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.
-
Sponsored The hidden costs of ignoring pre-existing conditions in Thailand
The Thaiger key takeaways Not declaring pre-existing conditions can result in denied claims, high costs, or visa problems. Cigna provides coverage for common chronic conditions like diabetes and arthritis with high limits and direct billing. Honest disclosure ensures proper coverage,...
-
Thai temples in Europe hit by wave of foreign break-ins
Thai temples in Europe are being warned to tighten security after several were targeted by foreign thieves who broke in and damaged property and donation boxes. Yesterday, October 16, Phra Ratchawachirasasanawithet, chairman of the Thai Dhammaduta Union in Europe, issued a public warning to all Thai temples abroad following several burglaries in Sweden and the United Kingdom. The union released…
-
Thai father joins son in jail after carrying ketamine to police station
A Thai father found himself under arrest after visiting his detained son at a police station in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok with ketamine in his possession. Officers at Rattanathibet Police Station arrested the 35 year old man, identified only as Wuttichai, outside a detention room on the second floor of the station yesterday, October 16, after finding 0.54 grammes of…
-
Dugong numbers plummet as seagrass vanishes in Andaman
Conservationists in Thailand are working to restore seagrass beds in the Andaman Sea after dugong numbers dropped sharply due to food loss and habitat damage. The Thai Coral Reef and Marine Life Conservation Foundation has launched a renewed campaign to restore seagrass beds in the Andaman Sea, after recent drone surveys revealed a drastic decline in dugong numbers, from 248…
-
Thai woman loses 3 vehicles to man met through online dating group
A Thai woman in Loei province lost two cars and one motorcycle, worth over 1.2 million baht, to a man who moved in with her after just one day of online conversation. The 32 year old victim, Watchalaporn Butsaba, revealed in an interview with Channel 3 and ThaiRath that she met the suspect, 41 year old Thawatchai, through a dating…
-
Suvarnabhumi Airport ranks 12th among world’s most connected airports
Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is ranked 12th in the world’s 50 most connected airports in 2025, according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG). Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced the news following the release of OAG Megahubs 2025. Suvarnabhumi Airport is placed 12th in the Global Airport Megahubs category and fifth in the Asia-Pacific region in the Top International by…
-
Thai Revenue Department warns influencers: Pay your fair share
Thailand’s Revenue Department has reminded all earners, including influencers and online sellers, that income from any source must be declared and taxed. The statement comes amid rising scrutiny of high-profile online earners, especially after singer Ratchanok “Janey” Suwannaket made headlines for reportedly raking in hundreds of millions of baht through record-breaking livestream sales. Deputy director-general Panuvat Luangvilai clarified that the…
-
Samsen Police Station to be demolished after road collapse
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will demolish the Samsen Police Station building on October 22 as part of an urgent effort to restore the area around Vajira Hospital, where a severe road subsidence occurred on September 24. The collapse occurred above a Purple Line underground station, under construction by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). According to the…
-
PM Anutin’s first foreign trip seals major Thai-Lao crime pact
The Thai and Lao prime ministers met in Vientiane to strengthen cooperation on cross-border crime, trade, and regional development initiatives. Marking his first official international visit as Thai premier, Anutin Charnvirakul was warmly welcomed by Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his wife with a formal ceremony and guard of honour. He was accompanied by Thananon Niramit, with the meeting…
-
Belarus model trafficked from Thailand killed in Myanmar camp
A 26 year old woman from Belarus was trafficked after arriving in Thailand for a modelling job and later died in Myanmar, where she was forced into cyber scams. The victim, Vera Kravtsova, believed she had secured legitimate work in Bangkok. However, according to international media reports, she was allegedly abducted shortly after her arrival and taken to a region…
-
Thailand video news Italian Tourist Found Wandering Pattaya with Only a Hotel Key, Two Chinese Nationals Busted in Bangkok for Illegal Hostel and Drug Trade
Thailand’s week was marked by dramatic rescues, tourist mishaps, and cautionary tales reflecting both human resilience and vulnerability. Authorities in Pattaya helped an Italian tourist who lost all his belongings find his hotel through digital records, while a Thai woman in Udon Thani fell victim to a fake matchmaking scam. Police in Bangkok raided an illegal hostel run by Chinese…
-
Royal Thai Army’s 8.6 million baht border fence plan questioned
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has announced plans to build a high-security fence along the Thai-Cambodian border to strengthen defences and curb illegal crossings. The Army Development Command (ADC), under the RTA Headquarters, has announced a project to construct a reinforced prefabricated concrete fence topped with steel mesh and concertina wire. The total cost will be a staggering 8.66 million…
-
Brave parasailing assistant jumps into sea to save tourist off Phuket beach
A brave parasailing assistant made a split-second decision to drop into the sea off Phuket to save a tourist after a parasailing boat capsized near Kata Beach yesterday, October 16. A sudden storm hit Kata Beach in Phuket’s Karon district at around 3pm, overturning a parasailing boat. The tourist, along with the parasailing staff member controlling the parachute, was still…
-
Pattaya locals beat drunk foreign man for assaulting disabled victim
Locals attacked a drunk foreign man in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya on Wednesday, October 15, after he allegedly assaulted a disabled person and spat on a police officer. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station revealed details of the incident to Matichon yesterday, October 16. They reported that the disturbance occurred in the popular nightlife area of Soi Buakhao at around…
-
Chiang Mai resident bags 10 million baht in GSB lottery win
A Chiang Mai resident has won 10 million baht after claiming the top prize in the Government Savings Bank (GSB) special one-year lottery. The GSB Society Facebook page announced the exciting win yesterday, October 16, congratulating the latest millionaire from the bank’s Central Chiang Mai branch. The prize came from GSB’s special one-year lottery draw. The winning ticket was part…
-
Greedy python meets fatal end after swallowing cat in Pattaya
A giant python was found dead in Pattaya after swallowing a cat whole, leaving residents shocked and rescue teams scrambling to the scene. The discovery was made around 7pm yesterday, October 16, when stunned residents spotted the sluggish snake coiled in a ditch beside Soi Na Kluea 14. They immediately alerted Pattaya’s Ground Disaster Prevention Radio Centre, prompting a swift…
-
Storm warning for southern Thailand as heavy rains loom
Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a nationwide alert as strong easterly and southeasterly winds continue to dominate the country’s weather system, bringing with them scattered thundershowers, isolated heavy rain, and rising sea conditions, especially along the southern coasts. The public is being urged to remain cautious, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas, while boats and coastal communities are warned…
-
Thai woman loses 30,000 baht in foreign husband matchmaking scam
A 50 year old Thai woman in the Isaan province of Udon Thani lost 30,000 baht after hiring a fraudulent matchmaker to find her a foreign husband. The victim, identified only as Jip, filed a complaint against the scam agency at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station on October 13. She also handed over CCTV footage showing her discussions with a…
-
Ex-con stabbed to death in early morning Phuket attack
A man with a history of criminal offences was fatally stabbed on a major road in Phuket, prompting a police investigation into the motive and possible suspects. Police have launched a full investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 33 year old man found injured on the side of Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang early this morning, October 16. The victim,…
-
Jackpot joy: Quiet punter bags 18 million baht in Thai lottery
A lucky winner became a millionaire after securing the top prize in Thailand’s digital lottery, which saw a total jackpot payout of 162 million baht. Thailand’s digital lottery draw today, October 16, conducted through the Pao Tang app, has turned dreams into reality for dozens of lucky winners, delivering a total payout of 162 million baht across 27 tickets. The…
-
2 Chinese men arrested in Bangkok for illegal hostel and drug business
Police today, October 16, arrested two Chinese nationals during a raid on two houses in Bangkok for illegally operating a hostel and distributing unregistered food supplements and Viagra. Officers from Sutthisan Police Station, together with officials from the Department of Employment, Immigration Police, and Din Daeng District Office, raided a property in Soi Inthamara 49, Ratchadaphisek sub-district, Din Daeng district,…
-
Thai woman rescued after spending 3 days in parked car in Samut Songkhram
A resident rescued a Thai woman who was reportedly having suicidal thoughts after she spent three days sitting in her car parked on the roadside in the central province of Samut Songkhram. Ab owner of a nearby PVC pipe shop, 58 year old Chaiyaphat Weerawat, called officers from Mueang Samut Songkhram Police Station yesterday, October 15, to investigate a white…
-
Chak Phra festival fuels lucky number frenzy in southern Thailand (video)
A wave of lottery fever is sweeping Trang province in southern Thailand as festival-goers hunt for lucky numbers during one of the region’s most revered religious events. Trang’s annual Chak Phra festival has once again stirred a blend of spiritual devotion and lottery excitement, drawing large crowds to Mueang district as locals seek both merit and fortune ahead of the…
-
Thai housemaid and husband arrested for stealing gold and cash from blind employer
Police yesterday, October 15, arrested a Thai housemaid and her husband for stealing cash and gold worth nearly 1.2 million baht from a blind employer. The blind victim, 25 year old Kitsiri, filed a theft complaint with officers at Rattanathibet Police Station on August 6. She explained that she had travelled to another province and stayed there for several days.…
-
Box jellyfish sting scare hits tourists at Patong Beach
Lifeguards on a popular Phuket beach have reported a surge in jellyfish stings affecting tourists, with several victims requiring urgent hospital care. The incidents, which have involved the notoriously venomous box jellyfish, have left beachgoers with burning skin, rashes and in some cases, serious allergic responses. Lifeguards confirmed that the stings occurred both near shore and in deeper water. Some…
-
Koh Chang tourism rebounds despite border tension
The tourist season kicked off in Koh Chang, Koh Kut, and Koh Mak as Thai tourism officials launched fresh campaigns to revive travel following border tensions. Clashes along the border led to a travel ban in Trat and nearby provinces, with martial law enforced for up to five months. The disruption triggered mass cancellations from international travellers, especially Europeans, costing…
-
Thai man arrested for murdering neighbour allegedly over lottery dispute
Police yesterday, October 15, arrested a Thai man who murdered a woman and dumped her body in a pond in Phetchaburi province. He was arrested while hiding in Krabi. The body of 55 year old Thai woman, Ladda Dodesang, was discovered tied to a wooden log in a pond in Phetchaburi province on September 29. Her neck was wrapped with…
-
Barbershop drug den busted in Bangkok police sting
Police in Bangkok raided a barbershop run by a foreign gang, uncovering a secret drug den and arresting eight suspects linked to a transnational crime ring. A foreign-led criminal syndicate operating out of a barbershop in central Bangkok was dismantled this week in a dramatic police operation. Eight suspects, including nationals from Egypt, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Thailand, were…
-
Thailand plans historic law to boost trans rights by March
Thailand will introduce its first law focused on transgender well-being, aiming to improve rights, healthcare access, and social inclusion nationwide. Thailand’s LGBTQ community is looking ahead to a historic milestone, with the government preparing to roll out the country’s first legislation focused on the well-being of transgender persons. The proposed Trans Wellbeing Charter is expected to be introduced on March…
-
Phuket marks Austrian consul handover with honour and ceremony
Phuket hosted a diplomatic ceremony where Austria honoured a former consul and appointed a successor to strengthen ties in tourism, trade, and culture. Phuket marked a major milestone in Thai-Austrian relations on Tuesday, October 14, as long-serving diplomat Wanida Hongyok was honoured for her service, and Montawee Hongyok was officially appointed as Austria’s new Honorary Consul on the island. The…
-
Lottery hunters chase lucky numbers at Udon Thani Naga site
A wave of lottery hopefuls has descended on Kham Chanod Island in Udon Thani province, believed to be the mystical realm of the Naga serpent, to seek lucky numbers ahead of the upcoming draw. The island, steeped in legend and spiritual significance, has long been a hotspot for those hoping to channel supernatural luck into winning tickets. In recent days,…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.