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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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Elderly CEO donates over 100 million baht to Ang Thong Hospital
Thai netizens praised an elderly CEO who donated more than 108 million baht to a hospital in the central province of Ang Thong. The official Facebook page of Ang Thong Hospital expressed gratitude to the elderly Thai man, Somnuk Suksrikan, on Friday, July 18. The hospital reported that Somnuk donated 10 kidney dialysis machines, valued at approximately 5 million baht,…
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Free trade or free fall? Thailand struggles to keep up with Vietnam in US talks
Thailand is falling behind Vietnam in trade talks with the United States and could be forced to make tough choices if it wants to stay in the economic game, a top economist has warned. According to international trade expert Somjai Phagaphasvivat, Thailand’s lack of wide-ranging free trade agreements (FTAs) is putting it at a disadvantage compared to Vietnam, which has…
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Chon Buri police arrest suspect with drugs and outstanding warrants
An operation led by Bang Lamung Police Station in Chon Buri, under the guidance of Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, successfully targeted drug-related offences, leading to the arrest of a suspect involved in two drug cases. The operation today, July 21, was spearheaded by Police Lieutenant Colonel Kornphong Sukwisit, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, along with Police Major Wuttipong Kasa, Investigation Inspector,…
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Class acts: Chinese scammers pose as students in pensioner con
Crooks running a slick online scam from a swanky Chiang Mai villa posed as students while fleecing elderly Chinese pensioners out of millions, in yet another twist to Thailand’s growing cybercrime crisis. Three suspected ringleaders have been nicked and 17 others detained after Thai police swooped on a luxury pool villa in Hang Dong, uncovering a Chinese-led operation that preyed…
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Chon Buri burglary: Elderly woman’s home looted, gold and amulets stolen
A burglary in Chon Buri on July 19 left a 70 year old woman in distress after a thief looted her home, stealing gold jewellery, over 100 Buddhist amulets, and thousands of baht in coins. The incident took place at a residence in Tambon Khao Mai Kaew. The victim, Phanthong Khampongjai, discovered the theft after returning home from chatting with…
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Quake mistake: Tycoon named in deadly Bangkok building collapse probe
Bangkok police have wrapped up their investigation into the deadly collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building, with 23 big names, including a top tycoon, now facing possible criminal charges over the catastrophic disaster. The SAO tower, a 30-storey structure still under construction, came crashing down on March 28 after a 4.5-magnitude earthquake rattled the capital, leaving at least…
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Five rescued from drifting boat off Phuket amid severe weather
Five people were successfully rescued after a longtail fishing boat experienced engine failure and drifted off the coast of Phuket in challenging sea conditions yesterday, July 20. At the time of the incident, none of the passengers were equipped with life jackets. The rescue operation commenced following a distress call received at 4pm by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre…
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2 year old Thai boy loses life in wasp attack, child’s father seriously injured
A two year old Thai boy lost his life while his father sustained serious injuries in a wasp attack in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday, July 19. The tragic incident was reported by the local news agency Bua Yai Ban Chan. The agency stated that the young boy was attacked by a swarm of wasps and later…
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Holiday blues: Thailand tourism hits bump in the flight path
Thailand’s golden age of tourism seems a distant memory as the Land of Smiles battles to reclaim its pre-pandemic glory. While neighbours like Vietnam and Malaysia have soared past their 2019 highs, Thailand’s tourist engine has stalled and experts warn it might be years before the country climbs back into the global travel top tier. Thailand welcomed 35.5 million foreign…
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Domestic blitz: Pattaya couple left battered in weekend bust-up
A misunderstanding between a husband and wife at the weekend resulted in both sustaining injuries during a heated argument in Pattaya. The incident took place at 10.30pm, Saturday, July 19, in a residence on Soi Ban Lang 7. The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation’s rescue team responded to the scene after receiving reports of the altercation. Upon arrival, the rescue team…
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4 Thai airports launch fast track for Chinese children and their families
The Immigration Bureau has introduced a fast track for Chinese children and their family members at four international airports in Thailand, aimed at visitors travelling during the Chinese school holiday. The bureau also plans to extend the service to young travellers from other countries soon. Immigration officials launched a campaign titled 暑假愉快通道 (shǔ jià yú kuài tú jìng), or Happy…
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Student survives fifth-floor fall at Nakhon Ratchasima university
A 19 year old university student survived a fall from the fifth floor of a building at a well-known university in Nakhon Ratchasima. Emergency services promptly arrived at the scene to investigate the incident. The student’s friends shared insights into the moments leading up to the incident. Police Colonel Sutthinan Khongchamdee of Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station received a report of…
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Thai engineers clear mines after explosion near Cambodia border
Combat engineers initiated mine-clearing efforts in the Chong Bok area, near the Thai-Cambodian border in Ubon Ratchathani province, following a landmine explosion that injured three Thai soldiers on July 16. The Second Army Region, overseeing the northeast, reported that Suranaree Task Force combat engineers started operations yesterday, July 20. This was in response to reports of approximately 100 landmines found…
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No place for predators: Phuket cracks down on child sex tourism
From five-star hotels to beachside bars, tourism bosses in Phuket are being told to open their eyes and shut the door on child sex tourism and human trafficking in a bold new campaign to protect the island’s most vulnerable. Local government officials in Phuket have launched a hard-hitting initiative aimed at stamping out child sexual exploitation in Thailand’s most visited…
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Man under drug influence kills relative in Phrae province
A 35 year old man reportedly under the influence of drugs, fatally attacked his 62 year old relative in Mueang Soong district, Phrae province. The victim, Det, sustained severe injuries from two stab wounds to his back and two to his abdomen, yesterday, July 20, resulting in his intestines being exposed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later passed away.…
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Severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat causes city-wide blackout
A severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat caused multiple high-voltage power poles to topple, leading to a city-wide blackout. An 18 year old barista, Sirinapa, was hospitalised after fainting from shock, while another incident involved a motorcyclist narrowly escaping injury when a pole collapsed. The intense rainfall and strong winds hit the Pak Nakhon subdistrict in Mueang district at 3.30pm,…
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Bikini banzai! Japanese man fined for racy roadshow in Thailand
A Japanese man has become the most infamous man in Hat Yai after donning a bikini, hopping on a motorbike and dancing his way into a public indecency charge. The 62 year old pensioner turned heads and ruffled feathers in southern Thailand this week after being fined for performing provocative street dances in a bikini while riding around Hat Yai…
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Chinese woman killed by falling tree on Phuket beach (video)
A Chinese woman lost her life after being struck by a falling tree during a heavy thunderstorm in Phuket yesterday, July 20. Her husband sustained minor injuries in the incident. Officers from Chalong Police Station responded to the fatal tree fall at approximately 5.30pm on Koh Hey Beach in Chalong sub-district, Mueang district, Phuket. Locals who witnessed the incident already…
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Thailand Video News | Cannabis clash: small businesses fear monopoly under new rules, Bangkok crowned top destination for digital nomads in 2025
In 2025, Thailand is making headlines with booming tourism, Bangkok’s rise as the top digital nomad city, and new airport smoking rooms. Meanwhile, local controversies include stricter cannabis laws, scams targeting retirees, and several tourist-related incidents in Pattaya and Bangkok. Thailand’s Tourism Record: 2025 Sees Surging Traveller Numbers Thailand set a new tourism record in early 2025, welcoming about 16 million…
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Royal nut: Rare Coco de Mer haul cracks global record in Pattaya
It’s the world’s biggest, and rarest, seed, shaped like a voluptuous behind and worth a fortune. Now a Pattaya garden has stunned the globe by harvesting a million-baht bounty of the legendary Coco de Mer. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya has made horticultural history after successfully processing nine rare Coco de Mer fruits, yielding ten valuable seeds, including one…
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Dead in the water: Mystery body sparks sea of questions near Pattaya
A fisherman’s shocking midday find sparked a new seaside mystery in Thailand, after a badly decomposed body was pulled from the waters near a remote island off Pattaya. Fishermen off Koh Si Chang raised the alarm on July 17 when they spotted a body drifting face-down in the sea, with its limbs partially detached and no clue to the dead…
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Naked Russian man jumps to his death at Phuket villa
A naked Russian man reportedly climbed onto the roof of a villa on Nai Thon Beach in Phuket before jumping off and dying on Saturday, July 19. Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation and officers from Chalong Police Station responded to the incident at a villa on Nai Thon Beach in Phuket’s Rawai subdistrict after being alerted by the…
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Dispute between vendors leads to fatal shooting in Bangkok
A dispute between second-hand jeans vendors resulted in a fatal shooting at Thung Khru Plaza Market in Bangkok. Yesterday, July 20, at 6pm, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jirasak Homnan from Rat Burana Police Station received a report regarding a shooting incident involving firearms, which led to a death. The incident took place in Soi Pracha Uthit 61, Thung Khru district. Officers…
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Holiday from hell: Aussie murder suspect dies on sleazy Thai escape
He dodged justice for more than two decades but the Aussie man long suspected of murdering a young Sydney woman has finally met his end on a murky getaway in Thailand. Kevin Steven Correll, accused serial rapist and prime suspect in the brutal 2001 killing of car saleswoman Rachelle Childs, was found dead at 10.30am, Thursday, July 18, while on…
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Wigged out: Love rat monk caught romping with millionaire mistress
He preached purity from the pulpit, but now this love rat Thai monk’s wig, woman, and wealth have blown his cover in sensational style. A former provincial abbot in Thailand has been outed in a jaw-dropping scandal involving secret love affairs, temple corruption, and a dodgy disguise, all thanks to a furious millionaire mistress who’d had enough. Investigators yesterday, July…
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Thai tour guide killed, 16 foreign tourists rescued after boat capsizes in Surat Thani dam
A boat capsized in the Rajjaprabha Dam, also known as Cheow Lan Dam, in the southern province of Surat Thani, claiming the life of a Thai tour guide. Sixteen foreign tourists were rescued safely. The Kusonsattha Surat Thani Rescue Foundation responded to an alert about the accident at 11.40am yesterday, July 20. The incident involved a longtail tour boat carrying…
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Motorcycle crash with Mercedes-Benz kills two young men in Pathum Thani
Two young men died when their motorcycle was hit by a Mercedes-Benz, causing their bodies to be thrown from the vehicle. The incident occurred yesterday, July 20, at 11.45pm, on the flyover bridge crossing the Thanyaburi-Wang Noi intersection in Rangsit subdistrict, Thanyaburi district, Pathum Thani province. Police and rescue volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation arrived at the scene to find…
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Trouserless tragedy: Third mystery death hits Pattaya
A shirtless Thai man with his trousers round his knees has become the third mysterious death in Pattaya in less than a week, sparking fears of a grim trend in Thailand’s seaside province. Police and rescue workers were called to a house on Soi Huay Ku, Bang Lamung, on July 19 after the body of a 58 year old man…
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Woman arrested for trafficking teens at Udon Thani karaoke bar
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division arrested a 46 year old woman in Udon Thani for using a karaoke venue as a front for prostitution. She allegedly lured three 16 year old girls into the trade, charging 300 baht as a commission. Today, July 20, Police Major General Songklot Gerkkritaya instructed Police Colonel Sarawut Chantawong and Police Lieutenant Colonel Saksit Nilmith to…
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Drunk driver crashes into police car in Nonthaburi, two injured
In Nonthaburi, a car driven by a man under the influence collided with a parked police patrol vehicle outside a convenience store early this morning, resulting in injuries to two people. The driver’s blood alcohol level was recorded at 181 milligrammes percent, which is significantly above the legal limit. The incident occurred at approximately 1.20am in front of a convenience…
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