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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    Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you

    Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...

  • Arsenic contamination in Chiang Mai children linked to river fish

    Arsenic contamination in Chiang Mai children linked to river fish

    An alarming discovery was made in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province, where arsenic levels in two young children were found to exceed normal standards. This was believed to be linked to fish consumption from the Kok River, which flows from Shan State, Myanmar, into Thailand. The Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office conducted tests yesterday, July 7, on four…

  • Nature’s surprise: Rare panda crab spotted in Thai national park

    Nature’s surprise: Rare panda crab spotted in Thai national park

    A rare panda crab, known locally as the Sirindhorn Crab, has been spotted crawling across a remote waterfall in the Panoen Thung area at Kaeng Krachan National Park, showcasing the extraordinary biodiversity thriving in Thailand’s western forests. The discovery, shared on the park’s Facebook page on Sunday, July 6, delighted conservationists and nature lovers. The park’s post featured stunning photos…

  • Thai netizens back kidnapped Chinese influencer’s emotional hunt for real family

    Thai netizens back kidnapped Chinese influencer’s emotional hunt for real family

    Thai netizens are expressing their support for a Chinese influencer after she shared her heartbreaking story of being kidnapped as a child and her ongoing search for her biological family. The 20 year old influencer, Auyoya Yich, is widely known among Thai netizens as Aurora or Tao Hoo (meaning tofu). She is currently an exchange student at Rangsit University in…

  • Thailand plans ‘Buddhist bank’ as temple scandals explode

    Thailand plans ‘Buddhist bank’ as temple scandals explode

    Thailand’s temples are facing their biggest credibility crisis in decades, with lurid scandals and financial misconduct battering public faith. Now, a senior minister has unveiled a bold plan to clean up the mess — by setting up a Buddhist bank to keep temples’ money in check. Speaking on his first day in office yesterday, July 7, Suchart Tancharoen, minister attached…

  • Casino chaos: Thailand scraps gambling bill amid turmoil

    Casino chaos: Thailand scraps gambling bill amid turmoil

    Thailand’s rollercoaster ride to legalise casinos has come to a screeching halt, as the government announced it will withdraw the hotly debated Entertainment Complex Bill following fierce public backlash and a fresh wave of political upheaval. Yesterday, July 7, Chief Government Whip Visuth Chainaroon confirmed that a motion to pull the bill from the current parliamentary session will be raised…

  • Tragic collision claims lives of porridge vendor and cyclist

    Tragic collision claims lives of porridge vendor and cyclist

    A tragic accident occurred when a 19 year old porridge vendor was riding his motorcycle back home and collided with a bicycle ridden by a 72 year old man. Both people died in the incident. This unfortunate event took place at 7pm yesterday, July 7, in Bang Kon Tee district, Samut Songkhram province. Police Lieutenant Ruengwut Imm-em, Deputy Inspector of Bang…

  • Surat Thani train station horror: Guards beat man over nap

    Surat Thani train station horror: Guards beat man over nap

    A family dinner ended in shocking violence for one Surat Thani man, who was brutally beaten by security guards at a train station simply for lying down to rest as he waited for his train home. The 57 year old man, identified only as Yutthaphon, was left with severe bruising across his face and body and a gaping head wound…

  • Police raid reveals illegal kratom and e-cigarette operation in Loei

    Police raid reveals illegal kratom and e-cigarette operation in Loei

    Police in Loei province, under the direction of Police Major General Weeradech Lekhawarakul and other senior officers, conducted a raid on a residence in Ban Khon Daeng, Mueang Loei district suspected of illegal activities. The operation yesterday, July 7, was in collaboration with pharmacists from the Loei Provincial Public Health Office. The rented house had been identified as a production…

  • Man in Suphan Buri kills neighbour under meth influence

    Man in Suphan Buri kills neighbour under meth influence

    A tragic incident occurred yesterday in Mueang district, Suphan Buri province, when a 36 year old man, Anucha, reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine, allegedly attacked and fatally injured his bedridden 63 year old neighbour, Suthep, by forcing him into a drainage pipe. Rescue workers yesterday, July 7, were unable to save Suthep’s life despite their efforts. Police Colonel Wanchai…

  • Thai influencer and transwomen clash over South Korean bar host

    Thai influencer and transwomen clash over South Korean bar host

    A Thai social media influencer and a group of transwomen clashed at an entertainment venue in Bangkok, allegedly over a South Korean bar host. The altercation came to light after one of the transwomen, Mona, shared the story on her social media account. She accused the influencer, Duangporn “Yingaon” Chaiyarungyos, of making transphobic remarks during the confrontation. Mona alleged that…

  • Bacon backlash: Cheap US pork threatens Thai farmers

    Bacon backlash: Cheap US pork threatens Thai farmers

    Thailand’s pig farmers are squealing in protest, warning the government that a flood of cheap American pork could cripple the nation’s entire agricultural sector and push thousands into poverty overnight. Yesterday, July 7, the National Swine Raisers Association (NSRA) issued a fiery statement urging officials to abandon any plans to open Thailand’s market to pork, offal and related products from…

  • British dad dies chasing fight dream as wife gives birth back home

    British dad dies chasing fight dream as wife gives birth back home

    A British mum gave birth to her third child yesterday, just days after her beloved husband died alone in Thailand while chasing his lifelong dream of becoming a Thai boxing fighter. Ryan O’Connor, from Rossendale, Lancashire, collapsed in a hotel bathroom in Thailand after falling severely ill during a once-in-a-lifetime trip to train at a Muay Thai academy. The father-of-three…

  • 50 attackers storm security base in Narathiwat, injuring two officers

    50 attackers storm security base in Narathiwat, injuring two officers

    Approximately 50 assailants, armed with 24 firearms and pipe bombs, launched an attack on a security base in the Mueang district of Narathiwat province on June 28. Two officers, 45 year old Aphisit Srianurak and 36 year old Waehumran Waesamoh, were injured in the incident. Investigations revealed that 702 bullet casings were used during this attack, which have been linked…

  • FDA cracks down on illegal cannabis products in Thailand

    FDA cracks down on illegal cannabis products in Thailand

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is intensifying efforts to eliminate illegal cannabis products across Thailand. Emphasising the importance of checking labels, they are prosecuting imported goods with THC levels exceeding legal limits. This move follows an incident where a two year old girl accidentally consumed cannabis-infused jelly, necessitating hospital treatment. Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin instructed the FDA and provincial…

  • Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury

    Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury

    A Thai woman narrowly escaped serious injury after a car crashed into her roadside beverage stall in Phuket on Sunday, July 6. The driver later accepted full responsibility for the incident. The vendor, Naruemon Thorthip, shared CCTV footage of the crash on Facebook the same day. According to the timestamp in the video, the incident occurred at around 2pm near…

  • Cambodia-Thailand scam empire busted in mega police raid

    Cambodia-Thailand scam empire busted in mega police raid

    A notorious crime boss running a luxury scam empire from Cambodia is on the run after Thai police swooped on 19 locations in an explosive crackdown on a sprawling transnational syndicate. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) stormed properties across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri today, July 8, in coordinated raids aimed at dismantling the network behind…

  • Aussie tourist found dead after late-night massage on Koh Samui

    Aussie tourist found dead after late-night massage on Koh Samui

    A barefoot Aussie holidaymaker was found dead in a Koh Samui massage parlour, hours after staff assumed he’d simply nodded off following a midnight rubdown. The 43 year old man, identified only as Christopher from Brisbane, was discovered lifeless in the early hours of Sunday, July 7, at a massage shop in Bo Phut, on the Thai holiday island. Police…

  • Thai Lion Air’s Kolkata-Bangkok flight aborted over mid-taxi scare

    Thai Lion Air’s Kolkata-Bangkok flight aborted over mid-taxi scare

    Holiday plans were thrown into chaos in the early hours of today when a Thai Lion Air flight bound for Bangkok was forced to abort take-off and return to its parking bay after a technical snag triggered a mid-taxi scare at Kolkata Airport. Flight TLM243, scheduled to whisk 130 passengers and seven crew members back to Thailand, had only just…

  • Senator accused of attempted rape by former news anchor

    Senator accused of attempted rape by former news anchor

    A former news anchor and advisor to a Senate subcommittee accused a senator of attempting to rape her at a condominium in the Bang Sue area of Bangkok. The ex-anchor, Natthasinee “Kwan” Pinyopiyavid, took to her Facebook account to invite journalists to attend a press conference at Parliament today, July 8, where she said she would speak out about the…

  • South Korean man plunges to death in mystery Pattaya hotel fall

    South Korean man plunges to death in mystery Pattaya hotel fall

    A South Korean man plunged to his death from a Pattaya hotel rooftop in a late-night mystery, just two days before a young Chinese man fell fatally from another building in the city. It’s unsure whether it was an accident or whether he is another victim of the insensitively titled Pattaya Flying Club. Emergency crews from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan…

  • Man electrocuted, another injured in Udon Thani tree accident

    Man electrocuted, another injured in Udon Thani tree accident

    A 49 year old man died, and a 58 year old man was seriously injured while cutting eucalyptus trees for sale yesterday, July 7, in the Udon Thani province. The accident occurred when the tree’s branches came into contact with high-voltage power lines. Police Colonel Fasatan Laosen from Sangkhome District Police Station, Udon Thani, received a report of the incident,…

  • Thailand Video News | Thai government withdraws casino bill amid political crisis and public pushback, Thailand sees 34% drop in Chinese tourists, forcing revised outlook

    Thailand Video News | Thai government withdraws casino bill amid political crisis and public pushback, Thailand sees 34% drop in Chinese tourists, forcing revised outlook

    In Thailand, cannabis advocates are protesting potential recriminalization, fearing economic fallout for small businesses, while the government simultaneously retreats from a controversial casino bill amid political upheaval. The country is also reeling from a sharp drop in Chinese tourists, viral concerns over road safety, and heated conversations around marketing ethics, all while launching new efforts—like Phuket’s night market—to revive local…

  • Thai woman dies in attack by wild elephant in Surat Thani forest

    Thai woman dies in attack by wild elephant in Surat Thani forest

    A Thai woman lost her life in an attack by a wild elephant while travelling on a motorcycle with her son through a forest in the southern province of Surat Thani. Officers from Khirirat Nikhom Police Station, along with rangers and rescuers from the Kusol Sattha Foundation, rushed to Thap Nok Forest within the Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuary after being alerted…

  • Bloodied man staggers from Pattaya alley after savage attack

    Bloodied man staggers from Pattaya alley after savage attack

    A bloodied man staggered out of a Pattaya alley screaming for help after a suspected booze-fuelled blade attack, with police now hunting the mystery knifeman behind the brutal ambush. A middle-aged Thai man, known only by the nickname “Mr Brave,” was found drenched in blood with horrific facial wounds in Soi Banglamung 13/1, Moo 5 yesterday, July 7, following what…

  • Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo

    Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo

    A Burmese family in Phuket issued a public apology after a photo of all seven members travelling on a single motorcycle went viral and sparked controversy on Thai social media. The image, showing a family of seven riding a motorcycle through the Sam Kong Tunnel in Phuket, was widely circulated on social media yesterday, July 7. In the photo, the…

  • Child’s mishap sparks fire panic at Phatthalung shopping mall

    Child’s mishap sparks fire panic at Phatthalung shopping mall

    A fire incident occurred in a well-known shopping mall in Phatthalung, when a 10 year old child, while waiting for their guardian to pay, lit a cardboard box with a lighter, causing smoke and panic. Employees and customers fled the scene. The incident happened at 7pm yesterday, July 7, with Phatthalung Municipality fire officials receiving reports of the fire at…

  • Pattaya teen savagely battered by machete-wielding gang

    Pattaya teen savagely battered by machete-wielding gang

    A teenage cannabis shop worker in Pattaya is living in fear after a brutal ambush by machete-wielding thugs left him battered, bloodied and terrified to return to work. Nineteen-year-old Ananda Klangnongsang stepped forward to share his ordeal after the vicious attack, which took place at around 10.06pm on July 5 outside the shop where he works in Soi Kor Phai,…

  • Suspect in Phatthalung shooting caught in Songkhla rubber plantation

    Suspect in Phatthalung shooting caught in Songkhla rubber plantation

    Police have apprehended a 35 year old man, the suspect in the shooting of 54 year old man in Phatthalung. The suspect, Teerapong, also known as Boy, had evaded capture by hiding in a rubber plantation after a bounty of 100,000 baht was placed on his head. The arrest operation was carried out by the Centre for the Prevention and…

  • Thai royal award celebrates Vietnam’s top teachers

    Thai royal award celebrates Vietnam’s top teachers

    Vietnam’s star educators are basking in the royal spotlight after a Thai delegation arrived to celebrate their achievements and ramp up educational ties across Asia. From July 6 to 8, a high-profile delegation from the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation (PMCAF), led by Chairman Dr Krissanapong Kirtikara, visited Vietnam to meet past award winners, promote regional cooperation and prepare for…

  • Fire devastates commercial building in Pathum Thani

    Fire devastates commercial building in Pathum Thani

    A fire erupted at a three-storey commercial building selling electrical appliances on Pathum Thani-Lat Lum Kaeo Road, Pathum Thani province, around 4am today, June 8. The incident prompted Deputy Police Inspector Supakorn Chammanee from Khu Bang Luang Police Station to investigate, accompanied by local officials, including Nipon Khaokham, the mayor of Khu Kwang subdistrict, and Theerachai Silakhaw, the village headman.…