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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.

  • Chinese man arrested in Pattaya luxury condo for selling Pod K | Thaiger

    Chinese man arrested in Pattaya luxury condo for selling Pod K

    Police arrested a Chinese man at a condominium in Pattaya yesterday, January 19, for distributing ketamine-laced vape liquid, commonly known in Thailand as Pod K. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station and Chon Buri Provincial Police launched a joint operation dubbed “Clip the Wings,” aimed at cracking down on illegal items and narcotics circulating in the resort city. During the…

  • 5 women accuse Thai DJ-photographer of sexual assault and abuse | Thaiger

    5 women accuse Thai DJ-photographer of sexual assault and abuse

    Five Thai women accused a man who worked as both a photographer and DJ of sexually assaulting and physically abusing them after luring them into sexy photoshoots or DJ training sessions. The allegations came to light after one of the victims, a female DJ known as Aris, publicly exposed the man’s behaviour on social media on January 16. Aris said she…

  • How Italian-Thai Development became Thailand’s most controversial construction company | Thaiger

    How Italian-Thai Development became Thailand’s most controversial construction company

    At 9.13 on the morning of 14 January, passengers on a north-eastern-bound train in Nakhon Ratchasima province heard a sound like tearing metal. Above them, a massive steel crane used to lift concrete spans for an elevated high-speed rail line had begun to fall. The launching gantry, weighing several tonnes, crashed onto the last two carriages, derailing them and igniting…

  • South Korean man reports pickpocketing by Pattaya transwoman and woman | Thaiger

    South Korean man reports pickpocketing by Pattaya transwoman and woman

    A South Korean tourist filed a police complaint after losing his mobile phone, cash, and credit cards in a pickpocketing incident involving a Thai transwoman and another woman in Pattaya. The complaint was lodged at Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 11.30pm last night, January 19. The victim, a 64 year old South Korean man identified as Hong, was accompanied…

  • Thailand to test emergency alert system today at 2pm | Thaiger

    Thailand to test emergency alert system today at 2pm

    Thailand is set to conduct a nationwide emergency alert test today, January 20, at 2pm, with mobile phone users across all provinces expected to receive a sudden warning signal as part of a government-led system check. The test, announced by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), is aimed at assessing the performance of the Cell Broadcast emergency alert…

  • Phuket hotel worker in DJ room break-in case released on 50,000 baht bail | Thaiger

    Phuket hotel worker in DJ room break-in case released on 50,000 baht bail

    Phuket Provincial Court granted bail to the hotel security employee accused of attempting to break into a female DJ’s room, allowing his release on 50,000 baht yesterday, January 19. The attempted break-in at Holiday Inn Resort Surin Beach came to public attention after a Thai female DJ, Mirinda Malinrattanawadee, shared details of the incident on he Facebook account on Friday,…

  • Top 5 orthopaedic specialised hospitals in Thailand | Thaiger

    Top 5 orthopaedic specialised hospitals in Thailand

    Bone, joint, and spine problems show up in different ways. For some, it’s an old injury that never healed properly. For others, it’s a condition that slowly starts limiting movement or everyday comfort. When treatment becomes unavoidable, knowing where to go can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, Thailand has no shortage of hospitals offering high-quality orthopaedic care. Many of them are known…

  • Questions raised after ITD wins safety award despite deadly construction accidents | Thaiger

    Questions raised after ITD wins safety award despite deadly construction accidents

    The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare came under heavy criticism after it emerged that Italian-Thai Development (ITD) received a national safety award despite a series of deadly construction accidents. Public scrutiny intensified following the recent crane collapse in Nakhon Ratchasima, which struck a passenger train, and another collapse on Rama II Road near Bangkok. Both incidents resulted in deaths…

  • Thai mother says hospital delay leads to death of her newborn baby | Thaiger

    Thai mother says hospital delay leads to death of her newborn baby

    A 23 year old Thai woman demanded accountability from a state hospital in Udon Thani province, claiming medical staff left her waiting in critical condition for more than three hours, a delay she believed led to the death of her newborn son. The grieving mother, Nattawadee “Nan” Komonwanich, reached out to Thai social media influencer Phanumart “Piak” Jitwasinkul, in an…

  • Swedish drug suspect caught in luxury Hua Hin condo | Thaiger

    Swedish drug suspect caught in luxury Hua Hin condo

    Immigration police arrested a Swedish man in Hua Hin yesterday, January 18, following reports of suspicious behaviour. Investigators later confirmed he was wanted for serious criminal charges in his home country. The arrest followed an investigation led by Region 3 Immigration Police, after they received information suggesting the suspect was hiding in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan. Residents in the…

  • Nong Khai police bust SIM box scam hidden in rental room | Thaiger

    Nong Khai police bust SIM box scam hidden in rental room

    Police in Nong Khai seized SIM box devices concealed above a rental room ceiling yesterday, January 18, after a suspicious booking led to an investigation into a possible scam operation. The discovery came after the room owner in Nai Mueang subdistrict, Mueang district, noticed abnormal wiring and alerted immigration police. Officers found three SIM box machines, two Huawei wireless routers,…

  • Thai musician killed on Korat road after conflict with rival band | Thaiger

    Thai musician killed on Korat road after conflict with rival band

    Police today, January 19, arrested five suspects in connection with the murder of a drummer in Nakhon Ratchasima province, following a long-running conflict between their music bands. The victim, 47 year old Phichate, the drummer and leader of the Rai Kart music band, was found dead at 4.47am on Saturday, January 18, on Dan Khuntod–Thepharak Road in the Dan Khuntod…

  • Thai police caught taking bribes and freeing Chinese suspects | Thaiger

    Thai police caught taking bribes and freeing Chinese suspects

    One Thai police officer was dismissed from service, while four others remain under investigation, over allegations of taking bribes and unlawfully releasing Chinese suspects wanted by Chinese authorities. The corruption scandal came to light after Ma Guangxu, also known as Ah-hang, disappeared from a detention facility earlier this month. The Chinese national was held in custody pending deportation to China, where…

  • Thai woman and 2 Chinese men arrested over nominee hotel in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Thai woman and 2 Chinese men arrested over nominee hotel in Chiang Mai

    A Chinese woman fled arrest while two Chinese partners and a Thai nominee were taken into custody during a raid on an illegally operated hotel in Chiang Mai province on Thursday, January 15. Officers from the Chiang Mai Provincial Immigration Office raided a hotel on Chang Klan Road in the city centre following an investigation into suspected nominee business practices.…

  • Foreign man seen rolling on Phuket street near EDC event | Thaiger

    Foreign man seen rolling on Phuket street near EDC event

    A video clip showing a foreign man rolling around in the middle of a busy road in Phuket was shared online today, January 19, quickly going viral on social media. The incident itself took place two nights earlier, on January 17, near the site of the EDC Thailand 2026 event, during heavy traffic. The 12-second video, originally posted by the…

  • Bangkok homeless man steals luxury bag from Chinese tourist | Thaiger

    Bangkok homeless man steals luxury bag from Chinese tourist

    Police arrested a Thai homeless man for snatching a luxury bag from a Chinese tourist outside a restaurant in Bangkok’s Yan Nawa area on Friday, January 16. The Chinese victim filed a theft complaint with Yannawa Police Station at around 9.45pm. She told officers that she had been dining at a restaurant on Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Road and briefly left her belongings…

  • Thai man loses diamond ring in Phuket EDM festival, ruining proposal plan | Thaiger

    Thai man loses diamond ring in Phuket EDM festival, ruining proposal plan

    A Thai man lost a diamond ring worth about 300,000 baht and multiple credit cards to a pickpocket at an EDM music festival in Phuket on Saturday, January 17, shattering his plan to propose to his girlfriend. The victim’s girlfriend shared details of the incident on her Facebook account, Acare Alice, yesterday, January 18. The theft reportedly occurred during the…

  • Phuket hotel security guard arrested for attempted break-in of DJ’s room | Thaiger

    Phuket hotel security guard arrested for attempted break-in of DJ’s room

    Police arrested the head of a hotel’s security guards in Phuket on Saturday, January 18, after he attempted to break into the room of a female DJ late at night earlier this week. The victim, Thai DJ Mirinda Malinrattanawadee, took to her Facebook account to demand accountability from a hotel in Phuket after an unidentified man tried to enter her…

  • Thailand’s PM2.5 levels soar, posing health risks in 38 provinces | Thaiger

    Thailand’s PM2.5 levels soar, posing health risks in 38 provinces

    The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) reported that 38 provinces in Thailand, primarily in the Northeast and Central Plains, experienced elevated levels of ultrafine dust on Sunday morning. At 8am, Gistda indicated that particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less (PM2.5) ranged from 37.6 to 75.6 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³) across these provinces. Meanwhile,…

  • Bangkok crime rates drop 17% in 2025, arrests improve | Thaiger

    Bangkok crime rates drop 17% in 2025, arrests improve

    Bangkok recorded a notable decline in crime rates in 2025, alongside improved arrest rates. This reflected more proactive and targeted policing by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB). MPB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom released crime statistics covering the period from January 1 to December 31, comparing the figures with the same timeframe in 2024. He reported a significant year-on-year…

  • Black teen who fatally shoved Thai grandpa acquitted of murder | Thaiger

    Black teen who fatally shoved Thai grandpa acquitted of murder

    San Francisco Jury Acquits Man of Murder in Death of Thai Grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee A San Francisco Superior Court jury has acquitted Antoine Watson of murder in the 2021 death of Vicha Ratanapakdee. Instead, the jury found the 24-year-old defendant guilty of involuntary manslaughter. This is a lesser charge that suggests he may soon be released from custody due to…

  • Traffic police arrest three Vietnamese men with guns and drugs in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Traffic police arrest three Vietnamese men with guns and drugs in Bangkok

    Traffic police in Bangkok have arrested three Vietnamese men after firearms and illegal drugs were found during a routine drink-driving checkpoint in Wang Thonglang district. The arrests took place at about 1.40pm on January 17, 2026, when officers from Wang Thonglang Police Station were conducting alcohol breath tests in front of a petrol station on Pracha Uthit Road, in Phlapphla…

  • Funeral shooting leaves one dead as suspect surrenders | Thaiger

    Funeral shooting leaves one dead as suspect surrenders

    A fatal shooting at a funeral ceremony in Phatthalung province has left one man dead, with the suspect surrendering to police several hours later and admitting to the killing. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on January 17, 2026, at Wat Khuan Peng in Moo 10, Khok Sai subdistrict, Pa Bon district. Police from Pa Bon Police Station were called…

  • 300kg of crystal meth seized and two traffickers arrested | Thaiger

    300kg of crystal meth seized and two traffickers arrested

    Authorities have seized approximately 300 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and arrested two suspected members of a drug trafficking network in Mueang district, Sakon Nakhon province, following a coordinated security operation. The arrests took place at about 9.10pm on January 16, 2026, in the parking area of the bypass market in Dong Mafai subdistrict. Officers recovered six sacks containing an estimated…

  • 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…

  • Japanese man arrested after viral reviews on his illegal matcha stall | Thaiger

    Japanese man arrested after viral reviews on his illegal matcha stall

    Online food reviews led to the arrest of a Japanese man for operating a matcha ice cream shop without permission in Chiang Mai. The apprehension later sparked a heated online debate, with some netizens accusing authorities of discrimination. The Japanese man, 39 year old Junichi, was operating a small matcha ice cream stall outside Yang Kwang Temple, located in the city…

  • 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…