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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Yom River floods force urgent evacuations in Phichit
A sudden surge of water from the Yom River, flowing down from Sukhothai and Phitsanulok in northern Thailand, has caused flooding in Phichit, prompting urgent evacuations in low-lying areas. The river’s unexpected early rise has caught residents off guard, forcing many to quickly move valuables and livestock to higher ground. Yesterday, August 8, the Yom River’s overflow was first reported…
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Thai evacuees set to return as tensions with Cambodia ease
Thai officials are preparing to assist thousands of evacuees in returning home as tensions along the Cambodian border subside. Surin Governor Chamnan Chuentha confirmed that stability has returned to most border areas following Thursday’s General Border Committee meetings in Kuala Lumpur, where Thailand and Cambodia agreed on a 13-point ceasefire. Transportation arrangements are being coordinated with shelters and the Department…
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Bangkok-bound train derails in Prachuap Khiri Khan, 10 injured
Chaos erupted in Kui Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, early this morning when three sleeper carriages of a Bangkok-bound express train detached and derailed, leaving 10 people injured. The incident happened at around 5am today, August 9, when the special express train No. 38/46 from Su-ngai Kolok and Padang Besar to Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) was approaching a curved section…
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Thai court weighs foreign pilot hiring dispute
Thai airlines are not currently hiring foreign pilots for domestic routes, but that could change next year depending on a key court ruling. In March, the Thai Pilots Association filed legal action against the Ministry of Labour, seeking a temporary injunction to halt the use of foreign pilots on domestic services. The case stems from last year’s high tourism season,…
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7 Chinese barbers arrested in Bangkok salon raid
An upscale Ratchada barbershop in Bangkok became the scene of a dramatic Tourist Police raid, ending with seven Chinese men cuffed for cutting hair illegally. Tourist Police stormed a high-end salon on Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek Road, arresting the suspects for working without the necessary permits in a profession reserved for Thai citizens. The operation formed part of a nationwide crackdown led…
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Thailand–Hong Kong flight ‘rat pack’ busted in mid-air bag theft
A Hong Kong passenger caught a suspected in-flight thief red-handed on a Thailand–Hong Kong flight, exposing “rat pack” gangs targeting travellers’ bags. What was meant to be a much-needed rest for one Hong Kong tattoo artist turned into a mid-air sting operation when he spotted a man rifling through his bag just 30 minutes after take-off from Thailand. The passenger,…
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Bang Lamung chief warns village bosses to clean up act
Local leaders in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district have been given a blunt warning—follow the rules, protect your reputation, and keep your guns in check. Village headmen and subdistrict chiefs in Bang Lamung were told in no uncertain terms to toe the line during a monthly meeting at the district office’s community hall. The meeting yesterday, August 8, was presided…
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Phuket prepares to host global green tourism summit
Phuket’s power players jetted to Fiji for a high-profile eco-tourism summit, returning with ideas, allies, and a mission to make next year’s event the island’s greenest showpiece yet. A high-level Phuket delegation has returned from Fiji after taking part in the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference (GSTC) 2025—a key step in preparing the island to host the world-class event next year.…
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Phuket cops seize sunglasses stash from illegal Cambodian vendor
Phuket Immigration officers have launched a high-profile crackdown on illegal beach vendors following complaints from residents and business owners that Cambodian migrant workers were openly selling goods without permission. Locals claimed the activity was damaging the island’s tourism image and undercutting Thai vendors who operate legally. Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Police Colonel Kriangkrai Ariyaying ordered Deputy Superintendent Police Lieutenant Colonel…
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Thailand deluge: Bangkok braced for mega storm chaos
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a weather forecast predicting thunderstorms across 45 provinces, focusing on two regions, with Bangkok expected to experience the heaviest rainfall. Residents are urged to exercise caution due to potential dangers from thunderstorms yesterday, August 8. The forecast, for 6pm yesterday to 6pm today, August 9, indicates that the southwest monsoon is currently affecting…
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Phuket jet ski blitz nets 38 illegal rides in safety push
Phuket’s rogue jet ski operators have been hit with a major crackdown, as police swooped on six locations and seized 38 illegally operated machines. The coordinated operation, led by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Phuket Marine Police, was launched to boost tourist safety and safeguard the island’s image. Officials said many operators were running jet ski services without…
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Car wreckage with human skeleton found in Phitsanulok ravine
A rescue team on Wednesday, August 6, unexpectedly discovered the wreckage of a car containing a human skeleton in a ravine in the northern province of Phitsanulok while rescuing a truck driver who had crashed his vehicle at the same spot. The truck driver crashed his vehicle, which was carrying eucalyptus logs, into the ravine in the Chat Trakan district…
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WhatsApp wipes out 6.8 million scam accounts in global crackdown
WhatsApp has obliterated 6.8 million scam accounts in just six months, in what parent company Meta calls a major strike against global fraud networks. The social media giant says many of the accounts were tied to organised crime syndicates in Southeast Asia, notorious for running scam centres staffed by people forced into the work. Victims of these centres have been…
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Patong fruit row turns bloody as vendor stabs tourist
A late-night fruit snack in Patong turned into a bloody street fight when a payment dispute ended with a tourist being stabbed in the stomach. Patong Police were called to the scene at 2.20am today, August 8, outside Patong Medical Clinic on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road. Police Lieutenant Colonel Somprasong Labaisat, Deputy Superintendent (Investigation) of Patong Police Station, led the…
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Bangkok ex-boxer sets Malaysian tourists on fire in mall horror
Shoppers in central Bangkok were left horrified after a former Thai boxer allegedly doused two Malaysian tourists in flammable liquid and set them on fire outside a popular mall. Good Samaritans leapt into action to tackle the attacker before police arrived. The attack took place at around 10pm yesterday, August 7, on Ratchadamri Road, Lumpini, in front of a well-known…
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Thai woman suffers 54 stitches after brutal assault by ex-husband
A Thai woman is seeking justice after her ex-husband assaulted her at her home in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, leaving her with multiple severe injuries which required 54 stitches. The 32 year old victim, Noi, took her case to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women because she feared delays in the police investigation and was concerned for her safety.…
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Electrocuted monkey falls onto car, shattering rear window
A monkey yesterday, August 7, fell from an electricity pole onto a sedan parked outside a condominium in Samut Prakan province, shattering the vehicle’s rear window after being electrocuted. Initially, security guards at the condominium, located in the Bang Pu neighbourhood, contacted the Bang Pu Sub-district Municipality Office for assistance in catching the long-tailed macaque, fearing it might cause further…
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Cathay Pacific’s LA to Hong Kong trip turns into 29-hour nightmare (video)
What was supposed to be a routine 13-hour hop across the Pacific turned into a 29-hour ordeal for almost 300 Cathay Pacific passengers, leaving some calling it the world’s longest commercial flight in terms of sheer misery. Flight CX883 left Los Angeles at 12.55am (local time) on Monday, August 4, bound for Hong Kong. But as the 15 year old…
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Toilet drug kitchen busted in Bangkok cannabis snack raid
Bangkok police have uncovered a cannabis snack production house where toilets were used as mixing stations, seizing nearly a million baht’s worth of illegal products—just days after a toddler was hospitalised from eating one of the jellies. The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) launched the raid following social media reports that a two year old child had eaten a jelly,…
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Thai monks busted at Phuket temple for meth use
A Phuket temple has been rocked by scandal after three monks and two workers were caught using methamphetamine (meth) during a surprise drug raid. Cherng Talay Police, acting on a formal complaint, swooped on Wat Cherng Talay in Thalang at 2pm yesterday, August 7, in a joint operation with the Phuket Provincial Office of Buddhism, Thalang district officials, public health…
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Chinese man surrenders after armed standoff in Pattaya store
A dramatic two-hour standoff unfolded in Pattaya in the early hours of today when an armed Chinese man holed up inside a convenience store, before surrendering to police. Pattaya City Police received the report at 12.16am today, August 8, alerting them to a man with a gun inside a shop near the entrance to Soi Thepprasit 8. Deputy Superintendent of…
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Motorcycle rider killed on Phuket’s deadly Coconut Grove curve
A Phuket motorcyclist has died after a high-speed crash at a notorious curve on Thepkasattri Road in Mai Khao, sparking renewed concerns over road safety in the area. The accident occurred yesterday evening, August 7, near the Coconut Grove Curve—a stretch long feared by local riders. Police say the 41 year old victim, later identified as Mai Khao resident Samreong…
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Thailand video news | Thailand and Cambodia ink 13-point border peace accord in Kuala Lumpur, Tomorrowland locked In for Pattaya’s Wisdom Valley Festival site
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay deliver the latest regional updates — from Thailand and Cambodia’s 13-point peace accord and a mass exodus of Cambodian workers, to a national mental health warning and fresh challenges in the Thai film industry. Other highlights include a Pattaya villa raid over explicit livestreams, a British overstay arrest linked to theft, and Indonesia’s…
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10 year old Canadian girl drowns off Kata Beach in Phuket
A rescue team yesterday, August 7, discovered the body of a Canadian girl who had drowned in the sea off Kata Beach in Phuket. Officers from Karon Police Station and rescuers from the Kuson Dham Foundation were called to Kata Beach after the 10 year old was swept away by waves while swimming with her family at around 4pm. The…
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Thai Airways soars with 12 billion baht profit in Q2
Thai Airways (THAI) is flying high again, racking up a staggering profit of more than 12 billion baht in the second quarter of 2025, fuelled by cheaper jet fuel and strong passenger growth. The flag carrier and its subsidiaries reported revenue of 44.83 billion baht (excluding one-time items) for the quarter, up 1.9% on last year. Passenger numbers climbed 4.2%…
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Bangkok toll booths go free for Mother’s Day travel
Drivers in Greater Bangkok can look forward to a free ride next Monday, as the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) scraps toll fees at 63 booths for the day in celebration of Mother’s Day. The toll waiver will run from 12.01am on Monday, August 11, to midnight on Tuesday, August 12, giving motorists a 24-hour break from charges on three…
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Cambodia delays Thailand’s call for landmine clearance and scam crackdown
Despite a ceasefire agreement aimed at bringing peace to the border between the two countries, Cambodia reportedly rejected proposals for landmine clearance and a crackdown on call centre scams, suggesting instead that the issues be postponed to the next discussions. Representatives from Thailand and Cambodia attended an extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) in Malaysia yesterday, August 7, to…
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Furious dad drags Chon Buri tattoo shop to cops
A furious father marched his teenage son into a Chon Buri police station this week to accuse a local tattoo parlour of illegally inking the 14 year old boy without parental consent. The drama unfolded yesterday, August 7, at Phlu Ta Luang Police Station, where Dr Thirawat Weerawat, better known as Attorney Ice Sai Lui, accompanied the boy’s parents to…
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Jet ski heroes drag tourist from Phuket rip current (video)
A dramatic jet ski rescue unfolded off Phuket’s Bang Tao-Surin Beach on Wednesday when two quick-thinking lifeguards hauled an unconscious foreign tourist from a deadly rip current. Footage of the daring save, posted by Facebook user Witsarut Saman yesterday evening, August 7, shows the moment the lifeguards tore through pounding surf on a jet ski to reach the struggling swimmer.…
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Thailand tempest: Heavy rain set to drench Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a weather warning, predicting thunderstorms across 36 provinces, with Bangkok expected to be particularly affected, experiencing heavy rainfall in 60% of its area. Residents have been advised to exercise caution due to potential hazards from these conditions. The weather forecast for the next 24 hours indicates that thunderstorms will be prevalent throughout Thailand, driven…
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