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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Attack on master complainer was wrong says Deputy PM
The violent attack on Thailand’s master complainer, Srisuwan Janya, by another activist was denounced yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. The well-known publicity-seeking Srisuwan was attacked at a press conference he organised outside the Central Investigation Bureau announcing he was going to file a complaint with the police against comedian Udom “Nose” Taepanich. Srisuwan believes Nose Udom’s remarks,…
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Escapee prisoner captured by police on a roof in northern Thailand
UPDATE Last night, police captured the escapee prisoner who broke out of Fort Surasakmontri army prison in Lampang province, northern Thailand, on Tuesday. Police found the soldier on the roof of his friend’s house in Mueang district, Lampang province, where he had been hiding. Officers from Khelang Nakhon Police Station closed in on the townhouse at 10pm after receiving knowledge…
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VIDEO: 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Chiang Mai, northern Thailand
Residents of Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand were awoken at 4.26am today by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. No injuries or deaths have been reported. The tremor lasted about three seconds and no aftershocks have been felt so far. Many felt strong shaking as the epicentre had a shallow depth of only two kilometres in the Mae subdistrict in the…
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Drug cartel steals seized drugs, car, and guns from red-faced police
In a scene more reminiscent of the Keystone Cops, narcotics suppression police were left red-faced after drugs they seized from a trafficker in the southern province of Songkla were stolen back by a drug cartel. And, just for good measure, the drug cartel stole their police car, guns and phones as well. The Deputy Chief of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative…
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Top 5 Beauty procedures to keep in mind when in Thailand
In the past decade, Thailand has become an important hub for the beauty industry in Southeast Asia. Thanks to its innovative and advanced medical centres, people from all around the globe flock to the Land of Smiles to go under the knife. A wide range of cosmetic procedures is available in Thailand, from hair transplants to liposuction. But if you’re…
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The best non-invasive medical procedure in Phuket
Nowadays, less invasive cosmetic procedures can give similar results to invasive procedures. Hence, they’re becoming more and more popular. For those who don’t want to undergo invasive surgery, many minimally-invasive and non-invasive procedures are available. Not only do these procedures have little to no downtime, but they can also give similar results to the more invasive options. Hence, they’re growing…
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Missing 50 million baht is a misunderstanding, says govt
UPDATE The Thai government says there has been a misunderstanding about the missing 50 million baht promised to tobacco farmers. The money is still in government coffers and would be distributed to tobacco farmers as promised by May next year. Last week, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and relevant departments to investigate the missing 50…
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Amazon Web Services to invest billions of dollars in Thailand
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Monday that it plans to invest billions of dollars in Thailand over the next 15 years. AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing division, plans to invest $US5 billion (about 190 billion baht) in Thailand during that time. AWS will carry out the investment in phases. In the first phase, 20 billion baht will be invested immediately,…
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A rogue official arrested for issuing ID cards to migrants
A rogue government official was arrested yesterday for illegally issuing Thai identification (ID) cards to more than 50 migrants in exchange for money at the San Sai District Office in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai Governor Nirut Pongsitthaworn reported yesterday that the San Sai District Office hired a temporary officer to help out with document work. However, the officer turned out to…
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Elderly monk starts barefoot journey around Thailand to raise money for hospital
An elderly Buddhist monk set off at 5am today on a 3,145 kilometre journey around Thailand. The 73 year old monk will walk barefoot from his temple in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, all the way to Chiang Rai in northernmost Thailand and on to his hometown in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeast. Luang Ta Bunchuen Panyawutho, of the Thai…
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Urgent: Phuket Flood Relief, calling for donations!
Press Release A coordinated effort from the Phuket Hotels Association with Living Waters Foundation starting today, 18th October, across the whole of Phuket to help all the people who have been affected by the flooding in Phuket. As of today over 100 meals have been donated from the Tourism Safety and Security Conference which is an event organised by the…
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Resistant and contagious BQ.1 sub-variant hits Thailand
As new strains of Covid are beginning to crop up in Thailand, the first infection of the highly resistant and contagious BQ.1 sub-variant has now been found in the kingdom. Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics confirmed the presence of the sub-variant of the Omicron strain, which mutated from the BA.5 sub-variant. In a post on Facebook, the centre cited…
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Lottery winner drinks himself to death in Pattaya
A Thai man went out drinking to celebrate winning the lottery but did not wake up the next day. He was found lying dead in his bedroom surrounded by bottles of liquor yesterday morning in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Bang Lamung Police Station and rescue workers from Sawang Boriboon Foundation were called to a house in…
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Flood warning issued for southern Thailand
The Meteorological Department warns people in southern Thailand to be wary of heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and potential landslides over the next couple of days. Rain will continue in southern Thailand today until at least Saturday as an intense low-pressure cell covers the upper Andaman sea. Thunderstorms are expected in 70% of southeast Thailand today in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon…
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WANTED: Soldier put away for selling meth escapes from prison in northern Thailand
A prisoner is on the loose after escaping from Fort Surasakmontri in Military Province 32 in Lampang province, northern Thailand, at 6.30am today. The soldier was imprisoned for selling methamphetamine. If you see him contact the police right away. The 26 year old soldier, Supawut “Kwan” Sopapeng, escaped while officers were transporting him somewhere for further investigation this morning. Villagers…
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Serial thief blames prison friends for planning robberies
Thai police last night swooped to arrest a serial thief and seized stolen assets of over 10 million baht in the process at a condominium in Bangkok. Officers also uncovered detailed plans for future robberies. The thief protested his innocence, claiming his friends in prison had planned everything for him. Police arrested 48 year old Bualuang Wangkeyree last night at…
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50,000 chickens drown in flood at farm in central Thailand
Shocking pictures of 50,000 dead chickens that drowned in floods at a farm in the central province of Ang Thong yesterday reveal a glimpse into the incomprehensive damage that relentless flooding continues to cause to farmers’ livelihoods in Thailand. Much of central Thailand is underwater after the Chao Phraya river overflowed again. Almost 20,000 households in Sing Buri province were impacted…
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China Southern Airlines ready for Bangkok takeoff
News breaking yesterday that China Southern Airlines is planning to resume flights to Bangkok signals more good news for the Thailand tourism industry aiming to attract another 12 million foreign travellers before the end of the year. In 2019 more than 12 million Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, making up one-quarter of the kingdom’s foreign arrivals. There had been a…
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Porsche-driving Frenchmen who put Thai man in a coma denied bail
UPDATE The Porsche-driving Frenchmen who gave a Thai man a brain hemorrhage in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, has been denied bail. Officers from Borphut Police Station arrested 34 year old Vincent Raymond Bugeya and 28 year old Julien Gerard Rene Vincent under suspicion of “joint assault causing serious harm” as well as “driving a car with a…
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Bangkok motorcycle taxi rider attacked by teenagers
A motorcycle taxi rider was brutally attacked by teenagers in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok. He says he had to pretend to die to save his own life, although that appears to be a bit of an exaggeration given the man is allegedly well-known for being a troublemaker. The teenagers who assaulted the man surrendered themselves to the police…
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Police rescue 3 women & 2 kids held captive for 3 years in a Bangkok condo
Police rescued three women and two children from a condominium in Bangkok after being held captive for three years by their unscrupulous bosses. The two suspects were arrested yesterday. Police raided the luxury condominium on Arun Amarin Road in the Bang Phlat district of Bangkok and rescued the five victims being held by a transwoman and her employee after being…
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VIDEO: Thailand’s ‘master complainer’ attacked over complaint against comedian
Thai social activist Srisuwan Janya, deemed “Thailand’s master complainer,” was attacked today after accusing comedian Nose Udom of violating the law with his anti-government standup comedy sketches. Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution – Srisuwan Janya – travelled to the Crime Suppression Division at 10am today to request that the authorities launch an investigation into…
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Thai tourism industry wants 5 billion baht handout to draw tourists
The Thai tourism industry is asking for a five billion baht handout to boost tourism and draw 12 million foreign tourists to Thailand by the end of this year. The President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Chamnarn Sisawat, revealed yesterday that the council and other 11 tourist associations organised by the private sector will meet PM Prayut Chan-o-cha tomorrow to…
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Floods could take a toll on Thailand’s rice industry
Floods could take a toll on Thailand’s rice industry. The honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, Chookiat Ophaswongse, says it’s too early to estimate the value of damages since floods are still happening in many parts of the country. However, the Kasikorn Research Center estimates that the floods from August and October may cause around 2.9-3.1 billion baht…
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Arrest warrant for Thai activist who missed court hearing over lese majeste
Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a young Thai activist and dance teacher after she failed to attend a court meeting over lese majeste charges. The woman, 29 year old Kanlaymon “Mint” was scheduled to appear in court on October 4, but failed to show up. She had been granted bail, and the person who bailed…
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‘Pay for a pool villa in Phuket instead of paying the energy bills’ this winter, advises Thai official
Instead of wasting money on high energy bills this winter, Westerners should turn off the heating and spend their money in Thailand instead, advises the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). With wholesale gas and electricity prices rocketing in Europe TAT’s invitation makes sense. In the UK, the average household is about £2,500 a year, up from £1,400 in October 2021.…
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Winter is Coming to Thailand… I GMT
New rule for cash deposit machines from November 15th. Ministry eyes steps to spur spending. Bangkok could hit lows of 15°C by end of October. Drunken monk with an axe causes chaos smashing cars. Flood-damaged Phuket returning to normal. – all are coming up today.
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Bangkok could hit lows of 15°C by end of October
Time to invest in a woolly sweater or two as Bangkok is transitioning into ‘winter.’ By the end of the month, the temperature in the capital could hit lows of 15 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department. Yesterday, a chill was felt in the capital for the first time in a long time, reaching lows of 22 degrees Celsius.…
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Man electrocuted while walking on Bangkok pavement
A Thai man warned pedestrians to watch their step while walking on a pavement in Bangkok after being electrocuted when he trod on a live, broken power cable left exposed to the elements. The man, Jarawi Rujirasawai, posted a video sharing his unexpected electrocution experience on TikTok account @jarawi_ yesterday. The video shows a picture of the broken power line,…
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Google Maps update makes it easy to find EV charging stations in Thailand
As more and more people opt for electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand, Google Maps has added a feature to make it easy to find a place to charge your car. Google added the feature after searches for EV charging stations in the kingdom grew by 350% over the past year. Simply launch the app and search for EV charging stations…
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