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 Travel vs international health insurance: Which coverage do you need overseas?
The Thaiger key takeaways Travel insurance is ideal for short-term trips, covering emergencies, cancellations, and lost luggage, but not routine care. International health insurance suits expats and long-term residents, offering full medical coverage, including checkups, maternity, and chronic care. Choosing...
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Cement truck flips in dramatic crash near Phuket café
Lunchtime diners at a trendy Kathu café were left shaken yesterday when a cement mixer truck overturned, smashing through an elevated walkway before landing upside down just metres away. The terrifying crash occurred at approximately 12.30pm yesterday, July 31, near the Coffee In Farm café on Route 3030, a busy road connecting Koh Kaew and Kathu. Eyewitnesses described hearing a…
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Happiness documented: Bangkok police pens official report after seeing sleeping dog
A 23 year old Thai man asked police officers to record his happiness after seeing a lovely stray dog sleeping on a pedestrian bridge in Bangkok. The police record of the man’s joyful moment went viral on Thai social media yesterday evening, July 31. The document appeared to be entirely official, complete with the Garuda emblem and the names of…
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Trump slashes Thai tariffs to 19% – but is there a catch?
US President Donald Trump has stunned Thailand and the wider ASEAN region by announcing a sharp cut in import tariffs on Thai goods, slashing rates from 36% to 19%. The decision, made public yesterday, July 31, via the former US president’s Truth Social platform, came just hours before an executive order was signed, locking the deal in from today, August…
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Thailand braces as heavy rain persists in several regions
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasts a reduction in rainfall for today, although heavy rain is still expected in some regions. Residents in the upper northeastern areas are advised to remain cautious due to potential heavy rainfall and accumulation. This weather pattern is influenced by a low-pressure area over northern Vietnam, coupled with a weakened southwest monsoon over the Andaman…
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Dead sea turtle found on Phang Nga beach sparks pollution fears
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has launched an investigation after a decaying sea turtle carcass was discovered washed up on the sands in front of The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani Resort in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa district. The grim find was first reported to the Phang Nga Provincial Marine Office yesterday, July 30. Officials from the…
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Cambodia border closures shift Thai trade to sea routes
Border closures with Cambodia have disrupted land transport, prompting a shift to alternative shipping routes. The conflict and closed checkpoints have hindered logistics that previously depended on Cambodian routes to reach Vietnam. As a result, businesses are now utilising sea transport and alternative land routes through Laos. The number of shipping lines servicing Cambodia has increased, leading to a reduction…
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Thai man fatally stabs former father-in-law and confesses crime to mother
A Thai man fatally stabbed his former father-in-law at a house in Chon Buri in the early hours of today, July 31, after failing to reconcile with his wife. He later confessed to the violent act to his mother. Officers from Huay Yai Police Station were called to investigate the death of 54 year old Siwapong at a house in…
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Austrians eye Pattaya paradise as mayor rolls out red carpet
Pattaya may be famous for sun, sea, and nightlife—but now it’s setting its sights on schnitzel-loving tourists from Austria. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet recently welcomed Austrian Ambassador Wilhelm Maximilian Donko to City Hall in a high-level diplomatic meeting aimed at boosting long-term Austrian tourism to the city. The talks focused on expanding cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange, with both…
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2 Cambodian women wanted after viral video of trampling Thai flag
Thai police are searching for two Cambodian women who shared a video on social media showing them behaving provocatively, raising their middle fingers and trampling on the Thai national flag. The TikTok video went viral amid rising tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border. In the footage, the two women are seen holding Thai flags, pointing their middle fingers at them, then…
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600-million-baht Phuket projects face scrutiny
Six high-stakes government projects worth over 600 million baht are under the microscope—but progress remains a mystery. The Phuket Provincial Governance Committee has launched a round of field inspections aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and public benefit from major infrastructure and development projects slated for 2025. Led by Ruenwadee Suwanmongkol, Chief Inspector General of the Prime Minister’s Office for Inspection…
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12 Chinese nationals arrested for operating call centre scam in Chiang Mai
Police arrested 12 Chinese nationals yesterday, July 30, for operating a call centre scam from a pool villa in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Officers from Provincial Police Region 5 and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided the villa in the Mae Rim district following a tip-off that it was being used as a base for the scam. According…
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Indian weddings could fuel Thai FDI boom
Thailand could soon be cashing in on Indian love stories—with luxury weddings fuelling a fresh wave of foreign investment. HSBC highlighted Indian wedding tourism as a key opportunity to boost foreign direct investment (FDI) into Thailand, pointing to stronger economic links and rising investor confidence between the two countries. During a recent visit to HSBC Thailand, HSBC India CEO Hitendra…
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Jungle ordeal ends in rescue for 19 Thai rangers (video)
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has confirmed the successful rescue of 19 army rangers stranded for nearly six days in dense jungle during the recent Thai-Cambodian border conflict. The soldiers had embarked on a high-stakes reconnaissance mission on July 23, tasked with verifying the location of a Cambodian BM-21 artillery position. But the very next day, border skirmishes erupted between…
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Transgender thief caught after snatching bracelet from foreign tourist in Phuket
A Thai man caught a transgender thief and handed her over to police after she snatched a bracelet from a foreign tourist jogging along Patong Beach in Phuket. A Thai lifeguard, Worrayut Naophai, called officers from Patong Police Station to the scene, where they arrested the suspect, later identified as Naphasinee Yarak. The transgender woman was found to be a…
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Fatal crash sparks fury over ‘death trap’ roadworks in Pattaya
A fatal motorbike crash in Pattaya has reignited outrage over hazardous road conditions after a Laotian man was killed yesterday in what residents describe as a “death trap” stretch of road. The accident happened around 8pm yesterday, July 30, on a road running parallel to the railway in Soi Nong Hin. Emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit…
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MP blasted for ‘disrespecting’ Thai military during border clash
Prominent political activist Srisuwan Janya has filed a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), demanding an investigation into what he calls “serious ethical misconduct” by a Chon Buri member of Parliament. The complaint targets Sahassawat Kumkong, an MP with the People’s Party (PP), whose now-deleted Facebook post criticised the Thai military amid the tense border conflict with Cambodia. The…
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Thai woman flees after running her SUV over man at Nakhon Pathom temple
A Thai woman ran her SUV over a man sitting at the entrance of Phra Pathom Chedi in the central province of Nakhon Pathom on Monday, July 28, leaving the victim with serious injuries. CCTV footage of the shocking incident circulated on Thai social media yesterday, July 30. In the video, the SUV is seen entering the gate of Phra…
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IndiGo slashes fares to Thailand despite border bloodshed
As Thailand and Cambodia attempt to hold together a fragile ceasefire after the bloodiest border fighting in more than a decade, India’s largest airline is offering a travel bargain to the Land of Smiles. IndiGo announced a special promotion for passengers flying to Thailand. Travellers can now use the promo code “6ETHAI” to get up to 10% off bookings to…
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Former son-in-law charged with fatal stabbing in Chon Buri
A former son-in-law allegedly attacked and fatally stabbed his ex-father-in-law in Chon Buri province. The victim’s wife described the sudden and shocking event, while police apprehended the suspect at his residence. Relatives confronted him during his arrest. Police Colonel Sitthikas Thonsawat, deputy inspector of Hua Yai Police Station in Chon Buri, received a report on July 31 of a violent…
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Thailand failing its youth? Grim report warns of future crisis
Thailand’s future is in danger—and the warning signs are coming straight from the classroom and job market. A damning new report has revealed that Thailand’s human capital development is hitting major roadblocks, with children and young adults falling behind in education, health, and job readiness. The findings suggest the country’s long-term economic ambitions could be seriously undermined if urgent action…
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Thai Air Force denies link to old bomb found in Cambodia
Today, July 31, the Royal Thai Air Force clarified that the MK-84 bomb, weighing 2,000 pounds, recently discovered in Cambodia, is not linked to any Thai Air Force operations targeting Cambodian military sites. The bomb, showing signs of rust and age, appears to have been unearthed from beneath a residential area and is commonly used by Western nations. Air Force…
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Thailand grounds all drones as border tensions flare
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has imposed a nationwide drone ban from July 30 (yesterday) to August 15—or until further notice—as tensions rise along the Thai–Cambodian border. The drastic move is part of heightened national security measures. The ban applies to all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Offenders risk up to one year in prison, a fine of 40,000…
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Chinese journalists arrested at Thai border released without charges
Thai police confirmed that three Chinese men arrested in the border province of Surin on Tuesday, July 29, are journalists. The trio were released without charge after being found filming in a restricted military zone. Officers from Kap Choeng Police Station arrested the Chinese men in Kap Choeng district, Surin, at around 11pm. They were reportedly apprehended near the Chong…
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Rising mental distress as 200,000 displaced by border conflict
A significant increase in psychological distress has been reported by the Ministry of Public Health among civilians affected by the border conflict. Nearly 200,000 people are currently residing in temporary shelters across seven border provinces. Trichada Srithada, speaking on behalf of the ministry, highlighted that 21,430 people in the provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, Trat, Sa Kaeo, and…
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Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach gets sandy makeover to woo tourists
Thailand’s Marine Department held a high-level seminar yesterday at the Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel and Resort to push forward Phase 2 of the Jomtien Beach Sand Replenishment Project — a multimillion-baht effort to combat coastal erosion and bring back beachgoers in droves. Deputy Director-General of the Marine Department Narinsak Sattaprasit presided over the event. He was joined by Deputy Governor…
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Thai national flag and message fly high in New York Time Square
Plan B Media is the company behind the #TruthFromThailand billboard in New York City’s Times Square, which went viral on Thai social media. The company also displayed the Thai national flag across its 19,775 screens throughout Thailand to boost morale among frontline Thai soldiers in the border clashes. The X account @Gossip_Gun, yesterday, July 29, shared a video of the…
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Thailand launches digital platform for migrant work permits
The Department of Employment (DoE) has introduced an updated digital platform to streamline the processing of employment permits for migrant workers, representing a significant advancement in modernisation efforts. Director-General Somchai Morakotsriwan launched the outsourcing service project during a press conference attended by representatives from the Ministry of Labour, foreign embassies, government agencies, and the private sector. The initiative aims to…
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Massive road revamp to shake up Phuket traffic flow
The Phuket Highways Office has announced plans for a massive 420-million baht overhaul of Srisoonthorn Road, one of the island’s busiest and most vital thoroughfares. Residents, business owners, and commuters are invited to weigh in at a public meeting scheduled for today, July 31. The meeting will run from 9am to midday at the Chalermprakiat 84 Pansa Building, located at…
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Pattaya motorbike gang traps delivery driver in midnight road rage (video)
A 26 year old delivery rider was left shaken after he claimed he was surrounded, threatened, and assaulted by a group of furious motorcycle taxi drivers in the early hours of Tuesday. The drama began around 11pm on Tuesday, July 29, when Narongchay Boonsom was pulling out from a parking spot on Second Road, near the Marine Plaza Hotel in…
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Thailand opens first cancer drug manufacturing facility
The Chulabhorn Royal Academy has inaugurated Thailand’s first cancer medication manufacturing facility, certified by the internationally recognised GMDP PIC/s. Located at the Phimanmas Residence in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, the facility is a significant milestone for the country, ensuring the highest production standards. This initiative was driven by the vision of Professor Doctor Chulabhorn Walailak, a member of the…
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