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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.

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    Answers to the most common questions about international health insurance

    If you’ve been thinking of staying in Thailand long-term, you’ve probably already asked the big question, “Do I actually need international health insurance?” It’s a question that often comes up among expats, digital nomads, retirees, and even frequent travellers. Sure,...

  • Toxic air crisis: Dangerous PM2.5 levels choke 28 Thai provinces

    Toxic air crisis: Dangerous PM2.5 levels choke 28 Thai provinces

    Thailand’s air pollution crisis has intensified, with PM2.5 levels in 28 provinces, mostly in the north and northeast, exceeding the country’s safety standard, the government’s Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation (CAPM) confirmed this afternoon. PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, increasing the risk…

  • Lost and afraid: Chinese woman rescued from Pattaya woods

    Lost and afraid: Chinese woman rescued from Pattaya woods

    A Chinese woman suffering from mental health issues was found wandering in distress near a wooded area in Jomtien, prompting a swift rescue operation by Pattaya City officials. The alarm was raised when a concerned local spotted the woman looking lost and disoriented near a condominium complex and immediately alerted the police. Responding quickly, officials tracked her down in the…

  • Thai lottery seller’s ‘magic’ massage leaves elderly woman with broken leg

    Thai lottery seller’s ‘magic’ massage leaves elderly woman with broken leg

    Police arrested a Thai lottery vendor in the northern province of Chiang Rai for providing a magic massage to an 70 year old client, which resulted in a broken leg. The 70 year old Thai woman, Kham, filed a complaint with officers at Phrayamengrai Police Station after spending 20 days in hospital. She reported that the lottery vendor, later identified…

  • Name baby giraffe to win one-year pass to Chiang Mai Zoo

    Name baby giraffe to win one-year pass to Chiang Mai Zoo

    Chiang Mai Zoo is celebrating the arrival of its newest and cutest resident—a baby giraffe born just one month ago. To mark the occasion, the zoo is inviting the public to help choose the perfect name for the little calf through an online vote. The female giraffe, born on February 7, is the offspring of Ton Khun, a seven year…

  • Man saved from bridge after wedding fund dispute in Samut Prakan

    Man saved from bridge after wedding fund dispute in Samut Prakan

    A desperate young man in Samut Prakan was saved from a near-tragic leap after a heated argument with his mother over wedding funds left him feeling hopeless. The 20 year old Thai man was spotted yesterday, March 5, sobbing and gripping the railing of a bridge over the Phra Ong Chao Chaiyanuchit Canal in Bang Bo district, seemingly ready to…

  • Optimus Prime creator clashes with bar over new figure donation

    Optimus Prime creator clashes with bar over new figure donation

    A Thai Optimus Prime creator clashed with a coffee shop and cocktail bar after a refusal to support his donation campaign to build two new figures following the viral and allegedly sacred figure near Bangkok’s Chinatown. The coffee shop and cocktail bar, Hypnotized, made the Optimus Prime figure go viral after sharing videos of offerings, including cocktails, engine oil, and traditional…

  • Two firms sued after crane collapse kills 6 on Rama II Road

    Two firms sued after crane collapse kills 6 on Rama II Road

    Two companies face legal action after a construction crane collapsed on Rama II Road, Bangkok, resulting in six fatalities and nine injuries. Investigations are underway to determine the cause and responsibility, with experts being consulted for insights. A meeting was held at the conference room of the Provincial Police Region 7 headquarters yesterday, March 5 at 2.30pm to discuss the…

  • Teen girl assaulted in Samut Prakan, legal action pursued

    Teen girl assaulted in Samut Prakan, legal action pursued

    A distressing incident has unfolded in Samut Prakan province, where a 14 year old girl was reportedly assaulted by four male peers, aged between 13 and 15, after being left alone by a female friend she trusted. The friend and her boyfriend left the scene, claiming parental summons, leaving the girl vulnerable. Upon discovering the ordeal, the girl’s mother confronted…

  • Mother bravely defies gun threat by drug addict son in Udon Thani

    Mother bravely defies gun threat by drug addict son in Udon Thani

    A mother faced a terrifying moment when her drug-addict son threatened her with a gun after she refused to give him money. Yesterday, March 5, police intervened and arrested the son in Udon Thani province, bringing the situation under control. The incident took place in Ban Huai Nong Yang, Mueang district, Udon Thani, on March 4. Police Colonel Ratapolchai Pensongkram, head…

  • Phuket court jails foreigners for passport forgery

    Phuket court jails foreigners for passport forgery

    A group of Afghan and Kazakh nationals caught using forged passports in Phuket have been sentenced to prison after a court found them guilty of attempting to deceive Thai immigration officers. The Phuket Provincial Court delivered its verdict yesterday, March 5 at 11am, ruling on six criminal cases, numbered Tor 144/2568 to Tor 149/2568. The Phuket Provincial Public Prosecutor led…

  • BTS Thailand outlines key leadership succession planning strategies

    BTS Thailand outlines key leadership succession planning strategies

    BTS Thailand recently hosted the event Honoring Henrik Ekelund: Leadership, Legacy, and Succession Planning. As part of BTS GROUP AB, a global consultancy headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, BTS Thailand specialises in leadership development and business transformation through experiential learning and simulations. The event brought together C-suite, top executives, various industry leaders, and experts to share insights on the future of…

  • Tragic end for British backpacker in Thailand waters (video)

    Tragic end for British backpacker in Thailand waters (video)

    A British backpacker met a heartbreaking fate after a kayaking mishap in Thailand, an inquest heard in Swansea. Shanghaman Gowribalan went missing on February 11, 2024, while kayaking in a canal near the Rajjaprabha Dam, also known as the Cheow Lan Dam, in the southern province of Surat Thani. The 24 year old drowned after his kayak overflowed, leading him to…

  • Road rage: Motorcyclist damages car mirrors in Bangkok

    Road rage: Motorcyclist damages car mirrors in Bangkok

    A motorcyclist was reported to have kicked and damaged a car’s side mirror outside a well-known Huai Khwang shopping centre in Bangkok following a traffic dispute. The incident, which escalated from an argument over a lane change, led to the motorcyclist fleeing the scene. The victim, who shared the event on Facebook under the name Mouy Worarat, explained that the…

  • Contractor found dead in Thai police cell after truck theft arrest

    Contractor found dead in Thai police cell after truck theft arrest

    A 32 year old contractor was found dead today in a holding cell at Phra Samut Chedi Police Station. The victim, identified as Donrathee, was reportedly distressed after facing charges for stealing a pickup truck, leading to his tragic death. His 51 year old mother, Saravee, was seen grieving at the scene. The incident occurred within the male detention area,…

  • Bangkok man caught with meth pills during traffic stop

    Bangkok man caught with meth pills during traffic stop

    A Bangkok man’s suspicious behaviour at a traffic checkpoint led to his arrest after police found 60 methamphetamine (meth) pills hidden inside a cigarette pack. The operation took place yesterday, March 5 along the inbound Vibhavadi Road in Chatuchak district, where officers from the Vibhavadi Rangsit Traffic Control Centre were enforcing traffic rules, particularly targeting motorcyclists using the main lanes.…

  • Thai man caught on CCTV footage raping daughter of close friend

    Thai man caught on CCTV footage raping daughter of close friend

    A Thai mother installed a security camera in her 11 year old daughter’s bedroom and caught her husband’s close friend raping her daughter while she and her husband were away from home at work. The mother, 30 year old Noi, yesterday filed a sexual assault complaint with the Uthai Police Station and subsequently submitted the matter to the Be One…

  • Thai-Chinese railway project gets 350-day extension due to delays

    Thai-Chinese railway project gets 350-day extension due to delays

    The long-awaited Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project has hit yet another roadblock, with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board approving a 350-day extension due to rental buildings obstructing construction. The new completion deadline has been set for March 10, 2026. SRT chief Veerith Amrapal announced the decision following a board meeting. The extension affects contract sections 3 to 5 of…

  • Karaoke crackdown: Illegal workers caught off-key in Bangkok raid

    Karaoke crackdown: Illegal workers caught off-key in Bangkok raid

    The Department of Employment, under the Ministry of Labour, conducted a raid on seven karaoke venues in Khlong San district, uncovering 28 illegal workers. The operation, yesterday, March 5, followed a tip-off about foreign workers lacking proper permits. The investigation identified 52 migrant workers, with 24 possessing valid documents, while 28 were found working illegally. Legal proceedings have been initiated…

  • Mother and son confess to murder for inheritance in Chon Buri

    Mother and son confess to murder for inheritance in Chon Buri

    A 46 year old woman in Chon Buri has confessed to collaborating with her 30 year old biological son in the murder of her husband, with the intent of seizing his assets. The victim’s body was found in a fertiliser sack in a forested area. The development comes after the body of 52 year old Wachara, a security guard from…

  • Man sets family home ablaze after drug-fuelled threat

    Man sets family home ablaze after drug-fuelled threat

    A man under the influence of drugs allegedly set his house on fire with his wife and grandchild still inside before fleeing the scene. The wife, in tears, expressed disbelief, revealed he threatened to do it but added that she never thought he would go through with it. At 9pm yesterday, March 5, Police Lieutenant Piyanat Akkaraphumphol, Deputy Inspector of…

  • Lufthansa sets sights on Thailand as expansion takes off

    Lufthansa sets sights on Thailand as expansion takes off

    The Lufthansa Group is focusing on expanding its operations in Asia and Thailand, while also diversifying into non-airline businesses. Carsten Spohr, chief executive of the group, highlighted that Thailand is not just a tourism hub but also a lucrative business destination. The demand for cargo from Thailand is rising, and the Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market for maintenance, repair,…

  • Jealous boyfriend murders partner in central Thailand

    Jealous boyfriend murders partner in central Thailand

    A jealous boyfriend murdered his 28 year old girlfriend for smiling at a male colleague. The young couple had been living together for six months while working at the same factory before the tragic incident unfolded. Police Lieutenant Phasith Chultakarn from Ban Pong Police Station in Ratchaburi province, yesterday, March 5, at 6pm, received a report of a woman fatally…

  • Old wall collapses, kills grandmother and grandson in Isaan

    Old wall collapses, kills grandmother and grandson in Isaan

    A tragic incident occurred in the Mueang district of Nong Bua Lam Phu province, where a concrete wall from a 30 year old house collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 63 year old Duangjai Sriphalan and her 6 year old grandson. The accident happened in the laundry area of their single-storey home. Prasert Sriphalan recounted returning from errands at approximately…

  • Failed enhancement: Pattaya rescuers remove steel ring from man’s penis

    Failed enhancement: Pattaya rescuers remove steel ring from man’s penis

    A Pattaya rescue team was called into action to remove a stainless steel ring from a Thai man’s penis. The man had hoped the ring would boost his sexual performance but he ended up in hospital instead. The 45 year old Thai man, whose identity remains undisclosed, visited a private hospital in Pattaya for treatment. His genital area was swollen…

  • Thai court annuls 50-year-old student hairstyle regulation

    Thai court annuls 50-year-old student hairstyle regulation

    The Supreme Administrative Court has annulled a long-standing Education Ministry regulation, originally established 50 years ago, which restricted students’ hairstyles. This final decision, delivered yesterday, March 5, resolves a contentious issue that has involved educators, students, and parents. The regulation, implemented in 1975, was immediately nullified by the court for infringing upon individual freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and being…

  • Teacher arrested for posting indecent images of boys in Thailand

    Teacher arrested for posting indecent images of boys in Thailand

    Technology Crime Suppression Division officers have detained a male teacher for posting indecent images of boys under 13, with five victims identified, some abused for over a decade. The arrest took place yesterday, March 5, at Kui Buri Police Station in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The Technology Crime Suppression Division, also known as cyber police, summoned A (a pseudonym) for…

  • Home for Thais registration ends soon, housing lottery set for April

    Home for Thais registration ends soon, housing lottery set for April

    Registration for the Home for Thais initiative will end this month, with a property owner lottery scheduled for next month, according to Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote. Since the project started on January 17, around 350,000 people have registered. However, fewer than half, approximately 140,000 applicants, have passed the initial qualification screening, making them eligible for housing loans from the…

  • Bangkok residents raise alarm over illegal condo rentals, prostitution

    Bangkok residents raise alarm over illegal condo rentals, prostitution

    Furious residents in Bangkok’s Nana district say their once-tranquil homes have been turned into a noisy nightmare, thanks to illegal condo rentals and prostitution. They claim foreigners are not only flouting the rules but also running a seedy prostitution racket, sparking serious safety concerns. People’s Party MP Bhuntin Noumjerm brought the issue to public attention, highlighting the ongoing distress faced by…

  • Thai interest rate cuts to ease loan load amid economic slowdown

    Thai interest rate cuts to ease loan load amid economic slowdown

    In a move that promises relief for borrowers across Thailand, six leading commercial banks and a clutch of state-owned counterparts have slashed lending rates following the Bank of Thailand’s recent policy rate cut. This adjustment is designed to alleviate the financial strain as the economy slows down. Domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) are joining forces to trim loan interest rates…

  • Israel boosts Thai worker quota to 21,000 amid labour shortages

    Israel boosts Thai worker quota to 21,000 amid labour shortages

    Israel has decided to increase the number of Thai workers in its agriculture and construction sectors to 21,000 positions this year, as announced by Labour Minister Rabbi Yoav Ben Tzur. During an official visit to Thailand concluding today, Ben Tzur addressed the press at the Israeli Embassy. He, along with Thai Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, signed a memorandum of understanding…