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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Brake failure kills truck driver in fiery Sri Racha pile-up
A truck driver died and two others were injured when a lorry suffered brake failure and crashed into multiple vehicles on a steep road in Chon Buri. The horror smash unfolded around 8.30am yesterday, November 17, on Pinthong 3 Road in Sri Racha district. The 10-wheel refrigerated lorry, heading downhill towards Pinthong 4, reportedly suffered a catastrophic brake failure and…
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Supreme Court orders Thaksin to pay 17.6 billion baht in Shin Corp tax case
The Supreme Court of Thailand ordered former Prime Minister (PM) Thaksin Shinawatra to pay 17.6 billion baht in personal income tax following a long-running dispute over the sale of Shin Corporation shares. The tax dispute began after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ordered the seizure of 46 billion baht in assets gained from the Shin Corp…
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Canadian tourist drowns after losing consciousness at Koh Phi Phi
A Canadian tourist died while swimming at a dive site near Koh Phi Phi after losing consciousness, local police confirmed following an investigation. The 69 year old tourist was visiting the Pha Daeng diving area in Ao Nang subdistrict, on a snorkelling trip when the incident occurred around 1pm on Sunday, November 16. According to police, she had travelled from…
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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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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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Khao Kheow Zoo invites public to help name newborn tapir calf
Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri is inviting the public to take part in naming a female Malayan tapir calf born on September 28, 2025. Participants in the naming campaign have a chance to win prizes, including a 3,000 baht cash reward. Narongwit Chotchoi, Director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said the calf was born to 14 year old…
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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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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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Thai man accused of intentionally spreading HIV, offering sex for drugs
A Â man in the central province of Saraburi was accused of intentionally spreading HIV within the LGBTQIA+ community and trading sex for drugs. The complainant, identified only as A, contacted news agencies on November 16, saying he wanted the 29 year old man, referred to as Joe, to face legal punishment and hoped to issue a warning to LGBTQIA+ people…
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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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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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Phuket warehouse raid uncovers scam with 20,000 items seized
Police in Phuket have dismantled a large-scale fraudulent parcel operation, seizing more than 20,000 items believed to be used in a nationwide cash-on-delivery (COD) scam. Yesterday, November 16, Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, led a team including officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station to inspect a commercial unit in Boat Plaza, Rassada subdistrict. The raid…
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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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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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November 17: 40 Thai provinces brace for storms, strong winds
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a warning today, November 17, as severe storms and strong winds are forecast to sweep across 40 provinces, with the upper region facing erratic conditions and southern seas seeing waves of over two metres. The TMD announced that a strong high-pressure system from central China is expected to move across southern China and northern…
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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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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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Ayutthaya businesswoman offers red drinks for lottery luck
A crane company owner made a vow at a famous Ayutthaya hermitage after a business success, while worshippers searched for lucky numbers in holy water. Yesterday, November 15, crowds of worshippers and tourists gathered at the hermitage of Rishi Naen That Phutthakun in Pho Taeng subdistrict, Bang Sai district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The site has become a spiritual…
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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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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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Phuket gets new governor after record-short term ends
Phuket will welcome a new governor after the sudden departure of the former officeholder, marking a swift change in provincial leadership. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, the current Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), is scheduled to arrive in Phuket tomorrow, November 17, to take over as the new Governor of Phuket. His appointment was confirmed earlier this week through an…
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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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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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