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.

  • Wife opposes bail for former deputy mayor in fatal shooting case | Thaiger

    Wife opposes bail for former deputy mayor in fatal shooting case

    The wife of a man fatally shot in Phatthalung province has formally objected to bail for a former deputy mayor of a sub-district administrative organisation accused of carrying out the killing, following the suspect’s surrender to police. The shooting occurred at about 8.30am on January 16, 2026, on the Ban Hat Khai Tao–Fa La Mi road in Moo 11, Na…

  • Search intensifies for second victim in well murder case | Thaiger

    Search intensifies for second victim in well murder case

    Rescue workers in Lopburi province intensified their search on January 17, 2026, after detecting an odour believed to be from a decomposing body inside an abandoned well, where a second murder victim is thought to be buried. The operation centres on the search for Ms Jiraporn, known as “Teacher Lek”, aged 61, who was allegedly killed by her nephew along…

  • Nigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court | Thaiger

    Nigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court

    Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on Wednesday, January 14, after he skipped court proceedings following an earlier arrest. Officers from the Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off that the suspect, 38 year old Nigerian national Ukoma Jefta Nuzbech, who was wanted in a drug case, was travelling along a road…

  • Plankton takeover gives Cha-am beach a green makeover | Thaiger

    Plankton takeover gives Cha-am beach a green makeover

    Tourists visiting Cha-am Beach and Bo Yai Beach in Phetchaburi were met with an unusual sight yesterday, January 15, as the sea along the shoreline turned a dark green colour due to a natural plankton bloom. The phenomenon, stretching over 2.5 kilometres of coastline, was most noticeable along the southern stretch of Cha-am Beach and near Ban Bo Yai Beach…

  • Former PM Thaksin may be released on parole in May | Thaiger

    Former PM Thaksin may be released on parole in May

    The former Prime Minister (PM) of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, may be eligible for release on parole in May, according to the Department of Corrections. Thaksin returned to Thailand in August and was taken into custody before being transferred to the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital under special detention arrangements. His hospital stay triggered widespread public debate, with critics…

  • Steel bar dropped from condo crane pierces through Phuket home | Thaiger

    Steel bar dropped from condo crane pierces through Phuket home

    A steel bar reportedly fell from a crane at a high-rise condominium construction site and pierced through a home near Surin Beach in Phuket on the night of Wednesday, January 14. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, despite the close call. The female homeowner shared a video of the shocking incident on social media, showing a long steel bar embedded through…

  • PM Anutin orders termination and blacklisting of Italian-Thai Development | Thaiger

    PM Anutin orders termination and blacklisting of Italian-Thai Development

    Thailand’s Prime Minister (PM) Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the Ministry of Transport to terminate construction contracts with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and blacklist the contractor, following a series of deadly infrastructure accidents that sparked intense public backlash. The decision comes in the wake of two high-profile tragedies: the crane collapse onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima and the crane accident on Rama…

  • 35 Thais detained after allegedly being forced to work in Cambodia | Thaiger

    35 Thais detained after allegedly being forced to work in Cambodia

    Thai police yesterday, January 15, detained 35 Thai nationals near the Aranyaprathet border in Sa Kaeo province after they illegally crossed back from Cambodia, claiming they had been unknowingly taken out of the country and forced into online scam operations. The Burapha Task Force, along with rangers from the 12th unit’s Company 1206, found the group walking along a forested…

  • South Korean man and Thai wife die in crane collapse one day after marriage | Thaiger

    South Korean man and Thai wife die in crane collapse one day after marriage

    A South Korean man and his Thai wife lost their lives in the Nakhon Ratchasima crane disaster on Wednesday, January 14, one day after their marriage. Authorities confirmed that a German national and a South Korean man were among 32 people killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Korat on Wednesday. While the German man’s…

  • 3 missing passengers in Korat crane-train collision found alive | Thaiger

    3 missing passengers in Korat crane-train collision found alive

    A medical official confirmed yesterday, January 15, that three people previously reported missing after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima were found safe and receiving treatment at hospital. The deadly incident occurred on Wednesday, January 14, when a crane from the elevated railway construction for the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed train collapsed onto a moving passenger…

  • What to do in Bangkok this weekend (and the next!) | Thaiger

    What to do in Bangkok this weekend (and the next!)

    How is January already moving this fast? You blink, survive the workweek, suddenly it’s Friday again. If your New Year motivation peaked somewhere around Wednesday lunch, this weekend is here to save you. Bangkok is doing what it does best, mixing slow hangs, cultural gems, food worth leaving the house for, and a few reasons to stay out later than…

  • Phuket unveils ‘Dheveena’ sea goddess sculpture as new landmark | Thaiger

    Phuket unveils ‘Dheveena’ sea goddess sculpture as new landmark

    Phuket unveiled a new landmark, “Dheveena,” a large-scale public sculpture installed along the seafront at Saphan Hin Park in the Wichit sub-district, as part of the Thailand Biennale 2025. The fourth edition of the Thailand Biennale returned to Phuket on November 29 last year and will run for five months until April 30 this year. Under the theme “Eternal Kalpa,”…

  • Suicide suspected after Canadian man dies in Pattaya condo fall | Thaiger

    Suicide suspected after Canadian man dies in Pattaya condo fall

    Police are investigating the death of an elderly Canadian man who fell from a condominium in Pattaya today, January 15, with officers suspecting the incident to be a suicide. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to investigate the death of 86 year old Canadian national George Eugene at a condominium located along Jomtien Beach this morning. Rescuers from…

  • China steps in with 90 million baht aid after Thai train tragedy | Thaiger

    China steps in with 90 million baht aid after Thai train tragedy

    China has reaffirmed its close diplomatic ties with Thailand today, January 15, by donating 20 million yuan, approximately 90 million baht, in humanitarian aid, in the wake of a crane collapse at a high-speed rail construction site. At 11am today, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jianwei met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the Government House to formally deliver the assistance. The…

  • Elusive crested jayshrike spotted on Kaeng Krachan forest trail | Thaiger

    Elusive crested jayshrike spotted on Kaeng Krachan forest trail

    A rare crested jayshrike made a surprise appearance yesterday, January 14, on a forest trail in Phetchaburi’s Kaeng Krachan National Park, stunning birdwatchers and park officials. Mongkol Chaiphakdi, chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, said the elusive bird was seen near the 18-kilometre forest trail known as Ban Chang Yieb, which leads up to Panoenthung mountain. The encounter was captured…

  • Government urges caution as PM2.5 levels hit dangerous highs | Thaiger

    Government urges caution as PM2.5 levels hit dangerous highs

    Thailand‘s government has issued a warning today, January 15, over rising levels of PM2.5 air pollution expected between January 14 and 16, urging strict control of pollution sources and greater public caution, particularly in Bangkok and surrounding areas. Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Pairsawetthawana said the Air Pollution Solution Communication Centre under the Pollution Control Department (APSC) had reported a significant…

  • Royal Thai Army admits 8 drunk soldiers beat conscript to death | Thaiger

    Royal Thai Army admits 8 drunk soldiers beat conscript to death

    The Royal Thai Army admitted that eight soldiers physically assaulted three conscripts at Sura Dham Pithak Military Camp in Nakhon Ratchasima, resulting in the death of one of the victims. The case came to public attention after the family of a 21 year old private, Krittanon Phonchantuek, spoke out on social media to condemn the abuse inside the military camp.…

  • Thailand’s conservative parties push back on charter rewrite | Thaiger

    Thailand’s conservative parties push back on charter rewrite

    Yesterday, January 14, three of Thailand’s conservative political parties reaffirmed their opposition to replacing the current constitution, warning that the move could be costly and politically risky. Key figures from the Rak Chart Thai Party, Thai Pakdee Party, and the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party voiced their stance during campaign activities in Nakhon Ratchasima and Surat Thani, stating they would…

  • UAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya | Thaiger

    UAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya

    A tourist from the United Arab Emirates lost around 14,500 baht in cash after being pickpocketed by two foreign men in Pattaya yesterday, January 14. The victim, 45 year old Mohamed Abdelkaliq Abdalla Khadim Almaazmi, filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 7am on Tuesday, January 13, after realising that cash had gone missing from his trouser…

  • People’s Party MP candidate arrested over alleged online gambling links | Thaiger

    People’s Party MP candidate arrested over alleged online gambling links

    Police arrested a Member of Parliament (MP) candidate from the People’s Party yesterday, January 14, at his home in Bangkok over alleged involvement in an online gambling network and money laundering. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided the residence of 32 year old Ratchapong “Pond” Soisuwan at around 5.30pm. The property is located in Nuan Chan Village,…

  • SRT to sue contractor after 100m baht Korat train damage | Thaiger

    SRT to sue contractor after 100m baht Korat train damage

      The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to sue the contractor responsible for a crane collapse that struck a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, January 14, causing more than 100 million baht in damages and resulting in multiple casualties. The incident occurred at approximately 9.30am yesterday in Sikhio district and involved a high-speed rail construction site for the…

  • Thailand among 75 nations hit by US visa processing suspension | Thaiger

    Thailand among 75 nations hit by US visa processing suspension

    The United States will temporarily suspend immigrant visa processing for Thailand and 74 other countries, effective January 21, 2026, as part of tighter immigration screening under its America First policy, the US State Department announced on January 14. The immigration visa freeze targets applicants from countries where migrants are said to disproportionately rely on public assistance after settling in the…

  • German and South Korean among 32 killed after crane collapses onto train in Korat | Thaiger

    German and South Korean among 32 killed after crane collapses onto train in Korat

    A German man and a South Korean national are among 32 people killed after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday morning, January 14. The devastating incident occurred at around 9am on a railway track in the Baan Thanon Kot community in Sikhiu district, also known as Korat. The area is located beneath the…

  • ITD accepts responsibility after crane collapse kills 31 in Korat | Thaiger

    ITD accepts responsibility after crane collapse kills 31 in Korat

    Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD) issued an official statement expressing condolences and accepting responsibility following a crane collapse that struck a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Tuesday morning, January 14. The fatal incident occurred at around 9am when a construction crane from the elevated Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway project collapsed onto the Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani passenger train as…

  • Longman’s beaked whale found in Thailand for first time | Thaiger

    Longman’s beaked whale found in Thailand for first time

    A rare deep-sea whale has been confirmed in Thai waters for the first time after a carcass washed ashore in Chanthaburi yesterday, January 13, prompting marine experts to investigate its exact species and cause of death. The whale was later identified as a Longman’s beaked whale, also known as Indopacetus pacificus, one of the least commonly observed cetaceans in the…

  • Rare red-headed krait spotted in Kaeng Krachan National Park | Thaiger

    Rare red-headed krait spotted in Kaeng Krachan National Park

    A rare and highly venomous snake was spotted yesterday, January 13, in Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan National Park, after a park ranger photographed it during a routine patrol on Phanoen Thung Mountain. The snake has been identified as a red-headed krait, a highly venomous species known for its distinctive glossy black body, bright red head and tail, and raised triangular back.…

  • Thai rapist remains at large after drugging and raping 15 year old girl | Thaiger

    Thai rapist remains at large after drugging and raping 15 year old girl

    A Thai mother demanded a punishment on a rapist who drugged and sexually assaulted her 15 year old daughter in Rayong province in 2024. The 52 year old victim’s mother met the commander of the Rayong Provincial Police, Pramote Ngampradit, to seek justice after the rape case had no development since it occurred in July of 2024. The suspect remains…

  • People’s Party MP candidate sues Thai woman for staging vote-buying | Thaiger

    People’s Party MP candidate sues Thai woman for staging vote-buying

    A parliamentary candidate from the People’s Party in Saraburi province announced legal action against a woman who admitted staging a fake vote-buying incident to attract attention on social media. The controversy began on Monday, January 12, when a Thai woman posted a photo on her Facebook account, Rungnapa Kotphuthorn. The image showed a 1,000-baht banknote placed together with a election…

  • Death toll rises to 22 in Korat train crash after crane collapse | Thaiger

    Death toll rises to 22 in Korat train crash after crane collapse

    Local rescue teams reported this afternoon, January 14, that the death toll from a train accident in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, rose sharply from four to 22, with more than 50 people injured. The fatal incident occurred at around 9am on a railway line in the Baan Thanon Kot community in the Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima. The track…

  • At least 4 killed after crane collapses onto train in Nakhon Ratchasima | Thaiger

    At least 4 killed after crane collapses onto train in Nakhon Ratchasima

    An elevated railway construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima this morning, January 14, killing at least four people and injuring more than 20 others. The incident occurred at around 9am on a railway line near the Baan Thanon Kot community in the Sikhiu district. The area lies beneath the Bangkok–Nong Khai High-Speed Railway, which is currently…