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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  • Peruvian seeks Thai justice as yakuza thugs get ‘light’ punishment

    Peruvian seeks Thai justice as yakuza thugs get ‘light’ punishment

    A Peruvian man is seeking justice from the Thai authorities after five Japanese yakuza thugs received light sentences for assaulting him at a restaurant in Bangkok. The victim suffered severe injuries and spent more than 400,000 baht on treatment. The 35 year old Peruvian man, Tetsuo Kobashikawa, contacted non-profit organisation Saimai Survive for help seeking justice. The organisation accompanied him to…

  • British man arrested for counterfeit euro scam in Phuket

    British man arrested for counterfeit euro scam in Phuket

    Police in Phuket apprehended a British man for his involvement in a counterfeit euro exchange scam across various locations in the province. The alleged suspect, 33 year old British national Tobias Drew was reportedly found in possession of a large sum of counterfeit currency and has been charged under Thai law. A 50 year old Thai woman, Janjira Laowlang was…

  • Royal Thai Navy busts illegal oil smuggling ring in South Thailand

    Royal Thai Navy busts illegal oil smuggling ring in South Thailand

    The Second Naval Area Command of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) received a report about a boat allegedly involved in illicit oil smuggling to fishing vessels near Songkhla yesterday, February 8. In response, the RTN launched an investigation which uncovered a vessel specifically adapted for clandestine oil transportation, carrying an astonishing 10,000 litres of illicit oil intended for local fishermen…

  • Thai PM proposes campus switch to diffuse student conflict at Rajamangala University

    Thai PM proposes campus switch to diffuse student conflict at Rajamangala University

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday suggested that the relocation of Rajamangala University of Technology’s Uthenthawai Campus (Uthen) from its current location in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district could be the key to resolving its longstanding rivalry with Pathumwan Institute of Technology students. The 61 year old Thai prime minister emphasised that a change of location and a shift in student mindset are…

  • Supreme court weighs in on vote buying case against PPRP candidate

    Supreme court weighs in on vote buying case against PPRP candidate

    The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a vote buying case brought forth by the Election Commission (EC) against a candidate from the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) from Nakhon Sawan. The candidate, Pornwisit Jaemsai, is accused of vote-buying, an illegal practice that infringes the Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives (2018). This announcement was made…

  • Methamphetamine seizures double in Thailand amid increased smuggling

    Methamphetamine seizures double in Thailand amid increased smuggling

    The second half of last year saw a significant spike in methamphetamine seizures in Thailand, with over 250 million pills intercepted, which is twice the quantity seized during the same period the prior year. This rise in the illegal drug trade is reportedly due to increased smuggling activities across the borders from neighbouring nations, as explained by Prime Minister Srettha…

  • Teenage gang’s reign of terror over East Pattaya neighbourhood

    Teenage gang’s reign of terror over East Pattaya neighbourhood

    A gang of teenagers wreaked havoc in a quiet neighbourhood on Soi Huay Yai 15 in East Pattaya with their disruptive antics lasting three consecutive nights. The gang, captured on CCTV cameras, was seen riding more than 10 motorcycles and unleashing a barrage of disruptive activities, including hurling firecrackers and explosive bottles, creating deafening disturbances that reverberated throughout the area.…

  • Thai taxi driver threatens Japanese man for refusing his service

    Thai taxi driver threatens Japanese man for refusing his service

    A Thai taxi driver faces four charges for threatening a Japanese man with a knife after the foreigner refused to use his service because he would not use his meter and demanded 150 baht for a destination only 1 kilometre away. On February 5, the Japanese victim took to his Twitter account, @ginn_taro, to share his experience with a Thai…

  • Bangkok police seize 10 million meth pills, 60kg crystal meth in major drug bust

    Bangkok police seize 10 million meth pills, 60kg crystal meth in major drug bust

    Following a two-month-long surveillance operation, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau of Bangkok’s Division 6 successfully dismantled three drug trafficking networks, seizing 10 million methamphetamine pills and 60 kilogrammes of crystal meth. The haul, intended for distribution in local communities, was intercepted at 1pm yesterday, February 8, at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 6. Assistant Commissioner of the National…

  • Thai teacher’s ex-boyfriend surrenders after holding students hostage (video)

    Thai teacher’s ex-boyfriend surrenders after holding students hostage (video)

    A Thai gunman surrendered to the police after holding students and his ex-girlfriend, who is a teacher, hostage at a school in the Isaan province of Mahasarakham. Fortunately, all students and teachers emerged unharmed from the incident. The gunman, whose identity remains undisclosed, broke into Ban Kwao Tung School in the Phayakkhaphum Phisai district of Mahasarakham province at about 1.30pm…

  • Kanchanaburi court decides fate of disputed 30 million baht lottery

    Kanchanaburi court decides fate of disputed 30 million baht lottery

    In a high-stakes legal battle, the much-anticipated verdict in the 30 million baht lottery case was delivered yesterday at the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court. The plaintiff, retired police officer Charoon Wimol, commonly known as Uncle Charoon, filed a lawsuit against teacher Preecha Kraikruan, and his lawyer, Waryuth Boonwongsai. The dispute centred on a winning lottery ticket from the November 1, 2017…

  • Hong Kong ex-student leader clashes with court judge over political statements

    Hong Kong ex-student leader clashes with court judge over political statements

    A former student leader involved in the 2019 Hong Kong protests faced a dramatic courtroom clash with the judge as she attempted to make political statements during her trial for rioting. Althea Suen’s impassioned plea was repeatedly interrupted, leading to a tense showdown at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, Hong Kong. Suen, former head of the University of Hong…

  • Thai resort owner allegedly drugs, attacks, rapes party entertainer

    Thai resort owner allegedly drugs, attacks, rapes party entertainer

    A Thai party entertainer accused the owner of a resort in the central province of Ang Thong of drugging, attacking and raping her on February 1. Subsequently, several other party entertainers have come forward, reportedly revealing that they too have been subjected to his abusive behaviour. The victim, 30 year old Dee, decided to file a complaint against the wealthy…

  • Fare play: Chinese man fakes theft complaint after Phuket taxi fracas

    Fare play: Chinese man fakes theft complaint after Phuket taxi fracas

    A Chinese man filed a fake theft complaint against a Thai motorbike taxi rider with the police in the Patong area of Phuket because he was angry over the fare he was charged by the rider. The fake Chinese victim, 38 year old Xing Jingwei, asked a local in the area to report an opportunity snatching to Patong Police Station…

  • Mentally ill Thai man stabs woman on bus in Isaan (video)

    Mentally ill Thai man stabs woman on bus in Isaan (video)

    A mentally ill Thai man stabbed a local woman he met on a coach bus in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen on February 6. The attacker’s mother revealed that her son had a mental illness but refused any treatment. The victim, Nittaya Pimthong, was rushed to hospital with several cut wounds on her arms. She is in stable condition…

  • CCTV exposes chilling rehearsal before Bangkok murder

    CCTV exposes chilling rehearsal before Bangkok murder

    A shocking revelation has emerged from CCTV footage, raising suspicions of a premeditated abduction and murder plot in Bangkok. In the footage, a man identified as Kittichot is seen tracking the movements of Thanasant, a factory worker, in what appears to be a rehearsal for the actual crime. The popular TV show ‘ลุยชนข่าว’ on Channel 8 disclosed the eerie prelude…

  • Stop the pigeon! Chinese bird evades dastardly espionage suspicions, flies to freedom

    Stop the pigeon! Chinese bird evades dastardly espionage suspicions, flies to freedom

    In a plotline more fitting to the 1969 children’s cartoon series Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines attempting to “Catch the Pigeon,” a pigeon suspected of espionage for China was finally freed after eight months in captivity, thanks to the intervention of animal rights crusaders, PETA. The bird’s release from the clutches of Indian officials this week marks the climax…

  • Chinese activist’s death sentence shatters Sino-Australian accord

    Chinese activist’s death sentence shatters Sino-Australian accord

    Hopes of a swift reconciliation between Australia and China were shattered on Monday when a Beijing court handed down a death sentence to Australian citizen Yang Hengjun, a prominent pro-democracy activist and writer born in China. The court’s verdict, on February 5, which found Yang guilty of espionage, stunned Australia, especially considering the recent release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei…

  • 15 Vietnamese arrested for illegally working on cannabis farm in southern Thailand

    15 Vietnamese arrested for illegally working on cannabis farm in southern Thailand

    Thai police arrested 15 Vietnamese workers yesterday for working illegally on a cannabis farm in the southern province of Phetchaburi. The owner of the farm is under investigation. Phetchaburi Provincial Public Health Office and Administration Office received a complaint from locals in the Tha Yang district that a number of Vietnamese nationals were working on a cannabis farm in the…

  • Food for thought: Activist hospitalised after 11-day hunger strike

    Food for thought: Activist hospitalised after 11-day hunger strike

    Political activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, aka Bung, was transferred from prison to the Correctional Hospital yesterday, following a hunger strike lasting 11 days, as confirmed by her legal representatives. Suffering from symptoms including hepatitis and cystitis, Netiporn was too frail to walk, as stated by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights on their official account. Her confinement began at the Central Women’s…

  • Amnesty Thailand urges government to free activist Arnon Nampa

    Amnesty Thailand urges government to free activist Arnon Nampa

    Amnesty International Thailand urged the Pheu Thai-led administration to immediately free political activist Arnon Nampa, who stands accused of insulting the monarchy. Despite facing serious threats from Thai conservative groups, the pressure mounts for his release. Amnesty, alongside numerous political activists, gathered near the government house, some donning wizard costumes akin to Arnon’s attire at previous protests. The NGO submitted…

  • Heroic rescuer saves abducted kids from drunken woman in Isaan

    Heroic rescuer saves abducted kids from drunken woman in Isaan

    A Thai man successfully rescued four children from a drunk woman who abducted the kids from the Isaan province of Udon Thani. A 54 year old resident, Phatcharaporn Phonla, told PPTV HD that she noticed a suspicious black Mitsubishi Xpander SUV parked at the playground in her community, Baan Nong Phueng, in the Kumphawapi district of Udon Thani. She saw…

  • Deserted Pattaya hotel turns into drug den, electricity theft hub

    Deserted Pattaya hotel turns into drug den, electricity theft hub

    Law enforcement and municipal authorities were left stunned as they uncovered a web of trespassing, illicit drug activities, and unauthorised power usage lurking within an abandoned hotel nestled in Soi 1, Jomtien Beach, on Monday. Despite the warning of a No Trespassing sign, the three-story hotel, shuttered during the Covid-19 pandemic, was harbouring five individuals in separate rooms. Shockingly, each…

  • Flash mob fiasco: MFP’s Pita disqualified as PM candidate

    Flash mob fiasco: MFP’s Pita disqualified as PM candidate

    Move Forward Party (MFP)’s prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat has been barred from the premiership after receiving a suspended jail sentence for his involvement in a 2019 Bangkok flash mob protest, as confirmed by a renowned legal expert. Jade Donavanik, a lecturer at the College of Asian Scholars, clarified that the recent four-month suspended sentence handed down by the Pathumwan District…

  • Beach blues: Na Jomtien residents wave off unauthorised businesses

    Beach blues: Na Jomtien residents wave off unauthorised businesses

    Residents of Na Jomtien in Sattahip raised concerns over continuous disturbances and unauthorised commercial activities on the beach. These issues have previously been highlighted and rectified, thanks to the combined efforts of local officials and law enforcement. However, according to the community, the resolutions have been temporary rather than a permanent fix. The focal point of these complaints is the…

  • Trunk trouble: Illegal elephant pants imports surge sparks probe

    Trunk trouble: Illegal elephant pants imports surge sparks probe

    A surge of illegal imports of Thai elephant pants from China and neighbouring countries led to an official investigation on February 5. Phumtham Wechayachai, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, directed the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) to look into this matter. These infringing items were spotted at various tourist hotspots, being sold at prices significantly lower than…

  • Royal rumble: Thaksin Shinawatra faces charges under section 112

    Royal rumble: Thaksin Shinawatra faces charges under section 112

    A significant legal case involving Thaksin Shinawatra, concerning Section 112 of the Criminal Code for alleged offences against the monarchy, came into the public eye on February 6. Prayut Phetkhun, spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, shared the details of the case, which originated from an event that took place in Seoul, South Korea, on May 21, 2015.…

  • Bristol backpacker in bar brawl bloodbath: Brit stabbed in neck in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

    Bristol backpacker in bar brawl bloodbath: Brit stabbed in neck in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

    A horrifying incident unfolded at Bamboo Bar on Koh Pha Ngan, where a British backpacker from Bristol was attacked, leaving him gushing blood after being stabbed in the neck in a Thai bar brawl. Hugo Mooney found himself sprawled on the floor of Bamboo Bar on the infamous Full Moon Party island of Koh Pha Ngan, his life hanging by…

  • Malaysian businessman arrested, confesses to brutal murder

    Malaysian businessman arrested, confesses to brutal murder

    A Malaysian businessman was apprehended at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, after confessing to the brutal murder of an employee. The arrest took place yesterday evening around 10pm. The suspect, a 31 year old man of Chinese descent, was detained upon arrival from Malaysia. Thai authorities had been alerted by their Malaysian counterparts regarding the suspect’s involvement in the…

  • Thai father shoots dead daughter’s boyfriend

    Thai father shoots dead daughter’s boyfriend

    A Thai father shot dead his daughter’s boyfriend whom he disapproved of in the southern province of Krabi yesterday, February 6. Police believe the father objected to their love because the man had a history of drug use. Nua Klong Police Station officers in Krabi province were alerted to the fatal shooting at a house in the Khok Yang sub-district…