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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Thai Navy Fires Warning Shots After Cambodian Vessel Enters Thai Waters
A Royal Thai Navy warship fired warning shots on Thursday evening after detecting a Cambodian vessel entering Thai territorial waters near the eastern border, prompting panic among residents of Hat Lek village in Trat province before the situation quickly de-escalated. The incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on December 19 off the coast of Ban Hat Lek in Hat Lek…
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M6 Motorway Offers 196 Kilometers of Free Travel During New Year Holiday
The Thai government will open the M6 motorway between Bang Pa-in and Nakhon Ratchasima for free travel during the 2026 New Year holiday, offering motorists a 196 kilometer toll-free route aimed at easing congestion and improving safety for holiday travelers. The announcement was made on December 19 by Siripong Angkasakulkiat, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office. He said traffic volumes…
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Fire Destroys Shops at Rong Kluea Market on Thai-Cambodian Border
A major fire tore through Rong Kluea Market in Aranyaprathet district early Friday morning, destroying multiple shops at one of Thailand’s busiest border trading hubs. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze before it spread further, but significant damage was reported. The fire broke out at around 1:20 a.m. on December 20 at Building B5 of Rong Kluea Market, located in…
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Foreign man cheats eating challenge in Bangkok for 20,000-baht prize
A well-known curry restaurant in Bangkok exposed a foreign customer for cheating in an eating challenge to claim a cash reward of 20,000 baht. Gold Curry, is a popular restaurant which is famous for its Japanese-style rice curry served in large portions and also its eating challenges. The restaurant offers free meals, vouchers, and cash prizes for customers who can finish…
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Thai woman jailed 4 years for fatal assault on husband’s alleged mistress
A Thai woman, who fatally assaulted her husband’s alleged mistress while eight months pregnant, was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay 850,000 baht in compensation to the victim’s family. The legal outcome was shared by well-known Thai lawyer Nitikorn Kaewto on his Facebook account on Tuesday, December 16. The ruling was issued around seven months after…
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British man arrested for illegally running tour company in Thailand
A British national was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, December 18, after allegedly operating an unlicensed tour business in Thailand for over a decade. The arrest followed orders from Police General Kitirat Phanphet, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, who had directed a nationwide tourism crime crackdown between December 17 and 25 to protect the industry during peak travel…
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19 Indian nationals arrested in Pattaya for illegally selling sex products online
Police arrested 19 Indian nationals at a rented luxury house in Pattaya for allegedly running an illegal online business selling sexual enhancement drugs and sex toys. The Immigration Bureau announced the arrests during a press conference held at its headquarters in the Mueang Thong Thani area of Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi province. The operation followed an investigation into suspicious foreign-run…
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Impostor monk busted in Ang Thong for drugs and donation scam
A man posing as a monk was arrested in Ang Thong yesterday, December 18, after police discovered him without monkhood credentials and attempting to fake a urine test. Police from Wiset Chai Chan Police Station were alerted to the suspicious activity near Rong Thong Shrine Market in Moo 6, Sala Chao Rong Thong subdistrict. Responding officers found a man in…
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Uzbek woman wanted for human trafficking arrested in Pattaya
Police arrested an Uzbek woman wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for human trafficking in Pattaya on Wednesday, December 17. Officers from Chon Buri Immigration Police conducted background checks on foreign nationals who had recently applied for visa-related services and detected irregularities involving a 22 year old Uzbek national, Khurshida Urmanova. They found that she had overstayed her visa by…
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Thai court rules banks must prove credit card fraud, not customers
Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that banks, not customers, must prove who authorised disputed credit card transactions, setting a legal precedent that strengthens consumer protection against cyber scams. The case, Supreme Court ruling No. 2624/2568, began when a bank sued a customer over charges made on their credit card without the cardholder’s knowledge or consent. The customer denied making the…
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Dutch man denies trafficking tiger handed to his foundation from Myanmar
The Dutch founder of the the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) denied animal trafficking accusation after the Karen National Liberation Army (KNU) handed over a tiger, which was seized from a scam gang in Myanmar, to the foundation in Kanchanaburi province on Wednesday, December 17. The allegation was raised by retired national park official Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, who shared details of…
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Thailand video news | Deadly pedestrian bridge collapse in Samut Prakan, Rare leopard and black panther footage revisited in Khlong Lan National Park
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex brings you the latest stories from Thailand and Southeast Asia. Highlights include a deadly bridge collapse, ASEAN observers heading to the Thai–Cambodian border, and later, we’ll wrap things up with some feel-good Friday news to ease you into the weekend. Deadly Pedestrian Bridge Collapse in Samut Prakan Disrupts Traffic A section of a pedestrian…
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139 arrested in year-end immigration sweep in Nakhon Pathom
Immigration officers in Nakhon Pathom carried out a sweeping year-end crackdown yesterday, December 18, arresting 139 foreign nationals and fining landlords who failed to report their tenants as required by law. Immigration Division 3, acting under orders from the Royal Thai Police, began intensified operations targeting areas with migrant workers in Kamphaeng Saen district yesterday. The raids, led by Nakhon…
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Thai fisherman finds headless body in marshland in Bangkok
A Thai man made a shocking discovery while fishing after finding a headless body in a roadside forest area in the Khan Na Yao district of Bangkok, yesterday, December 18. Rescue workers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation were alerted at around 4.30pm and rushed to a marshland area filled with dense reeds in Soi Khu Bon 31, Khu Bon…
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New alcohol rule: vendors banned from serving intoxicated customers
Thailand introduced a new regulation under the Alcohol Control Act, banning alcohol vendors from selling alcoholic beverages to customers who are already intoxicated. Following several revisions to the Alcohol Control Act over the past few months, the Craft Beer Trade Association used its official Facebook page yesterday, December 18, to explain the updated rules in simple terms to help business…
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Phuket Tourist Police help British woman in mental health crisis
Phuket Tourist Police officers shared their successful operation in which they helped calm and support a British woman who was suffering from stress and mental health issues at a hotel in the Patong area. The officers shared photos of the incident on the official Phuket Tourist Police Facebook page on Tuesday, December 16. In the post, they included the message…
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Army raids border warehouse and seizes cash and gold from Thai-Cambodia couple
Officials from the 2nd Army Area and local police officers seized cash and gold worth a total of around 14 million baht from a Thai-Cambodian couple during a raid on a warehouse in Sisaket province today, December 18. The assets are suspected to be linked to transnational crime, but the couple denied the accusation. The operation was carried out at…
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Rare big cats return to spotlight in Thai national park
In a nod to Thailand’s biodiversity, Office of Conservation Area Management 12 has reintroduced footage of a pair of elusive wild cats, a leopard and a black panther, captured roaming together in the forested terrain of Khlong Lan National Park in Kamphaeng Phet. The footage was first recorded in June 2020 by camera traps set up by the World Wide…
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Dutch motorcyclist killed after crashing into parked pickup in Chon Buri
A Dutch man lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Chon Buri province in the early hours of today, December 18, after he allegedly crashed into a parked pickup truck with a trailer. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station, together with rescue workers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation, rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a serious…
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Man turns himself in after high-speed police chase in Samut Prakan
A man turned himself in to police in Samut Prakan today, December 18, after allegedly leading officers on a high-speed chase spanning more than 10 kilometres and injuring two of them in the process. The incident began late last night, December 17, when officers from Samrong Tai Police Station were patrolling on Pu Chao Saming Phrai Road near the entrance…
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6 Thai masseuses arrested for prostitution during raid on spa in Taiwan
Police in Taiwan raided a spa in Tainan City and arrested six Thai masseuses for allegedly providing illegal sex services. A Taiwanese customer was also arrested after being caught engaging in sexual activity during the operation. Officers from Shanhua Police Station carried out the raid on December 10 after receiving a tip-off that the spa was secretly operating as a brothel.…
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Bridge collapses on truck and pickup in Samut Prakan, killing one
A pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a truck and a pickup in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district this morning, December 18, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured. The incident occurred at 9.25am on Bang Na–Trat Road at kilometre marker 34, inbound towards Bangkok, in the Bang Phli Noi area. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports that a…
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Embassy supports Thai woman suing South Korean ex over boiling water attack
The Royal Thai Embassy in South Korea stepped in to support a Thai woman in pursuing legal action against her South Korean husband after he allegedly poured boiling water over her, causing severe injuries. The Thai victim, later identified as Namfon, sought help from the Thai community in South Korea following the attack on December 3. She later shared with…
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Three Cambodian youths arrested after explosive stunt in Rayong
Three Cambodian youths were arrested in Rayong yesterday, December 17, after a video showing a youth group throwing an explosive and taunting Thai people went viral. The incident came to light when investigators traced a viral video showing more than 10 youths riding motorcycles on a public road, wielding long machetes and detonating a ping-pong bomb before shouting challenges directed…
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Thailand’s English proficiency ranks second lowest in Asia
Thailand has recorded one of the lowest levels of English proficiency in Asia, according to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, which shows a continued global stagnation in English skills since 2020. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million participants across 123 countries, with an average test-taker age of 26. While English remains the most commonly shared…
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Thailand video news | Thailand targets 10 million long‑haul tourists, Phuket woman holds gun to threaten driver over car debt
In today’s Thailand video news, Jay brings you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia — from Thailand’s push to attract more long-haul tourists and a major international fugitive arrest, to a prostitution ring bust, a SEA Games sports controversy, an armed debt dispute in Phuket, and renewed diplomatic pressure over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Thailand Targets 10…
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French tourists allegedly fabricate bad boat trip experience in Phuket for refund
French tourists allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to edit photos from a boat trip in Phuket in an attempt to claim refunds by portraying their experience as poor. The accusation was reported today, December 18, by the Facebook page Phuket Times. According to the page, a group of French tourists joined a boat tour in Phuket and took photographs of…
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Thai researchers test Riceberry for hair regrowth
Researchers in Thailand are set to begin clinical trials next year on a Riceberry-based compound that may help reduce hair loss and bring back natural hair colour. The project is a collaboration between Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University, with trials expected to begin early next year. It focuses on AnthoRice Complex, a formula derived from organic Riceberry rice, which has…
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Phuket man arrested after beating wife to death with broomstick
Police arrested a Thai man after he beat his wife to death with a broomstick inside their rented room in Phuket yesterday, December 17. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station were alerted to the case after medical staff at Mission Hospital Phuket reported that a 51 year old Thai woman, Kai, was admitted with severe injuries believed to be caused…
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Thai border police feed hungry dogs left behind during evacuation
Two border patrol police officers were seen on CCTV feeding dogs that had been left at a home in Sa Kaeo during a recent evacuation, resulting in online praise. On December 17, a news team visited an evacuation centre in Sa Kaeo province where villagers had been staying for over 10 days. Many evacuees said they were growing concerned over…
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