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.
-
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...
-
Shooting at noodles shop near Bangkok claims life of groom-to-be, 2 others injured
A shooting at a noodles shop in the Nonthaburi province near Bangkok resulted in the death of a groom-to-be and injury to two others. Reports suggest that the motive behind the shooting was a dispute over debt and an illegal business venture. The shooting occurred at midnight at a noodles shop in the Sai Ma sub-district of Mueang district in…
-
Worker fatally electrocuted during rainstorm while retrieving equipment
A 35 year old man died in Ratchaburi after trying to retrieve electrical equipment during heavy rain. Authorities found his lifeless body beside a large electrical box, with his left index finger on an outlet. On May 24, Police Lieutenant Santiphol Nuuchua, an investigative officer at Bang Phae Police Station, in Ratchaburi, received a report about a man who had…
-
Pattaya hit by floods as Thailand enters rainy season
Pattaya experienced significant flooding in various areas last night, following the official start of Thailand’s rainy season on Monday. The heavy downpour, which lasted for about an hour and was accompanied by strong winds, affected flood-prone locations such as Sukhumvit Road, South Pattaya Road, Pattaya Beach Road, Third Road near the Paniat Chang intersection, Moom Aroi intersection, and the road…
-
Devastating Pattaya motorbike crash claims life of 34 year old Korean bar manager
A tragic accident occurred in Pattaya when a 34 year old Korean man, known locally as a bar manager and expatriate, lost his life in a motorbike crash. The incident took place in front of Pattaya 7 School, where the man collided with a roadwork sign early in the morning. Rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation arrived at…
-
Thailand’s giant panda Lin Hui died of multiple organ failure, experts rule
UPDATE Post-mortem examinations ruled that Thailand‘s beloved giant panda Lin Hui, who passed away at 21 years old at Chiang Mai Zoo last month, died of multiple organ failure. China loaned the giant panda to Thailand in 2003 as a goodwill ambassador between the two countries for 20 years. She was set to return home this year. A joint team…
-
Leopard cat struck by car in southern Thailand
A leopard cat is seriously injured after being hit by a car in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand on Monday. A young man named Somchai (pseudonym) from Thung Kha Ngok subdistrict was driving his motorbike along the Phang Nga – Takua Pa route when he saw an animal get hit by a car. He parked his motorbike to check…
-
Future Thailand PM at odds with cannabis sellers and government over drug law reform
Cannabis sellers and several governmental departments have clashed with future Prime Minister, Pita Limcharoenrat, and his Move Forward Party (MFP) over the reclassification of cannabis and the reversal of the drug laws. The sellers are demanding clear clarification from the concerned departments on this issue. On Monday, May 22, the MFP, led by Pita, and leaders of the coalition parties…
-
Bangkok to expand Google Classroom project to all 437 schools by 2026
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has unveiled its plans to implement the Google Classroom project across all 437 schools under its jurisdiction within the next three years. The announcement follows a successful pilot project in collaboration with Google at Thainiyomsongkroa School in the Bang Khen district. The Google Classroom project emphasises “learning connectivity and data accessibility,” providing each student with…
-
Body found in Thailand forest wearing someone else’s school uniform
A man searching for wild mushrooms discovered a corpse wearing a high schooler’s gym shirt in a forest in Chanthaburi province in central Thailand today. Officers at Mueang Chanthaburi Police Station were informed that a local man found the body of a man wearing a gym shirt from a famous high school in a ditch in the forest in Moo…
-
South Thailand bus crash leaves 10 wounded
A bus crash in South Thailand‘s Songkhla province left 10 people wounded yesterday morning. The bus was carrying 30 passengers from Bangkok to Hat Yai. Rattaphum Police were alerted to the incident on Asia Road in the Kamphaengphet sub-district of Rattaphum district. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the bus on the side of the road. Ten injured…
-
Teenager arrested for selling ghost SIM cards online
Police arrested a 17 year old boy who sold ghost SIM cards online at his house in Ranong province in southern Thailand. The teenager used information from his previous customers to repeatedly register SIM cards for sale. Narudom managed to make over 500 transactions. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided a house in the Khao Niwet sub-district, Mueng…
-
Thai family seeks help moving deceased father to temple amidst wild bees concerns
A Thai family asked for emergency services assistance in transferring their deceased father to a temple for a funeral ceremony, amid concerns that noise and lights from the event might disturb a hive of wild bees situated near their residence. The authorities in the Buriram area responded to the request in order to ensure the safety of the hosts and…
-
Hundreds of porn DVDs discovered in ex-temple abbot’s quarters spark outrage
Villagers in Nakhon Ratchasima province were shocked when they discovered hundreds of porn DVDs hidden in a former abbot’s residence at a local temple. The 73 year old former abbot had been expelled from the temple by the villagers on February 19, due to inappropriate behaviour, financial mismanagement, and alleged misconduct with female devotees in a washroom. The villagers demanded…
-
Prime suspect in Pattaya woman’s brutal murder arrested in rural Thai village
In a rural village in Sakon Nakhon, northeastern Thailand, the prime suspect in the brutal murder of a young Pattaya woman was apprehended and is now being transported to Pattaya for further investigation. The murder of Rattana Thammarak sent shockwaves through the Pattaya community and law enforcement. The 32 year old suffered at least ten stab wounds to her face,…
-
Police impostors arrested for attempting to bribe officers to release illegal Chinese immigrants
Officers from Chiang Saen Police Station in the northern province of Chiang Rai arrested four suspects for posing as high-ranking police officers and attempting to bribe the police with 350,000 baht in exchange for the release of four Chinese nationals who illegally entered the country. The situation unfolded after officers from Chiang Saen Police Station apprehended a Thai national along…
-
‘Last push’ to get injured English tourist stuck in Thailand hospital back home
UPDATE The 25 year old English tourist who crashed his motorbike into a shopfront in Phuket on May 1 remains in a hospital in Thailand over three weeks later. Doctors say he is almost ready to be transferred to a hospital in the UK, once his hospital bill is paid in full. After suffering significant blood loss and falling into…
-
Thailand flight sales soar, searches for outbound trips up 200% in Q1
The first quarter of this year saw international flight sales to Thailand surpass 2019 figures, while searches for outbound Thai flights and overseas accommodation rose by 200%, according to online travel agency Traveloka. Iko Putera, the company’s chief executive of transport, anticipates a positive travel trend for Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia this year. This is driven by…
-
Lawyer of cyanide serial killer accused of hiding and damaging evidence
Thannicha “Patch” Ek-suwannawat, the lawyer representing the Thai cyanide serial killer, is facing allegations of hiding and damaging crucial evidence. Despite being summoned, Patch has not responded and instead intends to file a complaint against the police. Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, the cyanide serial killer, has yet to confess to her alleged crimes, despite compelling evidence against her. Investigators have uncovered…
-
Thailand’s FA bans two footballers for six months over SEA Games brawl
UPDATE Thailand’s Football Association (FA) banned two Thai footballers from playing in national games for six months over the brawls that erupted during the men’s football final between Indonesia and Thailand at the SEA Games in Phnom Penh on May 16. The FA banned three staff members who stormed the pitch for an entire year, citing their lack of maturity.…
-
Man’s body found floating in sea off Thailand’s Chon Buri province
A man’s body was found floating in the sea off Thailand‘s eastern Chon Buri province yesterday. The body of the man, believed to be a missing Cambodian boat worker, was discovered near a mangrove swamp in Sattahip district. An unidentified citizen reported the body to Sattahip Police at around 11.30am. The body is suspected to be that of Yook Thienia…
-
3 DSI officers and ex-consul of Nauru accused of swindling 10 million baht
Three officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the former consul of the Nauru Consulate in Thailand reportedly swindled 10 million baht from Chinese nationals suspected of operating illegal businesses in Thailand. The accused DSI officers surrendered yesterday. On December 22 of last year, DSI officers conducted a raid on a residence in Bangkok that served as the…
-
‘Personally, I love dogs,’ says Thai man who killed girlfriend’s dogs, forced her to eat dog poo
UPDATE Watchdog Thailand seized a Beagle, a Shih Tzu, and a rabbit from the man who confessed to beating his Thai-British girlfriend, forcing her to eat dog poo, and buying and killing many of her pet dogs yesterday. During interrogation at Bang Bo Police Station in Samut Prakan yesterday, 24 year old “Fin” confessed to killing and burying “more than…
-
Bangkok blaze devastates 44 homes in rapid inferno
A massive fire engulfed over 44 wooden houses in Bangkok’s Talat Phlu district, near Soi Wutthakat 18-20, leaving local officials battling the flames for more than 45 minutes. There were no reported injuries or deaths. The authorities received the emergency report at approximately 5.45am and coordinated with the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department, as well as volunteers from the charity…
-
Phuket motorbike crash injures elderly expat
A Phuket motorbike crash injured an elderly expat yesterday morning. Chalong Police arrived at the scene on Wiset Road in Rawai to find a foreign motorbike rider, 73 year old Georgi Simeonov Georgiev with minor injuries. The other rider involved in the accident was a 31 Thai man named Kittisak Buayai. Georgiev’s nationality was not provided by police. After reviewing…
-
Cannabis shop near top school suspended amid licence scrutiny
A cannabis shop near the prestigious St Joseph Convent School on Silom Road has had its licence suspended for one month by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM). The dispensary had been operating for six months before receiving criticism due to its proximity to the all-girls school. DTAM’s director-general, Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, revealed that the suspension was a…
-
Thai MP-elect aims to break £11bn alcohol duopoly with progressive bill
A member of parliament-elect with a passion for beer is seeking to challenge the 470-billion-baht alcohol duopoly held by two of Thailand’s wealthiest families, following the Move Forward Party’s recent election victory. Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a 34 year old brewer turned politician, has long fought against stringent regulations that benefit Boon Rawd Brewery and ThaiBev, the two companies dominating the country’s…
-
Key Chinese Ponzi scheme member arrested in Bangkok over cybercrime
A key member of a Chinese Ponzi scheme network wanted in China for cybercrime, fraud, and investment scams, has been apprehended by immigration police. The 35 year old individual, known only as Zhao, was arrested following coordination between the Chinese embassy in Bangkok and the Immigration Bureau (IB). Zhao and his associates operated an investment firm that lured people into a…
-
Thai government revenue exceeds target by 112 billion baht amid economic recovery
The Ministry of Finance announced that government revenue collection for the first seven months of fiscal 2023 (October to April) surpassed the target by 112 billion baht, primarily due to contributions from agencies other than the Revenue Department. This information was shared by Pornchai Thiraveja, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office. The government collected a net revenue of 1.38 trillion baht…
-
Man confesses to beating Thai-British girlfriend, forcing her to eat dog poo, and killing her pets
A Thai man confessed to physically abusing his Thai-British girlfriend, forcing her to eat dog poo and killing her dogs today at a police station in Samut Prakan in central Thailand. Lawyer Kanthas “Gun Jompalang” Phongphaibookvej accompanied 25 year old “A” (pseudonym) to Bang Bo Police Station this morning to file three charges against her 24 year old boyfriend “Fin,”…
-
Rising interest rates boost mortgage NPLs, Bank of Thailand urges debt restructuring
In the first quarter of this year, non-performing mortgage loans (NPLs) experienced an increase due to rising interest rates, prompting the Bank of Thailand (BoT) to encourage banks to assist borrowers through debt restructuring. The central bank recently revealed a housing loan NPL ratio of 3.16% in the commercial banking system, up from 3.01% in the previous quarter. The primary…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.