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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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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Nigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court
Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on Wednesday, January 14, after he skipped court proceedings following an earlier arrest. Officers from the Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off that the suspect, 38 year old Nigerian national Ukoma Jefta Nuzbech, who was wanted in a drug case, was travelling along a road…
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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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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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Pattaya begging crackdown sees repeat offenders nabbed
Pattaya officials stepped up efforts to tackle street begging yesterday, January 15, with a joint evening operation across tourist-heavy areas. The operation resulted in the detention and screening of 15 individuals, including repeat offenders and foreign nationals. The evening operation was led by Bang Lamung Deputy District Chief Nathaphop Yom Jinda and Pattaya Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Phinitkan. It brought together…
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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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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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35 Thais detained after allegedly being forced to work in Cambodia
Thai police yesterday, January 15, detained 35 Thai nationals near the Aranyaprathet border in Sa Kaeo province after they illegally crossed back from Cambodia, claiming they had been unknowingly taken out of the country and forced into online scam operations. The Burapha Task Force, along with rangers from the 12th unit’s Company 1206, found the group walking along a forested…
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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 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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Outrage over illegal sex products and cigarettes sold in Pattaya
Tourists and locals are demanding a crackdown from authorities after spotting vendors blatantly selling sex pills, sex toys, and contraband cigarettes in plain sight along Pattaya beach road yesterday, January 15. The complaints highlight the sale of illegal items in crowded tourist areas across Pattaya. Several vendors were spotted parking motorcycles along the beachfront and displaying their goods in full…
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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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Train-crane crash claims woman en route to father’s funeral
A woman travelling home for her father’s funeral was among those killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani express train in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Sikhio district. The woman, identified as 31 year old, Chanan, was returning to her hometown in Surin province to attend her father’s funeral, scheduled for January 17. She had worked in Bangkok for over…
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Justice finds Khon Kaen man after brutal attack on wife and child
A man in Khon Kaen was arrested today, January 15, after video footage of him violently assaulting his wife and two year old son at home surfaced online earlier this week. The incident came to light on January 12 after video footage circulated on social media showing a man, known as Jakkrit, physically assaulting his young child and partner at…
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Chinese man spotted roaming around Pattaya after robbing real estate agent
Pattaya police are continuing their manhunt for a Chinese man wanted for robbing a fellow Chinese woman, after the suspect was spotted on CCTV at a convenience store near Jomtien Beach today, January 15. The victim, 35 year old Chinese real estate agent Yang Wang, filed a complaint with Nong Prue Police Station after the robbery occurred at around midnight…
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The King grants royal patronage to victims of Korat railway disaster
Today, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen have expressed deep concern and sorrow following a tragic incident where a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train, resulting in numerous casualties. In response, His Majesty has accepted all injured passengers as patients under royal patronage and placed the deceased under royal patronage, granting 20,000 baht per family to…
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China steps in with 90 million baht aid after Thai train tragedy
China has reaffirmed its close diplomatic ties with Thailand today, January 15, by donating 20 million yuan, approximately 90 million baht, in humanitarian aid, in the wake of a crane collapse at a high-speed rail construction site. At 11am today, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jianwei met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the Government House to formally deliver the assistance. The…
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Elusive crested jayshrike spotted on Kaeng Krachan forest trail
A rare crested jayshrike made a surprise appearance yesterday, January 14, on a forest trail in Phetchaburi’s Kaeng Krachan National Park, stunning birdwatchers and park officials. Mongkol Chaiphakdi, chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, said the elusive bird was seen near the 18-kilometre forest trail known as Ban Chang Yieb, which leads up to Panoenthung mountain. The encounter was captured…
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Thai man shares final moment with girlfriend killed in Korat crane collapse
A Thai man shared heartbreaking footage of the final moments he spent with his girlfriend before she was killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, January 14. The woman, Chananya Wongchan, was among 32 victims who lost their lives after a crane from the elevated Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway construction fell onto a…
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Government urges caution as PM2.5 levels hit dangerous highs
Thailand‘s government has issued a warning today, January 15, over rising levels of PM2.5 air pollution expected between January 14 and 16, urging strict control of pollution sources and greater public caution, particularly in Bangkok and surrounding areas. Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Pairsawetthawana said the Air Pollution Solution Communication Centre under the Pollution Control Department (APSC) had reported a significant…
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Royal Thai Army admits 8 drunk soldiers beat conscript to death
The Royal Thai Army admitted that eight soldiers physically assaulted three conscripts at Sura Dham Pithak Military Camp in Nakhon Ratchasima, resulting in the death of one of the victims. The case came to public attention after the family of a 21 year old private, Krittanon Phonchantuek, spoke out on social media to condemn the abuse inside the military camp.…
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Thailand’s conservative parties push back on charter rewrite
Yesterday, January 14, three of Thailand’s conservative political parties reaffirmed their opposition to replacing the current constitution, warning that the move could be costly and politically risky. Key figures from the Rak Chart Thai Party, Thai Pakdee Party, and the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party voiced their stance during campaign activities in Nakhon Ratchasima and Surat Thani, stating they would…
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UAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya
A tourist from the United Arab Emirates lost around 14,500 baht in cash after being pickpocketed by two foreign men in Pattaya yesterday, January 14. The victim, 45 year old Mohamed Abdelkaliq Abdalla Khadim Almaazmi, filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 7am on Tuesday, January 13, after realising that cash had gone missing from his trouser…
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Thailand News|Massive crane collapse in Korat trains claims dozens of lives,Thailand sees strong tourist numbers in early 2026, Thailand’s night markets shine in global rankings
Today we’ll be giving you an update on the horrifying crane collapse that claimed dozens of lives yesterday, the United States is officially halting visa processing for Thai applicants in less than a week, and a little later we’ll try to brighten your day with news about tourism numbers, exotic wildlife, and Thailand’s thriving night markets. Massive Crane Collapse in…
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People’s Party MP candidate arrested over alleged online gambling links
Police arrested a Member of Parliament (MP) candidate from the People’s Party yesterday, January 14, at his home in Bangkok over alleged involvement in an online gambling network and money laundering. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided the residence of 32 year old Ratchapong “Pond” Soisuwan at around 5.30pm. The property is located in Nuan Chan Village,…
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Search underway for missing TikTok fishing star in Chon Buri
A popular fishing content creator went missing yesterday, January 14, after his boat was found drifting unmanned in Mabprachan Reservoir, Chon Buri. Rescue teams launched an urgent search following reports that he had vanished while testing the boat. Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya Rescue Centre received a report of a possible drowning at Mabprachan Reservoir in Pong subdistrict, Bang Lamung district,…
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