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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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  • Brazilian duo caught with 6.63kg cocaine at Koh Samui airport

    Brazilian duo caught with 6.63kg cocaine at Koh Samui airport

    Customs officers and local police on Koh Samui apprehended a Brazilian man and woman after discovering 6.63 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in their luggage at the island’s international airport. The suspects, identified as 35 year old Diego dos Santos Silva and 25 year old Fernanda Gabriele Lorenco de Andrade, were detained late yesterday morning upon their arrival at Samui International…

  • Chon Buri bail agent found dead on his birthday in Nong Prue

    Chon Buri bail agent found dead on his birthday in Nong Prue

    A 53 year old bail agent, Montree, was found deceased under a tree in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, on his birthday, July 19. Police Lieutenant Sanya Jaichan of Nong Prue Police Station reported the incident at 9.45pm on July 19. The scene was a dark, secluded alley where Montree was found hanging, wearing an orange T-shirt, jeans,…

  • Chiang Mai tragedy: man kills wife, then himself in dispute

    Chiang Mai tragedy: man kills wife, then himself in dispute

    A tragic incident occurred on July 19 in Mueang Chaem district, Chiang Mai province, when a 43 year old man, Phak, fatally shot his 36 year old third wife before taking his own life. The incident left his two other wives in shock as they attempted to save the couple, but was too late. Police Lieutenant Colonel Samruang Monthanom, from the…

  • Elephant rescued from reservoir in Chumphon’s Phato district

    Elephant rescued from reservoir in Chumphon’s Phato district

    On July 19, a male elephant named Duang Hu Dang was rescued from a water reservoir in a local garden in Phato district, Chumphon province. The elephant, known for its distinctive ear markings, was assisted by local administrative officers and wildlife sanctuary officials before returning safely to the forest. The incident came to light when Phato district chief was informed…

  • Fire engulfs Buriram rubber factory, smoke spans 10 kilometres

    Fire engulfs Buriram rubber factory, smoke spans 10 kilometres

    A fire engulfed a rubber manufacturing factory in Buriram, with thick black smoke drifting over 10 kilometres. Over 20 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene, yet the blaze persisted for more than five hours. As of the morning of today, July 20, the fire at the North East Rubber Public Company Limited, located in Mueang subdistrict, Prakhon Chai district,…

  • Thailand mulls first suspension bridge to link Phuket and Phang Nga

    Thailand mulls first suspension bridge to link Phuket and Phang Nga

    Thailand is considering constructing its first suspension bridge to connect Phuket with Phang Nga province, as part of a significant upgrade to the region’s Highway No. 402. This development, led by the Department of Highways, aims to improve connectivity and boost local tourism. The new bridge, proposed during a seminar held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, would be the…

  • Thailand accuses Cambodia of planting landmines on border territory

    Thailand accuses Cambodia of planting landmines on border territory

    Thailand is implementing countermeasures against Cambodia following an investigation revealing newly planted landmines in the Chok Bok border area of Ubon Ratchathani. This was confirmed by army commander General Pana Klaewplodthuk yesterday, July 19. The incident occurred on July 16 when a mine exploded, injuring three soldiers during a routine patrol. The Second Army Region, led by Lieutenant General Boonsin…

  • Toyota Camry fire on Sirat Expressway swiftly extinguished in Bangkok

    Toyota Camry fire on Sirat Expressway swiftly extinguished in Bangkok

    Firefighters swiftly responded to a car fire on Sirat Expressway in Bangkok yesterday afternoon when a grey Toyota Camry caught fire. The incident, believed to be caused by an engine malfunction, resulted in no injuries or fatalities. The fire erupted at 5.06pm near the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning in the Phaya Thai district. The 199…

  • Illegal homestay found on aquatic cage off Phuket’s coast

    Illegal homestay found on aquatic cage off Phuket’s coast

    Officials from the Phuket Marine Office and Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3) have identified an illegally constructed homestay off Phuket’s east coast. According to Captain Pichet Songtan, spokesperson for Thai MECC 3, the structure was discovered on a cage used for raising aquatic animals near Koh Kala, Mai Khao. Koh Kala is a small island located…

  • DSI investigates illegal airfield on public road in Nakhon Ratchasima

    DSI investigates illegal airfield on public road in Nakhon Ratchasima

    The Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) recently disclosed findings regarding a private airfield, known as the VIP Runway, located in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima. Clarifications are awaited from five government agencies regarding the alleged illegal transformation of a public road into a private airstrip. This investigation was prompted by a complaint from…

  • Heavy rain warning for 41 Thai provinces, flash floods possible

    Heavy rain warning for 41 Thai provinces, flash floods possible

    The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall across 41 provinces, including Bangkok, where 70% of the area is expected to experience significant downpours. Residents are urged to be cautious of potential flash floods, with the influence of tropical storm Wipha noted. Rain is forecasted for Chanthaburi, Trat, Ranong, and Phang Nga provinces, with some areas…

  • Pattaya mob sparks bill-dodging chaos at Indian restaurant

    Pattaya mob sparks bill-dodging chaos at Indian restaurant

    In Pattaya, an altercation at an Indian restaurant has led to significant property damage and financial losses, with patrons fleeing without paying bills amounting to over 5,000 baht. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday, July 15, at Green Chilly Indian Restaurant, situated near Soi 16 in South Pattaya. The restaurant’s owner, 34 year old Tiyaporn Saengchan,…

  • Baby in backpack: Samut Prakan mum busted for abandonment

    Baby in backpack: Samut Prakan mum busted for abandonment

    A newborn baby girl found abandoned in a roadside backpack has sparked outrage — and heartbreak — after police tracked down the mother, who now faces criminal charges. The shocking discovery was made yesterday, July 18, when a passerby found the infant stuffed inside a black backpack left on a footpath along Suhrawardy Bang Kasee Road in Samut Prakan. The…

  • Suvarnabhumi tests indoor smoking rooms to curb toilet puffing

    Suvarnabhumi tests indoor smoking rooms to curb toilet puffing

    Smokers flying through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport may soon breathe a sigh of relief — indoors. In a controversial move, Thai health authorities are building two prototype smoking rooms inside the airport, aiming to clamp down on passengers lighting up in restricted areas like toilets. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) confirmed the rooms are expected to be completed by the…

  • Thailand to send back stolen orangutans to Indonesia

    Thailand to send back stolen orangutans to Indonesia

    Thailand is preparing to send four rescued orangutans back to Indonesia by the end of the year, marking a symbolic step in the fight against wildlife trafficking — and celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) confirmed that the orangutans were seized in two separate illegal wildlife…

  • Pattaya woman scammed while trying to save sick aunt

    Pattaya woman scammed while trying to save sick aunt

    A Pattaya housekeeper desperate to save her sick aunt was cruelly scammed out of nearly 5,000 baht in an online loan fraud — leaving her devastated and broke. The incident unfolded at 10pm yesterday, July 18, when 26 year old Ratchaneekorn Pholjamrat walked into Pattaya City Police Station, clutching receipts and screenshots, to file a formal complaint against the online…

  • Chinese fugitive and Korean drug suspect busted in Pattaya

    Chinese fugitive and Korean drug suspect busted in Pattaya

    In Pattaya, Chon Buri province, immigration police have apprehended two foreign men in distinct criminal cases. The Immigration Bureau revealed these arrests, including a Chinese fugitive and a South Korean drug suspect, during a recent press briefing. The first case involved Chon Buri Immigration Office officers raiding a residence in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, where they detained 39…

  • Vietnamese dealer busted in Bangkok bar drug raid

    Vietnamese dealer busted in Bangkok bar drug raid

    A wild Bangkok nightlife scene turned into a full-blown drug bust early yesterday morning after police swooped in on a popular entertainment venue in Wang Thonglang district, arresting a Vietnamese dealer and detaining 40 others who tested positive for drugs. The raid was the climax of an ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police Bureau into a suspected drug operation run…

  • Brit tourist falls to death after lovers’ row at Chiang Mai condo

    Brit tourist falls to death after lovers’ row at Chiang Mai condo

    A dream holiday turned into a nightmare in Chiang Mai after a British man plunged to his death from the 10th floor of a luxury condominium — just weeks before his wedding. The tragic incident unfolded at 9.50pm yesterday, July 18, in the Chang Klan area, shocking the local expat and tourist communities. The victim, in his 30s, had travelled…

  • Bangkok lift horror: Woman killed in goods elevator accident

    Bangkok lift horror: Woman killed in goods elevator accident

    A Bangkok worker was crushed to death in a horrific elevator accident yesterday after a goods lift malfunctioned at a commercial building in the capital’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. The victim, a 46 year old woman known only as Koi, worked at a forklift parts shop on Ban Batr Road. She was killed instantly when her head became trapped…

  • Big Buddha deadlock: Locals demand justice, abbot stalls

    Big Buddha deadlock: Locals demand justice, abbot stalls

    Phuket’s iconic Big Buddha Viewpoint remains closed nearly a year after a deadly landslide claimed 13 lives, as tensions mount between locals, temple authorities, and government officials over who should take responsibility — and whether the site should reopen at all. The sole legal owner of the land, the Royal Forest Department’s Phuket branch (RFD Phuket), has issued a list…

  • Aussie man found dead in Pattaya condo double tragedy named

    Aussie man found dead in Pattaya condo double tragedy named

    A bizarre double tragedy has rocked Pattaya after two foreign men were found dead just hours and floors apart in the same condominium. One of the victims, an Australian national, has been named, while the identity of the Swedish man remains undisclosed pending embassy notification. The grim discoveries were made two hours apart on Thursday, July 17, at the Grand…

  • Thailand braces for another week of heavy rain and strong winds

    Thailand braces for another week of heavy rain and strong winds

    Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall across Thailand, with strong winds expected in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand from today to next Thursday. Many regions, including northern, northeastern, central, eastern, and western southern Thailand, are expected to experience significant rainfall due to a monsoon trough and a strong…

  • Newborn baby abandoned in backpack on Samut Prakan bridge

    Newborn baby abandoned in backpack on Samut Prakan bridge

    Police are searching for a mother who abandoned her newborn baby by placing her inside a backpack and leaving her on a roadside in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. The Samut Prakan Rescue Foundation was alerted to the discovery at around 2pm yesterday, July 17. The baby was found in a black backpack left on a bridge along Surao Bang…

  • Pattaya motorbike taxi driver found dead in apartment

    Pattaya motorbike taxi driver found dead in apartment

    Pattaya was rocked by a tragic late-night discovery when a local motorcycle taxi driver was found dead in his apartment, shocking his community and leaving his wife devastated. The grim scene unfolded at 1.06am today, July 18, when the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit received a call about a body found in a room at an unnamed apartment block on…

  • Brit mum busted in Munich drug sting after Thailand detour

    Brit mum busted in Munich drug sting after Thailand detour

    A British mum has been charged after she was reportedly caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand to Germany, becoming the latest in a troubling wave of young UK nationals caught in overseas weed crackdowns. Cameron Bradford, a 21 year old from Knebworth, Hertfordshire, is facing serious charges in Germany after being arrested at Munich Airport on April 22. Immigration officers declared…

  • Hackers breach Thai Labour Ministry website, data safe

    Hackers breach Thai Labour Ministry website, data safe

    Cyber crooks launched a bold attack on Thailand’s Ministry of Labour website yesterday, replacing the homepage with a brazen “hacked” message — but officials say no sensitive data was compromised. The ministry confirmed that its systems were breached but insisted the core database remained untouched. Permanent Secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyuth assured the public that the digital assault, while serious, caused no…

  • Pattaya mob attack: Bolt driver beaten by gang of 30

    Pattaya mob attack: Bolt driver beaten by gang of 30

    Pattaya’s nightlife turned violent in the early hours of today when a Bolt driver was viciously attacked by a mob of more than 30 people, leaving tourists and bar staff in shock. The savage assault unfolded at 3.36am today, July 18, along Pattaya Second Road near Soi 10, where police responded to frantic calls about a mass brawl. Officers arrived…

  • Aussie tourist found dead in Patong hotel bathroom

    Aussie tourist found dead in Patong hotel bathroom

    A 69 year old Aussie tourist was found dead in his Phuket hotel bathroom yesterday morning, just days after arriving for a six-week tropical getaway. Hotel staff at the property off Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong made the grim discovery around 10.30am yesterday, Thursday, July 18, after a concerned Thai woman reported she hadn’t heard from the man in…

  • Pattaya police allegedly ignore sexual assault complaint against Bolt rider

    Pattaya police allegedly ignore sexual assault complaint against Bolt rider

    A Thai woman accused Pattaya police officers of failing to take action after she lodged a sexual assault complaint against a Bolt motorcycle taxi rider. The woman shared her account of the assault yesterday, July 17, in a Facebook group, พัทยา (Pattaya), condemning officers at Mueang Pattaya Police Station for their alleged inaction. In her post, she wrote… “I reported…