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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Adultery suspected in murder of Thai man in Chachoengsao
Police suspected adultery as a motive for the murder of a Thai man whose body was found on the roadside of a motorway in the central province of Chachoengsao on January 29. The man asked his wife for a divorce and told her that he had a child with another woman before he disappeared. The lifeless body of the 33…
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Royal Thai Air Force plans 19 billion baht for new fighter jets acquisition
The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Punpakdee Pattanakul, announced a budget request for the upcoming fiscal year totalling 19 billion baht (US$537 million), intended for the acquisition of new fighter jets. These could potentially be the US F-35 or Sweden’s Gripen E/F. Despite the recently instated government offset policy, Punpakdee’s comments suggest the RTAF’s determination to secure…
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German tourist’s beachside stumble turns vacation into footsie disaster
A German tourist stumbled over construction wire mesh at a beachfront construction site in Pattaya on January 27, leaving him with a serious foot injury. Eyewitnesses revealed that the incident occurred as 24 year old Nils Gleissner ambled along the footpath near the beach. The treacherous mishap transpired at a spot undergoing renovations, with the unsuspecting tourist tripping over the…
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Thailand faces thunderstorms and high waves, north cools down
Today’s weather update signals turbulent conditions across the country, with the Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) issuing an alert for thunderstorms in 20 provinces. The forecast warns of high waves exceeding 2 metres in the southern seas, while the northern region experiences a significant drop in temperature. The weather pattern over the upper northern region is influenced by a westerly…
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Chinese tourist drowns on Rayong’s Koh Samet
A Chinese tourist drowned at Ao Tubtim, Koh Samet, Rayong at 5pm on on January 27. Phe police officers rushed to the accident scene following a report of a Chinese tourist drowning. Local rescue and Rayong medical teams were also dispatched. Clad in a blue swimsuit, the 46 year old Chinese tourist lay lifeless. Despite the immediate deployment of first…
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Teen dies in Bangkok after motorcycle chase ends in horror crash
A tragic accident in Bangkok claimed the life of a 17 year old teen after a motorcycle chase ended in a violent collision with a garbage truck. The incident occurred at around 3.15am today on Kanjanapisek Road, Bang Khae District. The police, forensic experts, and emergency medical teams were called to the scene, where they found the young victim dead.…
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Thai food vendor sparks debate after giving free food to foreign backpacker (video)
A Thai food vendor sparked a debate on social media after giving free food to a foreign backpacker in the southern province of Surat Thani. Many netizens hailed the vendor’s gesture while others said the foreign woman just took advantage of Thais’ kindness. The food vendor shared a video of the foreign backpacker eating food at her restaurant on her…
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Thai workers overseas contribute 60 billion baht in Q1
Over 21,000 Thai workers were dispatched overseas in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, generating nearly 60 billion baht (US$1.69 billion) in remittances, as disclosed by a leading labour representative. The period of October to December saw 21,281 Thais heading overseas for work, half of whom, numbering 10,024, were recruited by the private sector, according to Pairoj Chotikasathien,…
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Drastic fivefold rise in e-cigarette use among Thai schoolchildren
E-cigarette usage amongst Thai schoolchildren has witnessed a drastic fivefold rise over the last seven years, with the majority of users starting their vaping journey during their primary school years, reveals a newly conducted study. The study was carried out amongst 6,700 students and the findings were shared at a seminar, the collective effort of the Centre for Tobacco Control…
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Driver perishes as 22-wheel truck overturns in Si Racha
A tragic incident unfolded yesterday as a 22-wheel trailer truck lost control on a curve and overturned in the Si Racha district of Chon Buri, resulting in the driver’s death. The driver was trapped in the wreckage, and it took rescue workers over three hours to extricate the body. The accident occurred near the Burapha Golf Course in Si Racha.…
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Songkhla community faces steep rent hike from temple land
Residents of the community surrounding Wat Khuan Mit in Songkhla raised concerns as the temple, which owns the land they reside on, dramatically increased the rent by twelvefold. The escalation in rental fees has led to severe hardship for the locals, many of whom have lived there since their ancestors’ time. Negotiations with the temple’s caretakers have not yielded any…
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Agriculture chief defends against bribe claims in corruption case
The Director-General of the Department of Rice staunchly defended actions taken in a controversy involving a well-known activist, Srisuwan Janraya, who was offered money to halt corruption complaints. At 1pm today, January 30, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Natthakit Khanthip addressed the allegations that a consultant to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives suggested that the director-general’s wife…
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Uthenthawai campus halts admissions amid escalating student gang violence
The Uthenthawai Campus of the Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-Ok has been directed by Supamas Isarabhakdi, the Minister of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation, to halt admitting new students and expedite its relocation. This decision aims to curb the escalating violence resulting from clashes between student gangs from the Uthenthawai Campus and the nearby Pathumwan Institute of Technology. During…
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Bangkok leverages Boys Love series for global Thai product boost
Bangkok’s commerce scene is set to undergo a transformative boost as the Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, revealed a groundbreaking initiative to elevate Thai products and services to the global stage through the popular and increasingly recognised medium of television and films. Slated to reach an audience of three million across 100 countries, the scheme aims for…
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Thai man takes legal action against boyfriend for stealing 35,000 baht and iPhone (video)
A Thai man took legal action against his boyfriend for stealing a mobile phone and 35,000 baht from his bank account. The victim said he still loved his boyfriend and would drop the charge if he returned his valuables. The victim, 24 year old Jitpanu Sa-ardluan, took to social media after his boyfriend, 21 year old Boonlong, stole his mobile…
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Nakhon Pathom temple draws lottery hopefuls seeking divine luck
A temple in Nakhon Pathom province has become a hub for lottery enthusiasts as the draw date approaches. At Wat Sawang Arom, worshippers and gamblers alike are flocking to seek blessings and lucky numbers, particularly from the revered statues and the mystical water basin which has been associated with previous lottery wins. Wat Sawang Arom, nestled in the district of…
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Bangkok singer arrested for 2 million baht luxury theft spree
An up-and-coming singer was apprehended by Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police on allegations of stealing over 2 million baht worth of luxury branded goods. The arrest of 29 year old Thanandon Ramasutha, was the culmination of a meticulous police investigation following a burglary at a celebrity manager’s home in January 2024. On January 29, in front of a house in the Lat…
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Taiwanese man arrested in Pattaya on overstay and money laundering charges
Pattaya police yesterday arrested a Taiwanese man on charges of money laundering. Additionally, they discovered that he had overstayed his visa validity by over 430 days, equivalent to approximately a year and five months. Officers from the Sub-division 2 Tourist Police Division 1 and Chon Buri Provincial Immigration Office were alerted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand…
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Off-duty officer thwarts armed assault at Tak gas station
A quick-thinking police officer has been praised for his decisive actions in averting a potential assault at a gas station in Tak. The incident, which occurred today, January 30, saw the officer, identified as Police Lance Corporal Patiphan Kachewapha, thwart an armed man’s attempt to assault a woman in the ladies’ restroom. The event unfolded when Patiphan Kachewapha, an officer…
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Phetchaburi police hunt for killer after man shot 14 times
A brutal murder on the streets of Phetchaburi has local police searching for a cold-blooded killer who shot a 30 year old mobile trader known for his good looks, multiple times in broad daylight. The assailant, captured on CCTV footage, pursued the victim, Suthat, on a motorcycle before firing at close range and then fleeing the scene. The incident occurred…
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Rayong solar company lays off 800 amid financial woes
A prominent solar cell manufacturing company in Rayong has been forced to lay off a significant number of employees, totalling 800, affecting both day and night shifts. The layoffs come as a consequence of several months of financial strain where the company had deferred paying 75% of wages. The Chon Buri-Rayong News Page today reported that the company decided to…
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Chiang Mai lottery fever spikes with lucky numbers for Chinese New Year
The bustling city of Chiang Mai is witnessing a surge in the popularity of lottery tickets as locals eagerly seek out auspicious numbers for the upcoming draw on February 1. The demand is particularly high for numbers associated with Chinese New Year, which aligns with the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar. In the early hours of…
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Thai man and transwoman arrested on child porn charges
Police arrested a Thai man and a transwoman for making and selling child porn. Three female victims were rescued, the youngest was only 13 years old. Officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) and Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) reported two successful crackdowns on the production and sale of child pornography to the media yesterday, January 29. The suspect in…
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Thai Airways flight diverted to Sydney, captain clarifies decision
A Thai Airways captain faced criticism over a decision to divert a Bangkok-Melbourne flight to Sydney due to poor visibility, sparking online debate. The incident occurred on January 28 when the flight was unable to land in Melbourne as planned. A passenger, claiming extensive flying experience, posted a complaint on Facebook accusing the captain of not carrying enough fuel and…
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Thai student allegedly raped by police officer over fine fracas in northern Thailand
A Grade 11 Thai student was allegedly raped by a police officer after she failed to pay a 2,000 baht fine for failing to produce a driving licence in the Isaan province of, northern Thailand. The story began when the well-known page Saimai Survive shared the student’s distressing story after she was stopped by officers for not possessing a driving…
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Witchcraft whispers: Swiss man ensnared in black magic murder mystery
Social media users accused a Swiss man of employing black magic as part of a plot to murder his Thai wife, following the discovery of a Jack of Hearts card in the dead woman’s mouth. Identified only as Roland, the Swiss man eventually admitted to killing his wife, Orathai Phosingam, and disclosed that he had concealed her body in a…
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Bumrungrad Hospital battles online investment scam
Bumrungrad Hospital executives in Bangkok filed a complaint with the Cyber Police, targeting a fraudulent page that falsely claimed to represent the hospital in an online investment scam. Atirat Ratanakijpipat, CEO of Bumrungrad Hospital, yesterday, January 30, along with the management team, met with high-ranking Cyber Police officials to initiate legal action against the perpetrators who created the fake page.…
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Thailand welcomes cooler mornings as temperatures dip
A high-pressure system or moderate cold air mass continues to cover Thailand and the South China Sea, leading to cooler morning temperatures across several regions of the country. The Thailand Meteorological Department (TMD) forecast that the north, northeast, central, eastern, and upper southern parts will experience cold weather in the mornings. In the north, residents woke up to chilly conditions…
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Body of missing Thai man found on roadside, arms and legs bound
A motorcycle rider stumbled upon the dead body of a missing Thai man on the roadside of a motorway in the Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao province near Bangkok. He bore a gunshot wound to his head, and his arms and legs were bound. The 18 year old motorcycle rider, Pornthep Thomthisaeng, reported the discovery of the body to Bang…
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MFP confident on Constitutional Court ruling on lese majeste law amendment
The Constitutional Court’s impending verdict on the main opposition Move Forward Party‘s (MFP) bid to amend the lese majeste law is anticipated with confidence by the party. The MFP’s list MP and spokesperson, Parit Wacharasindhu, stated yesterday, January 29, that an internal discussion would take place before the court’s ruling. The Constitutional Court was petitioned by Theerayut Suwannakasorn to determine…
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