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.

  • Russian teen killed after speedboat hits fishing boat in Krabi | Thaiger

    Russian teen killed after speedboat hits fishing boat in Krabi

    A Russian tourist lost her life and at least 11 others were injured after a speedboat collided with a fishing boat in the sea off Krabi yesterday, January 11. Authorities later found methamphetamine (Yaba), cannabis, and kratom aboard the speedboat, and the driver tested positive for drugs. Officers from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre were alerted to the collision…

  • British-Australian man found dead on yacht off Phuket coast | Thaiger

    British-Australian man found dead on yacht off Phuket coast

    A man holding both British and Australian citizenship was found dead aboard his private yacht anchored off Khao Khad beach in Phuket yesterday, January 11, with the cause of death still under investigation. The discovery was made around 12.30pm when a German friend, 54 year old Matthias Lepke, who had been moored nearby, became concerned after not seeing the man…

  • Pheu Thai aims to transform Chiang Mai into inclusive growth model city | Thaiger

    Pheu Thai aims to transform Chiang Mai into inclusive growth model city

    Pheu Thai has introduced policies to transform Chiang Mai into a model city for inclusive growth, integrating creative industries, cluster tourism, diversity, and educational reform. Prime ministerial candidates Yodchanan Wongsawat and Suriya Jungrungreangkit from the Pheu Thai Party visited Chiang Mai on Saturday. They conducted a public forum to gather opinions from the LGBTQIA+ community, creative workers, cultural professionals, and…

  • Phuket police tighten drug checks for Electric Daisy Carnival | Thaiger

    Phuket police tighten drug checks for Electric Daisy Carnival

    Phuket police are set to intensify their measures to prevent drug entry at the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) concert, in response to two fatalities at last year’s event. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Sinlert Sukhum announced that more than 200 officers will be deployed to safeguard the venue, with stringent drug checks at all entry points. Authorities stressed that these checks…

  • Bombings and arson hit 11 petrol stations in southern Thailand | Thaiger

    Bombings and arson hit 11 petrol stations in southern Thailand

    In the early hours of January 11, a series of bombings and arson attacks targeted 11 petrol stations across the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat. These incidents are believed by security forces to be orchestrated by insurgent groups to create unrest in the region. Reports indicate that an explosion and subsequent fire at one petrol station caused…

  • Thailand mourns public health pioneer Dr Prawase Wasi’s passing at 93 | Thaiger

    Thailand mourns public health pioneer Dr Prawase Wasi’s passing at 93

    Thailand mourns the loss of Dr Prawase Wasi, a distinguished public health scholar and civil society leader, who passed away peacefully at his Bangkok residence on Saturday night at the age of 93. His passing was confirmed at 8.53pm. Dr Prawase, an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Thailand, was revered as a senior figure in Thai civil society.…

  • Tourists warned: Monkey bites pose rabies risk in Phuket | Thaiger

    Tourists warned: Monkey bites pose rabies risk in Phuket

    A British volunteer in Phuket, Vinnie Modell, who founded the Rescue Team Volunteers Phuket, is urging tourists to exercise caution around local monkeys due to risks of injury and potential rabies transmission from bites. Modell reported that at least ten tourists received treatment for monkey bites during the recent Christmas and New Year holiday period. These incidents underscore ongoing risky…

  • Pattaya alley disputes distress cancer patient’s family | Thaiger

    Pattaya alley disputes distress cancer patient’s family

    In South Pattaya, a typically quiet residential alley has been the scene of multiple disputes, leaving a homeowner and her seriously ill father in distress. Yesterday, on January 10, a CCTV clip from a house in Soi Kaophai 2 gained attention on social media. The footage shows transgender women gathered in the narrow alley to resolve a personal issue, which…

  • Thai woman alleges forced labour after scam led her to Cambodia | Thaiger

    Thai woman alleges forced labour after scam led her to Cambodia

    A Thai woman has reported to police that she was deceived into travelling to Cambodia, where she was detained, forced to work for a scam operation, and later released after her bank accounts were frozen. The account was given on January 10, 2026, at 6.22pm, when the woman, identified as Ms. Aim, 35, met officers at the Technology Crime Reporting…

  • Border traders delay investment amid fears of renewed clashes | Thaiger

    Border traders delay investment amid fears of renewed clashes

    Border traders and farmers in areas near the Thai-Cambodian border are delaying investment and selling produce early amid fears of a renewed military clash, according to reports from local communities in Buriram and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. Residents in Ban Kruat district, Buriram province, said uncertainty remains high despite a ceasefire agreement signed between Thailand and Cambodia. Villagers described ongoing concern…

  • Children’s Day military displays draw crowds nationwide | Thaiger

    Children’s Day military displays draw crowds nationwide

    On January 10, 2026, Children’s Day events across Thailand featured large-scale military displays organised by the armed forces, drawing families to army camps and air force bases to view equipment demonstrations and aircraft flyovers. At 3.21pm, crowds gathered at the football field of the 6th Infantry Division at Somdej Phra Phutthayodfa Chulalok Maharaj Camp in Si Somdet district, Roi Et…

  • Taxi robbery suspect arrested after knife attack under bridge | Thaiger

    Taxi robbery suspect arrested after knife attack under bridge

    A man has been arrested in Samut Sakhon Province following a late-night taxi robbery under the Tha Chin River bridge, while a female accomplice who allegedly planned the offence remains at large. The incident occurred on January 7, 2026, at around 11.30pm, when a taxi driver was robbed at knife point at a U-turn beneath the bridge in Tha Chin…

  • Retail tycoon dies after Mercedes crashes and caused blackout | Thaiger

    Retail tycoon dies after Mercedes crashes and caused blackout

    A retail business owner died at the scene after losing control of his Mercedes-Benz and crashing into multiple power poles in Bueng Kan province, triggering a city-wide power outage in the early hours of Friday. Police from Seka Police Station said the crash occurred at about 3.00am on January 10 on Highway 2026, the Seka–Bueng Khong Long road, near Ban…

  • Police arrest 15 motorcycle gang members in Surin crackdown | Thaiger

    Police arrest 15 motorcycle gang members in Surin crackdown

    Police in Surin Province have arrested 15 members of a motorcycle gang following a coordinated crackdown on illegal street racing, seizing 14 motorcycles and securing prison sentences without suspension for several offenders. The operation took place on January 10, 2026, after repeated complaints from residents about large groups of motorcycles racing through central areas of Mueang Surin District. The activity…

  • Motorcycle theft suspect arrested within one hour after CCTV tracking | Thaiger

    Motorcycle theft suspect arrested within one hour after CCTV tracking

    A 25-year-old man was arrested within an hour of stealing a motorcycle that had been left with its key in the ignition, after police traced the vehicle using closed-circuit television footage across central Bangkok. The incident occurred on the evening of January 9, 2026. At 10.44pm, a motorcycle owner reported the theft to Pathumwan Police Station, stating that the vehicle…

  • Brother arrested after bridge death video reveals homicide | Thaiger

    Brother arrested after bridge death video reveals homicide

    A case initially believed to be an accidental fall has shifted to a homicide investigation after video evidence revealed a fatal assault by a family member in Udon Thani Province. Police from Saeng Khom Police Station confirmed that a 52-year-old man, identified as Jaroon, was found dead beneath a bridge in Saeng Khom District on the morning of January 8,…

  • Nine landmines found during border clearance in Surin | Thaiger

    Nine landmines found during border clearance in Surin

    Authorities conducting humanitarian clearance operations along the Thai-Cambodian border have discovered nine anti-personnel landmines in Surin Province, according to official reports released on January 10, 2026. The National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Center stated that mine clearance activities are continuing as part of efforts to create safe access routes for military personnel and local communities in border areas affected by…

  • NocNoc to shut down platform in Thailand by May 2026 | Thaiger

    NocNoc to shut down platform in Thailand by May 2026

    Thai home services platform NocNoc announced today, January 9, that it will permanently shut down operations and stop accepting orders from February 9, citing economic challenges and a highly competitive market. The announcement was made via NocNoc’s official Facebook page, where the company confirmed that it would halt all orders for goods and services starting at midnight on February 9,…

  • Russian extortion suspect caught relaxing at Koh Samui luxury hotel | Thaiger

    Russian extortion suspect caught relaxing at Koh Samui luxury hotel

    Police arrested a Russian man on the resort island of Koh Samui in Surat Thani yesterday, January 8, for extorting 1 million rubles, or nearly 400,000 baht, from a car dealership chief executive in Russia. The arrest followed a request for cooperation from the Russian Embassy in Thailand, which asked Thai authorities to help locate and detain the suspect, identified…

  • Foreign motorcyclist clashes with Thai rider during traffic jam | Thaiger

    Foreign motorcyclist clashes with Thai rider during traffic jam

    A video of a heated road argument between a foreign motorcyclist and a Thai rider has gone viral, showing them exchanging pushes during heavy traffic congestion. The dispute came to public attention after the Facebook page เจ๊ม้อย v+ shared footage of the incident yesterday, January 8. The exact location of the altercation was not disclosed, and the identities of both…

  • RTAF explains Thai-Cambodian border actions to 22 countries | Thaiger

    RTAF explains Thai-Cambodian border actions to 22 countries

    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) briefed foreign military attaché assistants from 22 countries today, January 9, regarding recent military operations along the Thai-Cambodian border, reaffirming its commitment to restraint and civilian safety. The session, held by Air Chief Marshal Sakesan Kantha, Commander-in-Chief of the RTAF, aimed to clarify Thailand’s position and ensure transparency about its air operations near the…

  • Pawnshop officer arrested over multi million baht gold theft in Trang | Thaiger

    Pawnshop officer arrested over multi million baht gold theft in Trang

    Police arrested a pawnshop officer today, January 9, for a gold theft at a municipal pawnshop in Trang province, a case that caused estimated losses of more than 5 million baht. The investigation began after an officer from the Mueang Trang Municipality Pawnshop filed a complaint with Mueang Trang Police Station on Tuesday, January 6. The officer reported that more…

  • Two women clash at Pattaya Beach, one stabbed and injured | Thaiger

    Two women clash at Pattaya Beach, one stabbed and injured

    A violent brawl between two women broke out around 1am today, January 9, along Pattaya Beach in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district, leaving one of them injured after being stabbed with a sharp metal object. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station responded after reports of a street fight near the beach, where crowds of shocked locals and tourists had gathered.…

  • Lions rescued from Thai border undergo urgent medical treatment | Thaiger

    Lions rescued from Thai border undergo urgent medical treatment

    Two white lions rescued near the Thai-Cambodian border were given medical treatment yesterday, January 8, in Ratchaburi, after wildlife officials discovered the animals were suffering from digestive problems. The animals, a male and a female, were found in poor health after being transferred to the Khao Zon Wildlife Breeding Station in Ratchaburi late last year. Veterinary teams say the lions…

  • Suspicion raised in Chiang Mai house fire that kills family of 5 | Thaiger

    Suspicion raised in Chiang Mai house fire that kills family of 5

    Police launched a deeper investigation into a deadly house fire in Chiang Mai province that claimed the lives of five family members, after officials raised concerns that the blaze may not be an accident. The fire broke out at around midnight yesterday, January 8, at a two-storey house in the Pa Dad sub-district of Chiang Mai. All five occupants were…

  • What’s happening in Iran? How hunger protests turned into a fight to topple the Islamic Republic. | Thaiger

    What’s happening in Iran? How hunger protests turned into a fight to topple the Islamic Republic.

    Iran is currently cut off from the outside world. The government has severed internet and telephone lines nationwide, hoping to blind and deafen the international community to the brutality of its crackdown. Yet, the screams of frustration from the streets echo far beyond the digital blackout. This nationwide uprising is a clear signal: the 40-year-old theocratic regime is facing its…

  • Thailand video news | Mutated flu strain fuels spike in Thailand cases, Thai students win top prize at international snow sculpture event | Thaiger

    Thailand video news | Mutated flu strain fuels spike in Thailand cases, Thai students win top prize at international snow sculpture event

    In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Highlights include rising flu cases linked to new mutations, a series of incidents involving misbehaving foreign visitors, and—ending on a feel-good Friday note—Thai students winning the top prize at a snow-sculpting contest in China. Mutated Flu Strain Fuels Spike in Thailand…

  • Bangkok pushes back pet microchipping law to 2027 | Thaiger

    Bangkok pushes back pet microchipping law to 2027

    Bangkok authorities have postponed enforcement of an ordinance requiring pet microchipping and household pet limits, following concern from residents and animal welfare groups. Originally set to take effect on January 10, 2026, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Ordinance on the Control of Keeping or Releasing Animals will now be enforced from January 10, 2027. The Bangkok Metropolitan Council approved the…

  • Khon Kaen power bank fire wrecks molam group accommodation | Thaiger

    Khon Kaen power bank fire wrecks molam group accommodation

    A fire broke out at the staff accommodation of a well-known molam group in Khon Kaen yesterday, January 8, reportedly caused by an overheated power bank. The blaze occurred in a building used by the “Nuphan Wisetsin” molam group, located in Nong Tum subdistrict of Khon Kaen province. A video of the incident was posted online by a Facebook user…