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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Six-wheel truck rampage damages 20 cars on Rama II Road (video)
A chaotic scene unfolded on Rama II Road as a six-wheel truck went on a rampage, crashing into over 20 parked vehicles. Locals and police joined forces to chase the vehicle but the driver did not stop. A video clip circulated online yesterday, July 17, showing a group of motorcyclists pursuing a six-wheel truck that had caused multiple collisions and…
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15 year old boy arrested after motorcycle theft and crash in Pattaya
A 15 year old boy has been taken into custody by police after allegedly stealing a motorcycle and causing an accident in Pattaya early yesterday. The incident unfolded at 3.30am in Soi Khao Noi, Nongprue sub-district, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to discover a Honda Wave 125 motorcycle, driven by the 15 year…
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Thailand to boost 2024 budget by 122 billion baht for economic lift
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin emphasised the necessity of increasing the 2024 fiscal budget by 122 billion baht to stimulate Thailand’s economy. He proposed a supplementary budget bill to the House, aiming to finance the digital wallet scheme, a core policy of the Pheu Thai Party. Opposition parties opposed the bill, citing legal concerns and potential violations of the State Fiscal…
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Thailand’s digital wallet disaster: MFP oppose budget
Opposition parties have taken a firm stand against the supplementary budget bill, targeting the controversial digital wallet scheme. Estimated at a staggering 450 billion baht, the scheme is criticised for its alleged inefficacy in boosting the GDP and potential legal issues, which could set a detrimental precedent for future national budgeting and fiscal policies. Sirikanya Tansakul, Deputy Leader of the…
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Elderly woman forced to sell meth to support four grandchildren
Krabi Provincial Narcotics Suppression Unit, targetted a local drug hotspot in Krabi Noi subdistrict today, July 17, but a subsequent raid uncovered a drug operation run by an elderly woman, who sold methamphetamine pills to care for her grandchildren. During the investigation, a search of her residence yielded 122 methamphetamine pills hidden in her bedroom. The dealer, 64 year old…
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Foreign man found sleeping in monk attire on Pattaya Beach
Concerned locals and tourists alerted the Pattaya police to the presence of an unidentified foreign man sleeping on Pattaya Beach at around 3.40am today. The man, who was dressed in a monk’s robe and a white shirt, was found lying on the sand. Upon closer inspection, police discovered he was also wearing white pants. When questioned, the man was incoherent,…
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Floods disrupt Khon Kaen, submerging homes across two districts
Floodwaters have inundated Khon Kaen province, particularly affecting the districts of Mancha Khiri and Ban Phai, with the intense rainfall submerging homes up to their roofs. Route 2062 in Mancha Khiri, near the Suan Mon area of the Suan Mon sub-district, today, July 17, was submerged due to overflow from the Chi Rong Canal, extending for over 300 metres. Additionally,…
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Royal flush: Thai cops deal out arrests in billion-baht gambling bust
Royal Thai Police (RTP) swooped on a gambling website with over five billion baht in circulation and arrested two Thai men behind the operation. One of them, the son of a former senator, was arrested during a Dhamma retreat. Officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) launched Operation Shutdown, targeting two e-payment service…
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Cluck and awe: Thai chicken butcher’s meth side hustle foiled
A chicken butcher at a local market in Rayong, discreetly selling methamphetamine pills on the side in pursuit of quick wealth was arrested, following a delivery attempt which was thwarted by the police. The Chief of Bang Lamung district, Police Colonel Nawin Sinsuttharat, and Deputy Police Colonel Supawat Latthapreecha, along with the Narcotics Suppression Division yesterday, July 16, apprehended a…
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Bangkok’s Wat Pho climbs Asia’s top travel list
Bangkok’s Wat Phra Chetuphon, famously known as Wat Pho, clinched a coveted spot among TripAdvisor’s 25 most popular destinations in Asia for 2024. This year, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha proudly stands at 9th place, a testament to its enduring appeal since it first made the list in 2020. TripAdvisor’s glowing recommendation highlights the tranquil allure of Wat Pho,…
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Pink motorcycle flasher causes stir in Pattaya
Residents and visitors in Pattaya were left slack-jawed when a man on a pink Honda Zoomer-X motorcycle dropped his trousers for a full view. The incident, captured on video, ignited both concern and bemused laughter throughout the community. A local 42 year old woman, Am, witnessed the startling incident in Soi Bongkot, South Pattaya on Sunday, July 14. She described…
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Beach horror: Lower body find sends shockwaves in central Thailand
A hotel employee yesterday discovered the lower part of a human body on Laem Sadet Beach in the central province of Chanthaburi. Police are struggling to identify the deceased due to the missing upper half, including the head. The 39 year old hotel worker, whose name has not been disclosed, told Matichon that he found the human remains at approximately…
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PM Srettha’s 122 billion baht budget boost to stimulate economy
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin launched the first reading of an additional budget for fiscal 2024, earmarking a whopping 122 billion baht for economic stimulus through the digital wallet scheme. Addressing the House, the Thai Premier outlined the government’s plan to disburse a 10,000-baht digital handout, aimed at enhancing the quality of life and generating job opportunities. “We cannot afford to…
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Marriott International report reveals trends amongst affluent Asia Pacific travellers
A recent Marriott International report has outlined key emerging trends amongst high-income travellers in the Asia Pacific. The New Luxe Landscapes Report written by The Luxury Group (a brand which falls under the Marriott International business portfolio) explored how affluent tourists prefer to travel. The data included insights from the wealthiest 10% of people across six markets, Australia, Singapore, South…
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Tourist mugged near Big Buddha Viewpoint in Phuket
A tourist was mugged near the Big Buddha Viewpoint in Phuket, prompting Karon Police to launch a manhunt for the assailant. The incident took place yesterday, July 16, at approximately 6.22pm near the Nak-Kerd Seaview Cafe, according to police reports. A Thai man, identified only as Wirat, witnessed the mugging while driving towards Chalong. He immediately alerted the police by…
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NBTC suspends SIM cards to tackle call centre scams
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) of Thailand, in partnership with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), launched a significant operation aimed at regulating mobile banking and combating call centre scams. The initiative led to the suspension of 1,096,000 phone numbers registered to users holding more than 101 SIM cards. A member of the NBTC board, Police General Nathathorn Prousoontorn,…
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Court snubs Move Forward Party’s plea: Verdict moved to August 7
The Constitutional Court has thrown out the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP)‘s request for an inquiry, claiming it has ample evidence to make a ruling. The Election Commission (EC) has been pushing for the party’s dissolution and a 10-year political ban on its executive committee, due to their election campaign advocating for the amendment of the lèse majesté law. Despite…
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Online gambling crackdown: Police bet big, net 400 million baht
Police swooped on a major online gambling network, resulting in the arrest of two key figures and the seizure of assets worth over 400 million baht. The operation, named Shutdown, targeted the Askmepay and Hengpay payment systems implicated in the illegal activities. At 10.30am yesterday, July 16, police officials announced the successful raid on three locations in Bangkok. The operation…
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Thai tattoo artist allegedly rapes client, leading to attempted suicide
A Thai mother is seeking justice for her 20 year old daughter, who attempted suicide after being raped by a tattoo artist in Bangkok. The victim is in a critical condition and the alleged rapist has not yet been apprehended. The victim’s mother told Channel 7 that her daughter sent a message saying, “Mother, I love you” on July 12,…
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Siblings face prison time for extortion, coercion of former monk
The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court today sentenced a woman and her brother for their involvement in extortion, and coercion of a well-known monk, squeezing over 300,000 baht out of him. The siblings expressed remorse but still faced a prison sentence. The legal proceedings stemmed from incidents occurring between April 5 and April 21 last year. During this period, Weerinchita allegedly…
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Drug trafficking in 25 Thai provinces to be eradicated in 3 months
The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) declared its commitment to achieving Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s ambitious goal of eradicating drug trafficking in 25 of Thailand’s most affected provinces within three months. The Bangkok-born PM announced his national priority to eliminate illegal drugs during a Cabinet meeting yesterday, July 16, setting a strict three-month deadline for state agencies to address the issue.…
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Murder-suicide: 6 Vietnamese deaths linked to 10 million baht debt
Following the suspicious deaths of six Vietnamese nationals at a hotel in Bangkok, Thai police discovered that one of the deceased, a Vietnamese-American woman, allegedly poisoned her friends before committing suicide with the toxin over a 10 million baht debt. The Metropolitan Police Bureau of Thailand revealed more details of the case in a press conference, today, July 17, following…
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School van driver found brutally murdered in Pathum Thani
The grisly murder of a school van driver took place yesterday, with the victim nearly decapitated and several of his fingers severed. Police are currently pursuing the suspect, who was last heard calling out a name. Police Lieutenant Thanasorn Chaemchoi of Lam Luk Ka Police Station at 8am yesterday, July 16, received a report of a murder at a house…
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Chinese influencer murder suspect arrested in Macau
A suspect linked to the alleged murder of Chinese influencer Yan Ruimin has been arrested in Macau, ensnared by a pawnshop scam. Macau police announced the capture of the 34 year old suspect on Monday, July 15, identified only by his surname Ma, who had allegedly tried to defraud a pawnshop with a counterfeit luxury watch. During his detention, local…
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Phuket cleanup in full swing after storm wreaks havoc
Teams of workers are diligently clearing debris across Phuket after a severe storm struck the island overnight. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reported that the storm brought intense rain and winds reaching up to 68 kilometres per hour, causing significant disruption. The municipalities of Wichit and Thepkrasattri confirmed that several trees were uprooted, minor flooding occurred, and there was damage…
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Thailand’s industrial sentiment hits two-year low amid political strife
Thailand’s industrial sentiment index experienced a decline for the third consecutive month in June, reaching its lowest point in two years, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). The drop is attributed to a sluggish economy, weak demand, and increasing bad debt problems. The FTI reported that the industrial sentiment index fell to 87.2 in June, down from 88.5…
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Thailand to explore small nuclear reactors for clean energy boost
Energy Ministry officials are set to assess the feasibility of developing small nuclear power plants as part of the updated power development plan (PDP). This initiative aims to increase the use of clean energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The technology under consideration is the small modular reactor (SMR), which can generate up to 300 megawatts per unit (MW), roughly…
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Bangkok police arrest Thai woman for trafficking underage girls
Police apprehended a 22 year old Thai woman for trafficking underage girls for prostitution at a well-known hotel in Bangkok. A 14 year old girl was among the victims and police are providing immediate assistance. Officers from the Bang Rak Police Station, led by Thammasak Saraboon and Tharet Wongwaranurak, arrested a Thai woman named Luksana (surname withheld) at a hotel…
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13 year old novice rescued after repeated rapes by temple abbot
A 13 year old Thai novice sought help from his family after being repeatedly raped by a pedophile abbot from a temple in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom. The victim reportedly kept the rape and sexual assaults secret because he wanted to continue his studies at the temple. The novice’s mother, 40 year old Lawan, filed a complaint against…
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Fishy business: Thailand declares war on invasive blackchin tilapia
Efforts to eradicate the invasive blackchin tilapia fish have been declared a national priority by Thailand’s Agriculture Ministry. Measures to prevent the species from breeding are currently under investigation. Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompow announced that the ministry is actively working to eliminate the blackchin tilapia, a species native to West Africa, due to its predatory nature and significant threat to…
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