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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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Pet Expo 2025 goes wild with stars, snakes and shopping galore (video)
Thailand’s largest pet trade event, Pet Expo Thailand 2025, kicked off in style on May 1, celebrating its 25th anniversary with a four-day spectacle which drew over 200,000 visitors. Held at Halls 5 to 8 of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, the event brought together more than 300 companies across 850 booths, offering products, services and cutting-edge innovations for…
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Thailand video news | Pattaya street brawl leaves three foreigners injured, Belgian man deported over repeated drunken behaviour
Today’s top regional headlines cover a spate of incidents across Southeast Asia, from violent brawls and drug-linked border clashes to diplomatic developments and natural disruptions. Thailand sees rising scrutiny over police response to stalking, a tourist’s arrest for ADHD medication, and the deportation of a repeat offender. Elsewhere, Indonesia halts a controversial crypto project, while tensions flare along the Thai-Lao…
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Thai celeb couple slams breast pump ad misuse
A Thai celebrity power couple has taken legal action after discovering their faces plastered on breast pump ads, without permission. The drama unfolded yesterday afternoon, May 5, when the stars and their lawyer stormed into Thong Lo Police Station to file a complaint against a well-known baby brand accused of hijacking their images to peddle discount coupons at a children’s…
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Inflation tops concerns as Thai citizens urge government action
Consumer price inflation has emerged as the foremost concern among citizens, according to a survey by the National Statistical Office. The poll, which included families with members aged over 18, revealed a strong demand for government action on rising consumer costs as the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration approached its six-month mark on March 12. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub reported that 86%…
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BLACKPINK’s Lalisa steals the Met Gala spotlight in LV ensemble
All eyes were on Lalisa from the girl group BLACKPINK at the 2025 Met Gala, as the global K-pop sensation made her hotly anticipated debut in a jaw-dropping Louis Vuitton ensemble that has fans, and fashion critics, buzzing. Fresh off her acting debut in The White Lotus season three and a solo Coachella set that lit up the desert, the BLACKPINK megastar…
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Vietnam surpasses Thailand in attracting Chinese, Russian tourists
The decline in Chinese and Russian tourists visiting Thailand, in favour of Vietnam, is impacting the Thai tourism industry. With cheaper accommodation and 24-hour food service, alongside diverse attractions beyond natural sights, Vietnam is drawing twice as many tourists compared to Thailand. Thanet Supornsahasrangsi, President of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, highlighted that Thailand’s tourism image has been suffering for…
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Southern Thai watermelon gets GI boost in sweet victory
The Ministry of Commerce has officially designated the Koh Sukorn watermelon as Thailand’s first GI-certified watermelon variety, marking a significant milestone for the small island in Trang province. Deputy Commerce Minister Napintorn Srisunpang announced the news, calling it a victory for local identity and agricultural pride. “This sweet, sea-grown watermelon is a standout. Its flavour, fine texture, and colourful flesh make it unique not…
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Out of tune: Thai man punches singer after his football team loses
A Thai man repeatedly punched a singer at a bar in the northern province of Lampang, allegedly out of anger after his favourite football team lost. The 34 year old singer, Bas, filed a complaint at Mueang Lampang Police Station following the assault, which occurred while he was working at the bar on Sunday, May 4, around midnight. The incident…
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Phuket tragedies: 2 found dead in separate suicide cases
Phuket was rocked by two heartbreaking discoveries just hours apart, as police responded to separate scenes involving men found hanged: one a foreigner in a hotel under renovation, the other a Thai man struggling with stress. Yesterday morning, May 5, two suicides unfolded in Phuket, leaving local police and residents shaken. At around 8.45am, Police Lieutenant Colonel Surachat Thongyai, Investigation…
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Sweet deceit: Thai dessert seller left out of pocket in pudding fraud
A Thai dessert vendor has accused a market vendor of fraud, claiming she ordered desserts worth 3,800 baht but failed to pay. Anusara, a 31 year old homemaker and dessert maker, reported the issue to the police yesterday, May 5. She invested several thousand baht in making 470 boxes of Thai desserts for Phornchanok, a 25 year old vendor at…
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Thai parents turn to pawn shops for school expenses
Parents across Thailand are increasingly turning to pawn shops to secure funds for their children’s uniforms and other essentials for the upcoming school term. With the new school calendar set to begin on May 16, these establishments are preparing for a surge in business. Pawn shops nationwide are bolstering their cash reserves in anticipation of the increased demand. In Nakhon…
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Thai father tries to cash in on disabled daughter’s funeral fund
A Thai father in the eastern province of Rayong attempted to claim 4.8 million baht from a donation campaign for his disabled daughter, who died of cancer, despite not caring for her while she was alive. The 34 year old woman, Pan, suffered from oral cancer and was unable to afford medical treatment, which eventually left her disabled. Her tragic life…
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Minor earthquake shakes Nong Bua Lamphu, causes local concern
An earthquake measuring 3.0 magnitude was reported at 1.36am today, May 6, in Nong Bua Lamphu province, originating at a depth of 4 kilometres in Boon Than subdistrict, Suwannakhuha district. The tremors were felt in Boon Than and Saeng Arun villages, causing concern among residents. The earthquake was attributed to the Loei Suture, a geological fault line. Historically, this region…
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Gang members arrested in Bangkok assault investigation
Police apprehended several members of a gang involved in assaults on fellow nationals, with ongoing investigations focusing on two areas in central Bangkok. The incident stemmed from conflicts dated May 5, when Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom led a team to arrest three men linked to the attacks. Those arrested include 18 year old Chakraphat (surname withheld), a Thai Yai…
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‘Hello, Ni Hao’ campaign woos Chinese tourists back to Thailand
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong has unveiled the Hello, Ni Hao campaign, a bold new move aimed at rebuilding confidence in Thai tourism among Chinese travellers. The initiative, which kicks off this month, will see more than 300 Chinese media professionals and influencers invited to Thailand to showcase the country’s attractions through social media and press coverage. “This is…
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Fake DSI agents target ex-Senate candidates in Amnat Charoen
A confidential letter was urgently sent by the governor of Amnat Charoen, Narong Thepsena, to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior. In it, he detailed a disturbing incident in which three individuals claiming to be from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) allegedly forced two former Senate candidates to confess to electoral fraud, all while disabling the security…
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Transgender fortune teller denies defrauding, sexually assaulting boy
A transgender fortune teller in Bangkok denied scamming a 16 year old boy out of 500,000 baht and also rejected claims of sexually assaulting him. She insisted the teen voluntarily gave her around 200,000 baht and nothing more. A Thai mother accompanied her teenage son to meet the well-known lawyer, Ronnarong Kaewphet, to spread a warning to the public. The…
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Paws and effect: New Bangkok law to shake up pet ownership rules
A new law set to take effect in Bangkok early next year will significantly alter pet ownership regulations. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Ordinance on Animal Keeping and Release Control 2024, coming into force on January 10 next year, seeks to manage stray populations and promote responsible pet ownership, particularly affecting dog and cat owners. The ordinance classifies Bangkok as…
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Tragic accident in Kanchanaburi claims lives after tyre blowout
A family returning from a birthday celebration met with a tragic accident when their pickup truck suffered a tyre blowout and crashed into an electricity pole. Police Lieutenant Aumnaj Chanbutr, Deputy Inspector at Nong Khao Police Station in Kanchanaburi province, yesterday, May 5, at 9.34pm, received a report of a serious accident on U Thong-Kanchanaburi Road, opposite the entrance to…
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Chinese tourists vanish, Pattaya cruise sinks into crisis
A luxury Pattaya dinner cruise once packed with Chinese tourists is now struggling to stay afloat, after a dramatic drop in visitors forced mass layoffs and desperate reinvention. Ocean Sky Pattaya, a once-thriving restaurant cruise catering largely to Chinese travellers, has laid off 30% of its staff in a drastic move to slash costs as Chinese arrivals dry up. Buncha…
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UK roadshow rocks South Thailand with fair, farms and flair
The British Embassy in Bangkok wrapped up a whirlwind three-day roadshow across southern Thailand, marking a major milestone in the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Thailand. Running from April 28 to 30, the outreach tour made stops in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, and Surat Thani, showcasing a blend of serious diplomacy and lively community engagement.…
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Teen caught with meth worth 19 million baht at Mekong River
A 17 year old was caught transporting methamphetamine worth 19 million baht on behalf of a Lao drug gang. The teenager was apprehended while waiting to receive the narcotics, which were being transported by boat across the Mekong River to the Thai side yesterday, May 5. Rear Admiral Narong Emdee, commander of the Mekong Riverine Unit, along with his team,…
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Israeli tourist kicks up a stink over shoe rule, plays victim (video)
A rude foreigner caught on camera insulting Thais over a simple “shoes off” rule has backpedalled furiously, claiming she was misunderstood, mistreated, and maligned simply for being Israeli, as fury mounts over a string of bad behaviour by her fellow countrymen in the Kingdom of Thailand. The drama unfolded yesterday, May 5, when the Koh Pha Ngan Conscious Community Facebook…
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Thai man commits suicide after alleged betrayal by ex-boyfriend
A gay man committed suicide in a car parked outside a farm and café he had reportedly invested in with his former boyfriend, following alleged betrayal by the ex, his family, and his new partner. The owner of Subprayun Farm and Cafe in the central province of Lop Buri, Yo, contacted officers from Phattana Nikhom Police Station to investigate the…
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Missing catamaran found off Phuket, Canadian sailor safe
A solo sailor vanished, a luxury catamaran went silent, and fears of a maritime disaster gripped Phuket, until a dramatic twist yesterday saw the missing boat found bobbing near Koh Racha Noi, with the Canadian sailor alive and well. The search for the catamaran Liliput, which sparked a marine alert across southern Thailand, ended on a high note yesterday, May 5,…
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Bar humbug! Foreign tourist brawls bruise Pattaya’s party scene
Punches flew, tempers flared and yet another black eye was dealt to Pattaya’s party scene today after a boozy bar bust-up between foreign tourists left three injured and police scrambling to track down the culprits behind the chaos. A full-blown street scrap erupted outside a bar on Soi Chalermprakiat 25 in Nongprue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, today, May 6,…
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Kok River contamination sparks fears in northern Thailand
The Kok River, winding through the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai before joining the Mekong River, has become a source of concern for residents who once depended on it for agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. High concentrations of arsenic, a hazardous heavy metal, have been discovered, generating fear and uncertainty among those who rely on the river for…
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Car crashes into Suphan Buri supermarket, injuring two
An unexpected incident occurred when a car suddenly accelerated into a well-known supermarket in the Pho Phra Ya market, Mueang district, Suphan Buri province, yesterday, May 5, causing significant damage and injuring two people. Police and emergency services arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Upon arrival, approximately ten supermarket employees were visibly shaken. The store’s left-front window was…
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License to grill: Corrupt cop shakes down 79-baht diner for bribes
A fed-up restaurant manager has blown the whistle on a corrupt cop who allegedly demanded a monthly bribe to stop police raids, turning a humble 79-baht-a-dish diner into the target of relentless inspections that have scared off customers and slashed sales. Reporters were called to the Chop Charoen restaurant in Soi Mu Ban Chang Ayothaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, after…
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People’s Party urges peace talks after deadly southern attacks
A wave of violence in Thailand’s Deep South has sparked a fierce call to action from the People’s Party, which is demanding the government restart peace talks and urging insurgents to stop slaughtering innocent civilians. The opposition People’s Party has issued an open letter calling on the Thai government to urgently resume stalled peace talks with insurgent groups, while also…
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