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 Where to travel in Thailand in August [2025]
There’s no better way to experience Thailand than through its cuisine. In the rainy season, flavours bloom alongside the landscape, steam rises from market pots, the snap of chilli echoes through alleyways, and rain makes every bite more vivid. “I...
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Indian man arrested for trying to smuggle cannabis from Thailand to Cambodia
Police yesterday, July 21, arrested an Indian national in the central province of Chanthaburi for the illegal possession and attempted smuggling of nearly 20 kilogrammes of cannabis flowers. Officials from Chanthaburi Immigration, along with police officers, were patrolling Ban Laem Market in Pong Nam Ron district when they noticed a suspicious-looking Indian man. He reportedly behaved nervously upon encountering the…
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Myanmar national caught smuggling cigarettes worth 2 million baht
A 20 year old Myanmar national was apprehended for smuggling illicit cigarettes, valued at over 2 million baht, via natural routes along the Sangkhla Buri border. The shipment was destined for the Ban Phra Chedi Sam Ong Market. Yesterday, July 21, Police Major General Atsadawut Panyaraoon, commander of the 9th Infantry Division and head of the Surasi Task Force, along…
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Bangkok blitz: Over 1.3 million fake goods seized in massive raid
In a sweeping six-month crackdown, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has seized over 1.3 million counterfeit items in raids across Bangkok and beyond. The campaign has already triggered 139 legal cases, signalling a renewed push to clean up the country’s notorious counterfeit trade. “This is a serious issue,” said DIP Director General Nusara Kanjanakul. “It impacts not only consumer…
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Stars, stripes and tourist gripes as Trump hikes visa fee kick off
Tourists, locals, and ex-pats in Thailand are being warned to brace for a wallet-busting new visa fee, after Donald Trump slapped a stinging US$250 charge on would-be visitors, just in time to cash in on the flood of sports fans heading to America. The controversial visa integrity fee has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the US president of using global…
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Senator faces 10 years jail for using false professor title
A Thai senator could be booted from Parliament and jailed for up to 10 years after being caught falsely claiming the title of Professor during her campaign. The Election Commission (EC) has ruled that 45 year old Keskamol Pleansamai, a physician-turned-politician, wrongfully used the academic title in her Senate election application last year, a violation that could land her in…
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Phuket drug dealer caught with his pills down
A suspected drug dealer was arrested in his boxers during a pre-dawn police raid in Phuket, with officers uncovering a massive stash of more than 3,500 meth pills tucked away in his house. The bust happened in the early hours of yesterday morning, July 21, in Thepkrasattri, Thalang district, as part of a targeted crackdown under the island’s tough new anti-drugs…
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Storm Wipha brings heavy rain and strong winds to Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today forecasted heavy to very heavy rainfall across Thailand over the next 24 hours, with strong winds and potential flash floods in some areas. Tropical storm Wipha is expected to make landfall in northern Vietnam today. In the north of Thailand, thunderstorms are expected to cover 80% of the area with strong winds and heavy…
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Curry con! Food delivery driver spices up with bogus food order
A slick scammer posing as a food delivery rider cooked up a brazen heist at a humble curry stall in Pattaya, vanishing with a bag of cash after placing a fake order for nearly 30 meals. The early-morning con unfolded at 5.06am yesterday, July 21, when 30 year old Anirut Thiamtha was manning his family’s Chef Basil Curry Rice Shop…
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Wheezy does it: RSV sparks alarm for Thailand tots and wrinklies
Parents are being urged to keep a close eye on sickly youngsters after a spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases during Thailand’s rainy season, with over 1,600 already struck down by the virus this year. Doctors say the RSV, a common yet potentially dangerous infection, is spreading fast among children and the elderly, with more outbreaks expected in the…
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Two men injured as motorbike crashes into Thailand canal
Two young men in Thailand were injured after their motorbike veered off an unlit, narrow road and fell into a canal in Wichit late on the Saturday night, July 19. Emergency services from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation responded to the incident in Soi Thida at approximately 11.45pm. Upon arrival, they found the two men in a canal about 4 metres…
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Wipha wallop: Landslide fears as storm lashes Thailand
A tropical storm-turned-downpour is putting large swathes of Thailand on red alert, with officials warning of landslides and flash floods across 21 provinces as Typhoon Wipha wreaks havoc. The Department of Mineral Resources sounded the alarm following days of relentless rain, urging locals and volunteers to stay vigilant until at least Thursday, July 24, as soggy hillsides teeter on the…
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Elderly CEO donates over 100 million baht to Ang Thong Hospital
Thai netizens praised an elderly CEO who donated more than 108 million baht to a hospital in the central province of Ang Thong. The official Facebook page of Ang Thong Hospital expressed gratitude to the elderly Thai man, Somnuk Suksrikan, on Friday, July 18. The hospital reported that Somnuk donated 10 kidney dialysis machines, valued at approximately 5 million baht,…
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Chon Buri police arrest suspect with drugs and outstanding warrants
An operation led by Bang Lamung Police Station in Chon Buri, under the guidance of Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, successfully targeted drug-related offences, leading to the arrest of a suspect involved in two drug cases. The operation today, July 21, was spearheaded by Police Lieutenant Colonel Kornphong Sukwisit, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, along with Police Major Wuttipong Kasa, Investigation Inspector,…
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Class acts: Chinese scammers pose as students in pensioner con
Crooks running a slick online scam from a swanky Chiang Mai villa posed as students while fleecing elderly Chinese pensioners out of millions, in yet another twist to Thailand’s growing cybercrime crisis. Three suspected ringleaders have been nicked and 17 others detained after Thai police swooped on a luxury pool villa in Hang Dong, uncovering a Chinese-led operation that preyed…
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Thai transwoman arrested behind 50 million baht job scam
Police arrested a Thai transwoman at a market in Bangkok for orchestrating an overseas job scam that reportedly caused damages totalling between 40 and 50 million baht. A representative of the 250 to 300 victims sought help from the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children. According to the representative, victims were deceived into paying between 150,000 and 200,000 baht each…
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Chon Buri burglary: Elderly woman’s home looted, gold and amulets stolen
A burglary in Chon Buri on July 19 left a 70 year old woman in distress after a thief looted her home, stealing gold jewellery, over 100 Buddhist amulets, and thousands of baht in coins. The incident took place at a residence in Tambon Khao Mai Kaew. The victim, Phanthong Khampongjai, discovered the theft after returning home from chatting with…
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Five rescued from drifting boat off Phuket amid severe weather
Five people were successfully rescued after a longtail fishing boat experienced engine failure and drifted off the coast of Phuket in challenging sea conditions yesterday, July 20. At the time of the incident, none of the passengers were equipped with life jackets. The rescue operation commenced following a distress call received at 4pm by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre…
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2 year old Thai boy loses life in wasp attack, child’s father seriously injured
A two year old Thai boy lost his life while his father sustained serious injuries in a wasp attack in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday, July 19. The tragic incident was reported by the local news agency Bua Yai Ban Chan. The agency stated that the young boy was attacked by a swarm of wasps and later…
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Bangkok electric train fare capped at 20 baht from 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit confirmed that the maximum fare for the Bangkok metropolitan electric train network would be capped at 20 baht per journey starting October 1, 2025. The initiative will cover eight lines, spanning 13 routes, totalling 276.84 kilometres and 194 stations. On July 18, Suriya met with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and private sector…
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Holiday blues: Thailand tourism hits bump in the flight path
Thailand’s golden age of tourism seems a distant memory as the Land of Smiles battles to reclaim its pre-pandemic glory. While neighbours like Vietnam and Malaysia have soared past their 2019 highs, Thailand’s tourist engine has stalled and experts warn it might be years before the country climbs back into the global travel top tier. Thailand welcomed 35.5 million foreign…
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4 Thai airports launch fast track for Chinese children and their families
The Immigration Bureau has introduced a fast track for Chinese children and their family members at four international airports in Thailand, aimed at visitors travelling during the Chinese school holiday. The bureau also plans to extend the service to young travellers from other countries soon. Immigration officials launched a campaign titled 暑假愉快通道 (shǔ jià yú kuài tú jìng), or Happy…
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Student survives fifth-floor fall at Nakhon Ratchasima university
A 19 year old university student survived a fall from the fifth floor of a building at a well-known university in Nakhon Ratchasima. Emergency services promptly arrived at the scene to investigate the incident. The student’s friends shared insights into the moments leading up to the incident. Police Colonel Sutthinan Khongchamdee of Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station received a report of…
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Japanese tourist dodges necklace-nicking trans gang in Pattaya
A Japanese tourist had a narrow escape in the early hours of this morning after a group of transgender sex workers allegedly tried to rob him during a flirty encounter on Pattaya’s notorious Walking Street. The incident, reported at 4.46am, today, July 21, unfolded right in the heart of the city’s raucous red-light district. The victim, a man in his…
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Thai engineers clear mines after explosion near Cambodia border
Combat engineers initiated mine-clearing efforts in the Chong Bok area, near the Thai-Cambodian border in Ubon Ratchathani province, following a landmine explosion that injured three Thai soldiers on July 16. The Second Army Region, overseeing the northeast, reported that Suranaree Task Force combat engineers started operations yesterday, July 20. This was in response to reports of approximately 100 landmines found…
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Man under drug influence kills relative in Phrae province
A 35 year old man reportedly under the influence of drugs, fatally attacked his 62 year old relative in Mueang Soong district, Phrae province. The victim, Det, sustained severe injuries from two stab wounds to his back and two to his abdomen, yesterday, July 20, resulting in his intestines being exposed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later passed away.…
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Severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat causes city-wide blackout
A severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat caused multiple high-voltage power poles to topple, leading to a city-wide blackout. An 18 year old barista, Sirinapa, was hospitalised after fainting from shock, while another incident involved a motorcyclist narrowly escaping injury when a pole collapsed. The intense rainfall and strong winds hit the Pak Nakhon subdistrict in Mueang district at 3.30pm,…
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Arab tourist tries to impress woman but crashes motorcycle into Phuket pharmacy
An Arab tourist crashed a rented motorcycle into a pharmacy in Phuket on Friday, July 18, after allegedly riding at high speed and performing a wheelie to impress a woman. Channel 7 reported that the incident occurred at a pharmacy on Patong Beach Road in the Kathu district of Phuket. Witnesses told the media that they saw the pharmacist running…
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Bikini banzai! Japanese man fined for racy roadshow in Thailand
A Japanese man has become the most infamous man in Hat Yai after donning a bikini, hopping on a motorbike and dancing his way into a public indecency charge. The 62 year old pensioner turned heads and ruffled feathers in southern Thailand this week after being fined for performing provocative street dances in a bikini while riding around Hat Yai…
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Thailand Video News | Cannabis clash: small businesses fear monopoly under new rules, Bangkok crowned top destination for digital nomads in 2025
In 2025, Thailand is making headlines with booming tourism, Bangkok’s rise as the top digital nomad city, and new airport smoking rooms. Meanwhile, local controversies include stricter cannabis laws, scams targeting retirees, and several tourist-related incidents in Pattaya and Bangkok. Thailand’s Tourism Record: 2025 Sees Surging Traveller Numbers Thailand set a new tourism record in early 2025, welcoming about 16 million…
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Royal nut: Rare Coco de Mer haul cracks global record in Pattaya
It’s the world’s biggest, and rarest, seed, shaped like a voluptuous behind and worth a fortune. Now a Pattaya garden has stunned the globe by harvesting a million-baht bounty of the legendary Coco de Mer. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya has made horticultural history after successfully processing nine rare Coco de Mer fruits, yielding ten valuable seeds, including one…
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