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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Phuket’s alcohol-free Songkran festival returns
Phuket is gearing up for Songkran with a booze-free twist! The Songkran No Alcohol Festival is back for its 11th year, promising cultural charm, live music, and family-friendly fun—without the chaos of drunken revelry. Phuket officials are preparing for another safe and tradition-focused songkran as the island hosts the Songkran No Alcohol Festival Phuket 2025, organised for the 11th consecutive year,…
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Drug trafficker killed, 300,000 meth pills seized in Chiang Mai
Pha Mueang Task Force yesterday engaged with a group of drug traffickers in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province, resulting in one suspect’s death and the seizure of 300,000 methamphetamine pills. The officials remained unharmed. The incident, yesterday, March 19, at 8.30am, occurred when the patrol team spotted and attempted to search three to five suspicious people carrying modified backpacks…
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British jumper’s Pattaya video sparks call to shut down site
A chilling video showing the tragic death of a British base jumper in Pattaya has sparked renewed outrage and calls for a notorious website that hosts gruesome death footage to be shut down. The 33 year old victim, Nathan Odinson, tragically died after his parachute failed to open during a jump from a 29-storey tower last year. A Thai friend…
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Thai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls
A Thai man told local news agencies that he almost lost control of his bowels after stumbling upon a man’s body in an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The man, whose name remains undisclosed, alerted officers at Lin Thin Police Station to the abandoned house in the Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi province to investigate the…
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Sinful: Abbot defrocked, arrested for assaulting boy in Udon Thani
Police apprehended a 24 year old abbot accused of sexually assaulting a 12 year old boy at a temple in Mueang district, Udon Thani province. The boy’s mother, shocked by the incident, had left her son at the temple due to financial difficulties after separating from her husband. Police Colonel Wichan Suthampeng, superintendent of Kumphawapi Police Station, along with Deputy…
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Park life: Thailand eases alcohol rules for officials, not tourists
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in Thailand has revised regulations to permit alcohol consumption in designated areas within national parks. However, this relaxation applies only to officials and organised groups who obtain permission, while tourists remain prohibited from consuming alcohol. The department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), has been gathering public…
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Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai
Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province. Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and…
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Chinese man assaults staff at Mahidol University, visa revocation urged
A Chinese man assaulted a university staff member at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom, prompting calls for his visa to be revoked. The incident occurred when the man, upset his girlfriend’s performance was not filmed, attacked a staff member with a chair and slammed the staff member’s head against a wall, resulting in the staff member being hospitalised in the…
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Thailand risks losing its smile as happiness ranking slumps
Thailand’s status as the Land of Smiles is under threat as a new global happiness ranking places the nation far from the top, raising concerns about the country’s well-being. In the latest World Happiness Report, Thailand landed at No. 49 worldwide, an improvement of five places from last year, but still trailing behind Singapore and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. At…
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Cannabis vendor found dead with more than 30 stab wounds
Police are hunting for a murderer after a cannabis vendor was found dead with more than 30 stab wounds on his body in a rented room in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan. His roommate was conspicuous by his absence when police descended on the scene. A 25 year old Thai man, Few, was the first person to discover the…
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Bridge collapse in Narathiwat claims one life, injures three
A bridge collapse in Narathiwat province’s Chanae district tragically resulted in one fatality and three injuries as a vehicle and motorcycle were crossing. The collapse was attributed to damage to the underwater support structure caused by last year’s floods, which was still awaiting repair. At 5.45am today, March 19, Phichit Rungprasert, the district chief of Chanae, was informed by the…
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ThaiBev’s Water Festival 2025 to boost tourism and spending
Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) is set to organise the Water Festival 2025 from April 12 to 15, in collaboration with partners including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Culture. Event chairman Suraphon Svetasreni stated that the festival aims to enhance tourism and generate over 10 million baht in spending. The festival will support Thai cultural tourism while…
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Driver fuels up and bails, gaslighting Bangchak station
A black Mitsubishi sedan was captured on CCTV at a Bangchak petrol station in Mueang Khon Kaen district, Khon Kaen province, refuelling with 1,000 baht of Gasohol 95, before the driver feigned a payment scan and fled without paying. The petrol station is now using social media to seek information about the vehicle. Manothai Thaopia, a 36 year old marketing…
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Tech it to the bank: Thailand’s data boom lures global giants
Thailand is quickly establishing itself as a key player in the global digital landscape, attracting major international data centre investments worth over 100 billion baht. The Board of Investment (BoI) reported that existing giants from the US, China, Japan, and South Korea are eager to expand their operations in the country, which is anticipated to exceed last year’s investment levels.…
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Thailand video news | Belgian MMA fighter fends off four attackers in Pattaya parking brawl, Indonesia’s richest woman loses $3.6 billion in three days
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring viewers the latest headlines from Thailand and Southeast Asia in today’s news roundup. A Belgian MMA fighter in Pattaya fended off four attackers in a parking dispute, while police in Koh Phangan are searching for foreign shoplifters caught on CCTV. In Phuket, two Dutch tourists were fined for provocative dancing on Bangla…
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Drunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)
A drunk British man reportedly insulted Thai workers and customers at a restaurant in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima after his favourite alcoholic beverage was not available. The restaurant’s owner, Thai man, Apinan, called officers from Phimai Police Station to the scene in the Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, March 16. The 49 year old restauranteur was…
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PM Paetongtarn defends family time amidst farmers’ protest
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has responded to criticism following her controversial appearance with her children during a farmers’ protest outside Government House. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, March 18, has sparked outrage as farmers from 19 provinces unloaded truckloads of blackchin tilapia near the Government House fence. The farmers were protesting the government’s slow response to eradicating the…
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Israeli defecates in Pattaya taxi, tries to resolve it with 300 baht
An Israeli man in Thailand once again brought shame on his nation by defecating in a taxi and refusing to compensate the Thai driver involved in Pattaya. Police intervened in the matter, which was eventually resolved with 1,500 baht in compensation. The Thai taxi driver, 32 year old Norraphat, called officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday, March 19, to…
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Digital boom: Thailand’s tech economy set for electrifying growth
Thailand’s digital economy is poised to skyrocket this year, with GDP expected to rise by a staggering 7.3% to hit 4.85 trillion baht, according to the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry. This digital surge far exceeds the national GDP growth rate, sitting at 2.8%, totalling 19.2 trillion baht. Digital investment is also on a meteoric rise, predicted to grow…
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Student brawl in Nonthaburi leaves female injured, vehicles damaged
A violent altercation occurred between rival student groups from the same university in Nonthaburi, resulting in injuries to a female student and severe damage to parked vehicles. The incident took place yesterday, March 19, at 8pm outside a convenience store on Nonthaburi 14 Road, Bang Kraso subdistrict, Mueang district. Officers from Rattanathibet Police Station were alerted to the brawl involving…
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Credit crunch: Thai economy faces stormy skies
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is sounding the alarm over slipping asset quality among wealthier borrowers, echoing a worrying trend seen in middle- and low-income groups as the Thai economy slows to a crawl. Minutes from the recent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting reveal mounting concerns about loan quality deteriorating across the board. This could lead banks to become even…
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Power out: Phuket prepares for outage today
The Phuket branch of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has issued a notice about a scheduled power outage today, March 20, due to electrical system improvements. The power cut will take place between 9am and 4.30pm, impacting several key areas across the island. Residents and businesses near the intersection in front of D Condo Kuku, along one side of Ratsadanusorn…
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Indian national found dead in Bangkok townhouse
A housekeeper discovered the unusual death of a 38 year old Indian national, who had rented a townhouse in Thon Buri district, Bangkok, for about two months. His relatives lost contact with him, prompting the house owner to request an inspection. At 2pm yesterday, March 19, Police Lieutenant Satha Duang-Iad, Deputy Inspector at Samre Police Station, responded to a report…
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MG shifts gears as Thai pickup production hits the brakes amid slowdown
SAIC Motor-CP has hit the brakes on its Thai pickup truck production. The pause by the Chinese-Thai collaboration producing MG vehicles, comes as the domestic car market takes a downturn, although there’s hope for a reboot once conditions steady. While MG Sales (Thailand) hasn’t disclosed specific production figures for diesel pickups, company Vice-President Pongsak Lertruedeewattanavong reassures consumers. “Pickups aren’t our…
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Thai taxi driver hits rock bottom, then throws rocks at Bangkok cab
Police yesterday arrested a Thai taxi driver for throwing rocks at another taxi driver’s car in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. The suspect claimed he committed the offence out of stress after his business went bankrupt. A 58 year old taxi driver named Pornsawat rushed to Mueang Samut Prakan Police Station in a state of fright on Tuesday, March 18,…
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High hopes: Thai pilots poised to reclaim skies amid foreign pilot row
The Thai Pilots Association (TPA) is quietly optimistic about reclaiming the nation’s skies. Following reassurances from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), it’s anticipated that the temporary lift allowing foreign pilots on domestic routes will not stretch on, revealed TPA President Teerawat Angkasakulkiat. “The Cabinet’s resolution, with its vague deadlines, allowed each wet lease agreement to endure for six…
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Man arrested for using fake licence plate in Phang Nga
A man has been arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Highway Police after being caught with a fake licence plate in a bizarre case of forgery in Phang Nga. The suspect, identified as Nattawut, was taken into custody for the offence of forgery and use of forged official documents after a swift police operation. The case began in…
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Thai food takes Tokyo: Commerce Ministry serves up 2 billion baht export success
The Ministry of Commerce successfully facilitated Thai food exports exceeding 2 billion baht during the FOODEX Japan 2025 event in Tokyo. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, stated that the department collaborated with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Commercial Affairs in Tokyo to present 59 Thai companies at the event. Held…
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Cambodian monks disrobed in Pattaya for breaching Buddhist rules
Three Cambodian monks were stripped of their saffron robes in Pattaya after locals complained they had broken traditional Buddhist rules. The incident unfolded when the trio was spotted on the notorious Walking Street, a vibrant nightlife hub, late at night, begging for food – a clear violation of Buddhist practice. Buddhist monks are traditionally permitted to ask for food only…
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Thai police seize 4.4 million meth pills worth 90 million baht
Police from Provincial Police Region 1, in collaboration with military forces and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, apprehended two men in possession of 4.4 million methamphetamine pills valued at 90 million baht. The raid took place in the Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani province yesterday, March 18, at 2pm. Police Lieutenant General Surapol Prembutr, Commissioner of Provincial…
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