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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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Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Brit couple charged over £1m Thailand drug smuggling bust
A British couple returning from a Thai holiday have been charged with smuggling £1 million (44 million baht) worth of cannabis into the UK, the latest in a disturbing string of cases involving drug-trafficking tourists. Sian Warren and 36 year old Daniel McDonald, both from Salford, were stopped at Heathrow Airport, where officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) allegedly…
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Prachin Buri school lunch suspected in food poisoning outbreak
Some 23 teachers and students from Prachin Kalyani School in Prachin Buri were hospitalised after experiencing nausea and vomiting following their lunch. The meal, which included chicken rice and noodles, is suspected of causing food poisoning. Samples have been sent for examination. At 3.30pm yesterday, June 9, Prachin Buri Deputy Governor Chanathip Khokmani was informed by Jesada Deelerth, the school…
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Chinese man accuses Thai immigration police of corruption in viral video
Thai immigration police filed a complaint against a Chinese man who accused them of corruption in a viral video recorded at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. The Chinese national, whose identity remains under investigation, recently shared a video on his TikTok account, filmed at Suvarnabhumi Airport. At the start of the video, he introduced the content by stating, “I will…
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Tragic shooting claims life of Thai man in Surat Thani
A chilling incident unfolded in Kiansa district, Surat Thani province, when 36 year old Thai man was fatally shot after returning home from an errand. The assailant’s bullets struck his forehead, chest, and leg, resulting in his tragic death. Police Lieutenant Worawut Tankian, an investigator at Kiansa Police Station, reported that the incident occurred yesterday, June 9, at 9.35pm. Police were…
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Teen impersonates police spy to lure girl in Chon Buri
An 18 year old man allegedly impersonated a police spy to lure a 14 year old girl out of her home in Mueang Sattahip district, Chon Buri. The girl was handcuffed and dragged into a nearby banana grove. Her 36 year old mother, A, has filed charges against the unidentified man, vowing to pursue the case to its conclusion. On…
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Vietjet Thailand slashes fares by 50% with ‘Friend Power Pack’
Vietjet Thailand is offering significant savings on airfares through a Friend Power Pack package, providing discounts of up to 50% on over 50,000 tickets. This promotion covers both domestic and international routes throughout 2025, allowing passengers to plan their trips affordably and conveniently. Bookings are open from today, June 10, to July 10, with travel available from June 15 to…
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Man re-arrested for assaulting police in Pran Buri incident
A 30 year old man was re-arrested after assaulting a traffic police officer in Pran Buri district, central Thailand. The incident occurred following his release from custody, where he was initially detained for causing public disturbances under the influence of alcohol. Upon release, Panya became irate due to the absence of transport home and assaulted the officer, resulting in further…
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Phuket’s Biennale aims to put Thai art on global map
Thailand is aiming for artistic immortality, quite literally, with the launch of its 2025 Thailand Biennale campaign under the theme Eternal Kalpa, or more accurately, Eternal Eternity. The Ministry of Culture kicked off its promotional push at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, unveiling plans for the international contemporary art festival, which officials say will catapult Thai creativity onto the global…
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Health minister blasted over Thaksin hospital scandal meeting
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin is under fire this week for planning to attend a high-stakes Medical Council of Thailand (MCT) meeting, with critics accusing him of overstepping his authority and meddling in a politically sensitive case. At the centre of the storm is the controversial hospitalisation of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was swiftly transferred from prison to…
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Nakhon Ratchasima home accused of 1,700 baht electricity theft
Officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), along with local police, uncovered a modified electricity meter at a single-storey concrete house, yesterday, June 9, in Nakhon Ratchasima, The modification allowed the house, equipped with five air conditioners, to pay a significantly reduced electricity bill of only 1,700 baht (US$50) per month instead of the expected 4,000 to 5,000 baht (US$120…
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Lorry explosion in Chon Buri sends flames 10 metres high (video)
A terrifying explosion sent fireballs nearly 10 metres into the sky after a lorry packed with gas cylinders overturned and ignited on a Chon Buri road yesterday afternoon. The dramatic blaze erupted at around 3pm yesterday, June 9, along Route 344 near the Nong Chak intersection in Ban Bueng district. The vehicle, a pickup truck loaded with liquefied petroleum gas…
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Thai man arrested for drugging and raping men to create porn videos
Police yesterday, June 9, arrested a Thai man in the central province of Nakhon Pathom for drugging and raping multiple men to produce pornographic videos, which he then sold via the X application (formerly Twitter). Thailand’s Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) task force discovered an X account advertising the sale of rape pornography. The advertisement read, “Selling sleeping pills and…
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Cable car to Phu Kradueng set for completion by 2026
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Tienthong confirmed plans to construct a cable car to Phu Kradueng, aiming for completion by late 2026. The route will not overlap with existing walking paths, ensuring minimal disruption to the natural landscape. Yesterday, June 9, Sorawong Tienthong, together with his advisor, Jakrapat Klongpayanabaan, and the minister’s secretary, Krittada Tantuedtit, visited Phu Kradueng National Park…
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Thailand invests 300 million baht in Thai AI language model
The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) has collaborated with Siam AI Corporation to launch a Thai large language model (LLM), aiming to enhance Thailand’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and sovereign AI strategy. Siam AI has committed an investment of 300 million baht to support this initiative. During the memorandum of understanding signing with Siam AI Corporation last Friday,…
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Rap battle: Russian teens brawl on Pattaya Walking Street
Tourists on Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street got more than they bargained for when a booze-fuelled bust-up erupted between a gang of rowdy Russian lads and a crew of Thai rappers, sending holidaymakers diving for cover. The street fight, which kicked off around 12.44am, yesterday, June 9, saw four Russian teenagers, aged between 18 and 19, clash violently with a group…
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Tragic collision on Highway 1086 leaves woman dead, son injured
A collision between a motorcycle and a truck carrying a prefabricated house resulted in a tragic accident that left one woman dead and her son critically injured. The incident occurred yesterday, June 9, on Highway 1086 (Phitsanulok-Wat Bot Road) in front of a noodle shop in Mueang district, Phitsanulok province. Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasong Sanoem-im, deputy inspector of Mueang Phitsanulok…
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Paetongtarn backs clean groundwater in drought-hit Kanchanaburi
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra got her hands dirty, and her lips wet, in Kanchanaburi this week as she toured rural groundwater development projects aimed at solving Thailand’s ongoing water crisis. Yesterday, June 9, the Thai premier made her first stop at the Royal Initiative Project on Groundwater Supply in Ban Pak Chat Nong Bua, located in the Nong Fai subdistrict…
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Track horror! Pattaya biker crash leaves pensioner fighting for leg
A pensioner is in critical condition after a motorcycle ploughed into a van at a railway crossing in Pattaya, just days after another smash rocked the resort town. Chaos unfolded around 8pm, yesterday, June 9, behind Wat Tham Samakkee Alley, when a grey Honda PCX slammed into the side of a white Hyundai van crossing the tracks. Four people were…
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Covid leads Thailand’s disease watchlist with 31 deaths
Covid-19 is making an aggressive comeback in Thailand, with over 111,000 new cases and 31 deaths reported last week alone, and health experts are raising the alarm. Associate Professor Dr Thira Woratanarat from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine revealed on Facebook that Covid has now become the most frequently reported disease under official surveillance. “This surge should not be taken lightly,”…
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Fowl play! Chicken clobbers Russian in Pattaya paedo claim brawl
A Thai man nicknamed “Chicken” has been nicked after a Russian tourist was battered and robbed in Pattaya, though the suspect claims he was provoked by a sickening act involving his toddler daughter. Pattaya police arrested 40 year old Paisal “Chicken” Jetjaroen, who allegedly attacked and robbed 54 year old Russian holidaymaker Viachelave Gurov in the early hours of yesterday, June…
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Thailand goes to war on dengue with free vaccine plan
Thailand is waging war on dengue fever and it’s going all in to wipe out the deadly mosquito-borne disease for good. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin unveiled a new national strategy yesterday, June 9, during the 2025 ASEAN Dengue Day event, themed ASEAN United: Zero Dengue Death, a Future We Build Together. The goal? Zero dengue-related deaths in 2025. “No…
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Thai man kills wife and leaves body in car with engine running
Police arrested a Thai man in the early hours of this morning for killing his wife and leaving her body in a car parked in Soi Phetchakasem 67 in Bangkok with the engine still running. Officers from Phetchakasem Police Station were alerted to the death of a 36 year old Thai woman, Nanticha, at around 9pm yesterday, June 9. Her…
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Eye in the Thai! Drones set to spy on dodgy tourists in Pattaya
The Pattaya mayor has launched a bold new plan to keep crooks in check, from the sky, by rolling out AI-powered police drones to hunt down overstayers and suspects in real time. Mayor Poramese Ngampichet gave a warm welcome to Police Lieutenant Colonal Torlap Tinamat, chief of Pattaya’s Tourist Police, during a high-level briefing on a cutting-edge crackdown: deploying drones…
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Thailand threatens to cut Internet over Cambodia’s visa snub
Cambodia has reduced the visa duration for Thai visitors to seven days, prompting Thailand to reciprocate and consider cutting electricity and Internet services to Cambodia, according to the Foreign Ministry. Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, announced at a press conference yesterday, June 9, that Cambodia initiated the reduction of visa validity for Thai visitors. Thai passport…
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Pattaya beach vendor man lights up in drug-fuelled meltdown
A former beach vendor left jobless and strung out on drugs sparked chaos in Pattaya when he torched his rented room in a fiery fit of frustration. A meth-addled ex-beach mat renter went up in flames, literally, after losing his livelihood, torching his rented digs in a Soi Buakhao side street during the early hours of today, June 10. Pattaya…
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Thai thief caught on CCTV stealing 4,000 baht from Phuket resort
A Thai employee at a resort in the Patong area of Phuket attempted to track down a thief who stole 4,000 baht in cash from the premises by sharing CCTV footage of the incident on social media. The employee of Seeka Boutique Resort posted the video on her Facebook account, Chanattha Chatchanan In-om, on Thursday, June 5. She wrote in…
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Tranny whammy! Indian tourist rinsed in Pattaya hotel rinse-off
A randy Indian holidaymaker’s steamy night in Pattaya turned ice-cold when two transwomen he brought back to his hotel room cleaned out his wallet and did a runner. An Indian tourist’s saucy seaside stopover in Pattaya ended in daylight robbery after he invited two transgender women back to his hotel – only to be left out of pocket and out…
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Phuket locals plea for help for German man with leg injury
Residents of the Rawai sub-district in Mueang district, Phuket, are seeking assistance for a German man with a leg injury after witnessing him sleeping on the roadside for several days. Concerned locals shared photos of the man, believed to be a German national, with the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday, June 8. They urged the local news agency to publicise…
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Thai man and son arrested over murder of woman in rubber plantation
Police arrested a Thai man and his son for conspiring in the murder of a woman at a rubber plantation in the southern province of Songkhla today. The 52 year old victim, Prathum, was found dead in the plantation in the Saba Yoi district of Songkhla at approximately 1am yesterday, June 8. She sustained two major cut wounds to the…
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Cambodian troops withdraw from Thai border after talks
Cambodian troops have agreed to withdraw from the Thai border in Ubon Ratchathani province following discussions between the regional forces of both countries. Sources indicate that at 10am yesterday, June 8, the Cambodian military reached out to Thai soldiers at the contested Chong Bok border area in Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani, with a request to engage in talks with…
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