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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Thailand enforces border claim with containers near Cambodian border
Social activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, known as ‘Gun Jompalang,’ alongside supporters, is asserting Thailand’s territorial claim near the Cambodian border in Trat province, amid escalating tensions. The planned operation commenced on Friday, involving cranes and forklifts to arrange containers blocking two road access points. These barriers effectively closed entrances to shops and resorts operated by Chinese nationals in areas recently reclaimed…
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Heightened vigilance in Narathiwat after anti-government banners found
Security forces in Narathiwat are maintaining heightened vigilance following the discovery of banners with anti-government slogans and items resembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the province. This activity is believed to be an attempt to incite unrest ahead of the general election set for Sunday. Provincial police commander Prayong Kotsakha reported that police in nine districts received information about 24…
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Crane collapse in Bangkok injures two Myanmar workers near Asok mall
A tower crane collapsed at a construction site near a shopping mall in Asok, Sukhumvit 21, in Bangkok’s Watthana district, injuring two workers and prompting a temporary halt to construction. The incident occurred at 10.27am yesterday, on February 7, when Police Lieutenant Pairoj Maneejan of the Lumphini Police Station received a report detailing a serious construction accident at the site.…
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Pregnant woman among three killed in Bangkok motorway crash
A tragic accident occurred when a couple, including a pregnant woman, driving back to Bangkok, collided with a barrier on the motorway due to spilled plastic pellets. The incident, which led to three fatalities, was caused by negligence on the part of a six-wheel lorry driver. Yesterday, on February 7, Police Lieutenant Colonel Sophon Komolsutthi, deputy inspector of Highway Police…
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Thais warned against wearing numbered shirts on election day
The Election Commission of Thailand has urged voters to avoid wearing football jerseys or any shirts featuring numbers on the back when casting their ballots on February 8, warning that such attire could be misinterpreted as political messaging. The announcement was made just days before the upcoming general election, which is expected to draw a high turnout as citizens head…
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Thai boy found with bruises after being beaten by grandmother
A boy in Prachin Buri province was found with extensive bruising across his body today, February 6, after being beaten by his grandmother for returning home late from school. The incident was reported by the village head of Moo 3 in Na Di district, after a classroom teacher noticed the boy’s injuries during school. The boy, 10 year old Pae, lives…
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Thailand’s alcohol ban frustrates tourists, hits restaurant sales
Foreign tourists visiting Thailand during the country’s election period have found themselves caught off guard by a nationwide alcohol ban, leading to frustration at restaurants and bars, particularly in popular destinations like Bangkok and Phuket. On February 1, during the first 24-hour restriction linked to advance voting, diners at a Bangkok restaurant, newly arrived from the United States, were told…
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French nationals accused of staging theft to scam Thai woman
A Thai woman accused a group of foreigners, believed to be French nationals, of attempting to scam and swindle money from her older sister by falsely claiming she picked up their dropped cash on Phuket road. The woman shared CCTV footage of the incident on her Facebook account, Jedsy Jedsadaporn, on Wednesday, February 4. The incident took place outside her family’s…
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Two men caught hunting protected wildlife in Salawin National Park
Two men were arrested on February 4 in Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son province, after they were caught illegally hunting protected wildlife inside Salawin National Park during a routine patrol aimed at preventing wildfires. The incident took place around 7.30pm when park rangers from the conservation and protection division of Salawin National Park were conducting an active patrol in…
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Financial stress cited after Thai man fatally stabs his mother
A Thai man fatally attacked his mother at their shared home in Samut Prakan province yesterday, February 5. His stepfather believed the murder was triggered by financial stress and unemployment. The incident occurred yesterday at a house in the Bang Chak sub-district of Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan. The 44 year old victim, Nokkaew, was attacked by her 22 year…
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Chachoengsao man dies during livestream as friends hear gasping
A man from Chachoengsao died suddenly while livestreaming late at night on Tuesday, prompting friends to rush to his home after he disappeared from the screen, and disturbing sounds were heard. The incident occurred around 2am on February 6 at a one-storey house in Bang Samak, Bang Pakong district. Officers from Bang Pakong Police Station, along with Chachoengsao rescue workers,…
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Norwegian man arrested for assault and car theft on Koh Samui
Police on Koh Samui arrested a Norwegian man after the physical assault of a Thai driver, the theft of a pickup truck, and a high-speed chase across the island. Officers from Koh Samui Police Station were alerted to the incident after receiving reports of a physical assault and vehicle theft in the Mae Nam sub-district of Koh Samui. The incident…
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Russian man found dead on beach below Koh Samui viewpoint
A Russian tourist was found dead on a beach below a viewpoint on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, with police believing the incident was most likely an accident. The body was discovered on yesterday, February 5, after another foreign tourist encountered the remains on a beach beneath Na Phralan Viewpoint on Koh Samui. The witness immediately contacted officers from…
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King cobras mate roadside in Krabi ahead of Valentine’s Day
Locals in Krabi were left stunned yesterday, February 5, after spotting two massive king cobras mating by the roadside in Khlong Thom district just days before Valentine’s Day. The rare encounter occurred in Khlong Thom Nuea subdistrict, where two king cobras, each measuring an estimated three to four metres long, were seen engaging in mating behaviour along Khlong Chamuang Road…
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Swedish man arrested in Phuket over alleged rape of fellow tourist
Police arrested a Swedish man at a hotel in Phuket for the alleged rape of a woman from the same country, following a complaint filed earlier this week. The arrest was confirmed on Wednesday, February 5, after officers from Patong Police Station tracked down the suspect at a hotel on Na Nai 8 Road in Kathu district, Phuket. The 32…
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Wild elephants alarm locals and campers in Nakhon Nayok and Tak
Officials in Nakhon Nayok and Tak provinces were called into action today, February 5, after wild elephants emerged from nearby forests and startled both residents and tourists in two separate incidents. In Nakhon Nayok, residents of Moo 8 in Nong Saeng subdistrict, Pak Phli district, alerted wildlife officials after a large male elephant known locally as “Phlai Thongkham”, roughly translated…
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Lopburi teacher under investigation for 800 squat punishment
Thailand’s Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) today, February 5, launched an investigation into a teacher in Lopburi province after confirming that a student was indeed ordered to perform 800 squats as punishment. The case gained national attention after the boy’s father revealed that his son had been hospitalised with severe leg pain after being punished with 800 squats…
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Filipina woman arrested at Phuket over theft and forged documents
Police arrested a Filipina woman at the Phuket Immigration Office after discovering that she was wanted under an arrest warrant for theft and the use of forged documents while she was attempting to renew her visa. The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 3, when the woman visited the Phuket Immigration Office to apply for a visa renewal and extend her…
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Rare dugongs observed in Trang marine habitat survey
Marine researchers in Trang province teamed up with wildlife defenders yesterday, February 4, to survey dugong populations near Libong Island, using drone technology and direct observation to assess the condition of these rare sea mammals. The survey was led by staff from the Marine National Park Research Centre 3 (Trang) in collaboration with the Dugong Conservation Group, and it was…
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Construction site manager claims gun accident in worker’s death
A construction site manager fatally shot a worker in Ubon Ratchathani and claimed the shooting was accidental, saying the gun discharged when he tried to slap the victim with the firearm. Officers from Mueang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station were called to investigate the fatal shooting at a construction site on Tuesday, February 4, after receiving a report from workers at the…
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Foreigner seen relaxing on SUV roof during Phuket traffic
A foreign man surprised onlookers on the road as he relaxed on the roof of a moving SUV, casually using his mobile phone while the vehicle crawled through heavy traffic on a busy road in Patong, Phuket. The incident, caught on video and shared by the PhuketTimes Facebook page today, February 5, shows the man lying face down on the…
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German man arrested for political graffiti on Koh Pha Ngan
Police arrested a German man known locally as “Mr Spray” after he spray-painted political graffiti across multiple locations on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province. The suspect was arrested at a hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, February 4. Residents and business operators on Koh Pha Ngan turned to social media to seek help identifying the foreign man, after numerous…
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American man speaks out after Pattaya security guards attack
Pattaya police have summoned three security guards for questioning following a viral video showing an American tourist being assaulted on Pattaya Soi 6. The incident, which took place on the evening of February 2, has drawn mixed opinions online. Footage shared on social media captured multiple men repeatedly kicking and punching the foreigner on the roadside. At the time, little…
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Thai teen shoots neighbour dead over alleged affair with mother
A 17 year old Thai boy fatally shot his neighbour in Pathum Thani province, blaming the victim for having an affair with his mother and causing ongoing conflict within his family. Police from Thanyaburi Police Station were alerted to the shooting at around 1pm yesterday, February 4, by a local community leader, Thanee Suekui. The incident occurred in the Thanyaburi…
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Foreign mum fights off attempted child abduction in Samut Prakan
A three year old boy narrowly escaped a kidnapping in Samut Prakan yesterday, February 4, when a man allegedly targeted him on a roadside in Phra Pradaeng district. The child’s foreign mother screamed for help, causing passersby to intervene. The attempted abduction occurred at the entrance of Soi Suksawat, in front of a local food stall. According to witnesses, the…
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Bangkok taxi driver confesses to raping intoxicated passenger
A Thai taxi driver confessed to raping a female passenger, who was intoxicated and unable to defend herself, at a love hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, February 3, saying, “I don’t know what an evil spirit possessed me that night”. The victim, a university student studying in Bangkok, filed a formal complaint with police after waking up naked inside a…
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Indian man’s langur smuggling attempt busted at Suvarnabhumi
An Indian passenger was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport late on February 3 after allegedly attempting to smuggle live wildlife out of Thailand. Two endangered langurs were reportedly discovered hidden inside a suitcase bound for Mumbai. The passenger, identified as 28 year old Karthick, was intercepted during a joint operation involving wildlife checkpoint officers, customs officials, animal quarantine staff, airport security,…
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15 year old boy arrested over 2.4 million baht gold theft in Hat Yai
Police arrested a 15 year old boy for a gold shop robbery at a supermarket in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, in which gold accessories worth more than 2.4 million baht were stolen. The robbery occurred at around 6.30pm inside a gold shop located within Lotus’s supermarket in Hat Yai. CCTV footage showed the suspect dressed entirely in black and…
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Israeli and El Salvadoran men rescued from Koh Pha Ngan forest
Tourist Police officers, together with local administrative officials, successfully rescued two foreign tourists, Israeli and Salvadoran men, who became lost in a forest on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province last night, February 4. According to authorities, Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received an emergency call via the tourist police hotline 1155 from two foreign men who reported that…
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Thai man caught smuggling exotic animals from Philippines
A Thai man was arrested on the evening of February 2 after arriving in Thailand from Manila, when customs and wildlife officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport discovered a live Bengal monitor lizard and an opossum hidden inside his suitcase. The arrest took place at 7.40pm near Customs Exit B in the international arrivals terminal. The suspect, identified as 35 year old…
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