Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Thailand’s 2026 GDP outlook firms up on private investment surge
Thailand’s economy picked up pace in the first quarter of 2026, with the NESDC reporting GDP growth of 2.8%, ahead of the 2.5% recorded in the final quarter of last year. Both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors contributed to the improvement. Farm output grew by 1.2%, more than doubling the 0.6% seen in the previous quarter, while the broader non-agricultural…
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Kanchanaburi man killed after car crashes into wild elephants
A Thai man died, and two others were injured after a sedan reportedly crashed into wild elephants before catching fire on a road in Kanchanaburi province yesterday, May 19. Lad Ya Police Station officers told KhaoSod the crash occurred at about 9pm on Highway No. 323 heading towards central Kanchanaburi. Rangers from Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary, rescue workers and medical…
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Thailand News | Thailand Cancels 60-Day Visa-Free Entry Scheme, new EU rules could give Thai travellers longer Schengen Visas
Today we’ll be talking about the cabinet’s approval of the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free entry scheme, also, yet another train collision occurred as a delivery rider is left in serious condition after standing too close to the tracks, the recurring incidents have led to the transport ministry to cut inner Bangkok routes, then a new Cannabis bill is moving…
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Songkhla school director killed in hostage incident receives royal honour
Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, the former director of a school in Songkhla, has been posthumously granted the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand after sacrificing herself to protect teachers and students during a school shooting incident that led to a hostage situation. The Royal Gazette published the royal command yesterday, May 19, announcing the royal decoration for the deceased teacher.…
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Chinese Embassy calls for transparency in Sa Kaeo extortion case
The Chinese Embassy in Thailand has responded to reporters over the alleged detention and extortion of Chinese nationals in Sa Kaeo, urging Thai police to investigate the case lawfully, fairly and transparently. The response follows the arrest of five police officers and one civilian in Sa Kaeo on May 16. They were accused of detaining five Chinese nationals and demanding…
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Environment minister apologises after tense exchange with journalist
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin apologised to a journalist after displaying aggressive behaviour during an interview about alleged corruption within the Pollution Control Department. The incident followed the release of a survey by the Zero Corruption working group under the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB), which reportedly found the Pollution Control Department had the…
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May 20 forecast warns of heavy rain across Thailand
Thailand is expected to see continued rainfall over the next 24 hours, with heavy to very heavy rain forecast in parts of the South, Northeast and East, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today, May 20. The department said a relatively strong southwest monsoon covering the upper Andaman Sea and Thailand, combined with a low-pressure cell over northern Vietnam,…
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Russian man arrested with large drug haul on Phuket-Pattaya bus
A Russian man was arrested at a Phuket checkpoint yesterday, May 18, after police found multiple types of drugs in his backpack during a search on a coach bus travelling to Pattaya. Officers at the Tha Chat Chai Checkpoint in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, stopped a Phuket-Pattaya coach bus for routine inspections and requested identification documents from passengers. Police…
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5 police and 1 civilian try to extort Chinese national at 300,000 baht each
Five police officers and a civilian were arrested in Sa Kaeo after allegedly detaining and attempting to extort Chinese nationals at 300,000 baht each. Another police officer accused of involvement remains at large. The arrests were made on Saturday, May 16, after officers from Wang Somboon Police Station received information from the Sa Kaeo Provincial Immigration Office about the alleged extortion…
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Thai Cabinet officially ends 60-day visa-free scheme
Thailand’s Cabinet officially approved the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free scheme following a proposal from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, with revised visa categories for each country expected to be announced later. The visa-free programme previously allowed travellers from more than 90 countries to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days without a visa. The policy expanded an…
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EU visa change opens path to longer Schengen visas for Thais
Thai nationals residing in Thailand may now qualify for Schengen visas valid for up to five years under new European Union (EU) rules announced yesterday, May 18, aimed at making repeat travel to Europe easier. The change is part of a new “visa cascade” system adopted by the EU, giving eligible repeat travellers progressively longer multiple-entry visas. It applies to…
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Ministry of Transport to cancel trains to inner Bangkok to improve road safety
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport plans to cancel trains heading to inner Bangkok and tighten safety measures within three months following the fatal bus and train collision on May 16. Officials from several government agencies are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash while also reviewing long-term safety improvements aimed at preventing similar incidents. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on…
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Chinese, Pakistani nationals found packed in Sa Kaeo pickup
Sixteen Chinese and Pakistani nationals were arrested in Sa Kaeo today, May 19, after they were allegedly smuggled across the border from Poipet, Cambodia, and found packed inside a pickup truck with a Thai driver. Military officers, district officials, and village security volunteers launched the operation after residents reported a suspicious vehicle circling in Non Mak Mun subdistrict, Khok Sung…
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Chon Buri woman reports drugging and raping by bar worker
A Thai woman is seeking justice after a bar worker in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri allegedly drugged her with a ketamine-laced e-cigarette, known locally as Pod K, before raping her. The 20 year old victim, Chidapa, shared details of the alleged incident with several Thai media outlets after reporting the case to police yesterday, May 18. She said…
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Bangkok delivery rider struck by train near recent fatal collision scene
A food delivery rider suffered serious injuries after being struck by a train while urinating next to the railway track along Kampaengphet 7 Road, near the site of the recent fatal collision between a train and a bus. Rescue workers were called to the railway track near the Mercure Bangkok Makkasan hotel at about 11am. The injured man, whose identity…
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Thailand News | British drug couriers targeted by Thailand-Based gangs, Bangkok chosen for Eurovision song contest Asia grand final
Today we’ll be giving you some updates on the train crash situation, including bail being granted for the train driver and railway crossing signalman, plus a new documentary is exposing how Thailand-based gangs are exploiting unsuspecting brits for drug mule purposes, in a bizarre incident a rocket crashes into a woman’s home and causes her serious injury, and a…
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2 men attack woman with durian peel during exercise in Chachoengsao
A Thai woman is seeking justice after two men attacked her with durian peel while she was exercising outside Chachoengsao Provincial Hall on Sunday, May 17. The victim, identified as 48 year old Noi, submitted a police complaint and medical certificate to several Thai media outlets following the incident, which reportedly took place at about 9pm. Noi said she and…
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Iran agrees to help Thai cargo ships pass Strait of Hormuz
Two Thai cargo ships waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are expected to receive assistance from Iran after a meeting at Government House yesterday, May 18. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, chief adviser to the prime minister, met Mehdi Zare, cultural counsellor at the Embassy of Iran in Thailand, to discuss bilateral ties and the regional situation. After the…
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Thai teen finds American man’s body hanging over Pattaya condo balcony
Police are investigating the death of an American man whose body was found hanging over the balcony of a condominium in Pattaya yesterday, May 18. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to the seven-storey condominium on Jomtien Sai Song Road after a Thai teenager reported seeing a body hanging from a balcony on the sixth floor. At the…
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Railway officials temporarily released after deadly collision in Bangkok
The Criminal Court temporarily released the train driver and station manager charged in connection with the deadly train-bus collision in Bangkok. The collision between a container train and a public bus occurred at Asok Railway Station on Saturday, May 16. The crash killed eight people, injured more than 30 others, and also damaged several vehicles. Investigators are continuing efforts to…
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CCTV captures souvenir theft by foreign woman in Phuket
A foreign woman was caught on CCTV stealing a souvenir from a shop in the Thalang district in Phuket yesterday, May 17. Footage from the shop’s security cameras was shared on the Phuket Times Facebook page to warn other business owners in the area and help identify the suspect. The shop owner said the incident occurred at about 3.45pm. In…
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Bangkok selected for final stage of Eurovision Song Contest Asia
The Eurovision Song Contest will expand into Asia for the first time this year, with Bangkok selected to host the grand final of Eurovision Song Contest Asia on November 14. The official Eurovision Instagram account, @eurovision, announced the launch of Eurovision Song Contest Asia in March. Aside from being the first expansion of Asia, the event also marks the 70th…
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Thai woman suffers broken leg after rocket crashes into home
A woman in Nakhon Ratchasima is seeking compensation after a bang fai rocket, part of a rocket festival in Northeastern Thailand, crashed through her home and injured her daughter-in-law, resulting in a broken leg. The incident occurred on May 6 in Bua Lai district when a rocket reportedly fell through the roof of a shared family home. The 34 year old…
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Search underway for Dutch man missing off Railay Beach in Krabi
A Dutch tourist remains missing after a kayak overturned in rough seas off Railay Beach in Krabi on Saturday, May 16, while his daughter was rescued safely. Rangers from Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park were alerted to the incident in Railay Bay involving a Dutch man, believed to be about 60 years old, and his daughter. According…
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Thailand News | Train driver charged after deadly Bangkok rail crossing crash, first wife leads procession for husband’s second marriage
Today we’ll be talking about the deadly train crash that occurred over the weekend, including charges being filed against the driver and pledges of support for victims from the Prime Minister, then, a 10-kilometer drug chase ends in three arrests, down in Pattaya a foreigner is being accused of abusing a young monkey, also in the seaside city a Swedish…
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Families search for missing members after train-bus collision in Bangkok
Families of those involved in the deadly collision between a train and a public bus in the Asok area of Bangkok are awaiting autopsy results to confirm the identities of the victims, while several relatives continue hoping their loved ones survived the incident. Eight people were confirmed dead after a container train collided with public bus route 206 beneath Airport…
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PM Anutin considers tunnel after fatal collision on railway track
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government plans to reduce the number of train crossing points in Bangkok following the fatal collision between a container train and a public bus in Asok on Saturday, May 16. The crash occurred at the intersection where Asok-Din Daeng Road crosses a railway track beneath Airport Rail Link Makkasan Station. The area is known…
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Train driver found positive for drug and driving without licence
Police confirmed the train driver tested positive for drugs and was operating without a licence after the collision between a container train and a public bus on Saturday, May 16. The collision occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Asok Railway Station, where Asok-Din Daeng Road crosses the railway track beneath Airport Rail Link Makkasan Station. A container train struck a…
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AI cameras help arrest human trafficking suspect in Pattaya
Pattaya tourist police used an AI surveillance camera system to arrest a Thai man wanted in a human trafficking case near Walking Street in Pattaya on the morning of May 15. The arrest took place at around 9.15am after the AI camera system detected and identified a person matching Criminal Court arrest warrant No. 2462/2569, dated April 29. Police moved…
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13 Cambodian migrants arrested at Chanthaburi border
Thai marines and local police in Chanthaburi province arrested 13 Cambodian migrants on May 16, after intensifying surveillance along the border. The first group of nine Cambodians, five men and four women, were detained at 5.30pm while crossing forested terrain near boundary marker 53 in Thep Nimit subdistrict, Pong Nam Ron district. Investigations found the group had travelled from Banteay…
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