News
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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Broke online seller robs Bangkok petrol station with fake gun
A young online vendor was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly robbing a petrol station with a fake gun during the night to escape financial hardship. The suspect, identified as 23 year old Phutawan, was arrested for allegedly robbing a petrol station in the Bang Bon area using a toy firearm while disguised in delivery rider gear. The incident occurred on…
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Revered foreign monk hospitalised after fall in Udon Thani temple
A respected foreign monk was hospitalised after suffering a fall at his temple, prompting surgery and a request for followers to delay visits while he recovers. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, November 16, when the elderly monk reportedly slipped and fell inside his kuti (monk’s hut) at Wat Kaset Silakhun, also known as Wat Pa Ban…
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More cold weather and heavy rain forecasted for Thailand
A powerful cold front is sweeping across Thailand, bringing cooler temperatures, strong winds and heavy rain to several regions, according to forecasters. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reports that a fresh high-pressure front is extending from China into the upper northeast and will spread across upper Thailand and the South China Sea. Combined with persistent easterly winds, this will bring…
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Police investigate death of elderly man after suspected drug use at sexual gathering
A 70 year old man was found dead on November 16 at a residence in Lopburi province, following a reported gathering involving drug use and sexual activity. Authorities have not released the man’s identity. Officers from Mueang Lop Buri Police Station responded to a call at 10.28pm and found the man lying unresponsive and unclothed on a sofa in the…
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Thai taxi rider arrested for filming police cadet in mall bathroom after drug use
Police arrested a motorcycle taxi rider on Saturday, November 15, for secretly filming a police cadet in a shopping mall bathroom in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. The 26 year old cadet reported the incident to Mueang Udon Thani Police Station after noticing the suspect using a mobile phone to record him while he was using the bathroom. The cadet…
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American man knocked out in Bangla Road fight
Phuket Tourist Police officers rushed to assist an American man who lost consciousness on Bangla Road after he got into a fight with another foreigner last night, November 16. The Phuket Times Facebook page reposted a video of the physical altercation between two foreign men on Bangla Road with a caption reading, “Bangla Stadium! Free great boxing show! One punch…
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Thailand accuses Cambodia of border aggression in UN letter
Thailand has submitted a formal letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing Cambodia of ongoing hostile actions, including the recent placement of landmines and an armed cross-border confrontation. The Thai government has called for international accountability and an immediate halt to what it describes as repeated provocations. The letter, dated November 14 and signed by Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Thailand’s…
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Thai woman confesses to police officer’s murder, citing abusive affair
A 20 year old Thai woman confessed to murdering a police officer at his home in Chiang Mai province, claiming they had been having an affair and that the officer repeatedly abused her. A friend discovered the body of the 53 year old police officer on November 15. According to the friend, he visited the officer frequently and found his…
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Rayong father suggests dog attack kills his 2 year old son
A missing two year old Thai boy was found dead on a roadside in the eastern province of Rayong on Friday, November 14. His father denied abusing the child and suggested that he may have died from a dog attack. The boy, Toto, went missing around midnight on Friday, prompting his father, 21 year old Korn, to appeal for help…
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Former soldier arrested for robbery in Bangkok, disguised as woman
Police have arrested a 23 year old former conscript accused of a convenience store robbery in Bangkok while disguised as a woman, pocketing around 10,000 baht in cash. The suspect, identified only as Thanathon, was apprehended yesterday, November 16, at a condominium in the Ramkhamhaeng area by officers from Bangkok Metropolitan Police Division 4 and Hua Mak Police Station. Items…
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Three Thai double-track railway projects set for Cabinet review
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to submit three major double-track railway projects in the southern region for Cabinet consideration in December, aiming to begin the bidding process in 2026. Anan Pho-nimdaeng, SRT deputy governor and acting governor, announced today, November 17, that three southern routes under the second phase of the double-track rail development programme are progressing the…
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Foreign man caught stealing 199-baht sunglasses in Phuket
A security camera footage capturing a foreign man stealing sunglasses from a shop in Phuket yesterday, November 16, was shared across social media. The employee of an accessory shop in Phuket shared the CCTV footage with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page in an attempt to identify and locate the foreign thief. According to the worker, the man tried on several…
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Thailand video news | Thailand updates alcohol rules, Thailand introduces new tax on low-cost imports
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex covers key stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia, including changes to the alcohol laws, a new tax on low-cost imports aimed at protecting local SMEs, several incidents involving misbehaving foreigners, and a few feel-good updates to end on a positive note. Thailand Updates Alcohol Rules with New Sales and Closing Hours Thailand has…
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Second Russian man arrested over drug sale QR code stickers in Phuket
Police arrested another Russian drug dealer on Friday, November 14, following an extended investigation into drug sale QR code stickers placed on utility poles across Phuket. The investigation was expanded after a Russian man was arrested on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province earlier in November for promoting drug sales via QR codes. The suspect was found placing QR code…
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12 Chinese drug users and 20 illegal Vietnamese workers arrested in Pattaya club raid
Police raided an entertainment venue in Pattaya yesterday, discovering 12 Chinese nationals who tested positive for drugs and 20 Vietnamese workers without permits. More than 100 officers from Provincial Police Region 2 raided Space Club Pattaya on Pattaya Sai Sam Road in Bang Lamung district at 2.49am. Channel 7 reported that this operation differed from previous ones, as officers did…
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Bhumjaithai hits back at looming Pheu Thai no-confidence motion
The Bhumjaithai Party says it’s unfazed by an expected no-confidence motion from Pheu Thai, insisting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s administration is already showing results. Nan Boonthida Somchai, a spokesperson for Bhumjaithai, said yesterday, November 16, that the party is fully prepared to respond to the censure debate, which Pheu Thai has signalled it will launch soon. Anutin, who has been…
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Foreign man fined for strolling naked while visiting Thai wife in Kamphaeng Phet
Yesterday, A foreign man captured the attention of locals after strolling naked through a local market and a convenience store in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. Residents buying groceries at Khlong Lan Market recorded the man calmly walking around without clothes. In the clips shared on social media, bystanders stare in disbelief as the man casually makes a payment at…
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Thailand and Sweden eye bigger trade boost and tech ties
Thailand and Sweden held talks to boost bilateral trade and investment, focusing on technology, green products, and a potential EU free trade agreement. In a high-level meeting on Friday, November 14, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun sat down with Swedish Ambassador Anna Hammargren to push forward the Thailand-Sweden Strategic Partnership and discuss fast-tracking negotiations on a long-awaited Thailand–EU free trade agreement.…
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Trump threatens to sue BBC for US$5 billion over speech edit
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the BBC over an edited broadcast of his speech, claiming it falsely implied a call for violent action. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump vowed legal action against the BBC’s flagship Panorama programme, accusing it of manipulating footage from his controversial speech on January 6, 2021. “We’ll sue them for anywhere…
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Thailand’s airport rail deal faces legal showdown
Thailand’s Transport Ministry has raised concerns over proposed contract changes to a major airport rail project, warning of legal risks if the deal is altered. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, who also chairs the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee, has called for a balanced and legally sound resolution to the dispute surrounding the 224 billion baht project linking Don Mueang,…
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Chinese fake tour guide arrested after 1,043-day overstay
Tourist Police arrested a Chinese national in Pattaya for working illegally as a tour guide while overstaying his visa by nearly three years. Undercover Tourist Police swooped in on a Chinese tour group early on Wednesday, November 12, arresting 30 year old Jinlei (surname withheld), who was caught leading tourists with a fake tour guide licence while overstaying his visa…
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Arsenic alert in Mekong prompts urgent government action
The People’s Party (PP) has called on the government to address arsenic contamination in the Mekong River caused by foreign mining, urging immediate action. The spread is believed to be caused by foreign mining activities in China, Myanmar, and Laos. Chiang Mai MP and PP deputy spokesperson, Phattarapong Leelaphat, voiced concerns on Facebook, accusing the government of remaining silent despite…
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Woman caught smoking meth in Pattaya temple bathroom
A homeless woman was caught using methamphetamine in a temple bathroom in Pattaya after a concerned resident alerted police to a suspicious smell. At 12.10am yesterday, November 15, patrol officers from Nongprue Police Station responded to an unusual tip-off at Wat Chai Mongkol, a temple near Walking Street in South Pattaya. A concerned citizen had reported a strange chemical odour…
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Lottery fever spikes as lucky signs sweep Thailand
As the next lottery draw nears, hopeful Thais across the country are searching for lucky numbers through signs, spirits, and superstitions. This month’s frenzy centres around a flurry of spiritual signs, superstitions, and vehicle registrations, all believed to hold the key to fortune. The draw will take place at Sanambinnam in Nonthaburi, and as the big day approaches, popular numbers…
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Cool weather kicks in as storms brew across Thailand
A cold snap and stormy conditions are sweeping across Thailand as a weather system from China brings strong winds, rain, and cooler temperatures nationwide. A moderate high-pressure system from China is sweeping across upper Thailand and the South China Sea, bringing cool to cold mornings and strong winds to northern, northeastern, central, and eastern regions, including Bangkok. The northeast is…
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Why is everyone talking about investing in 2025?
If there’s one financial topic dominating conversations right now, it’s investing in 2025. Across Reddit threads and Wall Street trading floors, sentiment is cautiously optimistic—though somewhat weary—about what the next 12 months may bring. But what’s really behind this growing interest? And why are more people than ever, from seasoned investors to first-timers, choosing to jump in? The Economic Rebound…
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143 macaques rescued in Sa Kaeo border smuggling raid
Thai officials rescued 143 macaques during two anti-smuggling operations near the Sa Kaeo border, targeting a cross-border wildlife trafficking ring. The first raid occurred around 3pm yesterday, November 14, in Ban Khao Chong Khaep, Khlong Hat district, where a joint task force uncovered 62 long-tailed macaques packed inside plastic crates hidden in a sugarcane field. No suspects were apprehended at…
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Thailand to tax cheap imports to protect local SMEs
Thailand will impose a 10% customs duty on low-cost imports to support local SMEs, following concerns about cheap foreign goods harming domestic industries. The duty will be introduced on January 1, a major policy shift aimed at shielding local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the rising tide of cheap foreign products. Finance Minister Ekniti Nithanprapas announced the move, which…
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Rare great hornbill spotted in Chiang Mai after 10 years
A great hornbill was spotted in a Chiang Mai national park, marking the first confirmed sighting in over a decade and signalling improved forest health. Chiang Mai’s Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park is celebrating a major ecological milestone after spotting a great hornbill, also known locally as nok kahang or nok gak, for the first time in over a…
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Toddler found dead by Rayong roadside prompts police probe
Police in Rayong are investigating after a toddler’s body was found near a roadside restaurant, with signs of severe injuries and possible foul play. Rayong police have launched a full-scale investigation after the body of a two year old boy was discovered abandoned and unclothed near a roadside restaurant in Mueang subdistrict, Nikhom Phatthana district. Officers were alerted to the…
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