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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 Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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Japan airlines offering a seat map to avoid screaming kids
“JAL’s seat maps indicate where infants under two are sitting, with a child icon to let other passengers know.” No kidding. Prefer not to sit next to a screaming child on your next long-haul flight? On some Japanese airlines a new seat map warns you where potentially bawling babies and screaming six year olds are sitting. Offered as part of…
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UPDATE: Maluku Island quake toll rises to 23
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands has risen to 23. More than 15,000 people have been evacuated to shelters. Among the confirmed dead, an infant with many killed by falling debris in and around quake-struck Ambon city. More than 100 people were also injured and at least 15,000 people had to evacuate because…
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Myanmar switches to international ‘unicode’ on October 1
PHOTO: Cordelia Persen/flickr “October 1 is “U-Day”, when Myanmar officially adopts the new system.” Accessing everything from Wikipedia to Google Maps in Myanmar is about to get a lot easier when the country finally adopts the universal code underpinning phone and online communication next week. Tech experts say the move to bring the country more in step with the rest of…
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Thai government extends free water and electricity services for another year
PHOTO: www.unsplash.com Thailand’s Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says low-income households will continue to get free electricity and water for another year. The scheme, which assists poorer families, was due to expire at the end of this month. Under the plan, low-income households get up to 230 baht worth of electricity for free each month, along with 100 baht worth of…
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Child injured in hit-and-run “ghost riding” motorbike incident in central Thailand
PHOTO: Workpoint News A 10 year old girl has been injured after a motorbike being ridden against the flow of traffic – a practice known as “ghost riding” – hit her and then drove off. The early morning incident took place in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand as the girl waited to cross the road. Facebook user Uthaiwan Permjit…
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Thailand may lift ban on foreign investors for some innovation sectors
PHOTO: Marvin Meyer/Unsplash Thailand’s Commerce Ministry is considering whether to remove certain innovation-related businesses from the list of those open only to Thai citizens. The idea is being floated as a way of increasing foreign investment in Thailand, making the country a more attractive option for overseas companies. Deputy Director General of the Department of Business Development, Poonpong Naiyanapakorn says…
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Three Thai high-speed train projects shelved
“As the high-speed train system in Laos is nearing completion, he said that Thailand must speed up its construction of the Bangkok-Nong Khai project.” Three high-speed train projects are being shelved by the Thai government due to lack of interest from co-investors. Sources at the Transport Ministry have told Thai PBS World that none of the three projects were included…
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Not 12 billion baht, only 4.2 billion! Price tag for Army helicopters.
The Royal Thai Army has clarified spending on eight AH-6i light attack reconnaissance helicopters, weapons and associated equipment from the US, after it was claimed yesterday to have a price tag of 12 billion baht. The Army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree called the media together to explain that it paid 4.2 billion baht for the eight helicopters and equipment from the…
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Google refuses to pay publishers in Europe for ‘snippets’ in their search engine
There is a lot of change to news, news aggregators and copyright issues regarding news in the headlines at the moment. And it maybe ‘headlines only’ that you’ll be seeing in parts of Europe when you search for news in the future. Google has been a target of publishes with some high-profile court cases insisting that Google’s use of a thumbnail…
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Pattaya bin man suffers life-changing injuries after being crushed by speeding car
PHOTO: Sophone Cable/ThaiVisa A speeding car has caused catastrophic injury to a Pattaya garbage collector after smashing into him and pinning him against the back of his truck. Thanong Saengthong, aged 36, was rushed to Somdej Na Sriracha hospital following the accident, which happened early this morning in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district. His left leg was so severely injured it…
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UPDATE: At least one dead – Indonesian islands hit with 6.5 magnitude quake
PHOTO: AFP / Handout / BADAN NASIONAL PENANGGULANGAN BENCANA by Sultan Ambon At least one person has died and another is missing after a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands earlier today, destroying homes and triggering landslides. Terrified people ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them after the 6.5-magnitude quake hit at around 8:45 local time (0045…
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Thai duty free giant King Power considers move into UK hotel industry
PHOTO: www.chillpainai.com The CEO of King Power, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, says the group is considering a move into the hospitality sector in the UK. Speaking to the press yesterday, Aiyawatt says the idea comes at a time when property prices in the UK and Europe are dropping as a result of the global economic slowdown. “Our deal will be finalised next…
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Thai actor to end flood relief fundraising campaign
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Bin Bunluerit, the Thai actor who set up a fundraising campaign in the aftermath of floods that devastated parts of north-east Thailand, is calling time on his campaign. The well-intentioned operation has been dogged by allegations of misappropriation of funds, with local officials accused of charging a “paperwork fee” before distributing donations to flood victims. Bin has…
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East Indonesian islands hit with strong 6.5 magnitude quake
“People were panicking and started to evacuate in some places, but we are trying to tell them there’s no need to panic because there’s no tsunami threat.” A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck about 37 kilometres (23 miles) northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at…
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Thai Airways to take six months to review purchase of new planes
“The airline has also been hesitant to address its middle management glut, long-term and uncompetitive employment contracts and accusations of nepotism in senior management.” Thai Airways says it’s going to review its planned fleet-expansion plans to buy 38 new planes. Officially, they’re saying they’re “considering funding sources” and claim the review will take six months. Nearly two years ago they announced…
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Asian Development Bank drops growth forecast for Thailand
“The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due largely to infrastructure investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.” The Asian Development Bank is lowering its growth forecast for Thailand’s economy from 3.9% to 3% but is optimistic that conditions will improve next year. “The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due…
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China opens mega airport in Beijing ahead of country’s 70th anniversary
“China is expected to surpass the US to become the world’s biggest aviation market in the next couple of years.” by Poornima Weerasekara China’s President Xi Jinping has opened a futuristic new airport in Beijing, expected to become one of the busiest in the world. Xi declared the starfish-shaped airport open in brief remarks at a ceremony inside the huge terminal,…
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Dam contaminated with heavy metals in Chachoengsao
PHOTO: Thai PBS World People living around a small dam in Khao Hin Sorn district of Chachoengsao, directly east of Bangkok, are being told to stop using water from the reservoir after it was discovered that it is contaminated with heavy metals. Officials of the Royal Irrigation Department took water and soil samples from the Royally-initiated reservoir for tests, which…
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1000 gather in Phuket to join the global cry on climate change
Asia’s largest travel and tourism sustainability event, opened in Phuket yesterday, as Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry came together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the critical environmental issues facing resort destinations across the region. A year on from the inaugural edition of PHIST, the event continues to grow. A record attendance of 1,000 delegates attended the full-day event, held…
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OPINION: It’s time to go – Brexit
by Gill Parker (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Adios, Au revior, Auf wiedersehen, Ha dee and Addio Europe. Breaking up is hard to do but we’re outta here. Enough is enough. The British people voted to leave the European Union and that’s that. You can argue…
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Convicted of murder, sentenced to death, now stripped of MP status
PHOTO: Nawat Tohcharoensuk MP “Nawat’s request for bail pending an appeal was refused. He was jailed immediately. Once bail was denied, he lost his status as an MP as per Sections 101 and 98 (6) of the Constitution.” A Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen in the north-east yesterday sentenced to death by the provincial court after being found guilty…
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Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
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Bangkok municipality workers told to smarten up their act
PHOTO: www.wikiwand.com The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has received several complaints about its employees acting inappropriately, the Bangkok Post reports. The complaints have led the BMA to tell workers to get their act together. An anonymous BMA source says City Hall has sent letters to all relevant offices, asking municipality officers to refrain from behaviour that might jeopardise the organisation’s…
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OPINION: Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into – Brexit
OPINION: David Skelcey, Thailand (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Whether you are British or not, it will be hard to escape yesterday’s news that British Prime Minister Johnson has been dealt a massive blow by the UK’s highest court over his decision to suspend parliament. The…
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Patong Mayor hands out useless, cheap face-masks
In a shameless PR stunt, the Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kepsup yesterday wandered along the Patong Beach foreshore handing out ineffective cheap paper face masks to bemused locals and tourists. The beach-walk was in response to the current onset of poor air quality caused by by the intentionally-lit plantation fires on northern Indonesian islands. Whilst the local media took up the…
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MP for Pheu Thai convicted of murder and sentenced to death
PHOTO: Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen, Nawat Tohcharoensuk, sentenced to death today The Khon Kaen provincial court has convicted a Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen, Nawat Tohcharoensuk, of masterminding the murder of a local official and sentenced him to death today. Six years ago, Suchart Khotethum, an assistant chief of the Khon Kaen provincial administrative organisation, was killed…
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Rain-making training plane crashes in western Thailand
PHOTO: Channel 7 News The Thai Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation have reported that a “Caravan” aircraft crashed in Kanchanaburi at 10.10am this morning during training exercises, killing the two occupants. Both the instructor, Captain Tarun Amanan, and trainee pilot, Suksan Chongsatientham, were found dead. The aircraft was crumpled and unrecognisable when found by villagers. The plane was…
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Boris and Donald meet in New York to discuss Brexit
“The Prime Minister emphasised that in order to secure a deal we will now need to see movement and flexibility from the EU.” British PM Boris Johnson has reiterated his call for “flexibility” from the EU in Brexit talks during a face-to-face meeting with Council President Donald Tusk in New York that failed to yield a breakthrough. Johnson and Tusk…
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“Philippines: Deadliest country in the world for land defenders” – Global Witness
“In July, the group said 30 killings in the Philippines last year made it the deadliest country in the world for land defenders – a first since the group began reporting such deaths in 2012. “ by Cecil Morella Murders of environmental activists and land defenders in The Philippines continue to rise sharply under President Rodrigo Duterte. The accusations from…
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Thai actor condemns abuse of donations as “deplorable”
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Bin Bunluerit, the Thai actor and volunteer rescue worker who raised funds for Ubon Ratchathani’s flood victims has condemned the community leaders guilty of abusing the relief system he put in place. His statement comes amid complaints on social media that some of those administering the funds are taking a percentage, before passing the money on…
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