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 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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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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Motorcycle rider takes a nap in the middle of a main road
A weary motorcycle rider was awakened by a group of men after he slept on his parked motorcycle in the middle of a main road. The men recorded a video of the sleepy motorcycle rider and sent it to a local news Facebook page named Hear On Board (เฮียขับรถ). The video reveals the men trying to wake the man sleeping,…
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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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Lucky escape for children after pickup crashes into school bus, driver dies
Several school children and their bus driver escaped relatively unscathed after a pickup vehicle crashed into their school bus this morning. The pickup driver was killed in the collision in the Bang Khan district in southern Thailand. The two vehicles collided in front of Ban Lam Nao post office in tambon Ban Lam Nao. Police Captain Bunlue Mian-o, the deputy…
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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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11 provinces in Thailand warned to be aware of falling rocket parts
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) today issued a warning to 11 provinces in Thailand to be aware of falling rocket parts from the sky on Saturday, November 5. A Thai researcher, and specialist on orbital mechanics from GISTDA, Sittporn Chamnarnsin, reported that a Chinese rocket, Longmarch 5B-4Y, is expected to fall from the sky on Saturday. The rocket…
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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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Knife-wielding meth addict circles daycare centre in northeast Thailand
A man in a suspected meth-induced psychotic episode took a knife and circled a daycare centre in Non Suwan subdistrict, Buriram province, northeast Thailand yesterday morning. At around 9am, 30 year old Gongphon “Ming” Sehlah arrived at Non Suwan Child Development Centre armed with a knife and began walking around the centre. According to police, Ming entered a methamphetamine-induced psychotic…
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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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Professor tells US to sit and talk to China instead of warmongering
World-renowned United States Professor Jeffrey Sachs appealed to the presidents of China and the US to get around a table and talk before the globe is dragged into yet another war. The 67 year economist and best-selling author called on US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping to sit down and discuss their future social, economic, and political plans…
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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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Oktoberfest back in Bangkok after 2 years
Oktoberfest is heading back to Bangkok after being postponed for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The historic Bavarian beer festival will be held on November 3-4 (today and tomorrow), at Sofitel Bangkok’s grand ballroom, from 6pm to 1am. Attendees will wear traditional Bavarian clothing, and eat mouthwatering sausages, braised pork legs, pretzels, sauerkraut, and butter-grilled chicken. In Germany,…
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How to spend your day at Andamanda Waterpark Phuket
SPONSORED There’s no better way to beat the heat in Phuket than by enjoying a splash-tastic day full of adventurous water slides in Thailand’s largest, sustainable waterpark, Andamanda Phuket. Spanning over 58 rai 100,000sqm. of fun, the waterpark features dozens of slides, pools, and rivers with an exciting Thai mythology theme to suit all kinds of thrill seekers. But there’s…
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China to join Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes
China has pledged to assist Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes, according to a Facebook post by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. The embassy acknowledged several criminal cases that were subject to Thai police investigations. It says the Chinese government places importance on law enforcement and the suppression of illegal narcotics, indecent acts, and gambling. Now, the embassy says…
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Halloween crowd surge casualties prompt raid on Seoul’s police headquarters
After a deadly crowd surge at a Seoul Halloween event left at least 156 people dead, special investigators are raiding the city’s police headquarters. Records released of emergency calls warning that the crowds of Halloween party-goers were becoming too big, prompted the investigation as authorities say police had four hours of advanced warning. Eight locations were searched including the Seoul Metropolitan…
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Police raid 4 Phuket venues for underage drinking
Raids in Phuket last night saw police targeting businesses accused of selling alcohol to minors. Police say they received numerous complaints that some venues in the area were selling alcohol to children. The legal age for drinking in Thailand is 20 years old. Last night officials from many local and provincial police forces and government departments descended on a number…
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China and Japan fight it out for Thailand’s EV market
In Thailand’s (electric vehicle) EV market, China’s auto manufacturers are locked in a bitter struggle against Japanese incumbents. China’s biggest maker of electric and hybrid cars, BYD, is to build an EV car plant in Rayong. The Great Wall Motor Co.’s production line in the same town has produced more than 10,000 vehicles. Meanwhile, Hozon New Energy has its Neta…
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Smart patrols boost population of Thailand’s tigers
Thailand stands alone in Southeast Asia by boosting its wild tiger population. Tigers have lost some 95% of their historical range and there are now only about 4,000 or so left in the wild. Sadly, only two countries – India and Thailand – are working to protect the populations of wild tigers in government reserves. Thailand is now home to…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand: 18 million tourists in 2023
After arriving tourist numbers crossed seven million last month, inching toward the goal of 10 million for the year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is making middle-of-the-road projections for 2023. While they don’t believe that Thailand will see anything like the 40 million tourists per year they saw before Covid, the TAT is estimating 18 million international arrivals next…
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Thailand Cannabis Travel Guide
The legalisation of cannabis in Thailand in June brought a whole new meaning to the term ‘High Season.’ Tourists are welcome to buy and consume cannabis in Thailand, so long as they are over 20 years old and not pregnant or breastfeeding. But smoking weed in Thailand is just the tip of the iceberg. The legalisation of the versatile plant…
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