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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.
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Sponsored Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Up to 10K baht paid to Thai women for marriage license
PHOTO: Immigration Bureau Indian men have been paying up to 10,000 Baht to Thai women for a marriage license. Thairath is reporting that Immigration chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn says, “Many Thai women have been paid to get married with Indian men without any intention of a physical relationship.” “Indian men are using the marriage license as a means to apply…
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Burmese man shot after allegedly attacking policeman with knife
A Burmese man has been shot and injured after allegedly attacking a policeman with a knife yesterday afternoon. Police claim 45 year old Saw Luimia attacked a policeman at a road checkpoint in Tambon Mae Ngow of Mae Hong Son’s Khun Yuam district at about 2.20pm. Mae Hong Son is in the far north west of Thailand on the Myanmar border.…
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Foreign teacher to be deported after his arrest over rape in Pathum Thani
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau / Lamlukka Police Station The male Pakistani teacher, who was charged with rape this week in Pathum Thani, is to be deported. The Immigration Bureau Office reports that Immigration chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn headed to Lamlukka Police Station in Pathum Thani where the Pakistani man, a teacher and psychologist, had been arrested. Read more about the case HERE.…
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Go-Air seeks more flight slots into Thailand amid increasing demand
PHOTO: Indian weddings are on the rise along with a big leap in new Indian tourism traffic to Phuket Indian-based budget carrier GoAir is looking for additional flying slots into Thailand airports amid growing air passenger traffic. The GoAir Vice-President Arjun Dasgupta says the airline wants to launch flights from seven more Indian cities, including Chandigarh and Lucknow, to Phuket.…
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Two Chinese arrested after fellow Chinese assaulted in Pattaya
Two Chinese men have been arrested early this morning for allegedly assaulting a compatriot in Pattaya. Police said 28 year old Zhang Hongxing and 33 year old Cao Lei were arrested at 1.30am while fleeing in two vehicles. Cao and Zhang, in separate cars, were stopped at the North Pattaya Road before they turned onto Sukhumvit Road. Police blocked the…
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Weather for January 17
Bangkok Generally clear. High 33ºC. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 31ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 100%. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya City Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 km/h. Ko Samui Thunderstorms. High 24ºC. Winds…
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Five metre king cobra caught with bare hands in Krabi
A 20 kilogram, 5 metre king cobra has been caught by a skilled rescue worker with his bare hands in Krabi. Ao Nang rescue workers were notified that a king cobra was hiding near a local house in Krabi City. It took about 10 minutes for rescue workers to find the king cobra. 37 year old Sutee Naewhart, who found…
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The Minister for Putting-Foot-in-Mouth
The Deputy PM, Prawit Wongsuwan, luxury watch lover and Defence Minister, is now becoming notorious as the Minister for Putting Foot in Mouth. Thailand’s deputy PM, talking to the media about the attack on the Thai hotel in Nairobi where 14 people were killed, said it was “good enough” that no Thais were killed in the terrorist attack. Addressing reporters…
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Election 2019: Put it in your calendar – March 10
PHOTO: Protesters in Bangkok demanding the Thai Government announce election dates Bets are on for a March 10 election date as the Prime Minister has, for the first time, admitted that the election can no longer be held on February 24. But nothing official has yet been announced. Under the constitution, the general election must be completed within 150 days…
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New tsunami warning buoy installed off Phuket
A tsunami-warning buoy, valued at 12 million baht, is to be installed off the coast of Phuket, to replace the one that had been broken two years ago. It replaces one that hasn’t been working for 18 months. Two buoys were originally placed several hundred kilometres offshore in the original tsunami warning system following the 2004 Boxing Day tragedy. The…
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Real police charge three Filipino women working for ‘fake’ charity in Pattaya
PHOTO: Chaiyot Pupattanapong Pattaya police arrested three Filipino women for collecting donations from tourists for an ‘imaginary’ children’s foundation. The three women, 38 year old Ruthie Espina Babila, 50 year old Jessica Bayutas Ortega and 55 year old Belinda Austria Toledo claimed to represent the ‘Children’s Joy Foundation’. They were arrested while collection donations outside a restaurant in Pattaya today. Two…
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PM Prayut kicks the election can down the road
PHOTO: The Nation February 24? No. March? April? Maybe May? PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has reaffirmed today that election will definitely be held by May 9 but gave no indication when exactly it will take place. It’s the first time he’s ever uttered an actual date. He says that under the new Thai Constitution, May 9 is the final date election…
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Six metre king cobra caught by rescue workers in Trang – VIDEO
VIDEO/PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยบรรเทาวังวิเศษ A 20 kilogram, 6 metres king cobra has been caught in Trang by rescue workers. 77 Kaoded news reports that Sikao Police in Trang were notified of the incident at a house at 4.45pm yesterday. Police decided it wasn’t quite in their work contract and contacted rescue workers who headed to the house. Sawai Kaewjuea, a rescue worker, led his…
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The internet booms and print languishes in 2019 advertising spend
Thailand’s Digital advertising market spend is poised to reach 124 billion baht in 2019. That’s a growth of nearly 5%. But newspapers, magazines, Cable TV and radio are on the nose as marketers stick with terrestrial TV and ramp up their digital portfolios. “Digital media is expected to grow 20% and is will nearly equal the value of TV advertising…
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Bangkok smog: Chatuchak school closes for the rest of the week
A kindergarten in Chatuchak, to the north of central Bangkok, has suspended classes because of air pollution that has landed Bangkok in the top 10 list of worst-polluted cities. Bangkok still lags far behind some of the world’s most polluted cities, including the Afghani capital Kabul (at 576), Delhi in India (306) and Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar (300). But the Top 10…
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Phuket house keeper keeps 2,600 meth pills and 3kg of marijuana at house in Rawai
A Rawai house keeper has been arrested with 2,600 methamphetamine pills and three kilograms of marijuana. A team of Border Patrol Police has arrested 47 year old Wanlee ‘Mai’ Eiadkerd. Police seized 2,600 methamphetamine pills and three kilograms of marijuana inside a house in Rawai. The arrest follows police first arresting a Thai woman with methamphetamine pills in Chalong. She told…
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Baby elephant dies from horrific wounds after being caught in hunter’s trap
A baby elephant has died after a hunter abandoned her, tied up to a fence in a forest in Rayong. The little elephant died after suffering from horrific wounds. The elephant, only one month old, was found by villagers in Rayong tied up to a fence with a rope cutting deep into her ankle. Read the story of her discovery…
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Bangkok smog: Oil refineries being asked to upgrade quality of diesel
It won’t be a short-term solution but it is a worthwhile long-term part of the important changes that will have to be made. But nothing concrete yet. In yet another attempt to ease the health hazards posed by PM2.5 dust particles in Bangkok’s air, the Energy Business Department plans to hold a meeting with oil refineries this week about the…
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Phuket police launch search for man in Facebook post pointing a gun at his head
Last night Phuket Police launched a manhunt after a photo of a man pointing gun at his head went viral in social media. The Phuket City Police took about five hours to find the house after the photo of the man, who was pointing a gun at his head, along with a depressing message, was posted on the man’s social…
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Air quality for Thailand – January 16
Northern Thailand Central Thailand Southern Thailand
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Bangkok smog to hit Thailand in the tourism pocket
Bangkok’s air pollution problems will take a hefty toll on the Thai economy unless authorities can effectively clear the city’s air and find some long-term solutions to smog. A Kasikorn Research Centre analysis says the smog could cost Thailand 6.6 billion baht in losses for the healthcare and tourism sectors due to the impact of air pollution. The analysis says…
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Weather for January 16
Bangkok Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 33ºC. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds ESE and variable. Phuket Afternoon showers. High 31ºC. Winds NNE and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Ko Samui Thundershowers. High 25ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 32ºC.…
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Thai ‘hijacking’ elephants get GPS collar trackers
PHOTO: WWF A new project has been launched in the restricted forest areas of eastern Thailand where wildlife officials are putting tracking collars on elephants to help mitigate potential conflict with farmers and local villagers. The first three collars were placed on three elephants in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary. The collars were imported from South Africa with aid…
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Smog settles in as a chronic Bangkok problem
Air pollution? What air pollution!? Bangkok residents will have to put up with smog until early March, as high levels of PM2.5 particles settle over the capital for many more weeks, or months. Though pollution has become a cause of grave concern to citizens, relevant authorities are yet to introduce significant measures – let alone declare the capital a pollution-control…
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The big ‘fake’ Indian wedding
A police crackdown had led to the arrest of 28 people involved in a marriage scam for Indian nationals who seek to stay in Thailand long term. The suspects include a 53 year old Thai-Indian man who acted as a marriage broker and prepared the documents needed, while the other 27 are Thai women who were allegedly paid 8,000-10,000 baht…
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Kamala lifeguard dies in motorbike accident in Cherng Talay
PHOTO: Kusoldharm Foundation A man, a Kamala lifeguard, has died in a motorbike accident in Cherng Talay this afternoon. The Cherng Talay Police were notified of the incident in front of a beauty salon near Baan Bang Tao School in Thalang at 1.35pm. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find a damaged Honda PCX. Nearby they found…
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Australian woman sends desperate messages from Thai immigration detention
PHOTOS: Facebook – Claire Johnson – founder and MD of Cosmetic Holidays International Claire Johnson was due back in Sydney on January 8, but sent frantic text messages from a Thailand detention centre. She claims she wouldn’t be going home because ‘serious stuff went down’. She sent texts to a friend saying she was ‘so scared… get media involved’. A story…
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Man arrested after killing five family members in Uttaradit
PHOTO: Khaosod A man who shot his pregnant wife, parents-in-law and two other relatives to death, is now in custody. Khaosod is reporting that 37 year old Teeraphol Pin-amon, who allegedly shot five people to death in their home in Uttaradit province last Sunday, has now been apprehended while he was hiding in a forest in Ranong today. Uttaradit is…
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Thai woman arrested for killing German husband in 10 million baht insurance scam
A Thai woman has been arrested by the Crime Suppression Division for allegedly having planned and murdered her husband with the aid of her Thai lover, to get their hands on a 10 million baht insurance compensation claim back in 2006, 13 years ago. CSD Commander Pol Maj-General Jirapol Phuridej said Angkhana Moshammer (not official spelling) was arrested in front…
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What’s the use of number plates if you can’t read them?
by DW (anonymously sent to The Thaiger) Hiding in plain sight, and rarely noted—at least by anyone I’ve spoken with—are thousands of cars, vans, buses, trucks, and even motorcycles. Most are commercial vehicles … you know, the ones with green and yellow plates. Now when I say they’re “hiding in plain sight”, I mean to say that yes, you can plainly…
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