News
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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Bangkok updates earthquake impact, Din Daeng expressway reopens
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has issued an update on the earthquake situation, focusing on addressing traffic issues and coordinating with the Expressway Authority. The Din Daeng expressway is operational by 5am today, March 31. At 5pm yesterday, March 30, Deputy Governors, Associate Professor Tawida Kamolvech and Wisanu Supsompol provided a daily briefing on the earthquake at the Bangkok Command Centre…
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Eight Thai state banks offer earthquake relief measures
Eight state-owned banks have announced a range of relief initiatives to support individuals and businesses affected by the recent earthquake. These measures include suspending debt repayments and offering low-interest loans. Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak stated that the aim is to offer immediate relief and assist in sustaining livelihoods and business operations. The involved financial institutions are: The Government Housing…
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Bangkok building collapse rescue mission continues amid structural challenges
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Industry Minister Ekanat Prompan visited the site of the Office of the Auditor General building collapse, which was caused by an earthquake on January 28. Approximately 50 people are still trapped under the debris. A committee has been established to investigate the cause of the collapse, with a deadline of seven days for their…
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Canadian man found unconscious after domestic dispute in Pattaya
Police responded to an early morning call yesterday regarding a domestic disturbance involving a Canadian man at a residence in Pattaya. Upon arrival at the scene, officers found a 47 year old man called James unconscious on the floor. James was discovered yesterday, March 30, with bruises on his body, indicating a violent altercation had taken place. Rescue teams from…
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Thai military aids Myanmar after deadly 7.7-magnitude quake
Thai military personnel are set to aid Myanmar in rescue and recovery efforts following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that caused extensive damage. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra directed Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to consider deploying military resources to assist earthquake relief operations in Myanmar, as stated by Deputy Defence Minister Nattapol Nakpanich yesterday. A team comprising 49 search and rescue members, medical…
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Phuket boosts motorbike safety with 4 million baht funding
Phuket officials have secured over 4 million baht from the road safety fund to bolster accident prevention measures, with an emphasis on motorbike safety. This funding was confirmed during a meeting held at the Phuket Land Transport Office on March 25 to discuss road safety strategies for the 2025 fiscal year. The meeting was presided over by Adcha Buachan, the…
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Myanmar earthquake affects Bangkok, 17 dead, 83 missing
An earthquake centred in Myanmar on Friday, which wreaked havoc in Thailand too, has resulted in significant damage and casualties. The tremors were strong enough to rock Thailand, causing the collapse of a 30-storey building under construction on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road in Chatuchak district, Bangkok. Many condominiums in the city also sustained damage. According to the Erawan Centre’s report…
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Secret drug discovery raises questions over Shane Warne’s death in Thailand
New revelations have emerged regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, with claims that a powerful sex drug was discovered at the scene but later removed by police. Fifty-two-year old Warne passed away in March 2022 while on vacation with friends on the Thai island of Koh Samui. A postmortem concluded that the former cricketer,…
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Thai Airways offers free date changes after Thailand earthquake
Thai Airways has announced ticket refunds and travel date changes for domestic and international flights due to an earthquake in Thailand on March 28. Passengers with Thai Airways tickets issued globally before March 29 and with bookings for travel between March 28 and April 10 can take the following actions: Passengers can change their travel dates without incurring change fees.…
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Thai restaurants waive charges for earthquake-affected diners
Following the devastating earthquake that struck several provinces in Thailand on March 28, numerous restaurants in shopping malls in the kingdom have shown compassion by waiving charges for customers who fled without paying. The earthquake, which caused significant damage in Bangkok, including building collapses, resulted in injuries and fatalities. Many high-rise buildings suffered structural cracks. The earthquake occurred during the…
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Earthquake chaos exploited for drug trade, 2.5m pills seized
Drug traffickers exploited the chaos following an earthquake to transport illegal substances, resulting in the seizure of over 2.5 million methamphetamine pills. Police apprehended 42 year old Ekalak Krataijun when his pickup truck was found without a registration plate on March 29. The arrest was reported by the superintendent of Highway Police Station 1, Subdivision 8, of the Highway Police…
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Debt dispute leads to fatal shooting at Samut Prakan factory
A dispute over a debt yesterday led to a fatal shooting at a factory in Samut Prakan. CCTV footage captured 53 year old Kan, a creditor, arriving on a motorcycle with his friend Toy, a 48 year old, to retrieve a debt of over 1,000 baht from Man, an employee at the factory. Present with Man were his friends, including…
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Eleven arrested for illegal gold mining in Kanchanaburi
Officials from the Department of Conservation Area 3, led by Chutidet Kamnonchanut, collaborated with Thong Pha Phum National Park officials and the Surasi Task Force to arrest 11 people for illegal gold mining and wildlife hunting. The operation took place yesterday, March 29, in the Pilokki forest area, Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province, after reports of such activities in…
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Bangkok sees surge in building crack reports post-earthquake
Reports of building cracks across Bangkok have surged to almost 6,000 cases via Traffy Fondue. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is adjusting its system to ensure timely action by volunteer engineers. Bangkok Deputy Governor Sannon Wangsrangboon yesterday, March 29, disclosed that after the earthquake, over 2,100 cases of building cracks were reported within a day. By midday, this number had…
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Detained Thai crew return home after Myanmar pardon
Four Thai crew members, detained by Myanmar officials since November last year, returned to Ranong province yesterday afternoon. Ras Chaleechan, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, led a Thai delegation, including members of the Thailand-Myanmar Township Border Committee and senior officials from relevant agencies, via speedboat to Myanmar’s Kawthaung province to receive the crew members. The Myanmar government released them following…
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Bangkok hospital evacuates patients after Myanmar earthquake tremors (video)
Hospital beds were set up in a sports hall in Bangkok as patients were evacuated from Rajavithi Hospital due to concerns over damage from a powerful earthquake. The 7.7-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar on March 28, followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock, causing tremors to be felt as far as Bangkok, located over 1,000 kilometres away. Patients at Rajavithi Hospital were…
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Shaky structure blamed for Chatuchak earthquake disaster
A deadly collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building during construction in Chatuchak, Bangkok, has left dozens trapped and three confirmed dead after an earthquake struck the city. The devastating incident, which occurred during the building’s construction, has sparked widespread concern. According to Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department, the collapse of the building was…
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Thailand book fairs return after Myanmar earthquake disruption
The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) announced that the 53rd National Book Week and the 23rd International Book Week will resume as normal today, March 29, following a temporary closure due to an earthquake. The statement confirmed the reopening times from 10am to 9pm at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The earthquake, measuring 8.2 on the Richter…
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Chiang Mai condo closed after cracks appear post-Myanmar quake
Yesterday, the Chiang Mai municipality ordered the closure of a luxury condominium complex due to visible cracks on the building’s structure, following a significant earthquake. Residents have been barred from entering the premises to ensure their safety. According to the Meteorological Department (TMD), the earthquake occurred at 1.20pm yesterday, March 28, with its epicentre in Myanmar, registering a magnitude of…
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Earthquake panic: Over 100 evacuated from Pathum Thani hospital
An earthquake in Pathum Thani province caused noticeable tremors, particularly affecting high-rise buildings, including an 18-storey medical centre at Pathum Thani Hospital. The management and medical teams, along with rescue volunteers from Ruamkatanyu Foundation and Poh Teck Tung Foundation, swiftly evacuated over 100 people, including ICU patients and staff. Doctor Ninnat Mookdee, director of Pathum Thani Hospital, stated that while…
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Thailand seeks UNESCO status for Loy Krathong festival
Thailand is set to propose the inclusion of the Loy Krathong festival in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, as announced by Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol. The Loy Krathong festival was officially declared a national cultural heritage in 2011. Minister Sudawan…
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PM cuts Phuket meeting to respond to Bangkok earthquake
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was forced to cut short a crucial meeting with Phuket officials yesterday after receiving urgent news of the devastating earthquake that struck Bangkok. At 12.30pm, March 28, the 38 year old Thai premier was in the middle of a high-level meeting in Phuket, reviewing the island’s development plans and tourism policies, when she received an emergency…
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Fatal fall: Crane operator dies in Bangkok earthquake
A crane collapse during an earthquake in the Bang Pho area in Bang Sue district, Bangkok, resulted in the death of a crane operator after he fell from the machinery. The incident occurred at 1.30pm yesterday, March 28, at a condominium construction site in Chatuchak district, Bangkok. Police Lieutenant Colonel Itthikorn Treeprapakorn from Taopoon Police Station reported that the earthquake…
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Pattaya hospitals evacuate patients after Myanmar earthquake
Hospitals in Pattaya and Bang Lamung were thrown into action yesterday afternoon, March 28, after a massive earthquake in Myanmar sent shockwaves through the region, prompting emergency evacuations. At 1.20pm yesterday, March 28, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reported a 7.4-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre located in Myanmar at 21.682°N latitude and 96.121°E longitude, approximately 326 kilometres northwest of Mae…
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Pattaya waitress begs for justice after brutal attack
A Pattaya waitress claims she was brutally beaten by coworkers in a shocking street attack, then abandoned by police. On Thursday, March 27, at 9.30pm, 28 year old Bua (surname withheld) submitted video footage to the media, accusing police of dragging their feet in investigating a violent assault that left her and two colleagues hospitalised. The incident unfolded on Sunday,…
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Krungthai Bank reveals quick way to spot fake transfers
Think you’ve been paid? Better check again. Krungthai Bank is warning customers to double-check their transfer slips, revealing a dead-easy way to tell if that proof of payment is legit, or a scam. In a post made yesterday, March 28, via its official Facebook page, Krungthai Care, the bank urged customers to learn how to spot fake transfer slips to…
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Thailand’s ditching arrival cards—but the digital fix is a mess (video)
Thailand is finally ditching its notorious TM6 paper arrival form—but don’t celebrate just yet. From May 1, every foreigner entering the country must now navigate the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system. And as usual, it’s already a hot mess. The government has launched an operational website for the TDAC, which is set to replace the old-school blue-and-white forms used…
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Thai provinces brace for summer storm with hail, strong winds
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued the seventh warning for a summer storm expected to hit today, with several provinces in north and northeast Thailand likely to experience thunderstorms, strong winds, hail, and possible lightning. The warning is effective until Tuesday, April 1. The announcement details that from today, March 29 to April 1, northern Thailand will face summer storms…
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Retired officer surrenders after Phrae shooting over gamecock dispute
In Phrae province, a retired police officer allegedly shot and injured three people, including his relatives and a neighbour, following an argument over poisoned gamecocks. The 66 year old suspect later surrendered to the police after a prolonged negotiation. Today, March 28, Police Colonel Sutthipote Thananchai, deputy inspector from the Mueang Police Station in Phrae, was informed by Paveena Choksakulthaveesap,…
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Police dismantle online gambling mule account network in Thailand
Police operations yesterday led by Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasertpab, in collaboration with Police Colonel Suriyasak Jirawat, resulted in the raid of 10 locations in Khon Kaen and Samut Sakhon provinces. The operation targeted a syndicate involved in supplying mule bank accounts for online gambling networks. Twelve suspects were arrested under warrants issued by the Khon Kaen Provincial Court on…
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