Hot News
Thailand hot news, breaking stories, crime, politics, tourism, and business—stay updated with in-depth reports and exclusive interviews on the latest events across the country. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Thailand news source.
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Phi Phi Islands reopen snorkelling and diving after coral recovery
Tourists can once again dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Phi Phi Islands and this time, with a mission to protect paradise. After a year-long ban due to severe coral bleaching, snorkelling and scuba diving have officially resumed at 10 designated sites within the Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi. The decision comes after promising…
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Body of wanted gunman who kills police found floating in river
Police officers discovered the lifeless body of a wanted gunman floating in the river along the Thai-Lao border yesterday. The now dead gunman fatally shot a policeman in the Isaan province of Loei. Police Sub-Lieutenant Pairoj Prom-in was shot and killed by the drug suspect Boonkird on April 10, when he and his team attempted to arrest the suspect at a…
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Meth fiend’s brutal pork heist leaves vendor fighting for life
A twisted robbery turned violent and left a grilled pork vendor fighting for her life — all for a few thousand baht and a methamphetamine (meth) binge. A 21 year old man has been arrested after launching a savage attack on a 55 year old street vendor in Chon Buri, striking her in the head with a brick before fleeing…
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German couple seriously injured in crash on Phang Nga zebra crossing
A Thai baht bus driver crashed into a German couple on a zebra crossing in the southern province of Phang Nga, leaving the victims with serious injuries. Fortunately, their one year old child was unharmed. The President of the Phang Nga Tourism Business Association, Lertsak Ponklin, shared dashcam footage of the incident along with a message criticising the driver’s recklessness.…
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Motorcyclist dies in tragic hit-and-run on Bangkok overpass
A motorcyclist tragically died yesterday after being hit by a car and falling from the Bang Prakaew overpass in Bangkok. The collision involved a BMW, which fled the scene, leaving debris behind. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suvijak Noisri of Bang Mod Police Station received a report of a road accident at 7.30am, yesterday, April 16, involving a motorcycle and a car on…
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Drunk Chinese tourist crashes, pukes, passes out in Pattaya
A drunk Chinese tourist turned a quiet Pattaya street into a late-night demolition derby after ploughing his pickup into parked vehicles, before vomiting out the window and passing out behind the wheel. Pattaya police were called to the boozy crash scene in the early hours of this morning, after the Chinese man smashed his black pickup truck into multiple parked vehicles,…
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Thailand pioneers 3D-printed titanium hip socket surgery
Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol University has achieved a world-first by developing and implanting a 3D-printed, customised titanium hip socket for a patient. This advancement marks a significant step forward in orthopaedic surgery and highlights Thailand’s medical innovation. Apichat Asavamongkolkul, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, shared insights into this pioneering procedure during a press conference titled World…
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DSI digs deeper into deadly ‘pancake’ Bangkok building collapse
Investigators are piling pressure on firms behind the deadly State Audit Office building collapse, as the case takes a darker turn with forgery claims, phantom contractors, and a “pancake” tragedy that’s left dozens dead and scores missing. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is ramping up its probe into the catastrophic collapse of the State Audit Office building in Chatuchak,…
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Man stabbed during Songkran celebration in Nakhon Phanom
A 20 year old man was stabbed in the back during a Songkran celebration in Nakhon Phanom on April 14, after being chased by a group of unknown assailants. The incident occurred around 8pm in Mueang district. The victim, identified only as Vach, had been celebrating the last night of Songkran with around 10 friends at a riverside concert venue…
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Thailand records 171 road deaths in 5 days of Songkran
Thailand’s Road Safety Centre reported 171 deaths and 1,208 injuries from 1,216 road accidents during the first five days of the 7 Dangerous Days Songkran safety campaign. Data released yesterday, April 15, shows that speeding, drink-driving, and poor visibility remain the top causes of accidents. Motorcycles were involved in over 85% of crashes. Just yesterday alone, 214 accidents were recorded,…
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Pattaya nightclub security apologise over brawl with foreign tourists
Two Pattaya nightclub security guards have apologised for their role in an altercation with foreign tourists that went viral online, sparking public backlash and prompting an official police investigation. The brawl, which reportedly unfolded inside a nightlife venue, before spilling outside onto Soi 6 and was widely circulated on social media, showed the guards involved in a physical confrontation with…
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Bangkok handshake: PM duo set to strengthen Thai-Anwar ties
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will welcome Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Bangkok tomorrow, April 17, for talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations and boosting regional cooperation between the two Southeast Asian nations. The visit marks a continuation of diplomatic dialogue between the two leaders, who first met during Paetongtarn’s official visit to Kuala Lumpur on December 16. They also…
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Songkran festival turns sour as woman drenched by teens (video)
A young woman was left frustrated during the Songkran festival after being unexpectedly drenched with water by a group of teenagers, causing her to be knocked off balance. The water’s suspicious yellowish hue further added to her concern. Celebrated annually, the Songkran festival is eagerly awaited by many for its water festivities. However, participants are reminded to prioritise safety, as…
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Traffic toll: Thailand ranks 4th in global road accident fatalities
A recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Statista highlights Thailand as one of the countries with the highest road accident fatality rates globally. The country records a death rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people annually, significantly surpassing the global average. According to data from Statista, Thailand’s roads are alarmingly dangerous for users, placing the country among the…
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Cops hunt suspects in Songkran shooting at Nakhon Sawan temple
Police are actively pursuing two people involved in a shooting at a Songkran festival at a well-known temple in Nakhon Sawan, resulting in three injuries, with one person critically wounded after bullets were lodged in eight places on their body. The incident occurred on Monday, April 14, at Wat Krok Phra Nuea, Krok Phra district. Initial investigations revealed that the…
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Shooting in Sisaket leaves one dead, suspect in custody
A shooting incident in Sisaket has left one man dead and another critically injured. The violent event occurred at a community pavilion in Ban Khon, Mueang district, Sisaket province, when a group of young men opened fire. The assailant has since surrendered to the police. The incident transpired just after midnight yesterday, April 15. Yailak Jantho, the village headman of…
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Songkran 2025 boosts Thai tourism revenue by 26.5 billion baht
Thailand’s tourism and sports minister, Suwong Thienthong, announced that the Songkran festival in 2025 generated an estimated revenue of 26.5 billion baht, marking an 8% increase from the previous year. The festival attracted approximately 470,000 foreign tourists, a 6.5% rise from last year, with visitors hailing from Malaysia, China, India, Russia, Taiwan, Europe, and South Korea. Social media buzz surrounding…
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Pattaya locals question drink-driving checks during Songkran
As Pattaya soldiers on with its Songkran celebrations, locals are raising doubts about the effectiveness of alcohol checkpoints in curbing drunk driving and road accidents. Local police have ramped up road safety measures during the annual 7 Dangerous Days campaign, including more checkpoints and alcohol breath tests. But residents are sceptical. Popular sentiment is the same, locals claim regulating drink…
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Pickup truck crash in Ayutthaya claims one life, injures four
A pickup truck returning from Songkran celebrations lost control and veered off the road, plunging into an irrigation canal. The accident resulted in one fatality and four injuries. A survivor expressed uncertainty about the cause of the accident. Today, April 16, Police Lieutenant Colonel Damrongsak Saeng-ngen of Bang Ban Police Station reported that at 11pm yesterday, April 15, a pickup…
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Soaked: Flash floods fury leaves Phuket in deep water
Phuket woke up underwater yesterday as torrential overnight downpours triggered flash floods, swamped roads and sparked fresh fears of landslides, turning paradise into panic. Parts of of the popular holiday resort resembled rivers rather than roads yesterday morning, April 15, after relentless rain pummelled the island overnight, flooding key areas and prompting landslide warnings across southern Thailand. Among the hardest-hit…
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Foreigner in Thailand learns lesson after cultural disrespect (video)
An unruly foreign man in Thailand faced severe consequences after disrespecting Thai culture and assaulting a woman in a bar. The incident, captured in a TikTok video by user @bagpaope, showed the unamed man mocking Thai boxing and provoking a bar security guard, on Soi 6 in Pattaya, ending in a physical altercation. The footage yesterday, April 15, depicted the foreign…
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Foreign man criticized for bad behaviour at Songkran party (video)
A TikTok user shared a video of an incident involving a foreign man displaying inappropriate behaviour during the Songkran festival in Thailand. The man is accused of deliberately splashing water on women’s faces and chests during the Thai New Year celebration, then smiling with satisfaction. He allegedly also spat at people and threw ice yesterday, April 15. In the video,…
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Thailand sees 10.7 million tourists, 510 billion baht in revenue
Thailand has seen approximately 10.7 million international tourists arriving this year, with over 666,000 visiting during the Songkran festival alone, as reported by the government yesterday, April 15. Tourism-related revenue from these visitors has exceeded 510 billion baht. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong shared yesterday that the figures demonstrate the success of the government’s Maha Songkran World Water Festival…
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70 year old woman told to leave concert due to leg pain (video)
A 70 year old woman attended a Lamyai Haithongkham concert at Sanam Luang but was unexpectedly asked to leave by security after requesting a brief sit down due to leg pain. A young woman intervened to assist her. The incident, yesterday, April 15, captured by TikTok user @mamprapa, led to numerous discussions online. In the shared video, the elderly woman,…
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Thai finance minister to address US tariff impacts on economy
Thailand’s Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira is set to engage with the Bank of Thailand governor regarding the United States‘ reciprocal tariff measures ahead of his visit to the United States. Aiming for a formal meeting with the central bank governor by tomorrow, April 17, Pichai intends to evaluate the impacts of US trade policy, global economic trends, and the US’s…
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Teenagers criticised for disrespecting Luang Phor To statue during Songkran
Two teenagers sparked controversy after a video of them dancing and touching the head and face of a revered Luang Phor To statue circulated online. The incident, which occurred during the Songkran festival yesterday, April 15, has drawn significant criticism on social media, with many questioning the appropriateness of their actions. The video, capturing the teenagers’ disrespectful behaviour beside a…
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Bikinis, booty and backlash: Saucy Songkran stirs splash of outrage
Bum-shaking, boob-taping and beachside booty Songkran shows in Bangsaen and Nakhon Ratchasima has exploded into an online firestorm, with Thai police now investigating viral clips of scantily-clad influencers and topless dancers accused of going way too far. Songkran’s wet and wild reputation may have just crossed the line and now police are considering indecency charges after viral videos showed an…
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Transgender woman’s topless dance at Songkran festival sparks backlash
A video showing a transgender woman dancing topless during the Songkran festival in Nakhon Ratchasima sparked criticism for damaging Thai cultural values. The incident occurred yesterday, April 15, during the festivities’ final day, with crowds of locals and tourists participating in water fights on main roads. In Nakhon Ratchasima, people celebrated Songkran by riding in pickup trucks loaded with water…
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Pattaya police target water trucks causing Songkran traffic chaos
Pattaya police announced a crackdown on water trucks that obstruct traffic and pose safety risks during Songkran festivities. Yesterday, April 15, at 7.36pm, reporters in Chon Buri observed water trucks spraying people and causing traffic jams in Pattaya, creating potential hazards for those on and around the vehicles. Police Lieutenant Colonel Phanuphong Nimsuwan, a traffic inspector at Pattaya City Police…
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Crime doesn’t pay-as-you-go: 130,000 Thai mule accounts axed
The Government of Thailand slammed the brakes on a massive online scam operation, axing over 130,000 dodgy mule accounts and collaring hundreds of fraudsters in just three months. Sasikarn Wattanachan, deputy government spokesperson, said the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society’s Anti-Online Crime Operation Centre (AOC) had ramped up its war on online fraudsters. Between January and March, a staggering…
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