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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Foreign tourist among new Mpox cases reported in Thailand
Thailand has reported 1,074 cumulative Mpox cases and 16 deaths, with health officials warning people in higher-risk groups to monitor symptoms after new Clade Ib cases and infections linked to tourist areas. Dr Montien Kanasawat, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said today, May 19, that surveillance data from the Division of Epidemiology showed two new confirmed Clade…
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Chinese, Pakistani nationals found packed in Sa Kaeo pickup
Sixteen Chinese and Pakistani nationals were arrested in Sa Kaeo today, May 19, after they were allegedly smuggled across the border from Poipet, Cambodia, and found packed inside a pickup truck with a Thai driver. Military officers, district officials, and village security volunteers launched the operation after residents reported a suspicious vehicle circling in Non Mak Mun subdistrict, Khok Sung…
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Chon Buri woman reports drugging and raping by bar worker
A Thai woman is seeking justice after a bar worker in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri allegedly drugged her with a ketamine-laced e-cigarette, known locally as Pod K, before raping her. The 20 year old victim, Chidapa, shared details of the alleged incident with several Thai media outlets after reporting the case to police yesterday, May 18. She said…
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Bangkok delivery rider struck by train near recent fatal collision scene
A food delivery rider suffered serious injuries after being struck by a train while urinating next to the railway track along Kampaengphet 7 Road, near the site of the recent fatal collision between a train and a bus. Rescue workers were called to the railway track near the Mercure Bangkok Makkasan hotel at about 11am. The injured man, whose identity…
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Thailand rethinks spending 1.7 billion baht on World Cup broadcast rights
Thailand is reconsidering whether to spend more than 1.7 billion baht (roughly US$52 million) on broadcast rights for the World Cup 2026 tournament, with officials questioning whether the cost would deliver long-term value for Thai football. At 4.05pm yesterday, May 18, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Paradorn Prissananantakul addressed reports that the government may step back from buying the rights to…
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2 men attack woman with durian peel during exercise in Chachoengsao
A Thai woman is seeking justice after two men attacked her with durian peel while she was exercising outside Chachoengsao Provincial Hall on Sunday, May 17. The victim, identified as 48 year old Noi, submitted a police complaint and medical certificate to several Thai media outlets following the incident, which reportedly took place at about 9pm. Noi said she and…
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Iran agrees to help Thai cargo ships pass Strait of Hormuz
Two Thai cargo ships waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are expected to receive assistance from Iran after a meeting at Government House yesterday, May 18. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, chief adviser to the prime minister, met Mehdi Zare, cultural counsellor at the Embassy of Iran in Thailand, to discuss bilateral ties and the regional situation. After the…
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Thai teen finds American man’s body hanging over Pattaya condo balcony
Police are investigating the death of an American man whose body was found hanging over the balcony of a condominium in Pattaya yesterday, May 18. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to the seven-storey condominium on Jomtien Sai Song Road after a Thai teenager reported seeing a body hanging from a balcony on the sixth floor. At the…
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Watch out for fake Suvarnabhumi Fast Track services, officials say
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau posted a video on May 17, warning travellers not to trust claims that a paid Fast Track immigration service is available at Suvarnabhumi Airport, allegedly offered through Trip.com. The warning followed a post by a Chinese-Taiwanese tourist who claimed the service could be bought for 650 yuan. The post reportedly included an image from the app stating that…
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CCTV captures souvenir theft by foreign woman in Phuket
A foreign woman was caught on CCTV stealing a souvenir from a shop in the Thalang district in Phuket yesterday, May 17. Footage from the shop’s security cameras was shared on the Phuket Times Facebook page to warn other business owners in the area and help identify the suspect. The shop owner said the incident occurred at about 3.45pm. In…
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Bangkok selected for final stage of Eurovision Song Contest Asia
The Eurovision Song Contest will expand into Asia for the first time this year, with Bangkok selected to host the grand final of Eurovision Song Contest Asia on November 14. The official Eurovision Instagram account, @eurovision, announced the launch of Eurovision Song Contest Asia in March. Aside from being the first expansion of Asia, the event also marks the 70th…
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Thai woman suffers broken leg after rocket crashes into home
A woman in Nakhon Ratchasima is seeking compensation after a bang fai rocket, part of a rocket festival in Northeastern Thailand, crashed through her home and injured her daughter-in-law, resulting in a broken leg. The incident occurred on May 6 in Bua Lai district when a rocket reportedly fell through the roof of a shared family home. The 34 year old…
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Phuket locals demand action after foreign teens damage property
Police arrested four foreign teenagers yesterday, May 17, after they stole and damaged a lamp shade outside a resident’s home in Phuket. The incident was reported by the Phuket Times Facebook page, which also shared CCTV footage of the theft. The incident took place on Phang Nga Road in the Phuket Old Town area. In the video, one of the…
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Thailand News | Train driver charged after deadly Bangkok rail crossing crash, first wife leads procession for husband’s second marriage
Today we’ll be talking about the deadly train crash that occurred over the weekend, including charges being filed against the driver and pledges of support for victims from the Prime Minister, then, a 10-kilometer drug chase ends in three arrests, down in Pattaya a foreigner is being accused of abusing a young monkey, also in the seaside city a Swedish…
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Families search for missing members after train-bus collision in Bangkok
Families of those involved in the deadly collision between a train and a public bus in the Asok area of Bangkok are awaiting autopsy results to confirm the identities of the victims, while several relatives continue hoping their loved ones survived the incident. Eight people were confirmed dead after a container train collided with public bus route 206 beneath Airport…
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PM Anutin considers tunnel after fatal collision on railway track
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government plans to reduce the number of train crossing points in Bangkok following the fatal collision between a container train and a public bus in Asok on Saturday, May 16. The crash occurred at the intersection where Asok-Din Daeng Road crosses a railway track beneath Airport Rail Link Makkasan Station. The area is known…
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Three arrested after 10-kilometre drug chase in Chumphon
Highway police arrested three suspects and seized more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills and crystal meth following a 10-kilometre car chase in Chumphon today, May 17. The suspects were identified as 33 year old Teerapong, 25 year old Suwapat, and 25 year old Pongsakorn. Police seized 20,200 methamphetamine pills and 52.13 grammes of crystal meth during the operation in Hat Phan…
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AI cameras help arrest human trafficking suspect in Pattaya
Pattaya tourist police used an AI surveillance camera system to arrest a Thai man wanted in a human trafficking case near Walking Street in Pattaya on the morning of May 15. The arrest took place at around 9.15am after the AI camera system detected and identified a person matching Criminal Court arrest warrant No. 2462/2569, dated April 29. Police moved…
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13 Cambodian migrants arrested at Chanthaburi border
Thai marines and local police in Chanthaburi province arrested 13 Cambodian migrants on May 16, after intensifying surveillance along the border. The first group of nine Cambodians, five men and four women, were detained at 5.30pm while crossing forested terrain near boundary marker 53 in Thep Nimit subdistrict, Pong Nam Ron district. Investigations found the group had travelled from Banteay…
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Body believed to be missing police officer found on Phuket Beach
A body believed to be a missing police officer was found washed ashore at Nai Thon Beach in Sakhu subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket, this morning, May 17, two days after he was swept into the sea by strong waves. The man went swimming at Nai Thon Beach on May 15, during strong winds and waves more than two metres high.…
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EC files complaints over ballot barcode photos
The Election Commission (EC) has defended filing complaints against six individuals who photographed barcodes and QR codes on ballots from the February 8 general election, saying the move was necessary to protect the integrity of the vote. EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said the step was essential to ensure the election’s credibility and fairness. The six individuals captured images of the…
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Satun man shoots ex-wife dead, then turns gun on himself
A 60 year old man shot his 58 year old ex-wife dead at her rental home in Thung Nui subdistrict, Khuan Kalong district, Satun, on May 16, before returning to his residence 1km away and turning the gun on himself. Police arrived to find the woman with three gunshot wounds to the chest. She had served as both village health…
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Missing Kanchanaburi woman found dead in staged suicide case
A woman who had been missing for four days was found dead on May 15 behind a sugar factory in Ban Kao subdistrict, Mueang district, Kanchanaburi, after her neighbour confessed to killing her and staging a suicide. The woman, identified as 44 year old Kesa, was last heard from at around 6am on May 10, when she called her former…
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SRT warns of delays after freight train hits bus near Asok
Eight people were killed and 32 others injured after a freight train crashed into a public bus near Bangkok’s Asok-Din Daeng intersection yesterday afternoon, sparking a fire that engulfed the vehicle. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) confirmed that freight train No. 2126, running from Laem Chabang Port to Bang Sue, struck an air-conditioned route 23 bus at a level…
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Distressed woman on Pattaya road taken to safety
Police and rescue workers in Pattaya carried out a rescue operation after a disoriented and distressed woman was found on South Pattaya Road in Pattaya at 11.36pm yesterday, May 16. Pattaya City Police Station received a report that the woman was behaving erratically on the roadside. Police then coordinated with Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue volunteers to inspect the scene. The…
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Heavy rain warning issued for 40 Thai provinces on May 17
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning for today, forecasting heavy rainfall across 40 provinces, including Bangkok and surrounding areas. A strong southwest monsoon affecting the upper Andaman Sea is driving the conditions, with rain expected to cover 60% of affected regions. Residents are advised to watch out for flash floods and overflow, particularly near mountains, waterways, and…
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At least 8 people killed in Bangkok rail crossing collision
At least eight people were killed, and more than 10 were injured after a train collided with a public bus near Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station in Bangkok today, May 16. The crash occurred at around 3.40pm on Asok-Din Daeng Road beneath the Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station in the Asok area. Firefighters from Phaya Thai district and rescue workers…
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Thailand introduces tourism fees amid global challenges
Thailand’s tourism sector is under pressure to adapt as global energy costs rise and competition in the industry intensifies. Following Surasak Phanchareonvorakul’s appointment under the Anutin 2 government, the tourism minister moved quickly to restructure the industry around a quality tourism model, introducing three measures to do so. The first trims the visa-free list from 93 countries and territories down…
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Missing Thai man safely returns after illegal Cambodia crossing
A Thai man who went missing while foraging near the Thai-Cambodian border has returned home safely after being detained in Cambodia for crossing the border illegally, officials confirmed on Friday. Yot Sainoi, a 58 year old resident of Surin province, was handed over to Thai authorities at the Chong Sa-ngam permanent checkpoint in Phu Sing district, Si Sa Ket province,…
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6.3 magnitude quake strikes off Miyagi coast
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, Japan, on May 15 at 8.22pm local time. The tremor originated at a depth of 50 kilometres and was felt across multiple regions, including Aomori, Iwate, and Akita. No tsunami warning has been issued despite the quake’s wide reach. Residents have been advised to remain alert for potential aftershocks.…
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