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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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New driving rules: Foreigners must take test in Thailand
No more shortcuts — foreigners in Thailand will soon be required to pass a written test to get a Thai driver’s licence, even if they hold a valid international permit. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) is tightening its rules with a new draft regulation that scraps the use of international driving permits (IDPs) as acceptable proof for obtaining a…
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Thai activist calls mass protest to ‘sink the boat’ over PM scandal
Veteran activist Jatuporn Prompan has declared political war, calling for a mass protest at Bangkok’s Victory Monument on June 28. His mission? To oust Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whom he accuses of betraying the nation. At a fiery press conference held at the Rattanakosin Hotel on Ratchadamnoen Road, Bangkok, at 10am today, June 20, more than 40 prominent figures from…
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Dead man with hands cuffed and legs bound found in Nakhon Si Thammarat
The discovery of a dead man with his hands cuffed and legs bound in a palm plantation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, June 19, reminded locals in the area of a similar case that occurred two years prior. Residents of the Tha Rue sub-district in Mueang district detected a foul odour in the area and gathered…
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iCloud loan sharks busted in Bangkok raid over 30% interest scam (video)
The Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) conducted a raid on an illegal loan company in Bangkok and Samut Prakan. The company allegedly accepted iCloud accounts as collateral and locked devices if payments were missed. It had over 5,000 clients and charged interest rates of 30% per month. The operation was led by Police Major General Thasanphumi Charuprachya, commander of the…
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Death penalty call: Activists accuse PM over leaked tape
Two fiery political activists have filed explosive charges against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, claiming she committed acts so severe they could carry the death penalty. The complaint was lodged on Thursday at Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station by anti-corruption campaigners Tul Prasertsilp and Chaichana Tasaniyom. The duo accused the prime minister of breaching multiple sections of Thailand’s Criminal Code over…
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2 Thai men attack drug rehab clinic worker and steal prescription medicine
Two Thai men attacked a worker at a drug rehabilitation clinic in Pathum Thani on Wednesday, June 18, after an employee refused to sell them prescription medication, which they later stole. The Jmoi V+ Facebook page reported yesterday, June 19, that the pair physically assaulted a 63 year old employee at the Princess Mother National Institute for Drug Abuse Treatment…
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Rawai drug dealer busted with gun and meth stash
A Phuket man’s drug-dealing days went up in smoke after police raided his Rawai home and uncovered a stash of meth, firearms, and a bullet-laced surprise. The 30 year old suspect, Thanabat “Bank” Nomsaksiri, was arrested yesterday, June 19, following a targeted operation led by the Narcotics Suppression Division of the Phuket Provincial Police. The raid, headed by Police Lieutenant…
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Death of Thai volunteer lawyer in Cambodia linked to illness, not murder
An autopsy confirmed that a Thai volunteer lawyer who died in a rented room in Cambodia, with 700,000 baht missing, had passed away due to a congenital disease, not murder. A strong unpleasant odour from an apartment in the Or Smach district of Oddar Meanchey province led to the discovery of the body of 58 year old Thai man Thotsaporn…
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20 Myanmar migrants nabbed in Thai rubber plantation
A human smuggling route was shut down as 20 Myanmar migrants were caught hiding in a rubber plantation in Kanchanaburi, after a dawn raid by Thai authorities. Chakrit Tanpirul, the district chief of Thong Pha Phum in Kanchanaburi province, revealed yesterday, June 19, that officials had foiled a major illegal entry operation the night before. The bust followed a tip-off…
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Busted: Pattaya beach thief caught hiding loot in bushes
A tourist beach day turned into a crime scene after a drug-addicted thief snatched valuables and bolted — but he didn’t get far. Today, June 20, Pattaya police arrested a 38 year old man who allegedly stole a haul of belongings from a tourist on the beach before fleeing the scene and hiding the goods in nearby bushes. Officers tracked…
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EconThai warns against dissolving House amid political unrest
The Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry (EconThai) has advised against dissolving the House of Representatives to tackle the weakened political stability in the wake of a leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen, former Cambodian prime minister. Tanit Sorat, vice-chairperson of EconThai, expressed concern about the potential political vacuum that could result from dissolving…
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Democrat Party digs in: No exit from coalition after crisis talks
After hours behind closed doors, Thailand’s oldest political party has decided to stick with the ruling coalition — for now. The Democrat Party has confirmed it will remain part of the government coalition following a tense three-hour meeting yesterday, June 19, amid political turbulence triggered by a leaked audio clip involving Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun…
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Drunk Swede run over after passing out in Pattaya car park
A drunken night ended in tragedy for a Swedish tourist in Pattaya after he collapsed in a parking lot and was fatally run over by a sedan in the early hours of the morning. At 3.50am today, June 20, emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit received a report of a serious car accident in the parking lot…
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Chalong sting nabs Uzbek woman in clinic raid
A foreign woman offering backroom beauty treatments in Phuket has been arrested after police uncovered her secret unlicensed clinic. An Uzbek national, known only as Maftu, was caught red-handed operating an illegal beauty business in the Chalong area. The arrest took place on Tuesday, June 17, following a joint raid led by Phuket Provincial Police, Phuket Immigration, Chalong Police, and…
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Thai man claims Cambodian accomplice pushed him to kill gay victim
A Thai man who murdered a gay victim in the Isaan province of Surin and stole his gold accessories claimed a Cambodian man encouraged him to commit the crime. The 15 year old Thai boy discovered the body of his transgender neighbour, 63 year old Pratheep Kongthawee, on June 4. Pratheep’s body was hidden under a red blanket near a…
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Storm alert: Thailand soaked as heavy rain triggers flood fears
The Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasted increased rainfall across Thailand, particularly affecting the eastern, upper northeastern, and southwestern regions, warning locals to be cautious of heavy rain and potential accumulation. In Bangkok, residents can expect rain in the afternoon and evening, with a 60% chance. The intensified southwest monsoon, which covers the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand, combined…
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Pink Line plunge: Ridership nosedives 68% after fares kick in
It was all aboard the ghost train on Tuesday, as passenger numbers on Bangkok’s extended Pink Line dropped a staggering 68% overnight — the moment commuters were asked to pay. The Department of Rail Transport revealed the dramatic fall in ridership just one day after the end of the Pink Line’s free test-run period. The extended two-station line to Muang…
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Singaporean duo busted in Thai sex trafficking crackdown
Two Singaporean men have been arrested in Thailand in a cross-border crackdown on a transnational sex trafficking syndicate that allegedly exploited foreign women and funnelled illicit earnings between countries. The suspects, aged 36 and 38, were apprehended on Tuesday, June 17, following a joint operation between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Thailand’s Royal Thai Police (RTP). A 50 year…
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Thai soldier found dead in suspected suicide at Bangkok army facility
A Thai soldier today reportedly committed suicide using an M16 rifle at a welfare accommodation facility in Bangkok’s Dusit district. The Phra Chulachomklao Fort Disaster Relief Radio Centre announced on its official Facebook page that it received a report of the man’s death at approximately 3.17pm on June 19. His body was discovered at a welfare accommodation building under the…
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Pattaya panic: Chinese tourists ditch Thailand for Japan
Pattaya’s golden days with Chinese tourists may be fading fast, and local tourism operators are sounding the alarm. Once a firm favourite with Chinese travellers, Pattaya is now seeing a steady drop in visitors from the mainland, with Japan quickly emerging as their top choice instead. The shift is rattling Thailand’s tourism industry, where Chinese tourists have long made up…
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Bangkok’s new mega road to Don Mueang set to open this month
Bangkok drivers are in for a traffic breakthrough as a major new link road connecting Vibhavadi Rangsit and Phahon Yothin roads nears completion — and it’s set to open by the end of the month. The Bang Khen District Office confirmed the much-anticipated infrastructure upgrade is in its final inspection phase, with workers putting the finishing touches on what’s expected…
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Bank robbery thwarted by brave security guard in Buriram
A courageous Thai security guard successfully thwarted a knife-wielding thief attempting to rob a bank in the Isaan province of Buriram yesterday, June 18. Officers from Nonsuwan Police Station received an emergency alarm from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Nonsuwan branch, and rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, 38 year old Somphon, already subdued…
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Elderly man arrested for illegal excavation in Chiang Mai
An arrest has been made of a 70 year old man, accused of operating an illegal soil excavation site in Chiang Mai’s San Kamphaeng district, which has caused disturbance for over 20 years. Police seized equipment, including two excavators and three dump trucks, at the site located in Buakkang subdistrict. Ayree has been suspected of operating the excavation site without…
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Thai government pays 750k baht to families of tortured conscripts
The Thai government awarded 750,000 baht per family to the relatives of two conscripts who died from torture. Today, June 19, at 9am, at the Ministry of Justice on Cherng Watthana Road, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the justice minister, presided over the compensation ceremony for the victims’ families under the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022.…
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Playful leopard swipes tourist’s flip flop at Kanchanaburi safari (video)
A cheeky leopard at a Kanchanaburi Safari Park has gone viral after it snatched a tourist’s flip flop and made a game of it — leaving the unlucky visitor both barefoot and baffled. The incident, caught on camera and shared by TikTok user @p.phonpimon2544, unfolded at the Safari Park Open Zoo in Nong Kum subdistrict, Bo Phloi district, Kanchanaburi province.…
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Thai police nab suspect in 10 million baht luxury theft
Hong Kong police coordinated with Suvarnabhumi Immigration to apprehend a suspect involved in a 10 million baht luxury brand theft, following his flight to Thailand. Yesterday, June 18, Police Major General Choengron Rimpadee, commander of Immigration Division 2, announced the arrest of Su Kai, a suspect in a high-profile robbery case. This operation was part of a broader initiative to…
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Bangkok mechanic dodges tyre explosion in viral TikTok shocker (video)
A dramatic moment caught on TikTok has gone viral after a tyre unexpectedly exploded during a routine inspection, with the shop owner narrowly dodging disaster in the nick of time. Posted by user @chonkanyang, the video shows the terrifying near-miss at a tyre shop yesterday, June 18. The CCTV footage captures the calm before the blast as the shop owner…
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Transwoman throws wig, cries for help after fleeing scam gang in Cambodia
A Thai transwoman caused a commotion after she and her boyfriend were arrested for illegally crossing the border from Cambodia, claiming that she did not join a call centre scam operation but instead the gang deceived her. Immigration officers apprehended the transwoman and her boyfriend at the Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, at around 4pm…
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Teen motorcyclist dies in Bang Pakong road collision
A tragic accident occurred yesterday involving a teen motorcyclist who lost control and collided with a barrier, resulting in fatal injuries. The incident, which also involved a car, took place yesterday, June 18, around 10.30pm on Bang Na-Trat Road, outbound to Bangkok, in Bang Samak subdistrict, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province. Police Lieutenant Veerawat Khunsuk, Deputy Inspector of Bang Pakong…
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Thai restaurants struggle with 400 baht minimum wage hike
The Thai Restaurant Association expressed concern about the impact of the recent decision to raise the daily minimum wage to 400 baht on the already struggling restaurant sector. This adjustment, effective from July 1, will apply to all workers in Bangkok and is extended to employees in most hotels and entertainment venues across the country. Currently, the minimum wage in…
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