Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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British man arrested for illegally running tour company in Thailand
A British national was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, December 18, after allegedly operating an unlicensed tour business in Thailand for over a decade. The arrest followed orders from Police General Kitirat Phanphet, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, who had directed a nationwide tourism crime crackdown between December 17 and 25 to protect the industry during peak travel…
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19 Indian nationals arrested in Pattaya for illegally selling sex products online
Police arrested 19 Indian nationals at a rented luxury house in Pattaya for allegedly running an illegal online business selling sexual enhancement drugs and sex toys. The Immigration Bureau announced the arrests during a press conference held at its headquarters in the Mueang Thong Thani area of Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi province. The operation followed an investigation into suspicious foreign-run…
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Impostor monk busted in Ang Thong for drugs and donation scam
A man posing as a monk was arrested in Ang Thong yesterday, December 18, after police discovered him without monkhood credentials and attempting to fake a urine test. Police from Wiset Chai Chan Police Station were alerted to the suspicious activity near Rong Thong Shrine Market in Moo 6, Sala Chao Rong Thong subdistrict. Responding officers found a man in…
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Bangkok crowned world’s most visited city in 2025
Bangkok has been ranked the most-visited city in the world in 2025, according to a leading international survey, highlighting Thailand’s tourism rebound and reinforcing the capital’s global reputation as a top destination. Deputy Government Spokesperson Aiyarin Phanrit confirmed the news, citing the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025 by Euromonitor International, a global market research firm. The index places Bangkok…
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Thai court rules banks must prove credit card fraud, not customers
Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that banks, not customers, must prove who authorised disputed credit card transactions, setting a legal precedent that strengthens consumer protection against cyber scams. The case, Supreme Court ruling No. 2624/2568, began when a bank sued a customer over charges made on their credit card without the cardholder’s knowledge or consent. The customer denied making the…
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Dutch man denies trafficking tiger handed to his foundation from Myanmar
The Dutch founder of the the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) denied animal trafficking accusation after the Karen National Liberation Army (KNU) handed over a tiger, which was seized from a scam gang in Myanmar, to the foundation in Kanchanaburi province on Wednesday, December 17. The allegation was raised by retired national park official Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, who shared details of…
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Thailand video news | Deadly pedestrian bridge collapse in Samut Prakan, Rare leopard and black panther footage revisited in Khlong Lan National Park
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex brings you the latest stories from Thailand and Southeast Asia. Highlights include a deadly bridge collapse, ASEAN observers heading to the Thai–Cambodian border, and later, we’ll wrap things up with some feel-good Friday news to ease you into the weekend. Deadly Pedestrian Bridge Collapse in Samut Prakan Disrupts Traffic A section of a pedestrian…
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Phuket van driver strikes foreign woman with bottle over rubbish dispute
A Thai van driver struck a foreign woman on the head with a plastic bottle outside Phuket International Airport yesterday, December 18, following a dispute over rubbish allegedly left inside his vehicle. Footage of the incident quickly spread across Thai social media after it occurred at around 9pm last night. The confrontation took place near Entrance 2 of the passenger…
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Thai fisherman finds headless body in marshland in Bangkok
A Thai man made a shocking discovery while fishing after finding a headless body in a roadside forest area in the Khan Na Yao district of Bangkok, yesterday, December 18. Rescue workers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation were alerted at around 4.30pm and rushed to a marshland area filled with dense reeds in Soi Khu Bon 31, Khu Bon…
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New alcohol rule: vendors banned from serving intoxicated customers
Thailand introduced a new regulation under the Alcohol Control Act, banning alcohol vendors from selling alcoholic beverages to customers who are already intoxicated. Following several revisions to the Alcohol Control Act over the past few months, the Craft Beer Trade Association used its official Facebook page yesterday, December 18, to explain the updated rules in simple terms to help business…
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Thailand 50-year home gold record shattered by Vietnam
Thailand suffered a historic loss on home soil last night, December 18, as the men’s national football team was defeated by Vietnam 3-2 in the SEA Games 2025 final, marking the first time in 50 years that Thailand has failed to win gold as host. The clash at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium saw Thailand take a confident 2-0 lead in…
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Phuket Tourist Police help British woman in mental health crisis
Phuket Tourist Police officers shared their successful operation in which they helped calm and support a British woman who was suffering from stress and mental health issues at a hotel in the Patong area. The officers shared photos of the incident on the official Phuket Tourist Police Facebook page on Tuesday, December 16. In the post, they included the message…
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Army raids border warehouse and seizes cash and gold from Thai-Cambodia couple
Officials from the 2nd Army Area and local police officers seized cash and gold worth a total of around 14 million baht from a Thai-Cambodian couple during a raid on a warehouse in Sisaket province today, December 18. The assets are suspected to be linked to transnational crime, but the couple denied the accusation. The operation was carried out at…
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Rare big cats return to spotlight in Thai national park
In a nod to Thailand’s biodiversity, Office of Conservation Area Management 12 has reintroduced footage of a pair of elusive wild cats, a leopard and a black panther, captured roaming together in the forested terrain of Khlong Lan National Park in Kamphaeng Phet. The footage was first recorded in June 2020 by camera traps set up by the World Wide…
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Dutch motorcyclist killed after crashing into parked pickup in Chon Buri
A Dutch man lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Chon Buri province in the early hours of today, December 18, after he allegedly crashed into a parked pickup truck with a trailer. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station, together with rescue workers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation, rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a serious…
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Man turns himself in after high-speed police chase in Samut Prakan
A man turned himself in to police in Samut Prakan today, December 18, after allegedly leading officers on a high-speed chase spanning more than 10 kilometres and injuring two of them in the process. The incident began late last night, December 17, when officers from Samrong Tai Police Station were patrolling on Pu Chao Saming Phrai Road near the entrance…
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6 Thai masseuses arrested for prostitution during raid on spa in Taiwan
Police in Taiwan raided a spa in Tainan City and arrested six Thai masseuses for allegedly providing illegal sex services. A Taiwanese customer was also arrested after being caught engaging in sexual activity during the operation. Officers from Shanhua Police Station carried out the raid on December 10 after receiving a tip-off that the spa was secretly operating as a brothel.…
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Bridge collapses on truck and pickup in Samut Prakan, killing one
A pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a truck and a pickup in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district this morning, December 18, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured. The incident occurred at 9.25am on Bang Na–Trat Road at kilometre marker 34, inbound towards Bangkok, in the Bang Phli Noi area. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports that a…
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Embassy supports Thai woman suing South Korean ex over boiling water attack
The Royal Thai Embassy in South Korea stepped in to support a Thai woman in pursuing legal action against her South Korean husband after he allegedly poured boiling water over her, causing severe injuries. The Thai victim, later identified as Namfon, sought help from the Thai community in South Korea following the attack on December 3. She later shared with…
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Three Cambodian youths arrested after explosive stunt in Rayong
Three Cambodian youths were arrested in Rayong yesterday, December 17, after a video showing a youth group throwing an explosive and taunting Thai people went viral. The incident came to light when investigators traced a viral video showing more than 10 youths riding motorcycles on a public road, wielding long machetes and detonating a ping-pong bomb before shouting challenges directed…
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Thailand’s English proficiency ranks second lowest in Asia
Thailand has recorded one of the lowest levels of English proficiency in Asia, according to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, which shows a continued global stagnation in English skills since 2020. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million participants across 123 countries, with an average test-taker age of 26. While English remains the most commonly shared…
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Thailand video news | Thailand targets 10 million long‑haul tourists, Phuket woman holds gun to threaten driver over car debt
In today’s Thailand video news, Jay brings you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia — from Thailand’s push to attract more long-haul tourists and a major international fugitive arrest, to a prostitution ring bust, a SEA Games sports controversy, an armed debt dispute in Phuket, and renewed diplomatic pressure over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Thailand Targets 10…
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French tourists allegedly fabricate bad boat trip experience in Phuket for refund
French tourists allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to edit photos from a boat trip in Phuket in an attempt to claim refunds by portraying their experience as poor. The accusation was reported today, December 18, by the Facebook page Phuket Times. According to the page, a group of French tourists joined a boat tour in Phuket and took photographs of…
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Thai researchers test Riceberry for hair regrowth
Researchers in Thailand are set to begin clinical trials next year on a Riceberry-based compound that may help reduce hair loss and bring back natural hair colour. The project is a collaboration between Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University, with trials expected to begin early next year. It focuses on AnthoRice Complex, a formula derived from organic Riceberry rice, which has…
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Phuket man arrested after beating wife to death with broomstick
Police arrested a Thai man after he beat his wife to death with a broomstick inside their rented room in Phuket yesterday, December 17. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station were alerted to the case after medical staff at Mission Hospital Phuket reported that a 51 year old Thai woman, Kai, was admitted with severe injuries believed to be caused…
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Thai border police feed hungry dogs left behind during evacuation
Two border patrol police officers were seen on CCTV feeding dogs that had been left at a home in Sa Kaeo during a recent evacuation, resulting in online praise. On December 17, a news team visited an evacuation centre in Sa Kaeo province where villagers had been staying for over 10 days. Many evacuees said they were growing concerned over…
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Kazakh fraud suspect on Interpol Red Notice arrested in Phuket
Police arrested a Kazakh national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice after he fled a fraud case in his home country and went into hiding in Phuket. Officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office were alerted to the presence of the wanted man, identified as Adilet, and launched an investigation to track down his whereabouts. On Monday, December 15, officers…
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Another Thai soldier dies in Sisaket border clash, bringing death toll to 21
Another Thai soldier died during ongoing border clashes in Sisaket province yesterday, December 17, raising the death toll among Thai army personnel to 21. The Facebook page Army Military Force reported that Private Wasan Khanhuatone was killed during a confrontation in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province. The page said the soldier sacrificed his life while carrying out his duties on the…
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Foreign student injured in Chiang Rai car crash seeks accountability
A foreign student at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai turned to TikTok to seek justice after being injured in a car accident in which a Thai driver failed to take responsibility, despite one man dying at the scene. The victim, La Min Khaing, is a second-year undergraduate at the Faculty of Cosmetic Science at Mae Fah Luang University.…
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Thailand hits 10 million long-haul tourist milestone with UK on top
Thailand crossed a tourism landmark this year as long-haul arrivals surpassed 10 million for the first time, a milestone symbolically marked by a Thai Airways flight landing in Bangkok from London today, December 17. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool and representatives from partner agencies greeted passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport this morning. The UK also became the first…
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