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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Microsoft aims to use IT to battle human trafficking
PHUKET: Microsoft Thailand last week organized a project to educate youth about computers and Information Technology to equip them with the knowledge and tools to fight human trafficking. The project was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya, at Prince of Songkla University’s Phuket Campus. The campaign is being held at seven campuses throughout the country, including, in addition to…
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Island View: Unchecked road rage in Phuket
PHUKET: As far as road safety in Phuket goes, authorities always highlight ‘speeding’ and ‘helmetless riding’ as the major causes of the appalling number of ‘accidents’ and deaths on the road. However, a relatively overlooked area – in my opinion – is road rage. One recent incident involved a 21-year-old Thai man who threw a large rock at a passing…
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Samkong ‘fields of gold’ attract locals, tourists
PHUKET: A field of sunhemps in full bloom near the Tesco Lotus Samkong junction has become a popular attraction for locals and tourists, who have been stopping off to pose for pictures. Piyaporn Udomsap, the owner of the 23-rai plot, has allowed free access to the public, saying he grows the flowers to maintain the quality and aesthetic beauty of…
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Tsunami memorial ceremonies held in Phuket
PHUKET: The 12-year anniversary for the victims of the devastating 2004 Tsunami was held this morning at several memorials on the island. The Tsunami pulverized the Andaman coast with waves up to 100 feet high. More than 5,000 people died and 3,700 remain unaccounted for to-date. At about 9am OrBorTor Mai Khao arranged Buddhist, Islamic and Christian rites’ services at…
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Phuket prisoners released on Royal pardon
PHUKET: The first batch of prisoners was released from Phuket Prison yesterday morning, following the announcement of a Royal pardon earlier this month to commemorate the start of the reign of King Rama X. Phuket Prison Commander Somkit Kammang presided over the event as a crowd of relatives stood outside the prison walls, waiting to welcome 147 inmates who qualified…
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Opinion: Risking life and limb for visa runs
PHUKET: If you are a foreigner living in Thailand, you need a visa. That’s fair enough. It’s like that all over the world. But no matter what kind of visa the foreigner has here, he or she often has to spend time and money, and frequently to risk life and limb, just to stay legal. Last week brought news of…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Festive Season Jingles
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Adieu, 2016
PHUKET: As the year draws to a close, social media have been flooded with an increasingly common sentiment: ‘Good Riddance, 2016’. Fair enough. The past year has seen so many unprecedented – many would say negative – developments that it would be futile to try to list them all here. But a few do stand out as potentially bellwether. In…
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More snakes at Patong Police Station
PHUKET: Four snakes, including a king cobra, a cobra and a radiated rat snake, have invaded Patong Police Station three times this week, causing the officers there to panic and send for rescue workers. “The snakes might have come into the building during the floods, but although the floods are gone, the animals remained hiding inside,” said Patong Police Superintendent…
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Phuket officials demolish illegal man-made plantations
PHUKET: Thalang District locals are furious after a joint task force of government officers demolished a man-made plantation in Suan Pa Bang Kanun this week as it was reportedly encroaching on 120 rai of public forest land in Phuket. The first round of demolitions in the area took place on July 14 this year, during which five houses, a palm-tree…
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Wrap-up: Thailand Yacht Show
PHUKET: The second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show saw visitors enjoying sea trials, parties on superyachts, fashion shows, supercars and the latest water-borne toys. With 60 exhibitors, and 55 vessels – including 18 superyachts – on display, the second edition of the TYS closed its doors on Sunday night. Held in partnership with the Thai government, it proved to…
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Public, private sectors unite against coal-fired power plant
KRABI: Representatives from 11 private and government sector organizations met in Krabi yesterday to reiterate their stance against the construction of a coal-fired power plant, which they say will adversely impact the quality of life for locals and cause billions of baht in tourism losses. Officials from the Krabi Chamber of Commerce, Krabi Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), and Krabi…
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Phuket Police beef up security over holiday period
PHUKET: More than 280 Phuket police officers and volunteers gathered outside Phuket Provincial Police Station yesterday in a show of readiness to boost the safety of tourists and residents on the island over the Christmas and New Year holidays. “Security measures will be heightened from December 22 to January 15, to instill confidence in both locals and tourists who visit…
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Dead coral seized at meditation sanctuary
PHANG NGA: About 37 kilograms of dead coral was seized at a meditation center in Koh Yao Noi yesterday. The raid at the Mooktawan Meditation Sanctuary was conducted by officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 6, after Phang Nga Governor Pakkapong Tawiphat alerted them to its presence. “The coral was being used to decorate the…
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Police search for Phuket bike burner
PHUKET: Police are hunting a for man who ran away after setting fire to a motorbike near Surakul Stadium in Wichit this morning. “The suspect, named Kwan, lives near the area. According to witnesses, he drove the bike out of his house about 10:30am, set it on fire and then ran off,” said Maj Narong Muangkhuang of Wichit Police. Rescue…
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Thai girl named as IKEA design competition winner
PHUKET: A six-year-old Thai girl was named as one of the 10 winners of a global soft toy design competition held by IKEA, the home furnishing retailer from Sweden. The drawings were submitted as part of IKEA’s ‘Good Cause’ campaign titled as ‘Let’s Play for Change’, that aims to support the right of all children to learn, develop, and have…
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Raised sand beds ‘not illegal’: Patong Mayor
PHUKET: Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup confirmed today that beach mats laid out on raised beds of sand at Patong Beach are within the 10 per cent zone and are in line with the government’s beach management rules, after pictures of the set-up went viral on social media. The pictures, which were shared and commented on by thousands of people, were…
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15 Nepalese tourists injured in Surat Thani bus crash
SURAT THANI: Fifteen Nepalese tourists were injured when their chartered bus lost control in heavy rain and crashed into a tree in Surat Thani’s Tha Chana district early yesterday morning. Five of the tourists are in critical condition. Police officers and rescue workers from Tha Chana rushed to the accident scene on the southbound lane of Asia Highway 41 in…
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American found with slashed neck in Phuket rental room
PHUKET: An American man was found dead, with deep slashes to his neck, at a rental room in Rawai about 7pm last night. Police suspect he may have taken his own life but have not ruled out other possibilities. “Inside the bathroom, we found the body of the 62-year-old victim (whose name is being withheld) lying face up, with a…
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Three foreigners killed in early morning visa run van crash
PHUKET: Three foreigners died and six others were seriously injured when the van they were travelling in crashed into a house in Phang Nga this morning. The foreigners were on their way from Phuket to Satun for a visa run with KBV Phuket Visa Run company, when the van crashed in Bang Tuey sub-district. Police and emergency responders rushed to…
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Phuket gambling den raid results in 12 arrests
PHUKET: A dozen people were arrested in a raid on a gambling den located at a house in Wichit yesterday afternoon Most of the gamblers were tour guides, it was reported. The raid by a joint task force comprising 41st Military Circle and Wichit Police officers was carried out after a month of surveillance following complaints by neighbors of illegal…
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American tourist reunited with stolen possessions
KOH SAMUI: A Thai couple was arrested on Sunday for the theft of an American tourist’s bag from a hotel room in Koh Samui the previous day. Christopher Rusciano, a pilot for American low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, was staying at Ark Bar Beach Resort, where the incident occurred. “On Saturday night, Mr Rusciano left his room to meet his friend,…
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Monks, clerics bless Samkong Underpass for tunnel’s official opening
PHUKET: Officials, monks, clerics and guests gathered at Samkong Underpass for the official grand opening ceremony of the traffic tunnel in central Phuket this morning. Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya and Highways Department Chief Construction Engineer Parinya Sangsuwan were among those present at the event, for which the underpass was closed off from 10pm last night until noon today (story…
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Demolition execs charged over 4 Bangkok deaths
BANGKOK: Police have charged the managing director and engineer of a demolition firm over the collapse of an eight-storey building in Bangkok that killed four workers on Friday. Boy Ocean Star Company had insisted that it subcontracted the job to another firm, Mega Tools.However, police have charged Boy Ocean Star managing director Mana Kaewmanee and the firm’s engineer Kittipong Yootairomboon…
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Samkong Underpass to be closed for opening ceremony
PHUKET: For the second time since its completion on October 31, the Samkong Underpass will be shut off to the public – this time from 10pm tonight to midday tomorrow for an official grand opening ceremony to be held on-site. The ceremony is scheduled for 7am-9am tomorrow, with Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan and Highways Department Chief Construction Engineer Parinya Sangsuwan…
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Pick-up truck burnt to a crisp in Phuket
PHUKET: Two minor explosions rocked Thalang this morning when a pick-up truck caught fire in the southbound lane of Thepkrasattri Road. The vehicle was burnt to a crisp with an estimated 600,000 baht in losses incurred. The driver of the vehicle escaped unharmed mere moments before the flames erupted. “The blue Toyota Vigo belonged to 34-year-old Wichai Buasri, who was…
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Phuket man drowns while diving for clams
PHUKET: A Phuket man drowned while diving for clams in a swamp in Kathu yesterday morning. The incident occurred near a cement factory on Wichitsongkram Road. Police arrived at the scene to find the body of the victim, named only as Wirot, lying on the ground. His friend, Narong, was waiting at the scene. “Mr Narong told us that he…
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German tourist suffers brain hemorrhage after fight over bar tab
PHUKET: A German tourist was knocked unconscious from a severe head injury early yesterday morning, following a noisy brawl with bouncers at a Bangla Road bar. Thomas Rapp, 31, reportedly racked up a 2,000 baht bill following a night of heavy drinking at Dragon Night Bar on Soi Freedom. “Staff and other witnesses told us that Mr Rapp and a…
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Edible jellyfish help Krabi fishermen earn extra cash
KRABI: Fishermen in Krabi are earning extra cash by putting jellyfish on the menus in restaurants around the region. About 100 fishermen in Krabi’s Nhongtalay sub-district are cashing in on the unusual marine menu item, which is edible and does not sting, selling the ‘Lodchong’ jellyfish for up to seven baht apiece. Local council member Udon Bootlhee said the Lodchong…
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Two demolition workers killed in Sukhumvit building collapse
BANGKOK: Two construction workers were killed in Bangkok yesterday when an eight-storey building under demolition on Sukhumvit Soi 87 collapsed. Rescue workers, police and fire-fighters continue their search for the workers this morning, as they are believed to be trapped under the debris. It was initially reported that four workers were in the building, said Noppadol Chaipanya, head of the…
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