News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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9 victims, including 4 children, killed in Nan pickup truck crash
A pickup truck crash in Nan province on Saturday, April 18, left nine people dead and six others seriously injured, with brake failure suspected as the cause. Police from Pua Police Station and rescue teams responded to the incident on the Pua–Doi Phu Kha Road in Doi Phu Kha National Park, Pua district, at around 5.55pm. The vehicle was found…
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Nearly 100 workers flee massive Ayutthaya factory fire
A massive fire broke out at an electronics materials factory in Ayutthaya today, April 19, sending nearly 100 workers out of the building and prompting checks for any impact on nearby communities. The fire started at about 1.30pm inside a Chinese-owned factory in the Rojana Industrial Park, Khan Ham subdistrict, Uthai district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. One warehouse was damaged in…
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Police open leaking suitcase in Pathum Thani, find puppy remains
Residents in Pathum Thani were alarmed after a black suitcase left beside a house began leaking fluid, giving off a strong smell and attracting maggots, prompting police to inspect it on April 17. The suitcase was discovered beside a two-storey townhouse in Khlong Sam subdistrict, Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani. Police, forensic officers and rescue workers went to inspect the…
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Five stranded tourists rescued from Phetchaburi mountain
Five tourists were rescued after becoming stuck on a mountain in Phetchaburi last night, April 18, with one 21 year old man later taken to the hospital after feeling faint during the descent. Volunteers from the Sawang Sanphet Dhammasathan Foundation in Phetchaburi were called to help five tourists stranded on Khao Ego, a mountain about 900 metres high in Nong…
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Nigerian, Swiss suspects arrested in cocaine network bust
Police arrested four suspects, including Nigerian and Swiss nationals, in raids targeting a cocaine network after a months-long investigation, seizing cocaine and other assets in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, according to an operation reported today, April 19. The key suspect was identified as 47 year old Nigerian national Patric, who was arrested in Bangkok at about 11pm yesterday, April 18. He…
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Cannabis shop owner shot dead by police officer in Pattaya
A police officer was arrested after allegedly shooting a cannabis shop owner dead in a Songkran shooting on Pattaya Walking Street early today, April 19. The shooting was reported at 1.06am behind a cannabis shop on Walking Street in South Pattaya, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the cannabis shop owner, 41…
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Salon owner beats man to death with pestle in Nonthaburi
A 58 year old Nonthaburi hair salon owner beat a young man to death with a pestle following a monetary dispute, in a killing now classified as premeditated rather than self-defence. Jirawat, known as Ek, fatally struck 26 year old Thiti, known as Tee, inside his salon. Ek initially claimed the killing was in self-defence, but investigators have since rejected…
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Transgender woman falls to death at Bangkok luxury condo
An unidentified transgender woman fell to her death from a luxury condominium in the Kaset-Nawamin area of Bangkok on Friday night, with police launching an investigation into the circumstances of the fall. At 8.10pm on April 18, police sub-lieutenant Natdanai Sriyotha from Phaholyothin Police Station received a report of a fatal fall at a condominium on Prasert Manukitch Road, Senanikom…
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Consumer council calls for 20-baht Green Line fare
The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) is pushing for a fixed 20-baht fare on Bangkok’s Green Line electric railway, alongside a broader restructuring of mass transit pricing aimed at boosting ridership by 50% and cutting household living costs. TCC secretary-general Saree Aongsomwang made the call during a press briefing titled “Green Line After 2029: Study Shows 20-Baht Fare Feasible,” arguing that…
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Woman accuses Chinese client of assault, detention in Bangkok condo
A woman has filed a complaint after allegedly being detained and assaulted at a condominium in Bangkok by a Chinese client she met through entertainment work, with police now investigating the case. The incident, first shared by the social media page “อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทิร์น part 7”, reportedly took place at a condominium in Ramkhamhaeng 24. The victim, identified as 31 year…
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Thai Met Department issues 9th storm alert for upper Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued its ninth alert for intense summer storms across upper Thailand, with hazardous conditions forecast until April 20. The storms are expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning to Bangkok and dozens of provinces across the north, northeast, east, and central regions. Moist southern and southeastern winds drawing in from the Gulf…
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French tourists fined after swimming in restricted Maya Bay area
Two French tourists were fined after entering the water in a no-swimming zone at Maya Bay in Krabi, according to a statement posted yesterday, April 18, by Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The park said an investigation found the incident took place on February 26 at about 12pm at the PP.5 national park protection unit in Maya…
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Thai flight cuts lead to 10% drop in outbound travel
Flight cancellations and capacity reductions are expected to push outbound trips down by 15 to 20% during the low season, with a 10% decline projected across the full year. Several Thai carriers have trimmed their schedules on specific routes. Thai AirAsia X has pulled back on its Bangkok to Sapporo service, while Thai AirAsia has reduced flights to China for…
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Tourist decline in Pai due to severe air pollution
Tourist numbers in Pai have plummeted by nearly 90% over the past two months as persistent air pollution continues to grip northern Thailand, officials and residents in Mae Hong Son province say. Data from the Pollution Control Department on Friday showed PM2.5 levels across the northern region ranging from 63.1 to 193.2 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), posing serious health…
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Thai PM vows swift action in wake of southern arson attacks
Thailand’s prime minister has pledged to accelerate peace efforts in the deep South after suspected insurgents carried out a series of arson attacks timed to coincide with his visit to the region. Anutin Charnvirakul addressed officials at the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre in Yala, leading a joint session with security personnel, provincial governors, and military leaders to align policy…
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Summer storm warning for upper Thailand from April 17-20
Thailand’s Meteorological Department has issued its seventh warning about a summer storm set to impact upper Thailand from April 17 to 20, bringing thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail to several areas. The storm will first strike the northeastern and eastern regions before moving to the central region, including Bangkok and surrounding provinces, then the north. A high-pressure system and cold…
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Trat fisherman fined over 140,000 baht for illegal diesel
Excise officers in Trat and marine police seized 3,800 litres of illegal diesel from a fishing boat in Khlong Yai in the early hours of today, April 17, after receiving a tip-off about untaxed fuel entering Thai waters. At about 1am, officers searched the vessel at Por Kasemsiri pier in Khlong Yai district, Trat. Surachai, a 62 year old man…
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Bangkok woman claims date rape drug was sprayed into her face at Songkran party
A Thai woman issued a public warning after alleging that she was exposed to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), or date rape drug, through water sprayed from a water gun during a Songkran event at an entertainment venue in Bangkok. The TikTok user, @jeeppji, shared a photo of herself unconscious in the hospital on Monday, April 13. In the caption, she wrote that…
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Chinese man killed after falling under truck in Pattaya
A 48 year old Chinese man died in a Pattaya motorcycle accident yesterday, April 16, after losing control of his motorbike and being run over by a six-wheel water truck. Police were called at around 12pm to a road near a school in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, where a truck had collided with a motorcycle. Officers from Nong…
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Yala boy with special needs found dead in scrapyard car after four-day search
A 12 year old Thai boy with special needs was found dead in a scrap car about 800 metres away, four days after he went missing from his home in Yala province. The 38 year old mother, Wanida, reported the disappearance of her son, Yuttasak, also known as Best, to Yarom Police Station on April 12 after the boy went missing…
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2 transgender suspects surrender after leaving hickey on victim’s neck
Two from three transgender suspects surrendered to police after sexually assaulting a man during Songkran celebrations in Phichit province, leaving a hickey on his neck. The 24 year old victim, Chitsanupong, filed a complaint with Mueang Phichit Police Station after the incident on April 15 at a Songkran event on Khao Tang Road. He had earlier shared details of the…
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British pensioner dies after being swept out to sea in Hua Hin
A British pensioner from Liverpool died after being swept out to sea in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, on April 15. Police said he was swimming alone and was unable to return to shore. The 75 year old man had entered the water in the morning as his girlfriend watched from the beach. His body was later found by a fisherman…
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Missing Taiwanese man found undergoing treatment in Pattaya
A missing Taiwanese man was found at a hospital in Pattaya, undergoing mental health treatment, three days after his Thai girlfriend reported him as missing and contacted police for help. The man, whose name was not disclosed, was found yesterday, April 16, at Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital. His 26 year old Thai girlfriend, identified only as Bua, had reported him missing…
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Thailand video news | Phuket demands tougher response to Songkran tourist misconduct, Pattaya keeps Songkran going with extended Wan Lai celebrations
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex covers major stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The headlines include the final wave of Songkran crackdowns, as viral videos show tourists taking celebrations too far. A controversial legal battle between ONE Championship and its biggest star is also making news. Meanwhile, a Chinese woman and her accomplices have been arrested after allegedly…
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Bangkok draws nearly 5 million to Songkran events
Nearly five million people attended Songkran events in Bangkok between April 10 and 15, according to City Hall data released yesterday, April 16. The capital also recorded increases in rubbish, grass fires and road deaths compared with the same period last year. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said cumulative attendance at 94 Songkran venues reached 4,958,965 people, a…
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Thai Airways cuts May flights across Asia, Europe
Thai Airways has reduced flight frequencies across domestic, Asian and European routes for May in response to weaker tourism demand and high fuel costs. The schedule, reported as of yesterday, April 16, affects key routes from May 1 onwards, with some reductions lasting until the end of the month. On domestic routes, flights to Khon Kaen will be reduced from…
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British man apologises after drifting car near Songkran event
Police are seeking to revoke the driving licence of a British man who was caught drifting a car during Songkran celebrations in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province on April 12. Viral footage shared on Thai social media showed a red vehicle drifting on a concrete area near the Songkran event site close to Black Bridge in Hat Yai district.…
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Bystander student hospitalised after Udon Thani Songkran brawl
A university student was seriously injured after a beer bottle struck her face during a Songkran brawl in Mueang district, Udon Thani province, on April 14. The student, who was not involved in the fight, is being treated at a hospital for multiple injuries. The student’s mother, 51 year old Kie, filed a complaint with Mueang Udon Thani Police Station…
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Chinese woman stages her own kidnapping to extort money from father
Thai police arrested four Chinese nationals in Samut Prakan after a Chinese woman staged her own kidnapping with her boyfriend and two other men to extort money from her father. The case came to light after the woman’s father filed a complaint with police in China, saying his daughter, identified only as Tong, was kidnapped in Cambodia. He was told…
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Japan pledges US$10 billion to tackle energy crisis in Asia
Japan pledged US$10 billion, or around 300 billion baht, to support Asian countries in addressing the energy crisis, citing the close links and interdependence created by supply chains. After a meeting with leaders from Asian countries, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae announced that the funding would be directed to countries in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, to help secure crude…
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