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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 Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
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Taxi drives off forgetting Norwegian tourist at petrol station in Thailand
A Norwegian man took a taxi from Trat to Bangkok yesterday afternoon. After stopping at a petrol station in Chon Buri province to buy snacks, the driver drove off without him. The cabby drove 60 kilometres before realising his passenger had vanished. A Thai woman at the petrol station on the Setthakit Chon Buri – Baan Bueng Road saw the…
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Punishment uncertain for boy who threw cat from 22nd floor
What is the appropriate punishment for a 10 year old boy for remorselessly throwing a cat out of a 22nd story window? That’s what authorities and web commentators are grappling with in Singapore after the horrific incident was caught on security video last week. The disturbing video captured a young boy picking up a neighbourhood black cat named Panther on…
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Dining carriages and catering trolleys return to Thai trains
Dining carriages and catering trolleys are back in service on Thailand’s trains after a two-year hiatus, according to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The SRT suspended all food and drink services in April 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Certain busy routes stop running completely to prevent outbreaks of the virus. However, Thailand is slowly but surely moving…
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Navy rescues German man with heart failure from cruise ship in Gulf of Thailand
Officers from the Royal Thai Navy battled against strong waves to help a German man who suffered from heart failure on a cruise ship in Thailand‘s waters last night. The MEIN SCHIFF 5 cruise ship departed from Chon Buri province and was headed for Singapore when 73 year old passenger Bernd Joachim Max Thiele, of German nationality, fell unwell about…
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China releases first Covid fatality rates after loosening restrictions
China is reporting its first fatality rates after the recent loosening of Covid restrictions. According to CNBC, three people died over the weekend after contracting Covid-19 marking the first fatalities since the last report in May. All three were aged 87 to 91 and lived in Beijing. Last Sunday alone, Beijing reported more than 26,000 infections, both symptomatic and asymptomatic.…
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As Thailand’s large waves rage, officials raise red flags on Hua Hin beaches
As large waves rage in the Gulf of Thailand, officials have raised red flags at Hua Hin’s beaches. Officials said people are strictly prohibited from venturing into the sea while the red warning flags are raised, Hua Hin Today reported yesterday. Some beach vendors and restaurants have also closed due to the waves, and the local fishing boat fleet remained ashore.…
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Navy rescues 1 sailor from Gulf of Thailand, 30 still missing
UPDATE 3 Last night, the Royal Thai Navy rescued one missing sailor – Chief Petty Officer Natee Timdee – found floating in the Gulf of Thailand. Natee was unconscious when he was found but his condition is now “safe.” The navy reports that 30 sailors are still missing. At 8:45pm, the HTMS Kraburi docked at Prachuap Pier after patrolling the…
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Finnish man found sleeping in road after motorbike crash
When it comes to drinking, some people know their limits. And some people… well… some people are like a Finnish man recently scooped up off the street in Pattaya late at night. The tourist wasn’t dead though. He was just so drunk that he passed out driving his motorbike home and was found sleeping in the middle of the busy…
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The UN reaches historic biodiversity agreement to protect one-third of planet by 2030
The United Nations has reached a historic biodiversity agreement that will aim to protect one-third of the planet by 2030. The landmark deal is aimed at safeguarding diversity by protecting vital ecosystems such as wetlands and rainforests and indigenous peoples’ rights. The agreement came at the COP15 UN biodiversity summit in Montreal, Canada. Previously the summit was set to be…
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy requests weapons systems from Western leaders
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is asking Western leaders for a wide range of weapons systems to assist the country in its fight against Russia’s invasion. According to Thai PBS World, he asked leaders of countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to meet in Latvia to discuss his request for assistance. “I ask you to…
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Thailand to promote tourism to Pattaya in new campaign
Thailand is gearing up to focus on promoting the beach town of Pattaya as part of its new tourism campaign. Known as the country’s “sin city”, it will reportedly be part of the “Amazing Thailand, Amazing New Chapters” campaign put forth by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Partnering with Tiger Airline, the authority will launch the “Fresh Up Chonburi Family…
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Thailand to open all land border crossings next year
Thailand is planning to open all land border crossings with neighbouring countries next year. The move is reportedly part of an effort to facilitate the transportation of goods to help restart one aspect of the economy. The Department of Foreign Trade says it will negotiate with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia to reopen all 97 land borders and hold trade…
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Pheu Thai Party wants to reform tourism, cut red tape
The Pheu Thai Party is calling for reform of the way Thailand approaches tourism, though its focus seems to be the same as the ruling party’s. The opposition party held a brainstorming session on Friday to discuss how to improve tourism in Thailand. They stressed branching out and eliminating outdated red tape, but also put their hope squarely on medical…
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Blaze damages Bangkok luxury condominium
A blaze damaged a luxury condominium in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok this afternoon. The fire damaged a unit on the 40th floor of the 42-floor Saichol Mansion B, located in Bangkok’s Klong San district. Officials evacuated over 100 residents from the building, while firefighters worked for about 15 minutes to put out the blaze. Luckily, no casualties were reported. Police…
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Where to celebrate New Year’s in Phuket (2023)
Phuket is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and it’s no wonder why. With its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, delicious food, and unique culture, Phuket is the perfect place to celebrate the 2023 New Year. From spectacular fireworks displays to beach parties to cultural events, there’s something for everyone when it comes to ringing in the…
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Builder discovers corpse inside water tank in Bangkok, Thailand
Police are launching a murder investigation after a builder discovered a corpse stuffed into a water tank at a disused building in Bangkok this morning. Doctors estimate that the deceased died six months ago. At 10:10am, officers from Bangkok’s Hua Mak Police Station travelled to a four-storey building in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 1 in Suan Luang district to investigate the discovery of…
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UK Tesco accused of using slave labour in Thailand
The UK’s Tesco supermarket chain is being accused of using slave labour in Thailand. According to a Guardian investigation, Burmese workers who made jeans for Tesco Lotus in Thailand, allegedly worked 99-hour weeks. And, their received wages were allegedly too low to make the cut legally. The investigation also found that their working conditions were considered quite harsh. Tesco faces…
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Animal activists call for ban on US monkey imports
Animal activists are calling on the US government to ban imports of primates for laboratory use after a government report revealed that deadly pathogens entered the country through imported monkeys from Cambodia. The report detailed that between 2018-2021, six cases of Burkholderia pseudomallei were identified in such imported primates from Cambodia. The rare but deadly disease has a mortality rate…
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Phuket pickup truck accident injures three people in front of school
A Phuket truck accident injured three people in front of a school on Thursday. A pickup truck overturned and crashed into another pickup truck in front of Thai Rath Wittaya School on Wichit Songkram Road in Kathu district. CCTV footage of the incident found that the driver of a black pickup truck lost control at a curve before overturning and…
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Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 84 rescued, 1 dead, 21 missing
False information in this story has been updated. In total, 84 members of the Royal Thai Navy have been rescued from the Gulf of Thailand after the HTMS Sukhothai navy vessel sank to the bottom of the sea last night amid rough conditions. One body has been recovered and 21 crew members are still missing. As of noon today, the…
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Messi says he will keep going after World Cup win
Football star Lionel Messi says he will keep going after his team’s World Cup win. Despite the Argentinian star accomplishing his lifetime goal of winning the international competition, Messi says he wants to experience a few more matches with his new title of world champion. The 35 year old says his career, indeed, is almost finished, as he noted that…
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Buddha statue in Cambodia will be world’s 3rd tallest
The owner of the hotel group in Cambodia is taking on a big challenge. A big, tall challenge. The owner of the Sokha Hotel Group in Cambodia has pledged to build one of the world’s tallest Buddha statues. His scheme would see the construction of a 108-metre tall Buddha on Bokor Mountain. While news coverage in the Phnom Penh Post,…
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Man allegedly assaults woman in Pattaya after she refuses to provide him with services
A man allegedly assaulted a woman in Pattaya after she refused to provide him with services. The woman, 30 year old ‘L,’ reported the incident to Pattaya police early Friday morning. L said the she met the man at a bar and agreed to drink and provide what she called entertainment services for 2,000 baht. The Pattaya News reported that…
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Body of Canadian man washes up on beach in southern Thailand
The body of a 63 year old Canadian man washed up on a beach on the mainland of Surat Thani province in southern Thailand yesterday evening. He went missing from Koh Pha Ngan island six days ago. At 8pm, officers from Khanom Police Station rushed to Khanom Beach after a decaying body was discovered on the shore in front of the…
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POLL: Thai politics unchanged, honesty and transparency wanted
A new poll shows that most people in Thailand don’t believe that politics have really changed much. They like responsible, honest politicians and hate people who break promises and abuse authority. They want their political parties to be honest and transparent with a clear goal. Corruption is the biggest issue they want to be tackled. Poll respondents said that they…
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Shakira speaks up for young Iranian football player on death row
Shakira, Shakira! Prominent figures across the globe are speaking up about the plight of Iranians, and the latest to do so is music sensation Shakira. On Saturday, Shakira tweeted her support for Amir Nasr-Azadani, a young Iranian football player sentenced to death after protesting. Twenty-six year old Nasr-Azadani was arrested in Isfahan last month, after taking part in a protest…
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Aussie cops bust billion-baht meth shipment
Aussie cops have busted a billion-baht meth shipment, charging two senior members of the drug ring and taking them into custody. The two members were charged in Taiwan over an alleged plot to import 30kg of methamphetamine into Australia hidden inside 3D printers. Australia is in the grip of what authorities have called an “ice epidemic”. They say the drug…
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Best Christmas Movies, Ever!
The Thaiger is following up on the success of its Best Christmas Singles, Ever! This time the team selected its favourite Christmas movies. With so many films to choose from many readers may disagree with our choices and be disappointed to discover that their favourite Xmas flick is missing from the list. But it’s always a great topic to debate…
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Hard rain stops train services in Thailand’s south
Heavy rain and high tides are bringing widespread flooding to Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Narathiwat. Red flags in Songkhla’s Chalatat Beach advise people not to venture into the 4-metre waves that are pounding the coast. In Narathiwat province, those living close to the Kolok River are ready to move themselves and their valuables to higher ground as the water…
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Long-time Chinese overstayer goes viral asking for petrol money in Phuket
A long-time Chinese overstayer has gone viral on social media for footage of her asking for petrol money from people at a Phuket petrol station. The woman, 47 year old Fan Yang, had been overstaying her visa for a whopping 1,316 days. The footage circling on TikTok shows some of Fan’s interactions with people at the station on Bypass Road…
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