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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Harley-Davidson dealer found dead in Volvo in Bangkok
A motorcycle parts dealer specialising in Harley-Davidson was found dead in a Volvo parked at the Phra Khanong transport office. The incident occurred yesterday, January 24, when the 51 year old dealer, known as Tom, was discovered in the driver’s seat without visible injuries. Police suspect he died from a pre-existing medical condition. The discovery was made at the entrance…
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Illegal vitamin C and coffee found in Samut Prakan warehouse
Police yesterday uncovered a warehouse containing over 1 million sachets of Chinese-origin vitamin C and coffee. These products were found with fake Food and Drug Administration (FDA) numbers, intended for online sale. The raid was led by Police Colonel Thasnapoom Jarupraty and his team, with cooperation from Deputy Director Sasavee Narakorn of the Food Bureau, at a storage facility in…
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Thai FDA approves kratom use for health and economic benefits
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of kratom plant products for economic and health benefits. The regulations now permit mitragynine, an active compound in kratom leaves, to be used up to 3 milligrammes (mg) per day, with appropriate warnings on product labels. Dr Witit Srisa-atchachakul, the Deputy Secretary-General of the FDA, announced that the FDA,…
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62 students suffer food poisoning at Koh Samui school camp
Sixty-two students from Theeparatpittaya School on Koh Samui experienced food poisoning symptoms, prompting urgent medical attention. The incident occurred yesterday, January 24, when students attending a scout camp began suffering from severe abdominal pain after consuming boxed meals. The Narenthorn Ao Thai Centre at Koh Samui Hospital was notified of the situation and quickly coordinated with the Koh Samui district public…
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Thai film shortlisted for Oscar’s Best International Feature Film
The National Federation of Thai Film Associations announced on Thursday, January 23 that the film How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has been selected as Thailand’s entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Produced by GDH, this film achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Thai film to make it to the…
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6 Britons arrested in Phuket with cannabis and laughing gas
In Phuket, six British nationals were detained following a police raid on a house in Mueang district where they were found with 6 kilogrammes of cannabis buds and 39 small tanks of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. The raid, conducted on Thursday, January 23, discovered the group inside the property. Police confirmed the results of the operation yesterday.…
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Thailand to cut electricity to Myanmar to stop scam operations
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with security agencies to cease electricity supply from Thailand to Myanmar border towns, aiming to disrupt scam operations in the neighbouring country. PEA deputy governor Prasit Junprasit stated yesterday that halting electricity supplies to Myanmar necessitates cooperation between Thai and Myanmar security agencies. He assured that any such action…
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Mayor vows to keep Pattaya’s Jomtien safe from drugs
Pattaya officials are turning up the heat on Jomtien’s bustling tourist hub as fears of drug activity loom. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has ordered relentless inspections of Jomtien Soi 2 to 3 to prevent it from spiralling into a crime hotspot. Determined to safeguard this family-friendly destination, the mayor instructed local officials to patrol the streets regularly and partner with community…
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Singapore and Thailand mark 60 years of diplomatic ties
Singapore and Thailand celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. To honour this milestone, the Singaporean Embassy has unveiled a logo, which emerged as the winner of a competition held last year in collaboration with the foreign ministries of both nations and the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore. During the logo launch event at Siam Paragon, Catherine…
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Russian tourist dies in Phuket motorcycle accident
A Russian tourist lost his life when his motorcycle crashed into a roadside barrier in Srisoonthorn, Phuket, during the early hours of yesterday, January 24. Police responded to the incident on Srisoonthorn Road, located behind the Thai Watsadu store in Village 3, Srisoonthorn, around 12.10am. Thalang Police reported that the 35 year old man was riding a motorcycle registered in…
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Chilly weather: Heavy rainfall warnings with temperature drop
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued its second warning regarding a strong new cold air mass affecting Thailand, causing temperatures to drop by 5 degrees Celsius (°C) and heavy rainfall. The warning, released at 5pm yesterday, January 24, states that from January 26 to 28, a high-pressure system or cold air mass from China will cover northern Thailand and…
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Thai mother reunites with missing son after 5-year search
A Thai mother was reunited with her son yesterday, January 23, after he had been missing for five years, thanks to the efforts of the non-profit organisation, the Mirror Foundation. The Mirror Foundation released a missing person poster of the 13 year old Thai boy, Turnpong “Aut” Dokbuaban, on December 24, 2019. He disappeared from Sub Jarun Villa in Soi…
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Thai man returns home to find his funeral after police error
A Thai man shocked his family when he arrived home in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon to find they were holding a funeral for him. The confusion stemmed from a police error in identifying a dead body. Officers from Borrabue Police Station investigated the death of an unidentified man on January 18. The man was suspected to have died…
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Bangkok ranks 4th worst for air quality as haze chokes city
Bangkok’s air quality took a nosedive today, earning it the grim title of the fourth worst city in the world for air pollution, according to Swiss-based monitoring platform IQAir. The capital’s air quality index (AQI) hit a hazardous 188 as of 9.40am, with toxic PM2.5 levels far exceeding safe thresholds. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) declared 48 out of 50…
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Pattaya gears up for influx of 5,400 US Navy troops
Pattaya is set to host 5,400 US Navy personnel from January 27 to 31 as they take a break from military training exercises, prompting Chon Buri police to roll out comprehensive safety and traffic measures. The troops will arrive on four US Navy ships, docking in areas managed by Sattahip and Laem Chabang police stations. Police Lieutenant General Yingyos Thepchamnong,…
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Rock singer offers compensation after fatal Bangkok van crash
Rock singer Manaswin Nuntasane, also known as Tik Shiro, and his family have expressed their willingness to compensate the family of two people who died in a van accident in Bangkok on October 10 last year. They offer to pay 4 to 5 million baht, although the victims’ family is seeking 24 million baht. Tik Shiro, aged 63, addressed the…
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Phuket’s future: Seminar tackles bold new environmental rules
Phuket’s business leaders and environmental experts gathered yesterday, January 23 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel for a pivotal seminar titled Unlocking the Phuket Environment: Crisis or Opportunity? Organised by the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and presided over by Chamber President Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, the event focused on the sweeping new environmental regulations announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and…
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Thai woman arrested for stealing 120,000 baht from Russian man in Pattaya
Police arrested a Thai woman for stealing 120,000 baht in cash and a mobile phone from a Russian victim in Pattaya on January 8. She confessed to spending most of the money on a holiday trip with her family. The 37 year old Russian man, Xavier, filed a complaint with officers at Bang Lamung Police Station on January 8, reporting that his…
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Raging inferno in Naklua destroys 5 homes, injures 1
A large fire erupted in Naklua, Pattaya, destroying five homes and injuring one individual. Bang Lamung police received a report about a severe fire in a residential area of Naklua at 6pm on Wednesday, January 22. Officers promptly coordinated with Pattaya City and nearby municipal fire departments to address the situation. The blaze occurred in a row of two-storey houses…
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Chinese duo nabbed in Phuket café lion cub photo scam
Two Chinese nationals were arrested in Phuket after allegedly using lion cubs to lure tourists to The Glass House Cafe and Space, charging them for photo sessions with the animals. The café, located on Ratsada-Anusorn Road in Ratsada, has a history of similar wildlife abuse scandals, including last year’s notorious incident involving a cub named Nong Kiwi. Armed with a…
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Lamborghini driver flees scene, leaving his valuables and injured pickup driver
A Lamborghini collided with a pickup truck in Phitsanulok province yesterday, January 23, leaving the pickup driver injured. However, the exotic car driver was nowhere to be seen, reportedly fleeing the scene and leaving behind tens of thousands of baht in cash inside his wrecked vehicle. Officers from Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station responded to the incident on Singhawat Road, outside…
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Lawyer criticised for opposing equal marriage in Thailand
Lawyer Thammarat Sarapanya has faced a wave of criticism following his comments on equal marriage, which he described as a violation of the universe’s laws. The remarks came after the new Marriage Equality Act, amending the Civil and Commercial Code, took effect yesterday, January 23. Thammarat expressed his views through his Facebook page “The Lawyer of Legality,” stating, “Equal marriage…
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Pattaya police raid Chinese gang boss’s luxury home
Pattaya police raided the lavish home of an alleged Chinese gang leader yesterday, January 23, as part of an ongoing investigation into the brutal assault of a Chinese businessman. The attack, which occurred on September 14 last year, left the victim seriously injured after he refused to sell his pub shares to the gang. The raid, conducted by over 10…
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AMLO combats fraud by closing 680,000 mule accounts
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has listed 72,031 persons for electronic transaction monitoring and closed over 680,000 mule accounts. AMLO’s Assistant Secretary-General, Witya Neetitham, yesterday reported on the Transaction Committee’s actions from December 2024 to January under the leadership of AMLO Secretary-General Tepsu Bowonchodidara. The committee has targeted assets linked to drug offences, fraud, and online gambling. In drug-related offences,…
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Bangkok fights smog with free public transport for a week
The Thai government is taking bold action to tackle Bangkok’s persistent smog problem by offering free rides on the BTS, MRT, and BMTA buses for seven days, starting tomorrow, January 25. The initiative aims to reduce vehicle usage and ease air pollution in the capital. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced the measure today. “From January…
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4 schoolboys injured in class science experiment gone wrong at Phetchabun
Four schoolboys suffered severe burns from sparks igniting during a science experiment gone wrong in their classroom at a school in the central province of Phetchabun. The local news Facebook page, Phet Variety, reported the unexpected accident at Na Chaliang Pittayakom School in Phetchabun yesterday, January 23, along with pictures of 14 year old students whose faces and hands were…
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Thailand video news | Escaped elephant sparks chaos, Charity event in Phnom Penh turns deadly
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring you a range of compelling stories from Thailand and Southeast Asia. From an escaped elephant causing chaos in Phuket to a crackdown on open burning aimed at combating PM2.5 pollution, the team dives into key local issues. They also explore regional highlights, including Indonesia’s deadly floods and Singapore’s PM warning of…
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Phuket hosts landmark event for equal marriage registrations
Phuket hosted a groundbreaking event yesterday, January 23, marking a significant advance in the recognition of equal marriage registrations in Thailand. This event was part of the nationwide initiative, DOPA-Day One: Beating the Gong to Win All Love, and was held at the Bay Arena in Jungceylon shopping mall, Patong. The event saw 24 couples, including seven male-male and 14…
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Massive 6-metre python snatched from condo ceiling in Pattaya
Terrified residents of a South Pattaya condo were left clutching their hearts after a massive 6-metre python was found slithering through the ceiling panels, prompting an intense rescue operation yesterday, January 23. The drama began when a housekeeper spotted the snake’s tail dangling from the bathroom ceiling near the swimming pool area. Initial attempts to capture the slippery giant failed,…
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7 rangers injured in Narathiwat monastery bomb blast
In Narathiwat’s Ra-ngae district, seven military rangers sustained injuries following a bomb explosion at a Buddhist monastery pavilion yesterday, January 23. The rangers, from Ranger Company 4511, were patrolling to ensure the safety of local officials attending a subdistrict administrative organisation meeting. The improvised explosive device was concealed in the pavilion and detonated during the rangers’ rest stop, according to…
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