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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Chiang Rai noodle shop owner Aunt Pan killed in domestic incident
A well-known boat noodle shop owner was found dead yesterday, January 11, inside her home in Chiang Rai after a violent domestic incident involving her adult son, police confirmed. The incident took place at a boat noodle shop in Mueang Chiang Rai district. Officers from Chiang Rai City Police Station responded to reports of a disturbance at the property,…
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Foreign man exposes himself to Thai woman in Phuket car park
A Thai woman exposed a foreign man after he exposed his genitals in front of her in the Kamala area of Phuket yesterday, January 11. The woman shared photos of the foreign suspect with the Phuket Times Facebook page. In the images, the man was seen wearing a light blue Hawaiian shirt left unbuttoned and white shorts. He was standing…
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Thailand’s THEOS-2A satellite launch fails after rocket malfunction in India
Thailand’s mission to expand its space capabilities suffered a major setback today, January 12, after the high-resolution Earth observation satellite THEOS-2A failed to reach its intended orbit. The launch took place at 11.47am Thai time from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, using the Indian PSLV-DL (PSLV-C62) rocket. However, around 380 seconds after liftoff, an anomaly was detected during…
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Italian man slammed for insulting Thai taxi driver comparing him to dog
Thai and international netizens condemned an Italian man after he posted a video insulting a Thai taxi driver for eating from a plastic bag, allegedly comparing the driver to a dog. The Italian tourist shared the video on his Facebook account yesterday, Saturday, January 11, along with a caption written in Italian. The caption was later translated as, “Enjoy travelling…
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Israeli nationals arrested in Koh Pha Ngan drug bust
Police in Surat Thani arrested three Israeli tourists and their alleged drug supplier yesterday, January 11, on Koh Pha Ngan after complaints about a noisy late‑night party led officers to uncover illegal drugs at a rented villa. The arrests took place on Sunday at a luxury villa on Koh Pha Ngan, after tourist police received reports of loud music and…
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British man arrested for traffic island stunt, indecency, and Yaba use
Phuket police arrested a British national after a viral video showed him driving on a traffic island, using methamphetamine (Yaba), and urinating on road. The 24 year old British national, Lee Terry Obrien, was arrested yesterday, Sunday, January 11, after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media. The video, originally shared by local news outlet Newshawk Phuket, showed the…
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Three power poles down after pickup veers off road in Pattaya
A late-night pickup crash in Pattaya on January 11 toppled three high-voltage power poles across Soi Paniad Chang, leaving live wires on the road and forcing police to shut down the area. The incident occurred at 10.36pm on Soi Paniad Chang in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. Police and rescue teams were called to the scene after receiving reports that…
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Thai police strangled in Bangkok traffic dispute, suspect still at large
A Thai man remains at large after strangling a police officer during a road rage incident in the Don Mueang area of Bangkok on Thursday, January 8. The injured officer, Police Sergeant Satawat Seirattanapong, shared CCTV footage and details of the incident on his Facebook page on Friday, January 9, one day after the altercation. The confrontation reportedly occurred on…
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Thai man and 9 foreigners arrested during Chon Buri gambling den raid
Immigration Bureau officers raided an illegal gambling den at a luxury housing estate in Chon Buri on Saturday, December 10, arresting 10 suspects, including one Thai national and nine foreigners. The raid followed information obtained from a Chinese man identified as Dahua, who had previously been arrested for illegally selling laughing gas, or nitrous oxide. Dahua reportedly sold the substance…
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Orange cat’s meows lead to bridge pillar rescue in Samut Prakan
An orange cat stuck more than 10 metres above ground on a concrete bridge pillar in Samut Prakan was safely rescued last night, January 11, after locals heard it meowing for two days. At around 7pm, the Dan Samrong Subdistrict Municipality deployed a cherry picker truck to rescue the cat from a pillar beneath the Si Thepha overpass along Srinagarindra…
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Thailand video news | Southern Thailand petrol stations suffer multiple attacks, Children’s day military exhibitions draw big crowds across Thailand
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay cover the news stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The stories include a string of arson attacks at 11 petrol stations in the south of Thailand, Elon Musk’s Grok being blocked in multiple countries over sexually explicit deepfake concerns, and a little later serious issues warning to tourists over rabid monkey attacks.…
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Drug suspect escapes after police officer grants ‘farewell’ release
A police officer in Nakhon Si Thammarat was dismissed from government service after releasing his friend, a detained drug suspect, who later escaped from custody. The officer claimed the suspect deceived him by saying he wanted to say goodbye to his family before imprisonment. The suspect, Ekkaluck Datepalit, was arrested on Saturday, January 10, for possession of a Category 1…
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Chinese real estate agent robbed at scissor-point in Pattaya
A Chinese woman working as a real estate agent in Pattaya was robbed at scissor-point early today, January 12, while driving a man she believed to be a potential buyer to view a property. The victim, identified as 35 year old Yang Wang, told police that the incident occurred after she picked up a man who had contacted her earlier…
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Lost British cyclist safely rescued from Chiang Mai forest
Thai rescue teams yesterday, January 12, successfully located a British cyclist who became lost in a forest while cycling towards Chiang Mai city centre. The Chiang Mai Provincial Police Office coordinated with the Phrao Wang Hin Rescue Foundation after the cyclist, 63 year old British national Gordon Dewar, contacted authorities to request assistance. Rescue teams quickly mobilised volunteer motocross riders,…
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Buffalo bolts from slaughterhouse into Chiang Mai snooker shop
A buffalo escaped from a slaughterhouse yesterday morning, January 11, causing chaos as it smashed through the glass entrance of a snooker shop, sending customers and staff fleeing. The incident occurred around 9.30am when police from Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station received reports that a buffalo had broken loose and was running wild on the streets. Witnesses said the animal…
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Russian teen killed after speedboat hits fishing boat in Krabi
A Russian tourist lost her life and at least 11 others were injured after a speedboat collided with a fishing boat in the sea off Krabi yesterday, January 11. Authorities later found methamphetamine (Yaba), cannabis, and kratom aboard the speedboat, and the driver tested positive for drugs. Officers from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre were alerted to the collision…
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Mobile grocery scandal: woman arrested in 300 baht fraud case
The mobile grocery trade has been thrown into turmoil following the arrest of a woman accused of acting as a so-called ‘money mule,’ a case that has drawn widespread attention and concern. The woman claims she was deceived by a vendor into scanning her face and allowing the use of her state welfare card, after being promised free groceries and…
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Pheu Thai aims to transform Chiang Mai into inclusive growth model city
Pheu Thai has introduced policies to transform Chiang Mai into a model city for inclusive growth, integrating creative industries, cluster tourism, diversity, and educational reform. Prime ministerial candidates Yodchanan Wongsawat and Suriya Jungrungreangkit from the Pheu Thai Party visited Chiang Mai on Saturday. They conducted a public forum to gather opinions from the LGBTQIA+ community, creative workers, cultural professionals, and…
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Concerns raised over election accessibility for disabled voters in Thailand
Local disability organisations have raised concerns that the upcoming general election may not provide an equal voting experience for people with disabilities. They cite issues such as inadequate access to policy information, insufficient voting aids, and potential confusion over the proposed use of colour-coded ballot papers. Representatives highlighted the added challenge posed by the February 8 elections coinciding with a…
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Bombings and arson hit 11 petrol stations in southern Thailand
In the early hours of January 11, a series of bombings and arson attacks targeted 11 petrol stations across the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat. These incidents are believed by security forces to be orchestrated by insurgent groups to create unrest in the region. Reports indicate that an explosion and subsequent fire at one petrol station caused…
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Ayutthaya family tragedy: 19-year-old’s knife attack kills two
A tragic incident occurred yesterday, on January 10 at 6pm in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, where a 19 year old attacked his family and neighbours with a knife, resulting in two deaths and one serious injury. The altercation reportedly started over a disagreement about cooking rice. Upon receiving the report, Police Lieutenant Thitikorn Julawanit, Deputy Inspector at Bang Pa-in…
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Thai woman alleges forced labour after scam led her to Cambodia
A Thai woman has reported to police that she was deceived into travelling to Cambodia, where she was detained, forced to work for a scam operation, and later released after her bank accounts were frozen. The account was given on January 10, 2026, at 6.22pm, when the woman, identified as Ms. Aim, 35, met officers at the Technology Crime Reporting…
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Border traders delay investment amid fears of renewed clashes
Border traders and farmers in areas near the Thai-Cambodian border are delaying investment and selling produce early amid fears of a renewed military clash, according to reports from local communities in Buriram and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. Residents in Ban Kruat district, Buriram province, said uncertainty remains high despite a ceasefire agreement signed between Thailand and Cambodia. Villagers described ongoing concern…
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Children’s Day military displays draw crowds nationwide
On January 10, 2026, Children’s Day events across Thailand featured large-scale military displays organised by the armed forces, drawing families to army camps and air force bases to view equipment demonstrations and aircraft flyovers. At 3.21pm, crowds gathered at the football field of the 6th Infantry Division at Somdej Phra Phutthayodfa Chulalok Maharaj Camp in Si Somdet district, Roi Et…
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Taxi robbery suspect arrested after knife attack under bridge
A man has been arrested in Samut Sakhon Province following a late-night taxi robbery under the Tha Chin River bridge, while a female accomplice who allegedly planned the offence remains at large. The incident occurred on January 7, 2026, at around 11.30pm, when a taxi driver was robbed at knife point at a U-turn beneath the bridge in Tha Chin…
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Retail tycoon dies after Mercedes crashes and caused blackout
A retail business owner died at the scene after losing control of his Mercedes-Benz and crashing into multiple power poles in Bueng Kan province, triggering a city-wide power outage in the early hours of Friday. Police from Seka Police Station said the crash occurred at about 3.00am on January 10 on Highway 2026, the Seka–Bueng Khong Long road, near Ban…
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Police arrest 15 motorcycle gang members in Surin crackdown
Police in Surin Province have arrested 15 members of a motorcycle gang following a coordinated crackdown on illegal street racing, seizing 14 motorcycles and securing prison sentences without suspension for several offenders. The operation took place on January 10, 2026, after repeated complaints from residents about large groups of motorcycles racing through central areas of Mueang Surin District. The activity…
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Motorcycle theft suspect arrested within one hour after CCTV tracking
A 25-year-old man was arrested within an hour of stealing a motorcycle that had been left with its key in the ignition, after police traced the vehicle using closed-circuit television footage across central Bangkok. The incident occurred on the evening of January 9, 2026. At 10.44pm, a motorcycle owner reported the theft to Pathumwan Police Station, stating that the vehicle…
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Nine landmines found during border clearance in Surin
Authorities conducting humanitarian clearance operations along the Thai-Cambodian border have discovered nine anti-personnel landmines in Surin Province, according to official reports released on January 10, 2026. The National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Center stated that mine clearance activities are continuing as part of efforts to create safe access routes for military personnel and local communities in border areas affected by…
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NocNoc to shut down platform in Thailand by May 2026
Thai home services platform NocNoc announced today, January 9, that it will permanently shut down operations and stop accepting orders from February 9, citing economic challenges and a highly competitive market. The announcement was made via NocNoc’s official Facebook page, where the company confirmed that it would halt all orders for goods and services starting at midnight on February 9,…
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