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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    How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)

    When planning a trip to Thailand, travel insurance is a smart investment that can save you from unexpected costs. Whether it’s medical expenses, lost luggage, or trip cancellations, the right coverage can provide peace of mind and financial protection against...

  • Last farewell: Thai-Swedish couple arrested in Phuket for selling cocaine

    Last farewell: Thai-Swedish couple arrested in Phuket for selling cocaine

    A Swedish man and his Thai girlfriend bid farewell to each other after they were arrested at a condominium in Phuket yesterday, July 6, for selling cocaine. Officers from Patong Police Station reported the arrest of the two suspects, a 41 year old Swedish man and his 31 year old Thai girlfriend, yesterday. The names of the suspects have not…

  • Thailand struggles to revive Chinese tourism as arrivals drop 34%

    Thailand struggles to revive Chinese tourism as arrivals drop 34%

    Thailand’s tourism sector is grappling with a sharp decline in Chinese arrivals, forcing tourism agencies to lower expectations and step up efforts to attract more visitors. In the first half of 2025, Chinese tourist numbers fell by 34% compared to last year, with only 2,265,556 arrivals recorded. This downturn has pushed China into second place behind Malaysia, which saw 2,299,897…

  • Manchester gets Thai’d up with new direct flight to Bangkok

    Manchester gets Thai’d up with new direct flight to Bangkok

    Manchester Airport is flying high after bagging a brand-new direct route to Bangkok, making it the only airport outside London with a non-stop flight to the Thai capital. The weekly service, operated by Norse Atlantic Airways on a Boeing 787-9, will take off in November, offering northerners a hassle-free ticket to the most-visited city on the planet. Tickets have just…

  • Family of 7 on motorcycle sparks safety outrage in Phuket

    Family of 7 on motorcycle sparks safety outrage in Phuket

    A couple in Phuket sparked online criticism after a photo showing them dangerously transporting five children on a motorcycle circulated on Thai social media. Phuket Hotnews, and Newshawk Phuket, shared images of the family of seven riding on a single motorcycle yesterday, July 6, accompanied by a caption reading, “How many people can you count?” According to the pages, the…

  • Police investigate toddler’s death with bruises in Nonthaburi

    Police investigate toddler’s death with bruises in Nonthaburi

    A two year old boy has died with bruises covering his body, prompting an investigation by police in Nonthaburi province. The child’s biological father fainted upon arriving at the hospital, while the mother suspects her new partner of four months. At 10.20pm yesterday, July 6, police from Sai Noi Police Station were informed by Sai Noi Hospital that a man…

  • Phuket’s got night fever as new market hits the spot

    Phuket’s got night fever as new market hits the spot

    Phuket Town has a new reason to stay up late, a sprawling night market has officially opened near Surin Circle, giving a boost to small businesses and offering a fresh hotspot for locals and tourists alike. The Plern Pao Night Market was launched with a flourish on Saturday, July 5, with Phuket MP Thitikan Thitiphrutikul presiding over the opening ceremony.…

  • Bangkok expressways free on July 10 and 11 for Buddhist holidays

    Bangkok expressways free on July 10 and 11 for Buddhist holidays

    Motorists in Bangkok will enjoy free access to major expressways for two days to mark the Asanha Bucha and Buddhist Lent holidays. The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) announced toll exemptions on July 10 and 11, from midnight to midnight each day. Some 61 toll booths across the Chalerm Maha Nakhon, Si Rat, and Udon Ratthaya expressways will waive toll…

  • Thai woman admits having relationships, children with monks

    Thai woman admits having relationships, children with monks

    A Thai woman confessed to having romantic relationships with several monks and even having children with some of them. She was also found to have been romantically involved with politicians and wealthy men. The widely respected abbot of Tri Thotsatheo Temple in Bangkok, Arch, unexpectedly left the monkhood in June at a temple in the northeastern province of Nong Khai,…

  • Elderly man injured by driver in buffalo collision dispute

    Elderly man injured by driver in buffalo collision dispute

    A 71 year old man filed a police report in Surin province after being assaulted by a driver following an accident involving a buffalo. The driver allegedly struck him with a licence plate, causing facial injuries. The victim, Likit, reported the incident to Police Lieutenant Kan Wanaram, Deputy Inspector at the Sri Narong Police Station, on July 6. The collision…

  • Drunk man pulls gun, attacks guests at Buriram housewarming party

    Drunk man pulls gun, attacks guests at Buriram housewarming party

    A drunk man armed with a gun caused a disturbance at a housewarming ceremony in Buriram yesterday, July 6, injuring one person and threatening local security officers. The incident took place at around 3pm in Ban Jan village, Nong Teng subdistrict, Krasang district. Witnesses said the man arrived uninvited, fired a shot into the air, and later assaulted several people.…

  • Burmese man arrested for wife’s murder in Samut Prakan hotel

    Burmese man arrested for wife’s murder in Samut Prakan hotel

    A Burmese man was apprehended for the suspected murder of his wife at a hotel in the Mueang district of Samut Prakan province. Hotel staff found the man behaving suspiciously outside the room before discovering his dead wife inside. Yesterday, July 6 at 12.30pm, Police Lieutenant Panyawat Khamsi from the Samut Prakan Mueang Police Station received reports of a woman found…

  • Family feud: Thai father’s shot misses son, fatally hits his friend

    Family feud: Thai father’s shot misses son, fatally hits his friend

    A Thai father attempted to shoot his son after a family feud outside a house in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon but accidentally shot his son’s friend, resulting in his death. The father was also injured in a knife attack. Officers from Mueang Sakon Nakhon Police Station and a rescue team rushed to the scene at a house in…

  • Senate panel summons PM Paetongtarn over border issues

    Senate panel summons PM Paetongtarn over border issues

    Thailand’s Senate Committee on Military and National Security has invited suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to explain the government’s approach to mounting security concerns along the Thai-Cambodian border. Senator Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, the committee’s secretary and spokesperson, said the decision was prompted by disputes affecting Thailand’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests under the constitution. He added that Cambodia’s actions were…

  • Thai women caught in call centre scam at Cambodia border

    Thai women caught in call centre scam at Cambodia border

    The Eastern Border Security Forces apprehended two Thai women who falsely claimed they were deceived into working in Poipet, Cambodia. In reality, they were hired to cross the border illegally and create mule bank accounts and conduct face scans for a call centre scam. Their background checks revealed that one suspect, 48 year old Ornuma Boonchoong, had been implicated in…

  • Thailand to boost tourism with Muslim-friendly hotel certification

    Thailand to boost tourism with Muslim-friendly hotel certification

    A Bangkok hotel has become the first in Thailand to receive Muslim-friendly certification aimed at improving the tourism experiences of Muslim travellers. Ninareeman Binnima, a Thai veterinarian, said to Bangkok Post that many foreign Muslim business visitors struggle to find Halal dining options at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports. She noted this issue affects Thailand’s reputation among Muslim tourists.…

  • Thai man arrested for setting fire to ex-MP’s car in Songkhla

    Thai man arrested for setting fire to ex-MP’s car in Songkhla

    Police arrested a Thai man in the southern province of Songkhla for setting fire to the car of a former Member of Parliament on Saturday, July 5. The suspect’s father claimed his son acted due to mental illness. A former Democrat Party MP, Sirichok Sopha, shared a video showing his GWM Haval H6 PHEV electric car ablaze. He stated that the…

  • Thailand Video News | British man jailed 21 years for child trafficking in Pattaya, Selangor to enforce plastic bag ban across all councils by 2026

    Thailand Video News | British man jailed 21 years for child trafficking in Pattaya, Selangor to enforce plastic bag ban across all councils by 2026

    In Thailand, the government’s controversial casino bill is faltering amid public opposition, while system failures have forced major hotel chains to pull out of a domestic tourism subsidy program. The country also saw the conviction of a British man for child trafficking in Pattaya and a community-driven relief effort supporting nightlife workers struggling from the ongoing tourism slump. Meanwhile, unusual…

  • Pattaya restaurant owner defends hygiene after sexy cooking video

    Pattaya restaurant owner defends hygiene after sexy cooking video

    A female restaurant owner in Pattaya reassured the public of her hygiene standards after facing criticism for cooking and serving food while wearing revealing outfits. The owner of the Kai Yok Krok restaurant in Pattaya, Napak-on “Prece” Jiraratchataphak, caught the attention of Thai netizens with her provocative attire and cooking videos. Both Thai and foreign customers began flocking to her…

  • Kuwait too late: Pensioner dies in Phuket beach tragedy

    Kuwait too late: Pensioner dies in Phuket beach tragedy

    A 74 year old Kuwaiti man who ignored warnings not to swim in rough seas drowned at a Phuket beach, the latest in a string of tourist deaths in treacherous Thai waters. A holidaying Kuwaiti pensioner died after being pulled unconscious from the sea at Bang Tao Beach in Phuket early on Saturday morning, July 5. Police arrived at the…

  • Blaze at Bangkok supermarket quickly contained by firefighters

    Blaze at Bangkok supermarket quickly contained by firefighters

    A fire broke out at a supermarket near Vacharapol in Bangkok, with emergency services deploying two fire trucks to control the situation. The blaze, originating from a fruit display refrigerator, was reported at 4.50am today, July 7. Officers from Bang Khen Police Station were alerted to the fire inside the single-storey supermarket close to Sathira Dhammasathan on Vacharapol Road, Tha…

  • Lao national arrested in Surin for child abuse video distribution

    Lao national arrested in Surin for child abuse video distribution

    A 20 year old Lao national has been detained for producing and distributing online child sexual abuse material in Surin province. The man allegedly managed covert groups on a widely used chat application, charging fees for access to explicit videos featuring underage boys. The suspect, Chaipol, was apprehended at a resort in Mueang district on July 5 by officers from the…

  • FDA plans new standards for bottled water

    FDA plans new standards for bottled water

    The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to propose a draft announcement to the health minister to raise the quality standards of bottled water and ice to international levels. Doctor Surachoke Tangwiwat, Secretary General of the FDA, said the proposal aims to benefit manufacturers, consumers, and the environment. A recent meeting was held to present the draft regulations, which…

  • Wild elephants from Thap Lan venture out, sparking concerns

    Wild elephants from Thap Lan venture out, sparking concerns

    A herd of more than 100 wild elephants from Thap Lan National Park has ventured out of the World Heritage Forest, causing concern among residents about potential crop damage and safety risks. Yesterday, July 6, residents of Wang Ai Pong village near the Naruebodindra Chinda Reservoir, Prachinburi province, reported the elephants foraging near their homes. Local leaders and Thap Lan…

  • Naked Russian plunges from Phuket flat in midnight meltdown

    Naked Russian plunges from Phuket flat in midnight meltdown

    A naked Russian man is fighting for his life after a bizarre late-night plunge from a third-floor dormitory in Phuket Town. Maksim was found unconscious and stark naked outside the company dorm on Luang Pho Road after jumping from a balcony in a wild, unexplained episode that left witnesses stunned. Emergency crews from the Kusoldharm Foundation and an ambulance team…

  • Thailand investigates mpox case in Chiang Mai amid rising numbers

    Thailand investigates mpox case in Chiang Mai amid rising numbers

    The Department of Disease Control is actively investigating a mpox case in Chiang Mai, as Thailand reports 40 cumulative cases this year, with a total of 900 cases and 13 deaths since 2022. Sexual transmission is identified as a primary cause of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, prompting advice to use condoms to mitigate risk. Vigilant monitoring of international mpox…

  • Arsenic contamination in Mekong River near Thai border

    Arsenic contamination in Mekong River near Thai border

    The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat issued a warning about the detection of heavy metal contamination in the Mekong River, which is suspected to have originated from poorly regulated mining operations in Myanmar. The situation has been classified as “moderately serious.” Recent water quality assessments conducted by the MRC have revealed elevated levels of arsenic in several locations along the…

  • Khon Kaen police seize five million meth pills in major bust

    Khon Kaen police seize five million meth pills in major bust

    In Khon Kaen, police seized five million methamphetamine pills in a single day. Highway police arrested a woman transporting four million pills, while the Border Patrol Police Region 2 pursued and apprehended another suspect carrying one million pills. Border Patrol Police Region 2, under the direction of their intelligence unit, received information about a significant drug operation. They tracked a…

  • Thailand sets out stance on cyberspace laws

    Thailand sets out stance on cyberspace laws

    Thailand has released its national position on the Application of International Law in Cyberspace, confirming that human rights laws are applicable in cyberspace under international norms, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its Facebook page. The document is a result of national consultations involving several key agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General,…

  • Hash bluff? British teenager’s ‘torture’ tale rubbished by Thai cops

    Hash bluff? British teenager’s ‘torture’ tale rubbished by Thai cops

    A British teenager accused of smuggling cannabis into Georgia sparked an international row, after Thai cops rubbished her tearful courtroom claims that she was tortured and forced to carry drugs. Bella May Culley broke down in a Tbilisi courtroom, sobbing. “I was forced by torture… I just wanted to travel.” Thai immigration chiefs say her dramatic story is pure fiction…

  • Thailand claims first-ever victory in FIA Formula 3 history

    Thailand claims first-ever victory in FIA Formula 3 history

    The Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, congratulated the country’s first-ever race car driver to win a round of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile Formula 3 Championship (FIA F3). The historic win took place on Saturday, July 5, at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom. The currently suspended Paetongtarn, who also serves as Minister of Culture, posted a…