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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All aboard: Thai House passes new transit joint ticketing law
Thailand’s chaotic public transport ticketing system is on track for a major shake-up after MPs overwhelmingly backed a new law to unify fares across the country’s mass transit networks. The House of Representatives, chaired by Chaiya Phromma, First Deputy Speaker of the House, approved today the Joint Ticket Management Bill following a marathon debate on all 54 sections of the…
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Phetchabun drug bust: Police intercept 1.2 million meth pills
Phetchabun police seized a massive drug haul totalling 1.2 million methamphetamine tablets, valued at nearly 10 million baht, in a major crackdown against narcotics trafficking. The announcement came during a joint press conference attended by Phetchabun Governor Saranyu Meethongkham, Police Region 6 Chief Police Lieutenant General Kittisak Durongkaviboon, Phetchabun Provincial Police Chief Police Major General Saranai Khongmueang, Lum Sak Police…
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Shaky start: Twin tremors jolt Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son
Northern Thailand had a shaky wake-up call this morning when twin microearthquakes rattled Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son within minutes of each other, startling residents. The Earthquake Observation Division of Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) reported two separate microearthquakes in the early hours of today, August 27, both striking at shallow depths of 3 kilometres. The first tremor, a 1.5-magnitude…
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Thailand grants Myanmar refugees legal right to work
Today, 27 August, Jirayut Huangsub, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, announced that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has commended Thailand for granting long-term Myanmar refugees the legal right to work. The announcement follows a Cabinet decision yesterday, 26 August, approving measures to regulate employment for refugees living in temporary shelters for those fleeing conflict…
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Caught red handed: man admits sexually abusing dog in Songkhla Public Park
In a shocking case in Songkhla, a 59 year old man has been admitted to sexually abusing a dog inside a public restroom at a popular city park. The incident reportedly took place at the Woodball Sports Park near Laem Son On, a well-known tourist area in the city. View this post on Instagram A post shared by…
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Foreign tourists go viral for clothes swap challenge at Phuket airport
A group of foreign tourists went viral among Thai netizens for their clothes exchange challenge at Phuket International Airport. A Thai woman shared a video of the foreign tourists taking part in the challenge on her TikTok account, @babiesbamm, on Monday, August 25. The clip showed the foreign men swapping outfits, donning comical clothing, and staging a fashion show inside…
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School lunch scam: Supreme Court jails ex-director for 25 years
Thailand’s top court has slammed the door on a crooked school director who cheated children out of lunches, locking him away for 25 years. The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from Somchao Sitthichen, former director of Ban Tha Mai School in Surat Thani, in one of the country’s most notorious school lunch corruption scandals. The case first grabbed headlines…
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Thailand to host Tomorrowland festival with 2 billion baht budget
The Thai Cabinet has approved a budget of 2 billion baht, equivalent to approximately US$59 million, to host the globally acclaimed electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland in Thailand for the next five years. Pattaya has been chosen as the prime location for this event, and the official announcement was made today, August 27. The festival is expected to generate at least…
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Chon Buri police bust illegal poker den, arrest nine foreigners
Chon Buri police, in collaboration with Chon Buri Immigration Police, successfully dismantled an illegal poker gambling den in a Pattaya residential village on August 25. The operation resulted in the arrest of nine foreign nationals, comprising five Chinese and four South Korean. Acting on tips from locals who reported foreign vehicles obstructing the neighbourhood, the officers seized gambling equipment and…
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Red light ban hits Pattaya ambulances after Rayong crash
Pattaya’s ambulance crews have been ordered to hit the brakes. A deadly smash in Rayong has sparked a new crackdown banning rescue vehicles from running red lights. The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Pattaya has announced a strict directive forbidding ambulances and volunteer rescue vehicles from driving through red lights, even during emergencies. The move follows a tragic crash in…
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Thailand sees nearly 21 million tourists, 992 billion baht revenue
Tourism and Sports Minister Sarawong Thianthong revealed that nearly 21 million foreign tourists have visited Thailand in almost eight months, generating approximately 992 billion baht. Chinese tourists, numbering 3 million, surpassed Malaysians, making them the top visitors. As of August 24, Thailand had welcomed 21 million foreign tourists since January 1, 2025, bringing in 992,058 million baht (US$30 million) in…
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Phuket locals demand action after foreigners drift pickup outside convenience store
Locals called for legal action against two foreigners after a pickup truck was filmed drifting in the car park of a convenience store in the Bang Thao neighbourhood of Phuket. The video, which circulated widely on Thai social media yesterday, August 26, showed a white pickup drifting in front of a 7-Eleven in Bang Tao. The driver was reported to…
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Fake police scam targets Nonthaburi businesses with 2,000 baht tickets
Today, August 27, a prominent lawyer received reports of a group allegedly posing as members of the Police Administration and Inspection Committee (PAIC) of the Rattanathibet Police Station. They were accused of forcing local businesses in Nonthaburi province to purchase concert tickets for a well-known female artist at 2,000 baht each. The tickets purportedly supported police activities, causing scepticism and…
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Thief steals gold necklace worth 300,000 baht in Udon Thani hotel
Yesterday, August 26, a robbery occurred at a prominent hotel in Udon Thani city, with a thief stealing a gold necklace valued at nearly 300,000 baht from a guest’s room. Police have launched an investigation to apprehend the suspect. Police Colonel Phattanawong Chanphon, along with the investigative team, visited the hotel in central Udon Thani following the incident. The victim,…
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Multi-vehicle collision near Pathum Thani university leaves one injured
A collision involving multiple vehicles occurred outside a prominent university in Pathum Thani province yesterday, August 27, at approximately 6am. The accident took place near Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Rangsit Centre, in Prachathipat subdistrict, Thanyaburi district. The incident involved a car driven by Patipan, who failed to see a motorised tricycle, resulting in a severe crash. The tricycle, driven…
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Freedom fight: Court clears MP of lese majeste charges
A high-profile MP once at the forefront of Thailand’s protest movement has walked free after the Criminal Court threw out a lese majeste case against him, ruling there was no proof he even touched the post at the centre of the allegations. The Criminal Court yesterday acquitted People’s Party MP Piyarat Chongthep of both lese majeste and computer crime charges…
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Udon Thani man missing after fishing trip at dangerous weir
A search operation was launched following the disappearance of a 59 year old man who went fishing at Huai Suang Luang weir in Mueang district, Udon Thani, yesterday, August 26. Despite warnings from his wife, who stayed home due to the heavy rain, he insisted on fishing. Rescue teams are still searching for him. The incident was reported to Police…
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Caught on camera: Patong burglar snared with 300k baht loot
Patong Police have arrested a 28 year old man from Phuket after linking him to a series of burglaries worth 300,000 baht. The suspect, Kittipong Boonchuay, was caught yesterday, August 26, at a rented house in Patong after CCTV evidence allegedly tied him to late-night thefts, where police say he used a motorbike to make quick getaways. Police estimate the…
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Foreign man caught using app to attempt car theft in Phuket
A foreign man attempted to steal a Thai woman’s car in Phuket on August 24. He appeared to have unlocked the vehicle via his mobile phone, as captured by CCTV. The car owner shared details of the attempted theft with the Phuket Times Facebook page to warn other motorists. She explained that she parked her vehicle on the roadside near…
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Thailand video news Phuket Issues Over 17,000 Fines to Tourists Driving Without Permits,Monk Caught on CCTV Pilfering Second-Hand Laptop in Nakhon Sawan
Thailand has seen a surge in unusual and high-profile incidents this week, from Phuket cracking down on foreign drivers with over 17,000 fines to border tensions escalating as Thai forces used sound cannons against Cambodian intruders. Other notable stories include a monk caught on CCTV stealing a laptop, a psychiatric patient causing panic with a machete rampage, and…
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Thailand axes M81 tolls ahead of King’s Cup showdown
Thailand’s M81 motorway is going toll-free for nearly two weeks to get fans pitch-side for the King’s Cup without the pain of fees. The Department of Highways has announced that the M81 motorway, connecting Bang Yai in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi, will be toll-free from 3pm on Friday, August 29 to 9am on Wednesday, September 10. The move is part of…
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Supermarket raid uncovers unapproved Chinese products in Pathum Thani
The public health ministry, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Protection Police Division, conducted a raid on a supermarket near a university on Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani, yesterday, August 26. The operation followed student complaints about products lacking FDA approval, raising safety concerns. The inspection revealed a single glass-encased stall…
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Chiang Mai goose squad flops in moat cleanup stunt
Chiang Mai’s bold plan to clean its polluted moat with a flock of geese is ruffling feathers. What was meant to be a natural solution to green algae and water pollution has turned into a feathery fiasco, complete with photo-happy tourists, escaped birds, and zero results. Since August 21, Chiang Mai Municipality has been trialling a flock of 10 geese…
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Phra Bat Nampu ex-abbot claims designing Petronas Towers under stolen identity
An ex-abbot of Phra Bat Nampu Temple admitted to stealing the identity of a friend in order to avoid military conscription and work illegally in Malaysia, falsely claiming to be a designer of the Petronas Twin Towers. Officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested the former abbot of Phra Bat Nampu, Kriangkrai “George”…
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Pattaya panic: Visa crackdowns and QR codes shake expat life
Pattaya’s carefree days are fading fast. Last year, the city embraced digital control: cashless payments, visa crackdowns, surveillance tech, and retirees are struggling to keep up. Once a haven for easy living, Pattaya now demands QR codes, clean records, and compliance, leaving old-school expats wondering if they still belong. Some expats argue that Pattaya is the same as ever: just…
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Landslide in Chiang Mai’s Pang Ung kills 1, destroys 5 homes
A landslide in Pang Ung village, Chiang Mai province, has destroyed five homes, resulting in one fatality. Over 10 people were injured, and one person remains missing. The incident occurred at 2.50am today, August 27, with emergency services promptly responding to the scene. Dusit Pongsapipat, head of the Chiang Mai provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, confirmed the landslide struck…
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Court countdown: Paetongtarn eyes comeback as ruling looms
A political comeback could be just days away as Thailand’s suspended prime minister prepares to step back into power, if the court gives the green light. Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was confident yesterday that she could resume her duties by Friday, coinciding with a key Constitutional Court ruling on her premiership. During a video conference with Cabinet ministers yesterday,…
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Heavy rains forecast in 39 Thai provinces, including Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for August 27, forecasting heavy rains in 39 provinces, including Bangkok, with 80% of the area expected to experience significant rainfall. Residents are advised to remain vigilant against flash floods and forest run-offs. Due to the monsoon trough passing through Myanmar into a low-pressure area in northern Thailand, coupled with moderate…
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Illegal Pattaya hotel ordered torn down after resident complaints
Pattaya residents have scored a victory after city officials ordered the demolition of parts of a controversial hotel project that locals say has been disrupting their neighbourhood. Deputy Mayor Manoch Nongyai, Acting Head of Building Control Marut Uthaiwattananon, and engineers from Pattaya City Hall, inspected the Super Villa Village on Soi Chaloem Phrakiat 29 following complaints. Residents said demolition and…
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Thai monk caught stealing second-hand laptop in Nakhon Sawan
A Thai couple shared CCTV footage online to expose a monk who stole a second-hand laptop from their shop in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan on Sunday, August 24. The couple, Oak and Nat, revealed details of the theft, which occurred at their shop on Sri Thep Road in Takhli district, during an interview with Workpoint News. They said…
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