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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 Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
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Thailand’s oldest hippo Mae Mali prepares for 60th birthday bash
Thailand’s most famous hippo is about to become the star of a birthday party like no other. Mae Mali, the beloved hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, will celebrate her 60th birthday with a three-day festival complete with games, exhibitions and a giant fruit cake. The celebrations will run from September 6 to 8 at the zoo’s…
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Phuket Airport stages emergency drill as safety test Friday
Passengers flying through Phuket International Airport this Friday morning can expect to see chaos, but only as part of a full-scale emergency drill. Airport officials confirmed that the exercise, scheduled for 9am on Friday, September 5, will simulate a major incident under the Airport Contingency Plan. The goal is to sharpen safety standards and ensure staff are fully prepared to…
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Phuket man sets ex-girlfriend’s car on fire, blames anger and impulse
A Thai man in Phuket confessed to setting his ex-girlfriend’s car on fire two months after their relationship ended, admitting he acted on a foolish impulse and now regrets his actions. Officers from Wichit Police Station launched an urgent search for the suspect after the red hatchback belonging to 49 year old Thitipha Suppasamran was torched outside her home on…
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Constitutional Court defends ruling that ousted Paetongtarn as PM
Thailand’s political storm intensified today after the Constitutional Court stood firm on its decision to oust ex-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, rejecting claims that the ruling was invalid due to a judge’s expired term. The court confirmed that its August 29 verdict, which removed Paetongtarn over alleged ethical misconduct linked to a leaked conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, remains…
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Thailand video news “Nan River Reaches Highest Level in 14 Years, Flooding Reported”, Gen-X Business Leader Tops Poll as Thailand’s Preferred Prime Minister, Thaksin backs Prayut”
Thailand’s week has been marked by sharp contrasts—plans for a VAT hike to ease fiscal pressures, polls showing rising support for a Gen-X business leader as prime minister, and the Nan River’s worst flooding in 14 years. Meanwhile, violent clashes, sexual assault allegations in the film industry, and outrage over flag disrespect stirred public debate. Adding to the…
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Military officer arrested for fake flu vaccine scam in Thailand
A military medical officer was apprehended for allegedly deceiving over 200 military personnel in South Sudan with fake influenza vaccines. Yesterday, September 2, Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasert ordered Police Colonel Manoon Kaewgam to collaborate with Jarong Kraomao, director of the Bureau of Special Investigations, and Phairoj Niyomdecha, director of the Investigation and Intelligence Operations Group 2, from the National…
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Thai man attacked, seriously injured by wild bull in plantation
A Thai man sustained serious injuries after being attacked by a wild bull in a pineapple plantation in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan yesterday, September 2. The community leader, Arunchai Sommit, contacted the Luang Phor Nai Kuti Wat Kui Buri Rescue Foundation to transport the injured man, 64 year old Somsak, from the pineapple plantation in the Kui…
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Phuket’s pricey new night market flop shut in 2 months
Phuket’s newest night market has turned into a multimillion-baht flop, shutting its doors just two months after opening in a blaze of publicity. The 30 million baht Plern Pao Night Market, near Surin Circle’s clocktower roundabout, closed abruptly this week. Organiser Plern Pao Co Ltd issued a notice on Monday, September 1, confirming the shutdown and instructing vendors to collect…
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Pattaya woman escapes knife attack in abandoned building
A woman in Pattaya has told how she narrowly escaped a brutal knife attack after being lured into an abandoned building by a man posing as a Good Samaritan. The 47 year old victim, identified only as B, said she feared for her life after being beaten, stripped and threatened with rape and murder before escaping on her motorcycle. The…
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Nigerian dealer and Thai girlfriend arrested in Samut Prakan
Yesterday, September 2, police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer and his Thai girlfriend in their apartment on Srinakarin Road, Samut Prakan. They were found with cocaine and related assets, following a tip-off about their drug activities in the Sukhumvit area. The suspects were identified as 33 year old UKWE Vincent Chisom from Nigeria and 30 year old Thai national Kesinee,…
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9 year old boy found walking with dog on 30km journey to find mother
A motorist yesterday, September 1, assisted a nine year old boy who had attempted to walk 30 kilometres to meet his mother in the eastern province of Rayong. The motorist noticed the boy trying to hitchhike, but no one stopped for him. He was spotted on Buraphaphat Road in the Map Ta Phut area of Rayong, accompanied by his black…
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PM bombshell: Pheu Thai confirms push to dissolve Parliament
Thailand’s political stalemate deepened this morning as the Pheu Thai Party confirmed that a request has been submitted to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn for the dissolution of Parliament, a step that may lead to a snap election within months. At 9am today, September 3, at Parliament, Sorawong Thienthong, Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, revealed that a dramatic step was taken after…
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Thai nationals intercepted returning from Cambodia after job scam
Seven Thai nationals were intercepted by the Burapha Task Force as they attempted to return from Cambodia after being lured into working for an online gambling site. The group decided to flee home when the promised conditions were not met. At approximately 12pm yesterday, September 2, Police Colonel Chainarong Kasi, commander of the Aranyaprathet Task Force, directed officers from the…
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People’s Party backs Anutin as PM under strict terms (video)
Thailand’s political chessboard just shifted again, and the clock is now ticking on Anutin Charnvirakul’s path to power. In a dramatic U-turn, the People’s Party (PP) announced this morning, September 3, that it would support Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as Thailand’s 32nd prime minister, but only under strict conditions that could collapse the new government within months. The…
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Forest monk accused of child abuse in Phichit
A troubling incident has emerged in the Thai monastic community in Phichit province, where a forest monk is alleged to have abused three young boys. This incident has prompted a police report and an investigation. The events unfolded when a teacher at a school in Thanang subdistrict, Phon Thale district, noticed unusual behaviour among students. Conversations among the pupils indicated that…
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Thailand braces for heavy rain and potential flash floods
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has forecasted significant weather changes for the upcoming week, with heavy rainfall expected to affect 80% of the country. The weather from September 2 to September 8 will see monsoons impacting lower north Thailand, lower northeastern regions, central areas including Bangkok and its vicinity, the east, and the south. This is due to the monsoon…
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Thai film director accused of sexually assaulting 2 actresses
Two freelance actresses accused a film director of sexually assaulting them during an acting workshop. The director claimed that he was teaching them about a love scene. The actresses, aged 32 and 16, sought help from social media influencer Chotanan “Pae” Lertritphuwadon after the assault. Chotanan then accompanied one of the victims, 32 year old A, to Bang Bua Thong…
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Kasikornbank launches Visa debit payments on MRT
Kasikornbank is collaborating with partners to introduce a Visa debit card payment system for MRT services. This initiative is aimed at making urban travel more convenient, seamlessly integrating public transportation payments through Kasikorn Visa debit cards across all MRT lines without requiring top-ups. The service also extends to other public transport systems, including the Airport Rail Link, expressways, and buses…
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Burmese man dies from head injury on Phuket construction site
A Myanmar worker was fatally struck by heavy machinery on a Phuket construction site this morning. The incident occurred today, September 2, at a building site near the main SuperCheap branch north of Phuket Town. Police confirmed the victim as 53 year old Ko Thet Win, a Myanmar national employed at the site. According to Phuket City Police, the worker…
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Thai man fatally stabs grocery store owner for refusing alcohol on credit
Police arrested a former security guard for fatally stabbing an elderly grocery store owner in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok after she refused to let him take alcohol on credit. A customer stumbled upon the crime scene while visiting the grocery store in Soi Jong Siri, Bang Pli district, Samut Prakan, yesterday, September 1. The 73 year old owner, Boonnam…
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Pattaya street sweep sees homeless man given hospital care
Pattaya officials are proving that keeping order on the streets doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to those in need. A recent sweep at one of the city’s busiest intersections highlighted how enforcement and compassion can go hand in hand. Yesterday, September 1, Deputy Mayor Wutthisak Rermkitjakarn directed Pattaya’s municipal enforcement team and social welfare officers to check on the…
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Chon Buri boat driver smears paint on rival, beats him with crowbar
A Thai boat driver in Chon Buri painted a fellow driver’s face green and beat him with a crowbar, accusing the victim of behaving like a mafia. It was reported that the victim’s right ear was nearly cut off in the attack. Rescuers from the Sawang Preteep Si Racha Foundation were called to Koh Loey Pier to assist the injured…
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Film crew blasted for rolling up Thai flag at Phuket viewpoint (video)
It was meant to be just another day of shooting at a scenic Phuket viewpoint, but when a filming crew rolled up the Thai national flag, social media erupted with criticism. The 58-second clip, filmed at Black Rock Viewpoint (Pha Hin Dam) in Rawai at the southern tip of the island, shows a woman believed to be part of a…
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Thailand eyes VAT hike to boost tax revenue by 600 billion baht
Thailand’s government needs to increase tax revenue by 600 billion baht as current levels lag behind those of comparable economies, according to caretaker Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira. State tax revenue currently represents 15% of GDP, which is three percentage points lower than nations with similar economies. During the Fiscal Policy Office’s annual seminar themed Fiscal Transformation, Pichai noted that the…
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Thailand and Singapore deepen education ties after 60 years
Singapore aims to enhance its educational cooperation with Thailand as the two countries celebrate a six-decade-long partnership. At the Singapore Education Fair 2025 in Bangkok last week, Quek Shei Ting, Deputy Chief of Mission of Singapore to Thailand, emphasised education’s role as a key pillar in their bilateral relations. “Thailand and Singapore have shared a long history of friendship and…
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Brave Thai boy swims through flood to save stranded friends
A brave Thai boy swam through floodwaters in the northern province of Phetchabun to seek help for three friends who were stranded in a tree. The President of the Sawang Monkhon Sattha Phetchabun Rescue Foundation, Prajit Sookwattana, shared details of the rescue mission with Siam News yesterday, September 1. Prajit explained that locals approached his team while they were distributing…
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Cannabis clampdown: Thailand limits buds to 5 medical uses
Forget rolling a joint for fun: Thai health chiefs have slammed the brakes on cannabis use, ruling that buds can only be legally consumed by patients with specific medical conditions and a doctor’s prescription. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) confirmed the strict new rules, narrowing the scope of cannabis usage after months of heated debate over…
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Friend’s borrowed bike spins out of control, ends in SUV collision (video)
A custom-built big bike rider is in critical condition after a high-speed crash with an SUV in Samut Prakan last night, September 1. The motorcycle, which had just been upgraded at a cost of over 200,000 baht, was being test-ridden by a friend when the accident occurred. At 9.15pm, Samut Prakan Hospital’s emergency centre received a report of a serious…
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Drunken drug deal turns deadly in Mae Sot as Myanmar man stabbed
A drunken argument over a drug deal turned violent yesterday, September 1, when a Myanmar man stabbed his friend during a disagreement, leaving the victim seriously injured. At 5.30pm, Mae Sot police received a report of a stabbing following a drinking dispute. Police arrived at the scene along the Asia Road, near the old AM radio station by the Rim…
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Brake failure blamed after fatal truck crash at Chon Buri toll gate
A 10-wheel truck crashed into a toll booth in Chon Buri, leaving one person dead and three others injured. The driver blamed brake failure for the fatal accident. Highway Police officers were alerted to the accident at Phanat Nikhom Toll Gate in Don Hua Ror sub-district, Chon Buri, at about 2.30pm yesterday, September 1. Officers arrived at the scene along…
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