Pattaya News

Pattaya news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s coastal entertainment hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Pattaya news source.

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  • Pattaya police arrest suspects in chaotic drug raid at Jomtien Beach

    Pattaya police arrest suspects in chaotic drug raid at Jomtien Beach

    Pattaya City Police conducted an unexpected drug raid at Jomtien Beach yesterday with the assistance of over 50 officers. The operation focused on Soi 2 and Soi 3, causing chaos as dealers and users attempted to flee, some even trying to climb walls to escape. The area was quickly secured by the police, who managed to apprehend all suspects involved,…

  • Thai woman drowns off Pattaya Beach after swimming in unsafe area

    Thai woman drowns off Pattaya Beach after swimming in unsafe area

    A tragic incident occurred yesterday near Pattaya Beach, where a 40 year old Thai woman drowned while swimming. The Pattaya City Police were alerted to the situation at 10.06am, yesterday, March 8, at the beach adjacent to Pattaya Walking Street. Responding promptly, rescue divers, police, and news personnel arrived at the scene. It took the rescue divers approximately 30 minutes…

  • Mongolian arrested for stealing goods worth 26,000 baht in Pattaya

    Mongolian arrested for stealing goods worth 26,000 baht in Pattaya

    A Mongolian man was detained by Pattaya City Police after allegedly stealing brand-name items from a mall near Pattaya Beach. The incident was reported by a security guard and a representative from the shopping centre. The 52 year old Mongolian national, Byamba, was found with 12 brand-name shirts and two bags, totalling 26,000 baht (US$770) in value. The security guard,…

  • Pattaya traffic crackdown: Real reform or just for show?

    Pattaya traffic crackdown: Real reform or just for show?

    Pattaya residents are divided over the city’s latest traffic enforcement efforts, questioning whether the recent crackdown by traffic police is a genuine attempt to tackle congestion or just a temporary publicity stunt during major events like the Pattaya Music Festival. While some appreciate the increased police presence, others argue that enforcement is inconsistent, with officers only taking action when the…

  • Ocean Marina Jomtien ranked 6th among world’s top marinas

    Ocean Marina Jomtien ranked 6th among world’s top marinas

    Thailand’s Ocean Marina Jomtien has sailed into global recognition, securing the sixth spot in a prestigious ranking of the world’s top marinas by the South China Morning Post. Located near Pattaya, this stunning marina is Southeast Asia’s largest, boasting over 450 berths that can accommodate vessels up to 75 metres long. Its state-of-the-art facilities and prime location have made it…

  • Koh Larn mystery: Tourist’s body leaves police puzzled

    Koh Larn mystery: Tourist’s body leaves police puzzled

    Thai police have been left scratching their heads after discovering the dead body of a tourist in a forest on the picturesque island of Koh Larn. A photograph of an elderly woman was found at the chilling scene, yesterday, March 6. Police Lieutenant Anan Mahakit Asawakun from Pattaya City Police Station’s Koh Larn branch today shared news of the unfolding…

  • Splish splash splendour: Pattaya preps for a Wan Lai soaking (video)

    Splish splash splendour: Pattaya preps for a Wan Lai soaking (video)

    Pattaya City is gearing up for a splash-tastic 2025 with its iconic Wan Lai Naklua and Wan Lai Pattaya festivals. Known for their thrilling water-pouring ceremonies, dazzling cultural performances, and energetic parades, these events promise a spectacle like no other. The vibrant preparations were discussed in a meeting led by Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn at Pattaya City Hall. The festivals…

  • Seoul searching! Tourist Police nab fake South Korean tour guide

    Seoul searching! Tourist Police nab fake South Korean tour guide

    A South Korean man found himself in hot water with the Tourist Police after allegedly masquerading as a tour guide without the necessary paperwork. Police clocked him on Wednesday, March 5, shepherding a group of international holidaymakers through a bustling local market, where he was seen snapping up tickets and handing out local information. But there was a catch: he…

  • Mother and son confess to murder for inheritance in Chon Buri

    Mother and son confess to murder for inheritance in Chon Buri

    A 46 year old woman in Chon Buri has confessed to collaborating with her 30 year old biological son in the murder of her husband, with the intent of seizing his assets. The victim’s body was found in a fertiliser sack in a forested area. The development comes after the body of 52 year old Wachara, a security guard from…

  • Failed enhancement: Pattaya rescuers remove steel ring from man’s penis

    Failed enhancement: Pattaya rescuers remove steel ring from man’s penis

    A Pattaya rescue team was called into action to remove a stainless steel ring from a Thai man’s penis. The man had hoped the ring would boost his sexual performance but he ended up in hospital instead. The 45 year old Thai man, whose identity remains undisclosed, visited a private hospital in Pattaya for treatment. His genital area was swollen…

  • Holy spirits: Pattaya toasts to temple tipple alcohol tweak

    Holy spirits: Pattaya toasts to temple tipple alcohol tweak

    Pattaya officials and business moguls are toasting the National Alcohol Policy Committee’s bold decision to uncork alcohol sales at select venues on major religious holidays, a move set to pour life into the city’s tourism juggernaut. The clinking of glasses will be heard in hotels, entertainment hotspots, and international airports, while other public areas remain dry. Optimists predict the change…

  • Firefighters turn up the heat in Pattaya condo blaze

    Firefighters turn up the heat in Pattaya condo blaze

    Firefighters were hot on the scene yesterday in Pattaya’s Soi Kor Phai after a blaze broke out in a plush condominium, causing panic among holidaymakers. The Land Disaster Relief Center got the call, sending fire crews and valiant rescue volunteers racing to the flaming fiasco, at 3.06am, yesterday, March 5. On arrival, both Thai and foreign guests were seen scrambling…

  • Hitting the right note: Security amped up for Pattaya Music Festival

    Hitting the right note: Security amped up for Pattaya Music Festival

    Pattaya is gearing up for its biggest music festival of the year, with officials rolling out major security measures and road closures to keep crowds safe and traffic under control. With thousands expected to attend the Pattaya Music Festival 2025, police are leaving nothing to chance. Top officials gathered at Pattaya City Hall on Monday, March 3, to finalise security…

  • Pattaya security guard robbed in late-night phone snatch (video)

    Pattaya security guard robbed in late-night phone snatch (video)

    A 68 year old security guard in Pattaya was left shaken and desperate for justice after a brazen thief snatched his phone in the middle of his shift. The robbery occurred in the early hours of February 28, leaving the elderly guard powerless to stop the thief. Somkuan Chitphak, who works as a night security guard at a Pattaya condominium,…

  • 2 Foreign men give Pattaya monks a lift and get blessings in return

    2 Foreign men give Pattaya monks a lift and get blessings in return

    Two foreign motorcyclists went viral on Thai social media after a TikTok video showed them offering a ride to two Thai monks in Pattaya. The monks rewarded them with gifts for their kindness. The TikTok user @tubs096 shared a video of himself and his friend giving the monks a lift. In the video, the TikToker could be heard saying, “Just…

  • Pattaya Squid Fair draws massive crowds to Jomtien Beach

    Pattaya Squid Fair draws massive crowds to Jomtien Beach

    Pattaya’s vibrant charm was on full display as thousands of tourists packed Jomtien Beach for the final day of the Pattaya Squid Fair 2025, themed Pirates’ Treasure Under The Sea. Held on March 1 in front of The Now Hotel, the festival transformed the coastline into a seafood paradise, drawing visitors eager to indulge in the city’s famed beachside dining.…

  • Pregnant Lao woman killed, 3 injured in tragic Pattaya crash

    Pregnant Lao woman killed, 3 injured in tragic Pattaya crash

    A pregnant Lao woman tragically lost her life yesterday, while her husband and two young daughters suffered serious injuries after a six-wheel truck collided with their motorcycle on a road in Pattaya. A crowd of locals gathered at the tragic and horrifying accident scene on Highway 331 (Chachoengsao-Sattahip) in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya at around 4pm, yesterday, March…

  • EM tagged foreigner lures Pattaya women into robbery and assault

    EM tagged foreigner lures Pattaya women into robbery and assault

    Women in Pattaya have warned each other after a foreign man wearing an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet allegedly lured them into hotel rooms to rob and murder them. The Facebook page เดินรอบพัทยา (which translates to Walking Around Pattaya) shared a video of the accused foreign man, along with a warning to local women. According to the page, the foreigner frequently…

  • Gold jewellery worth 30,000 baht stolen from Pattaya apartment

    Gold jewellery worth 30,000 baht stolen from Pattaya apartment

    A night out turned into a nightmare for a young Pattaya resident after her gold jewellery, worth over 30,000 baht, vanished in a brazen apartment break-in. Kawalin told reporters that the theft took place at her South Pattaya residence at around 10.30pm on Friday, February 28. Returning home the next morning, she was stunned to find her valuables missing, prompting…

  • Boom to bust: Chinese investment in Thai property hits rock bottom

    Boom to bust: Chinese investment in Thai property hits rock bottom

    Once a beacon of opportunity, Thailand’s vibrant condo market for Chinese investors is now dimming, as economic clouds gather over China’s middle class. Stephen Yao, a former Chinese investments broker in Bangkok, and Pattaya, has seen his formerly bustling schedule dwindle. In 2017 and 2018, he made a staggering 32 trips from China’s Guangdong province to Thailand. But recent years…

  • Sucker punch: Pattaya nightlife bash leaves British tourist floored

    Sucker punch: Pattaya nightlife bash leaves British tourist floored

    A British tourist found himself on the receiving end of a knockout punch from a local bar security guard, leaving him bloodied and hospital-bound on Pattaya’s notorious Walking Street. The late-night altercation, recorded at around 11.30pm, yesterday, March 2, unfolded like a scene from an action-crime movie, with the aftermath turning heads and causing quite a stir. Eyewitnesses recounted the…

  • Khao Kheow Zoo calls on public to name newest zebra star

    Khao Kheow Zoo calls on public to name newest zebra star

    Pattaya’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo is creating quite the buzz by inviting the public to name its latest black-and-white bundle of joy: a newborn zebra foal. Khao Kheow Open Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi proudly announced the debut of a charming female zebra foal, born on November 6 last year to her 6 year old mum and 8 year old dad.…

  • Muay Thai-tanic World Championship to make waves in Pattaya

    Muay Thai-tanic World Championship to make waves in Pattaya

    Pattaya City is gearing up for a mega showdown as it hosts the 6th World Muay Thai Championship from March 9 to 17. The prestigious event is backed by the Thai and Traditional Boxing Sports Association and the spirited Father Ray Foundation, promising a knockout experience for all involved. Kicking off the fierce festivities will be the weigh-in on March…

  • Swedish man in tears after girlfriend’s tragic suicide in Pattaya

    Swedish man in tears after girlfriend’s tragic suicide in Pattaya

    A Swedish man was found in tears beside his dead girlfriend in a South Pattaya condominium, Chon Buri, on March 2. Police Major Suthiraphan Tapasri from Mueang Pattaya Police Station was alerted at 4.06am about a suicide incident. The 26 year old woman, Sureetip, reportedly took her life using a pair of trousers. Her boyfriend discovered her body and brought…

  • Danish tourist stabbed in Pattaya, refuses hospital treatment

    Danish tourist stabbed in Pattaya, refuses hospital treatment

    A 22 year old Danish national sustained multiple stab wounds in Pattaya on the night of February 28. The incident, which occurred at 10.36pm on Chalerm Phrakiet Road in Nongprue, Bang Lamung, remains shrouded in mystery as the victim refused to provide details, press charges, or seek hospital treatment. Emergency responders discovered the injured man, identified only as Daniel, with…

  • Police raid in Pattaya nets eight arrests in drug den bust

    Police raid in Pattaya nets eight arrests in drug den bust

    Anti-narcotics officers conducted a significant raid on an alleged drug den in Soi Jomtien 3, Pattaya, at 2.06pm on February 28. The operation resulted in the arrest of eight people, including one dealer and seven users, following complaints from locals about ongoing drug activities despite continuous efforts to eliminate them. The raid was carefully planned through a sting operation involving…

  • Pattaya businessman attacked in broad daylight

    Pattaya businessman attacked in broad daylight

    A prominent Pattaya businessman was brutally assaulted in broad daylight, sparking concerns over his safety and a possible real estate dispute. Thanakrit Chokmongkhonthanakul, former president of the Pattaya Taksin Lions Club and an executive of the LT Group, is demanding justice after two attackers ambushed him outside his real estate project in Nong Prue. Despite the violent nature of the…

  • Fire in Pattaya hotel causes alarm, no injuries reported

    Fire in Pattaya hotel causes alarm, no injuries reported

    A minor fire at a hotel on Soi Buakhao, Pattaya, sent Thai and foreign guests into a panic on Thursday evening, February 27. Thick smoke billowed through the building, spreading from a third-floor room to the lower levels, raising alarms among residents. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the damage was minimal. Emergency services were alerted at around 10pm, prompting…

  • Pattaya taxi driver bricked in booze-fuelled bust-up

    Pattaya taxi driver bricked in booze-fuelled bust-up

    High drama unfolded on the streets of Pattaya as a row turned deadly, leaving a motorbike taxi driver savagely struck down with a concrete block. In the hustle of Central Pattaya, an early morning clash spiraled into horror when a motorbike taxi driver was left fighting for life after a brutal concrete block attack. The fracas erupted at 9am, yesterday…

  • Pickpocket peril and ladyboy larceny: Pattaya’s foreign tourist trap

    Pickpocket peril and ladyboy larceny: Pattaya’s foreign tourist trap

    A wave of thefts has left three foreign tourists reeling in Pattaya’s crime-laden streets, with light-fingered pickpockets and audacious robbers striking under the cover of night. Three unfortunate tourists fell victim to the crafty crooks, transforming their vacations into tales of woe, in the seedy heat of Pattaya that showcased the city’s underbelly of crime. At 1.49am, yesterday, February 27,…