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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Donald Duck Bay in Phang Nga ranks among world’s top 10 beaches
Three Thai beaches are included in the 2026 World’s Best Beaches list by Global Travel Experts, with Donald Duck Bay in Phang Nga ranked among the world’s top 10. The annual list is compiled from votes by more than 1,000 travel professionals worldwide. Beaches are assessed based on criteria such as uniqueness, wildlife, unspoiled natural environment, natural soundscape, accessibility, calm…
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13,000 mislabeled canned fish seized at Samut Sakhon factory
Thai officials have seized more than 13,000 cans of canned fish at a factory in Samut Sakhon after finding products labelled as mackerel were made with a different species. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the inspection today, May 5, after a video posted on Facebook raised concerns about the contents of canned fish not matching the label. Although…
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Phuket man loses 58,000 baht in money showing scam by foreigners
A Thai man lost 58,000 baht to a group of foreign suspects outside a bank in the city centre of Phuket last night, May 4, after reportedly showing cash to a foreign woman. The victim shared details of the incident with the Phuket Times Facebook page. He said he had arrived at the bank at around 6pm to withdraw cash…
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Tourists told to move by Wat Arun photographers in fresh complaint
A tourist complaint has put photographers at Wat Arun back in the spotlight after visitors claimed they were told to move from public areas to make way for paying photo clients. The incident was shared on social media on May 5, with claims that a group of photographers at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan in Bangkok told tourists to move away…
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Mystery body found in Buriram school toilet days before reopening
An unidentified decomposed body was found in a school toilet in Buriram yesterday, May 4, with police estimating the man had been dead for at least seven days. The discovery comes as the school prepares to reopen next week. Police from Mueang Buriram Police Station were alerted at 11am by a village assistant in Kalanta subdistrict, who arrived with rescue…
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Pokémon Centre Bangkok to open at centralwOrld in 2026
Thailand will get its first Pokémon Centre in 2026, with Pokémon Centre Bangkok set to open at centralwOrld in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok. Pokémon (Thailand) has signed a lease agreement with Central Pattana for the new Bangkok branch. The deal was signed by Shunsuke Sasaki, director of Pokémon (Thailand), and Isareit Chirathivat, Central Pattana’s Head of Leasing – Fashion &…
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Krabi police hunt suspect after missing plantation owner found dead
An investigation into a murder is underway after a 70 year old palm plantation owner, who went missing on April 30, was found dead in a roadside forest in Krabi province yesterday, May 4. Khao Panom district, with the suspect still at large. The body was discovered in an area of Khlong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary, about 300 metres from the…
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Thailand video news | Weekend run of foreign dine-and-dash incidents, Foreign couple rescued from Krabi mangrove after ignoring safety advice
In Thailand video news, Alex covers news stories from across Thailand. The stories include a wave of dine-and-dash incidents involving tourists in Phuket, also on the island a couple was filmed performing lewd acts on each other in an open taxi, over in Pattaya a foreign man was detained after flying off the handle over a bill dispute, on Pattaya…
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Foreign couple held after sex on moving tuk tuk in Phuket
A foreign couple was detained yesterday, May 4, after they were caught on a viral video engaging in sexual activity while travelling on tuk tuk in Patong, Phuket. A Phuket tuk tuk incident involving a foreign couple engaging in sexual activity in public led to their arrest yesterday, May 4, after video of the incident, recorded by a passerby, circulated…
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Moroccan tourist chased down after dodging bar bill in Pattaya
A Moroccan man was arrested in Pattaya early yesterday, May 4, after allegedly failing to settle his bar bill, causing a disturbance, and fleeing before being detained by officers. Pattaya municipal officers were called after a Thai bar owner reported an unpaid bill left by a foreign customer who fled the venue. The man, believed to be Moroccan and aged…
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Mercedes-Benz driver flees after damaging police car clamp
Police are searching for a Mercedes-Benz driver who damaged a car clamp after parking in a prohibited area in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, and fleeing without paying a fine. Locals reported the incident to Hat Yai Police Station after witnessing the driver forcefully remove the clamp before leaving the scene. The incident occurred at around 10.30am yesterday, May 4, on…
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Phuket taxi driver denies assault after argument video goes viral
A Phuket taxi driver denied physical assault on a foreign man after a video of their argument went viral on Thai social media yesterday, May 4. The footage was posted by the Facebook page Koh Kalok Phuket with a caption questioning how the situation should be handled and included hashtags criticising taxi drivers. In the video, a foreign man is…
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Phuket restaurants hit by wave of foreign dine-and-dash cases over single weekend
Three dine-and-dash incidents involving foreign tourists were reported in Phuket around the same time, raising concerns among local business operators and prompting calls for action from police and officials. The first case occurred on Saturday, May 2, with details later shared on social media yesterday, May 3, by a restaurant owner. She said two foreign customers ordered stir-fried noodles and…
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Truck carrying lithium batteries catches fire, damaging expressway in Chachoengsao
A fire involving a truck carrying lithium batteries caught fire yesterday, May 3, on the Bangna-Trat Road in Chachoengsao, causing damage to an elevated expressway, prompting road closures and a safety inspection. Bang Pakong Police Station officers were alerted to the incident at around 7.30pm on the left lane of Thepparat Road, also known as Bangna-Trat Road, in Bang Pakong…
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Thai man arrested in Chiang Mai over girlfriend’s murder
A Thai man was arrested in Chiang Mai yesterday, May 3, after the murder of his girlfriend at a condominium in Nonthaburi province. The victim, 25 year old Panitsuda, also known as Dream, was discovered by her mother in a room on the fourth floor of an eight-storey condominium. The mother reported the incident to Bang Bua Thong Police Station.…
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2 Thai men arrested over knife-point robbery at Bangkok petrol station
A petrol station robbery in Rama IX, Bangkok, led to the arrest of two suspects after a man was threatened with a knife and robbed of his mobile phone and car key. The incident occurred at around 8.30pm on April 30 at a petrol station in Soi Rama IX 62, Suan Luang district. Police arrested the two suspects yesterday, May…
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Thailand hits 60-year investment record as Amazon, Google, BYD and others bet big
If you only looked at the investment scoreboard for Southeast Asian economies last year, chances are you would probably want to skip over Thailand. While Vietnam was sprinting ahead with 7% growth and Indonesia held steady at 5%, Thailand was limping with a meagre 2.4%. With the IMF recently cutting its 2026 projection to a dismal 1.6%, the narrative that…
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Pork fat spill leaves 5 cars sliding and crashing on Nakhon Pathom bridge
Five vehicles crashed yesterday, May 3, after pork fat was found scattered across a bridge on Petchkasem Road in Nakhon Pathom province. No injuries were reported. Dashcam footage shared on TikTok by user @9876543210ix showed traffic conditions at the time of the crash. The driver was travelling in the left lane, which became blocked by a pickup truck. The driver…
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Thailand News | Chiang Mai police arrest man accused of killing homeless victims, Cambodia crackdown sends 635 Thai nationals back home
In the news today, we have two separate shocking murder cases coming out of Chiang Mai involving homeless victims and Myanmar migrant workers, then a helicopter crashing and catching fire near a BTS maintenance center, also, arrests have been made over alleged child trafficking at a Pathum Thani cat spa, in economic news Thailand’s wage growth is struggling to keep…
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Rayong man removed from manhole after passerby hears cries for help
A manhole rescue took place yesterday, May 2, after a 20 year old man was found trapped for more than seven hours in a drainage system near a fair in Pluak Daeng district, Rayong province. Officers from Pluak Daeng Police Station and rescuers from the Pluak Daeng Foundation arrived at a manhole near the fair entrance following a report from…
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Samut Prakan helicopter crash injures pilot, mechanic
Two people escaped with minor injuries after a helicopter crashed and caught fire near a BTS maintenance centre in Samut Prakan at about 9.10am today, May 3. Rescue workers, ambulances, and first aid equipment were sent to the scene to assist the injured and transfer them to nearby hospitals. Officials sealed off the area around the crash site to prevent…
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Icelandic man found dead under tree on Koh Larn
An Icelandic man was found dead near Nual Beach on Koh Larn, Chon Buri, yesterday, May 2, with police treating the case as a suspected suicide pending further examination. Pattaya police were alerted at about 10am after a foreign man was found dead hanging under a tree in a vacant plot near the beach. Forensic police, investigators, a doctor, and…
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Cambodia scam crackdown sends 635 Thais back home
Cambodia released 635 Thai nationals back to Thailand through the Ban Khlong Luek border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo, on April 30 after they were detained in a crackdown on online scam networks. The first group of 350 people crossed at about 4.50pm. The remaining 285 followed at about 6.20pm, completing the handover agreed by Thai and Cambodian officials. Thai…
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Two Japanese nationals caught with meth in Sukhumvit 33
Two Japanese nationals were arrested in Soi Sukhumvit 33 on suspicion of distributing crystal methamphetamine, with the Immigration Bureau commissioner ordering tighter visa renewal checks and deportation for foreigners involved in criminal activities. On May 2, officers from the Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau, under the direction of Police Lieutenant General Panumart Boonyalak and Police Major General Panop Worathanatchakul,…
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Korat officials arrested over fake birth certificates for Chinese children
Three civil servants in Nakhon Ratchasima have been arrested for their alleged role in issuing fake Thai birth certificates and transferring household registrations for more than 10 Chinese children. The Department of Provincial Administration confirmed on Saturday that investigations had identified 13 fraudulent registrations so far, with Thai men listed as fathers denying any biological connection to the children. Arrest…
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Police uncover child trafficking at Pathum Thani cat spa
A 33 year old woman and two associates have been arrested for allegedly running a child trafficking operation behind a cat spa front in Pathum Thani. Police, led by Police Major General Witaya Sriprasertphap, apprehended 33 year old Waykanyapat, 32 year old Thawatchai, and 38 year old Yuwadee on May 2 under human trafficking charges. The cat spa had been…
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Nigerian cocaine suspect caught hiding in Bangkok ditch
A 21 year old Nigerian suspect was arrested early yesterday, May 2, in Bangkok after allegedly attempting to sell cocaine in Ramkhamhaeng, fleeing the scene, and hiding in a drainage ditch. Immigration police said the arrest followed an investigation into foreign nationals suspected of involvement in drug activity. Officers received a tip-off on May 1 that a foreign man was…
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Mongolian man flees Thonglor cafe with iPhone 17
A Mongolian national is suspected of stealing an iPhone 17 from a barista in the Thonglor area, while also dining and dashing on a bill of 1,463 baht. The victim, 27 year old Parichat, reported the April 18 incident to a local help page on May 2, seeking public assistance. Parichat recounted that the suspect, a male Asian customer with…
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Fire crews battle grass fire in Jomtien, Pattaya amid strong winds
Fire crews responded to a grass fire in Jomtien yesterday morning, deploying four engines to contain the blaze before it could reach nearby buildings. The fire broke out at around 10.10am in Soi 9, off Thepprasit Road behind the Thepprasit Go-Kart track. Strong winds spread the flames rapidly in the opening minutes, complicating efforts to bring it under control. Firefighters…
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Wild elephant attack kills rubber tapper in Prachin Buri
A rubber tapper and volunteer in Prachin Buri province was killed in a wild elephant attack yesterday, May 2, after he entered a forested rubber plantation near Thap Lan National Park. Police were alerted at 4.30pm that one villager had been killed by wild elephants near the forest edge in Thung Pho subdistrict, Na Di district. Park staff, police, district…
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