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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British labradors head to Thailand to sniff out smuggled pangolins
Two sharp-nosed Labradors from England are heading to Thailand to save critically-endangered pangolins from wildlife smugglers. The elusive, nocturnal pangolin – able to roll up into an armour-plated ball when threatened – is the most trafficked animal in the world. Known as “scaly anteaters,” these unique mammals disguised as reptiles are trafficked primarily for their scales, which are used in…
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Thailand’s Cobra Gold war games sees largest US attendance in decade
Thailand’s annual Cobra Gold war games have seen the largest attendance by the US in a decade. The international military exercise started yesterday and runs to March 10. The unprecedented attendance by the US military is thought to be part of Washington’s efforts to build ties with a key security partner as geopolitical competition with China is on the rise.…
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Agoda says these are the most popular vacation spots for Thai families
According to early 2023 search data from the travel platform Agoda, Pattaya is the most popular destination for Thai families looking for a domestic vacation this year. Hua Hin/Cha-am, and Phuket followed in second and third place. The full list of the top 10 most searched domestic destinations by families includes: Pattaya, Hua Hin/Cha-Am, Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri,…
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Traffic cop delivers 100 babies on the streets of Bangkok
Sporting big bikes, brown outfits and guns on their hips, Thai traffic police officers don’t look like your average midwives. But in gridlocked Bangkok, pregnant women don’t always make it to the hospital in time. In a sprawling city home to nearly 11 million people, sometimes the only way to reach those in need of medical help is on two…
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Courageous deer survives multiple bullets and finds new home in Hua Hin
A courageous deer, who endured multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by poachers, has been relocated to a rescue centre in Hua Hin. Park rangers found the injured Sambar deer in Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan National Park, Hua Hin Today reported. The park borders the Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. Officials from the Department of National Parks sought help from the Wildlife…
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Thailand gears up to welcome more cruise ships
Thailand is gearing up to welcome more cruise ships. The country is making efforts to improve existing ports, and building new ones, according to government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri. Today, Anucha cited data from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, revealing that cruises are becoming increasingly popular among tourists. Some 1,800 to 2,400 tourists arrive in Thailand on cruise ships every year…
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Bangkok gambling den bust sees five police officers transferred
The Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 5 transferred five police officers from the Khlong Tan Police Station to work at the metro police headquarters after 48 gamblers were arrested on Sunday at a gambling den in their area of supervision in Bangkok, Thailand. The officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau raided a gambling den in Soi Pattanakarn 54 in the Suan…
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Thailand to resume cockfights and other animal sports, gambling allowed
Thailand is resuming cockfighting and other animal fights, with gambling allowed under strict conditions, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday. Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Suttipong Junjaroen officially announced that cockfighting, horse racing, Siamese fighting fish battles, bullfighting and cow racing may all resume now that the pandemic has subsided. Betting will be permitted under strict conditions, so long as…
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Alcoholic Drink Control Act has reduced drinking 2%
Some news we shouldn’t drink to: alcohol consumption is down 2% after 15 years of Thailand’s Alcoholic Drink Control Act. The law banned alcohol advertisements and placed limits on when and where booze can be sold. A seminar entitled “Different Views on 15-year Enforcement of the Alcoholic Drink Control Act” was held on Sunday at Bangkok’s Asia Hotel where the…
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Collapsed crane kills Cambodian worker at Bangkok construction site
Tragedy struck at a construction site in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok yesterday when a tower crane collapsed and killed a Cambodian worker. Thai news outlet Channel 7 reported that the crane’s sling was broken, causing the crane’s arm to crash down on the worker, 31 year old Sophanna. Two other Cambodian workers were injured in the incident. One of the…
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Tuk tuk driver punches foreign tourist in the face in Bangkok (video)
A tuk tuk driver was caught on camera punching a foreign tourist in the face, twice, at the entrance of Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, the citizen journalism page ‘Social Hunter Reborn V‘ posted a chaotic four-minute-long clip on Facebook of a heated argument at the entrance of Khao San Road in Bangkok,…
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Songkran returns to Pattaya amid Covid concerns
Pattaya is set to welcome back Songkran after a four-year absence due to pandemic restrictions. The festival, which is known for being the biggest and wettest party in Pattaya, will culminate on April 19 with Wan Lai, or the “Big Day.” However, health officials fear that the unbridled celebration could also bring a new spike in Covid-19 infections, as it…
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Bangkok police help Chinese tourist get phone back after she left it in a cab
Bangkok police helped a Chinese tourist get her phone back after she accidentally left it in a cab. The incident happened on Friday at around 5.45pm near Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection. Chinese national Wang Chunhua notified Lumpini Police Station about her missing phone through the SOS system under the Smart Safety Zone initiative. After receiving the report, officers went to the…
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Juvenile court releases Nong Tor’s mother on bail for 9,000 baht
UPDATE A juvenile court in central Thailand released “Nim”, the 17 year old mother of missing baby Nong Tor, on bail for 9,000 baht yesterday after she confessed to dumping the body of her eight month old son in the Tha Chin River on February 5. Police interrogated Nim for more than six hours before charging her on three counts:…
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Thailand is home to the most motorcyclists in the world
The Pew Research Centre reported that Thailand has the most motorcyclists in the world. Similarly, most victims of road accidents in the country are riding motorcycles. If you’ve ever visited Vietnam, you might have noticed the abundance of motorbikes on the road, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. It may lead you to believe that Vietnam has the highest number…
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Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month
Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists in January, data from the tourism ministry showed today. The data showed a small decline from the previous month. The top three source markets last month were Malaysia with 288,745 tourists, Russia with 202,759 tourists, and South Korea 169,462 tourists. However, the return of travellers from China, following the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, helped…
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Banyan Tree Bangkok delighted to announce Christoph Trocker as new Executive Chef
In his role as Executive Chef, Chef Christoph oversees the culinary excellence throughout the hotel. From the range of gourmet restaurants offering everything from Thai fine dining, and international and Asian gastronomic experiences to Bangkok’s iconic rooftop bar and restaurant, as well as banqueting facilities and the two dining cruises Apsara and Saffron Cruise. At Banyan Tree Bangkok guests are…
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Car crash in Kanchanaburi kills German tourist and Thai driver
A car crash in Kanchanaburi province tragically killed a German tourist and a Thai tour van driver yesterday in Sai Yok district. The incident took place at around 6pm near kilometre marker 127+800 on Highway 323 (Sai Yok-Thong Pha Phum), near Moo 4 village in tambon Tha Sao. The crash happened when a Toyota Fortuner veered across the middle line…
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Russians own 40% of foreign-owned condos in Phuket
Thailand’s Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) reported that Russian citizens own nearly 40% of foreign-owned condominiums in Phuket, worth a collective 880 million baht (US$25). In Phuket, Russians have overtaken the Chinese as the No.1 condo buyer. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, Thailand has become a refuge for Russian citizens, as reported by Al Jazeera. The…
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Thai national park wins prestigious environmental award
Thailand struggles to maintain its environment due to pollution, but some national parks are fighting to protect the country’s natural beauty. A national park in Thailand‘s Prachuap Khirik Khan province won a prestigious environmental award. The country’s Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Department of National Parks awarded Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with the Green National Park…
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English tourist seriously injured after fall from hotel balcony in Thailand
A 23 year old English tourist is seriously injured after falling three floors from a hotel balcony on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand two weeks ago. Kieran Martin, a personal trainer from Castleford in England, sustained an open-book pelvic fracture which caused internal bleeding when the accident happened ten days into his three-week dream holiday to Thailand with…
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Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand
Thai and foreign passengers were left stranded at Krabi International Airport in southern Thailand yesterday evening after the runway was closed due to an electrical short circuit, causing disruption to several flights. Facebook page Krabi Provincial Public Relations Department announced at 8.30pm that the airport sent out a Notice to Airmen (NOTEM) announcing the temporary closure of the airport from…
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Mother of missing baby ‘Nong Tor’ confesses
The mother of the eight month old baby who went missing from Nakhon Phatom province in central Thailand on February 5 has confessed to dumping her son’s body in the Tha Chin river, reported Deputy National Police Chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn this morning. According to Thai Rath, the baby’s 17 year old mother “Nim” confessed to the police that Nong…
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Company ranks Bangkok 30th best city in the world, 2nd best in ASEAN
Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok has been ranked high lately on several lists of cities in a number of different areas. Now, a famous tourism consulting company, Resonance Consultancy, has named the Bangkok the 30th best city in the world, and the second best in ASEAN. A Thai government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, announced on the ranking on Saturday. Resonance Consultancy…
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Changing Social Norms & Sex Education in Thailand feat. @TichaKanticha | Thaiger Podcast Ep.25
Kanticha Chumma Model, Actress, Youtuber, entrepreneur and TV host has taken Thailand by storm! Daring, Energetic, provocative and with an iron-clad confidence, Ticha is one of the most recognisable and rising stars in Thailand. As a Swedish Thai personality, she has changed the social norms of what it means to be a ‘celebrity’ in Thailand. A multi-talented individual. Ticha also…
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Federal baht bus standing ban puts drivers in a pickle
A new law has been published in the Royal Gazette, stating that passengers are no longer allowed to stand on the back of baht buses, also known as songtaews. But drivers are also obligated to pick up all passengers, leaving drivers with the dilemma of either illegally not picking up passengers when full or illegally overcrowding and allowing passengers to…
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Thai army punishes 5 soldiers and their commanders for gunfight in Bangkok
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) punished five non-commissioned officers and their commanders after residents living near the premises in Bangkok complained about a gunfight and loud party at night. Locals living near an army premise in the Chaeng Watthana district of Bangkok have recently released a video of soldiers engaging in violent behaviour. The caption said… “The gunfight on February…
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Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injures pedestrian
A Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injured a pedestrian on Wednesday night. Rescuers rushed to the scene on Soi Bun Samphan 13 to find the victim, a 49 year old woman named Pornthip Kiatkamonchai, lying in the middle of the road. The rescuers found the rider, a 15 year old boy, with only very slight injuries. The rescuers said the boy…
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Thai-Bangladeshis commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya
Thai-Bangladeshis gathered on Wednesday to commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya. The community commemorated the day at the Unique Regency Hotel on Pratumnak Soi 5. Dozens of residents, esteemed guests, and other members of the Pattaya Thai-Bangladeshi Community attended the event. International Mother Language Day is globally observed and formally recognised by the United Nations. The day aims to…
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Thai Airways Q4 loss narrows
Thai Airways Q4 profit almost tripled as tourists started to return to the holiday kingdom. The carrier’s net income for the three months ending December 31 rose to 11.2 billion baht (US$300 million) from 4 billion baht a year earlier, chief executive officer Chai Eamsiri said on Friday. Thai Airways Q4 profit to support strong growth in 2023 Operating income…
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