World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
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Sponsored New in July: Save 10% for life on family health plans in Thailand
Cigna has a special offer this July for families in Thailand. When you sign up three or more people on a family health plan, you will save 10% on your premiums for life. This deal helps you get affordable, high-quality...
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Thai worker abducted in Hamas raid on Israeli avocado farm
A Hmong woman from Chiang Rai made a desperate plea to the authorities, seeking assistance in the search for her husband who was taken captive during a Hamas raid in Israel. The 28 year old woman, Suntree Saelee, lost all communication with her 26 year old husband, Kong Saelao, amidst the chaos and violence which kicked off on October 7.…
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Thai casualties rise in Israel-Hamas conflict: Urgent repatriation underway
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in the death of four additional Thai nationals, escalating the total number of Thai fatalities to 28. Furthermore, 16 individuals are injured, and 17 are reportedly held captive, as declared by the prime minister. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shared these details following the Rapid Response Centre (RRC) meeting at the Foreign Ministry. The rapidly…
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Traveloka reports surge in Thailand travel bookings amid slow aviation recovery
Travel bookings to Thailand have seen a significant surge, according to online travel agent Traveloka. The company’s president, Caesar Indra, highlighted that despite the slow recovery of the aviation sector, Thais have predominantly utilised their platform for air ticket bookings, veering towards less frequented destinations. This trend has been mirrored across numerous Asian markets. Indra reported a fivefold increase in…
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Hong Kong’s electric surprise: US$1.5 million hidden cocaine stash rolls in an electric wheelchair
Hong Kong customs officials discovered an estimated US$1.5 million (54 million baht) worth of concealed cocaine stash inside an electric wheelchair. The 11 kilogramme drug haul was found on a 51 year old man travelling from Saint Martin, a Mediterranean country, to Hong Kong via Paris, France. The discovery occurred on Saturday, October 14, during the man’s customs clearance at…
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The EU and ASEAN marked the start of Green Diplomacy Weeks 2023 through a fun run, walk, and cycling event in Jakarta
Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to ASEAN, H.E. Sujiro Seam, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community H.E. Ekkaphab Phanthavong and the Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to ASEAN, H.E. Hjayceelyn Mancenido Quintana, officially launched the start of the EU-ASEAN Green Diplomacy Weeks 2023 today in Jakarta, Indonesia. Over 300 people, representing officials from ASEAN,…
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Massachusetts teen dies after attempting world’s spiciest chip challenge
Tragic news involving a viral challenge has surfaced in the United States, as a 14 year old boy residing in Massachusetts succumbed to intense abdominal pain, eventually losing consciousness and passing away after attempting the popular One Chip Challenge. The globally trending challenge involved consuming the world’s spiciest potato chip. Harris Wolobah, the unfortunate youngster, had tasted the spicy chip…
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Vietnamese man pays for wife’s motorcycle with two years’ worth of saved change
A 36 year old man from Ho Chi Minh City created a stir on Vietnam’s social networks recently. He brought a backpack filled with a meticulously arranged stack of banknotes to a motorcycle shop. The backpack weighed a hefty 11 kilograms and contained approximately 32,769,000 Vietnamese Dong (approximately 48,000 baht) (US$ 1,322) that he had saved over two years. This…
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Malaysian family steals 600 dishes from restaurant: a 1,250 baht hotpot heist exposed on social media
A Malaysian restaurant owner took to social media to express his dismay after a family of five ordered and subsequently stole over 600 dishes from his establishment. The incident, which took place on October 8, was discovered after the owner reviewed CCTV footage, revealing the family’s unusual behaviour. The owner of a hotpot restaurant in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia, posted on…
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Hygiene concerns over ice cream scoops spark online debate
The self-service ice cream scoop at buffet restaurants has recently become a subject of heated online discussion. A Chinese netizen declared in the Facebook group ●【爆怨公社】● that the water in which the ice cream scoop is kept at many hot pot restaurants is never replaced, leaving a residue of ice cream floating on top. This sparked a debate on whether…
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Vietnamese restaurant’s eating challenge sparks outrage as owner gripes over girl’s win
A restaurant’s promotional eating challenge in Vietnam has sparked controversy on social media. The challenge involved consuming two trays of fried chicken within 90 minutes, with the reward being five million dong. However, the owner’s reaction to a young girl completing the challenge has ignited criticism from netizens. Restaurants often create promotions or games to attract customers, setting various rules…
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US fisherman discovers snake latched onto catch in bizarre incident
A US fisherman was left exasperated after a stubborn snake latched onto his catch. It took a knife to separate the two, after which both were released back into the water. The fishing incident, captured in a video clip titled “Fishing for a bonus snake,” occurred in Harris County, northwest of Houston, USA. The footage shows a snake tightly coiled around…
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Intruder demands cash gift at Chinese wedding, groom’s leg held hostage
A peculiar woman made an unusual demand at a Chinese wedding in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China. She grabbed the groom’s leg, knelt and refused to let go until she was given a red envelope (a traditional monetary gift). The groom found himself in an embarrassing situation when an unknown middle-aged woman invaded his wedding reception. She clung to his…
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Thai worker death toll in Israel hits 21, PM Srettha exploring evacuation
The death toll of Thai workers in Israel has risen to 21 following another reported death, announced Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The news came out early on this morning, October 12, detailing the ongoing violence since Hamas initiated an offensive over the weekend. Sharing this development at 9.10am Malaysian time, PM Sretta did not elaborate on the factors leading to…
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Thai worker held hostage by Hamas in Israel as local officials scramble to assist
A Thai worker in Nong Bua Lam Phu, identified as Paiboon Rattanin is among a group of five to seven Thai workers captured by the Hamas group in Israel. The last contact with the 42 year old Paiboon was on October 6, before his co-workers in Israel sent footage of the group being hauled into a trailer by a tractor…
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Heart-wrenching wedding shock: Guest sees ex-husband marrying best friend
A heart-wrenching wedding shock unfolded at a wedding in Hubei, China, when a guest recognised her former husband on the stage next to the bride, her best friend. The woman, who had severed all contact with her ex-spouse post-divorce, was unable to contain her emotions and broke down in tears. The woman shared her distressing story while attending her best…
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11 Thais in Israel miss first evacuation flight, death toll rises to 20
The Prime Minister of Thailand reported yesterday that the death toll of Thais in Israel had climbed to 20. In addition to this distressing news, 11 Thai citizens who were expected to return to Thailand today, October 12, had not yet reached the designated meeting point. According to the latest update from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 20 Thai nationals…
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Czech hotel guests wake to hundreds of bats in room (video)
A terrifying encounter was experienced by an anonymous couple who had checked into an ageing three-star hotel in Plzeň, the capital of the Pilsen Region in the Czech Republic. The couple was shocked to discover several hundred bats sharing their room when they woke up. The couple explained that due to the warm weather on the night of their stay,…
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Udderly unexpected: Buffalo blunders by swallowing gold necklace
An unsuspecting buffalo in Washim, Maharashtra, India, swallowed a gold necklace after its owner accidentally served it on a plate. The woman, a buffalo caretaker, removed her necklace to take a shower, inadvertently placing it on a plate laden with yellow beans and a copious amount of husks. Upon completing her shower and laundry, she presented another plate of food…
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Young Chinese bar server marries boss 16 years his senior, sparking social media debate on age and status
A 22 year old Chinese bar server’s decision to marry a 38 year old woman sparked a fierce online debate about the gaps in age and social status. The groom, an attractive young man who works as a bar server, surprised his parents with his choice of bride, initially thought to be his mother-in-law due to her age. The groom,…
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Israeli officials successfully rescue 30 people, including 14 Thais
The Times of Israel reported today, October 11, that Israeli forces successfully rescued 30 people from the southern kibbutz of Ein Hashlosha, very close to Gaza. The group includes 16 Israelis and 14 Thais. The group of 30 had been missing for three days during the ongoing conflict until the authorities received a report about them at around 9pm last…
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Chinese kindergarten principal’s illicit affair with student’s dad ignites online uproar
A relationship beyond the usual teacher-parent interaction between a kindergarten principal and a student’s father in Guangxi, China sparked controversy on social media. The principal’s husband revealed the scandal, accusing his wife of having an “intimate relationship” with the student’s father, providing photographic evidence of them sharing a hotel room multiple times, at least three to four times per month,…
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Nurse bride halts wedding to save convulsing child, hailed as ‘most beautiful bride’ online
A nurse bride in China halted her wedding ceremony immediately to save a child’s life, earning her the title of “the most beautiful bride” from netizens. The incident took place when a child attending the wedding began to convulse due to a high fever. The bride, Chang, a paediatric nurse from Luliang City, Shanxi province, didn’t think twice before suspending the…
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Kaisa Group warns of under 5% recovery rate in potential liquidation
Facing severe financial difficulties, Kaisa Group, a prominent Chinese property developer, has forewarned creditors of a less than 5% recovery rate, should the company be driven into liquidation. This was the chilling forecast laid out by a legal representative for one such creditor who is currently pursuing a lawsuit against the beleaguered company. The revelation was made in a Hong…
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Thai-Israel evacuation: First wave of returning Thais touch down Thursday
Labour Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakarn reported that the first group of Thai people evacuated from Israel due to the Israel-Hamas conflict will arrive in Thailand on Thursday, October 12. The first five Thais will arrive at 10.35am and another 10 at 12.35pm. Advisor to the Ambassador of the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, Kitrana Srisuriya, revealed the number of affected…
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Touchy situation: American student’s Dubai Airport nightmare sparks global interest
A 21 year old American student faced a nightmare ordeal after being sentenced to imprisonment for lightly touching a security officer at Dubai Airport in July. Now free, her story continues to draw international attention. Elizabeth Polanco Delos Santos was on her way home to the United States after holidaying in Istanbul, Turkey, with friends. In transit, she had a…
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Wedding venue vandalism: Thai event company suffers 500,000 baht loss
An outdoor wedding venue in Jiangsu province, China, was stripped bare overnight, leaving the event organisers aghast and with an estimated 51,000 baht in losses. The preparation of the venue by the event company had taken seven hours, starting at 8pm and ending at 3am the following day. By the time staff returned at 7am, the place was unrecognisable, with…
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Barry’s green guru grows gargantuan cucumber: A vine-derful victory
Vincent Sjodin, known for his green thumbs in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, has certainly lived up to his reputation by achieving the remarkable feat of growing the world’s heaviest cucumber. This gargantuan cucumber stretched to an impressive 1.2 meters in length and weighed an astonishing 13.4 kilogrammes – a weight equivalent to an average mountain bike. This extraordinary accomplishment took…
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Hamas attack at Israeli music festival kills over 260
The deadly attack by Hamas militants on an Israeli music festival resulted in over 260 fatalities, including 12 Thais and a 30 year old German tourist, Shani Louk. The incident occurred near the Gaza border in a southern region of Israel on Saturday. The local Israeli emergency response organization, Zaka, reported the discovery of over 260 bodies near the festival…
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Chinese student profits from booming bridesmaid rental industry, earning up to 1,500 baht per wedding
A 21 year old Chinese student has made a lucrative part-time career as a professional bridesmaid for hire, having attended over 50 weddings. It’s not her fame that has led to these invitations, but her role as a paid companion for brides. For each event, she earns a starting fee of around 288 yuan, approximately 1,500 baht (US$40), which is…
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Chinese groom defends plus-sized bride against wedding day ridicule
A recent wedding in Jiangsu province, China, became a hot topic due to the stark contrast in the bride and groom’s appearances. The bride, who weighed over 200 kilogrammes, was publicly ridiculed for her size, causing her to cry during her wedding ceremony. On the other hand, the groom, a standard-sized man, was left to console his new wife amidst…
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