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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Committee forms to investigate fatal shooting by police officer
Following outrage from locals over the killing of drug suspect by police, an investigation panel has been set up to look into the fatal shooting. 10 police officers, acting on an arrest warrant, surrounded 31 year old Charoensak Rachpumad at a rubber plantation in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Ron Phibun district. Witnesses say Charoensak, who only had a small knife, was…
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2 alleged drug traffickers killed in shoot off with task force officers
Special task force officers shot and killed 2 men suspected of drug trafficking in a shoot off in Chiang Rai’s Mae Fa Luang district during a 2-day drug suppression operation in 3 provinces. Altogether, authorities seized more than 9 million methamphetamine pills and arrested 2 men on drug trafficking charges. In Chiang Rai, soldiers from the Pha Muang task force…
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Pattaya journalist injured as foreigner steals gun, fires at police, then kills himself
An armed man has killed himself after a stand-off with police in Pattaya that lasted several hours, during which a journalist was shot. It’s understood the man, a 25 year old American citizen, stole a Glock 9mm with 8 bullets from a shooting range, with staff trying but failing to stop him from making his getaway on a motorbike, according…
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2 dead, 1 injured in suspected murder-suicide in Samut Prakan
A man allegedly shot and killed a woman before shooting himself to death after finding her in bed with another man. Police say the other man was shot and injured as he was fleeing the Samut Prakan apartment. Police were called to the second floor apartment above a boat noodle shop and found the owner of the shop, identified as…
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Man arrested after allegedly slicing a man’s face with sickle
A man was arrested on charges of grievous bodily harm after he allegedly sliced his friend’s face with a sickle, causing a gash about 25 centimetres long. 3 men, identified as Saeng, Ta and Rop, had been drinking at a shanty in Phuket’s Rassada district where Rop lived. An argument broke out over money. A bank transfer was apparently made,…
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Police arrest woman for allegedly selling fashion dental retainers
Police arrested a woman for allegedly selling and fitting fashion dental retainers and braces. They seized equipment used for making dental casts and retainers found at her home in Ratchaburi and charged 27 year old Mukda Luanrod with illegally fitting fashion dental retainers. The woman has allegedly been selling the retainers on a Facebook page under the name “Cherdchu Retainer”…
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Thai “net idol” arrested on attempted murder charges over alleged Bangkok shooting
Police arrested internet “idol” and self-professed gambler Apirak “Sia Po” Chat-anon who allegedly shot 2 men outside a massage parlour on Bangkok. Sia Po had turned himself in to police, saying he was at the shooting, but wasn’t carrying a firearm. Police arrested him on charges of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying the gun in public and…
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Missing man’s body found in Krabi forest, wife believes he was killed
The body of a missing man was found by locals walking through a forest in Krabi’s Plai Phraya district. The man’s wife believes he was murdered, but police have not announced if they will open a homicide investigation, saying they are waiting for autopsy results. 47 year old Arun Sittisang went missing in May. Authorities who initially examined the body…
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Woman faces charges after allegedly slapping a student for not standing during national anthem
A woman is facing assault charges after she allegedly slapped a 15 year old student who didn’t stand up for the national anthem at a train station in Ayutthaya. The woman, a food vendor at the train station, allegedly approached the student when the anthem ended. In a video shared by thousands on Twitter, the woman said “Stand up. Come…
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2 shot outside Bangkok massage parlour
Police are investigating a shooting at a Bangkok massage parlour where a person was shot in the neck and another person shot in the backside. Police have not identified the shooter, but a post by a Facebook user accused an alleged “well known gambler” of shooting the 2 people. Police were called at 3am Wednesday to the Saree Sauna &…
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Expat in Koh Samui Prison on drug charges, nearly $3,000 raised to get her out
A 21 year old South African woman is locked in Thai prison after she allegedly signed for a package containing 250 grams of MDMA, an ingredient in ecstasy, according to a GoFundMe account. People say she’s innocent and have raised $2,966 USD to get her out. She’s apparently facing drug charges that carry life imprisonment. Ashley Oosthuizen has been living…
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Anti-Corruption Commission official sentenced for pointing loaded gun at taxi driver
A National Anti-Corruption Commission senior official was sentenced by the Criminal Court to 1 year in jail with a 2 year suspension for pointing a loaded .38 Colt pistol, threatening a Bangkok taxi driver back in 2018. Nation Thailand called it a “very lenient” sentence. The assistant secretary general of the commission, 54 year old Piset Nakapan, must also pay a…
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Man arrested for allegedly abusing stray cats at Koh Phi Phi hotels
Police have arrested a 30 year old man for allegedly catching stray cats and torturing them at various hotels in Koh Phi Phi following a heads-up from Watchdog Thailand Foundation. Hotel staff cleaning up the man’s rooms found blood, cat nails and fur in the rooms as well as in the refrigerator, according to police. Chi Hang, from China, faces…
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Mae Sot immigration chief transferred after inmate escape
Following the escape of 2 inmates, the immigration chief in Tak’s Mae Sot district has been transferred while an investigation takes place. The 2 Uighur inmates escaped by using soap to corrode the iron cell bars. They rubbed dish soap on the cell bars routinely. Over time, the iron started to rust and they were able to break the bars.…
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Inmates escape from Thai prison using soap to rust the cell bars
2 Turkish inmates escaped from a Thailand prison in a daring, if not slippery, escape. Their main tool? Soap. They used soap to cover the bars of their cell in the Tak’s Mae Sot district. Over time, the soap caused the metal to rust and they were able to break the cell bars. Apparently, this isn’t their first cunning escape…
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Gunman surrenders after holding Phuket woman hostage for 4 hours
A man who held a Phuket shopkeeper hostage at gunpoint has surrendered following a 4 hour stand-off with police. Nation Thailand reports that the incident occurred in the sub-district of Srissontorn last night. Police say they had earlier pursued a group of teenagers wanted for drugs offences. 1 of the suspects ran into a motorbike repair shop near the Banya…
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6 people found guilty for “pretty” Bangkok model’s death
A man has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for the death of Thitima “Lunlabelle” Noraphanpiphat, a 25 year old model who was found dead last year in the lobby of a Bangkok condominium. Rachadech “Nam Oon” Wongthabutr was found guilty of illegally detaining Lunlabelle and leaving her dead body in the condominium. 5 other people were found guilty…
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Royalist hospital director threatened with fake gun
The director of Bangkok’s Mongkulwattana Hospital has brushed off an incident in which a man threatened him with a fake gun. Rienthong Nanna says the perpetrator probably has mental health issues, after the man showed up in the outpatient department brandishing a gun, which turned out to be fake. “The man was arrested and charged with several serious offences, and…
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More arrests made in major online gambling operation bust
Police arrested an alleged online gambling operator and 3 others allegedly involved in running 9 illegal gambling websites that brought in millions of baht. The recent arrest follows a bust earlier this month where police arrested 25 Thai nationals in Chiang Rai and Nonthaburi, a suburb just north of Bangkok, who were allegedly involved in running illegal websites. An arrest…
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Royal Thai Police form new bureau to investigate cybercrime
The Royal Thai Police have formed a new organisation to investigate cyber-related crimes. Commissioner of the new Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, Kornchai Klaiklueng, says they will work with international counterparts, but officers need to train first before dealing with transnational cybercrime investigations. The bureau is short on staff and still needs to recruit more officers before it can begin operations, according…
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Kratom a step closer to legalisation for medicinal use
Kratom, a plant known for its psychotropic and relaxing effects, is in the process of being legalised in Thailand for medicinal use. The Cabinet just approved the Justice Ministry’s bill to amend the Kratom Act which would legalise production as well as importation and exportation of kratom. The bill will be forwarded to the Office of the Council of State…
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Where’s Boss? Wanted Red Bull heir spotted in Dubai
Some say they’ve spotted the wanted Red Bull heir in Dubai. Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya has an Interpol Red Notice out for his arrest and is wanted for allegedly killing a police officer in 2012 when he sped his Ferrari through Bangkok’s Thong Lo area, allegedly running over and dragging the police officer down the street. While Thai media reported the…
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Woman arrested for scamming 500 Burmese workers, promising visa extensions
A woman has been arrested after allegedly promising more than 500 Burmese workers that she could extend their visas, collecting a total of more 6 million baht from the workers for her apparent “services.” The more than 500 workers filed a report with police after the woman allegedly falsely advertised that she could issue the Burmese migrants new passports and…
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Man arrested for posing as air force pilot, conning woman out of 800,000 baht
A 44 year old man has been arrested in the northern province of Sukothai, after claiming to be a pilot with the Royal Thai Air Force and cheating his girlfriend out of 800,000 baht. Thai Residents reports that the man, named only as Prapol, denies all the charges against him. The victim, named only as Miss A, says she met…
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Attackers of hospital emergency ward receive prison sentences
Attackers of a hospital’s emergency ward in July have received prison sentences from the Samut Prakan Court. The 2 men attacked medical staff at the emergency ward at Vibharam Chaiprakarn Hospital in Phra Pradaeng district, south of Bangkok, on the night of July 19. The incidents were due to 2 rival gangs fighting with members showing up at the hospital…
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Phuket police to use hospital blood tests to confirm drivers’ alcohol levels
Phuket police are using hospital blood tests to confirm drivers’ alcohol levels after the national police chief suspended checkpoints due to “transparency issues”. Arayapan Pukbuakhao, the island’s police deputy commander, is warning that police will continue to arrest and charge drink drivers despite the absence of roadside tests. All roadside blood alcohol checkpoints were cancelled last weekend through to October…
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Thai woman arrested for offering fake visa services to hundreds of migrant workers
A 45 year old Thai woman has been arrested after offering fake visa services 10 hundreds of migrant workers, valued about 7 million baht. The woman, Wassana Wongkhamjan, was arrested at her house where police found around 40 passports and receipts inside. The house was the registered address of KPS Management Company. Wassana denied the public fraud charge saying she…
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Pattani ranger volunteer killed in bomb explosion, 2 others shot in ambush
A ranger volunteer was killed from a bomb explosion after an ambush in Pattani’s Sai Buri district in Southern Thailand. Gunmen in the ambush shot and injured 2 volunteers. A team of officers protecting teachers were driving on motorcycles through the district when they were ambushed by gunmen, police say. The alleged gunmen opened fire on the group, shooting 33 year…
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17 year old student allegedly raped 12 year old multiple times at Bangkok school
A 17 year old student allegedly admitted to police that he raped a 12 year old student multiple times at their school in Bangkok’s Nong Chok district. The teenager is facing charges of sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 15 and taking a minor somewhere against their will. The alleged sexual assault happened in August. The teenager…
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Group of security guards allegedly gang up on 2 police officers
A large group of security guards allegedly had a fight with 2 police officers at a popular seafood restaurant in Bangkok. It started when officers went to the restaurant as customers and started arguing with the table next to them. An officer poured water on a customer at the table and then security guards intervened, telling both men to come…
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