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Thailand traffic fine survey finds majority back harsher penalties, except for speeding
A new survey has found broad public support for the new Thailand traffic fines, with one notable exception: a majority of respondents say the speeding penalty goes too far. The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) polled 1,310 people by phone across Thailand on April 7 and 8, gauging public reaction to the stricter penalties that police began enforcing without…
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Thai Senate committee proposes a 3% VAT hike in new tax reform
Thailand’s Economic, Financial and Fiscal Affairs Committee of the Senate proposed a tax reform plan to address the country’s fiscal deficit and rising public debt, including a proposal to raise value-added tax (VAT) from 7% to 10%. The committee, chaired by Kamphol Supapaeng, discussed the tax restructuring plan yesterday, April 19, as part of efforts to tackle long-term fiscal challenges.…
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Thailand to issue emergency loan decree amid El Niño fears and rising energy costs
Thailand’s government is preparing to issue an emergency loan decree worth 500,000 million baht to build up financial reserves ahead of what officials describe as compounding economic risks, including a super El Niño weather event and elevated global energy prices. Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilpraphat confirmed the plan, saying the current state of the treasury is limited and relatively rigid,…
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Thai man helps thieves steal gold from nephew-in-law
A man in Ranong province admitted to assisting thieves in stealing a gold bar worth more than 2.5 million baht from his nephew-in-law, claiming he acted out of frustration over the victim’s repeated displays of wealth. The theft took place on April 10 at a car garage in Mueang district. The victim later shared CCTV footage of the incident on…
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Thai page spotlights vlogger’s Cambodia temple confrontation
A clip from an American travel vlogger’s video in Cambodia has circulated widely on Thai social media after capturing a confrontation with a man outside a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh. Tyler Fox, who documents his travels across Asia on YouTube and other platforms, was visiting a Cambodian temple, the Wat Unnalom Monastery in the Riverside area of Phnom Penh,…
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Rama 2 Road construction misses deadline again
Construction on Rama 2 Road will continue until mid-2027 after the Ministry of Transport delayed the project, citing higher fuel and construction material costs. Long-running works on Rama 2 Road, along with a series of fatal accidents linked to the construction, have affected motorists and residents in the area for more than 50 years. This made the route known to…
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Thailand News | Ayutthaya factory fire sends workers running, Thailand considers round-the-clock alcohol sales in EEC Zone
Today we’ll be talking about a factory fire in Ayutthaya causing a mass evacuation, in ASEAN news another fire in Malaysia destroyed nearly 1000 homes in a coastal village, on Walking Street in Pattaya tragedy strikes as a police officer has been arrested for allegedly murdering a cannabis shop owner, then Bangkok drug raids unravel a cocaine distribution network, after…
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Thai man arrested for deliberately starting forest fire in Phitsanulok for ‘fun’
A 22 year old man was arrested in Phitsanulok province on Saturday, April 18, after admitting to deliberately starting a forest fire for “entertainment” purposes. Rangers from Chat Trakan Waterfall National Park were patrolling Kaeng Hat Oi Forest in Tha Sakae subdistrict, Chat Trakan district, following repeated reports of fires in the area. During the patrol, officers encountered a suspicious…
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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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Two die in Bang Na townhouse blaze, cause under investigation
A fire tore through a townhouse at a luxury housing project on Udom Suk Road in Bang Na, Bangkok, early on Sunday, killing two people and injuring two others. The blaze broke out at 2.45am. Police Lieutenant Wirach Samran, deputy inspector of Bang Na Police Station, attended the scene alongside officers from the Sukhumvit Fire and Rescue Station. The fire…
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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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Chiang Mai doctor reports severe lung cases tied to PM2.5
A doctor at Chiang Mai University said on April 17 that PM2.5 and toxic smoke in northern Thailand were linked to two serious lung cases, including a 19 year old foreign tourist who required high-flow oxygen. PM2.5 levels in Chiang Mai remained at concerning levels yesterday with many areas covered by thick haze and reduced visibility. Officials have continued efforts…
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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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Songkran festival: 242 fatalities in Thailand’s road safety report
Thailand’s Songkran road toll falls in 2026, but 242 still killed Thailand recorded 242 deaths, 1,242 accidents, and 1,200 injuries during the Songkran road safety campaign from April 10 to 16, with Bangkok posting the highest death toll at 21 and Phrae province logging the most accidents at 48 and injuries at 50. Speeding was the leading cause of crashes,…
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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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3 foreign men assault another foreigner in Pattaya Songkran celebration
A video recently shared online showed a group of foreign men in a fight during Songkran celebrations on Pattaya Walking Street on April 17. The footage, posted by a Thai woman, showed a group of three men, believed to be from Middle Eastern countries, confronting a foreign man reported to be European, aged between 50 and 60. In the caption, the…
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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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Thailand set for slowest economic growth in ASEAN in 2026, IMF says
Thailand is expected to record the slowest economic growth in ASEAN in 2026 after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast to 1.5%, down from 1.6% projected in January. The downgrade, reported today, April 17, places Thailand behind its regional peers, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The IMF said Vietnam is expected to lead the region with 7.1% growth, followed…
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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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