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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Thai karate coach dies in crash hours after SEA Games success
Thailand’s sporting community suffered a loss yesterday, December 17, after national karate coach Kanokporn Donsamran, widely known as Kru Gift, was killed in a road accident in Loei province just hours after helping the Thai karate team secure an impressive medal haul at the 2025 SEA Games. A native of Loei, 38 year old Kanokporn was travelling home after completing…
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Army raids border warehouse and seizes cash and gold from Thai-Cambodia couple
Officials from the 2nd Army Area and local police officers seized cash and gold worth a total of around 14 million baht from a Thai-Cambodian couple during a raid on a warehouse in Sisaket province today, December 18. The assets are suspected to be linked to transnational crime, but the couple denied the accusation. The operation was carried out at…
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Rare big cats return to spotlight in Thai national park
In a nod to Thailand’s biodiversity, Office of Conservation Area Management 12 has reintroduced footage of a pair of elusive wild cats, a leopard and a black panther, captured roaming together in the forested terrain of Khlong Lan National Park in Kamphaeng Phet. The footage was first recorded in June 2020 by camera traps set up by the World Wide…
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Dutch motorcyclist killed after crashing into parked pickup in Chon Buri
A Dutch man lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Chon Buri province in the early hours of today, December 18, after he allegedly crashed into a parked pickup truck with a trailer. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station, together with rescue workers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation, rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a serious…
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Anwar confirms ASEAN meeting on Thai-Cambodian conflict
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced today, December 18, that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to the deployment of an ASEAN observer team as part of efforts to de-escalate ongoing border tensions. The announcement comes ahead of a special ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting set to take place on December 22 in Kuala Lumpur. Anwar confirmed that both Thailand and Cambodia…
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6 Thai masseuses arrested for prostitution during raid on spa in Taiwan
Police in Taiwan raided a spa in Tainan City and arrested six Thai masseuses for allegedly providing illegal sex services. A Taiwanese customer was also arrested after being caught engaging in sexual activity during the operation. Officers from Shanhua Police Station carried out the raid on December 10 after receiving a tip-off that the spa was secretly operating as a brothel.…
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Bridge collapses on truck and pickup in Samut Prakan, killing one
A pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a truck and a pickup in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district this morning, December 18, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured. The incident occurred at 9.25am on Bang Na–Trat Road at kilometre marker 34, inbound towards Bangkok, in the Bang Phli Noi area. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports that a…
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Embassy supports Thai woman suing South Korean ex over boiling water attack
The Royal Thai Embassy in South Korea stepped in to support a Thai woman in pursuing legal action against her South Korean husband after he allegedly poured boiling water over her, causing severe injuries. The Thai victim, later identified as Namfon, sought help from the Thai community in South Korea following the attack on December 3. She later shared with…
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Petrol station bathroom in Khon Kaen go viral for unique designs
A Thai man shared a video reviewing a unique public bathroom at a petrol station in Khon Kaen province, drawing laughter and praise from online viewers. The video was posted on the Facebook account. Nax Chanaphat Reerom, on Tuesday, December 16. In the caption, Chanaphat wrote, “The review at petrol station bathroom.” Throughout the video, he could be heard laughing as…
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Thailand’s English proficiency ranks second lowest in Asia
Thailand has recorded one of the lowest levels of English proficiency in Asia, according to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, which shows a continued global stagnation in English skills since 2020. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million participants across 123 countries, with an average test-taker age of 26. While English remains the most commonly shared…
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Thailand video news | Thailand targets 10 million long‑haul tourists, Phuket woman holds gun to threaten driver over car debt
In today’s Thailand video news, Jay brings you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia — from Thailand’s push to attract more long-haul tourists and a major international fugitive arrest, to a prostitution ring bust, a SEA Games sports controversy, an armed debt dispute in Phuket, and renewed diplomatic pressure over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Thailand Targets 10…
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French tourists allegedly fabricate bad boat trip experience in Phuket for refund
French tourists allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to edit photos from a boat trip in Phuket in an attempt to claim refunds by portraying their experience as poor. The accusation was reported today, December 18, by the Facebook page Phuket Times. According to the page, a group of French tourists joined a boat tour in Phuket and took photographs of…
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Modified pickup truck clouds Pattaya in black smoke
A modified pickup truck emitted clouds of black smoke through Pattaya’s Walking Street area, drawing online criticism over pollution and public safety. The incident occurred around 3.30am, according to local reports. The truck, described as a customised racing-style vehicle, accelerated along Pattaya’s beachfront road and released dense black exhaust fumes in front of over 100 tourists in the area. A…
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Phuket man arrested after beating wife to death with broomstick
Police arrested a Thai man after he beat his wife to death with a broomstick inside their rented room in Phuket yesterday, December 17. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station were alerted to the case after medical staff at Mission Hospital Phuket reported that a 51 year old Thai woman, Kai, was admitted with severe injuries believed to be caused…
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Thai border police feed hungry dogs left behind during evacuation
Two border patrol police officers were seen on CCTV feeding dogs that had been left at a home in Sa Kaeo during a recent evacuation, resulting in online praise. On December 17, a news team visited an evacuation centre in Sa Kaeo province where villagers had been staying for over 10 days. Many evacuees said they were growing concerned over…
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Kazakh fraud suspect on Interpol Red Notice arrested in Phuket
Police arrested a Kazakh national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice after he fled a fraud case in his home country and went into hiding in Phuket. Officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office were alerted to the presence of the wanted man, identified as Adilet, and launched an investigation to track down his whereabouts. On Monday, December 15, officers…
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Phuket woman pulls gun on finance agents over missed payments
A heated confrontation over missed car payments turned dangerous at a viewpoint in Phuket yesterday, December 16, when a woman allegedly threatened two finance company employees with a gun. The incident took place around 4:20pm yesterday at Khao Khad Viewpoint in Wichit, where two female employees of a private company working on behalf of a car finance firm were tracking…
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Foreign student injured in Chiang Rai car crash seeks accountability
A foreign student at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai turned to TikTok to seek justice after being injured in a car accident in which a Thai driver failed to take responsibility, despite one man dying at the scene. The victim, La Min Khaing, is a second-year undergraduate at the Faculty of Cosmetic Science at Mae Fah Luang University.…
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Thailand hits 10 million long-haul tourist milestone with UK on top
Thailand crossed a tourism landmark this year as long-haul arrivals surpassed 10 million for the first time, a milestone symbolically marked by a Thai Airways flight landing in Bangkok from London today, December 17. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool and representatives from partner agencies greeted passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport this morning. The UK also became the first…
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3 Vietnamese men arrested in illegal cannabis farm raid in Bangkok
Police raided an illegal cannabis farm hidden inside a warehouse in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district and arrested three Vietnamese men today, December 17. The raid was carried out by officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) in coordination with officials from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. Officials moved in after receiving a complaint from a local…
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Taiwanese man arrested for running prostitution ring involving 16 Thai women
Taiwanese police arrested a Taiwanese man for running a prostitution ring involving 16 Thai women, including his own girlfriend, who acted as a translator and helped recruit more Thai sex workers to Taiwan. Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) announced the successful crackdown on a transnational prostitution network on Friday, December 12. Although the operation was carried out in June, the…
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Chinese scam suspect with Interpol red notice arrested in Bangkok
A Chinese national wanted by Interpol over a billion-baht investment scam was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, December 16, after attempting to leave Thailand using a fake passport. Immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport detained 44 year old Huang, a Chinese national, yesterday evening, and discovered he was travelling under a fake Mexican passport using the name Gol. A search revealed…
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Chiang Mai set for UNESCO World Heritage nomination approval
Thailand is moving to nominate Chiang Mai’s ancient Lanna capital for UNESCO World Heritage status, with seven iconic temples and the city’s historical layout forming the foundation. Yesterday, December 16, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, and Minister of Culture Sabina Thaised chaired the fifth meeting of Thailand’s national committee on the protection of…
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Rayong woman arrested in acid attack on husband on his birthday
Police arrested a Thai woman after she carried out an acid attack on her husband at their accommodation in Rayong province yesterday, December 16, which was also the victim’s birthday. Officers from Nikhom Phattana Police Station, along with rescue workers from the Siam Rayong Foundation, rushed to a room in the Nikhom Phattana district at around 2am after receiving a…
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3 foreign motorcyclists abandon injured friend and woman after crash in Phuket
Three foreign motorcyclists fled the scene and abandoned their injured friend after running a red light and crashing into a Thai woman’s motorcycle in Phuket this morning, December 17. According to Phuket Times, the accident occurred at an intersection near the popular restaurant Go Benz Rice Porridge Phuket, where Patiphat Road meets Vichitsongkram Road. The crash happened after four foreign motorcyclists…
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Motorcycle taxi driver found dead in police outpost bathroom
A motorcycle taxi driver was found dead in the bathroom of a police outpost in Prachin Buri on December 16, with police estimating he had been dead for more than 24 hours. Officers from Sri Maha Phot Police Station were alerted to the incident at the Khok Khwang checkpoint toilet in Sri Maha Phot subdistrict. Emergency responders from the Sawang…
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Malaysian pencak silat team allegedly assaults referees after SEA Games dispute
The Malaysian pencak silat team allegedly assaulted referees and competition officials during the SEA Games competition in Thailand on Monday, December 15, saying the referee team favored the Thai athlete. The incident took place during the women’s pencak silat Class B (50–55kg) quarter-final match between Jongthima Ruenthong of Thailand and Nor Farah Mazlan of Malaysia at Impact Arena, Muang Thong…
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Daughter pleads for help after mother goes missing in Chon Buri
The disappearance of a mother with Alzheimer’s disease in Chon Buri on December 7 has prompted her daughter to reach out to the media and the public for help. On December 15, 27 year old Phimphilat Noen-iam reached out to local reporters to raise awareness about the disappearance of her mother, 55 year old Phannee Noen-iam, known in the community…
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Foreign motorcyclist nearly loses leg after crashing into parked pickup in Pattaya
A foreign man nearly lost his leg after crashing his motorcycle into a parked pickup truck on a road in Pattaya late on Monday night, December 15. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station received a report of the accident at 11.36pm. The crash occurred on Thepprasit Road near the entrance to Soi Thepprasit 6. Police coordinated with rescue workers from…
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Two lucky Lottery Plus buyers claim 48 million baht first prize
Two lucky lottery buyers from Chon Buri and Sakon Nakhon won big through Lottery Plus yesterday, December 16, claiming a total of 48 million baht. The winning first-prize tickets sold via Lottery Plus totalled eight tickets, amounting to 48 million baht in winnings. Five of the tickets belonged to a winner in Chon Buri, and three to a buyer in…
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