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.
-
2 Frenchmen arrested for assault on Thai motorcyclist in Phuket Songkran celebrations
A Thai man suffered serious injuries after he was attacked by Frenchmen in Phuket on April 13 after refusing to join a Songkran water fight. The victim’s girlfriend, 27 year old Maytinee Sila, went to Patong Police Station on the day of the incident to report the assault on her 29 year old boyfriend, Kunanya Phokham. The incident took place at…
-
Thailand video news | Songkran road toll climbs as return travel raises fresh safety concerns, Patong police detain tourists accused of targeting officers with water guns
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay cover stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The headlines include both the highs and lows of Songkran. ASEAN leaders also respond to rising tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, air pollution continues to worsen in northern Thailand. Songkran Road Toll Climbs as Return Travel Raises Fresh Safety Concerns Thailand recorded 191 deaths…
-
Phichit man reports sexual assault by women and transwomen during Songkran
A man filed a police complaint after a group of women and transwomen sexually assaulted him during Songkran celebrations in Phichit province, leaving hickey on his neck. The victim, identified only as Chitsanupong, shared photos of marks on his neck on Facebook yesterday, April 15. Based on the tagged location in the post, the sexual assault took place at Songkran…
-
Cat bites owner, stops Thai train, gets blamed for seven-hour delay
A cat that attacked its owner and scratched fellow passengers on a southbound train has been blamed online for a seven-hour delay, though passengers say two successive engine failures were the real cause. Rapid Train No.169, travelling from Bangkok Aphiwat to Yala, arrived at Yala station at 6.15pm on Monday, 430 minutes behind schedule. A Facebook post by Kijja Pongpisan,…
-
Police confirm accidental death of man found near Sukhumvit building
Police have confirmed the death of Hotesh (Nikhil) Sham Dodani, a 37 year old Thai resident, was accidental, with police and post-mortem reports now providing verified findings after initial reports could not confirm the full circumstances surrounding his death on April 4. Police Lieutenant Panurut Limsangkad from Thonglor Police Station responded to the scene on Soi Sukhumvit 24, Khlong Tan…
-
Phuket locals call for tougher action on foreigners with disruptive behaviour during Songkran
A group of foreigners in Phuket is facing public criticism after reports of aggressive behaviour during Songkran Festival, including blocking roads, harassing motorists and inappropriate conduct towards women. Officers from Patong Police Station arrested the group on April 14 after a viral video showed them forcing open a van door and throwing water at the driver and inside the vehicle.…
-
Chiang Mai records highest drink driving cases during Songkran
Drunk driving accounted for 3,726 cases recorded during the 2026 Songkran Festival, with Chiang Mai reporting the highest number, according to Thailand’s Department of Probation. Director-General Piya Raksakun said the department instructed probation offices nationwide to enforce strict measures under campaigns promoting road safety, including “safe driving, reduce speed, reduce accidents,” and efforts to reduce road incidents during the holiday…
-
Air quality in Thailand worsens as pollution levels rise in 42 provinces
Air quality across Thailand has deteriorated significantly, with PM2.5 levels breaching safety thresholds in 42 provinces spanning the north, northeast, and central regions, as forecasters warn of worsening pollution over the coming week. The Air Pollution Resolution Communication Centre reported on Tuesday, April 15, that readings taken at 7am showed unsafe PM2.5 concentrations across a broad swath of the country.…
-
102-year-old ‘Khun Yai Whin’ walks unaided at Songkran festival
A 102 year old woman known as “Khun Yai Whin” became the highlight of this year’s Songkran celebrations in Mueang district, Pathum Thani, walking unaided and drawing admiration from the more than 500 people in attendance. The festival, held today, April 15, at the multipurpose area of Baan Klang subdistrict, centred on honouring the elderly in keeping with Thai new…
-
Thailand’s Songkran campaign sees 154 deaths amid 755 road crashes
Thailand recorded 755 road accidents during the first four days of the Songkran “Seven Days of Danger” campaign, from April 10 to 13, leaving 705 people injured and 154 dead. Lampang led the country in total incidents with 33 accidents and 34 injuries, while Bangkok recorded the highest death toll at eight fatalities, underscoring the severity of the situation in…
-
Thailand braces for summer storms with potential hail and lightning
Thailand’s Meteorological Department has issued its second storm warning of the season, alerting residents across upper Thailand to prepare for a spell of severe weather running from Thursday through Monday. The warning follows the arrival of a high-pressure system carrying cold air from China across the South China Sea, which is intensifying southerly and southeasterly winds across the lower Northeast…
-
Chiang Rai Songkran festival boosts tourism despite heat
Chiang Rai’s Songkran festival draws crowds to the Mekong River, with tourists cooling off in water activities and celebrating the Thai New Year along the banks in Chiang Saen district. The “Maha Songkran Three Nations” festival officially kicked off on April 13, with visitors braving the northern Thailand heat to join in the festivities. The Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organisation,…
-
Man arrested for groping journalist during Songkran festival
Police arrested a man accused of groping a female journalist on Rama 4 Road during Songkran celebrations on Sunday afternoon. Officers from Pathumwan station apprehended Methasit (surname withheld) at 4.30pm on April 13 after he allegedly touched a journalist on her left buttock while she was reporting on the water festival. The journalist said she was walking along the road…
-
Jet fuel costs force Korean budget airlines to cut Thai flights
South Korean budget airlines are cutting and suspending flights to Thailand as rising jet fuel costs, worsened by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, squeeze low-cost carriers on the route. T’way Air announced via Facebook that its daily service between Suvarnabhumi and Incheon airports will continue only until May 9, after which it will be reduced to twice weekly…
-
Chinese man caught stealing on flight to Thailand
Thai tourist police arrested a Chinese national on Sunday, April 13, after he was caught stealing cash from a fellow passenger aboard a flight arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Laos. Officers from Tourist Police Division 3, under Tourist Police Bureau 1, detained the suspect, Zheng, upon landing. Police recovered 16,020 baht in cash linked to the theft, along with various…
-
Four killed in tragic Songkran road accident in Pathum Thani
Four people were killed and several others injured on Sunday after a car returning from Songkran celebrations collided with a motorcycle on the Taling Chan-Suphan Buri Road in Pathum Thani province. A survivor said poor lighting at the scene contributed to the crash. The collision occurred at the entrance of the Na Mai Subdistrict Administration Office on the road heading…
-
Swedish man crashes truck on Pattaya beach, injures tourist
An 83 year old Swedish man lost control of his pickup truck at a Pattaya viewpoint on Saturday, sending the vehicle crashing through metal railings and plunging three metres onto the beach below. One tourist was injured in the incident, which took place during the busy Songkran long weekend. The accident occurred at around 4pm at the Yinyom Beach Viewpoint…
-
Foreigners cause chaos with fire extinguisher in Pattaya Songkran festivities
Two foreigners caused a disturbance on Walking Street in South Pattaya during Songkran celebrations early on Sunday after using a fire extinguisher to spray at bystanders and motorcycles, leaving a trail of chemical residue and damage. The incident happened at around 5am and was captured on video, which quickly spread across a popular local Facebook group. One post described the…
-
Thai man caught smuggling petrol in watermelon truck to Myanmar
A 56 year old Thai man was arrested on April 12 while transporting nearly 400 litres of petrol hidden beneath a load of watermelons in a pickup truck, with plans to sell the fuel across the border into Myanmar at a significant markup. The arrest took place at a joint checkpoint in Nong Lu subdistrict, Sangkhlaburi district, Kanchanaburi province. Soldiers…
-
Trat officials seize five boats in Cambodia smuggling bust
Officials intercepted a smuggling operation transporting consumer goods and animal products from Thailand to Cambodia along the coastal border in Hat Lek, Trat, on April 12, seizing multiple boats and arresting six suspects. The operation was carried out by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai MECC) in Trat, working with the Royal Thai Marine Corps task force and border…
-
Indian tourist reports 25k baht theft by transgender in Pattaya
An Indian tourist filed a police report after allegedly being robbed by a transgender woman in a hotel room in Pattaya, Chon Buri, early yesterday, April 11. The incident was reported at 1.06am to Mueang Pattaya Police Station. The victim, identified as 59 year old Chandra, said cash totalling about 25,000 baht was taken from his room. The amount included…
-
Fatal collision claims two lives during Phatthalung’s dangerous period
Two people died after a high-speed motorcycle collision on April 11 in Phatthalung, raising the province’s death toll during the annual Songkran seven-day dangerous period to two. The incident took place at 6.50pm on Phetkasem Road along the Phatthalung-Trang route, in Khok Chai Ngai subdistrict, Mueang district, Phatthalung province. A BMW S1000RR motorcycle with a Bangkok registration was found at…
-
Bedridden Swiss man dies in Pattaya room fire
A 79 year old Swiss man died in a room fire at a rental property in Pong subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, yesterday, April 11, with police suspecting a cigarette butt may have caused the blaze. Police were alerted to the fire at 6.06am in Soi Huai Yai Muk, Moo 6, and responded with firefighters from Pong Municipality and…
-
Phuket landfill fire contained but smoke continues
A fire broke out at a waste site in Saphan Hin, Mueang district, Phuket, yesterday, April 11, with officials containing the blaze but warning of ongoing smoke from the landfill blaze. The incident was reported at about 3.17pm at the Phuket City Municipality landfill site. Flames were found in landfill pits four and five, with the fire believed to have…
-
US banks warned of cyber risks from new AI model
Top executives from major American banks were warned by a senior US government official about potential cyberattack risks linked to a new artificial intelligence model from Anthropic, with a closed-door meeting held in Washington, DC. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed a select group of bank CEOs, including those from Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo, warning that integrating the…
-
18-wheeler crash in Lampang leaves two dead, eight injured
A fatal multi-vehicle collision involving an 18-wheeler in Lampang left two people dead and eight injured on the Tak–Lampang road in Thoen district yesterday, April 11. Police were alerted to the incident at 2.45pm on Phahonyothin Road, on the inbound lane opposite the entrance to Mae Wa National Park in Thoen district. Officers from Thoen Police Station attended the scene…
-
Thai police report 2,617 drink-driving cases as Songkran begins
Thai police recorded 2,617 drink-driving cases on the first day of the Songkran festival holiday, as millions of Thais hit the road to travel home and visit tourist destinations. Police General Samran Nuanma, deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, and Police General Somprasong Yentuam, a special expert of the Royal Thai Police, gave details on the situation as the…
-
Foreign rider rides against traffic, flips off driver in Chon Buri
A foreign motorcyclist was detained yesterday, April 11, after riding against traffic, raising his middle finger and tearing up a police ticket in Mueang district, Chon Buri, in a traffic incident shared widely on social media. A video circulating online showed the man riding a motorcycle against traffic before stopping in front of a parked car outside a shopping centre…
-
Rama 2 Road construction paused for Songkran, easing traffic
Rama 2 Road clear for Songkran travellers as construction halts Traffic on Rama 2 Road was flowing smoothly in both directions as of 7pm on April 11, with vehicles moving at speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour. The Department of Highways confirmed the update after temporarily halting all construction work on the road, reopening main lanes to ease…
-
16 foreign women arrested in Pattaya for prostitution activities
Thai tourist police and partner agencies arrested 16 foreign women during a sweep of Pattaya‘s main tourist strips for suspected prostitution. The operation was directed by Pol Lt Col Praba Da Suksuntri, superintendent of Tourist Police Station 4 under the 2nd Division, 1st Tourist Police Bureau in Chon Buri. A joint team of tourist police investigators, officials from the Chon…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.