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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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Finance minister reveals final contenders to lead Bank of Thailand
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira confirmed yesterday that he has officially signed off on his nominee to lead the Bank of Thailand (BoT) and submitted the selection to the Cabinet for consideration today. Speaking to reporters, Pichai made it clear he had no reservations about collaborating with whichever candidate ultimately gets the nod. “Whoever is selected, I’ll…
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Highway: Foreign tourist tries to pay Pattaya taxi fare with marijuana
A foreign tourist tried to pay his 2,000-baht taxi fare from Bangkok to Pattaya with a giant bag of marijuana, leaving the stunned cabbie out of pocket and steaming mad. The bizarre incident unfolded in the early hours of today, July 15, when 54 year old veteran driver Prachuap, picked up the man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport for a trip…
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Cambodian mother suspects school bullying in daughter’s suicide
A Cambodian mother believed her daughter committed suicide at a school in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, yesterday, July 14, after allegedly being bullied due to ongoing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. A Thai man, Wanlop Yimdee, was the first person to discover the body of the 15 year old Cambodian girl, Jittinan Suksawat. She was found lying lifeless on a…
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Transgender Thais win free hormone therapy in gold card revolution
Thailand’s Board of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has approved a sweeping plan to make hormone therapy for gender affirmation an official health benefit under the country’s Universal Health Coverage, known as the Gold Card system. The move, green-lit with a budget exceeding 145 million baht for fiscal year 2025, aims to promote equality and improve the well-being of…
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Brollies up as Bangkok and 38 provinces brace for floods
Get ready to be drenched, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) warned that Bangkok and 38 provinces are in for a lashing, with heavy rain, flash floods and forest runoffs on the cards. The TMD have sounded the alarm, urging residents, especially those in low-lying areas or near rivers and canals, to stay on high alert as the downpours roll in. The…
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Helmet-wielding lunatic causes chaos in Pattaya fast food joint
A helmet-wielding lunatic sparked panic on a busy Pattaya street after attacking innocent bystanders in a bizarre bid to make headlines, so his estranged wife would notice him. Police scrambled to Soi Nern Plab Wan at 11.06pm, yesterday, July 14 after reports of a deranged man lashing out with a safety helmet outside a fast-food joint. The scene was already…
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Thai hard: Pompey mad fan builds shrine to blues, from Thailand
A Portsmouth-mad football fan from deep in southern Thailand has built an astonishing collection of Pompey memorabilia, despite never having stepped foot in the UK. Kai Sichomphu, a music video director from Yala province, has followed Pompey religiously since 2004. Over the past two decades, the 32 year old has amassed a jaw-dropping haul of 90 match shirts, 60 scarves…
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CCTV captures foreign men taking Thai man’s cat in Phuket
A Thai man urged two foreign men to return his pet cat after they were caught on CCTV taking the animal from outside his restaurant in Phuket. The cat’s owner, Win Mungkon, took to social media yesterday, July 13, to search for his missing pet, whose name was not revealed. He asked Newshawk Phuket to help publicise the incident in…
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Thief caught sleeping in Udon Thani home but escapes before arrest
Homeowners in the Isaan province of Udon Thani encountered a thief sleeping inside their house after a burglary, but were unable to catch the suspect due to safety concerns. The homeowner, 50 year old Kiattisak, called officers from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station to investigate after his two sons, 16 year old Por and 15 year old Per, discovered the…
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Boot and run: Thug kicks young Thai woman in Pattaya bar assault
A 21 year old woman was left traumatised and housebound after being viciously kicked in the head by a stranger during a shocking unprovoked attack at a Pattaya bar, all because someone allegedly thought she was “staring.” The victim, known only as Piano, had been enjoying a night out with two friends in the Nong Prue area of the resort…
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Wat Arun added to UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced that UNESCO has added the Phra Prang of Wat Arun to its Tentative List for World Heritage status. This initial listing marks a significant step towards achieving full World Heritage status in the future. The currently suspended prime minister, and minister of culture, shared the news on her Ing Shinawatra page, highlighting the inclusion of…
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Baht’s life: Monsoon gloom rains on Phuket’s holiday parade
Phuket raked in nearly 3 billion baht during the four-day religious holiday but tourist numbers have taken a worrying dip, with Chinese arrivals more than halved and Middle Eastern travellers staying away. The Khao Phansa Buddhist holiday on July 10–11 gave locals a golden excuse for a long weekend, sending thousands of Thai tourists flocking to the island. Foreigners, meanwhile,…
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Ruff justice: Phuket MP bites back over ‘mafia dog’ slur
A Phuket MP has filed a police complaint after being branded a “servant dog of the Chinese mafia” in a vicious online smear campaign that he says was designed to destroy his reputation. Chalermpong Saengdee, Member of Parliament for Constituency 2 in Phuket, marched into Phuket City Police Station at 10am, yesterday, July 14, with his lawyer in tow, demanding…
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Two women arrested for stealing phone from elderly monk
Two women were arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from an 80 year old monk at his residence. The police apprehended the suspects in a rented room following their confession and are proceeding with legal action. On July 11, Manun, the 29 year old nephew of a monk, Thong Suk, at Bang Mod Sothonaram Temple, sought media assistance to…
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Pier pressure: Man found hanged in Phuket mangroves
A man has been found dead, hanging from a tree in dense mangroves near Bang Duk Pier in Mai Khao, Phuket, sparking a police probe into whether the tragedy was suicide or something more sinister. The grim discovery was made around 10am on Saturday, July 13, by a shocked passerby, who spotted something dangling in the trees while walking near…
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Truck crash in Lop Buri kills woman at fruit stall
A six-wheel truck with a trailer lost control and crashed into a roadside fruit stall, leading to the death of a woman yesterday, July 13. Her husband narrowly escaped the incident, which occurred in Lop Buri province, while the driver is suspected to have fallen asleep at the wheel. Police Lieutenant Colonel Natthapong Wongwang from the Tha Hin Police Station…
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Phuket up! Aussie teen’s Thai trip nearly ends in coke bust horror
An Aussie teen has sounded the alarm to fellow young travellers after a boozy night out in Phuket nearly ended in disaster when a couple allegedly tried to lure her and a friend into taking drugs, in a country where that could mean the death penalty. Mia Pacor, now 18, recalled the terrifying brush with trouble in a TikTok video,…
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Bangkok shop raid uncovers kratom juice and dangerous drugs
Police raided a shop called TOM GUN KUP near a university in Bangkok, seizing a large quantity of kratom juice and dangerous drugs. The operation yesterday, July 13, led to the arrest of 26 year old Jirakit and 23 year old sales employee, Nanthanat. Police Colonel Santi Kornkasem, along with his team, including Deputy Superintendent Voraprat Wuttarak and Police Captain…
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3 Thai boys hailed heroes for rescuing woman from drowning
Three Thai boys rescued a woman from drowning at a canal in the central province of Pathum Thani. Officers from Khlong Luang Police Station and rescuers from the Thakhlong Municipality Office rushed to the pier yesterday, July 13, along the Khlong Song Canal, near Soi Erawan 1 in Khlong Luang district, following a report of an unconscious woman. The woman,…
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GI dough! Retired American blows a fuse in Pattaya bar brawl
A retired American soldier turned English teacher went berserk at a South Pattaya bar last night, frightening staff and sending security into full alert. But, his fury ended up in handcuffs after a full-blown meltdown on Soi 5. The former American GI, James, thought to be around 60, is accused of spitting at bar girls, smashing a pot of incense,…
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Ladies’ night bust-up in Pattaya leaves serial sleaze in cuffs
Pattaya police have appealed for more witnesses after a suspected serial sleazebag, dubbed the “Boom Khunphaen Rider,” was dramatically restrained by a group of angry women in the heart of Pattaya on Saturday night. He has been accused of blackmail, threats and physical violence. The 26 year old motorbike courier, named as Phonlawat, was reportedly chased down and cornered outside…
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Thai monk denies affair with foreign man’s wife in Phuket
A Thai monk in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat denied having an affair with a foreign man’s wife in Phuket, following an accusation made by the woman’s neighbour. A Thai man living in Phuket, Satsawat, accused his neighbour of allegedly engaging in an affair with a monk identified as Apichart Damjam, from Cha-uat district in Nakhon Si Thammarat.…
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US author issues grim warning for dream-chasers in Thailand
A retired American expat who swapped Wall Street for Sukhumvit issued a stark warning to farangs chasing a dream retirement in Thailand in his latest book: “Come unprepared, and Thailand will chew you up and spit you out.” The blunt advice comes from a former finance and cider mogul who cashed out young and moved to Thailand in his forties,…
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Worker dies after machinery accident in Samut Prakan
A maintenance worker succumbed to injuries after a machine fell on his head in Samut Prakan province. Despite attempts by colleagues to rush him to the hospital on a motorbike, he died en route. Yesterday, July 13, at 8.30pm, the Prakarn Rescue Centre was informed of the incident where a worker was crushed by machinery. The worker was being transported…
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Thailand Video News | Brawl among Korean tourists erupts in Pattaya restaurant, Chinese tourist robbed by fake cops in Pattaya
In Thailand, violent brawls, nightclub raids, and tourist scams spotlight Pattaya’s growing reputation for chaos—while quick-thinking staff in Ranong foiled a major gold heist. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia grapples with bigger questions: Cambodia honors its painful past with new UNESCO recognitions, Vietnam confronts a looming population crisis, and a Thai academic urges transparency over Trump’s upcoming tariffs. Elsewhere, a viral panda,…
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Ex-monk arrested for stealing 18,000 baht from donation box
A former monk, recently defrocked for 10 days, has been apprehended for stealing 18,000 baht from a donation box. He claims he was drunk and heard voices instructing him to commit the theft. Yesterday, July 13, Police Colonel Wisit Buasongwong assigned Police Lieutenant Colonel Patipat Nuekhoomueang, Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwit Phumprakhon, and Police Sub-Lieutenant Nueng Chaiyamongkol to arrest 54 year…
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Snack thief armed with scissors caught after convenience store heist
Police arrested a Thai man in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after he threatened a convenience store employee with a pair of scissors and fled with stolen snacks. The incident was reported to Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station at 2.36am yesterday, July 13, after the suspect escaped on a motorcycle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. According to the employee,…
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Thai hard with a vengeance: Dad quits broken Britain for Thailand
A fed-up dad from Nottinghamshire is packing up his life, and his family, to start over in Thailand with just a suitcase and a dream, after declaring he can’t afford to live in “Broken Britain” any longer. Dale Smith has had enough of sky-high bills, grim weather and what he calls “pointless” schooling for his kids. So this November, the…
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4 Thai and Chinese men arrested for kidnapping and extortion in Pattaya
Police arrested two Thai men and two Chinese nationals for kidnapping and extorting a Chinese tourist in Pattaya. The 52 year old victim, Lin, was abducted by four men posing as police officers on July 10 while standing outside a noodle shop on Pattaya Sai Sam Road. The gang arrived in an SUV and forced him into their vehicle. According…
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Pattaya mechanic batters customer to death after row over parts
A petty row over motorbike parts turned into a fatal street brawl in Pattaya, leaving a 33 year old man dead and his long-time mechanic friend facing a murder charge. The deadly drama unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, July 12 when 31 year old Somjet Sapprasert, allegedly bludgeoned his customer, 33 year old Sonthaya “Toomtam” Nuchlek, to death…
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