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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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New four-lane highway to boost eastern Thailand connectivity
The Songkran holiday season might be chaotic with traffic jams, but a major four-lane highway upgrade in eastern Thailand promises to ease congestion in the future. Highways 3486 and 348 are set to undergo a significant transformation with the construction of a 48-kilometre, 4-lane highway, designed to improve traffic flow and protect local wildlife. The Department of Highways (DOH) has…
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Locals slam Phuket cops for freeing thug after savage attack on foreign woman
Phuket residents criticised the police for releasing a man just two days after his arrest for an unprovoked, vicious assault on an unnamed foreign woman. The Phuket Times shared a video of the assault on April 4. The incident occurred at around 1pm on Thep Kasattri Road in the Thalang area of Phuket. The video showed the foreign victim standing…
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Thailand and Japan unite for Songkran Warm Water Onsen event
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is collaborating with Japan to celebrate the Songkran Warm Water Onsen event, aiming to link the Songkran festival with international tourism promotion. This initiative is expected to boost foreign visits to Thailand. Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, Governor of TAT, announced that this month, TAT will actively promote Thailand’s Songkran festival. For example, from April 5 to…
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Quake leaves 55 Bangkok buildings unusable, inspections continue
The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning announced the results of building inspections following a recent earthquake. Some 55 buildings have been deemed severely damaged and are prohibited from use. Meanwhile, 6,487 buildings remain operational, and 361 have moderate damage. Yesterday, April 7, the Building Damage Inspection Centre, in collaboration with various engineering bodies including the Council…
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Big Joke sends 300 southerners home for Songkran
Former police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn has made Songkran celebrations even sweeter for over 300 southerners by sending them back home with free flights and VIP bus rides, easing the financial burden during tough economic times. At Don Mueang International Airport, Big Joke, President of the Southern Association under Royal Patronage, personally waved off 320 people headed back to…
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Teen arrested for fatal stabbing at Ayutthaya traffic light
A 17 year old from Ayutthaya was arrested for fatally stabbing a 19 year old during an altercation at a traffic light. It was later revealed that the deceased was a relative. The incident occurred yesterday, April 7, at 1am, on Rojana Road in Ayutthaya. The suspect, referred to as A, was apprehended by Police Colonel Adirek Bothipan and his…
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Pattaya technician blasted off pole in fiery high-voltage horror
A Pattaya technician was left fighting for his life after being blasted by a high-voltage electric shock and falling from a utility pole in a fiery workplace disaster. The shocking incident occurred at 7.36pm yesterday, April 7, along Phra Tamnak Road near Soi 2 in Pattaya City. The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit’s radio centre received an urgent distress call,…
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Thai PM sues man impersonating her adviser to deceive actress
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has taken legal action against a man impersonating her advisor to deceive a Thai actress. The 33 year old Thai actress, Rinyarat “Kana” Watchararojsiri, yesterday, April 7, exposed the deceitful behaviour of her ex-boyfriend, identified as Thunyathep “Hot” Sirisubdaechakun, during an interview on Channel 3’s news programme Hone Krasae. Kana explained that Hot had pretended…
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4 more bodies found in Bangkok building collapse takes toll to 20
Four more bodies have been discovered beneath the debris of the collapsed Zone C of the new State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak, Bangkok, taking the death toll to 20 with 77 reported missing. These bodies, found crushed by the structure yet intact, were uncovered at approximately 7.45am today, April 8, opposite the collapsed building site. Anuwat Pho-ampai, a…
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Motorways open free for Songkran travel from April 11 to April 17
During the upcoming Songkran festival, the Department of Highways (DoH) is preparing to facilitate travel by opening two motorway routes free of charge. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, stated that a significant number of people are expected to travel to their hometowns or on vacation during this period. To ensure smooth and safe travel from April…
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Bangkok quake collapse sparks probe into 2.1bn baht project
A 2.1-billion-baht government headquarters crumbled like a house of cards during Bangkok’s recent earthquake and now, investigators are chasing down the company behind it. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has launched a high-profile probe into the collapse of the new State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak, which gave way during the 4.1-magnitude quake on March 28. The incident…
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Naked Russian woman falls to death from Pattaya condo
A naked Russian woman plunged to her death from a Pattaya high-rise, sparking police investigation involving a mystery man and a possible lover’s quarrel. At around 4pm on April 7, officers from Bang Lamung Police Station, Pattaya Tourist Police, and rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation rushed to a condominium in Soi Naklua 16 after reports of a…
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Two boys drown in Loei River tragedy in Wang Saphung
A tragic incident unfolded in Wang Saphung district, Loei province when two 13 year old boys drowned in the Loei River. The distressing event occurred around 3.30pm, yesterday, April 7, near the Siri Songkhram Shrine in Wang Saphung municipality. Police Lieutenant Colonel Nattakamon Thaoklang from Wang Saphung Police Station received the report and coordinated with the municipality’s disaster prevention and…
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Thailand video news | Russians now hold 1 in 4 foreign work permits in Phuket, Vietnam warns of economic hit from sudden 46% US tariff
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay deliver key headlines from Thailand and Southeast Asia. In Phuket, Russians now hold one in four foreign work permits, signalling a shift from tourism to long-term residency. Meanwhile in Bangkok, a fraud scandal leads to a dramatic police station jump. Over in Ayutthaya, a bus crash injures more than 20 factory workers.…
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Bangkok news crew threatened at mall shooting scene
A Bangkok news crew found themselves at the centre of a chilling showdown when alleged bodyguards threatened and detained them while covering a fatal shooting at a mall in the Lat Phrao area. The News Broadcasting Council of Thailand and the Broadcasting Journalists Association of Thailand urged the national police commissioner general to launch an urgent investigation and pursue legal…
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Chinese workers escape Myanmar call centre, enter Thailand illegally
Seven Chinese nationals working for a call centre gang in Myanmar fled to Thailand on foot, crossing a river to escape their unbearably harsh conditions. The escape occurred yesterday, April 7, when the company reduced working hours and cut electricity, making it difficult for workers to live comfortably. The Rachamanu Task Force, along with the Naresuan Rapid Deployment Force, the…
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Phuket locals demand action after foreigners brawl on Bangla Road
Phuket locals yesterday demanded action from police officers after three foreign men engaged in a physical altercation on Bangla Road. A Thai man, Somnuck Chanagune, shared a video of the chaos on Bangla Road on his Facebook account, yesterday, April 7, with a caption that read, “Enjoy boxing in the early hours.” Three foreigners were seen engaging in an altercation,…
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Wife seeks justice for husband’s Bangkok train death
A tragic incident occurred at Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok last week, resulting in the death of a 43 year old Thai man after he fell from a train. His 40 year old wife is seeking justice amidst concerns of negligence. On April 3, at about 7am, Kawin Karaket, accompanied by his 17 year old daughter Kawinthita, travelled from Prachantakham…
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Pattaya host bar raided for operating beyond permitted hours
In the early hours of today, law enforcement officials, led by Police Colonel Anek Srathongyu, raided a host bar in Pattaya operating beyond permitted hours. The operation resulted in the detention of the establishment’s manager for further investigation. The raid, conducted at 2.36am, today, April 8, was a collaborative effort involving the Pattaya City Police, special operations police, and district officers,…
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Purr-severance: Cat rescued from Bangkok rubble becomes a star
A brave little cat has stolen the hearts of the nation after she was rescued, or sniffed out alive, by a heroic rescue dog more than a week after a devastating earthquake brought down a 30-storey building. The two-month-old tabby, now named Satong, was discovered late Sunday night amid the rubble of the collapsed State Audit Office building, thanks to…
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Songkhla couple extorted of 8.2m baht for son’s jail release
A couple has engaged a lawyer to report a gang for allegedly extorting 8.2 million baht by claiming connections with ministers, MPs, and senators to secure their son’s release from prison. The accused also falsely claimed a position as an advisor to a parliamentary committee. Yesterday, April 7, lawyer Chatchawan Bamrungwong accompanied 64 year old Sunaiya, a Songkhla resident, to…
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Van-detta in Phuket: Foreign tourist sued for road rage ruck (video)
A Thai van driver filed a lawsuit against a foreign man for allegedly assaulting him and another motorist during a traffic dispute on the Bypass Road in Phuket on Sunday, April 6. Newshawk Phuket Facebook page shared a video of the physical altercation yesterday, April 7. The incident was detailed in the caption which read, “#Phuket #ForeignerPunchesThais This incident took…
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Census kicks off as Thailand tackles falling births, ageing locals, migrants
Thailand has launched its first national census in over a decade in a bold bid to tackle a wave of pressing population problems: from declining birth rates and labour shortages to an ageing society and rising migration. The census, which began on April 1 and runs until June 19, aims to collect fresh demographic data to help the government craft…
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3 Colombians arrested in Nong Khai for luxury home thefts
Immigration officers in Nong Khai province arrested three Colombians suspected of theft from luxury homes in Pathum Thani. The arrests occurred yesterday, April 7, at 10.30am as the suspects were preparing to flee the country. The suspects were identified as 46 year old Nelson Andres Malo Rojas, 64 year old Raul Ferney, and 65 year old Luis Guillermo. They were…
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Man found dead in hammock in Phayao, murder suspected
A man was found dead in a hammock at a garden home, with police investigating the death as a murder. The incident occurred on Sunday, April 6, at a cottage in Don Kham Tai subdistrict, Phayao province. The police are pursuing two potential motives: a personal dispute or drug-related issues. Yesterday, police officers, including Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiyasit Khadphab, Deputy…
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Tragic death of Burmese boy in Bangkok after choking on food
A five year old boy from Myanmar, weighing over 50 kilogrammes, tragically died after choking on food at his home in the Rat Burana district of Bangkok. The incident occurred around 12.10am, today, April 8, with police and medical personnel from Siriraj Hospital responding to the scene. The boy was discovered on the ground floor of a three-storey commercial building,…
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Foreign motorcyclist seriously injured after race in Chiang Mai
A foreign motorcyclist sustained serious injuries after allegedly racing with his friend and crashing into a police booth in Chiang Mai in the early hours of yesterday, April 7. CCTV footage of the accident, shared on Channel 8, showed the foreigner’s motorcycle overturning near the footpath at Sanpakoi Intersection in the Mueang district of Chiang Mai. Another motorcyclist, who was reported…
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Fat-shaming Thai restaurant grilled over skinny discount (video)
A Thai restaurant is under fire for discriminating against fat people by offering skinny folk a discount for being thin. One disgruntled US tourist fumed “the restaurant would be sued if it was in America!” Chiang Mai Breakfast World is offering customers a controversial skinny discount to diners, provided they can squeeze through a set of narrowing metal bars before…
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Thundering news: Wet ‘n’ wild weather to storm Thailand towns
Weather woes are set to strike as the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issues a dramatic alert for thunderstorms set to drench 48 provinces, including bustling Bangkok. With heavy downpours predicted to soak 40% of the area, residents are warned of wild winds and the possibility of hail in some spots. The culprit? A pesky moderate high-pressure system hanging over the…
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Holiday heartbreak: American dies in Phuket after night of drinking
A 22 year old American tourist from Washington State tragically died in Phuket Town after a night of heavy drinking, leaving behind stunned friends and a heartbroken girlfriend. The young man, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of his family, had been staying at the Rabbit Hotel on Phang Nga Road near Phuket Bus Terminal 1. He was travelling…
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