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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Worker electrocuted in Bangkok tragedy cleaning building
A tragic accident occurred in Bangkok’s Bang Kho Laem district when a 32 year old Myanmar man, identified as Nim, fell to his death after being electrocuted while cleaning the exterior of a five-storey commercial building. The incident happened at 1pm yesterday, January 25, with emergency services responding swiftly to the scene. Police Lieutenant Colonel Nattawut Rodsoongnoen from Wat Phraya…
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Woman charged for illegal sugarcane burning in Nong Bua Lamphu
A 59 year old woman from Nong Bua Lamphu province has been charged after a widely shared selfie showed her burning sugarcane leaves on January 23 at around 6.30pm. The woman, Phut, admitted to the act and apologised to the community, claiming ignorance of the law. Following the incident, Governor Surasak Aksornkul instructed district and local officials, along with police…
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Teacher’s aide arrested for abducting boy in Phetchaburi
A 19 year old female teacher’s aide has been apprehended for allegedly abducting a 10 year old boy in Phetchaburi province. Owen’s relatives reported him missing after he left home to dispose of rubbish and failed to return. The incident took place yesterday, January 25, when Owen, wearing a white and yellow sports shirt with the number 7, disappeared from…
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Man arrested for explosive attack on minister’s family home
A 27 year old man, known as New, was arrested within 24 hours for throwing explosives at the home of the assistant minister of culture’s parents. The incident, which occurred on January 24, involved a blue motorcycle and was linked to narcotics use. Police Major General Napasin Poolsawat, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, along with Police Major General…
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Thailand halts electricity supply to Myanmar over unpaid bills
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has stated that the sale of electricity to Myanmar adheres to established Thai-Myanmar protocols. The official is committed to stopping electricity distribution to Myanmar if any breach of contract is identified. Prasit Junprasit, the deputy governor of the PEA, confirmed that the authority supplies electricity to five areas in Myanmar. These include Payathonzu Town in…
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Man caught with war weapons and 8,000+ rounds in Samut Sakhon
Police have apprehended a man in possession of seven war weapons and over 8,000 rounds of ammunition during a raid in the Krathum Baen district of Samut Sakhon. The arrest took place on the night of January 24 when officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and local Samut Sakhon police detained 28 year old Phatthakorn at his residence in…
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Rayong wildfire sparks dust pollution, impacting health and economy
A persistent wildfire at Khao Chom Hae in Rayong has continued for over five days, raising concerns about increasing dust pollution in the eastern Thai province and its surroundings. The fire has engulfed more than 20,000 rai (7,900 acres) across the districts of Nikhom Phatthana, Ban Chang, and Mueang, with approximately 30% of the forest already consumed. Firefighting efforts are…
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Thailand braces for cold snap, heavy rain, and foggy mornings
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has forecasted that tomorrow will bring cold weather, dense fog, and increased rainfall in some areas. A high-pressure system or weak cold air mass is covering upper Thailand and the South China Sea, leading to foggy mornings and dense fog in several areas. Northern and northeastern Thailand will experience cold to very cold weather, while…
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Police raid online football gambling site near Isaan school
Police raided an online football gambling site located just 500 metres from a school in Ubon Ratchathani, catering to children and youths with a monthly turnover of 1 million baht. The operation, conducted yesterday, January 24, involved high-ranking officers including Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphann and Police Major General Wiwat Kamchamnarn. Acting on a tip-off, officers from Subdivision 2 of…
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Harley-Davidson dealer found dead in Volvo in Bangkok
A motorcycle parts dealer specialising in Harley-Davidson was found dead in a Volvo parked at the Phra Khanong transport office. The incident occurred yesterday, January 24, when the 51 year old dealer, known as Tom, was discovered in the driver’s seat without visible injuries. Police suspect he died from a pre-existing medical condition. The discovery was made at the entrance…
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Illegal vitamin C and coffee found in Samut Prakan warehouse
Police yesterday uncovered a warehouse containing over 1 million sachets of Chinese-origin vitamin C and coffee. These products were found with fake Food and Drug Administration (FDA) numbers, intended for online sale. The raid was led by Police Colonel Thasnapoom Jarupraty and his team, with cooperation from Deputy Director Sasavee Narakorn of the Food Bureau, at a storage facility in…
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Thai FDA approves kratom use for health and economic benefits
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of kratom plant products for economic and health benefits. The regulations now permit mitragynine, an active compound in kratom leaves, to be used up to 3 milligrammes (mg) per day, with appropriate warnings on product labels. Dr Witit Srisa-atchachakul, the Deputy Secretary-General of the FDA, announced that the FDA,…
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Pattaya police arrest transgender duo for tourist thefts
Pattaya police have detained two transgender individuals in connection with thefts targeting tourists from India and Turkey. Police Colonel Navin Theerawit, Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, announced the arrests at a press conference at 6pm on Thursday, January 23. The suspects were reportedly involved in two recent theft incidents. The first suspect, 42 year old Kachaphaphak, also known as Sara,…
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Thai film shortlisted for Oscar’s Best International Feature Film
The National Federation of Thai Film Associations announced on Thursday, January 23 that the film How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has been selected as Thailand’s entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Produced by GDH, this film achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Thai film to make it to the…
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6 Britons arrested in Phuket with cannabis and laughing gas
In Phuket, six British nationals were detained following a police raid on a house in Mueang district where they were found with 6 kilogrammes of cannabis buds and 39 small tanks of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. The raid, conducted on Thursday, January 23, discovered the group inside the property. Police confirmed the results of the operation yesterday.…
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Thailand to cut electricity to Myanmar to stop scam operations
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with security agencies to cease electricity supply from Thailand to Myanmar border towns, aiming to disrupt scam operations in the neighbouring country. PEA deputy governor Prasit Junprasit stated yesterday that halting electricity supplies to Myanmar necessitates cooperation between Thai and Myanmar security agencies. He assured that any such action…
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Transport ministry: Bangkok Port to host entertainment complex
The Transport Ministry has approved a proposal for Bangkok Port to host an integrated entertainment complex. Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit referenced an instruction from his deputy, Manaporn Charoensri, to establish a committee to assess the feasibility of developing such complexes at locations like ports. Several potential sites are under consideration. Suriya highlighted the Khlong Toei area of Bangkok Port as a…
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Singapore and Thailand mark 60 years of diplomatic ties
Singapore and Thailand celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. To honour this milestone, the Singaporean Embassy has unveiled a logo, which emerged as the winner of a competition held last year in collaboration with the foreign ministries of both nations and the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore. During the logo launch event at Siam Paragon, Catherine…
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Russian tourist dies in Phuket motorcycle accident
A Russian tourist lost his life when his motorcycle crashed into a roadside barrier in Srisoonthorn, Phuket, during the early hours of yesterday, January 24. Police responded to the incident on Srisoonthorn Road, located behind the Thai Watsadu store in Village 3, Srisoonthorn, around 12.10am. Thalang Police reported that the 35 year old man was riding a motorcycle registered in…
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Chilly weather: Heavy rainfall warnings with temperature drop
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued its second warning regarding a strong new cold air mass affecting Thailand, causing temperatures to drop by 5 degrees Celsius (°C) and heavy rainfall. The warning, released at 5pm yesterday, January 24, states that from January 26 to 28, a high-pressure system or cold air mass from China will cover northern Thailand and…
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Delivery rider snared by low-hanging cable in Pattaya horror
A Pattaya delivery rider suffered painful injuries after being caught by a low-hanging communication cable while riding through Soi Kho Phai, South Pattaya, yesterday, January 23. The victim, 44 year old Koson Kongsila, has urged local officials to take action, warning that similar hazards could put others at risk. Recounting the shocking incident, Koson explained he was riding his motorcycle…
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Thai man returns home to find his funeral after police error
A Thai man shocked his family when he arrived home in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon to find they were holding a funeral for him. The confusion stemmed from a police error in identifying a dead body. Officers from Borrabue Police Station investigated the death of an unidentified man on January 18. The man was suspected to have died…
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Bangkok ranks 4th worst for air quality as haze chokes city
Bangkok’s air quality took a nosedive today, earning it the grim title of the fourth worst city in the world for air pollution, according to Swiss-based monitoring platform IQAir. The capital’s air quality index (AQI) hit a hazardous 188 as of 9.40am, with toxic PM2.5 levels far exceeding safe thresholds. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) declared 48 out of 50…
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Pattaya gears up for influx of 5,400 US Navy troops
Pattaya is set to host 5,400 US Navy personnel from January 27 to 31 as they take a break from military training exercises, prompting Chon Buri police to roll out comprehensive safety and traffic measures. The troops will arrive on four US Navy ships, docking in areas managed by Sattahip and Laem Chabang police stations. Police Lieutenant General Yingyos Thepchamnong,…
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7 Thai suspects arrested for abduction and robbery in Chiang Mai
Yesterday, January 23, police arrested seven suspects, aged between 16 and 20 years old, for abducting a 25 year old woman from a condominium in the northern province of Chiang Mai, brutally assaulting her, and stealing her cash and mobile phone. The 25 year old victim, Worrada, filed a complaint against seven suspects at Mae Ping Police Station. The incident occurred…
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Phuket’s future: Seminar tackles bold new environmental rules
Phuket’s business leaders and environmental experts gathered yesterday, January 23 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel for a pivotal seminar titled Unlocking the Phuket Environment: Crisis or Opportunity? Organised by the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and presided over by Chamber President Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, the event focused on the sweeping new environmental regulations announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and…
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Thai woman arrested for stealing 120,000 baht from Russian man in Pattaya
Police arrested a Thai woman for stealing 120,000 baht in cash and a mobile phone from a Russian victim in Pattaya on January 8. She confessed to spending most of the money on a holiday trip with her family. The 37 year old Russian man, Xavier, filed a complaint with officers at Bang Lamung Police Station on January 8, reporting that his…
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Raging inferno in Naklua destroys 5 homes, injures 1
A large fire erupted in Naklua, Pattaya, destroying five homes and injuring one individual. Bang Lamung police received a report about a severe fire in a residential area of Naklua at 6pm on Wednesday, January 22. Officers promptly coordinated with Pattaya City and nearby municipal fire departments to address the situation. The blaze occurred in a row of two-storey houses…
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Thai transwoman busted at Nonthaburi hotel for explicit content
A Thai transgender influencer with nearly 30,000 followers on social media has been arrested for operating a secret group distributing explicit content. The 22 year old suspect reportedly confessed to running the scheme for two years, raking in tens of thousands of baht per month. Police Lieutenant General Trirong Phiwpaen, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), revealed details…
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Lamborghini driver flees scene, leaving his valuables and injured pickup driver
A Lamborghini collided with a pickup truck in Phitsanulok province yesterday, January 23, leaving the pickup driver injured. However, the exotic car driver was nowhere to be seen, reportedly fleeing the scene and leaving behind tens of thousands of baht in cash inside his wrecked vehicle. Officers from Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station responded to the incident on Singhawat Road, outside…
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