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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Expensive bling and bad-taste comments about ‘Meay’ case put pressure on Prawit
The PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha has been urged to exercise his absolute powers to suspend Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan from duty as the deputy premier remains mired in controversy. “We call on Prayut to use Article 44 to temporarily suspend Prawit from his posts as deputy premier and defence minister without pay until the investigation conclusion,” Srisuwan Janya,…
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Satellite imagery shows new destruction in Rakhine State
Analysis of satellite imagery reveals new destruction of Rohingya villages during October and November 2017 in the northern Rakhine State in Burma. This latest report, along with their evidence, has been released by Human Rights Watch today. Human Rights Watch have identified 40 villages with building destruction occurring in October and November, increasing the total to 354 villages that have…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, December 18
New local football club emerges | Militants torch a bus in Yala | Crackdown on Khao Lak fakes | Brutal injury from a Muay Thai fight in Patong | 1000 ride for local sea turtles | Trang school students suspended following student extortion | Toon in Tak, 400 Km to go.
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Southern militants torch passenger bus
Militants armed with rifles yesterday torched a coach heading to Bangkok after removing the passengers in Yala’s Bannang Sata district in the latest violence in the South. Prior to the attack, the militants, who authorities said were trying to create chaos, also set up roadblocks with trees that they had cut down and set fire to villagers’ houses. Officials were…
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New bar-coded traffic tickets start today around Thailand
If you get caught without a driving licence, infringing road rules or not wearing a helmet from today, you might be getting one of these. Thailand’s traffic police are now issuing E-traffic tickets for traffic violations from today. You’ll be able to pay the fines online two days after the issue of the ticket. Commander of the Special Branch Police…
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“Army has distorted the truth” – Phakhapong’s mother
The mother of Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan yesterday raised suspicions about the military investigation committee’s report into the 18 year old cadet’s death, saying it distorted the truth. Sukanya Tanyakan also pointed out in a Facebook post that the committee had slandered her son by saying that he did not respect seniority. Her comments came after the results of a military…
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‘Open to all suggestions’ – Thai PM
The Thai PM says that he’s listened to all suggestions but would not be able to carry out all of them, reacting to a proposal by political heavyweight Somsak Thepsuthin of Matchimathipataya Party to free MPs from parties and make a charter amendment to that effect. “I listen to what people say about politics and think them through. But I…
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A word from the cockpit – end of year report
In a bit of a break from the usual news, here’s a quick update about what we’ve been doing in the past 12 months and what we’re up to in the next few months. For those of you that have returned from the moon, a joint venture company and The Thaiger Co. Ltd., acquired the digital assets of Phuket Gazette…
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Toon ramps it up, stepping up the pace as he starts heading for the hills
Charity run hero Artiwara “Toon” Kongmalai left Kamphaeng Phet and reached Tak today – Day 45 of his 2,191km fundraising run. For the first lap of 19 kilometres, Toon ran from Saeng Tawan village in Kamphaeng Phet’s Kosumphi Nakhon district to Wang Chao Hospital in Tak. A roadside crowd waited for his appearance, cheered him on, and handed him their…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, December 15
Parents of dead Army cadet say they’ll sue the Army | Two Thai athletes stripped of their SEA gold medals | New points system for traffic infringements being started next year | Myanmar Reuters journalists arrested | Toon stepping up the pace.
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Army concludes cadet’s death was from natural causes. Family says they’ll sue.
The family of cadet Phakhapong Tanyakan is dissatisfied with the conclusions of an investigation into the cause of his death and plans to sue the Army. An investigation into the death of the first-year cadet at Nakhon Nayok’s Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School by an Army committee has been completed and the report handed over to the Supreme Commander of…
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Reporters arrested in Myanmar information suppression
Myanmar police have charged two Reuters reporters covering the Rohingya crisis with violating the Official Secrets Act, Yangon-based Eleven Media reports. 31 year old Wa Lone and 27 year old Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of sending classified information they gleaned from security officials in Yangon who had just returned from Rakhine state, where a military crackdown has sent more…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, December 14
Prawit’s been caught wearing another seven watches | The Army will release it’s report into dead cadet today | Patong Mayor says the 10% zones aren’t being ‘expanded’ | PM dances with the red shirts in Kalasin | Hemp crops will be legal from January 1, but… All brought to you by Phuket’s 102.75 FM, The Thaiger.
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Royal Crematorium exhibition continues to draw huge crowds
More than 3 million visitors have attended the exhibition at the Royal Crematorium of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej since it opened on November 2, Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said on Wednesday. A total of 3,005,206 visitors reportedly visited the site from its opening until Tuesday. Visitors to the site, which will remain open for public viewing until the…
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UPDATE: Alleged Laos money smuggling – 98 million baht
Suspecting that the two Lao men arrested on Tuesday trying to cross the border into Laos from Nong Khai with more than 98 million baht in undeclared Thai banknotes might be part of a larger criminal undertaking, Thai Customs officials plan to discuss the matter with their Lao counterparts. Nong Khai Customs chief Nimit Saeng-ampai said on Wednesday the suspects’…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, December 13
Underground cabling works start April 2018 | Schools remain closed in Songkhla | Hells Angel Aussie and his Thai wife in custody | Couple trying to smuggle 98 million baht over Thai-Laos border | Missing Ukranian swimmer found – alive and well. Brought to you by The Thaiger 102.75 FM.
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Thailand ranks #1 for road deaths on World Atlas website. Dash-cams proposed as solution.
With Thailand unofficially acknowledged as having the highest fatality rate in road accidents worldwide, road safety advocates and police are backing a proposal that would see as many as 80 per cent of cars equipped with dashboard cameras and carrying “Photo in Car” stickers to discourage violations. Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation secretary-general Dr Taejing Siripanich said Thailand last month ranked…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, December 12
Thailand hits the World Number One spot for road deaths | Change.org calls for Prawit to ‘step down’ | The world’s tallest pagoda burns down | Toon, down with a cold, is back on track today | EU resumes political relations with Thailand | ‘Butt boys’ back home in San Diego.
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‘Butt Boys’ released from jail. Heading home to US.
Two American men who were arrested in Thailand for posting naked photos to Instagram have reportedly been released from jail and are heading home to San Diego. 38 year old Joseph Dasilva and his 36 year old husband Travis Dasilva were arrested at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport last month after images posted to their ‘Travelling Butts’ Instagram account showed…
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Bitcoin cracked $1,000 on the first day of 2017. Then…
The ‘B” isn’t for Baht, it’s Bitcoin. An idiot’s guide to Bitcoin and one American reporter’s dabble in the new world of cryptocurrency. By this week Bitcoin cracked US$12,000. But that was just the start. The price topped US$17,000 on some exchanges on Thursday – US$18,000 on at least one. If we quoted a price here, by the time you…
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Autopsy confirms cadet killed by physical assault
The Central Institute of Forensic Science has found that a cadet of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School [AFAPS] was killed by a physical assault. Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan, a first-year student of the AFAPS, died on October 17. The school and Phra Mongkutklao Hospital stated in his initial death certificate, and in the hospital autopsy report, that he died of…
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How much would you pay to get your dog groomed? 2800 baht?!
The husky seems to be the only one with a smile on his face. A Facebook Live post by a 32 year old Chachoengsao man complaining about “Thailand’s most expensive dog bathing fee of 2,800 baht” for his Siberian Husky has become a hot topic attracting more than 10,000 comments, nearly 400,000 views and 5,000 shares in 10 hours after…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, December 8
Prawit’s been given 30 days to ‘please explain’ | Flood crisis in Nakhon Si Thammarat | Last night’s island downpour | Australian couple in hospital with mounting bills following bike accident | 50,000 SIM cards seized on the Cambodian border.
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, December 7
Two fallen electrical poles cause traffic disruption this morning | Severe flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat | No 3-Star Michelin restaurants in BKK | NACC chasing an explanation from Prawit | Phramongkutklao Hospital bomber sent to jail.
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62 year old jailed over Phra Mongkutklao Hospital bomb attack
PHOTO: Early responders race to the Phra Mongkutklao Hospital following the explosion – The Nation The Criminal Court has convicted a former Electricity Generating of Thailand engineer for launching a bomb attack inside the Phra Mongkutklao Hospital in May. He’s been sentenced to 27 years in jail. Story of the bombing HERE. The court found 62 year old Watana Phummaret guilty…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, December 6
THAIGER TODAY. Wednesday, December 6. Heat on the Deputy PM to explain his expensive watch | Pattaya driver tests positive to drugs | Floods starting to abate | 2 missing after Nakhon Si Thammarat bus gets swept away | Big drug hauls in BKK and Songkhla.
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Positive drug test – awaiting confirmation of epilepsy claim
A man who claims he suffered an epileptic seizure that caused him to lose control of his car and kill two people and injure 15 others in Pattaya on Monday, was under the influence of drugs at the time, police said yesterday. 44 year old Akkaradej Udomrat will face an additional charge of driving while under the influence after police…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, December 5
THAIGER TODAY. Tuesday, December 5. Tragic Pattaya road accidents prompts questions | Songkhla schools closed because of flooding | Wang Kee Aon waterfall re-opens in Patong | Fake bomb causes security alert at Myanmar Embassy | Toon meets the PM.
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Don says he knows nothing about Yingluck British passport
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has denied a report of unknown origin that Britain had granted fugitive ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra a passport. Don said before Monday’s Cabinet meeting that his ministry had no such information and that the British Embassy had not informed the Thai government of any such action. “I don’t want to speculate on or anticipate anything,” he said.…
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Social media blowback in Myanmar for Pope. Meanwhile international aid dries up for refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.
PHOTO: Voice of America Pope Francis’s embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight. On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.…
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