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’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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Pattaya man seeks help to find stolen 200,000 baht motorcycle
A Thai man in Pattaya is appealing for assistance to locate thieves who stole his motorcycle, valued at over 200,000 baht, from his residence. The man, 33 year old Kamol Hiransiri, reported the theft of his red and white Honda CRF 300 motorcycle, which occurred late at night. He has provided CCTV footage to aid in the search for the…
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Phuket taxi driver condemned for intentionally hitting foreigner
A Thai witness is seeking justice for an old foreign man after a Thai airport taxi driver hit him in Phuket yesterday, September 9. Fortunately, the foreign victim was not injured. A Thai woman who witnessed the incident in Soi Yensabai, in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket, came forward to share CCTV footage with the Facebook news page Phuket Times. She…
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Ponzi scheme leaders jailed for five years in Thailand
A court has sentenced several people involved in the Nice Day Travel Ponzi scheme to five years in prison each for money laundering related to a fraudulent juice wholesale and tourist accommodation business, involving over 157.8 million baht. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) initiated an investigation into the case, designated as Special Case 38/2560, following allegations against Nice Day…
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Lampang thieves ring in trouble: Brass bells stolen from sacred site
A group of thieves have stolen four brass bells from Wat Phra That Doi Muang Kham in Lampang’s Mueang district. The theft is believed to be the work of the same group responsible for a similar incident at another temple in August. The theft was reported yesterday, September 9, when the local press received information about the missing bells. The…
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3 Thai police face sack for mistaking woman as drug suspect
Three police officers in the northern province of Chiang Rai may face dismissal after mistakenly identifying a Thai woman as a drug suspect and attempting to arrest her, leading to a violent high-speed chase. The 22 year old Thai woman filed a complaint with Mae Yao Police Station, stating that a group of men tried to abduct her on the…
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Monk’s quarters raided: Firearms and drugs seized, two arrested
Police raided a monk’s quarters, uncovering a cache of firearms and ammunition, and detained two people, one of whom had just consumed drugs. The monk had previously served a sentence for drug trafficking in 2021 and had been ordained for two to three years. Yesterday, September 9, at 3.30pm, Phayoon Pattuli, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation, and Weerapun Boonnak, Investigation Inspector…
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Activist urges EC to dissolve Pheu Thai and five other parties
An activist has called on the Election Commission (EC) to dissolve coalition leader Pheu Thai Party and five other parties, accusing them of being influenced by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Noparuj Worachitwuthikul submitted a petition to the EC yesterday, urging the disbandment of Pheu Thai, Bhumjaithai, Chart Thai Pattana, Prachachat, United Thai Nation, and Palang Pracharath parties. All parties, except…
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Flood turns Sukhothai village into lake, isolates residents
A flood has turned Ban Nong Non village in Sukhothai province into a vast lake, with residents relying on boats for transportation. The floodwaters have impacted over 12,000 rai of land for the past two weeks, isolating the village. Ban Nong Non village in Sukhothai province remains submerged under floodwaters, creating a lake-like appearance that has attracted visitors from nearby…
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Thai police officer commits suicide over loan guarantee for friend
An officer from Samrong Police Station in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani committed suicide at his welfare home yesterday, September 8, after a friend for whom he had guaranteed a loan died, leaving him to bear the debt. Officers from Samrong Police Station rushed to a welfare home behind the station to investigate the death of 55 year old Police…
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Pregnant woman and husband escape after car plunges into pond
A nine-month pregnant woman and her Chinese husband narrowly escaped when their car plunged into a pond after she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. The incident occurred yesterday in Wang Takhian, Kabin Buri, Prachinburi province. The pregnant woman, 30 year old Wannarat, from Si Maha Phot district, was driving with her husband when she made a wrong…
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Photos of Pattaya dogs with taped mouths spark cruelty debate
Photos showing stray dogs in Pattaya with their mouths taped shut have ignited a heated debate on social media, raising questions about animal cruelty. A Facebook post revealed images of around 10 dogs with taped mouths in Soi Pattaya-Na Kluea 12, located in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri. Some of the dogs were also seen carrying water bottles around…
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Heavy rain set to flood Ang Thong and Ayutthaya this week
Heavy rain is expected to drench the Bangkok area this week, with imminent flooding forecasted for Ang Thong and Ayutthaya provinces. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) predicted rain for more than half of Greater Bangkok throughout the week, with particularly intense downpours anticipated on Sunday. The Hydro-Informatics Institute reported overflows from two main canals in Ayutthaya province. The Disaster Prevention…
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Thai PM urged to approve key high-speed train contract
Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote is pushing for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s approval of a crucial construction contract for the long-delayed Thai-Chinese high-speed train project. This contract is one of the last two to complete the first phase. Boonchai Panich Co secured Contract 4-5, which involves constructing a 13.3-kilometre section. Despite this, the signing of the contract has been delayed…
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Thai cop allegedly demands bribe and sex from arrested student
A Thai university student accused an officer from Thanyaburi Police Station in Pathum Thani province, near Bangkok, of demanding a 10,000 baht bribe and sexual favours from her after she was arrested for drunk driving. The 22 year old female student reported the police corruption to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women. She revealed, alongside the foundation’s founder, Pavena Hongsakul, that…
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Koh Kong residents face prolonged flooding until Loy Krathong
Residents of Koh Kong, Sukhothai, have been struggling with persistent floods since August, with concerns that the situation might extend until the Loy Krathong festival in November. Locals reveal that annual flooding is a recurring issue they have faced for as long as they can remember. Today, September 9, a report highlighted that the water levels in the Yom River,…
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Thailand champions game-changing tax scheme for low earners
Finance Permanent Secretary Lavaron Sangsnit has thrown his weight behind the daring negative income tax (NIT) scheme, championing welfare payments for workers when their income dips below a certain threshold. Dubbed “workfare,” this initiative is geared to incentivise employment while offering crucial financial support. Lavaron made his case clear: the NIT system encourages people to stay employed by guaranteeing state…
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Thai woman left blind and disfigured after misdiagnosis
A Thai woman is demanding accountability and compensation from doctors and a hospital in the Phahonyothin neighbourhood of Bangkok after a misdiagnosis and medicine allergy left her blind and disfigured. The victim, Sasinan, and her husband sought assistance from non-profit organisation Saimai Survive after she lost her sight and suffered facial disfigurement due to the recklessness of a doctor at…
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Cathay soars again: A350 fleet back in action after fiery setback
Cathay Pacific Airways triumphantly re-launched its Airbus A350 aircraft, after a dramatic engine fire grounded the fleet and caused the cancellation of 90 flights over the past week. The fiery incident uncovered a rare issue with fuel hoses, triggering an urgent, large-scale inspection and repair operation across the airline’s A350 lineup. With 48 of these widebody jets under Cathay’s wing,…
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Medical technician loses 20,000 baht in Buriram call centre scam
A medical technician in Buriram fell victim to a call centre scam, losing over 20,000 baht after being tricked by someone posing as an electricity authority officer. The victim, 54 year old Yutthana shared his experience to warn the public and urge the government to improve security systems. On Saturday, September 7, Yutthana received a call from an individual claiming…
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Tree-mendous: Neighbour saves man stuck up tree for 10 hours
A neighbour came to the rescue of a Thai man who got stuck up a tree in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum for over 10 hours after an unexpected accident. The victim, 46 year old Phongsathorn, was stranded in a Ceylon oak tree in his neighbour’s paddy field in the Nong Bua Rawe district of Chaiyaphum for more than 10…
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Pet peeve turns deadly: Feud erupts in central Thailand bloodbath
A bitter, months-long dispute over pets exploded into shocking violence in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district yesterday, leaving a retired army officer and his neighbour dead in a bloody confrontation. Police rushed to the scene at a housing estate in tambon Khlong Sam yesterday, September 8, around 7.30am, where they discovered the lifeless bodies of 64 year old Colonel Jaruchart…
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Pattaya City launches health project for night workers
Pattaya City takes a significant stride in enhancing healthcare accessibility for night workers as Mayor Poramese Ngampiches inaugurated the Proactive Health Promotion Project for Night Workers yesterday, September 8. The launch event, held at Leela Club on Walking Street, gathered prominent city executives, including Nathamon Ajsong, Chairman of the Pattaya City Transformation Leaders, and Doctor Atthaporn Limpanyalert, Deputy Secretary-General of…
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Thai man condemned for using free cafe WiFi to watch porn (video)
The owner of a coffee shop in the central province of Lopburi condemned a pervy Thai man for using the cafe’s free WiFi to watch pornography and harass female customers. He reportedly spent long periods at the cafe without buying anything. The cafe owner shared a video of the man in a Facebook group for Lopburi residents on September 5.…
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Fake doctor scams Thais with bogus UK tours and job offers
A group of people reported being scammed by a fake doctor selling fraudulent tours and collecting fees for work in the UK, with losses exceeding 40 million baht. Despite a red notice, the suspect remains at large, with a 1 million baht reward for their capture. A group of approximately 20 victims, approached the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to file…
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Motorbike mayhem: Monkey wreaks havoc on bike seat in Phuket
A large monkey at Khao Rang (also known as Monkey Hill) in Phuket Town tore apart the seat of a parked motorbike, prompting an assistant village headman to issue a warning for locals and tourists to be cautious around the monkeys. Suriyan Mai-on, the assistant village headman for Thalang district, shared a video of the incident online today, September 9,…
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Shooting for justice: Ex-Thai champion takes aim at cheating soldier husband
A former shooting champion of Thailand sought help from social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet after her cheating soldier husband faced no punishment from the Royal Thai Army (RTA) and refused to compensate her as ordered by the court. The former national athlete, 50 year old Jarinporn Daengpiam, held a press conference today, September 9, to bring the matter to…
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Abbot ousted over 9.2 million baht debt scandal in Pathum Thani
The abbot of Wat Phut Udom in Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani, has been removed from his position following allegations of borrowing 9.2 million baht from a 57 year old woman and failing to repay the amount. The victim was reportedly told to seize the temple’s ordination hall and pavilion as compensation. Police in Pathum Thani province convened a…
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Scaffold sore: Storm lashes Pattaya, topples hotel project (video)
Pattaya City was battered by strong winds and heavy rain yesterday at around 5pm, leading to a major construction site calamity. Scaffolding at a seven-story hotel project on Pattaya Klang Road in Soi Arunotai came crashing down, smashing into power lines and causing high-voltage power poles to break, blocking the road. Miraculously, no injuries were reported. The collapse, a direct result…
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Tractor tragedy: Cops plough through claims after addict’s mysterious death
The police maintained their innocence after a Thai drug addict mysteriously died following his arrest on Saturday. The incident occurred while the individual was driving a farm tractor along a road in Bangkok. Patrol officers from Pathum Wan Police Station were involved in a car chase with 45 year old Thai man Bancha Samingkaew on Phetchaburi Road in the Bangkapi…
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Noodles of growth: Mama set to stir up premium market
Thai President Foods Plc, the company behind Mama instant noodles, anticipates significant growth in the instant noodle market this year, with the premium segment potentially outperforming the overall market. Pun Paniangvait, manager of the president’s office, reported that Thailand’s instant noodle market experienced an 8% to 9% growth in the first half of this year, and the company projects a…
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