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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Teen’s test drive ends in tragedy at Suvarnabhumi Airport
An 18 year old man’s attempt at testing a vehicle resulted in a tragic accident on Suvarnabhumi Airport’s runway road in Samut Prakan, leading to two fatalities and injuring his girlfriend. Despite warnings, the driver proceeded, leading to the accident today, May 12. Police from Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station in Samut Prakan received a report about the late-night accident on…
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Thaksin Shinawatra’s Qatar travel request denied
The Appeal Court has confirmed the Criminal Court’s decision to deny former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra‘s request to travel to Qatar, as reported by former senator Somchai Swangkarn. Somchai, referencing a justice system source, shared on Facebook that Thaksin’s appeal was rejected for two reasons outlined by the lower court. Firstly, there was no confirmed meeting between Thaksin and US…
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Lao woman caught smuggling 137,000 ecstasy pills across Thai border
A 23 year old Lao woman was apprehended for attempting to smuggle 137,000 ecstasy pills, valued at over 55 million baht, across the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. She was allegedly promised 10,000 baht for the delivery. Yesterday, May 11, Lieutenant General Boonsin Phadklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region and Head of the Drug Suppression and Prevention Command, reported that…
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Thai police uncover 256 tonnes of electronic waste in Bang Pahan
A covert facility in Bang Pahan, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, has been discovered to house over 256 tonnes of electronic waste and automotive parts. Thai police and industrial officials are currently investigating the site, where a Chinese national serves as the managing director. On May 11, Police Major General Watcharin Pusit, head of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division,…
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Bangkok drug network dismantled in major police bust
On May 11, police arrested four people at a condominium in Bangkok for drug-related offences, seizing various illicit substances including methamphetamine and ecstasy. This operation led to the dismantling of a major distribution network selling drugs in nightclubs. Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom and other senior officers supervised the arrest of 37 year old Wongsakorn, 32 year old Atcharaphat, 21…
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Ten voters in van accident en route to Sisaket
Ten people, travelling in a rented van from Bangkok to Sisaket to vote, were involved in an accident when the vehicle crashed into a streetlight and fell into a road median. The incident occurred at 7am today, May 11, when Police Lieutenant Chaloemchai Nerntharanee, Deputy Inspector of Investigation at Nang Rong Police Station, Buriram province, received a report of the…
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Teen brawl at Bun Bang Fai festival prompts legal action calls (video)
A video capturing an altercation at a Bun Bang Fai festival in Khamcha-i district, Mukdahan province, has sparked online calls for legal action. The footage, posted by the I Am Mukdahan page, shows a fierce brawl involving a group of teenagers and a lottery vendor, who ends up with facial injuries. The video, lasting 2 minutes and 43 seconds, depicts…
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Myanmar man shoots 70 year old in Bangkok entry dispute
A 23 year old man from Myanmar fatally shot a 70 year old man after being denied entry to visit his pregnant wife at the latter’s workplace. The incident occurred on May 10 at 7pm in the Rom Sai 12 alley, Lak Song subdistrict, Bang Khae district, Bangkok. Police Lieutenant Ekachai Yimnimitt, an investigator from Phetkasem Police Station, along with…
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Family of three perish in tragic Phuket motorcycle crash
Three family members, including a father, daughter, and mother-in-law, tragically died in a motorcycle accident in Phuket. The incident occurred yesterday, May 10, at 5pm when a motorcycle lost control and crashed into a streetlight on Sakdidet Road in the district of Mueang, Phuket province. Police Major Chonlathit Kheaw-on from the Wichit Police Station received the report, leading officers and…
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Ukrainian woman arrested at Phuket airport for condo vandalism
A Ukrainian woman was apprehended by police at Phuket International Airport while attempting to flee the country after allegedly causing significant damage to a luxury condominium in Phuket. The damage was estimated at over 350,000 baht (US$10,630). This arrest was conducted by police from Wichit district in Phuket, in collaboration with immigration officers, under the guidance of Police Colonel Somsak…
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Severe storm in Bangkok claims life as tree crushes shelter
A severe storm with strong winds and heavy rain resulted in a tree falling and crushing a shelter in Bangkok, leading to the death of 51 year old Buala. The incident was reported yesterday, May 11 and investigated by Police Lieutenant Colonel Pipatchai Panphim, deputy inspector at Thammasala Police Station. The tragedy occurred in the early hours within Soi Phutthamonthon…
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Thailand and Australia boost trade ties amid new vehicle standards
Thailand and Australia are working to enhance sustainable and stable regional trade, aiming to boost the value of automotive exports and maintain Thailand’s status as Australia’s leading exporter of pickup trucks. Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan discussed these objectives after meeting with Australian Ambassador Angela Macdonald at her Bangkok residence on May 7. A significant topic addressed was Australia’s New Vehicle…
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Bangkok building collapse rescue ends; probe into malpractice begins
Efforts to retrieve bodies following the collapse of the 2.1 billion baht State Audit Office building in Bangkok, instigated by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, have been concluded, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s announcement yesterday, May 10. Suriyachai Rawiwon, director of the BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, reported that the final areas, including a lift…
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Missing Thai teen found dead; family seeks answers
The search for missing 17 year old Napassorn, known as Nong Namtan, concluded tragically with her family confirming her death yesterday, May 10. Napassorn, from Udon Thani, left her apartment in Pathum Thani’s Rangsit area on May 1. Her family lost contact with her at midnight, prompting her father to file a missing person report with Pathum Thani police the…
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Severe weather alert: Summer storms hit 69 Thai provinces
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued warnings for severe weather, including summer storms, across 69 provinces. Expect heavy rainfall, strong winds, hail, and possible thunderstorms. Southern Thailand will see increased rainfall, while Bangkok faces an 80% chance of precipitation. According to the TMD’s 24-hour forecast from today, May 11, upper Thailand is set to experience summer storms characterised by…
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Thai cops buy bus ticket for broke Pattaya man
In an unexpected display of empathy, Pattaya’s municipal officers have drawn both praise and scepticism after assisting a man who caused a scene at a convenience store—by buying him a bus ticket home with their own cash. The incident unfolded earlier this week when the unidentified man became visibly distressed and agitated inside a convenience store. Onlookers called the police,…
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Phuket cops nab meth dealers after traffic stop tip-off
Phuket police arrested four men for drug dealing in the Wichit area in an operation on Wednesday. On May 7, police set up a traffic discipline checkpoint at the Darasamutr Intersection underpass in Wichit, as part of an ongoing crime crackdown spearheaded by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum. It was here that officers pulled over 39…
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White Lotus filming fails to boost southern Thailand hotel tourism
Hotels in southern Thailand have yet to see any significant impact from the filming of The White Lotus HBO series in the country. The global economy’s volatility and safety concerns have influenced potential tourists’ decisions. Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy in Phuket, reported that despite the popularity of White Lotus Season 3, which aired on…
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Thai green curry pizza takes Finland by storm
In an unexpected culinary twist, Finnish pizza lovers are diving into a flavour fusion that’s leaving taste buds tingling: the Thai Green Curry Pizza. Launched by Kotipizza, the largest pizza chain in the Nordic region, this exotic offering blends the creamy, spicy kick of Thai green curry with the beloved Italian classic, and it’s already creating quite a buzz. This…
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Phuket braces for polls as political heavyweights clash
Phuket is heading to the polls tomorrow in a high-stakes round of municipal elections set to reshape local leadership across the island — and voters are being urged to turn out in force. In a rally dubbed the “Big Day”, Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat led an event at Saphan Hin’s 4,000-seat gymnasium on Thursday, May 8, to stir civic spirit…
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Dental assistant arrested for stealing gold in central Thailand
A 42 year old dental assistant has been arrested for allegedly stealing 16 baht weight in gold, valued at 800,000 baht, from a residence in Mueang district, Nonthaburi province. The theft led the victim, a 72 year old woman named Nuchwadi, to suffer from severe depression. The incident was first reported on April 9 when Nuchwadi informed the police at…
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Architect slams ‘botched’ Thai Parliament revamp
Thailand’s leading architect has launched a scathing attack on plans to renovate the country’s new Parliament complex, branding them “destructive” and “irreversible.” National Artist Chatree Ladalalitsakul, the chief designer of the grand riverside structure, broke a decade-long silence to condemn the proposed modifications, which he says would compromise both its artistic integrity and structural safety. “For 10 years, we have…
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Phuket nominee crackdown: 23 guilty, 60 firms busted
A massive web of illegal nominee businesses in Phuket has finally unravelled, with 23 people and more than 60 companies found guilty of using fake Thai ownership to skirt the country’s business laws. The Department of Business Development (DBD) dropped the bombshell yesterday, May 9, confirming that the Criminal Court ruled against the offenders in a major case under Red…
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Pattaya’s ‘Spider-Man’ burglar busted scaling estate wall
A wall-scaling thief dubbed the “Spider-Man” has finally been caught after terrorising a luxury Thai housing estate in Pattaya in a series of daring break-ins that left residents shaken and over a million baht out of pocket. Yesterday, May 9 at 5.30pm, security guards at Bristol Park, a gated community in Soi Thung Rahar, Huay Yai subdistrict, apprehended the slippery…
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Malaysian tourist dies after hotel balcony plunge in Patong
Holidaymakers in Phuket were left stunned when a Malaysian tourist reportedly “acting crazy” leapt from a hotel balcony in the early hours of yesterday, later dying from his injuries in hospital. The incident happened around 1.30am yesterday, May 9, when Patong Police were alerted by Patong Hospital that a foreign man had fallen from a hotel building and had tragically succumbed…
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Tour bus flips in northeast Thailand, 36 injured in midnight crash
Dozens of terrified passengers were left bloodied and bruised after a packed tour bus flipped onto its side in the dead of night in northeast Thailand — with many suspecting the driver had dozed off behind the wheel. The crash occurred around 3am yesterday, May 9, as the Chan Tour bus, en route from Rayong to Nakhon Phanom, veered off…
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Lightning alert: Severe storms to hit 55 provinces in Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for today, predicting severe storms to impact 55 provinces across Thailand. Approximately 60% of the affected areas will experience heavy rainfall, strong winds, and some hail. The northeastern region is anticipated to be hit by summer storms, characterised by thunderstorms, gusty winds, and occasional hail. Other regions will begin to experience…
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Thailand’s solar rooftop market to see growth amid falling prices
The solar rooftop market in Thailand is poised for increased competition, driven by decreasing prices, a rise in supply from manufacturers, and government initiatives to promote renewable energy. EnergyLIB, a solar energy solutions provider, has introduced a solar system for townhouses, while a consortium including German cable manufacturer Lapp Holding Asia, Hong Kong-based industrial conglomerate Jebsen and Jessen Group, and…
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Thai durians bound for China amid export scramble
Thailand’s king of fruit is rolling out in full force this season, just in time to satisfy China’s insatiable appetite for durians. But behind the scenes, officials are scrambling to iron out export wrinkles and squash safety concerns. As durian season hits its peak, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has declared Thailand is ready to meet booming demand from…
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Storms loom, but Pattaya still packs out for long weekend
Storm clouds may be looming over Thailand this weekend, but that’s not stopping waves of tourists from descending on Pattaya’s beaches. Despite unstable weather conditions forecast across large swathes of the country, the seaside city is bracing for a surge in holidaymakers from May 9 to 12, as the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and the Visakha Bucha Day substitution create a…
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