenty of setbacks during the…
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Nine Swedish tourists rescued after longtail boat capsizes in Thailand
Nine Swedish tourists and a Thai boat driver were rescued from the Krabi sea in southern Thailand when their longtail boat capsized near Hong Island on Sunday. At 12.30pm, Chief of Than Bok Khorani National Park Weerasak Srisatchang was informed that a longtail boat carrying “many foreign tourists” capsized in the waters of Koh Hong island in Krabi province. Park…
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Arrest warrant issued to former Pheu Thai chief for failure to attend corruption hearing”
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders issued an arrest warrant for former Pheu Thai Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan for failing to attend the first hearing in his case where he is charged with accepting excessive gifts while serving as Interior Minister from 2012-2013. Charupong was scheduled to appear on December 13, 2022, but did not show up and…
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Thailand to deploy rescue team to Turkey following earthquakes
Thailand is stepping up to help following the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced yesterday that it will deploy a 20-member Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team to Turkey. The USAR Thailand team will consist of fully equipped experts trained in search and rescue operations at both national and international levels. The…
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Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending expected to jump for first time in 5 years
Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending is expected to jump for the first time in five years this year, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). Spending is expected to hit over 2.4 billion baht this year, the survey said. The survey shows a 57.1% increase in spending compared to last year, with the majority…
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No one responsible for Service Hall collapse at Don Mueang Airport, confirms AOT
No one is responsible for the partial collapse of the newly-built Service Hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport in April last year, confirms Airports of Thailand (AOT). Excessive rainfall was blamed for the incident. Tomorrow, February 8, the repaired Service Hall will open for use, some ten months after its collapse. On April 17, 2022, parts of the roof and…
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New law allows foreign talent to thrive in Thailand
The government of Thailand has taken a huge step forward in attracting highly skilled foreign workers to the country, with the release of a new law that allows foreigners to work or invest in 18 select industries. The Royal Thai Gazette website published a notice from the Ministry of Interior outlining the special permit for migrant workers, signed by Prime…
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Unlock hours of fun with The Thaiger’s library of 20+ mini-games!
Are you looking for a fun way to pass the time? Look no further than The Thaiger! Our website now offers a library of 20+ mini-games that are sure to keep you entertained for hours. From classic arcade games to puzzles and brain teasers, we have something for everyone. Whether you’re a fan of Sudoku, Solitaire, Fast Calculations, Blackjack, or…
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Thai child buys grandma gold ring with money saved selling kanom pang ping
A giving and entrepreneurial Grade 5 student from Chai Nat province in central Thailand has won over the hearts of the nation by buying his grandma a gold ring with money he saved up selling ‘kanom pang ping.’ On Sunday, 11 year old “Ice” went to a gold shop in Chai Nat with his mother with 4,700 (US$140) baht in…
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Overworked Thai TV man found dead at work, no one noticed
A Thai News Network (TNN) worker died at his office desk at the weekend and no one noticed until the following day. The man’s colleagues reported that he died from overwork, suffered a heart attack, and passed away on duty. The dead man’s colleagues reported that he used to shout at the TNN management… “When will you hire more people?…
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Canadian couple cycle 2500km around Thailand for children’s charity
A Canadian couple are cycling 2,500 kilometres around Thailand with the goal of raising one million baht for a children’s education charity. Chantal Jauvin and William Thomas – from Canada – are over half way through their cycling journey to raise money for the Foundation For Rehabilitation & Development of Children and Family (FORDEC). FORDEC is one on the main…
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Thai woman slashes Chinese tourist in row over Phuket tour package (video)
An angry Thai tour company owner slashed a Chinese tourist’s arm after a row over a tour package in Phuket. As a result, the woman’s tourism license has been suspended for six months from today and she faces imprisonment and a fine. The Chinese victim revealed the story of her horrific trip to Phuket on TikTok. In the victim’s video…
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Pattaya records yet another unwanted suicide statistic
The popular tourist resort of Pattaya recorded yet another unwanted statistic this morning when a man plunged to his death in what some expats somewhat heartlessly refer to as the “Pattaya Flying Club.” The insensitively named Pattaya Flying Club is the term given to troubled foreigners who commit suicide by throwing themselves off a Pattaya hotel balcony and to their…
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Indian man attacked by 3 fellow nationals in Thailand over business dispute
An Indian man filed a complaint with the Thai police after he was attacked by three fellow Indian nationals in the central province of Prachin Buri after a business dispute. The 33 year old Indian man named Rantusa filed a complaint at Kabin Buri Police Station that he was attacked by three other Indian men in front of the laundry…
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One year old rescued from 15-metre-deep hole in Thailand
UPDATE At 10.40am, the one year old girl trapped in a 15-metre-deep hole in Tak province in northern Thailand was successfully rescued. The young child was immediately rushed to the hospital for a medical examination after being stuck in the muddy, narrow hole all night. ORIGINAL STORY Rescuers have been working for over 16 hours to attempt to rescue a one…
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Body of German tourist who jumped from Koh Pha Ngan ferry found near Koh Tao
A body found floating in the sea near Koh Tao is believed to be the missing German tourist who jumped off a ferry shortly after it departed from Koh Pha Ngan in southern Thailand one week ago. At 4pm yesterday, the Kusol Sattha Rescue Foundation was informed that a tourist boat came across the body of a male tourist floating…
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RTA soldiers and Muay Thai champion unite to set new world record
Renowned Muay Thai fighter Sombat “Buakhao” Banchamek teamed up with 3,650 soldiers to break a Guinness world record by performing the traditional Thai dance, Wai Kru, at the Amazing Muaythai Festival 2023 on February 4 in Hua Hin. February 6 of every year is marked as Muay Thai Day to preserve and promote Thailand’s soft power Thai boxing. Commander of…
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Ready-to-move-in condos in Thailand attracting Chinese buyers
The Covid-19 pandemic has driven many Chinese nationals to speed up their relocation to Thailand, with the majority looking to buy ready-to-move-in condos. Kashif Ansari, the CEO of Juwai IQI Group, a real estate marketing firm in China, reckons that Chinese buyers are in a rush to make their move to Thailand right away, instead of waiting for two years.…
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Foreigners, particularly Russians, accused of working illegally in Phuket
The Phuket Information Centre (ศูนย์ข้อมูลภูเก็ต) Facebook page accused foreigners, particularly Russians, of operating illegal businesses and working illegally in Phuket. Phuket Information Centre Facebook page shared with its followers last Sunday, February 5, that… “A lot of foreigners stay and work in Phuket, both legally and illegally. Recently, a group of foreigners started a car rental business. They offered both…
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‘Tame’ whale shark swims with tourists for 5 hours in eastern Thailand
A “tame” whale shark swam with tourists for five hours off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand yesterday. Diving instructor Kru Off, from the Toy Boat Tour group, revealed that he took tourists out to Hin Pleng, a popular dive site about 13 nautical miles off the coast. As the tourists were swimming and looking at the coral,…
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Bangkok road provides dangerous bed for sleepy motorcyclist
A Bangkok traffic cop posted a TikTok video of a man who dozed off on his motorcycle in the middle of a dangerous road. The officer emphasized that the man was not under the influence of alcohol, just very, very sleepy. The video on the cop’s TikTok account, Nui Seeaun, shows a man in an olive green coat slumped over…
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Thai customs end intrusive frisking of designer-brand wearers at airports
The Thai Customs Department has officially put an end to the embarrassing and intrusive practice of frisking travellers passing through border control with designer-brand items at airports. The department said the searches were a burden for travellers. According to the deputy director of the Customs Department, Phanthong Loykunlanan, the department has abolished frisking tourists to make travel more convenient. However,…
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Thai police can’t find alleged ‘macau888’ kingpin’s rare Lamborghini
UPDATE Police searched three locations in Thailand but the super rare Lamborghini they planned to seize from alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon today is nowhere to be found. Police did however seize other luxury cars belonging to various suspects in the case including Benz Daemon, who is believed to be in hiding in Hong Kong. Netizens are criticising the…
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Pattaya restaurant blamed for taking over public beach
A restaurant manager confessed to using public spaces at Na Jomtien Beach in Pattaya without permission to provide seating for their customers. Facebook page, PattayaWatchdog, posted a picture of nearly 30 tables on the beach, complete with decorative lamps to create an ideal romantic dinner setting. The caption said… “This is Na Jomtien Beach under the care of the Na…
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American tourists spend more money in Thailand than Europeans, survey says
American tourists spend more money in Thailand on average than European tourists, according to a survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). The TCT polled 200 Western tourists about their holiday spending habits during Q4 of last year. On each trip to the kingdom, Americans said they spend 96,269 baht on average per person (US$2,887) and Europeans said…
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Thai police to seize rare Lamborghini from alleged ‘macau888’ gambling network kingpin
Thailand’s cyber police say they will seize a super rare Lamborghini owned by the alleged owner of the illegal online gambling network ‘macau888‘ today. The Lamborghini Mad Bull Liberty Walk Aventador V2 is one of only 50 in the world with an estimated value of 37 – 44 million baht. It is the only one in Thailand. The ‘Liberty Walk’…
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GLO under fire after refusing to pay jackpot winner 12 million baht
An out-of-work, heartbroken Thai Lottery jackpot winner who won 12 million baht couldn’t claim her prize from the Government Lottery Office (GLO) because she bought her tickets from an online lottery platform that the government shut down for overcharging customers. Phanthawat “North” Narkwisut, the CEO of Kong Salak Plus, was ordered to close his platform by the Department of Special…
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