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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Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Phuket motorcyclist praised for helping rain-soacked tourist reach hotel
A foreign tourist took to TikTok to praise a Thai motorcyclist for his kindness after he gave her a free ride to her hotel in Phuket upon seeing her standing soaked in the rain. The foreign TikTok user, @one_way_ticket, shared a video of the Thai motorcyclist, who introduced himself in the clip as Assan, on Saturday, March 8. “This Thai…
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Chinese tourists dine and dash across Chon Buri restaurants
A growing number of restaurant owners in Chon Buri have reported incidents of Chinese tourists leaving without paying for meals. The latest case involved a group of four Chinese men who racked up a bill of 1,205 baht at a local eatery before walking out without settling the amount. One restaurant owner, 42 year old Seree Chanchaiyaphum recalled an incident…
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Fire at Ubon Ratchathani hotel after wedding celebration
Firefighters tackled a blaze on the eighth floor of a prominent four-star hotel in Ubon Ratchathani, where newlyweds had hosted their wedding the previous night. The incident occurred at 1pm yesterday, March 9. Police Lieutenant Teerajet Tornoi from Mueang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station received a report about the fire at a hotel located on Chayangkul Road in Nai Mueang subdistrict,…
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Thai monk commits suicide after being blackmailed with explicit video
A Thai monk committed suicide at a temple in the southern province of Chum Phon on Friday, after a call centre scam blackmailed him with an explicit video and swindled him out of 30,000 baht. Officers from Lamae Police Station were called to Nong Bua Boat Temple in the Lamae district of Chumphon to investigate the death of the 50…
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Laotian man arrested for sexually assaulting daughter in Thailand
A 32 year old woman took her 13 year old niece to Nakhon Phanom Hospital yesterday following repeated assaults by the girl’s biological father. The girl’s father, a 41 year old Laotian construction contractor named Varin from Savannakhet, was arrested yesterday, March 9, at a construction site opposite Ratchanakharin Psychiatric Hospital in Mueang district, Nakhon Phanom province. The case was…
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Thai car exports threatened by Trump’s 25% US tariff plan
The Thai automotive industry faces potential challenges if US President Donald Trump proceeds with his plan to impose tariffs on car imports, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). Last month, Trump revealed plans to implement a 25% tariff on autos starting April 2, though tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico have been delayed for a month following…
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Tragic death of man picking mangoes in Ayutthaya canal
A 37 year old man from Bang Pahan district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, tragically died after falling into a canal while attempting to pick ripe mangoes. His relatives raised the alarm when he did not return home overnight. His body was found floating in the water yesterday, March 9. Police Lieutenant Piyapong Sirijanyatharm, an investigator at Bang Pahan Police…
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19 year old American boy missing for 3 weeks in Phuket
The parents of a 19 year old American boy who vanished in Phuket three weeks ago have turned to social media in a desperate bid to find him. He was last seen with his bicycle in the Mueang district of Phuket. The parents of the American teenager, Steven, turned to social media platforms, and The Thaiger today, March 10, in…
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Eighteen teens arrested after Thonburi shooting near hospital
Eighteen teenagers have been arrested following a shooting involving rival groups near a hospital in Thonburi. The confrontation reportedly began when the groups exchanged words, and one group, outnumbered, used a shotgun as retaliation. An 18 year old vocational student sustained serious injuries from the altercation and was taken to Kasemrad Hospital in Bang Khae. The incident occurred yesterday, March…
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Pathum Thani police seize crystal meth worth over 104 million baht
Police in Pathum Thani seized a major haul of crystal methamphetamine, weighing 520 kilogrammes and valued at over 104 million baht. The drugs were concealed in large freezers within a warehouse in Lam Luk Ka and were intended for distribution to the south. The operation took place at 3pm yesterday, March 9, led by Police Major General Yuthana Jonkhun, Provincial…
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3 Thai men allegedly stage fatal accident for 14 million baht payout
Police arrested three Thai men for allegedly killing a man and staging a fatal car accident in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon to claim over 14 million baht in insurance money. Another suspect is currently on the run. Representatives from several insurance companies requested a further investigation from Sakon Nakhon Provincial Police officers into the accident that claimed the…
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Man arrested for wife’s murder 20 years ago as deadline looms
Police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division apprehended a 58 year old man accused of fatally stabbing his wife nearly 20 years ago. The arrest occurred just days before the statute of limitations on the murder case was set to expire. The suspect, identified as Prajuab, was found working as a construction labourer in Chon Buri. Yesterday, March 9, Police…
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Belgian cyclist killed in Chon Buri truck collision
An accident occurred yesterday when a pickup truck collided with a 68 year old Belgian cyclist in Sattahip district, Chon Buri. The Belgian, Jean Antoine Linda Hellemans, who was cycling for exercise, unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. The incident took place at 10.20am, yesterday, March 9, on Road 332, near the J-Kasemphol intersection, opposite a PTT gas station in Bang Sare,…
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Woman killed by train while on phone in Thung Song
A tragic accident occurred when a 53 year old woman was struck and killed by a freight train while riding her motorcycle and talking on her mobile phone near a railway crossing in Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat. Emergency services and police were called to the scene on March 8. Police Lieutenant Uthai Yodrach of Thung Song Police Station reported…
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No-confidence motion barred over Thaksin reference
Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha stated that a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will not be included on the Parliamentary agenda if it continues to reference former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. After the motion was submitted to him, Wan informed opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut that any mention of Thaksin must be removed. He argued that referencing Thaksin, who…
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Fishing vessel sinks after collision in Gulf of Thailand
A fishing vessel named W. Suphchanon yesterday collided with a large cargo ship in the Gulf of Thailand, leading to its sinking. The Royal Thai Navy‘s Second Naval Area Command, in coordination with local officials, launched a rescue mission to aid the nine crew members. The incident occurred around 2am, yesterday, March 9, approximately 70 to 80 miles off the coast…
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Allegedly drunk foreigner overturns Mercedes-Benz in Chon Buri
An allegedly drunk foreigner sustained minor injuries after his Mercedes-Benz overturned on a road in Chon Buri in the early hours of Saturday. Rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Dhammasathan Foundation rushed to the scene outside Nong Prue Municipality Kindergarten at approximately 2.30am on Saturday, March 8, to assist the injured foreign man, whose name was not disclosed to the public.…
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Lover’s leap: Thai teen falls from Pattaya condo after lover’s spat
A Thai teen is fighting for her life after a heated argument with her foreign boyfriend ended with her falling from the 14th floor of a Pattaya condominium. The 19 year old girl, Jane, was left with critical injuries after plummeting from the 14th floor of a condo in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. At around…
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Thailand urged to reform laws amid domestic violence surge
A network focused on reducing gender-based violence has expressed concern over the rising cases of domestic violence in Thailand, urging the government to undertake legal reforms to address the issue. Varaporn Chamsanit, Secretary General of the Sexualities Studies Association and representative of the Coalition Against Gender-Based Violence Thailand, highlighted that, on average, 15,000 people annually seek hospital treatment for injuries…
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Illegal money lenders arrested for threatening vendor in Phichit
Police apprehended a group involved in illegal money lending at exorbitant interest rates, following an incident where they allegedly threatened a grilled chicken vendor with a firearm. The incident took place at the vendor’s stall in front of Bueng Si Fai in Mueang district, Phichit province. The 59 year old vendor, Pannee Noituan, reported the matter to the Mueang Phichit…
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Nature calls: Italian man denies public masturbation in Pattaya, blames UTI
An Italian man denied masturbating in public in Pattaya, claiming that he only took his penis out to urinate because he was suffering from urinary incontinence, a result of a urinary tract infection (UTI). A Channel 8 female journalist sought help from Mueang Pattaya Police Station after she and her friend caught a foreign man masturbating on a beach near the…
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Man dies after falling from Samut Prakan mall car park
A tragic incident occurred in Samut Prakan when a man fell from the fourth floor of a car park at a well-known shopping mall, resulting in his death. The incident, which happened yesterday, March 9, was investigated by local police and other officials. Deputy Inspector Veerapong Boontor and his team from Samrong Nuea Police Station arrived at the scene after…
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Elderly British couple’s Thailand nightmare goes from bad to cell
An elderly British couple face time in a Thailand jail despite being victims of a savage beating, caught on CCTV, in their own back yard. One of the victims described the past year as a “living hell.” The couple, Des and Mary Byrne, from Middlesbrough, in the North-East of England, envisioned a peaceful retirement on the “Thai Riviera,” but their…
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2 German, 1 Turkish assault Russian man over alleged rape attempt
Officers from Patong Police Station arrested two German men and a Turkish man in Phuket for physically assaulting a Russian national on Saturday, after the victim accused them of attempting to rape his Finnish girlfriend. The Phuket Hotnews reported that police were called to investigate the alleged assault by two German men and a Turkish man outside a hotel on Rat…
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Bang Bang Lamung: Thai man shot near Pattaya car shop
A 37 year old Thai man was shot after finding himself in the crosshairs of a rival’s rage in Bang Lamung at the weekend. The shocking scene, unfolded on Saturday, March 8, when a petty feud exploded into chaos at a local auto shop in the typically quiet Khao Mai Kaew area of Chon Buri province. The drama began at…
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Police seize illegal wildlife in Songkhla luxury home raid
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) conducted a raid on a luxurious residence in Mueang district, Songkhla province, to seize illegal wildlife kept on the premises. The operation, led by Police Major General Watcharin Pusit, director of the DNP, along with Police Colonel Atthapol Phonprom and officials from the Songkhla Conservation Area Office 6, followed reports…
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Man arrested after attempted assault on lone motorcyclist in Pattani
A man was arrested after attempting to assault a woman riding a motorcycle alone in Pattani province. The incident, which occurred on March 7 at around 11.30pm on the Yala-Pattani Road, was interrupted when local youths intervened, preventing the suspect from escaping with the victim’s mobile phone. The woman was travelling back home alone to Ban Bue Nae Jue Rae,…
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Protest called against Thai Entertainment Complex Bill and casinos
Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan has called for a protest against the Entertainment Complex Bill, which is set to be reviewed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, March 12. Jatuporn urged demonstrators to assemble at the Chamai Maruchet Bridge near Government House, opposing the bill that would allow the development of casinos as well as the legalisation of online gambling. He…
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Loan sharks terrorise Phichit chicken vendor amid debt struggle
In Phichit province, a group of aggressive loan sharks has reportedly intimidated a 59 year old grilled chicken vendor. The gang, who arrived in a car, threatened her with a gun and dared her to report them to the police, claiming they did not fear legal consequences. Pannee Noidouay described the incident, stating that the loan sharks demanded daily repayments…
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Swiss national faces visa revocation after repeated dog attacks
The Bang Saphan district chief in Prachuap Khiri Khan province is set to propose to the provincial governor and immigration police the revocation of a Swiss national’s visa. This follows repeated incidents where his dog attacked tourists on the beach. Yesterday, March 8, district chief Suthin Prasertsak assigned Nattapong Krainara, the district deputy for security, to convene a meeting at…
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