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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THURSDAY after Midday: Arrival of the Royal Procession at Sunam Luang Royal Crematorium
There is an English commentary. Click in the bottom left hand corner for English.
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THURSDAY: Watch the Royal Cremation processions and ceremonies here. Live from Bangkok….
To watch in English, click the button at the bottom the screen and select ‘EN’.
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Bangkok says farewell to the “Father of the Land”
All roads lead to Bangkok from today for the start of the Royal Cremation Ceremony of the much-revered HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. People have travelled by buses, private cars, trains and planes during the past days in the hope of getting as close as possible to the “Father of the Land” one last time. The late monarch reigned…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, October 24
Dugongs being hunted | Mourners ‘camping out’ for good location | Local Phuket preparations | Three media outlets have passes revoked | Man still on the run for shooting four in Phuket Town yesterday.
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Nine killed and 300,000 more affected by flooding in 21 Provinces
Floods in 21 provinces, mostly in the North, Northeast and Central regions of the country, have killed at least nine people and affected more than 300,000 others over the past two weeks, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation have reported. Areas of low pressure and heavy downfalls since October 10 have inundated 2,637 villages and more than 120,000 households,…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 23
Junior world Badminton Champ | Van plows into ByPass Road pole | Rama 9s Grand-Daughter leads final rehearsal for this week’s Royal Funeral | Surprise visitor on Pattaya Beach | Jellyfish invasion long Gulf beach | Vets ‘apologies’ for not being able to save young elephant.
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Woman shot whilst filming her father shooting her husband
Two people are dead after a Thai man shot his son-in-law and then his daughter after an argument at a party in Lopburi, 150 kilometres north-east of Bangkok. The man was reportedly released from jail just 12 months ago after serving time for another murder. Police arrived at the scene and found the two victims dead next to a Toyota van at…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn joins the final rehearsal
A huge crowd turned out around Sanam Luang on Saturday to watch the final dress rehearsal of the historic Royal Cremation Ceremony for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Many of them had arrived at 9pm on Friday and camped out to reserve vantage viewing positions for the dress rehearsal of the royal processions for the Royal Cremation Ceremony.…
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French man arrested in BKK after posting nude photos of ex-Thai girlfriend
File Photo A French tourist was arrested in Bangkok on Friday for allegedly posting nude photos of his Thai girlfriend to her Facebook wall without her permission. Police said 34 year old Vincent Anthony Jean Marie LeGrand was arrested at 6.25 am on Thursday upon arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport on Flight QR826 of Qatar Airways. Immigration police at the…
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Scandal over new toilets at the royal Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin
The Army on Thursday is defending construction of 15 billion Baht toilets and shops in the royal Rajabhakti Park, claiming that it is worth the investment and the process was sufficiently transparent to stand up to close scrutiny. “They won’t be typical toilets you can see everywhere,” said Army spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree. “We believe that our donators wish everything…
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Colour returns to Thai TV screens
On October 1 all TV stations ‘toned down’ their programming under orders from the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). Programming was toned down both in content and the actual colours. The same was applied to most websites as the colour and saturation were ’toned down’ out of respect for the anniversary of the passing of King Bhumibol and the Royal…
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‘Tara’ given a 50-50 chance of surviving
A 15 year old male elephant rescued from a muddy canal in Phitsanulok province yesterday was lifted using two big backhoes, placed in a truck and taken to an elephant hospital in Lampang province where it is now receiving treatment. A veterinarian said the elephant had a 50-50 chance of survival due to its broken legs. Teams of rescuers, villagers and…
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UPDATE: Got a drone in Thailand? Here’s what you need to know.
The days of you flying your drone carefree in the skies above Thailand are over. Last week, the Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced that all drones in Thailand need to be registered. The NBTC said the move came after only 350 drones out of an estimated 50,000 had previously been registered in Thailand. Owners have until January…
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“Not guilty”. One judge speaks about the Yingluck Shinawatra verdict.
Pison Pirun, a judge in the nine-member Supreme Court panel that ruled in the case over the rice-pledging scheme against ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra case, was the only judge to rule her not guilty on the grounds that “she lacked the intention to cause loss or seek advantage she was not entitled to”. His ruling was circulated yesterday, three weeks after…
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Landslide in Thailand’s north kills one
A Karen resident sustained fatal injuries after a downpour-triggered landslide hit a shophouse on the Mae Ramat-Ban Tak road in Tak’s Mae Ramat district on Wednesday morning. Following a 2am report of a landslide in Ban Nong Luang, police rushed to inspect the scene. They found that the shophouse and a pickup truck were buried under the landslide They found…
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Half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine seized – street value 1 Billion Baht
A 30 year old Nakhon Phanom man has been arrested in Nakhon Ratchasima in possession of 508 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine or “ice”, with a reported street value of 1 billion Baht, national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda said on Tuesday. Thinnakorn Khomsing was spotted walking suspiciously with another man near a temple in Bua Yai district, where they…
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Installation of nine-tiered umbrella atop Royal Crematorium to be broadcast live
Members of the public will be able to watch a live telecast of the upcoming installation of the grand nine-tiered umbrella at the top of the Royal Crematorium for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. On Wednesday, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will graciously preside over the royal cremation ground at Sanam Luang in the raising of the Nine-Tiered…
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Facebook founder heading to BKK for talks with Thai PM
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is heading to Thailand at the end of October to meet with PM Prayuth Chan-ocha. ‘Like’ that! Or maybe a ‘thumbs up’. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says Mark Zuckerberg intends to arrive in Bangkok on October 30 to discuss e-commerce and related Facebook issues withe the Thai PM. The Deputy PM also added that an executive…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, October 17
Sting nets 52 overstayers, skimmers and scammers | Huge road subsidence near Chiang Mai | Chinese tourist dies whilst snorkeling | 7/11 closing on October 26.
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Northern rains – house walls crack and roads open up
Days of heavy rain have caused cracks in the land and pieces of earth have broken away in Lampang’s Mae Mo district affecting eight homes located within an eight-rai (1.3 hectares) radius early on Monday morning. Tambon Mae Mo mayor Chucheep Boonnak led disaster prevention and mitigation officials as well as local bodies and police to inspect the scene on…
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52 arrested in crackdown on black migrants and tourists
Immigration, narcotics and 191 police jointly searched 10 locations in Bangkok early on Monday and arrested 52 Nigerians, Tanzanians and Uzbekistanis on various charges. The operation was led by Pol Maj-General Surachat Hakpal, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau. The searches were jointly launched by over 200 policemen from the Immigration Bureau, the Patrol and Special Operation (191)…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 16
A drowning and near-misses at Phuket beaches | Royal rehearsals in Bangkok | Crocodiles escape in Petchabun floods | Myanmar Army about to release a report about alleged atrocities.
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Taiwan seeking visa-free entry for tourists into Thailand
PHOTO: The Nation Taiwan is seeking visa-fee entry into Thailand. A representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, Chen-Yuan Tung, says visa free entry will attract more Taiwanese tourists and investors to the Kingdom. There were 370,000 Taiwanese visitors to Thailand in the first half od this year, a drop of 3.7 per cent. In stark contrast ,Thai…
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“Turn your promises into action”. Diplomats urge Myanmar’s Government
United Nations envoys from Britain and France are calling for Burmese authorities to turn their promises into action, end violence and create a situation where the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees can start to return to their homes – the homes they were living in before the violence flared up at the end of August. “Yesterday, we heard Aung…
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Flooding hits Bangkok and Central Thailand
Heavy rains lashed the capital past midnight on Friday and continued into the early hours of Saturday, leading to flooding on many Bangkok roads. At around 7.30am on Saturday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Drainage Department issued a plea on its Facebook page, urging Bangkokians who have no urgent business to stay home as many roads are still inundated. At 8am,…
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Mourning period extended to October 29
The mourning period for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej will be extended two more days up until October 29. This according to a media release from the Prime Minister’s office. The Royal Funeral is scheduled for October 25 – 29, so the Thai cabinet has extended the official mourning period. The official mourning period is now from yesterday up to…
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The 60 million Baht scam. Police make arrests in Bangkok.
A 45 year old Taiwanese man wanted for a high-profile electronic card information theft linked to a “call centre scam” has been arrested in Nakhon Ratchasima. Suspect Chi Min, wanted on a Sikhiu Court-issued arrest warrant since September, was arrested at a Muang Nakhon Ratchasima restaurant late on Thursday afternoon. Police also seized 270,000 Baht in cash, five bank account…
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UPDATE: Police interview two men over assault in Pattaya
Thai Visa reports…. Not 72 years old and not Australian The ‘Australian’ pensioner who was floored by a left hook in the parking lot of a Pattaya school on Wednesday after a road rage incident is really British national 77 year old George Collins Thaivisa can reveal. Mr Collins admitted that despite living in Brisbane for many years he considers himself…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, October 12
Pheu Thai and investors welcome election date confirmation | Owners with drones have 90 days to register, or else | Soi Cowboy in BKK told to close down | More flights from Thai Airways | An 84 year old academic being indicted over a famous Thai 16th century battle.
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