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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Koh Samui real estate booms thanks to ‘The White Lotus’
Koh Samui, the popular resort island in Surat Thani province, is set to see a surge in demand for luxury condominiums and villas this year, according to investment management firm Colliers Thailand. The latest season of the hit American TV series The White Lotus was filmed at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, with additional scenes shot at Anantara…
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Air pollution crisis: PM2.5 levels soar across Thailand’s provinces
The Air Pollution Solutions Communication Centre reported that PM2.5 levels exceeded the standard in 37 provinces across Thailand, with northern and northeastern regions experiencing the highest levels of air pollution. The situation is expected to worsen over the next seven days. The report today, March 20, highlighted that PM2.5 levels in several provinces, including Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon,…
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Phuket charity schools raided amid migrant education crackdown
Raids on charity schools run by the Good Shepherd Foundation continued this week, with officials from the Thalang District Office targeting the BanYa Literacy Centre in Srisoonthorn. Led by Thalang District Chief Siwat Rawangkun, officials including Deputy District Chief for Security Chaiporn Yangchin, village leaders, and other officials conducted an inspection at the centre in Village 6, Srisoonthorn on Tuesday,…
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Man tragically killed by train in Ayutthaya accident
A tragic accident occurred in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya when a 59 year old man was fatally struck by a train while crossing a railway track after work. The incident, which took place at Phachi Railway Station, left the man with multiple fractures and lacerations across his body. Today, March 20, Police Lieutenant Pallop Intharachet of Phachi District Police Station…
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Brief encounter: Chon Buri thief caught with stolen underwear
Officers at Koh Chan Provincial Police Station yesterday apprehended a man for stealing women’s underwear from a government official’s residence. The incident involved 36 year old Pornchai, also known as Kob, who was arrested under a Chon Buri provincial court warrant (No. 171/2568) dated March 18. He faces charges of nighttime burglary using a vehicle to facilitate the crime and…
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3 workers trapped for over an hour in Pattaya elevator horror
A routine workday turned into a terrifying ordeal for three construction workers in Pattaya when an elevator malfunction left them trapped for over an hour. Sweating, panicked, and desperate for help, their nightmare finally ended when rescue teams arrived just in time. Pattaya City’s Disaster Prevention Centre received an urgent call yesterday at 6.16pm that three workers were trapped inside…
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Foot the bill: Smelly foreigner limps away from Thai massage tab
A massage shop owner in the northern province of Lampang reported yesterday that a smelly foreigner with a limp leg fled without paying a bill of 700 baht after receiving a two-hour massage. The owner of the Kanthika massage shop, Ann, stated that she was not the first victim, according to information from officers at Mueang Lampang Police Station. Ann…
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Phuket’s alcohol-free Songkran festival returns
Phuket is gearing up for Songkran with a booze-free twist! The Songkran No Alcohol Festival is back for its 11th year, promising cultural charm, live music, and family-friendly fun—without the chaos of drunken revelry. Phuket officials are preparing for another safe and tradition-focused songkran as the island hosts the Songkran No Alcohol Festival Phuket 2025, organised for the 11th consecutive year,…
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British jumper’s Pattaya video sparks call to shut down site
A chilling video showing the tragic death of a British base jumper in Pattaya has sparked renewed outrage and calls for a notorious website that hosts gruesome death footage to be shut down. The 33 year old victim, Nathan Odinson, tragically died after his parachute failed to open during a jump from a 29-storey tower last year. A Thai friend…
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Thai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls
A Thai man told local news agencies that he almost lost control of his bowels after stumbling upon a man’s body in an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The man, whose name remains undisclosed, alerted officers at Lin Thin Police Station to the abandoned house in the Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi province to investigate the…
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Philippine couple busted in Thailand over investment scam
Thai Immigration Police arrested a Philippine couple wanted for a large-scale investment fraud that has seen over 150 arrest warrants issued against them. The couple, identified as 46 year old Cerrone and 47 year old Marve, were apprehended in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, following a request for cooperation from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand. Both suspects were subjects of an Interpol Red…
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Sinful: Abbot defrocked, arrested for assaulting boy in Udon Thani
Police apprehended a 24 year old abbot accused of sexually assaulting a 12 year old boy at a temple in Mueang district, Udon Thani province. The boy’s mother, shocked by the incident, had left her son at the temple due to financial difficulties after separating from her husband. Police Colonel Wichan Suthampeng, superintendent of Kumphawapi Police Station, along with Deputy…
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Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai
Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province. Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and…
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Chinese man assaults staff at Mahidol University, visa revocation urged
A Chinese man assaulted a university staff member at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom, prompting calls for his visa to be revoked. The incident occurred when the man, upset his girlfriend’s performance was not filmed, attacked a staff member with a chair and slammed the staff member’s head against a wall, resulting in the staff member being hospitalised in the…
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Thai deputy PM Phumtham visits Uyghur community in Xinjiang
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently visited the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region after a return to their homeland. Phumtham apologised for their prolonged detention of 11 years, emphasising that the government had acted appropriately by reuniting them with their families. Yesterday, March 19, Phumtham, also the defence minister, along with a media contingent, visited a Uyghur…
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Thailand risks losing its smile as happiness ranking slumps
Thailand’s status as the Land of Smiles is under threat as a new global happiness ranking places the nation far from the top, raising concerns about the country’s well-being. In the latest World Happiness Report, Thailand landed at No. 49 worldwide, an improvement of five places from last year, but still trailing behind Singapore and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. At…
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Bridge collapse in Narathiwat claims one life, injures three
A bridge collapse in Narathiwat province’s Chanae district tragically resulted in one fatality and three injuries as a vehicle and motorcycle were crossing. The collapse was attributed to damage to the underwater support structure caused by last year’s floods, which was still awaiting repair. At 5.45am today, March 19, Phichit Rungprasert, the district chief of Chanae, was informed by the…
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ThaiBev’s Water Festival 2025 to boost tourism and spending
Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) is set to organise the Water Festival 2025 from April 12 to 15, in collaboration with partners including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Culture. Event chairman Suraphon Svetasreni stated that the festival aims to enhance tourism and generate over 10 million baht in spending. The festival will support Thai cultural tourism while…
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Thai man slapped with jail time for hitting Rayong hospital nurse
The Rayong Kwaeng Court sentenced a Thai man to one month and 15 days in jail for slapping a nurse at a hospital in the eastern province of Rayong last month. The victim’s older sister brought the physical assault at Rayong Hospital to public attention to seek justice. She explained that her sister had warned a patient’s family members not…
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Driver fuels up and bails, gaslighting Bangchak station
A black Mitsubishi sedan was captured on CCTV at a Bangchak petrol station in Mueang Khon Kaen district, Khon Kaen province, refuelling with 1,000 baht of Gasohol 95, before the driver feigned a payment scan and fled without paying. The petrol station is now using social media to seek information about the vehicle. Manothai Thaopia, a 36 year old marketing…
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Thailand video news | Belgian MMA fighter fends off four attackers in Pattaya parking brawl, Indonesia’s richest woman loses $3.6 billion in three days
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring viewers the latest headlines from Thailand and Southeast Asia in today’s news roundup. A Belgian MMA fighter in Pattaya fended off four attackers in a parking dispute, while police in Koh Phangan are searching for foreign shoplifters caught on CCTV. In Phuket, two Dutch tourists were fined for provocative dancing on Bangla…
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Drunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)
A drunk British man reportedly insulted Thai workers and customers at a restaurant in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima after his favourite alcoholic beverage was not available. The restaurant’s owner, Thai man, Apinan, called officers from Phimai Police Station to the scene in the Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, March 16. The 49 year old restauranteur was…
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Heated sepak takraw match kicks off late-night brawl
A late-night altercation between neighbours in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, involved a dispute over a sepak takraw game. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station reported the incident occurred at 11.06pm, yesterday, March 19. Officers, along with local rescue services, arrived at the scene to find two injured people resulting from a violent confrontation involving knives and…
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PM Paetongtarn defends family time amidst farmers’ protest
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has responded to criticism following her controversial appearance with her children during a farmers’ protest outside Government House. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, March 18, has sparked outrage as farmers from 19 provinces unloaded truckloads of blackchin tilapia near the Government House fence. The farmers were protesting the government’s slow response to eradicating the…
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Digital boom: Thailand’s tech economy set for electrifying growth
Thailand’s digital economy is poised to skyrocket this year, with GDP expected to rise by a staggering 7.3% to hit 4.85 trillion baht, according to the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry. This digital surge far exceeds the national GDP growth rate, sitting at 2.8%, totalling 19.2 trillion baht. Digital investment is also on a meteoric rise, predicted to grow…
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Student brawl in Nonthaburi leaves female injured, vehicles damaged
A violent altercation occurred between rival student groups from the same university in Nonthaburi, resulting in injuries to a female student and severe damage to parked vehicles. The incident took place yesterday, March 19, at 8pm outside a convenience store on Nonthaburi 14 Road, Bang Kraso subdistrict, Mueang district. Officers from Rattanathibet Police Station were alerted to the brawl involving…
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Alcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads
The Thai Cabinet agreed to revise the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, allowing businesses to advertise their alcohol products and enabling the public to share pictures and videos of alcoholic beverages without legal punishment. The draft of the revised Alcohol Beverage Control Act was discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday, March 19. At the end of the meeting, 365 Parliament members…
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Credit crunch: Thai economy faces stormy skies
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is sounding the alarm over slipping asset quality among wealthier borrowers, echoing a worrying trend seen in middle- and low-income groups as the Thai economy slows to a crawl. Minutes from the recent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting reveal mounting concerns about loan quality deteriorating across the board. This could lead banks to become even…
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Indian national found dead in Bangkok townhouse
A housekeeper discovered the unusual death of a 38 year old Indian national, who had rented a townhouse in Thon Buri district, Bangkok, for about two months. His relatives lost contact with him, prompting the house owner to request an inspection. At 2pm yesterday, March 19, Police Lieutenant Satha Duang-Iad, Deputy Inspector at Samre Police Station, responded to a report…
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MG shifts gears as Thai pickup production hits the brakes amid slowdown
SAIC Motor-CP has hit the brakes on its Thai pickup truck production. The pause by the Chinese-Thai collaboration producing MG vehicles, comes as the domestic car market takes a downturn, although there’s hope for a reboot once conditions steady. While MG Sales (Thailand) hasn’t disclosed specific production figures for diesel pickups, company Vice-President Pongsak Lertruedeewattanavong reassures consumers. “Pickups aren’t our…
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