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.
-
Sponsored
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...
-
Indian man overstays visa in Thailand by 2,048 days
Immigration police arrested an Indian national in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, found to have overstayed his visa by 2,048 days (more than five and a half years). Police believe he is part of a call centre gang, reports KhaoSod. The police stopped 38 year old Jatinder Singh – who resides in the Na Jomtien area of Sattahip district –…
-
TAT and Tinder team up to launch Single Journey tours for single travellers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Tinder dating app have teamed up to launch “Single Journey Season 2” tours for single travellers who want to find a travel partner and make their trip more meaningful. The first season of Single Journey was launched in December 2020. It offered three different trips for 100 single travellers who won free…
-
Aussie man and Thai wife say politicians’ letter saved them from death penalty in Thailand
A free Aussie man and his Thai wife who spent four years in prison in Thailand for a crime they did not commit say that a 15-page letter from politicians in Australia is the reason they were spared the death penalty after being convicted of trafficking half a tonne of crystal meth in 2018. Luke Cook, his wife Kanyarat Wechapitak and…
-
Motorists in Thailand warned to pay outstanding fines this week or else!
Motorists in Thailand have been warned that they will not receive their annual vehicle registration tax sticker if they have outstanding traffic fines by this weekend. The government today announced that motorists have until Saturday, April 1 to settle any unpaid traffic fines otherwise they will not receive their annual vehicle registration tax sticker to display on their windshields. Furthermore,…
-
Government addresses public complaints
Here’s a story for the comments section. Got a complaint? The government is listening… probably. The Cabinet recently addressed the complaints submitted by the public and feedback submitted to state agencies and enterprises during the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. And while it often feels like complaints to higher authorities fall on deaf ears, the government claim that…
-
Brawl erupts between foreign staff and foreign tourists at Phuket restaurant (video)
A violent brawl erupted between three foreign staff members at a restaurant in the Patong area of Phuket, southern Thailand, and five drunk foreign tourists in the early hours of this morning. Partygoers notified Patong Police Station that a group of foreign tourists and a group of foreign restaurant staff were attacking each other with chairs at Atlas Restaurant on…
-
People in Thailand spend too much time on their backsides, a new report reveals
People in Thailand spend too much time sitting on their backsides, a new study reveals. The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) revealed that 76% of Thai people spend seven hours or more sitting down, underlining the need for the nation’s population to get off their arses and engage in more physical activity to improve their health and wellbeing. MOPH director-general…
-
Police thwart attempt to pull 176 million from bank account
A Cambodian national has been arrested by police in Bangkok for using a fake passport to obtain a new bank passbook. The passbook is believed to be for a bank account with 176 million baht in savings, which is thought to belong to a call centre gang. The police were alerted to the situation on March 24 when it was…
-
Pervy man caught on CCTV sniffing woman’s underwear and licking her shoes
A Thai woman in the southern province of Songkhla filed a complaint with the police after a CCTV camera captured footage of a perverted man climbing over a wall into her house, sniffing her underwear and licking her shoes before leaving. The 28 year old victim, Raenu, posted videos of the incident on a Facebook group named HATYAIZ to warn residents…
-
Election results reporting to be aided by media alliance
Thai media outlets have teamed up to form an alliance that will provide live reporting of unofficial election results during the country’s upcoming General Election. This move was prompted by the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to use a non-real-time official reporting format, which sparked concerns about transparency and fairness. Rather than piecemeal independent reporting from various polling stations, The Association…
-
Thai man sets ‘high’ score for fastest joint roller at Phuket’s Cannabis Cup
As cannabis remains one of the nation’s hottest political issues in Thailand prior to the election in May, one Thai man won 5,000 baht for rolling a perfect one-gramme joint in just 43 seconds at the first-ever Cannabis Cup in Phuket on Saturday, reports Reuters. Hailed the fastest joint roller in all of Phuket, 30 year old Phuketian Ativat Janmuangthai won…
-
Online pranksters warned they could face time in jail ahead of April Fool’s Day
The Royal Thai Police issued a warning to online pranksters ahead of April Fool’s Day that their tomfoolery could land them in jail and a heavy fine. The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) urged the nation’s natural jokers to be careful that their shenanigans on April Fool’s Day, also known as “Wan Dek Foo” in Thailand, do not break the…
-
Sukhumvit bar owner threatens tourists with gun
While there’s no surefire way to choose which bar is good and which one is bad in the lively nightlife area of Sukhumvit in Bangkok, maybe one where the owner flaunts his gun on social media all the time isn’t the best choice. A foreign tourist in Bangkok has reported being threatened with a shotgun by the owner of a…
-
Police accused of raping and blackmailing woman
A 21 year old woman accused a Khlong Ha Police Station sergeant major of getting her drunk before raping her. The woman also alleged that the police officer recorded the rape to blackmail her into having sex with him again. The co-founder of the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive, Acharn Opasthanakorn, accompanied the victim, Bee, to file a complaint against the…
-
Thailand weather forecast: Hot and stormy
Much of Thailand can expect hot weather and summer storms in the next 24 hours, with temperatures hitting highs of 39 degrees Celsius in Bangkok, according to the Meteorological Department. Northern Thailand is expected to be hot and hazy today. In Chiang Mai, the air quality index (AQI) was measured at a ‘very unhealthy’ 220 this morning, 33.9x higher than…
-
Man throws 10 year old boy into Chon Buri reservoir, victim drowns
A man has been accused of throwing a 10 year old boy into a reservoir in Chon Buri causing him to drown. The suspect’s grandmother, however, does not believe the accusation, adding that her grandson suffers from mental health problems and would not hurt a fly. The incident happened at Huay Shark Nork Reservoir on the Tung Klom-Tarn Man Road…
-
Not all trips to a police station in Thailand end in tragedy, with some there’s a happy ending
Heard the joke about the police officer in Thailand offering massages, soothing herbal sweets and a cold drink instead of a cuff around the ear and a night in the slammer? No? Well, that’s because it’s not a joke. A visit to a police station in Thailand is usually a daunting exercise for most whether you’ve committed a crime, filed…
-
Elderly Frenchman missing in Thailand forest
A search party has been mobilised to locate a 70 year old Frenchman lost in the forest around Khao Eto Mountain in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand since yesterday afternoon, reports DailyNews. The Frenchman, 70 year old Sierra Gamache, set off early yesterday morning and climbed to the highest point on the Mount Eto trail. At 12 noon, Gamache…
-
Thai vendor banks 10,000 baht on a traditional Thai pattern pancake
A skilled pancake vendor at Srinagarindra Train Night Market in Bangkok who created a magnificent piece of art from a pancake managed to bank 10,000 baht. Shop owner and pancake artist extraordinaire, Wiwat “Singto” Janecharoen, posted a video of a pancake with a traditional Thai pattern on the shop’s TikTok account, nirinartyummy. In the caption he wrote… “More detailed than…
-
Tourist spots dead body near Pattaya park
A tourist spotted a dead body near a Pattaya park yesterday. Rescuers were alerted of the discovery of the decaying body at around 6pm. The body was found near a park on Soi Chaiyaphruek 4 in the Bang Lamung district. The dead man was not carrying any identification documents. He was wearing a blue shirt, shorts, and sandals. Officers said the…
-
Phuket scumbag allegedly rapes teenage girl he contacted online
A Phuket scumbag allegedly raped a teenage girl he contacted online. The victim’s parents told Thalang Police that the suspect, 24 year old Sumet, raped their 17 year old daughter, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The parents said that Sumet contacted their daughter on Facebook and flirted with her. Sumet then came to their house when he knew that they…
-
Outrage as energy bills rise for households, drop for industry
The government has come under fire for its latest revision of electricity pricing, with accusations that it will reduce energy bills for various industries but raise those of households. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has decided to increase power bills for households from 4.72 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit) to 4.77 baht. Industry will also be charged 4.77 baht, but that’s…
-
Following Chinese ransom case, Big Joke says Pattaya expats will be closely scrutinised
Assistant Commissioner of Police Surachate Hakparn, also known as “Big Joke,” says that expats in Pattaya will be scrutinised closely as part of Operation X-Ray. This news follows the recent case in which a Chinese woman was abducted in Pattaya as she went to get her child from school, and gangsters demanded 1 million yuan (4.7 million baht) in ransom.…
-
Russia to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus
Levelling up the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a close ally and neighbour of Russia. Putin has repeatedly hinted at a return to Cold War brinksmanship, threatening the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. During an interview on Russian television, Putin stated that if Kyiv received…
-
Thailand expected to have a hotter summer this year
Thailand is bracing for a hotter summer this year, with the Meteorological Department forecasting an average temperature increase of one degree Celsius from last year. The hottest weather this week has been recorded in the North of the country, with temperatures peaking at 41.5°C in Phetchabun’s Mueang district on Thursday. Closer to Bangkok, the highest temperature was recorded at 38.5°C…
-
UN calls for urgent action on global water resources
A harsh new warning has been issued by the United Nations about the urgency to protect the Earth’s water resources. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for immediate action to safeguard water resources and prevent conflicts. Speaking at a three-day UN conference, Guterres warned that the world is not on track to meet its 2030 water goals, including access to…
-
What are those tattoos Thais get in temples?
For centuries, men have been visiting the Bang Phra Temple in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, to receive traditional tattoos known as “sak yant.” The temple, built in the 17th century during the Ayutthaya era, has become a pilgrimage site for those seeking good fortune, protection, and a deeper spiritual connection. Monks at the temple use fine point needles to create the…
-
Murky water at Koh Samui beach caused by plankton bloom, not oil spill: officials
UPDATE The smelly, murky water putting off tourists from swimming in the sea at Maenam Beach in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, is not an oil spill but caused by a plankton bloom, which is a natural phenomenon, according to the Director of Koh Samui Harbour Authority, Arun Buppako. The photos circulating of green murky water at the beach show dead…
-
Phuket officials seize baraku from restaurant
There’s been another bust on a venue in Phuket. Officials in Phuket’s Thalang district seized baraku, also known as shisha, from a restaurant near a hotel in the town of Sakhu. The seizure followed anonymous complaints via social media. Thalang Distric Chief Bancha Tanuin said officials inspected a Sakhu hotel on Thursday. They found two sets of baraku being used…
-
2 foreigners arrested while acting as illegal tour guides
Two foreign nationals have been arrested by the Department of Employment (DoE) for illegally working as tour guides in Bangkok. They were caught near the Ratchaprasong intersection in Pathumwan district. The suspects, a Chinese and a Vietnamese national, were detained after the Professional Tourist Guide Association of Thailand (PGAT) lodged complaints last week that foreign tour guides were stealing their…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.