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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Bangkok’s Bang Na gridlocked by floods and traffic (video)
Bangkok’s roads turned into rivers yesterday evening, sparking one of the worst traffic nightmares in recent memory, with queues stretching over 31 kilometres and motorists stuck for hours in waist-deep floodwaters. Heavy rainfall yesterday, May 16, caused severe flooding on key routes in Bang Na and surrounding areas, leading to massive traffic congestion that brought parts of the city to a…
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Miracle escape: Amulet saves driver in Chon Buri SUV crash
In a heart-stopping moment on a shadowy Chon Buri highway, a man’s SUV flipped onto its side — but against all odds, he walked away unscathed, crediting a sacred amulet for saving his life. At 10.36pm yesterday, May 16, Police Lieutenant Colonel Prakasit Phondech of Huai Yai Police Station was alerted to an accident on Highway 36, the Chon Buri-Rayong Bypass…
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Phuket gears up with sandbags ahead of rainy season
Phuket is bracing for the rainy season with a full-scale flood battle plan ready to roll out, as officials warn locals to stay alert and keep canals clear of rubbish. Yesterday, May 16, Chalermporn Piyanarongroj, Permanent Secretary of Phuket City Municipality, acting as Mayor, announced preparations following the Meteorological Department (TMD)’s declaration that Thailand’s rainy season officially began on May…
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Lottery luck: Rayong restaurateur wins 12 million baht jackpot
Luck struck in the most unexpected way for a Rayong restaurateur who scooped 12 million baht in the lottery — all thanks to a broken durian delivery wheel that flew onto a neighbour’s roof. Yesterday, May 16, the usually quiet village of Ban Yang En in Mueang Thap Mon, Khao Chamao district, erupted with joy after the announcement of the…
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Thailand deluge: Heavy rain and flash flood to hit 12 provinces
Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall and potential flash floods in 12 provinces, urging caution against landslides and forest runoffs. The Department of Mineral Resources is closely monitoring these risks, particularly in North Thailand, the central region, the northeast, and the South. Yesterday, May 16, the Geohazard Operations Centre of the Department of Mineral Resources,…
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Drug addict arrested for sex attempts with cow and dog
Police in the Isaan province of Buriram arrested a drug addict after he attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with a cow and a dog. The 70 year old homeowner, Chaiyasak, called a community leader and officers from Mueang Buriram Police Station to facilitate the arrest of a 37 year old man, Ittiporn, for his disturbing actions yesterday, May 15.…
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Trapped in Thailand: US professor caught in royal law limbo
An American academic is stranded in Thailand despite prosecutors dropping serious royal defamation charges, sparking diplomatic concerns and fears of legal limbo. Paul Chambers, a 58 year old political science lecturer, was arrested last month under Thailand’s strict lese majeste law—a rarely enforced statute against foreigners that carries up to 15 years in prison. Though the state prosecutor recently dropped…
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Man chooses to defecate on public road despite nearby bathroom
A diamond store owner in the central province of Saraburi is searching for a man who defecated outside his premises and humiliated him by sharing a video of the incident on social media. The owner, 50 year old Thanongsak, posted the footage and images in the Facebook group Saraburi on Tuesday, May 13. His store is located on Sud Banthat…
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Wildlife sting: Baby orangutans rescued in Bangkok trafficking bust
Thai police swooped in to rescue two baby orangutans from being sold on the black market—just moments before they were due to be handed over to a buyer in Bangkok. The dramatic bust took place at a petrol station on Prasert Manukit Road in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district yesterday, May 15, after a tip-off from international wildlife agencies. Officers arrested…
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Phuket driver forces wife into boot to make room for tourists
Netizens and taxi drivers in Phuket criticised a hatchback driver for illegally offering transport services to foreign tourists and for carrying his wife while on duty, resulting in the vehicle being overloaded. The Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (meaning Phuket is so brutal) shared a video of the overloaded grey hatchback on May 15, with a caption reading “I appreciated the…
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Tycoon, engineers face arrest in Bangkok building collapse scandal
A high-stakes manhunt is underway after Thai police issued arrest warrants for 17 people linked to the fatal collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok—a disaster that has rocked the nation’s construction industry and could land several top executives behind bars. At the centre of the storm is prominent businessman Premchai Karnasuta, chairman of Italian-Thai Development, who…
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Steel carnage: Factory collapse crushes cars in Chon Buri horror
Panic erupted in Chon Buri today as part of a factory building came crashing down without warning, flattening vehicles and sending workers fleeing in terror. The collapse shook Amata City Industrial Estate Phase 10 in Phan Thong district, leaving behind a mangled mess of metal, dust, and debris. The incident occurred today, May 16, in the heart of one of…
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Bling sting: 300k baht loot swiped in broad daylight Thalang heist
A bold burglar made off with a treasure trove of luxury goods and sacred artefacts in a daylight raid on a Thalang home yesterday, leaving behind a ransacked house and a stunned neighbourhood. The break-in occurred around 3.20pm yesterday, May 15, at Phanasanthi 3, Village 8, Srisoonthorn subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket. Thalang Police were alerted after the shocking discovery was…
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North Pattaya bridge blaze sparks safety crackdown
Smoke, fire and a stench of burning wires sent shockwaves through a Pattaya neighbourhood this week, as a bizarre blaze under the Naklua Bridge sparked panic and shone a spotlight on an area long plagued by shady activity. Yesterday afternoon, May 15, thick clouds of smoke began pouring from beneath the bridge along Sukhumvit Road in Naklua, prompting alarmed residents…
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Flight club: Thailand plots new routes to Vietnam to boost tourism
Thailand is gearing up to launch new direct flights linking its northeastern provinces to Vietnam to supercharge tourism and deepen regional ties. The plan, revealed during Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s official visit to Vietnam, aims to make travel easier between the neighbouring countries while tapping into their growing tourism markets. Speaking during her two-day visit, which concludes today, May 16, the…
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Thai woman saves daughter from rape attempt by drug addict
A Thai mother bravely fought off a man who attempted to rape her five year old daughter at their home in the Isaan province of Udon Thani, hitting the suspect with a clothes iron until he fled the scene. A 33 year old Thai man, Watchara, shared a video on his Facebook account yesterday, May 15, showing residents in the…
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Top Shanghai official tours Pattaya in tourism charm offensive
Pattaya rolled out the red carpet this week as a high-profile Chinese delegation arrived to explore what the city has to offer—and to send a strong message: Thailand is open, safe, and ready to welcome Chinese tourists back in droves. Yesterday afternoon, May 15, at the Garden Cliff Hotel, Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet and his secretary, Phumpipat Kamolnath, greeted Zhang…
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Public fury after Thai man rapes his mother in Lampang forest
A Thai man raped his 73 year old mother in a roadside forest in the northern province of Lampang, despite the victim repeatedly begging her son to let her go. The suspect had been in and out of prison in recent years. The elderly victim visited officers at Koh Ka Police Station yesterday, May 15, to file a complaint against…
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Thai state banks urged to bolster export businesses amid US tariffs
State-owned financial institutions are encouraged to implement measures to aid export businesses and the supply chain. During a policy briefing yesterday, May 15, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira highlighted the impact of US reciprocal tariffs, predicting a two-year challenge for domestic businesses, particularly those involved in exports. Pichai urged these financial institutions to expedite the introduction of support measures, especially for…
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Monk’s millions: Pattaya woman busted in gambling scandal
A scandal mixing faith, fortune, and online gambling has rocked Thailand, as police swooped in on a Pattaya condo to arrest a young woman linked to the disgraced abbot of Rai Khing Temple. The monk is accused of blowing more than 300 million baht of temple funds on online baccarat—and now the money trail has led straight to the resort…
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Thai male DJ disappears in Kanchanaburi amid alleged adultery
A family believes that a male DJ, a boyfriend of a woman in the family, was kidnapped in the central province of Kanchanaburi, allegedly due to a conflict involving adultery. A Thai woman named Premyuda filed a missing person report at Mueang Kanchanaburi Police Station after losing contact with her boyfriend, 33 year old Waraphong “Taetae” Khunsrijaturong, at around 5am…
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Bangkok on shaky ground despite low quake risk, expert warns
In Thailand, although the probability of another earthquake occurring soon is low, several regions, including Bangkok, remain at high risk of experiencing tremors from nearby fault lines, according to a seismologist. At the Bangkok Post Knowledge Forum, held under the title After the Quake, Professor Pennung Warnitchai from the Asian Institute of Technology highlighted Bangkok’s vulnerability to distant earthquakes due…
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Thailand tightens regulations on short courses for foreign students
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has implemented new regulations to curb the misuse of short courses by foreign students as a means to engage in illegal work in Thailand. Effective immediately, all educational institutions are required to submit their short course curricula for evaluation. Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi announced yesterday, May 15, that the guidelines are…
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Illegal beach bars bulldozed in Phuket tourist crackdown
Phuket officials have swooped in on Surin Beach, tearing down makeshift beach bars and restaurants in a two-day operation to reclaim public land from illegal businesses cashing in on tourist traffic. Under the watchful eye of Phuket Governor Sophon Suwanrat, Thalang district authorities, backed by a small army of police, soldiers, forestry officers, and local enforcers, began dismantling the illegal…
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Chinese tenants flee without paying and leave mess behind
A group of Chinese nationals fled without paying rent and left a rented house in a filthy condition in the central province of Prachin Buri. The owner of the house, Surathin, shared photographs of the property, filled with rubbish, on his Facebook account on Tuesday, May 13, with a caption that read, “These Chinese people are terrible. They rented my…
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Phuket motorcycle taxi rider steals dropped cash of foreign couple
Dashcam footage captured a Thai motorcycle taxi rider stealing cash that was accidentally dropped by a foreign couple in Phuket yesterday, May 14. Phuket Times shared the dashcam video on its Facebook page today, May 15, with a caption condemning the rider’s behaviour. An excerpt from the caption read… “Can’t stand this! It tarnishes Phuket’s image! This Thai taxi rider…
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Finance deputy minister targets illegal cigarette smuggling in Thailand
The Ministry of Finance’s Deputy Minister, Paophum Rojanasakul, recently visited the Nakhon Pathom office of the Excise Department Region 7 to oversee operations aimed at eliminating illegal excise tax-evading goods. The initiative focuses on preventing the smuggling and sale of illicit products. Efforts were particularly targeted at stopping the smuggling of illegal cigarettes across the border into various areas, including…
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Vietnamese businessman caught smuggling avocados in Thailand
In Pathum Thani, a Vietnamese businessman has been apprehended for smuggling approximately 16 tonnes of fresh avocados into Thailand, sparking concerns over potential threats to local agriculture. The man, known as Van, was detained by the Consumer Protection Police (CPP) yesterday, May 14, at a warehouse in Soi Thep Kunchon 6, situated near a significant wholesale market for agricultural products…
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Thailand’s tourist trade rocked by tariff-ic blow
Thailand’s tourist trade is feeling the heat, not from the sun, but from a chilly global economy and punishing US tariffs that are sending shockwaves all the way to Bangkok’s hotel lobbies. Thailand’s hotel sector is bracing for a rough ride as fewer foreign visitors and shrinking wallets threaten to slash spending, spark price wars and pile pressure on operators,…
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Suspected fake chicken eggs cause alarm in Nong Khai
Residents in the Isaan province of Nong Khai sought clarification from the relevant government department, claiming that a Thai couple tricked them into buying fake chicken eggs. A 42 year old Thai man, Jatuphon Phusri, contacted news agencies to report that he and other residents of the Non Phu Khao Thong community in the Rattana Wapee district were deceived by…
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