Crime News
Thailand crime news, breaking reports, investigations, and law enforcement updates—stay informed on drug trafficking, cybercrime, corruption, and public safety developments. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for crime news in Thailand.
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Authorities shut down movie2free streaming network after nationwide raids
Thai authorities shut down the illegal movie streaming website movie2free following coordinated raids across six provinces, arresting four suspects and seizing assets linked to copyright infringement and money laundering. The operation was carried out on 26 January 2026 under the direction of the Department of Special Investigation. Search warrants issued by the Criminal Court were executed at eight locations in…
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Authorities seize methamphetamine and heroin shipments along Mekong River
Authorities in north-eastern Thailand intercepted two separate narcotics shipments this week, seizing more than 1.2 million methamphetamine pills and 148 kilograms of heroin during coordinated operations involving military and police units. On 26 January 2026, the 2nd Army Area Command confirmed that the seizures were carried out under a regional directive to intensify drug suppression along border routes and river…
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Fake police gang arrested over abductions, drug planting and extortion
Police arrested a man accused of posing as a police officer and leading a gang that abducted victims, planted drugs, and extorted money in several locations. The suspect confessed, according to investigators. The arrest was announced on 26 January 2026, at 4.56pm, by the Crime Suppression Division. Officers detained Mr Boonthing, 51, whose surname was withheld, under an arrest warrant…
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Police dismantle call centre scam network, arrest 10 suspects
Thai police have dismantled a transnational call centre scam network operating through fake online marketplaces, arresting 10 suspects including the alleged ringleader who created false social media pages to deceive buyers. The arrests were announced at 2.10pm on 26 January 2026 by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau at its headquarters. Officers said the operation followed coordinated raids across eight locations…
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Former officer shoots motorcycle taxi driver dead
A former municipal officer fatally shot a motorcycle taxi driver at a taxi stand in Ratchada Soi 10, Huai Khwang district, Bangkok, on the morning of 26 January 2026. Police from Huai Khwang Police Station received a report at 9.00am on 26 January 2026 of a shooting resulting in a death at the entrance of Soi Prachasanti 11-2, within Ratchadaphisek…
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Content creator criticised for staged phone theft video on BTS
A staged video showing a mock phone theft on a BTS Skytrain has drawn criticism online after a Thai content creator posted the clip to social media. Online response centred on how such content might affect public perception of safety in Thailand. The video, originally shared on TikTok, shows the creator pretending to be distracted on his phone before another…
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Highway police arrest smuggling gang using families as cover
Highway police arrested a group of suspects involved in the illegal transport of Chinese nationals into Thailand, intercepting two vehicles before they reached Bangkok. Investigators said the couriers used wives and children seated in the front of vehicles to avoid detection during police checks. The arrests took place on 25 January 2026, at approximately 7.21pm on Highway 344 in Nong…
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Large methamphetamine cache found at roadside electric pole
Police in Chachoengsao province are investigating the discovery of a large quantity of methamphetamine pills found abandoned in a residential community. The drugs were discovered on 25 January 2026, at approximately 11.00am, after villagers in Moo 8, Ban Song subdistrict, Phanom Sarakham district, reported a suspicious sack placed at the base of an electric pole along a roadside alley. According…
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Loan shark gang member arrested in Kanchanaburi after years on the run
A former member of a loan shark gang has been arrested in Kanchanaburi after fleeing authorities for more than two years, police said on 24 January 2026. The suspect, identified by police as Mr Kittisak, aged 37, was detained at a residence in Moo 2, Tha Makham subdistrict, Mueang Kanchanaburi district. The arrest followed an outstanding warrant issued by Chiang…
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Man arrested for killing his girlfriend by cutting out her tongue
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat arrested a 44-year-old man in connection with the killing of his girlfriend at a resort in Mueang district, following a reported surrender late on 23 January 2026. At about 9.00pm, Pol. Lt. Col. Ekachai Pholkaset, Deputy Superintendent of Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police, received a report from local residents that a man had confessed to…
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Officials destroy opium plantation in raid
Officials from multiple Thai government agencies carried out a coordinated operation to destroy an opium plantation and seize illegal weapons in Wiang Sa district, Nan province, on 24 January 2026. The operation took place in Ban Phu Fah Mai, Village No. 8, Yab Hua Na subdistrict, where officers identified and destroyed one plot of opium classified as a Category 5…
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Cocaine trafficking ring dismantled by Bangkok police
Thai police arrested four suspects in connection with a cocaine distribution network operating in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, following a three-month investigation led by the Royal Thai Police and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. The arrests were announced on 24 January 2026, after officers concluded a coordinated operation involving the Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, and…
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Attempted murder suspect arrested after armed attack
Police arrested a 35-year-old man on 24 January 2026 in connection with an armed attack on a family home in Roi Et province. The arrest took place at around 10.24am after officers from the Crime Suppression Division located the suspect in Samut Sakhon province. The operation was carried out under the direction of senior division commanders following the issuance of…
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Public prosecutor found dead in car near his own child’s school
A public prosecutor was found dead inside his car near a school entrance in Khon Kaen Province on 23 January 2026, police said. Ban Ped Police Station received a call at about 6.30pm about a man found unresponsive inside a vehicle parked on a roadside near a school in Ban Wa Subdistrict, Mueang District. Officers secured the area and coordinated…
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Twelve arrested over fatal shooting of juvenile in Bangkok
Police arrested twelve people on 23 January 2026 in connection with the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy in Bang Khen district, Bangkok. One suspect remains at large, along with two firearms believed to have been used in the attack. The shooting occurred late on 22 January 2026 near a canal bridge in Soi Phahonyothin 57, Anusawari subdistrict. The victim…
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Finnish tourist’s stolen AirPods lead to drug bust on Koh Pha Ngan
A stolen pair of wireless earphones, Apple AirPods, helped police on Koh Pha Ngan uncover a large cache of illegal drugs yesterday, January 22, after a Finnish tourist reported a theft at her accommodation. The case began at around 10.15am when a 29 year old Finnish woman sought help from Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police after discovering her belongings had…
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Taiwanese and Thai tourists brawl at Chiang Rai’s White Temple
Taiwanese and Thai tourists were involved in a physical altercation at Wat Rong Khun, commonly known as the White Temple, in Chiang Rai province last week following a dispute over photography regulations at the site. A video showing four tourists fighting on the temple’s well-known “Bridge of Rebirth” quickly went viral on Thai social media. The footage showed two couples…
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Thai police accused of groping 14 year old girl while drunk
A police officer nearing retirement in Phetchabun province paid compensation after he alleged groped a 14 year old Thai girl’s breasts while under the influence of alcohol on Tuesday, January 20. The girl‘s mother shared a video of her heated argument with a police officer on social media platforms and also gave it to several news agencies to seek justice…
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Missing British man found dead in Bangkok hotel after donation appeal
Thai netizens raised suspicions about a British family’s donation campaign after they sought financial support to search for a missing relative in Pattaya, only to later announce that he was found dead at a hotel in Bangkok. A missing person poster for 21 year old British national Joshua Kershaw was widely shared across Facebook groups of expats and tourists in…
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Cha-am cracks down on abandoned buildings to boost tourist safety
Cha-am police launched a late-night operation last night, January 21, to detain a man found living in an abandoned building near a popular beach viewpoint, amid efforts to prevent crimes that could threaten tourist safety in the area. Kaew Kongwong, Cha-am district chief, led the operation alongside police, immigration officers, municipal staff, and local volunteers. The team searched several locations,…
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Foreign man slammed for flying drone, scaring Khao Yai elephants
Thai netizens condemned a foreign man for ignoring national park regulations and flying a drone near a herd of elephants in Khao Yai National Park, causing the animals to panic and putting both tourists and wildlife at risk. The incident occurred yesterday, January 21, at Tung Kwang Mineral Lick, a popular wildlife viewing area within the national park in Nakhon…
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Iranian man arrested for illegally running pharmacy in Pattaya
Police arrested an Iranian man on Tuesday, January 20, for illegally operating a pharmacy in Pattaya and selling controlled drugs without permission or a pharmacist licence. Officers from Pattaya Tourist Police, Chon Buri Immigration Office, and Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office launched the operation after receiving complaints from locals, alleging that a foreign man was operating Kattika Pharmacy, located…
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Laotian housemaid suspected in murder of employer in Bangkok
Police suspect a Laotian housemaid of murdering her 79 year old employer at a house in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district before fleeing the country and illegally crossing the border back to Laos yesterday, January 21. The case came to light after a 54 year old Thai woman, Sumalee Chaikong, alerted police to investigate the home of her neighbour, 79 year…
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13 foreigners arrested in romance scam crackdown in Nonthaburi
Police arrested 13 foreigners at an accommodation building in Nonthaburi on Monday, January 19, for operating a romance scam network. The suspects included 11 Nigerian men and two Ivorian nationals. The crackdown was launched after a Thai woman filed a complaint with police late last year. She reported to Mueang Nong Khai Police Station that she had transferred more than…
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German thief arrested after trying to return stolen cash to Phuket spa
A German tourist attempted to return stolen cash to a spa in Phuket in an apparent bid to avoid legal consequences, but the spa owner refused to drop the case and called police to have him arrested yesterday, January 20. The incident took place at THAN Spa & Massage, located on Ranong Road in Phuket’s Talat Nuea sub-district. An employee…
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Family of 16 stranded in China after paying 700,000 baht to scam travel agency
A family of 16 fell victim to a travel agency scam, paying 700,000 baht for a fully organised trip to Harbin, China, only to be left to arrange nearly every aspect of the journey themselves after arriving overseas. One of the victims, Chonchanok, shared details of the ordeal on her Facebook account on Saturday, January 17, explaining that she booked…
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Chon Buri vendor refuses refund after customer overpays 1,260 baht
A food vendor in Chon Buri refused to refund a customer who mistakenly overpaid for a meal, daring the victim to take legal action after keeping the excess money. The 34 year old victim, Chonnanee, filed a complaint with Nong Prue Police Station yesterday, January 20, after she failed to recover the overpaid amount from a female vendor selling white…
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Transgender woman slashed in attack on Pattaya Beach
A transgender woman was seriously injured this morning, January 21, after being attacked by an unidentified man with a broken glass bottle on Pattaya Beach. The incident occurred at around 1.50am and was later reported to Pattaya City Police. Officers from Pattaya Police Station arrived at the scene alongside rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation, and found a…
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Romance scam leaves Thai woman in debt while fake lover lives luxurious
A Thai woman lost around 800,000 baht to a man she met on a dating application, only to later discover that he married another woman and was living a luxurious lifestyle. The victim, identified only as Ploy, travelled from Khon Kaen to Nonthaburi to seek legal assistance from lawyer Ronnarong Kaewphet in Bangkok after realising she was deceived. Ploy explained that…
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German man wanted for stealing 2,000 baht from Phuket spa
A foreign man, reportedly a German national, remains at large after stealing 2,000 baht in cash from a spa in Phuket yesterday, January 20. The theft occurred at around 5pm at a spa located on Ranong Road in the Talat Nuea sub-district. The suspect arrived with two companions, but was seen in the CCTV footage committing the crime alone. In…
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