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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thai woman arrested over online job scam in Pattani
A 22 year old Thai woman was arrested in Pattani province for her involvement in an online job scam yesterday, January 24. She claimed she was forced to open bank accounts by a Chinese criminal gang and detained in a casino. Police Major General Witthaya Sribunsroek, acting provincial police chief, ordered Police Colonel Phongpanot Chuakaew and Police Captain Kiattisak Boonthong…
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Police raid online football gambling site near Isaan school
Police raided an online football gambling site located just 500 metres from a school in Ubon Ratchathani, catering to children and youths with a monthly turnover of 1 million baht. The operation, conducted yesterday, January 24, involved high-ranking officers including Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphann and Police Major General Wiwat Kamchamnarn. Acting on a tip-off, officers from Subdivision 2 of…
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Harley-Davidson dealer found dead in Volvo in Bangkok
A motorcycle parts dealer specialising in Harley-Davidson was found dead in a Volvo parked at the Phra Khanong transport office. The incident occurred yesterday, January 24, when the 51 year old dealer, known as Tom, was discovered in the driver’s seat without visible injuries. Police suspect he died from a pre-existing medical condition. The discovery was made at the entrance…
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Illegal vitamin C and coffee found in Samut Prakan warehouse
Police yesterday uncovered a warehouse containing over 1 million sachets of Chinese-origin vitamin C and coffee. These products were found with fake Food and Drug Administration (FDA) numbers, intended for online sale. The raid was led by Police Colonel Thasnapoom Jarupraty and his team, with cooperation from Deputy Director Sasavee Narakorn of the Food Bureau, at a storage facility in…
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62 students suffer food poisoning at Koh Samui school camp
Sixty-two students from Theeparatpittaya School on Koh Samui experienced food poisoning symptoms, prompting urgent medical attention. The incident occurred yesterday, January 24, when students attending a scout camp began suffering from severe abdominal pain after consuming boxed meals. The Narenthorn Ao Thai Centre at Koh Samui Hospital was notified of the situation and quickly coordinated with the Koh Samui district public…
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Pattaya police arrest transgender duo for tourist thefts
Pattaya police have detained two transgender individuals in connection with thefts targeting tourists from India and Turkey. Police Colonel Navin Theerawit, Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, announced the arrests at a press conference at 6pm on Thursday, January 23. The suspects were reportedly involved in two recent theft incidents. The first suspect, 42 year old Kachaphaphak, also known as Sara,…
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Thai film shortlisted for Oscar’s Best International Feature Film
The National Federation of Thai Film Associations announced on Thursday, January 23 that the film How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has been selected as Thailand’s entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Produced by GDH, this film achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Thai film to make it to the…
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6 Britons arrested in Phuket with cannabis and laughing gas
In Phuket, six British nationals were detained following a police raid on a house in Mueang district where they were found with 6 kilogrammes of cannabis buds and 39 small tanks of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. The raid, conducted on Thursday, January 23, discovered the group inside the property. Police confirmed the results of the operation yesterday.…
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Mayor vows to keep Pattaya’s Jomtien safe from drugs
Pattaya officials are turning up the heat on Jomtien’s bustling tourist hub as fears of drug activity loom. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has ordered relentless inspections of Jomtien Soi 2 to 3 to prevent it from spiralling into a crime hotspot. Determined to safeguard this family-friendly destination, the mayor instructed local officials to patrol the streets regularly and partner with community…
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Transport ministry: Bangkok Port to host entertainment complex
The Transport Ministry has approved a proposal for Bangkok Port to host an integrated entertainment complex. Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit referenced an instruction from his deputy, Manaporn Charoensri, to establish a committee to assess the feasibility of developing such complexes at locations like ports. Several potential sites are under consideration. Suriya highlighted the Khlong Toei area of Bangkok Port as a…
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Singapore and Thailand mark 60 years of diplomatic ties
Singapore and Thailand celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. To honour this milestone, the Singaporean Embassy has unveiled a logo, which emerged as the winner of a competition held last year in collaboration with the foreign ministries of both nations and the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore. During the logo launch event at Siam Paragon, Catherine…
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Russian tourist dies in Phuket motorcycle accident
A Russian tourist lost his life when his motorcycle crashed into a roadside barrier in Srisoonthorn, Phuket, during the early hours of yesterday, January 24. Police responded to the incident on Srisoonthorn Road, located behind the Thai Watsadu store in Village 3, Srisoonthorn, around 12.10am. Thalang Police reported that the 35 year old man was riding a motorcycle registered in…
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Thai mother reunites with missing son after 5-year search
A Thai mother was reunited with her son yesterday, January 23, after he had been missing for five years, thanks to the efforts of the non-profit organisation, the Mirror Foundation. The Mirror Foundation released a missing person poster of the 13 year old Thai boy, Turnpong “Aut” Dokbuaban, on December 24, 2019. He disappeared from Sub Jarun Villa in Soi…
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Delivery rider snared by low-hanging cable in Pattaya horror
A Pattaya delivery rider suffered painful injuries after being caught by a low-hanging communication cable while riding through Soi Kho Phai, South Pattaya, yesterday, January 23. The victim, 44 year old Koson Kongsila, has urged local officials to take action, warning that similar hazards could put others at risk. Recounting the shocking incident, Koson explained he was riding his motorcycle…
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Thai man returns home to find his funeral after police error
A Thai man shocked his family when he arrived home in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon to find they were holding a funeral for him. The confusion stemmed from a police error in identifying a dead body. Officers from Borrabue Police Station investigated the death of an unidentified man on January 18. The man was suspected to have died…
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Bangkok ranks 4th worst for air quality as haze chokes city
Bangkok’s air quality took a nosedive today, earning it the grim title of the fourth worst city in the world for air pollution, according to Swiss-based monitoring platform IQAir. The capital’s air quality index (AQI) hit a hazardous 188 as of 9.40am, with toxic PM2.5 levels far exceeding safe thresholds. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) declared 48 out of 50…
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Rock singer offers compensation after fatal Bangkok van crash
Rock singer Manaswin Nuntasane, also known as Tik Shiro, and his family have expressed their willingness to compensate the family of two people who died in a van accident in Bangkok on October 10 last year. They offer to pay 4 to 5 million baht, although the victims’ family is seeking 24 million baht. Tik Shiro, aged 63, addressed the…
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7 Thai suspects arrested for abduction and robbery in Chiang Mai
Yesterday, January 23, police arrested seven suspects, aged between 16 and 20 years old, for abducting a 25 year old woman from a condominium in the northern province of Chiang Mai, brutally assaulting her, and stealing her cash and mobile phone. The 25 year old victim, Worrada, filed a complaint against seven suspects at Mae Ping Police Station. The incident occurred…
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Phuket’s future: Seminar tackles bold new environmental rules
Phuket’s business leaders and environmental experts gathered yesterday, January 23 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel for a pivotal seminar titled Unlocking the Phuket Environment: Crisis or Opportunity? Organised by the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and presided over by Chamber President Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, the event focused on the sweeping new environmental regulations announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and…
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Thai woman arrested for stealing 120,000 baht from Russian man in Pattaya
Police arrested a Thai woman for stealing 120,000 baht in cash and a mobile phone from a Russian victim in Pattaya on January 8. She confessed to spending most of the money on a holiday trip with her family. The 37 year old Russian man, Xavier, filed a complaint with officers at Bang Lamung Police Station on January 8, reporting that his…
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Chinese duo nabbed in Phuket café lion cub photo scam
Two Chinese nationals were arrested in Phuket after allegedly using lion cubs to lure tourists to The Glass House Cafe and Space, charging them for photo sessions with the animals. The café, located on Ratsada-Anusorn Road in Ratsada, has a history of similar wildlife abuse scandals, including last year’s notorious incident involving a cub named Nong Kiwi. Armed with a…
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Thai transwoman busted at Nonthaburi hotel for explicit content
A Thai transgender influencer with nearly 30,000 followers on social media has been arrested for operating a secret group distributing explicit content. The 22 year old suspect reportedly confessed to running the scheme for two years, raking in tens of thousands of baht per month. Police Lieutenant General Trirong Phiwpaen, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), revealed details…
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Lamborghini driver flees scene, leaving his valuables and injured pickup driver
A Lamborghini collided with a pickup truck in Phitsanulok province yesterday, January 23, leaving the pickup driver injured. However, the exotic car driver was nowhere to be seen, reportedly fleeing the scene and leaving behind tens of thousands of baht in cash inside his wrecked vehicle. Officers from Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station responded to the incident on Singhawat Road, outside…
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Lawyer criticised for opposing equal marriage in Thailand
Lawyer Thammarat Sarapanya has faced a wave of criticism following his comments on equal marriage, which he described as a violation of the universe’s laws. The remarks came after the new Marriage Equality Act, amending the Civil and Commercial Code, took effect yesterday, January 23. Thammarat expressed his views through his Facebook page “The Lawyer of Legality,” stating, “Equal marriage…
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AMLO combats fraud by closing 680,000 mule accounts
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has listed 72,031 persons for electronic transaction monitoring and closed over 680,000 mule accounts. AMLO’s Assistant Secretary-General, Witya Neetitham, yesterday reported on the Transaction Committee’s actions from December 2024 to January under the leadership of AMLO Secretary-General Tepsu Bowonchodidara. The committee has targeted assets linked to drug offences, fraud, and online gambling. In drug-related offences,…
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Thai man survives 8 days in forest with broken hip
A 30 year old Thai man survived after being lost for eight days in a forest in the central province of Kanchanaburi, despite suffering from a broken hip. Locals in Ban Matang Soo, located in the Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi, sought assistance from rescuers at the Khunnadham Kanchanaburi Foundation to search for the missing man, identified as Jao. He…
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Bangkok fights smog with free public transport for a week
The Thai government is taking bold action to tackle Bangkok’s persistent smog problem by offering free rides on the BTS, MRT, and BMTA buses for seven days, starting tomorrow, January 25. The initiative aims to reduce vehicle usage and ease air pollution in the capital. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced the measure today. “From January…
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4 schoolboys injured in class science experiment gone wrong at Phetchabun
Four schoolboys suffered severe burns from sparks igniting during a science experiment gone wrong in their classroom at a school in the central province of Phetchabun. The local news Facebook page, Phet Variety, reported the unexpected accident at Na Chaliang Pittayakom School in Phetchabun yesterday, January 23, along with pictures of 14 year old students whose faces and hands were…
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Phuket hosts landmark event for equal marriage registrations
Phuket hosted a groundbreaking event yesterday, January 23, marking a significant advance in the recognition of equal marriage registrations in Thailand. This event was part of the nationwide initiative, DOPA-Day One: Beating the Gong to Win All Love, and was held at the Bay Arena in Jungceylon shopping mall, Patong. The event saw 24 couples, including seven male-male and 14…
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Bangkok hospital confirms no elderly death in foreign man rampage
A hospital in Bangkok confirmed that no elderly patient deaths were reported following a rampage caused by a foreign man on Wednesday, January 22. The identity of the foreigner remains under investigation. A video showing a foreign man going on a rampage at what was later confirmed to be Sirindhorn Hospital in Bangkok was shared on the Facebook page AggressiveDoctor. The…
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