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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    9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand

    Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...

  • Law student hailed for saving child from drowning at Thai beach

    Law student hailed for saving child from drowning at Thai beach

    A law student is being praised for saving a five year old girl from drowning at Had Kudeua beach in Mueang Ubon Ratchathani district. She expressed her joy in applying her training knowledge to save a life. Yesterday, May 6, at 1.30pm, Ubon Ratchathani’s emergency response centre received a report about a child drowning at the beach. The rescue team…

  • Pet cat shot with airsoft gun by neighbour amid noise dispute

    Pet cat shot with airsoft gun by neighbour amid noise dispute

    A Thai woman is seeking justice for her pet cat after a neighbour nearly killed the animal by shooting it with an airsoft gun, allegedly in anger over her loud motorcycle engine. Officers from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station visited a house in the Sam Phrao sub-district, Mueang district, Udon Thani province, in the Isaan region, following a report of…

  • Thai cops injured chasing rogue bike in Pattaya

    Thai cops injured chasing rogue bike in Pattaya

    A routine patrol turned into a street-side disaster in Pattaya after two police officers were injured during a high-speed chase of a suspicious motorcycle. The drama unfolded around sunset on Monday, May 5, in Soi Nern Plub Wan, when officers from Nong Prue Police Station attempted to stop a modified motorbike drawing attention with its blaring exhaust and missing licence…

  • Troops foil vehicle smuggling at Tak province border

    Troops foil vehicle smuggling at Tak province border

    Troops from the Ratchamanu Task Force detained a vehicle smuggling operation at Tak province, as the suspects attempted to drive a stolen vehicle across the Moei River yesterday, May 6. Soldiers from the 433rd Company, part of the Ratchamanu Task Force, were conducting patrols and monitoring natural routes in Baan Muen Rue Chai, Phop Phra district, Tak province, when they…

  • Hash and grab: Russian busted after smuggling drugs in condom

    Hash and grab: Russian busted after smuggling drugs in condom

    A dopey Russian drug peddler has been busted on the party island of Koh Pha Ngan after cops uncovered a stash of narcotics, including hashish he smuggled into Thailand by swallowing it in condoms. The Russian suspect, Denis Bichuk, was caught red-handed outside a convenience store in the Maduawan area yesterday, May 6, looking nervous, sweaty and downright dodgy. When…

  • Thai man fatally stabs wife after discovering she was a prostitute

    Thai man fatally stabs wife after discovering she was a prostitute

    A Thai man fatally stabbed his wife on a road in the central province of Chai Nat, after discovering that she was offering sex services. Rescuers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation rushed to assist the 39 year old Thai woman, Phatcharin, after receiving a report of the stabbing at around 8.30am today, May 7. She was found lying on the…

  • Man shoots nephew over debt dispute in Thailand tragedy

    Man shoots nephew over debt dispute in Thailand tragedy

    A 65 year old man shot and killed his nephew following a long-standing dispute over a debt of several hundred thousand baht. The conflict escalated when the nephew allegedly insulted him over loud motorcycle noise outside his home. Yesterday, May 6, Police Colonel Teerapat Piyataworat from Sikao Police Station received a report from Police Major Sataphon Chongko, an investigator at…

  • Transport Ministry plans mixed-use development at Bangkok port

    Transport Ministry plans mixed-use development at Bangkok port

    The Ministry of Transport will embark on a development project for the Khlong Toei port area, with plans for a mixed-use development on a 520-rai plot. The initiative, discussed in a meeting chaired by Deputy Transport Minister Monporn Charoensri yesterday, May 6, aims to maximise the utility of the Bangkok port area. Four subcommittees have made progress in various areas,…

  • Bangkok housing projects plummet, campus condos rise this year

    Bangkok housing projects plummet, campus condos rise this year

    LWS, a subsidiary of L.P.N. Development, reported a significant decline in new housing projects in Bangkok and its surrounding areas during the first quarter of 2025. The number of new projects and their value dropped by more than 50%. In contrast, campus condominiums have seen growth. The company hopes government measures to reduce fees will stimulate the market in the…

  • Thai man wanted for rape of stepdaughter in Bangkok

    Thai man wanted for rape of stepdaughter in Bangkok

    A debauched Thai man is on the run after raping his stepdaughter and physically assaulting the girl when she refused to engage in a threesome with him and her biological mother. The 19 year old victim and her mother met social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet yesterday, May 6, to seek assistance. The woman stated that her daughter had been…

  • Paetongtarn hits back over Thaksin hospital scandal

    Paetongtarn hits back over Thaksin hospital scandal

    Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra came out swinging yesterday, defending her father, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, amid growing backlash over his controversial hospital stay. Thaksin, now 75, was sentenced to eight years in prison (later reduced to one via royal pardon) after returning from 15 years in self-imposed exile, but instead of doing time behind bars, he was transferred directly to a…

  • Drunk driver leaves Phetchabun woman bedridden and bankrupt

    Drunk driver leaves Phetchabun woman bedridden and bankrupt

    A 40 year old woman in Phetchabun has been bedridden for four months following a car accident caused by a drunk driver, with no progress in her legal case. She has exhausted her savings on medical expenses and now faces financial hardships. The incident occurred on January 18 in Bueng Sam Phan district, Phetchabun province, when 40 year old Namphueng…

  • Leaky billion-baht Thai Parliament building sparks repair scandal

    Leaky billion-baht Thai Parliament building sparks repair scandal

    Thailand’s glitzy new Parliament building may be one of the most expensive in the country’s history but five years after opening, it’s already falling apart, and taxpayers are footing the bill – again. The Thai Parliament Complex, officially named Sappaya-Saphasathan, has cost an eye-watering 22.987 billion baht so far but the spending spree isn’t over. Repair budgets totalling nearly 2 billion…

  • Shell shock: Aussie man caught with a grenade at Phuket Airport

    Shell shock: Aussie man caught with a grenade at Phuket Airport

    An Aussie man has landed himself in hot water after allegedly trying to board a domestic flight in Thailand with grenade launcher ammo and bomb parts stuffed in his suitcase. The Thai police swooped on 61 year old Peter Davison at Phuket International Airport after stunned baggage staff uncovered a suspicious stash of military-grade weapon components hidden in his luggage.…

  • Drunk officer crashes police pickup into woman and flees scene

    Drunk officer crashes police pickup into woman and flees scene

    An alleged drunk officer crashed a police pickup into a woman and her sidecar motorcycle in the central province of Chachoengsao on Monday, May 5, and failed to stop and assist the victim. CCTV footage of the incident circulated widely on Thai social media platforms, drawing criticism of the officer responsible for the collision. The crash occurred on the Ban…

  • Chumphon highway crash leaves many injured amid roadwork confusion

    Chumphon highway crash leaves many injured amid roadwork confusion

    A collision between a pickup truck and a passenger van on Asia Highway 41 in Chumphon resulted in significant damage and multiple injuries. The incident, which occurred due to a lack of warning lights during road repairs, is the latest in a series of accidents at this site. At 2am today, May 7, Police Lieutenant Vimol Kaewchu, deputy inspector of…

  • Major deception: Ex-British Army officer nicked over wife’s death

    Major deception: Ex-British Army officer nicked over wife’s death

    A retired British Army major has been sensationally charged with murdering his wife during a kayaking trip in Australia, four years after her shock death was initially ruled a tragic accident. Graeme Davidson was arrested this week in Brisbane while visiting from Thailand, where he relocated months after his wife Jacqueline, drowned in Lake Samsonvale, north of Brisbane, in November…

  • Bangkok drug gang busted: Major arrest and drug seizure

    Bangkok drug gang busted: Major arrest and drug seizure

    A significant drug gang member has been apprehended following months of investigation. Police seized nearly 500,000 methamphetamine pills, 1 kilogramme of ice, and 1 kg of ketamine. The arrest of the suspect, nicknamed Boonyaraksa, took place at 6am today, May 7, in the Khlong Sam Wa district, Bangkok. Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, Major General Nopasilp Punsawat, and Major General…

  • Fourth anthrax case confirmed in northeast Thailand outbreak

    Fourth anthrax case confirmed in northeast Thailand outbreak

    The Mukdahan Provincial Public Health Office announced yesterday a new case of anthrax, raising the total number of cases in the current outbreak to four, with one resulting in death. According to a source, three are currently hospitalised; two at Mukdahan Hospital and one at Don Tan Hospital. Of the 636 deemed at risk, 538 have completed a seven-day observation…

  • Australian man jailed for 15 days for motorcycle wheelie in Phuket

    Australian man jailed for 15 days for motorcycle wheelie in Phuket

    Thai police sentenced an Australian man to 15 days in prison for performing a motorcycle wheelie on a road in Phuket on April 27, in an apparent effort to demonstrate that no special treatment is given to foreign nationals in Thailand. The 32 year old Australian, Daherwalid, went viral on Thai social media in April after images and videos of…

  • Heavy rain and extreme heat hit 38 Thai provinces

    Heavy rain and extreme heat hit 38 Thai provinces

    Residents in 38 provinces across Thailand are advised to prepare for heavy rainfall, particularly in the south, where 60 to 70% of the area is expected to experience severe weather. Meanwhile, the overall temperature across the nation remains extremely hot, especially in the northern region. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasts that in the next 24 hours, the south will…

  • Drunk massage girl’s nap turns into mobile snatch horror

    Drunk massage girl’s nap turns into mobile snatch horror

    A young massage girl’s boozy kip turned into a nightmare after a cunning thief made off with her mobile, all while she dozed on the pavement outside her Pattaya parlour. Suphassara Somsuay, from Sisaket province, shared CCTV footage in a desperate bid to track down a mobile phone thief who struck while she was fast asleep outside her massage shop…

  • Thai boy abused by parents on Chon Buri road, no legal action taken

    Thai boy abused by parents on Chon Buri road, no legal action taken

    A Thai woman rescued an 11 year old boy from physical abuse by his parents in the middle of a road in Chon Buri yesterday, May 4. Unfortunately, no charges were filed against the parents. ThaiRath reshared a video of the incident, showing the woman intervening to protect the boy. The event occurred along the road by Bang Saray Beach…

  • Phuket fights erosion as turtles and dugongs make a comeback

    Phuket fights erosion as turtles and dugongs make a comeback

    Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chalermchai Sri-on has announced an urgent expansion of erosion control efforts at Sai Kaew Beach in Sirinat National Park near Phuket, following severe shoreline damage and disruption to local communities caused by last year’s monsoon season. During an inspection on May 3, Chalermchai revealed that erosion had severely disrupted transport routes and threatened nearby…

  • Pet Expo 2025 goes wild with stars, snakes and shopping galore (video)

    Pet Expo 2025 goes wild with stars, snakes and shopping galore (video)

    Thailand’s largest pet trade event, Pet Expo Thailand 2025, kicked off in style on May 1, celebrating its 25th anniversary with a four-day spectacle which drew over 200,000 visitors. Held at Halls 5 to 8 of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, the event brought together more than 300 companies across 850 booths, offering products, services and cutting-edge innovations for…

  • Thailand video news | Pattaya street brawl leaves three foreigners injured, Belgian man deported over repeated drunken behaviour

    Thailand video news | Pattaya street brawl leaves three foreigners injured, Belgian man deported over repeated drunken behaviour

    Today’s top regional headlines cover a spate of incidents across Southeast Asia, from violent brawls and drug-linked border clashes to diplomatic developments and natural disruptions. Thailand sees rising scrutiny over police response to stalking, a tourist’s arrest for ADHD medication, and the deportation of a repeat offender. Elsewhere, Indonesia halts a controversial crypto project, while tensions flare along the Thai-Lao…

  • Thai celeb couple slams breast pump ad misuse

    Thai celeb couple slams breast pump ad misuse

    A Thai celebrity power couple has taken legal action after discovering their faces plastered on breast pump ads, without permission. The drama unfolded yesterday afternoon, May 5, when the stars and their lawyer stormed into Thong Lo Police Station to file a complaint against a well-known baby brand accused of hijacking their images to peddle discount coupons at a children’s…

  • Inflation tops concerns as Thai citizens urge government action

    Inflation tops concerns as Thai citizens urge government action

    Consumer price inflation has emerged as the foremost concern among citizens, according to a survey by the National Statistical Office. The poll, which included families with members aged over 18, revealed a strong demand for government action on rising consumer costs as the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration approached its six-month mark on March 12. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub reported that 86%…

  • BLACKPINK’s Lalisa steals the Met Gala spotlight in LV ensemble

    BLACKPINK’s Lalisa steals the Met Gala spotlight in LV ensemble

    All eyes were on Lalisa from the girl group BLACKPINK at the 2025 Met Gala, as the global K-pop sensation made her hotly anticipated debut in a jaw-dropping Louis Vuitton ensemble that has fans, and fashion critics, buzzing. Fresh off her acting debut in The White Lotus season three and a solo Coachella set that lit up the desert, the BLACKPINK megastar…

  • Vietnam surpasses Thailand in attracting Chinese, Russian tourists

    Vietnam surpasses Thailand in attracting Chinese, Russian tourists

    The decline in Chinese and Russian tourists visiting Thailand, in favour of Vietnam, is impacting the Thai tourism industry. With cheaper accommodation and 24-hour food service, alongside diverse attractions beyond natural sights, Vietnam is drawing twice as many tourists compared to Thailand. Thanet Supornsahasrangsi, President of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, highlighted that Thailand’s tourism image has been suffering for…