Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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American tourist falls to death after lovers’ row at Chiang Mai condo
A dream holiday turned into a nightmare in Chiang Mai after a 35 year old American man plunged to his death from the 10th floor of a luxury condominium. The tragic incident unfolded at 9.50pm on Friday, July 18, in the Chang Klan area, shocking the local expat and tourist communities. The victim, Justin Todd Henry, had travelled to Thailand…
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Bangkok lift horror: Woman killed in goods elevator accident
A Bangkok worker was crushed to death in a horrific elevator accident yesterday after a goods lift malfunctioned at a commercial building in the capital’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. The victim, a 46 year old woman known only as Koi, worked at a forklift parts shop on Ban Batr Road. She was killed instantly when her head became trapped…
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Maya Bay closes for conservation from August
Thailand’s famed Maya Bay is off-limits once again, as officials shut it down for two months to let nature breathe after another hectic High Season. The popular tourist magnet, made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, will be closed along with neighbouring Loh Sama Bay from August 1 to September 30. The temporary closure, announced by the Department…
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Big Buddha deadlock: Locals demand justice, abbot stalls
Phuket’s iconic Big Buddha Viewpoint remains closed nearly a year after a deadly landslide claimed 13 lives, as tensions mount between locals, temple authorities, and government officials over who should take responsibility — and whether the site should reopen at all. The sole legal owner of the land, the Royal Forest Department’s Phuket branch (RFD Phuket), has issued a list…
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Thailand braces for another week of heavy rain and strong winds
Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall across Thailand, with strong winds expected in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand from today to next Thursday. Many regions, including northern, northeastern, central, eastern, and western southern Thailand, are expected to experience significant rainfall due to a monsoon trough and a strong…
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Newborn baby abandoned in backpack on Samut Prakan bridge
Police are searching for a mother who abandoned her newborn baby by placing her inside a backpack and leaving her on a roadside in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. The Samut Prakan Rescue Foundation was alerted to the discovery at around 2pm yesterday, July 17. The baby was found in a black backpack left on a bridge along Surao Bang…
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Zika fear grips Thailand amid rainy season spike
Thailand is on red alert as the Zika virus spreads rapidly through the rainy season, with pregnant women warned they could face devastating consequences if infected. Health officials have sounded the alarm after a spike in cases was reported across three provinces – Bangkok, Phayao, and Maha Sarakham – urging residents to take immediate precautions. The Department of Disease Control…
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Pattaya motorbike taxi driver found dead in apartment
Pattaya was rocked by a tragic late-night discovery when a local motorcycle taxi driver was found dead in his apartment, shocking his community and leaving his wife devastated. The grim scene unfolded at 1.06am today, July 18, when the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit received a call about a body found in a room at an unnamed apartment block on…
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Hackers breach Thai Labour Ministry website, data safe
Cyber crooks launched a bold attack on Thailand’s Ministry of Labour website yesterday, replacing the homepage with a brazen “hacked” message — but officials say no sensitive data was compromised. The ministry confirmed that its systems were breached but insisted the core database remained untouched. Permanent Secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyuth assured the public that the digital assault, while serious, caused no…
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Pattaya mob attack: Bolt driver beaten by gang of 30
Pattaya’s nightlife turned violent in the early hours of today when a Bolt driver was viciously attacked by a mob of more than 30 people, leaving tourists and bar staff in shock. The savage assault unfolded at 3.36am today, July 18, along Pattaya Second Road near Soi 10, where police responded to frantic calls about a mass brawl. Officers arrived…
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Paetongtarn visits rangers hurt in Ubon border blast
What began as a routine patrol near the Thai-Cambodian border ended in a bloody blast, leaving one soldier without a leg and two others wounded. Now, Thailand’s Prime Minister and Culture Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is stepping in to deliver more than just sympathy—she’s promising action. Today, July 18, Paetongtarn travelled to Sapphasitprasong Camp Hospital in- Ubon Ratchathani province to visit…
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Aussie tourist found dead in Patong hotel bathroom
A 69 year old Aussie tourist was found dead in his Phuket hotel bathroom yesterday morning, just days after arriving for a six-week tropical getaway. Hotel staff at the property off Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong made the grim discovery around 10.30am yesterday, Thursday, July 18, after a concerned Thai woman reported she hadn’t heard from the man in…
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Bangkok woman choked by foreigner in 7-Eleven fights for justice (video)
A late-night milk run turned into a nightmare for one Bangkok woman, choked by a stranger in a 7-Eleven, dismissed by police, and left fearing for her safety. But she’s not staying silent. In a harrowing incident that has sparked outrage online, a woman recounted how a quick trip to the 7-Eleven at Fortune Condo Narathiwas ended in a physical…
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Copper conned! Aussie cop fleeced in Thai cryptocurrency scam
A retired Aussie police officer hoping to enjoy a quiet life in Thailand has instead been left nearly penniless, after being duped out of more than 40 million baht in a slick cryptocurrency scam run by a German expat in Phuket. Michael “Tom” Reinecke, thought he was investing in a high-return digital currency venture but now says he’s the latest…
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Vietjet stuns with 0 baht fares on new Bangkok-Kolkata route
Bargain-hunters, brace yourselves—VietJet Thailand is shaking up the skies again, this time with 0 baht fares to India. The budget airline has announced a jaw-dropping promotion to celebrate its brand-new direct route from Bangkok to Kolkata, launching this November. VietJet Thailand CEO Voranate Laprabang revealed that the new route is part of the carrier’s aggressive push to expand its international…
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Wheels of misfortune: Woman crushed in Phuket truck horror
A sunny Phuket afternoon turned into a nightmare when a young woman riding pillion was killed after a six-wheeled lorry ploughed into a motorbike on Wiset Road in Rawai, sparking fresh calls for better road safety. The fatal crash happened at around 1.45pm yesterday, July 17 near the Go Wholesale branch in Rawai, when a white Hino truck collided with…
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Thai actress catches Laotian housemaid stealing nearly 1 million baht
A Thai actress discovered that her Laotian housemaid had been stealing cash in small amounts over the course of a year, leading to a total loss of nearly 1 million baht. The actress, Nathalie Devies, and her husband filed a police complaint on July 10 after realising that cash in both Thai and foreign currencies had gone missing from their…
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Thaksin plans to turn Thailand into a tech and aviation powerhouse
Thaksin Shinawatra is back in the spotlight—and he’s thinking big. The former PM has laid out an ambitious strategy to turn Thailand into a regional superhub for aviation, electric vehicles (EV), and green-powered data centres, in what he calls a “golden opportunity” for national transformation. In his recent public statement, Thaksin said Thailand is geographically primed to become ASEAN’s premier…
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Soap and rob: Pattaya ladyboy claims Indian stole cash mid-shower
A 27 year old ladyboy woman flipped the script in Pattaya after claiming an Indian man swiped her cash while she was in the shower, in a steamy Walking Street encounter that ended with police dragging him off to the cells. The distressed victim arrived at Pattaya City Police Station at 3am today, July 18, to file a complaint against…
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Udon Thani man found dead after financial collapse
A man was found dead outside his home in Udon Thani in a chilling scene that left neighbours and relatives shaken. The 54 year old, who reportedly lost millions and struggled with emotional despair after his divorce, left behind a haunting farewell note and five luxury watches. Police Lieutenant Sirichai Photichak from Udon Thani Police Station led officers and rescue…
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Suspects at large after brutal murder and robbery of bedridden woman
Police are searching for suspects involved in the brutal murder and robbery of a bedridden woman in the central province of Ratchaburi. The killer committed the heinous act for just 7,500 baht in cash. The victim, 53 year old Sriprai, was discovered dead in her bed at her home in the Ban Pong district yesterday, July 17. Her 64 year…
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Thailand hit by mental health spike and baby bust
Thailand’s facing a double dose of trouble—more people are battling mental health issues than ever before, while fewer babies are being born. Experts say it’s a social time bomb. The newly released Thai Health Report 2025, launched yesterday, July 17, by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and Mahidol University, paints a worrying picture of the nation’s emotional and demographic…
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Thai man dies surrounded by over 100 beer bottles in Rayong home
A Thai man died in his home in the eastern province of Rayong, with over 100 empty beer bottles discovered in his bedroom. Reports suggest he turned to heavy drinking due to severe personal stress. Rescue workers from the Siam Rayong Foundation were called to a house in the Ban Chang district to assist the man, who was reportedly suffering…
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Tonnes of toxic beef haul uncovered in Pathum Thani
More than 41 tonnes of dodgy beef and organ meat—allegedly soaked in toxic formalin—have been seized from a cold storage warehouse in Pathum Thani, sparking fears over contaminated food in Bangkok’s markets. Acting on a tip-off, officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), in coordination with officials from the Livestock Development Department, raided a sprawling cold storage facility covering…
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Paetongtarn vows Buddhism reboot after monk scandals
After a string of monk scandals that has left Thailand reeling, Culture Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra stepped into the spotlight, promising a bold revamp to rescue the tarnished image of Buddhism. In a public statement on social media, Paetongtarn, who also heads the ruling Pheu Thai Party, declared her mission to restore public confidence in the country’s dominant religion, warning that…
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Contractor kills knife-wielding man in Trang shootout
A knife-wielding man was shot dead in broad daylight on a village road in Trang province, after reportedly terrorising locals in a drug-fuelled outburst. The gunman was identified as a local contractor who claimed he was acting in self-defence. The incident unfolded yesterday, July 17, in Huai Yot district, when 40 year old Pathompong, a contractor, fatally shot 32 year…
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Thai MPs accuse government of trading national security for tariff cuts
Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MPs accused the government of concealing a significant deal with the United States from the public, claiming officials plan to allow the US to use a naval base in southern Thailand in exchange for a tariff reduction. A group of MPs from the Palang Pracharath Party, led by Phang Nga MP Chakaj Phatthanakitwibun, held a press…
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Charges urged against 229 over Thai Senate vote-rigging scandal
An investigative panel has urged charges against 229 people, including executives from the Bhumjaithai Party, related to allegations of extensive vote-rigging during Thailand’s Senate election last year. The Election Commission (EC) must now evaluate these findings to decide on further action, which might involve petitioning the Constitutional Court to disband the Bhumjaithai Party. The group of accused comprises 138 sitting…
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Thailand Video News | American caught smuggling 6.6kg of Heroin at Phuket Airport, Thailand taps crypto to attract digital-savvy tourists
A South Korean influencer goes viral in Pattaya with a bizarre “Kappa” haircut that has locals laughing and livestreamers watching. A Russian teenager is caught vandalising a Pattaya overpass with graffiti. In Hua Hin, live military-grade explosives discovered next to a bin spark a bomb squad emergency. A British tourist is violently assaulted in Chiang Mai over a disputed karaoke…
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Chadchart warns 20 baht train plan could spark lawsuits
A feel-good fare cut could turn into a legal nightmare. Bangkok’s 20 baht train policy is under fire, again, not for what it promises passengers, but for what it could cost the city in court. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged the government to clarify its compensation plan under the second phase of the 20 baht maximum electric train fare policy.…
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