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.
-
Sponsored
Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
-
Singaporean duo busted in Thai sex trafficking crackdown
Two Singaporean men have been arrested in Thailand in a cross-border crackdown on a transnational sex trafficking syndicate that allegedly exploited foreign women and funnelled illicit earnings between countries. The suspects, aged 36 and 38, were apprehended on Tuesday, June 17, following a joint operation between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Thailand’s Royal Thai Police (RTP). A 50 year…
-
Thai soldier found dead in suspected suicide at Bangkok army facility
A Thai soldier today reportedly committed suicide using an M16 rifle at a welfare accommodation facility in Bangkok’s Dusit district. The Phra Chulachomklao Fort Disaster Relief Radio Centre announced on its official Facebook page that it received a report of the man’s death at approximately 3.17pm on June 19. His body was discovered at a welfare accommodation building under the…
-
Pattaya panic: Chinese tourists ditch Thailand for Japan
Pattaya’s golden days with Chinese tourists may be fading fast, and local tourism operators are sounding the alarm. Once a firm favourite with Chinese travellers, Pattaya is now seeing a steady drop in visitors from the mainland, with Japan quickly emerging as their top choice instead. The shift is rattling Thailand’s tourism industry, where Chinese tourists have long made up…
-
Paris Air Show: Thailand and Textron join forces on fighter fleet
A high-flying deal was struck at the Paris Air Show this week as Textron Aviation Defence LLC joined forces with Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) to launch a major support programme for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). In a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) signed at the international aviation event, the two companies agreed to jointly sustain and support Thailand’s fleet…
-
Bank robbery thwarted by brave security guard in Buriram
A courageous Thai security guard successfully thwarted a knife-wielding thief attempting to rob a bank in the Isaan province of Buriram yesterday, June 18. Officers from Nonsuwan Police Station received an emergency alarm from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Nonsuwan branch, and rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, 38 year old Somphon, already subdued…
-
Elderly man arrested for illegal excavation in Chiang Mai
An arrest has been made of a 70 year old man, accused of operating an illegal soil excavation site in Chiang Mai’s San Kamphaeng district, which has caused disturbance for over 20 years. Police seized equipment, including two excavators and three dump trucks, at the site located in Buakkang subdistrict. Ayree has been suspected of operating the excavation site without…
-
Thai government pays 750k baht to families of tortured conscripts
The Thai government awarded 750,000 baht per family to the relatives of two conscripts who died from torture. Today, June 19, at 9am, at the Ministry of Justice on Cherng Watthana Road, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the justice minister, presided over the compensation ceremony for the victims’ families under the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022.…
-
Bangkok expands low emission zones to cut truck pollution
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is enforcing penalties on 465 unauthorised trucks violating low emission zones, with plans to extend to 50 districts. More than 50,000 vehicles have already registered under the green category. Today, June 19, at the Environmental Office in Din Daeng district, Pornprom Vikitset, advisor to the Bangkok governor and sustainability executive, revealed measures to tackle PM2.5 pollution.…
-
Thai police nab suspect in 10 million baht luxury theft
Hong Kong police coordinated with Suvarnabhumi Immigration to apprehend a suspect involved in a 10 million baht luxury brand theft, following his flight to Thailand. Yesterday, June 18, Police Major General Choengron Rimpadee, commander of Immigration Division 2, announced the arrest of Su Kai, a suspect in a high-profile robbery case. This operation was part of a broader initiative to…
-
Bangkok mechanic dodges tyre explosion in viral TikTok shocker (video)
A dramatic moment caught on TikTok has gone viral after a tyre unexpectedly exploded during a routine inspection, with the shop owner narrowly dodging disaster in the nick of time. Posted by user @chonkanyang, the video shows the terrifying near-miss at a tyre shop yesterday, June 18. The CCTV footage captures the calm before the blast as the shop owner…
-
Transwoman throws wig, cries for help after fleeing scam gang in Cambodia
A Thai transwoman caused a commotion after she and her boyfriend were arrested for illegally crossing the border from Cambodia, claiming that she did not join a call centre scam operation but instead the gang deceived her. Immigration officers apprehended the transwoman and her boyfriend at the Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, at around 4pm…
-
Clip leak scandal: Paetongtarn says ‘This isn’t the time to fight’
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra publicly apologised after an explosive leaked audio clip of her private conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen sparked a diplomatic firestorm. In an urgent press conference, the Thai PM addressed the nation and confirmed she had no idea the conversation was being recorded, let alone that it would be released to the public. “I didn’t…
-
Thai restaurants struggle with 400 baht minimum wage hike
The Thai Restaurant Association expressed concern about the impact of the recent decision to raise the daily minimum wage to 400 baht on the already struggling restaurant sector. This adjustment, effective from July 1, will apply to all workers in Bangkok and is extended to employees in most hotels and entertainment venues across the country. Currently, the minimum wage in…
-
Chon Buri man found dead with gunshot wound amid marital issues
A 42 year old man was found dead in his bedroom with a gunshot wound to the temple in Chon Buri’s Mueang district. His mother fainted upon seeing the body, while his wife revealed marital issues that might have contributed to the incident. Yesterday, June 18, at 10.40pm, Police Colonel Suchaiyot Chuaikaew of Don Hua Lo Police Station received a…
-
Thai man with heart disease dies allegedly after clinic refuses him
A clinic in the Pracha Uthit area of Bangkok on Tuesday reportedly refused to treat a Thai man with heart disease, resulting in the patient’s death. The Facebook page, Jmoi V+, reported the incident, which occurred to the 60 year old man with a heart disease named Somchai, at a clinic in Soi Pracha Uthit 33 yesterday, Wednesday, June 18,…
-
Police sergeant dismissed for reckless driving and firearm breach
A police sergeant has been dismissed from duty following an incident involving reckless driving and brandishing a firearm on Rama IV Road in Bangkok. The officer is alleged to have exhibited behaviour that constitutes a severe breach of discipline. Around 2.30pm, Tuesday, June 17, Thong Lo police received a report from the radio centre about a man driving erratically and…
-
Bangkok woman arrested for selling husband’s ammunition online
Bangkok investigators detained a 33 year old woman for selling her husband’s ammunition online without his knowledge. Police charged her with illegal distribution and possession of ammunition. The arrest occurred yesterday, June 18 at Thaniya Soi 2 in Bangkok following an undercover operation. On June 12, around 1am, officials discovered a Facebook post in the group Food and Goods in Rama…
-
8,000 tonnes of illegal waste found in Prachin Buri factory raid
A secret industrial dumping ground packed with over 8,000 tonnes of toxic waste has been uncovered in Prachin Buri, exposing a massive illegal recycling racket run by foreign nationals in defiance of Thai law. The shocking discovery was made during a joint raid led by the Industry Ministry and its so-called “Sudsoi Team,” a taskforce spearheaded by Industry Minister Akanat…
-
Thai father arrested for assaulting daughter with bamboo stick
A Thai father in Chachoengsao province has been taken into custody for allegedly assaulting his young daughter with a bamboo stick. The incident occurred after the daughter, a primary school student, was too scared to use the bathroom at night due to a fear of ghosts. The situation came to light when a teacher visited the family’s home and reported…
-
High alert: Phuket to zone out cannabis amid tourist backlash
Phuket officials are cracking down on the island’s cannabis free-for-all, announcing plans to restrict where weed can be sold and smoked after a flood of complaints from locals and tourists. Governor Sophon Suwannarat revealed on Tuesday, June 17, that local officials are pushing to create designated “green zones” for cannabis sales and consumption. The move aims to control the island’s…
-
Thailand drought relief cash halted amid graft claims
A massive 51 billion baht drought relief fund has been frozen amid explosive claims of political meddling and potential budget abuse, sparking fears over delayed aid for struggling communities. Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong confirmed this week that the Budget Bureau has issued a formal notice halting the disbursement of funds earmarked under the 2025 fiscal mid-year budget for water…
-
15 year old Thai boy shoots father after enduring 8 years of abuse
A 15 year old Thai boy shot his biological father at their shared home in the Isaan province of Buriram, following eight years of physical abuse that the teenager had endured. Officers from Lam Plai Mat Police Station arrested the boy at his home in the Ban Nong Hua Chang Phattana community, located in Buriram’s Lam Plai Mat district, after…
-
Police arrest 33 migrants in Kanchanaburi smuggling bust
Police and administrative officials in Kanchanaburi successfully apprehended a group involved in smuggling migrant workers. The operation yesterday, June 18, resulted in the arrest of 33 undocumented migrants who were found hiding at a meditation centre in Mueang district. During a routine surveillance operation, Kanchanaburi Highway Police identified two suspicious vehicles on Highway 323, heading towards the city. The vehicles,…
-
Ex-Bangkok MP jailed after Supreme Court slams defamation plea
A disgraced ex-Bangkok MP has been marched off to jail after Thailand’s Supreme Court upheld a defamation conviction linked to a fiery hospital confrontation. Sira Jenjaka, once a high-profile figure for the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), was sentenced yesterday, June 18, to six months and 20 days in prison without suspension, following a long-running feud with Mongkutwattana Hospital director Majoe…
-
Chinese grey businesses under fire in Thailand over steel scam
A wave of shady Chinese-owned factories is wreaking havoc on Thailand’s economy — and the environment — as the government launches a crackdown on so-called “grey businesses” operating illegally under the radar for years. Industry Minister Akanat Promphan declared war on unlawful foreign-owned industrial operations, particularly in the steel and recycling sectors. Under his “Sud Soi” campaign — meaning “all…
-
Commander takes no offence over PM’s private phone call
The Commander of the 2nd Army expressed his understanding after being mentioned in a private phone call between Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and Cambodian President Hun Sen. PM Paetongtarn was accused of positioning herself against the Thai armed forces, particularly 2nd Army Commander Boonsin “Big Kung” Padklang, due to remarks made during her conversation with Hun Sen, yesterday, June…
-
Paet’s all, folks! Thai PM’s Instagram post sparks political meltdown
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing the worst political crisis of her short premiership, after an emotional Instagram post backfired spectacularly and her ruling coalition began to collapse around her. PM Paetongtarn posted a cryptic message to her Instagram story at 8am, today, June 19: “People are not pretending to be sad, but pretending to be okay.” Less…
-
Car fire in Nonthaburi spreads to four homes causing major damage
A fire that began with a car blaze spread to four homes in Nonthaburi, causing significant damage. Yesterday, June 18, police from Bang Sri Muang district were alerted to the fire in a housing estate on Bang Lane Soi 21, Mueang district. Upon receiving the report, they coordinated with fire engines from Bang Krang municipality, Tha Phra municipality, and nearby…
-
Bhumjaithai Party exits from govt over PM phone call scandal
The Bhumjaithai Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul,, announced its withdrawal from the governing coalition yesterday, June 18, in the wake of the leaked phone call scandal involving Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. PM Paetongtarn admitted that she had held a private phone conversation with former Cambodian PM Hun Sen. The call, a portion of which…
-
Fair play! Phuket job bonanza gives jobless a fighting chance
It was CVs at the ready and handshakes all round as more than 1,500 job vacancies were up for grabs at Phuket’s biggest recruitment bash of the year – with employers and job seekers going face-to-face at the Phuket Job Fair 2025. Held yesterday, June 18, at Robinson Lifestyle mall in Chalong, the fair was organised by the Phuket Provincial…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.