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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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Update: government official that allegedly stole from fund meant for the disabled spent all the money on gambling | Thaiger

    Update: government official that allegedly stole from fund meant for the disabled spent all the money on gambling

    In an update to yesterday’s story, Pisal Sukjaitham, the government official who was arrested for allegedly embezzling 13 million baht from a fund meant for the disabled, allegedly confessed, after being interrogated, that he spent all the money he stole on gambling. In another development in the story, INN says that officials are now saying 45 million baht was stolen…

  • Pathum Thani man allegedly lights building on fire, sticks around to laugh and smile | Thaiger

    Pathum Thani man allegedly lights building on fire, sticks around to laugh and smile

    Over the weekend, a man in the central Thai province of Pathum Thani allegedly lit a residential building on fire but rather than fleeing the scene after his criminal act, the man allegedly stuck around to laugh and smile at the destruction. The man allegedly started the fire in the early morning hours, around 2am in the Lam Luk Ka…

  • Meth busts yield 882,000 pills and 5.6kg of meth in Songkhla | Thaiger

    Meth busts yield 882,000 pills and 5.6kg of meth in Songkhla

    2 drug busts over the last few days in Hat Yai and Bang Klam netted over three-quarters of a million methamphetamine pills and over 5 kilogrammes of crystal meth. Police in Songkhla had been conducting surveillance in order to uncover both suspected drug dealers before carrying out the raids that found 882,000 meth pills. On September 13, police arrested a…

  • Unemployed Bangkok chef arrested after allegedly trying to sell rare butterflies to undercover agents | Thaiger

    Unemployed Bangkok chef arrested after allegedly trying to sell rare butterflies to undercover agents

    An out of work Thai chef was arrested for allegedly trying to sell 8 preserved butterflies, all of which are rare species, to undercover officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation at a shopping centre in Bangkok. The unidentified 29 year old unemployed chef, who previously worked at a Japanese restaurant in a Sukhumvit hotel, allegedly…

  • Torture and forced disappearances bills pass House vote 368-0 | Thaiger

    Torture and forced disappearances bills pass House vote 368-0

    4 bills on torture and forced disappearances have now successfully passed the House of Representatives in a triumph for human rights in Thailand. One member of parliament abstained from voting while the rest voted unanimously in favour of the 4 bills in a vote of 368 to 0. The bills include 34 sections covering a wide range of facets of…

  • Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money | Thaiger

    Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money

    A man who posed as a famous disc jockey, DJ Poom, on Facebook is being investigated by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau after 2 banks lodged complaints against him for allegedly soliciting donations for Covid and then allegedly pocketing the money. He is also accused of stealing data and cash after making a site that sells products. The 2 banks are the…

  • Samut Prakan man allegedly extorts residents for their registration plates | Thaiger

    Samut Prakan man allegedly extorts residents for their registration plates

    A man has allegedly been extorting people in the central Thai province of Samut Prakan to get their car registration plates back. The alleged criminal entrepreneur was exposed when a young woman posted on Facebook to say that a man had forced her boyfriend to hand over 100 baht to get his plate back after it came loose in floodwaters.…

  • Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting | Thaiger

    Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting

    The deputy inspector on a case that is investigating police officers involved in smuggling illegal bootleg alcohol into Bangkok is remaining curtly tight-lipped regarding the case. When asked about the recent investigation, he refused to comment, telling reporters they should ask the main inspector directly. He said the inspector could provide more information and commentary and making remarks to the…

  • Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam | Thaiger

    Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam

    A 17 year old girl was arrested for allegedly robbing a gold shop and threatening the manager with a kitchen knife after she lost money in an apparent scam. The teenager reportedly told officers that she had gotten involved in what appeared to be an online investment website. She had seen an advertisement on Instagram and decided to invest the…

  • CCIB fights virtual crimes and celebrates a year of crime solving | Thaiger

    CCIB fights virtual crimes and celebrates a year of crime solving

    Virtual crimes are on the rise, growing stronger in form and frequency, which has resulted in the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau expanding its crime stopping responsibilities as they celebrate their first anniversary. The newish CCIB has provided the Royal Thai Police with formidable crime prevention weaponry with the bureau forever on the lookout for cyber crimes. They aim to catch…

  • NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor | Thaiger

    NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission is nearing a conclusion in their case of police planes being allegedly used to smuggle liquor out of Hat Yai, a southern Thai province, to Bangkok, says deputy secretary general of the commission, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol. Niwatchai’s comments are in response to a post on the Facebook page “@Watchdog.ACT”, which brought up the investigation into the case.…

  • Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province | Thaiger

    Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province

    Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, is proving worrisome for the Crime Suppression police as they have named the area the country’s most murderous province since the start of 2021. Police suspect the abundance of households that possess guns is partially to blame for the high murder rate. The Crime Suppression police have expressed their alarm at the number…

  • Koh Samui partiers fined 10,000 baht, commuted 15-day sentence | Thaiger

    Koh Samui partiers fined 10,000 baht, commuted 15-day sentence

    In an update to our story yesterday regarding an illegal birthday party on Koh Samui that saw 48 partiers taken into custody, charges have apparently been filed against 44 party attendees. A report in Thai media said 44 of the 48 partiers at Maithy Pool Lounge & Restaurant inside a luxury resort in the hills behind Bangrak on the northeast…

  • Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges | Thaiger

    Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges

    Siew, the man who is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of the toddler “Nong Gina”, is facing 2 new charges: depriving a child under 15 of parental care and detaining a child, says the superintendent of Bo Luang police station, Kriangsak Prom-Uthai. The toddler who is just shy of 2 years old went missing from her home last…

  • Captain arrested in Samut Sakhon for allegedly not paying workers | Thaiger

    Captain arrested in Samut Sakhon for allegedly not paying workers

    A boat captain suspected of mistreating 6 Cambodian workers and depriving them of their wages has been arrested in Samut Sakhon, a central Thai province, following his nearly 5 years on the lam. The 59 year old captain identified only as Somwang was arrested at a shopping centre. Somwang faces charges of colluding in human trafficking by forcing labour, as…

  • 48 arrested at Covid-19 violating luxury Koh Samui birthday party | Thaiger

    48 arrested at Covid-19 violating luxury Koh Samui birthday party

    Yet another illegal gathering, a party on Koh Samui, was busted by police for breaking the Covid-19 emergency restrictions. Early this morning, police raided Maithy Pool Lounge & Restaurant at a luxury resort in the hills behind Bangrak on the northeast corner of the island and arrested 48 people having a birthday party in defiance of Covid-19 rules. 27 foreigners…

  • 3 arrested in Nong Gina abduction, trafficking suspected | Thaiger

    3 arrested in Nong Gina abduction, trafficking suspected

    New developments bring a twist in the strange case of Nong Gina, the 2 year old girl abducted by a Burmese man who claimed he left her in a cave as a sacrifice to nature spirits. As reported yesterday, the Mirror Foundation suspected more sinister trafficking reasons for the abduction, and police have now taken three people into custody for…

  • 2 hospital data breaches on Monday exposed patient data | Thaiger

    2 hospital data breaches on Monday exposed patient data

    Two prominent hospitals were the victims of data breaching hackers in the last few days with each hospital having over 40,000 patients’ personal information at risk. On Monday, Phetchabun Hospital had the personal data of 46,000 of their patients compromised while Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital had the data from 40,000 patients stolen in parallel attacks. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau…

  • Rescued Chiang Mai child doing better, still needs time to heal, says doctor | Thaiger

    Rescued Chiang Mai child doing better, still needs time to heal, says doctor

    The toddler that was recently rescued in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province is recuperating well and has allowed her parents to hug her, but still needs time to heal both physically and mentally, says a doctor. Gina’s father says his daughter has a healthy appetite and looks fresher and healthier than she did the day before. A doctor cautions that…

  • Foundation suspects darker motive in missing girl’s kidnapping | Thaiger

    Foundation suspects darker motive in missing girl’s kidnapping

    After a bizarre case where a baby known as Nong Gina disappeared on Monday and was thankfully recovered unharmed yesterday, the suspect later admitted to leaving her at a cave in the forest as a sacrifice to spirits that had spoken to him. Now an organisation that helps find missing people is casting doubt on the story, saying they suspect…

  • Auto repair shop allegedly pawns cars instead of fixing them in Saraburi | Thaiger

    Auto repair shop allegedly pawns cars instead of fixing them in Saraburi

    An auto repair shop owner stationed out the central Thai province Saraburi, allegedly pawned cars that he was supposed to be fixing. Police say they have recovered 11 cars so far. The police were alerted to the alleged thefts after multiple victims filed police reports. Saraburi City Police say the owner, identified only as Bunnam, has pawned cars in 3…

  • Missing baby girl found by cave she was brought to as a sacrifice | Thaiger

    Missing baby girl found by cave she was brought to as a sacrifice

    In Chiang Mai, a toddler, who has been missing since Sunday evening, has reportedly been found. A man allegedly admitted to kidnapping the girl, who is almost 2 years old, and leaving her outside a cave as a sacrifice to the spirits of the mountains and forest. She was found in a hut just outside the cave. The 44 year…

  • Couple shot to death in Nakhon Si Thammarat | Thaiger

    Couple shot to death in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    A couple has been shot to death in their house in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat. The police found the couple’s bodies last night. The duty officer from the Chulabhorn police station says they received a call about the shooting at around 9:30pm. When police and a doctor rushed to the house, they discovered 48 year old Boontham Panarat…

  • Former Deputy Attorney General faces mild disciplinary violation for role in Red Bull heir case | Thaiger

    Former Deputy Attorney General faces mild disciplinary violation for role in Red Bull heir case

    A former deputy attorney general is facing disciplinary action for his decision not to indict the Red Bull hier, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, over the fatal hit-and-run incident in 2012 where the Boss sped his Ferrari through Bangkok’s Thong Lor district and struck a police officer, killing him. Boss managed to evade justice and fled the country. The deputy attorney general’s…

  • Police investigation boss gives update on death-in-custody case | Thaiger

    Police investigation boss gives update on death-in-custody case

    The deputy head of the national police, Suchart Teerasawat, has briefed a House Committee on the legal case against Thitisan Utthanaphon. The former Nakhon Sawan police chief is the main suspect in an investigation into the alleged murder of a man while in custody. Thitisan and 6 of his colleagues have been detained after video footage of drugs suspect Chiraphong…

  • Extorted women held in chicken fighting dog kennel by fake police | Thaiger

    Extorted women held in chicken fighting dog kennel by fake police

    A woman went out for a shopping trip but ended up at the centre of a bizarre story after she alleges she was arrested by fake police and detained in a dog kennel while being extorted for 50,000 baht. The woman was reported missing on Monday by her mother after she never came home from her shopping trip and today police arrested…

  • Police search 2 rooms Thitisan and subordinated used; unknown powder and drugs allegedly found | Thaiger

    Police search 2 rooms Thitisan and subordinated used; unknown powder and drugs allegedly found

    Police investigating the now-infamous case of the man who died in police custody in Nakhon Sawan, a northern Thai province, have searched a condominium room used by former police station chief, Thitisan Utthanaphon, and a subordinate’s apartment, today. The search was conducted by local police and investigators from the Crime Suppression Division. The investigators say they found a suspicious powdered…

  • Former Nakhon Sawan officer will face perjury charges over suspect’s cause of death | Thaiger

    Former Nakhon Sawan officer will face perjury charges over suspect’s cause of death

    The now-ousted Nakhon Sawan police station chief will face perjury charges for his statement on the cause of death of the suspect. The former superintendent of the Mueang station, Thitisan Utthanaphol, is accused demanding a 2 million baht bribe from the suspect and placing plastic bags over the suspect’s head, killing him. Thitisan, known as “Joe Ferrari” for his collection…

  • Russian man on Koh Samui arrested for possession of illicit drugs for sale | Thaiger

    Russian man on Koh Samui arrested for possession of illicit drugs for sale

    Police in Koh Samui arrested a Russian man on drug trafficking charges and seized various kinds of illicit drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, and ecstasy. The man, 47 year old Konstantin Savosin, was apprehended yesterday at a house in Tropical Villa Eagle Nest housing estate on Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast.…

  • Man allegedly killed a man for reporting him for visa overstay | Thaiger

    Man allegedly killed a man for reporting him for visa overstay

    An Indian man was arrested allegedly killing a man and then dismembering the body because he thought the victim reported him to immigration for overstaying his visa. Officers found the mutilated remains of 52 year old Mahesh Singh, also an Indian national, in Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district around 11am yesterday. His body had been cut into two pieces. 29 year old…