Pattaya News
Pattaya news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s coastal entertainment hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Pattaya news source.
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Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...
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Pattaya gridlock sparks calls for urgent rail fix
Pattaya’s roads are choking—and so are its residents. As traffic jams grow worse by the day, frustrated locals and weary tourists are demanding immediate action to overhaul the city’s outdated transport system. At the centre of the debate is Pattaya’s long-delayed Monorail Green Line project, a tram-style light rail network aimed at solving the city’s chronic congestion. Yesterday, July 31,…
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Graveyard curse on Hun Sen sparks Thai lottery frenzy (video)
A Thai social media influencer sparked controversy after leading a graveyard curse ceremony in Chon Buri—complete with pizza, fried chicken, and fiery accusations against top Cambodian officials. Yesterday, July 31 at 8pm, 32 year old influencer Lapatsarada Rakangthong, and lottery tipster Phirada Tanachotinda, also known as Mae Nam Nueng, conducted the bizarre ritual at the Trikunnatham Foundation cemetery in Nong…
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Furious Pattaya locals slam 4-year roadworks nightmare
Pattaya residents are fuming as a drainage and road construction project drags into its fourth year with no end in sight—leaving behind a trail of muddy roads, stray dogs, blocked access, and mounting frustration. Locals living near Thepprasit Soi 7 and 9, extending to Jomtien Second Road, say they’ve had enough. What was promised as essential infrastructure improvement has become,…
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Pattaya dazzles tourists with flashy new Walking Street sign
Pattaya’s famed nightlife hotspot, Walking Street, is set to shine even brighter, thanks to a brand-new, eye-popping 3D LED sign currently under construction at the street’s entrance. The vivid, high-tech signage, part of the city’s ongoing beautification efforts, promises to become the ultimate selfie spot for tourists flocking to the notorious party district. Even though work on the towering structure…
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Fatal crash sparks fury over ‘death trap’ roadworks in Pattaya
A fatal motorbike crash in Pattaya has reignited outrage over hazardous road conditions after a Laotian man was killed yesterday in what residents describe as a “death trap” stretch of road. The accident happened around 8pm yesterday, July 30, on a road running parallel to the railway in Soi Nong Hin. Emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit…
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Pattaya drug raid: Major dealer arrested, drugs seized
In Banglamung District, Pattaya, on July 30, a significant drug bust led by District Chief Patcharapat Sritanyanon resulted in the arrest of a well-known drug dealer, Ratthaphong Phananuson, known by the alias Got Soi Noen. The operation successfully seized 438 methamphetamine pills and 62.61 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, commonly referred to as ice. The investigation began after a tip-off from…
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Cambodian man arrested for robbery of Russian tourist in Pattaya
Pattaya police have detained a Cambodian man named Chid Jan in connection with the robbery of Daria Smirnova, a 28 year old Russian tourist. The incident unfolded on July 28 at 8.06pm in Soi Chalermphrakiat 14. The suspect, who was on a motorcycle, allegedly threatened Smirnova with a screwdriver and took her bag, which contained valuables worth roughly 5,000 baht…
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Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach gets sandy makeover to woo tourists
Thailand’s Marine Department held a high-level seminar yesterday at the Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel and Resort to push forward Phase 2 of the Jomtien Beach Sand Replenishment Project — a multimillion-baht effort to combat coastal erosion and bring back beachgoers in droves. Deputy Director-General of the Marine Department Narinsak Sattaprasit presided over the event. He was joined by Deputy Governor…
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Spiked: Russian girl jabbed by porcupinefish at Jomtien Beach
A peaceful beach day turned into a seaside scare after an 11 year old Russian girl was stung by a porcupinefish spine while playing along the shore at Jomtien Beach. The incident unfolded yesterday afternoon, July 29, when the girl suddenly cried out in pain, alarming her guardians and nearby beachgoers. According to officials from the Jomtien municipal enforcement team,…
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Bag bump at Pattaya bar sparks bloody brawl
A drunken bump turned bloody in the early hours of yesterday after a Thai woman was attacked near a South Pattaya bar in a row over a handbag. At around 3am yesterday, July 29, the Sawang Boriboon Rescue Centre received a report of a physical altercation outside a pharmacy near a well-known restaurant on South Pattaya Road. Responders arrived to…
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CCTV busts trash dumpers in Pattaya green zone sting
Caught on camera and forced to clean up their mess. That’s the fate that met four litterbugs after Pattaya’s expanding CCTV network spotted them dumping garbage in a forest zone just hours after it had been cleaned. On Sunday, July 27, Pattaya City workers completed a public cleaning and trimming of a green zone. But the next day, officials were…
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Pattaya fights back with bold new city health charter
Pattaya is rewriting the rules as it prepares to launch a bold new health charter aimed at cleaning up the city’s image and improving the quality of life for its residents. At the heart of the plan is the use of constitutional authority to drive sweeping reforms across three key sectors: tattoo safety, nighttime worker welfare, and protecting children from…
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Russian woman robbed in Pattaya, police launch manhunt
A 29 year old Russian woman was left shaken after a brazen bag snatching in the heart of Pattaya today, July 29. Police Lieutenant Anirut Jehroh of Pattaya City Police Station responded to a report of a street robbery in Soi Chaloem Phrakiat 14, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. At the scene, officers found Smirnova CMNPHOBA visibly shaken and…
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Nongprue police arrest drug dealer in undercover sting operation
In a coordinated operation on July 27, 2025, led by Banglamung District Chief Patcharapat Sritanyanon, a 24 year old drug dealer, Thanawat Suksamai, known as Two, was arrested in Nongprue, Chon Buri. The sting operation took place in a rented room in Soi Khao Talo 8, where Thanawat was found with 37.3 grams of ketamine, 0.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine,…
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Fire at Bangchak Oil Refinery contained after explosion
A fire broke out at the Bangchak Oil Refinery in Sriracha, Chon Buri, yesterday, July 26, at roughly 12.30pm. This incident led to a loud explosion and sent thick smoke into the sky, surprising nearby residents. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities. Police at Laem Chabang were quickly informed and coordinated efforts with over 10 fire trucks…
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Topless woman rescued on Pattaya street in distress drama
Pattaya officials sprang into action after a woman in visible mental distress was spotted wandering shirtless down a busy Jomtien street. The unsettling scene unfolded on Bun Kanchana Soi 2, where concerned residents alerted authorities after noticing the woman behaving erratically without a top on. Responding with speed and sensitivity, officers from the Jomtien municipal enforcement unit located the woman…
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Top cop’s Mercedes goes up in flames in Pattaya
A high-ranking police officer narrowly escaped disaster in Pattaya after his Mercedes-Benz burst into flames on a major road. In the early hours of yesterday, July 25, a luxury car went up in smoke at the notorious Matchstick Factory Intersection on Sukhumvit Road, drawing dramatic scenes of flashing lights, thick black smoke and a wall of fire. Emergency responders from…
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Wrong-way rider causes crash near Sattahip
A three-motorbike collision unfolded on Highway 331 near Sattahip late on Thursday, leaving one man seriously injured and another rider lucky to walk away. The accident occurred at around 10pm on July 24 when 49 year old Boonchalerm Singngoi, riding a white-and-red Honda Wave 125i, reportedly entered the highway from the Khao Mai Kaew market – but heading in the…
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Cops bust Chon Buri grocery store fronting drug ring
In a dramatic crackdown on drug trafficking in Chon Buri, Bang Lamung Police joined forces with local officials to raid a seemingly ordinary grocery store that was secretly operating as a hub for illegal narcotics. The bust, which took place in Village 5 of the Takhian Tia area, led to the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of a…
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Pattaya slashes spaghetti wires in major city makeover
Pattaya is finally tackling one of its biggest eyesores—those tangled telecom cables hanging from power poles—by cutting them down in a citywide cleanup drive. Yesterday morning, July 24, Pattaya City Mayor Poramet Ngampichet led the launch of the 2025 Telecommunications Cable Organisation Project, aimed at removing disused wires and improving both public safety and visual appeal. The initiative, carried out…
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Pattaya expats rattled by driving licence clampdown
A new rule quietly rolled out by Land Transportation offices in Bang Lamung (Pattaya) and Rayong has triggered widespread confusion and anxiety among the foreign community. As of July 17, foreigners holding visas valid for less than one year will only be granted two-year driving licences—whether applying for the first time or renewing. The rule, which is not yet a…
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Mayor tackles illegal waste dumping by Chinese firm in Chon Buri
In Chon Buri, the mayor of the Nong Chak subdistrict is taking firm action against a Chinese company caught illegally dumping waste in a prohibited area. The waste was returned to the factory’s entrance, and legal proceedings are underway. Today, July 24, Doctor Chawinkraiwit Singthotong, Mayor of Nong Chak subdistrict municipality, inspected a large amount of waste after reports indicated…
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Buffalo bust as Yaba duo in Chon Buri caught in the act
A drug crackdown in rural Chon Buri left two suspected dealers out of luck, one of them nabbed hiding in a buffalo shed with a pocketful of Yaba. Police in Koh Chan district, Chon Buri, swooped on two alleged drug traffickers in a targeted operation yesterday, July 23, part of the Ministry of Interior’s hardline No Drugs – No Dealers…
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Punch-up with Pattaya ladyboy leaves foreigner with bloody head
A wild brawl in the heart of Pattaya left a foreign tourist with a bloody head wound after a drunken dispute with a ladyboy and some motorbike taxi drivers. The dramatic altercation was captured on video and is now under police scrutiny. The violent brawl broke out on Pattaya’s infamous Soi Buakhao at 4.06am yesterday, July 23, leaving the unnamed…
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Pattaya guard bashed with phone in hotel bust-up
A late-night lovers’ spat on Pattaya Beach took a violent turn when a hotel security guard trying to play peacemaker ended up bleeding from the head — allegedly attacked by an irate woman wielding a mobile phone. The drama unfolded in the early hours of Monday, July 21, at a hotel in central Pattaya, where 37 year old Wisuwat, a…
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Pole-axed! Trucker trapped in mangled cab after rain-slick smash
A Thai truck driver was left trapped and bloodied after his six-wheeler spun out of control in heavy rain and slammed into an electric pole in Chon Buri. The crash happened at 9.45am yesterday, July 22 near the entrance to Ploy Yai Village along Highway 331 (Sattahip–Chachoengsao). The white Hino truck was returning from an auto parts delivery when it…
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Nut job nabbed! Coconut crook caught hiding in cassava patch
A coconut crook has been busted in a cassava field after being caught red-handed stealing fruit from a plantation in Chon Buri. Thanakorn Noondee was nabbed yesterday, July 22, at 4.36pm by 30 year old eagle-eyed village headman Phattharaphon Phiwanoi, and his trusty 48 year old sidekick Phaisan Srimanee, after days of coconut disappearances left locals stumped. The 39 year…
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Crash test dim-sum! Car ploughs into Thai eatery in Pattaya, 2 injured
Diners at a bustling Isaan restaurant in Pattaya were left stunned after a runaway car smashed into the building, injuring a food vendor and a teenage girl in a chaotic rush-hour crash. The terrifying incident unfolded at 6.06pm yesterday, July 22, at the railway road intersection in Soi Nong Yai, where a bronze Honda Jazz sedan lost control after a…
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Brits in Pattaya face rising risks, embassy warns
The British Embassy is sounding the alarm in Pattaya, and expats would be wise to take notice. During a high-profile reception at the Courtyard by Marriott, the Bangkok-based consul in charge of consular affairs addressed a gathering of British expats and Thai officials with a stark warning: the number of UK nationals in distress is rising sharply. Joanne Finnamore-Crorkin cited…
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Big Brother hits the beach: AI policing slashes crime in Pattaya
Pattaya’s not just a party town anymore — it’s now a high-tech crime-fighting zone with eyes everywhere. Thai police claim the latest artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance system has cut physical assaults and property-related crimes in Pattaya by at least 40%. And if you’re walking the streets, chances are — you’re being watched. Region 2 Police Chief Lieutenant General Yingos Thepchamnong…
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