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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Crane accident claims life of woman on train, prompts grief in Thailand
A tragic crane accident claimed the life of Chayani Wannathawi, aged 60, when it collapsed onto a train near Sikhiu subdistrict in Nakhon Ratchasima province on January 14. The incident resulted in a derailment and fire, causing multiple injuries and fatalities. Yesterday, on January 17, reporters visited Ban Phon Khwao Temple in Mueang Sisaket district, where funeral rites for Chayani…
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Man assaulted by teens in Chon Buri after social media row
A 26 year old man has reported an assault by a group of more than 20 teenagers who allegedly stormed into his home, using a rock to hit his head and attempting to stab him. This confrontation is believed to have been sparked by a social media argument. Today, on January 18, CCTV footage captured the moments when the group…
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Bangkok crime rates drop 17% in 2025, arrests improve
Bangkok recorded a notable decline in crime rates in 2025, alongside improved arrest rates. This reflected more proactive and targeted policing by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB). MPB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom released crime statistics covering the period from January 1 to December 31, comparing the figures with the same timeframe in 2024. He reported a significant year-on-year…
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Chiang Mai temple to ban tourists following ‘Disrespectful’ yoga
Chiang Mai Temple Threatens to Ban Tourists Following ‘Disrespectful’ Yoga and Climbing. CHIANG MAI – Wat Pha Lat, a historic temple in northern Thailand, issued a strict ultimatum to visitors. The administration warns that it may permanently close its gates to the public if tourists continue treating the sacred grounds as a gymnasium or recreational park. The 13th-century forest temple,…
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Chaiyaphum festival shooting leaves man blind, police delay charges
An altercation at an annual festival in Chaiyaphum led to a violent incident on Friday, January 16, when the owner of a BB gun shop allegedly shot the owner of a nearby ear-piercing shop. The victim suffered severe injuries, including blindness in the right eye. Despite the serious nature of the incident, police have not yet pressed charges against the…
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Banglamung man arrested for burglary to buy milk for child
Police in Banglamung district arrested a 36 year old man accused of breaking into his neighbour’s home to steal items, stating he needed money to purchase milk for his child. During a search of his residence, officers also uncovered drug paraphernalia and arrested another man for drug use. The arrest occurred yesterday, on January 17, when Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart,…
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Knife-wielding woman’s Sukhumvit rampage raises safety concerns
A woman wielding a knife caused chaos on Sukhumvit Road, attempting to stab passersby and sending shockwaves through the busy area as pedestrians scrambled to avoid the unfolding violence. It was revealed that she had been involved in a similar knife attack incident on a bus the previous month, suggesting a troubling pattern of behaviour. Locals eventually restrained her after…
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Phuket hotel staff issued key to intruder targeting female guest’s room
Phuket hotel admits a staff member issued a Master Key to an intruder caught on video trying to enter a female guest’s room. Police are investigating the security breach. PHUKET – A female tourist staying at a hotel in Phuket experienced a severe security breach after an intruder attempted to enter her room using an unauthorized key card. The events…
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Wild elephant enters temple during funeral
A wild elephant from Khao Yai National Park entered a temple during a funeral ceremony in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, causing monks and attendees to flee the area for safety. The incident occurred at around 7.20pm on January 16, 2026, at Wat Khao Wong in Nong Nam Daeng subdistrict. The elephant, known locally as “Phlai Duan”, walked into…
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Crane truck overturns injuring two people
A six-wheeled truck carrying a crane overturned near Nararat Bridge in Bangkok on January 17, 2026, leaving two people injured and causing traffic disruption while authorities cleared the scene and launched an investigation. The incident occurred at about 1.52pm on Chakraphong Road in Talat Yot subdistrict, Phra Nakhon district. Firefighters and rescue personnel from Phukhaothong Fire and Rescue Station were…
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Traffic police arrest three Vietnamese men with guns and drugs in Bangkok
Traffic police in Bangkok have arrested three Vietnamese men after firearms and illegal drugs were found during a routine drink-driving checkpoint in Wang Thonglang district. The arrests took place at about 1.40pm on January 17, 2026, when officers from Wang Thonglang Police Station were conducting alcohol breath tests in front of a petrol station on Pracha Uthit Road, in Phlapphla…
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Funeral shooting leaves one dead as suspect surrenders
A fatal shooting at a funeral ceremony in Phatthalung province has left one man dead, with the suspect surrendering to police several hours later and admitting to the killing. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on January 17, 2026, at Wat Khuan Peng in Moo 10, Khok Sai subdistrict, Pa Bon district. Police from Pa Bon Police Station were called…
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Engineers find the irregularities after crane collapse onto train
Structural engineers have identified several irregularities following the collapse of a construction crane onto a passenger train in Sikhiu district, while confirming that the primary cause of the incident has yet to be determined. At about 4.40pm on January 16, 2026, Mr. Chuleart Jitjueajun, vice president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand, led a team of engineers to inspect…
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Wife opposes bail for former deputy mayor in fatal shooting case
The wife of a man fatally shot in Phatthalung province has formally objected to bail for a former deputy mayor of a sub-district administrative organisation accused of carrying out the killing, following the suspect’s surrender to police. The shooting occurred at about 8.30am on January 16, 2026, on the Ban Hat Khai Tao–Fa La Mi road in Moo 11, Na…
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Search intensifies for second victim in well murder case
Rescue workers in Lopburi province intensified their search on January 17, 2026, after detecting an odour believed to be from a decomposing body inside an abandoned well, where a second murder victim is thought to be buried. The operation centres on the search for Ms Jiraporn, known as “Teacher Lek”, aged 61, who was allegedly killed by her nephew along…
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Rama 2 Road collapse overturns pickup truck in Bangkok
A section of Rama 2 Road collapsed early on the morning of January 17, 2026, causing a pickup truck to overturn in a Bangkok-bound lane and leading to severe traffic congestion in the area. The incident occurred at approximately 6.30am on the inbound side of Rama 2 Road, near the Big C Rama 2 shopping complex, in Samut Sakhon province.…
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Garage owner and cop exchange shots over noise complaints
A noise complaint turned into a late-night shootout in Nakhon Si Thammarat on Wednesday, January 14, after a police officer and a garage owner pulled guns on each other during an argument over after-hours car repairs. The incident took place around 11pm at a garage on Pak Nakhon Road in Tha Sak subdistrict, Mueang district. A police officer, reportedly intoxicated,…
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Plankton takeover gives Cha-am beach a green makeover
Tourists visiting Cha-am Beach and Bo Yai Beach in Phetchaburi were met with an unusual sight yesterday, January 15, as the sea along the shoreline turned a dark green colour due to a natural plankton bloom. The phenomenon, stretching over 2.5 kilometres of coastline, was most noticeable along the southern stretch of Cha-am Beach and near Ban Bo Yai Beach…
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Japanese man arrested after viral reviews on his illegal matcha stall
Online food reviews led to the arrest of a Japanese man for operating a matcha ice cream shop without permission in Chiang Mai. The apprehension later sparked a heated online debate, with some netizens accusing authorities of discrimination. The Japanese man, 39 year old Junichi, was operating a small matcha ice cream stall outside Yang Kwang Temple, located in the city…
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Former PM Thaksin may be released on parole in May
The former Prime Minister (PM) of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, may be eligible for release on parole in May, according to the Department of Corrections. Thaksin returned to Thailand in August and was taken into custody before being transferred to the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital under special detention arrangements. His hospital stay triggered widespread public debate, with critics…
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Steel bar dropped from condo crane pierces through Phuket home
A steel bar reportedly fell from a crane at a high-rise condominium construction site and pierced through a home near Surin Beach in Phuket on the night of Wednesday, January 14. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, despite the close call. The female homeowner shared a video of the shocking incident on social media, showing a long steel bar embedded through…
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Woman delivers healthy baby in rescue van in Samut Prakan
A pregnant woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl in a rescue vehicle in Samut Prakan yesterday, January 15, after going into labour unexpectedly. Her husband, who was driving at the time, pulled over and called for help. Rescue volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, at around 2.20pm, were alerted by the Samut Prakan emergency command centre about a 29…
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Thailand video news | Construction crane collapse on Rama II road kills two, Thailand introduces muay Thai visa to support international students
Today we’ll be talking about the two crane collapses in as many days and the company behind these disasters, plus, leading Thai political parties are vowing to reclassify cannabis in an effort to make the plant medical use only, and later on we’ll talk about the pea soup pollution that is currently plaguing the country. Don’t worry though, still some…
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PM Anutin orders termination and blacklisting of Italian-Thai Development
Thailand’s Prime Minister (PM) Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the Ministry of Transport to terminate construction contracts with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and blacklist the contractor, following a series of deadly infrastructure accidents that sparked intense public backlash. The decision comes in the wake of two high-profile tragedies: the crane collapse onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima and the crane accident on Rama…
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Russian doctor found dead in Pattaya after suspected attack
A Russian doctor was found dead in his hotel room in Pattaya earlier this month, with authorities investigating a possible link to a street assault he may have witnessed. Boris Tyutyunikov, a 41 year old oncologist from Krasnoyarsk, arrived in Thailand in early January and checked into a hotel on Jomtien Beach. He reportedly went silent on the same day…
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Bangkok air quality hits dangerous levels, but what’s causing the PM2.5 surge?
Air quality in Bangkok was once again hazardous this morning, January 16, with PM2.5 levels across the capital soaring above safe standards, prompting health warnings and calls to limit outdoor activities. At 7am, the Bangkok Air Quality Information Centre reported the average PM2.5 level in the city was 57.3 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), well above the national safety threshold…
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Bangkok ranked 3rd best city to visit by New York Times
Bangkok was named the third best city to visit in the world today, January 16, in The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2026 list, praised for its green spaces, vibrant art scene, and recent innovations in public transport. According to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, the city is proud to see its urban development and…
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South Korean man and Thai wife die in crane collapse one day after marriage
A South Korean man and his Thai wife lost their lives in the Nakhon Ratchasima crane disaster on Wednesday, January 14, one day after their marriage. Authorities confirmed that a German national and a South Korean man were among 32 people killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Korat on Wednesday. While the German man’s…
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3 missing passengers in Korat crane-train collision found alive
A medical official confirmed yesterday, January 15, that three people previously reported missing after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima were found safe and receiving treatment at hospital. The deadly incident occurred on Wednesday, January 14, when a crane from the elevated railway construction for the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed train collapsed onto a moving passenger…
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Phuket unveils ‘Dheveena’ sea goddess sculpture as new landmark
Phuket unveiled a new landmark, “Dheveena,” a large-scale public sculpture installed along the seafront at Saphan Hin Park in the Wichit sub-district, as part of the Thailand Biennale 2025. The fourth edition of the Thailand Biennale returned to Phuket on November 29 last year and will run for five months until April 30 this year. Under the theme “Eternal Kalpa,”…
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