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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Drug offender’s father killed in explosion while fighting police
A Thai father in Chiang Rai lost his life in an explosion yesterday, August 18, while trying to hold off police to allow his son, who is wanted for drug offences, to escape from arrest. Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) Division 3 and soldiers went to search a house in Huai Chomphu subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai district yesterday…
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Drunk man found lying naked on footpath in Chai Nat, blames heat
Police in Mueang Chai Nat were called yesterday, August 18, after a drunk man was found lying naked on a footpath in front of homes in the town. The man later said he had removed his clothes because he felt hot after drinking. A patrol reached the scene and found the 61 year old asleep on the pavement. Officers spent…
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Thai-Scottish star Ray MacDonald dies aged 49
Thai-Scottish actor and television presenter Ray MacDonald died at his home in Bangkok today, August 19, according to reports from several major outlets. The 49 year old’s cause of death is still being examined. According to MGR Entertainment, MacDonald’s wife found him unresponsive on a sofa at their home at around 6.20am. She reportedly tried to wake him before noticing…
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Thailand video news | Suvarnabhumi expands automated immigration access for 31 more nationalities, Thai hospitals are struggling with patient surge
In the Thailand video news, Alex covers news stories from across Thailand. The stories include Suvarnabhumi Airport expanding automated immigration access for 31 more nationalities, and a Thai emergency doctor warning that hospitals are struggling with a recent surge in patients. In related news, a prominent fitness coach tragically passed away after collapsing at Hyrox Bangkok last week. Also, a…
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Aussie accused in Pattaya teen suitcase murder case nears trial
Thai police have revealed that a Pattaya teenager found dead inside a suitcase in June died from suffocation caused by a brain injury, as the investigation into her alleged murder by an Australian man nears completion. “The autopsy report said that Cake had a brain injury and she suffocated. She had no other injuries,” Pattaya City Police Station Superintendent Colonel…
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Koh Tao nominee crackdown finds 2 tourism businesses in breach
Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) launched a crackdown on nominee businesses in Koh Tao, Surat Thani, inspecting 12 tourism businesses and finding two of them violating laws. DBD Director-General Poonphong Naiyanapakorn stated yesterday, August 18, that the inspection took place on August 17 as part of a joint operation to tackle nominee businesses in Thailand’s tourism sector. The operation…
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Thai worker dies in Israel, cause still unconfirmed
A Thai worker has died in unclear circumstances at his accommodation in Israel, and his family in Buriram is now waiting for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death. Relatives in Thong Lang subdistrict, Ban Mai Chaiyaphot district, spoke to reporters yesterday, August 18, while awaiting news from the agencies handling the case. The worker was identified as 35…
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ER doctor says 10 doctors a shift still cannot keep up with patient numbers
A doctor working in a Thai hospital emergency room says the department has been overwhelmed for the past two to three months. Even with more than 10 doctors rostered on the morning shift, the team cannot examine patients fast enough. The doctor set out the daily staffing in a Facebook post, alongside photographs of patients lying on trolleys. Some of…
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Thai app taxi rider injured in accident caused by foreign driver in Phuket
A Thai app-based taxi rider suffered serious injuries after a foreign driver drove against the traffic flow and collided with his motorcycle in Phuket. The rider said he has not received compensation and is asking police and relevant officials to take action on the case. Phuket Times reported the incident on Facebook today, August 18. According to the report, the foreign driver…
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How Thailand became one of Asia’s busiest crypto crossroads
Thailand now lets tourists convert cryptocurrency to baht and spend it by QR code in a 7-Eleven. The same country arrested the operator of the world’s largest dark web marketplace in a Bangkok suburb. Both facts belong to the same story: for more than a decade, Thailand has been where crypto’s money, talent and trouble come to land. The adoption…
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2 Thai workers seriously injured in explosion near Israel-Lebanon border
Six Thai workers were injured in an explosion at an agricultural area near the border of Israel and Lebanon this morning, August 18. Two workers are reportedly in critical condition. Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that police and a medical team received a report of an explosion in a nectarine orchard near Metula at 6.52am local time. Police attended the…
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Boxing camp manager caught smuggling migrants in Prachin Buri
Police arrested a boxing camp manager and ten undocumented migrants in Prachin Buri today, August 18, after a pickup truck carrying the group allegedly fled a police stop and ended up stranded on a village road. The driver, identified as 42 year old Wichan, was arrested with nine Bangladeshi nationals and one Myanmar national in Wang Tha Chang subdistrict, Kabin…
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Sakon Nakhon police rescue 4 year old Thai boy clinging to ice truck
Police yesterday, August 17, rescued a four year old boy who was found clinging to the back of an ice delivery truck for over 10 kilometres along a road in Sakon Nakhon. Traffic police were conducting checks near the city gate intersection in Sakon Nakhon Municipality at about 12.20pm when they noticed the boy at the rear of the ice delivery…
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Thai embassy receives Ban Chiang artefacts in Switzerland
The Thai envoy to Switzerland received several artefacts reportedly from a historic site in Udon Thani from a Swiss national who said that the items had been passed down through his family. On August 11, Thai ambassador Pannapa Chantararom met the Swiss national, Albert Schussegger, in Bellinzona, southern Switzerland, to review the artefacts which are suspected to have originated from…
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Anutin pushes stronger Thailand-Australia ties on Sydney visit
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley in Sydney today, August 18, as Thailand and Australia seek to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors. Anutin paid a courtesy call on Beazley at 9.30am local time at Government House in New South Wales. The two exchanged views on Thailand-Australia relations and opportunities to expand cooperation in areas of…
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Fitness coach passes away after collapse at HYROX Bangkok 2026
A competitor at the BYD HYROX Bangkok 2026 fitness competition collapsed and lost consciousness during the event on August 13, was resuscitated and taken to hospital, before dying a short time later. The event ran from August 13 to 16 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. The man was later identified as Leroy Saunders, a fitness coach…
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Bangkok nightclub fire death toll rises to 41 amid bribery allegations
The death toll from the nightclub fire in Bangkok has risen to 41 after two more victims died from their injuries, police confirmed today, August 18. Investigators are also examining claims that the venue made payments to police. The fire broke out shortly before midnight on July 12 at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao in Chatuchak district. It was Thailand’s…
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Hat Yai traffic police denies Malaysian bikers’ claims of unfair treatment
A group of Malaysian bikers launched a boycott campaign against Thailand, alleging that Hat Yai traffic police treated them unfairly during a motorcycle inspection in Songkhla. Thai traffic police officer provided his account and denied the accusation. The campaign, called “Boikot Thailand”, was launched by Rider Malaysia under the slogan “Rider Malaysia Bukan Penjenayah!”, meaning “Malaysian riders are not criminals!”…
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Bryde’s whale carcass found among rocks off Chon Buri
A large Bryde’s whale carcass was found lodged among rocks off Samae San Island in Sattahip district, Chon Buri, yesterday, August 17, prompting a recovery operation and examination to determine the cause of death. The discovery was first reported online by Facebook user Surasak, who posted a video of a large whale carcass behind the island. Residents and fishing groups…
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Thailand video news | Bangkok tightens alcohol sales rules for minors and intoxicated customers, Foreign tourist loses tooth in unprovoked Pattaya street attack
In Thailand video news, Alex covers the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Bangkok is tightening alcohol sales rules for minors and intoxicated customers. Authorities are also investigating suspected nominee companies after villagers’ ID documents allegedly helped set up Chinese-owned businesses. Dentists face warnings over pre-signed cannabis prescriptions. In Southeast Asia, Bali has deported hundreds of foreigners for…
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Foreign man denied boarding over Machu Picchu passport stamp
A foreign traveller says he was denied boarding on a flight from Bangkok to Penang, Malaysia, because of a Machu Picchu passport stamp he received five years ago. The traveller shared a video describing the incident, claiming he was prevented from boarding in Bangkok after AirAsia staff contacted Malaysian immigration. He said he was told he could not enter Malaysia because…
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Influencer says 2 years of breathing trouble after rhinoplasty in Bangkok
An advocacy group plans to file a complaint with the Medical Council of Thailand after the influencer said her nose surgery left lasting complications.
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Police raid Bangkok visa agency over fake bank statements
Thai immigration police have raided a visa agency in Bangkok accused of forging bank statements and official stamps for European visa applications. Investigators believe more than 400 clients were involved. Immigration Division 3 announced the results on August 17. The case began with a tip-off from the embassy of a European country. Staff there had noticed that several Thai visa…
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Ambassador seeks tighter protection for Israeli nationals in Thailand
Israeli Ambassador met Surat Thani Provincial Police and Tourist Police to tighten safety for Israeli tourists in Thailand and boost cooperation across Koh Samui and nearby islands. Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Dr Alona Fisher-Kamm concluded an official visit to Surat Thani yesterday, August 17. During her visit, she held talks with senior police officials and provincial leadership to strengthen cooperation,…
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Pattaya homeless man attack leaves foreign tourist with broken tooth
A foreigner lost a tooth and suffered a mouth injury after a Thai homeless man punched him while he was smoking on the roadside in Pattaya on August 6. CCTV footage of the incident has since circulated on Thai social media. The footage timestamp indicates that the incident occurred at around 6.30pm on August 6 on Pattaya Sai Song Road.…
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ONE fighter hit by van during training run, 6 days before his bout
A ONE Championship Muay Thai fighter was hit by a passenger van while out on a training run along a road in Pathum Thani, preventing him from entering the ring for an upcoming fight on August 21. Sam Khok police were called to the accident scene on the road in Chiang Rak Noi subdistrict, Sam Khok district, at 6.30am on…
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Foreign woman relieves herself at Phuket beachwear shop doorway
CCTV camera at a market in Phuket captured a foreign woman urinating in a beachwear shop before walking away. The footage was posted on Phuket Times’ Facebook page on Saturday, August 15. The incident occurred in the Karon area, although the news agency did not specify the exact date and time. The video showed a foreign woman wearing white shorts…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat electricity worker fights for life after being stabbed on duty
A Thai man stabbed a Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) official for cutting off power at his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat over an unpaid bill, leaving the victim in critical condition. The attack happened on August 14 outside a residential area in Tha Ruea subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The injured victim, 32 year old Chawanit, was reported to be an official…
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Broker sold villagers’ IDs to register 35 Chinese nominee firms
Commerce Ministry inspectors found no business activity at the registered addresses in Khok Si Suphan, the department's director-general said
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Probe ordered after Koh Samui zoo owners reports death threat by Israeli
The Ministry of Interior intervened in a dispute between Israeli tourists and owners of a zoo on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province after the owners allegedly received death threats for refusing to serve Israeli nationals. Sai, a Thai woman who owns Samui Exotic Park in Mae Nam with her French husband, shared details of the dispute on social media.…
