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 Why health insurance costs more each year and how expats in Thailand can save more money
Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Banglamung raid: Woman arrested for illegal e-cigarettes and drugs
In Banglamung, Chon Buri, on August 21 at 6.30pm, police conducted a raid on a residence located on Soi Thung Klom-Tal Man 29. The operation, led by Deputy Superintendent Police Lieutenant Colonel Thana Wisetchai and Investigation Chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphat Sutsong, resulted in the arrest of 50 year old Hathaithip “Thai” Rueangkham. Police seized 62 disposable e-cigarettes of the…
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Motorcycle theft in Pattaya: thief rides off with Honda Click
In Pattaya, Thailand, on August 22, a 36 year old food vendor, Thanongsak Khotamang, reported a daring motorcycle theft. He provided CCTV footage of the incident to local media. The theft took place near his food stall on Jomtien Beach. Thanongsak shared that around 7.40am, while setting up his stall, he parked his white Honda Click motorcycle, with the registration plate…
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Cambodia and Thailand collaborate on border landmine clearance
Cambodia has agreed to cooperate with Thailand on landmine clearance along their shared border, following diplomatic pressure from the Thai government, according to Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Russ Jalichandra. Russ informed the media about the government’s response and updated the international community on the situation. He highlighted protests from the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the military…
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Thai couple arrested for child exploitation in adult content case
A married couple with over half a million followers has been arrested for allegedly involving a teenage boy in adult content production, generating more than 4 million baht in revenue. The arrest took place yesterday, August 23, following a warrant issued by the Criminal Court. Police Major General Songklot Krikkritaya led the operation with Police Colonel Kokiat Wuttichamnong and Police…
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Tropical Storm Kajiki set to bring heavy rain to 55 provinces
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued its seventh warning regarding Tropical Storm Kajiki, highlighting 55 provinces expected to be affected by heavy rainfall. The TMD urges the public to be cautious of potential flash floods due to the heavy downpours. Today, August 24, the department forecasted weather conditions for the next 24 hours, indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall…
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South Korean man held in Thailand for laundering crypto into gold
Thai police have detained a 33 year old South Korean man accused of laundering cryptocurrency for call centre gangs by converting it into gold bars, with transactions exceeding 1.6 billion baht over three months. Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and the Immigration Bureau captured the suspect, identified as Han, at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, August 23. Han was…
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Beach alert: Deadly blue dragons invade Phuket shore
Beachgoers in Phuket are being warned to steer clear of venomous blue dragons after the toxic sea slugs washed up on Karon Beach. Local officials sounded the alarm after several sightings of blue dragon sea slugs (Glaucilla sp) were reported following recent rainfall. The creatures, though small and visually striking with their electric-blue appearance, pose a serious health risk to swimmers.…
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Truck driver crushed in horror crash on Pattaya highway
A truck driver was crushed to death by his own vehicle in a horror crash on a wet Pattaya highway this morning. The fatal incident occurred at around 7.30am today, August 23, on Highway 36 (Pattaya-Kratinglai-Rayong) in front of Bee Garden. Police Lieutenant Colonel Aphichet Metheethammaporn of Bang Lamung Police Station responded to the scene, where an 18-wheeler Hino truck…
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Pattaya police slash crime with AI tech, new plans ahead
AI-powered cameras, tough traffic crackdowns, and a touch of ceremony: Pattaya police are busier than ever. The Police Administration Oversight Committee of Pattaya City Police Station convened for its monthly meeting at the station’s Operations Control Room. The session was chaired by Amporn Kaewsaeng and attended by Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyoo, the station’s superintendent, along with police officers, media representatives,…
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Chiang Rai airport gets 5.7 billion baht mega upgrade
Chiang Rai is set to soar with a massive 5.7-billion-baht terminal upgrade aimed at transforming the northern province into Thailand’s next aviation hub. Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) has greenlit a bold expansion plan for Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport, including the construction of a new passenger terminal to support a dramatic increase in air traffic. Announced by…
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Thailand dials up emergency response with smart tech
Getting help in a crisis just got faster, thanks to a high-tech upgrade that puts police one step closer when every second counts. Advanced Info Service (AIS) has teamed up with the Patrol and Special Operations Division (191) and Google to launch Thailand’s first-ever 191 Emergency Location Service (191 ELS), dramatically improving the way emergency calls are handled across the…
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Thaksin dodges jail, lawyer eyes travel comeback
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has walked free from a Section 112 trial, and his lawyer now wants his travel ban lifted. Lawyer Winyat Chartmontri announced plans to formally request the revocation of Thaksin’s travel ban following the former premier’s acquittal in a controversial lese majeste case. The Criminal Court cleared Thaksin yesterday, August 22, of charges under Section 112…
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Late-night blaze: Inferno torches bikes in Phuket shop fire
Fire ripped through a Phuket motorbike shop in the dead of night, torching more than 10 motorcycles in a dramatic blaze. Kathu Police are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out in the early hours yesterday, August 22, gutting parts of a motorcycle repair shop and destroying multiple vehicles. The alarm was raised at approximately 2am when officers…
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Footbridge collapses in East Thailand, crushes trucks (video)
Motorists on a busy Thai highway had a terrifying near-miss after a massive pedestrian bridge crashed down onto traffic, narrowly avoiding disaster. A 100-tonne concrete pedestrian bridge under construction dramatically collapsed onto two vehicles on Highway No.317 in Chanthaburi last night, August 22, causing severe property damage but no reported injuries. The incident occurred at around 10.20pm near Matai Market…
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Thailand’s lese majeste amnesty talks stall in Parliament
Plans to grant amnesty to lese majeste offenders have hit a political wall, as Parliament hesitates on revising the kingdom’s most controversial law. Thailand’s House Committee on Peace Building confirmed this week that the current conditions for granting amnesty under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, commonly known as the lese majeste law, remain unchanged. On Thursday, August 21, a…
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Prison shock: Myanmar woman hangs herself in Phuket cell
A Burmese woman detained for deportation was found dead in a Phuket immigration cell after hanging herself with her trousers. A 29 year old Myanmar woman took her own life while being held in an immigration detention room at the Phuket Immigration Office early yesterday morning, August 22. The woman, identified as Htike Darlee, was found dead at around 5.03am…
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Tourist tragedy: Young American washes up on Phuket beach
Police are probing the death of a 28 year old American tourist whose body was found washed ashore on Patong Beach in Phuket yesterday afternoon. The grim discovery was made near the Coral Beach Bridge at the southern end of the popular tourist hotspot at around 1.30pm yesterday, August 22. Patong Police Chief Police Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat arrived at the…
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Monsoon deluge: Heavy rain continues to batter Thailand
Heavy rainfall is forecasted across Thailand this weekend, with a tropical depression expected to make landfall in Vietnam and Laos, affecting the north, northeast, and eastern regions. Warnings have been issued for 49 provinces, including Bangkok, regarding potential accumulated rainfall. Yesterday, August 22, the Meteorological Department (TMD) predicted that sections of Thailand would experience heavy to very heavy rain, particularly…
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Phuket car dealer takes legal action after Chinese man mocks him in viral video
A Thai owner of a second-hand car dealership in Phuket is pursuing legal action against a Chinese influencer for posting a video in which he mocked him in Chinese. The video gained traction among Thai netizens after it was reposted on the Facebook page ลุยจีน Luijeen on Wednesday, August 21. The page explained the situation and provided a translation of…
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Thailand’s petrol prices increases, diesel remain unchanged
Retail petrol prices across Thailand have gone up, with benzene and gasohol now 0.40 baht more per litre after the adjustment took effect at 5am today, August 22. According to PTT Station, benzene now retails at 40.84 baht per litre. Gasohol 95 is priced at 32.55 baht, gasohol 91 at 32.18 baht, E20 at 30.34 baht, E85 at 28.69 baht,…
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Thai woman caught smuggling drugs to boyfriend detained in police station
A Thai woman was caught attempting to smuggle drugs to her boyfriend while he was being held at a police station in the northern province of Chiang Rai. The 36 year old woman, identified as Nantacha, arrived at Mae Chan Police Station at around 7pm on Wednesday, August 20, requesting to deliver food to her boyfriend, Thewa, who had been…
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Thai government approves economic relief for border regions
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has approved a set of economic relief initiatives proposed by the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) to support communities impacted by recent disturbances at the Thai-Cambodian border. The communities in need are located in the provinces of Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani. After discussions with TCC Chairman Poj…
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Phuket on flood alert as Bang Yai Canal water levels surge
Officials in Phuket have issued a flood warning as continuous heavy rain and high tide threaten to overwhelm the Bang Yai Canal. Today, Friday, August 22, water levels surged in several areas, prompting Phuket City Mayor Suphachok Laongphet to inspect the Bang Yai Canal. He instructed officials to closely monitor the situation at key pumping stations and respond rapidly to…
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2 killed and 13 injured after rescue van runs red light in Rayong
Two Thai students lost their lives while 13 others were injured after a rescue van ran a red light at an intersection in Rayong province and collided with a hatchback. A security camera at an Intersection in Ban Chang district captured the shocking accident, which occurred at about 4.30pm yesterday, August 21. The rescue van was seen speeding through a…
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Thai court acquits Thaksin in royal defamation case
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been acquitted of lèse majesté (royal defamation) and computer crime charges stemming from a 2015 interview with South Korea’s Chosun Media. Today, August 22, the Criminal Court delivered its verdict on the case filed by the Office of Criminal Litigation 8. Prosecutors had accused Thaksin of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code (Thailand’s…
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Frontline soldier returns home after mother fatally stabbed by her customer
A frontline soldier returned from duty at the border to attend the funeral of his mother, who was fatally stabbed by a female customer at her restaurant in Kamphaeng Phet province on Wednesday, August 20. Police arrested the 32 year old suspect, Jaruwan Jaifai, at her family home on Wednesday after she stabbed 62 year old restaurant owner Meena Pattatha.…
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Facebook gun dealers snared by tourist cops in Thailand
Facebook gun deals went badly wrong this week after undercover officers swooped in on two suspects accused of selling illegal firearms online. The Tourist Police Command, led by Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phuek-am, executed two coordinated stings yesterday, August 21, seizing multiple weapons and ammunition in Pattaya and Ratchaburi. In the first case, officers tracked a suspect in Bang Lamung…
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Thailand video news | New tax overhaul may sideline expats from welfare perks, Suvarnabhumi airport expansion aims to double passenger capacity
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring you the latest headlines from across the country. Bangkok was shaken by a 5.4-magnitude earthquake with no major damage reported, while Thailand’s planned tax overhaul raises concerns for expats. Michelin-starred Jay Fai faces an investigation over a pricey crab omelette, and two doctors received jail sentences after a botched surgery left…
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Tempura favourite Tenya exits Thailand after 10 years
Thailand’s tempura lovers are in mourning as popular Japanese restaurant chain Tenya is pulling the plug after nearly a decade in the country. Known for its crispy tempura bowls and authentic Japanese flavours, Tenya will shut its last two branches at Terminal 21 and Samyan Mitrtown on August 31, signalling the end of its run in Thailand. Originally launched in Asakusa,…
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Chinese man caught selling ketamine ‘K-vapes’ in Chon Buri
A drug sting in Chon Buri exposed a black market operation selling ketamine-laced vape pods, ending in a car chase and arrest. Bang Lamung Police, led by Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, launched a sting operation yesterday, August 21, at 8pm in the Huai Yai area, targeting Yu Shizhone, a Chinese national allegedly running an online black market for so-called “K-vapes.”…
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