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 What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival processions light up the streets
Devotees from local shrines took part in vibrant street processions across Phuket as part of a major annual festival aimed at promoting spiritual cleansing. Phuket erupted in colour, firecrackers and ritual yesterday, October 21, as the island launched the second day of its annual Vegetarian Festival with sacred street processions, despite rain. Devotees from 39 Chinese shrines are participating in…
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Deputy PM says no foreigners encroach Koh Pha Ngan forest
The deputy prime minister (PM) of Thailand confirmed that no foreigners encroached on forest land on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Some locals on Koh Pha Ngan voiced concerns that the island was taken over by foreigners, particularly Israeli nationals. They claimed that Israelis used Thai nominees to buy seaside land, encroached on…
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Russian car rental network dismantled in Koh Pha Ngan crackdown
Tourist police launched a joint operation on Koh Pha Ngan to crack down on an illegal car rental and hotel business run by foreign nationals, seizing hundreds of vehicles. The operation, carried out yesterday, October 21, was led by Police Major General Krits Warit, in line with the Tourist Police Bureau’s policy to suppress transnational crime. The joint task force…
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Skeletal Thai man rescued after alleged kratom addiction
A Thai volunteer rescuer issued a warning after being called to assist a man who became severely emaciated, allegedly due to his kratom addiction. The rescuer, Jirasak Prayonghom, shared a photograph of the man he had helped on his Facebook account yesterday, October 21. In part of his caption, Jirasak wrote… “#Warning This 23 year old man was weak and skeletal,…
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Poolside tragedy: Worker electrocuted at Phuket hotel
A construction worker was fatally electrocuted while using a jackhammer near a hotel pool in Karon, Phuket, prompting an ongoing police investigation. The 46 year old victim, identified as Kwanchai Phonsari from Udon Thani province, was working on concrete removal around the pool area when the fatal incident occurred at approximately 10.45am on Sunday, October 19. Witnesses told police they…
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Gold factory sues 3 employees and 2 retailers for 400 million baht theft
A gold factory sued three employees and two retailers for stealing gold worth over 400 million baht between December last year and June this year. The factory’s representative, 41 year old Thittimon Watwanvorakul, spoke to the media yesterday, October 21, about the case. She revealed that the factory discovered more than 103 kilogrammes of stolen gold jewellery, valued at around…
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Chinese flying taxis take off in Thailand’s urban skies
A Chinese drone firm has launched Thailand’s first flying taxi trials in partnership with local regulators to test autonomous aircraft for urban transport. Aviation giant EHang has launched Thailand’s first Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Sandbox Initiative, marking a major milestone in the race to bring flying taxis to Southeast Asia. Unveiled in Bangkok, the initiative was created in partnership with…
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Thailand scraps poker permits in major anti-gambling push
The Ministry of Interior has issued a sweeping order banning all poker and card games across Thailand, in line with the government’s strict anti-gambling policy. Signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the order No. 3179/2568 was made public today, October 22, and takes immediate effect. It fully revokes a previous order from July and suspends all existing…
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UHC CEO killer claims attack by Thai ladyboys before shooting
A man accused of killing a top US healthcare executive had earlier claimed he was assaulted by transgender women while travelling in Thailand, reports reveal. According to The New York Times, 27 year old Luigi Mangione sent WhatsApp messages to friends while backpacking across Asia, describing his raucous escapades. In one message, he claimed he had been “beaten up by…
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Man killed by exploding e-cigarette in shocking first for Thailand
A man in Thailand died in Northeast Thailand after his e-cigarette exploded while he was fishing, marking the country’s first confirmed fatality linked to a vape device. The 47 year old man was found lifeless near a spillway in Ban Kut Chim, Mueang district, Nong Bua Lamphu province on October 18, after going fishing. At first, police suspected foul play.…
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Bangkok taxi rider fights foreign passenger over drop-off spot dispute
A physical altercation broke out between a Thai motorcycle taxi rider and a foreign passenger outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, reportedly due to a dispute over a drop-off point. A TikTok user, @buti.39, shared a video of the fight on Monday, October 20, with the caption, “A motorcycle taxi rider at Siam Paragon who takes boxing as inspiration for…
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Thailand video news | Thailand’s three-airport high-speed rail project hits a major contract impasse, Weak tourist inflows cloud Thai baht’s end-of-year rally
In Thailand Video News Today, Alex and Jay bring you stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Today’s lineup includes a Thai doctor’s warning about excessive online content, a stalled mega rail project, and some quirky museums worth visiting. Excessive pornography consumption may impair sexual health, warns Thai specialist A Thai forensic medicine specialist warns that heavy pornography use can…
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German man injured by faulty manhole cover in Pattaya
A German man sustained a leg injury after stepping on a faulty manhole cover in Pattaya earlier yesterday, October 21. Rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation in Pattaya were alerted to the accident, which occurred near Soi Pattaya 14 in Central Pattaya at around 4.30am. The injured man was later identified as a German national, 28 year old Christoph. According…
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Thai Airways boosts board, plots fresh flight to recovery
Thai Airways is expanding its board and fleet as part of a major governance overhaul aimed at boosting transparency and competitiveness post-rehabilitation. The airline’s chairman, Lavaron Sangsnit, confirmed the move as part of sweeping changes ahead of a key Annual General Meeting (AGM) in December. The expanded board will include a long-awaited risk management committee, aimed at strengthening oversight of…
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Curtain call: Paetongtarn quits Pheu Thai ahead of party shake-up
Former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is expected to formally resign as leader of the Pheu Thai Party this week, with senior figures set to meet at the party’s Bangkok headquarters this morning to confirm her departure. According to party sources, the meeting was scheduled to begin with a gathering of MPs at 8.30am today, October 22, followed by a session…
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3 Japanese tourists fined for lifting skirt of Pattaya hairdresser
Three Japanese men face a fine for sexually harassing a Thai hairdresser in Pattaya on Saturday, October 19, by lifting her skirt. The Thai online community called for harsher penalties to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The owner of K.K Hairstyles @ Pattaya Barbers & Salon in Pattaya, 33 year old Kanokkarn, shared CCTV footage of the…
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Thai construction giant denies links to call centre scam after MPs’ claims
One of Thailand’s leading construction companies, Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Public Company Limited (STECON), filed a complaint against two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People’s Party, claiming both accused the company of involvement in a call centre scam network. The United States and United Kingdom recently accused the Prince Holding Group, owned by 32 year old Chinese-born Chen Zhi,…
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Lumpini Park gets royal revamp ahead of 100th birthday bash
Bangkok officials are fast-tracking renovations at Lumpini Park ahead of its centennial celebrations and a royal commemoration scheduled to take place soon. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is accelerating renovation efforts at Lumpini Park ahead of its centenary celebrations, which will coincide with the 100th anniversary of King Vajiravudh (King Rama VI), the park’s founder. The festivities, set to run…
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Northeast Thailand loan sharks steal rabbit in debt dispute
Two men were arrested in Northeast Thailand after allegedly damaging a woman’s home and stealing her pet rabbit over an unpaid loan of just 4,000 baht. Police say 24 year old Sitthikorn Kerdsiri and 22 year old Charoensak Piawwong were detained last night, October 20, in Mueang district after weeks on the run. Both were wanted on arrest warrants for…
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Foreign man caught on CCTV stealing liquor from Phuket restaurant
A CCTV camera captured a foreign man stealing a bottle of liquor from a restaurant in the Patong area of Phuket on Sunday, October 19. Footage of the theft was shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page today, October 21. In the video, the foreign suspect is seen wearing black shorts and a red shirt covered with a black jacket.…
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Hackers hijack Phuket ride-hailing apps in taxi scam chaos
Phuket officials vowed to crack down after hackers scammed ride-hailing drivers by hijacking app accounts and demanding ransom for registration unlocks. Phuket Governor Saransak Srikruanetra has vowed a sweeping crackdown after dozens of ride-hailing drivers reported falling victim to a sophisticated hacking scam. The revelation came during a crisis meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, where Governor Saransak and local MP…
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MV actress and friend killed in Udon Thani motorbike crash
A young music video actress and her friend were killed when their motorbike crashed into a pole in Udon Thani, leaving one man seriously injured. The fatal accident occurred at around 5.20am yesterday, October 20, in Soi Kamnan, Mueang Udon Thani district. Emergency responders from the Udon Sawang Methadharm Foundation were alerted to a motorcycle crash involving a collision with…
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Thai woman escapes rapist who tries to run her down in Chachoengsao
Police rescued a Thai woman in time after a rapist attempted to run her down in the central province of Chachoengsao yesterday, October 20. The 26 year old Thai woman sought help from officers at Bang Pakong Police Station at around 3.30am yesterday after she was tricked and sexually assaulted inside an isolated house in the Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao province.…
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Police pickup crashes into 6 year old boy during high-speed chase
A police officer in Nakhon Phanom province crashed a patrol pickup into a six year old Thai boy during a high-speed chase with drug suspects on Sunday, October 19. The young boy was rushed to Nakhon Phanom Hospital at around 3pm after the crash on a community road in Tha Kho sub-district. He suffered a fractured right collarbone and facial…
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Fire breaks out at Phuket condo site, no injuries reported
A fire broke out at a Phuket condo construction site at night, prompting a swift response from firefighters who contained the blaze before it spread. The fire erupted around 9.30pm on Sunday, October 19, at The Origin Kathu-Patong project on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, approximately 3 kilometres from the eastern base of Patong Hill. The building, currently unoccupied, is part…
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Bangkok police reunite Sri Lankan beauty queen with lost crown
Bangkok police officers successfully tracked down and returned the crown to Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, who is set to attend the final of the competition in Thailand in November. The manager of Miss Universe Sri Lanka, Eksith Sachin Seneviratne, filed a complaint with Pathumwan Police Station at 1.38pm on Sunday, October 19, after the beauty queen, Lihasha Lindsay-White, lost…
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Thailand announces second phase of co-payment scheme
The Thai government prepares to launch the second phase of its popular co-payment consumer subsidy scheme in January in a bid to jumpstart domestic spending and bolster economic growth. The announcement was made yesterday, October 20, by government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat who confirmed that the upcoming phase will be financed from the 2026 fiscal budget. However, the total budget allocation…
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Thai immigration: Belarusian model not abducted in Bangkok
Thai immigration released the last photo of a Belarusian model who was later murdered in Myanmar, denying claims she was abducted while in Thailand. The final CCTV image of Belarusian model Vera Kravtsova before she left Thailand was released by the Immigration Bureau, following reports of her murder in Myanmar and claims she had been abducted from Thai soil. The…
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Thai defence minister warns Cambodia: No deal, no summit
Thailand’s defence minister warned Cambodia that if border talks fail, there will be no peace deal, no ASEAN summit signing, and no further negotiations. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated as Defence Minister General Nattapol Nakphanit issued a firm ultimatum over ongoing border negotiations. Speaking at Government House at 9.35am today, October 21, General Nattapol declared that the upcoming Thai-Cambodian…
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Thai man arrested for car-based penis enlargement services
Bangkok police arrested a Thai man for illegally offering penis enlargement services to clients. He was found advertising his services on the TikTok application and performing illegal procedures inside his car. The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) had been monitoring unlicensed medical service advertisements online and discovered a TikTok account under the name “ช่างใหญ่ โมดิฟาย” (Yai Modify) offering penis enlargement injections…
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