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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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Wheezy does it: RSV sparks alarm for Thailand tots and wrinklies | Thaiger

    Wheezy does it: RSV sparks alarm for Thailand tots and wrinklies

    Parents are being urged to keep a close eye on sickly youngsters after a spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases during Thailand’s rainy season, with over 1,600 already struck down by the virus this year. Doctors say the RSV, a common yet potentially dangerous infection, is spreading fast among children and the elderly, with more outbreaks expected in the…

  • Two men injured as motorbike crashes into Thailand canal | Thaiger

    Two men injured as motorbike crashes into Thailand canal

    Two young men in Thailand were injured after their motorbike veered off an unlit, narrow road and fell into a canal in Wichit late on the Saturday night, July 19. Emergency services from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation responded to the incident in Soi Thida at approximately 11.45pm. Upon arrival, they found the two men in a canal about 4 metres…

  • Wipha wallop: Landslide fears as storm lashes Thailand | Thaiger

    Wipha wallop: Landslide fears as storm lashes Thailand

    A tropical storm-turned-downpour is putting large swathes of Thailand on red alert, with officials warning of landslides and flash floods across 21 provinces as Typhoon Wipha wreaks havoc. The Department of Mineral Resources sounded the alarm following days of relentless rain, urging locals and volunteers to stay vigilant until at least Thursday, July 24, as soggy hillsides teeter on the…

  • Elderly CEO donates over 100 million baht to Ang Thong Hospital | Thaiger

    Elderly CEO donates over 100 million baht to Ang Thong Hospital

    Thai netizens praised an elderly CEO who donated more than 108 million baht to a hospital in the central province of Ang Thong. The official Facebook page of Ang Thong Hospital expressed gratitude to the elderly Thai man, Somnuk Suksrikan, on Friday, July 18. The hospital reported that Somnuk donated 10 kidney dialysis machines, valued at approximately 5 million baht,…

  • Chon Buri police arrest suspect with drugs and outstanding warrants | Thaiger

    Chon Buri police arrest suspect with drugs and outstanding warrants

    An operation led by Bang Lamung Police Station in Chon Buri, under the guidance of Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, successfully targeted drug-related offences, leading to the arrest of a suspect involved in two drug cases. The operation today, July 21, was spearheaded by Police Lieutenant Colonel Kornphong Sukwisit, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, along with Police Major Wuttipong Kasa, Investigation Inspector,…

  • Class acts: Chinese scammers pose as students in pensioner con | Thaiger

    Class acts: Chinese scammers pose as students in pensioner con

    Crooks running a slick online scam from a swanky Chiang Mai villa posed as students while fleecing elderly Chinese pensioners out of millions, in yet another twist to Thailand’s growing cybercrime crisis. Three suspected ringleaders have been nicked and 17 others detained after Thai police swooped on a luxury pool villa in Hang Dong, uncovering a Chinese-led operation that preyed…

  • Thai transwoman arrested behind 50 million baht job scam | Thaiger

    Thai transwoman arrested behind 50 million baht job scam

    Police arrested a Thai transwoman at a market in Bangkok for orchestrating an overseas job scam that reportedly caused damages totalling between 40 and 50 million baht. A representative of the 250 to 300 victims sought help from the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children. According to the representative, victims were deceived into paying between 150,000 and 200,000 baht each…

  • Chon Buri burglary: Elderly woman’s home looted, gold and amulets stolen | Thaiger

    Chon Buri burglary: Elderly woman’s home looted, gold and amulets stolen

    A burglary in Chon Buri on July 19 left a 70 year old woman in distress after a thief looted her home, stealing gold jewellery, over 100 Buddhist amulets, and thousands of baht in coins. The incident took place at a residence in Tambon Khao Mai Kaew. The victim, Phanthong Khampongjai, discovered the theft after returning home from chatting with…

  • Five rescued from drifting boat off Phuket amid severe weather | Thaiger

    Five rescued from drifting boat off Phuket amid severe weather

    Five people were successfully rescued after a longtail fishing boat experienced engine failure and drifted off the coast of Phuket in challenging sea conditions yesterday, July 20. At the time of the incident, none of the passengers were equipped with life jackets. The rescue operation commenced following a distress call received at 4pm by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre…

  • 2 year old Thai boy loses life in wasp attack, child’s father seriously injured | Thaiger

    2 year old Thai boy loses life in wasp attack, child’s father seriously injured

    A two year old Thai boy lost his life while his father sustained serious injuries in a wasp attack in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday, July 19. The tragic incident was reported by the local news agency Bua Yai Ban Chan. The agency stated that the young boy was attacked by a swarm of wasps and later…

  • Bangkok electric train fare capped at 20 baht from 2025 | Thaiger

    Bangkok electric train fare capped at 20 baht from 2025

    Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit confirmed that the maximum fare for the Bangkok metropolitan electric train network would be capped at 20 baht per journey starting October 1, 2025. The initiative will cover eight lines, spanning 13 routes, totalling 276.84 kilometres and 194 stations. On July 18, Suriya met with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and private sector…

  • Holiday blues: Thailand tourism hits bump in the flight path | Thaiger

    Holiday blues: Thailand tourism hits bump in the flight path

    Thailand’s golden age of tourism seems a distant memory as the Land of Smiles battles to reclaim its pre-pandemic glory. While neighbours like Vietnam and Malaysia have soared past their 2019 highs, Thailand’s tourist engine has stalled and experts warn it might be years before the country climbs back into the global travel top tier. Thailand welcomed 35.5 million foreign…

  • 4 Thai airports launch fast track for Chinese children and their families | Thaiger

    4 Thai airports launch fast track for Chinese children and their families

    The Immigration Bureau has introduced a fast track for Chinese children and their family members at four international airports in Thailand, aimed at visitors travelling during the Chinese school holiday. The bureau also plans to extend the service to young travellers from other countries soon. Immigration officials launched a campaign titled 暑假愉快通道 (shǔ jià yú kuài tú jìng), or Happy…

  • Student survives fifth-floor fall at Nakhon Ratchasima university | Thaiger

    Student survives fifth-floor fall at Nakhon Ratchasima university

    A 19 year old university student survived a fall from the fifth floor of a building at a well-known university in Nakhon Ratchasima. Emergency services promptly arrived at the scene to investigate the incident. The student’s friends shared insights into the moments leading up to the incident. Police Colonel Sutthinan Khongchamdee of Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station received a report of…

  • Japanese tourist dodges necklace-nicking trans gang in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Japanese tourist dodges necklace-nicking trans gang in Pattaya

    A Japanese tourist had a narrow escape in the early hours of this morning after a group of transgender sex workers allegedly tried to rob him during a flirty encounter on Pattaya’s notorious Walking Street. The incident, reported at 4.46am, today, July 21, unfolded right in the heart of the city’s raucous red-light district. The victim, a man in his…

  • Thai engineers clear mines after explosion near Cambodia border | Thaiger

    Thai engineers clear mines after explosion near Cambodia border

    Combat engineers initiated mine-clearing efforts in the Chong Bok area, near the Thai-Cambodian border in Ubon Ratchathani province, following a landmine explosion that injured three Thai soldiers on July 16. The Second Army Region, overseeing the northeast, reported that Suranaree Task Force combat engineers started operations yesterday, July 20. This was in response to reports of approximately 100 landmines found…

  • Man under drug influence kills relative in Phrae province | Thaiger

    Man under drug influence kills relative in Phrae province

    A 35 year old man reportedly under the influence of drugs, fatally attacked his 62 year old relative in Mueang Soong district, Phrae province. The victim, Det, sustained severe injuries from two stab wounds to his back and two to his abdomen, yesterday, July 20, resulting in his intestines being exposed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later passed away.…

  • Severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat causes city-wide blackout | Thaiger

    Severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat causes city-wide blackout

    A severe storm in Nakhon Si Thammarat caused multiple high-voltage power poles to topple, leading to a city-wide blackout. An 18 year old barista, Sirinapa, was hospitalised after fainting from shock, while another incident involved a motorcyclist narrowly escaping injury when a pole collapsed. The intense rainfall and strong winds hit the Pak Nakhon subdistrict in Mueang district at 3.30pm,…

  • Arab tourist tries to impress woman but crashes motorcycle into Phuket pharmacy | Thaiger

    Arab tourist tries to impress woman but crashes motorcycle into Phuket pharmacy

    An Arab tourist crashed a rented motorcycle into a pharmacy in Phuket on Friday, July 18, after allegedly riding at high speed and performing a wheelie to impress a woman. Channel 7 reported that the incident occurred at a pharmacy on Patong Beach Road in the Kathu district of Phuket. Witnesses told the media that they saw the pharmacist running…

  • Bikini banzai! Japanese man fined for racy roadshow in Thailand | Thaiger

    Bikini banzai! Japanese man fined for racy roadshow in Thailand

    A Japanese man has become the most infamous man in Hat Yai after donning a bikini, hopping on a motorbike and dancing his way into a public indecency charge. The 62 year old pensioner turned heads and ruffled feathers in southern Thailand this week after being fined for performing provocative street dances in a bikini while riding around Hat Yai…

  • Thailand Video News | Cannabis clash: small businesses fear monopoly under new rules, Bangkok crowned top destination for digital nomads in 2025 | Thaiger

    Thailand Video News | Cannabis clash: small businesses fear monopoly under new rules, Bangkok crowned top destination for digital nomads in 2025

    In 2025, Thailand is making headlines with booming tourism, Bangkok’s rise as the top digital nomad city, and new airport smoking rooms. Meanwhile, local controversies include stricter cannabis laws, scams targeting retirees, and several tourist-related incidents in Pattaya and Bangkok. Thailand’s Tourism Record: 2025 Sees Surging Traveller Numbers Thailand set a new tourism record in early 2025, welcoming about 16 million…

  • Royal nut: Rare Coco de Mer haul cracks global record in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Royal nut: Rare Coco de Mer haul cracks global record in Pattaya

    It’s the world’s biggest, and rarest, seed, shaped like a voluptuous behind and worth a fortune. Now a Pattaya garden has stunned the globe by harvesting a million-baht bounty of the legendary Coco de Mer. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya has made horticultural history after successfully processing nine rare Coco de Mer fruits, yielding ten valuable seeds, including one…

  • Eight arrested for murder after Pathum Thani firearm robbery | Thaiger

    Eight arrested for murder after Pathum Thani firearm robbery

    Eight people, between 12 to 21 years old, have been apprehended for their involvement in the murder and robbery of a 17 year old named Reef in Pathum Thani yesterday, July 20. The group allegedly used a gun to shoot Reef during a pre-arranged meeting to buy firearms. The incident occurred on Leab Klong L 1-2 Road in Klong Song,…

  • Dead in the water: Mystery body sparks sea of questions near Pattaya | Thaiger

    Dead in the water: Mystery body sparks sea of questions near Pattaya

    A fisherman’s shocking midday find sparked a new seaside mystery in Thailand, after a badly decomposed body was pulled from the waters near a remote island off Pattaya. Fishermen off Koh Si Chang raised the alarm on July 17 when they spotted a body drifting face-down in the sea, with its limbs partially detached and no clue to the dead…

  • Dispute between vendors leads to fatal shooting in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Dispute between vendors leads to fatal shooting in Bangkok

    A dispute between second-hand jeans vendors resulted in a fatal shooting at Thung Khru Plaza Market in Bangkok. Yesterday, July 20, at 6pm, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jirasak Homnan from Rat Burana Police Station received a report regarding a shooting incident involving firearms, which led to a death. The incident took place in Soi Pracha Uthit 61, Thung Khru district. Officers…

  • Holiday from hell: Aussie murder suspect dies on sleazy Thai escape | Thaiger

    Holiday from hell: Aussie murder suspect dies on sleazy Thai escape

    He dodged justice for more than two decades but the Aussie man long suspected of murdering a young Sydney woman has finally met his end on a murky getaway in Thailand. Kevin Steven Correll, accused serial rapist and prime suspect in the brutal 2001 killing of car saleswoman Rachelle Childs, was found dead at 10.30am, Thursday, July 18, while on…

  • Ex-police general disrobes after theft allegations | Thaiger

    Ex-police general disrobes after theft allegations

    A former high-ranking police officer, who was previously ordained as a monk, has left the monkhood following serious allegations from a private company representative. The accusations involve breaking and entering, stealing a chequebook, and taking important documents. The company has filed a complaint with the Bang Rak Police Station against the ex-police officer, who held the rank of police general…

  • Wigged out: Love rat monk caught romping with millionaire mistress | Thaiger

    Wigged out: Love rat monk caught romping with millionaire mistress

    He preached purity from the pulpit, but now this love rat Thai monk’s wig, woman, and wealth have blown his cover in sensational style. A former provincial abbot in Thailand has been outed in a jaw-dropping scandal involving secret love affairs, temple corruption, and a dodgy disguise, all thanks to a furious millionaire mistress who’d had enough. Investigators yesterday, July…

  • Motorcycle crash with Mercedes-Benz kills two young men in Pathum Thani | Thaiger

    Motorcycle crash with Mercedes-Benz kills two young men in Pathum Thani

    Two young men died when their motorcycle was hit by a Mercedes-Benz, causing their bodies to be thrown from the vehicle. The incident occurred yesterday, July 20, at 11.45pm, on the flyover bridge crossing the Thanyaburi-Wang Noi intersection in Rangsit subdistrict, Thanyaburi district, Pathum Thani province. Police and rescue volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation arrived at the scene to find…

  • Trouserless tragedy: Third mystery death hits Pattaya | Thaiger

    Trouserless tragedy: Third mystery death hits Pattaya

    A shirtless Thai man with his trousers round his knees has become the third mysterious death in Pattaya in less than a week, sparking fears of a grim trend in Thailand’s seaside province. Police and rescue workers were called to a house on Soi Huay Ku, Bang Lamung, on July 19 after the body of a 58 year old man…