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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    5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)

    Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...

  • Drug trafficker killed, 300,000 meth pills seized in Chiang Mai

    Drug trafficker killed, 300,000 meth pills seized in Chiang Mai

    Pha Mueang Task Force yesterday engaged with a group of drug traffickers in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province, resulting in one suspect’s death and the seizure of 300,000 methamphetamine pills. The officials remained unharmed. The incident, yesterday, March 19, at 8.30am, occurred when the patrol team spotted and attempted to search three to five suspicious people carrying modified backpacks…

  • British jumper’s Pattaya video sparks call to shut down site

    British jumper’s Pattaya video sparks call to shut down site

    A chilling video showing the tragic death of a British base jumper in Pattaya has sparked renewed outrage and calls for a notorious website that hosts gruesome death footage to be shut down. The 33 year old victim, Nathan Odinson, tragically died after his parachute failed to open during a jump from a 29-storey tower last year. A Thai friend…

  • Thai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls

    Thai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls

    A Thai man told local news agencies that he almost lost control of his bowels after stumbling upon a man’s body in an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The man, whose name remains undisclosed, alerted officers at Lin Thin Police Station to the abandoned house in the Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi province to investigate the…

  • Philippine couple busted in Thailand over investment scam

    Philippine couple busted in Thailand over investment scam

    Thai Immigration Police arrested a Philippine couple wanted for a large-scale investment fraud that has seen over 150 arrest warrants issued against them. The couple, identified as 46 year old Cerrone and 47 year old Marve, were apprehended in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, following a request for cooperation from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand. Both suspects were subjects of an Interpol Red…

  • Park life: Thailand eases alcohol rules for officials, not tourists

    Park life: Thailand eases alcohol rules for officials, not tourists

    The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in Thailand has revised regulations to permit alcohol consumption in designated areas within national parks. However, this relaxation applies only to officials and organised groups who obtain permission, while tourists remain prohibited from consuming alcohol. The department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), has been gathering public…

  • Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai

    Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai

    Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province. Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and…

  • Chinese man assaults staff at Mahidol University, visa revocation urged

    Chinese man assaults staff at Mahidol University, visa revocation urged

    A Chinese man assaulted a university staff member at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom, prompting calls for his visa to be revoked. The incident occurred when the man, upset his girlfriend’s performance was not filmed, attacked a staff member with a chair and slammed the staff member’s head against a wall, resulting in the staff member being hospitalised in the…

  • Thai deputy PM Phumtham visits Uyghur community in Xinjiang

    Thai deputy PM Phumtham visits Uyghur community in Xinjiang

    Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently visited the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region after a return to their homeland. Phumtham apologised for their prolonged detention of 11 years, emphasising that the government had acted appropriately by reuniting them with their families. Yesterday, March 19, Phumtham, also the defence minister, along with a media contingent, visited a Uyghur…

  • Cannabis vendor found dead with more than 30 stab wounds

    Cannabis vendor found dead with more than 30 stab wounds

    Police are hunting for a murderer after a cannabis vendor was found dead with more than 30 stab wounds on his body in a rented room in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan. His roommate was conspicuous by his absence when police descended on the scene. A 25 year old Thai man, Few, was the first person to discover the…

  • Bridge collapse in Narathiwat claims one life, injures three

    Bridge collapse in Narathiwat claims one life, injures three

    A bridge collapse in Narathiwat province’s Chanae district tragically resulted in one fatality and three injuries as a vehicle and motorcycle were crossing. The collapse was attributed to damage to the underwater support structure caused by last year’s floods, which was still awaiting repair. At 5.45am today, March 19, Phichit Rungprasert, the district chief of Chanae, was informed by the…

  • ThaiBev’s Water Festival 2025 to boost tourism and spending

    ThaiBev’s Water Festival 2025 to boost tourism and spending

    Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) is set to organise the Water Festival 2025 from April 12 to 15, in collaboration with partners including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Culture. Event chairman Suraphon Svetasreni stated that the festival aims to enhance tourism and generate over 10 million baht in spending. The festival will support Thai cultural tourism while…

  • Thai man slapped with jail time for hitting Rayong hospital nurse

    Thai man slapped with jail time for hitting Rayong hospital nurse

    The Rayong Kwaeng Court sentenced a Thai man to one month and 15 days in jail for slapping a nurse at a hospital in the eastern province of Rayong last month. The victim’s older sister brought the physical assault at Rayong Hospital to public attention to seek justice. She explained that her sister had warned a patient’s family members not…

  • Tech it to the bank: Thailand’s data boom lures global giants

    Tech it to the bank: Thailand’s data boom lures global giants

    Thailand is quickly establishing itself as a key player in the global digital landscape, attracting major international data centre investments worth over 100 billion baht. The Board of Investment (BoI) reported that existing giants from the US, China, Japan, and South Korea are eager to expand their operations in the country, which is anticipated to exceed last year’s investment levels.…

  • Thailand video news | Belgian MMA fighter fends off four attackers in Pattaya parking brawl, Indonesia’s richest woman loses .6 billion in three days

    Thailand video news | Belgian MMA fighter fends off four attackers in Pattaya parking brawl, Indonesia’s richest woman loses $3.6 billion in three days

    In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring viewers the latest headlines from Thailand and Southeast Asia in today’s news roundup. A Belgian MMA fighter in Pattaya fended off four attackers in a parking dispute, while police in Koh Phangan are searching for foreign shoplifters caught on CCTV. In Phuket, two Dutch tourists were fined for provocative dancing on Bangla…

  • Drunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)

    Drunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)

    A drunk British man reportedly insulted Thai workers and customers at a restaurant in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima after his favourite alcoholic beverage was not available. The restaurant’s owner, Thai man, Apinan, called officers from Phimai Police Station to the scene in the Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, March 16. The 49 year old restauranteur was…

  • Heated sepak takraw match kicks off late-night brawl

    Heated sepak takraw match kicks off late-night brawl

    A late-night altercation between neighbours in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, involved a dispute over a sepak takraw game. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station reported the incident occurred at 11.06pm, yesterday, March 19. Officers, along with local rescue services, arrived at the scene to find two injured people resulting from a violent confrontation involving knives and…

  • Israeli defecates in Pattaya taxi, tries to resolve it with 300 baht

    Israeli defecates in Pattaya taxi, tries to resolve it with 300 baht

    An Israeli man in Thailand once again brought shame on his nation by defecating in a taxi and refusing to compensate the Thai driver involved in Pattaya. Police intervened in the matter, which was eventually resolved with 1,500 baht in compensation. The Thai taxi driver, 32 year old Norraphat, called officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday, March 19, to…

  • Digital boom: Thailand’s tech economy set for electrifying growth

    Digital boom: Thailand’s tech economy set for electrifying growth

    Thailand’s digital economy is poised to skyrocket this year, with GDP expected to rise by a staggering 7.3% to hit 4.85 trillion baht, according to the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry. This digital surge far exceeds the national GDP growth rate, sitting at 2.8%, totalling 19.2 trillion baht. Digital investment is also on a meteoric rise, predicted to grow…

  • Student brawl in Nonthaburi leaves female injured, vehicles damaged

    Student brawl in Nonthaburi leaves female injured, vehicles damaged

    A violent altercation occurred between rival student groups from the same university in Nonthaburi, resulting in injuries to a female student and severe damage to parked vehicles. The incident took place yesterday, March 19, at 8pm outside a convenience store on Nonthaburi 14 Road, Bang Kraso subdistrict, Mueang district. Officers from Rattanathibet Police Station were alerted to the brawl involving…

  • Alcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads

    Alcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads

    The Thai Cabinet agreed to revise the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, allowing businesses to advertise their alcohol products and enabling the public to share pictures and videos of alcoholic beverages without legal punishment. The draft of the revised Alcohol Beverage Control Act was discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday, March 19. At the end of the meeting, 365 Parliament members…

  • Power out: Phuket prepares for outage today

    Power out: Phuket prepares for outage today

    The Phuket branch of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has issued a notice about a scheduled power outage today, March 20, due to electrical system improvements. The power cut will take place between 9am and 4.30pm, impacting several key areas across the island. Residents and businesses near the intersection in front of D Condo Kuku, along one side of Ratsadanusorn…

  • Indian national found dead in Bangkok townhouse

    Indian national found dead in Bangkok townhouse

    A housekeeper discovered the unusual death of a 38 year old Indian national, who had rented a townhouse in Thon Buri district, Bangkok, for about two months. His relatives lost contact with him, prompting the house owner to request an inspection. At 2pm yesterday, March 19, Police Lieutenant Satha Duang-Iad, Deputy Inspector at Samre Police Station, responded to a report…

  • MG shifts gears as Thai pickup production hits the brakes amid slowdown

    MG shifts gears as Thai pickup production hits the brakes amid slowdown

    SAIC Motor-CP has hit the brakes on its Thai pickup truck production. The pause by the Chinese-Thai collaboration producing MG vehicles, comes as the domestic car market takes a downturn, although there’s hope for a reboot once conditions steady. While MG Sales (Thailand) hasn’t disclosed specific production figures for diesel pickups, company Vice-President Pongsak Lertruedeewattanavong reassures consumers. “Pickups aren’t our…

  • Bangkok chills as the north blows in, while the south stays soaked

    Bangkok chills as the north blows in, while the south stays soaked

    Bangkok is experiencing strong winds and a drop in temperature, which mirrors the cooler conditions in the north and northeast. Meanwhile, heavy rain persists in parts of the south. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasts that a high-pressure system or cool air mass is affecting upper Thailand, leading to cooler temperatures and strong winds, with some thunderstorms expected in the…

  • Man arrested for using fake licence plate in Phang Nga

    Man arrested for using fake licence plate in Phang Nga

    A man has been arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Highway Police after being caught with a fake licence plate in a bizarre case of forgery in Phang Nga. The suspect, identified as Nattawut, was taken into custody for the offence of forgery and use of forged official documents after a swift police operation. The case began in…

  • Thai food takes Tokyo: Commerce Ministry serves up 2 billion baht export success

    Thai food takes Tokyo: Commerce Ministry serves up 2 billion baht export success

    The Ministry of Commerce successfully facilitated Thai food exports exceeding 2 billion baht during the FOODEX Japan 2025 event in Tokyo. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, stated that the department collaborated with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Commercial Affairs in Tokyo to present 59 Thai companies at the event. Held…

  • Severe storm in Chiang Rai causes major damage and injuries

    Severe storm in Chiang Rai causes major damage and injuries

    A severe summer storm struck Chiang Rai, affecting five subdistricts with intense winds causing significant damage to temples, schools, and hospitals. Four people sustained injuries, with two in critical condition. The governor has ordered immediate assistance and damage assessments. The storm affected several areas in Chiang Rai province yesterday, March 18. According to the Chiang Rai Department of Disaster Prevention…

  • Cambodian monks disrobed in Pattaya for breaching Buddhist rules

    Cambodian monks disrobed in Pattaya for breaching Buddhist rules

    Three Cambodian monks were stripped of their saffron robes in Pattaya after locals complained they had broken traditional Buddhist rules. The incident unfolded when the trio was spotted on the notorious Walking Street, a vibrant nightlife hub, late at night, begging for food – a clear violation of Buddhist practice. Buddhist monks are traditionally permitted to ask for food only…

  • PM Paetongtarn asks Thais to don elephant pants for Songkran

    PM Paetongtarn asks Thais to don elephant pants for Songkran

    Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is encouraging all Thais to wear elephant pants from their respective provinces during the upcoming Songkran water festival to promote Thai culture and local identity. The prime minister made the call before chairing the first meeting of the National Soft Power Strategies Committee at Government House. Wearing a pair of blue elephant pants from Kanchanaburi, which featured…

  • Mountain B pub owner sentenced to 5 years for deadly fire (video)

    Mountain B pub owner sentenced to 5 years for deadly fire (video)

    The owner of the renowned Mountain B nightclub, faces five years’ imprisonment following the fire in 2022 which claimed 26 lives and injured multiple partygoers and workers. The Mountain B fire was one of the most widely reported incidents of 2022, garnering significant public attention. The incident took place at around 12.45am on August 5 of that year. The blaze…