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.
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Sponsored What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Singaporean dies in Kamala motorcycle crash
A Singaporean man died when he lost control of his motorbike on the coast road south of Kamala and crashed head-on into an oncoming truck yesterday. This follows this week’s death of an Australian resident, the death of a police officer in Bangkok, and the death of a passenger in a car driver by a Danish man last night in…
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Fight breaks out on island off Pattaya
A fight broke out in front of a resort on an island off Pattaya on Wednesday night between two groups of people. Security footage captured 6-8 people on motorbikes passing by the resort on Koh Larn and glancing back at another group that was marching toward them on foot. After the group on motorbikes exited the footage, the group was…
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Explore Thailand through augmented reality
“Rediscover Thailand” is a brand new augmented reality (AR) experience launched jointly by Meta and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The TAT believes the innovative technology will inspire tourists to pursue meaningful and sustainable travel in the future. The AR experience highlights some of Thailand’s key tourist attractions and natural wonders as well as unique cultural experiences such as…
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TAT wants US tourists to ‘Feel Thailand’
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday revealed a deal to bring more tourists to the kingdom from the United States and boost the nation’s ailing economy. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced the state-sponsored industry organized an event this week, Feel Thailand with Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, to take 50 US tour operators to popular tourist destinations in…
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81-year-old Japanese man arrested for murder after pushing wife’s wheelchair into sea
Police arrested an 81-year-old Japanese man after he allegedly pushed his wheelchair-bound wife into the sea. The man, Hiroshi Fujiwara, was arrested in the Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan with police saying he then admitted to killing his 79-year-old wife. Fujiwara said he was worn out from looking after her as she had been in a wheelchair for the past…
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New foreign land ownership law in Thailand can be scrapped if Thais don’t agree
If Thai people aren’t happy with the newly proposed foreign land ownership law in Thailand, the whole plan can be scrapped, said Minister of Interior General Anupong Paochinda in Parliament yesterday. “We can improve the regulation, such as by increasing the investment to 100 million baht. The plan can be scrapped if people have serious concerns. We won’t see it as…
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VIDEO: Korean tourist in Pattaya says transgender person pickpocketed him
Even though Pattaya’s thieves have largely targeted Indian tourists this year, it appears that when picking targets, people of all nationalities are fair game. A Korean tourist in Pattaya told police that a transgender person pickpocketed him on a beach on Wednesday night. The tourist, 43 year old Sanghyeon Lee, said he was walking on Pattaya Beach with friends when…
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Thai artist scoops UOB Painting of the Year award
A Thai artist yesterday scooped the 41st UOB Painting of the Year award, one of the most prestigious competitions in Southeast Asia. Bangkok-born artist Chomrawi Suksom claimed the illustrious prize for his painting titled Dystopia and prize money of US$32,000. The work, created in oil, acrylic and foil on canvas artwork, is a detailed depiction of a world undergoing constant…
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Loy Krathong: the stories of the Thai holiday’s origins
If you live in Thailand, you’ve most likely heard of the Loy Krathong festival by now. You may likely be planning on going to a Loy Krathong float event to get a taste of the holiday. But how did this holiday come into being? Understanding the origins of Loy Krathong might help you understand its significance in the hearts of…
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Bangkok police arrest 15 scammers, seize US$1 million
Bangkok police arrested 15 suspected scammers involved in a barrage of illegal businesses, seizing assets worth more than over 42 million baht (US$1.1 million) yesterday. The arrests follow a series of disturbing incidents, including a raid on a nightclub disguised as a car wash in the Yannawa district, and the death of a tourist after a night out at a…
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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan shot in assassination attempt
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shot during a suspected assassination attempt. Khan is said not to be in any immediate danger. Shots were fired near Khan’s convoy yesterday, just as the former PM was about to address party workers in Wazirabad, Gujranwala in the country’s east. Khan has been at the head of a march on Islamabad…
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Grab delivery drivers protest in Bangkok, Thailand
Around 800 Grab delivery drivers in green jackets gathered in Bangkok today to protest new policies implemented by the company which they say have significantly reduced their income. The protesters started outside Central World and later moved to Grab’s head office, completely blocking traffic on Phetchaburi Road. Recently, Grab introduced a “zoning system” which forces drivers to book a time…
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Biologist warns that upcoming Songkhla Lake Bridge construction will hurt dolphins
A marine biologist warned that a new bridge planned across Songkhla Lake will hurt the inhabitant Irrawaddy dolphins. Dolphins are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The biologist, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, said the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in the lake is likely to drop every year. He noted that the future of dolphins is uncertain,…
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Activist charged with assault and child exploitation
Secretary-general of the Amphawa district Child Protection Foundation in Samut Sakhon Montree Sinthawichai, his wife and son, met police investigators at Amphawa district police station today to hear charges against them. Montree, better known as Khru Yun, is accused of assaulting children and using child labour. Previously, activists from the Zendai Foundation took children under Montree’s care to file a…
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Thai man narrowly survives bite from his pet monocled cobra
A Thai man is warning exotic pet lovers not to “play with fire” after he narrowly survived a bite from his pet snake. Doctors had to amputate the man’s finger to save his life after he “trusted” his monocled cobra – a deadly venomous snake – to slither on his hands. The anonymous snake lover, Mr A, posted on Facebook…
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Inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrives in Phuket
An inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket this morning. Sharq Airlines flight HH2203 arrived at Phuket International Airport from Uzbekistan’s capital city of Tashkent. The flight carried 238 passengers, who received HKT We Care waterproof bags from the airport, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after Thai tourism officials announced last month that they were seeking more tourists…
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Actor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok
American actor and director Ravi Patel is preparing to star as the villain in an upcoming film set in Bangkok. The film, Kiss of the Con Queen, follows a Bangkok-based actor who heads to Jakarta, Indonesia, for an audition to be the lead in a TV show. While in Jakarta, the actor discovers that a scam is being plotted against him,…
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Prisoner fakes his own death to escape cell in Pattaya, Thailand
An alleged thief faked his death yesterday in an attempt to escape his cell in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. However, the “dead” prisoner shot up like a bolt when suspecting rescue workers placed ammonia under his nose. Yesterday, officers from Pattaya City Police Station arrested and detained 53 year old Sayan [surname withheld] under suspicion of stealing 50,000…
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Truck passenger throws firecrackers at other cars
Netizens demanded police arrest a male passenger of a truck who threw firecrackers at other cars on the road in the central province of Rayong. Sanook reported that the video of a passenger on a white truck throwing a firecracker on the road was circulating on Thai social media last night at 10pm. The video does not provide a clear…
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Starbucks makes its Laos debut with unique local touches
Starbucks today made its debut in Laos, the nation’s first store. The coffee shop opened in the Lao capital of Vientiane at Parkson Mall, an office and shopping development in the heart of the city. The new Starbucks hopes to contribute to Laos’ thriving coffee culture. The store’s architecture is uniquely Laotian, there is a handcrafted, textured door handle. The…
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Section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok to close for 5 days for APEC Summit
As world leaders gather in Bangkok later this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road will be closed for public use for five days from November 14-18. The road will be closed from Asoke Intersection to Ratchada-Khlong Toei Intersection to make way for attendees of the APEC Summit, which will be held at the…
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Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test
UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…
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Man arrested for selling homemade guns
A Thai man was arrested yesterday for making homemade guns and selling them via e-commerce platforms. The man revealed that he learned how to produce the barrels from social media. Police raided the home of Phuwadon Rakthinderm in the Kung district of the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and arrested the 34 year old for producing and selling firearms…
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How to not become another motorbike road death statistic in Thailand
While many have experience riding motorbikes, the driving situation in Thailand can be wildly different. As the kingdom’s roads are ranked as some of the most dangerous in the world, it helps to have your wits about you when driving. As a visitor to this beautiful country, keep in mind that you are, indeed, an outsider. This can be felt…
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Thailand barters for cheapest World Cup broadcasting license
Slow but sure, government officials are getting there and confirm that footie lovers in Thailand can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free. Government officials told Thai football fans not to panic and assured them they will secure the broadcasting license in time for the first match on November 20. Thailand football fans fear they will be the only…
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No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief
Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city. The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a…
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Aussie surf star dies in Pattaya motorcycle crash
A well-known Australian surfboard designer has died after crashing his motorcycle in Chon Buri. Kym Thompson smashed into an electricity pole while avoiding a truck turning at a junction on November 1. CCTV shows how Thompson was flung from his bike and skidded along the road. Rescuers said the entrepreneur died at the scene having broken his neck, arms and…
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US Federal Reserve hikes up interest rates again
The United States Federal Reserve approved yet another aggressive interest rate hike yesterday in their quest to combat persistent inflation which is at a 40-year high in America. It is the fourth consecutive 0.75% interest rate hike approved this year. The central bank has raised the policy rate from near zero in March to what is now between 3.75-4%. It…
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Monk on the run – Police seek abbot over sex offences, theft
Police are hunting the deputy abbot of a temple on the Lao border in connection with alleged sexual assaults on teenage novices and the disappearance of more than 1 million baht (US$26,000) from the temple’s bank account. Pol Maj Gen Piyapan Pattarapongsin, commander of Nan provincial police, said an arrest warrant for Thanet Thanamangkhalo had been issued involving charges of…
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Partygoer electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A young man was electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, on Tuesday night. He leaned on an electric fence in a car park upon leaving a famous bar with his friends. CCTV footage captured the incident. The 26 year old man is pictured leaving Tha Chang Pub in Chiang Mai’s Mueang district with a group of friends…
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