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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Thai officials probed over bribes in citizenship scandal
A House committee is investigating bribery allegations involving officials accused of demanding cash from applicants during the Thai citizenship registration process. The House Committee on Local Administration, chaired by Korrawee Prissananantakul of the Bhumjaithai Party, is currently reviewing at least five cases involving alleged misconduct by local officials. These cases involve both long-term residents and people born in Thailand without…
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Water seepage raises concerns of repeat road collapse in Bangkok
Officials are inspecting water seepage on Samsen Road in Bangkok, two kilometres from the site of a recent collapse, raising fears among locals of a repeat incident. The road collapsed outside Vajira Hospital and Samsen Police Station yesterday morning, September 24, forcing residents in the area to evacuate for safety. The collapse is suspected to have been caused by a…
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Hooked turtle rescued in Phuket as another dies from net injury
Marine officers in Phuket rescued an injured sea turtle found with a fishhook in its mouth, while another died after being entangled in a discarded net. At around 6.45pm yesterday, September 24, Cherng Talay Police received a report of a stranded turtle near Leypang Beach. Police Lieutenant Suwarin Mueat Muang, a patrol officer from Layan, was dispatched to the scene,…
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Veteran cop delivers 11th baby in Udon Thani tuk tuk drama
A traffic police officer in Udon Thani assisted a woman who gave birth in a tuk tuk near a busy intersection, marking his eleventh delivery on duty. At 7am yesterday, September 24, Police Lance Corporal Charern Chantharaks sprang into action after emergency services received a call about a woman in labour near the Pracharaksa-Srisuk intersection, just a few hundred metres…
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Pattaya sees tourist boom with over 18 million visits
Pattaya has reported a sharp rise in tourism, with millions visiting the city as local officials credit safety measures and major events for the growing numbers. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet announced the figures this week, revealing that from January to August, the city welcomed more than 18 million tourists. Of those, over 11.38 million were domestic travellers, a year-on-year increase of…
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Lucky firecracker numbers spark lotto frenzy in Suphan Buri
Villagers in Suphan Buri, central Thailand, are scrambling for lottery tickets after lucky numbers appeared in the smoke and sparks of firecrackers during a local spirit ceremony. The numbers 34 and 117, revealed from firecracker tails, have become the talk of the town after being spotted during a merit-making ritual at Wat Then Phlai in Si Prachan district yesterday, September…
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Drunken family fight ends in fatal stabbing in southern Thailand
A drunken row over a wife’s alleged affair ended in bloodshed at a workers’ camp in central Surat Thani, southern Thailand, after a man fatally stabbed his own relative. Police in Tha Chang district were called to a construction site yesterday, September 24, following reports of a fatal stabbing. The victim, 28 year old Rungtawan, a native of Bueng Kan…
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PM Anutin pledges to dissolve Parliament by January 2026
The Prime Minister (PM) of Thailand and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, confirmed yesterday, September 24, that Parliament will be dissolved at the end of January 2026, with a new election expected between March and April, alongside a referendum on constitutional amendments. Anutin, joined by the Cabinet, held a press conference following a special Cabinet meeting. He began by clarifying government…
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8 year old boy rides pet buffalo to school in central Thailand
An eight year old boy in Thailand has charmed locals by riding his pet buffalo to and from school each day, turning heads with his unique daily routine. Thanwa “Fluke” Thong-iam makes his daily journey to school on the back of his pet buffalo, Kalamae. The pair have become a familiar sight in Khao Yoi district, Phetchaburi province, where they…
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Ex-Thai Airways boss: Ditch all govt shares or risk relapse
A former Thai Airways executive has urged the government to sell its remaining shares, warning that political control could derail the airline’s recovery. Banyong Pongpanich, a former board member of Thai Airways International (THAI), called on the government to sell its remaining shares in the airline, insisting that only full privatisation can protect the company from sliding back into bureaucratic…
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50,000 sandbags deployed to plug sinkhole on Bangkok road
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt instructed officials to place 50,000 sandbags into the sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok in a bid to reduce the risk of further subsidence. The collapse occurred yesterday morning, September 24, outside Vajira Hospital and Samsen Police Station. The site is part of the construction zone for the MRT Purple Line extension, and the building of…
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Thailand to crack down on illegal border crossings from October 10
Thailand will begin enforcing legal action against illegal border crossers in a province bordering Cambodia, following heightened security concerns. From October 10, officials in Sa Kaeo province will ramp up surveillance and enforce legal measures against people entering the country illegally. The move comes amid ongoing tensions over disputed territory along the Thai-Cambodian border. Sa Kaeo Governor Parinya Phothisat made…
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Hat Yai thief takes tourist’s gold necklace in bike snatch
A man was arrested in southern Thailand after snatching a tourist’s gold necklace while riding a motorbike, prompting a swift police investigation and arrest. Sakrin “Kae” Chayapan, a 25 year old Thai man, was arrested after CCTV footage and a police investigation linked him to the daylight robbery. He later confessed, claiming financial hardship, but firmly denied any ties to…
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Howling dogs lead to grisly corpse find in Udon Thani hut
A decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned hut in Udon Thani after locals, disturbed by a foul smell and howling dogs, alerted the police. The body of a 67 year old homeless man, known locally as Khamnum, was found wearing nothing but black underwear, already swarming with maggots. The discovery was made in Ban Muang community in the Mueang…
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Free boat rides launched after Bangkok sinkhole chaos
A free boat service has been launched in Bangkok to help commuters affected by severe traffic disruptions caused by a sudden road collapse near a hospital. The Marine Department has deployed one of its patrol boats, Jao Tha 214, to ferry passengers for free between Thewet Pier and Kiakkai Pier. The emergency water transport service aims to alleviate severe traffic…
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Thailand warned of flash floods as monsoon rains intensify
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has warned of heavy rains, flash floods and high seas as a strong monsoon and an incoming storm intensify across the country. Residents in the North, Northeast and East should prepare for widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy to very heavy rain between yesterday, September 24, and tomorrow, September 26. Flash floods, overflowing rivers and landslides…
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Bangkok road sinkhole subsides further, threatening nearby building structure
A massive sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok subsided further this afternoon, prompting tighter safety measures during recovery operations and urgent checks on nearby building structures. The incident occurred outside Vajira Hospital and Samsen Police Station in the Dusit district at about 7am today, September 24. The road collapsed, creating a huge sinkhole initially reported to measure 30 by 30 metres…
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Drunk Norwegian woman found on Phuket street returned safely to hotel
Police last night, September 23, escorted a Norwegian woman safely back to her hotel after she was found drunk and lying on a footpath in Phuket alongside an Israeli man she had met earlier at an entertainment venue. Her husband was reportedly panicking at the hotel. Police officers and volunteers were patrolling along Rat Uthit 200 Years Road when they…
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China donates rescue boat to strengthen Phuket disaster aid
The Chinese Consul-General in Songkhla donated a rescue boat and equipment worth over 500,000 baht to the Phuket Kusontham Foundation for disaster relief. The handover ceremony took place at 11.30am today, September 24, at the Kusontham Phuket Foundation headquarters. Wang Zhijian, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Songkhla, presented the boat and equipment to the foundation in front…
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Bangkok road collapse leaves 31 streets without tap water
A major road collapse outside a Bangkok hospital damaged a water main, cutting tap water supplies to 31 streets as local officials rushed to carry out repairs. The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) confirmed that a 1,200-millimetre-diameter pipe was badly damaged during the collapse near the hospital in the Dusit district. The rupture has left large parts of the city without…
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Skeleton in Bangkok confirmed as Thai woman missing 12 years ago
Thai parents are seeking an investigation into the death of their missing daughter, whose remains were recently identified after 12 years. A DNA test confirmed that a skeleton discovered in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok belonged to her. The missing woman, Phawinee “Kae” Kortaisong, was reported missing in 2013 at the age of 23. An only child, she had…
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Thailand rolls out stricter ride-hailing rules from October
Thailand will introduce new ride-hailing regulations next month, requiring stricter checks on drivers and platforms to improve safety, trust and transparency. The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) confirmed that the regulations, effective from October, will redefine the role of ride-hailing platforms from intermediaries to active service regulators. Under the new rules, platforms must verify the identities of both passengers and…
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Thai man confesses to killing son-in-law for raping his granddaughter
An 80 year old Thai man in Nakhon Sawan province confessed to killing his son-in-law, stating that the victim had raped his stepdaughter, who is also his beloved granddaughter. A Thai woman discovered the dead body of her husband, 44 year old Sergeant Major First Class Nirut, in a pond in the Phaisali district of Nakhon Sawan on September 22.…
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Foreigners slammed for using kids to sell roses on Pattaya strip
Business owners in Pattaya raised concerns after foreigners were seen using children to sell roses on Walking Street, fuelling fears of exploitation and harm. The complaints surfaced at around 3.30am yesterday, September 23, when Walking Street operators reported groups of foreign men and women using children as young as one to seven years old to sell roses. Each flower is…
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Anutin launches inquiry after Bangkok sinkhole causes shutdowns (video)
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an investigation after a road collapse near a Bangkok hospital damaged buildings, forced evacuations and shut services. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin rushed to the scene and has ordered an urgent investigation into the cause of the collapse, which occurred at a construction site for the new MRT Purple Line. “This is a purely…
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Bus driver found dead beside parked vehicle in Chachoengsao
A 52 year old bus driver was found dead beside his parked vehicle in Chachoengsao province, central Thailand, leaving factory workers stranded as police launched an investigation. The incident took place around 9pm yesterday, September 23, at a designated parking area along Bang Na-Trat Road. The driver, identified as 52 year old Veerawat from Samut Prakan, was found lying on…
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3 call centre scammers arrested in Bangkok with 1,000 Yaba pills
Police arrested three call centre scammers at a luxury hotel in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok yesterday, September 23, and seized 1,000 methamphetamine tablets, commonly known as Yaba. The Royal Thai Police (RTP) detected suspicious money transfers involving two victims in the Phaya Thai and Bang Pho areas of Bangkok. A total of 4.5 million baht was moved from their…
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Bangkok Airways bags 5-star award for eco-friendly flights
Bangkok Airways received a 5-star sustainability award from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) for its efforts to promote greener aviation and responsible tourism. The award, part of TAT’s Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating (STAR) programme, recognises tourism operators who embrace sustainable practices in line with global standards. For Bangkok Airways, it cements its reputation as a leader in environmentally responsible…
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Bangkok vendor fined for posing as fake undercover cop
A Bangkok water vendor was arrested after a viral video showed him posing as an undercover police officer during a roadside clash with a motorcyclist. The bizarre encounter unfolded near the entrance of Soi Phetkasem 81/5 on Phetkasem Road in Nong Khang Phlu, Nong Khaem district. A motorcyclist, shocked by the confrontation, later posted the footage online, sparking widespread disbelief.…
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Phuket pushes 300km pipeline plan to secure water future
Phuket officials met with consultants to discuss a proposed 300km pipeline project aimed at securing long-term water supplies for the island and nearby provinces. The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Phuket Branch and Team Consulting Engineering and Management Public Co Ltd met Governor Sophon Suwannarat yesterday, September 23, to present updated findings from a feasibility study on the ambitious project. According…
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