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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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Bitch leaves behind puppies after fatal shooting in Songkhla
A bitch, believed to have been shot, struggled to return to her puppies to nurse them before succumbing to her injuries while they were still feeding. This tragic incident took place yesterday, December 25, in Songkhla province, adding a sad note to Christmas and prompting immediate action from local officials and animal welfare organisations. A video circulated online showed a…
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Phetchabun family’s loss turns into gift of life for four
A significant act of compassion unfolded at Phetchabun Hospital, where a family decided to donate the organs of a 42 year old programmer who was declared brain dead. This generous donation is set to benefit four individuals in need. Chawalit Iamsaad, who hailed from Bueng Sam Phan district in Phetchabun, was employed as a programmer for PTT, working remotely from…
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20th anniversary: Phuket looks back on Boxing Day tsunami
Two decades after the catastrophic Indian Ocean Tsunami, communities along Thailand’s Andaman coast, including Phuket, gathered today, Boxing Day, to honour the lives lost and reflect on the lessons learned from that fateful day in 2004. The disaster claimed an estimated 230,000 to 280,000 lives across multiple countries, with Thailand designating December 26 as National Disaster Prevention Day in its…
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South Thailand: Schoolgirl attacks senior with knife at tourist spot
A shocking incident unfolded recently at a popular tourist spot in Nakhon Si Thammarat province when a third-year secondary school girl attacked a fifth-year student with a folding knife. The incident took place at Ban Wang Yao, Thon Hong subdistrict, Phrom Khiri district, on Christmas Eve, leaving the older student injured and raising concerns about youth violence. The head of…
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Pattaya mobilises over 400 officers to ensure festive safety
A substantial force of over 420 officers and volunteers took to the streets of Pattaya on Christmas Eve, ensuring the safety and security of tourists during the festive period. The initiative, which took place at precisely 6.36pm on December 24, was spearheaded by Yingyot Thepchamnong, Commander of Police Region 2, who orchestrated a comprehensive safety operation for the Christmas and…
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South Korean gambling suspect arrested in Pattaya luxury condo
A South Korean national, sought for his alleged involvement in a significant illegal gambling operation, was apprehended in a luxurious condominium in Pattaya. Thai immigration officials executed the arrest yesterday, December 25, identifying the suspect as 33 year old Jung. The arrest occurred at a high-end condo in Pattaya, where he was found with passports from South Korea and Vanuatu.…
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Aussie father fights to survive and heal after losing son to tsunami
Boxing Day 2004 started as a serene tropical morning for an Australian father, his wife, and their 16 year old son in a beachfront hotel in Phuket. But in moments, tranquillity gave way to catastrophe. “We were admiring the view, and all of a sudden, the water disappeared.” What seemed like an intriguing phenomenon – fish floundering on the exposed…
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Thai cyber police locate call centre gang in Cambodia
Cyber police in Thailand have confirmed the location of a call centre gang on the 25th floor of a building in Poipet, Cambodia, as highlighted in a recent statement by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. This revelation aligns with ongoing investigations and confessions from numerous suspects involved in related cases. At a briefing held yesterday, December 25, at the Technology…
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Thai Parliament to debate amendment bills on 2017 constitution
The Thai Parliament is gearing up to examine a series of charter amendment bills aimed at revising the 2017 constitution, with discussions set to take place in mid-January. Parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha confirmed this development, highlighting a total of 17 proposals for section-by-section amendments. Additionally, there is a significant bill sponsored by the opposition People’s Party (PP), aiming…
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Flood mitigation: 95 billion baht plan proposed for Bangkok
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has proposed a budget of 95 billion baht to the National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) to address flooding in Bangkok by improving the eastern side of the Chao Phraya River. The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Narumon Pinyosinwat, explained that the initiative aims to tackle drought and flooding issues as part of a larger government…
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Krabi ferry operators found drug positive suspended
Police in Krabi conducted a random drug test on ferry operators and crew members at Koh Lanta, resulting in several individuals testing positive for drugs. The operators, found with purple urine, have been suspended and will undergo rehabilitation. The joint operation involved local administrative officers from Koh Lanta district and regional marine department officials. They carried out these surprise urine…
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Thai raid exposes gorilla smuggling attempt via Turkish airport
Thai police took decisive action yesterday, December 25, raiding a trading company in Nakhon Pathom linked to an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle a gorilla into the country. The Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court authorised a search warrant for TK Farm International Trading, located in Mueang district after Turkish customs intercepted the infant gorilla at Istanbul Airport. Customs officials at Istanbul Airport…
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Australian survivor retells harrowing 2004 tsunami ordeal
The morning of December 26, 2004 began like any other for tourists and locals across the Indian Ocean. But by evening, the world had witnessed one of the deadliest natural disasters in history. A 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra unleashed a tsunami that claimed 230,000 lives, including 26 Australians. For central Victorian Melinda Kennedy, a last-minute decision to board a ferry…
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Bus carrying dance troupe collides with car in Buriram
A dramatic road incident occurred when a bus carrying the Seang Esan Mor Lam dance troupe collided with a car making a U-turn on a street in Buriram, Thailand. Three dancers sustained minor injuries, but the show will go on as planned. Yesterday, December 25, Police Lieutenant Napat Sutthithanakul from Satuek Police Station received a report of a collision between…
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Unemployed engineer arrested for theft spree in Hat Yai
Police in Hat Yai have apprehended a 26 year old unemployed engineer involved in a series of thefts across resorts, hotels, and hospital patient rooms. The arrest took place yesterday, December 25, when police raided a rented room in a nondescript building in Soi Chok Saman 4, Hat Yai Municipality, Songkhla. The suspect, identified only as Muach, originally from Narathiwat,…
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Online gambling operation busted in Hat Yai condo
Police have raided an online gambling operation, LIGAZ88, located in a luxury condominium in Hat Yai, uncovering a business with a monthly turnover of 50 million baht. The operation led to the arrest of three individuals, including a retired teacher. A crackdown by the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the Songkhla Provincial Police led to the arrest of three suspects…
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Motorcycle crash in Pathum Thani kills one
A tragic incident unfolded when two young employees, returning from a company party, collided their motorcycle into a parked six-wheeler truck, resulting in one death and another injury. The accident occurred at 3.30am today in Pathum Thani. The crash took place on the outbound side of the Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road in the Lam Phak Kut area of Thanyaburi. Police Lieutenant…
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Phuket duo swipes 600 euros from Belgian with a fake hug
Police yesterday, December 25, arrested a Thai woman and a transwoman for pretending to greet a Belgian man with a hug and stealing 600 euros in cash (approximately 21,000 baht) from him in the Patong area of Phuket. The 58 year old Belgian victim filed a complaint with Patong Police Station officers at around 5am on December 22, reporting that…
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Chiang Mai council chairman accused of assaulting local resident
A significant altercation involving a prominent local council chairman in Chiang Mai has left a resident severely injured, sparking outrage among the community. The incident took place when the chairman allegedly insulted and physically assaulted a local during a campaign event at the home of a former Chiang Mai provincial council member. Reports from residents in a municipality area of…
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Chinese teen arrested in Bangkok for call centre scam
A significant breakthrough in the battle against call centre scams in Thailand occurred with the arrest of a Chinese teenager in Bangkok. Police conducted raids on two locations, which led to the capture of a 19 year old Chinese national suspected of involvement in a sophisticated scam operation. Metropolitan and immigration police, armed with a warrant from the Criminal Court,…
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Suspect’s escape leads to soldier’s death in Pattani crash
A tragic incident unfolded yesterday, December 25, when a suspect involved in a security case seized control of a vehicle’s steering wheel, causing it to veer off the road into a fruit orchard. This action resulted in one soldier’s death and injuries to three others. The suspect managed to escape during the ensuing chaos. Police had been conducting a coordinated…
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Fiery disaster: 9 buses damaged at coach park on Bangkok road
A fire broke out at a coach parking area on Kanchanaphisek Road, Bangkok damaging nearly 10 buses but fortunately, no injuries were reported. Firefighters quickly responded to the blaze, which occurred yesterday, December 25, at a facility owned by Siam Transport Company, located along the western ring road of Bangkok in Thawi Watthana district. Police Inspector Senee Kanpawong of Bang…
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Thai serial rapist who targets elderly women remains on the run
Two elderly Thai women sought help from the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women after a rapist who sexually assaulted them in a paddy field in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima remains at large for months. The two senior victims, who are cousins, met the foundation’s founder, Pavena Hongsakul, at the foundation office in the central province of Pathum Thani…
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Boundary fence dispute in Phitsanulok leads to two deaths
A tragic altercation over a boundary fence dispute between neighbours resulted in a deadly incident involving a family in Phitsanulok province. The conflict escalated, leading to the deaths of two individuals and leaving one person seriously injured. Police Lieutenant Phongsiri Ampripis of Bang Rakam Police Station received reports of the violent confrontation which occurred yesterday, December 25, at 4pm. The…
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Koh Phi Phi tragedy: Brit pays tribute to brother in tsunami tale
On the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami which devasted six provinces in Thailand including Phuket and Phang Nga, a British tourist remembers the tragic death of his brother whilst the duo were on a Christmas break on Koh Phi Phi in 2004. Just a day after celebrating Christmas together on the beach and sharing a heartfelt “I love you,” brothers…
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Chilly weather and light rain forecast for northern Thailand
Today’s weather forecast from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) highlights a mix of chilly and frosty conditions across northern Thailand, with light rain anticipated in some areas. The highest peaks may experience severe cold, with frost forming as temperatures drop to single digits. The TMD’s 24-hour weather forecast shows a moderate high-pressure system currently covering upper Thailand. This results in cool to…
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Decomposing body found in Udon Thani forest prompts investigation
A decomposing body of a woman was discovered in a forest opposite the Department of Forestry in Sri That, Udon Thani, sparking an investigation to determine the cause of death and locate her relatives. Police believe she died approximately five days ago. Yesterday, December 25, Police Lieutenant Colonel Chinphan Sungkaew, Deputy Superintendent of the Sri That Police Station, disclosed that…
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Thai bus ticket collector assaulted by passenger for rejecting his advances
A female public bus ticket collector sought justice after being physically assaulted by a male passenger for rejecting his advances. However, the Department of Land Transport allegedly blamed her for the incident, citing her impatience. The ticket collector, 24 year old Pichobon Yadee, shared details of the assault, which occurred on December 2 at around 4pm on a public bus…
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Thailand brings out its elephants to add Christmas cheer
Thailand’s holiday celebrations are giving Lapland a run for its money with elephants donning Santa suits, flower-studded gardens, and dazzling star parades lighting up the nation. At Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya, Christmas cheer came with a floral twist as tens of thousands of blossoms transformed the space into a vibrant winter wonderland. Sacred figures like Ganesha and Guan…
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Thai woman falls from pedestrian bridge while trying to save dropped phone
A Thai woman sustained severe injuries after falling from a pedestrian bridge in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok while attempting to retrieve her dropped mobile phone. Officers from Phra Samut Jedhi Police Station and rescuers from the Por Tek Tung Foundation responded to the incident, which occurred beneath the pedestrian bridge near Soi Suksawat 48 at 5pm yesterday, December 24.…
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