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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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...
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Austrians eye Pattaya paradise as mayor rolls out red carpet
Pattaya may be famous for sun, sea, and nightlife—but now it’s setting its sights on schnitzel-loving tourists from Austria. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet recently welcomed Austrian Ambassador Wilhelm Maximilian Donko to City Hall in a high-level diplomatic meeting aimed at boosting long-term Austrian tourism to the city. The talks focused on expanding cooperation in tourism and cultural exchange, with both…
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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 motorbike gang traps delivery driver in midnight road rage (video)
A 26 year old delivery rider was left shaken after he claimed he was surrounded, threatened, and assaulted by a group of furious motorcycle taxi drivers in the early hours of Tuesday. The drama began around 11pm on Tuesday, July 29, when Narongchay Boonsom was pulling out from a parking spot on Second Road, near the Marine Plaza Hotel in…
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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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Furious farangs slam Pattaya over ‘Thai price’ double standard
As domestic tourism campaigns roll out across Pattaya, many foreign travellers are left feeling short-changed. While Thai nationals enjoy government-backed discounts and co-pay perks, expats and tourists say they’re being charged more for the same experiences, from hotel rooms to national park entries. “Should I get a local to book my hotel for October?” one frustrated tourist posted on a…
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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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Baby monkey boom delights visitors at Chon Buri zoo
Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri has announced the successful birth of five healthy squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), adding to its troop and bringing the total population of the species at the zoo to 23. Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy confirmed the good news this week, calling the multiple births a sign of the zoo’s high standards of animal care.…
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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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Flashing zebra crossing turns heads in Pattaya
Pattaya has rolled out a new traffic safety innovation that’s turning heads and slowing traffic. On Wednesday, July 23, the city launched a high-tech pedestrian crossing system on Second Road near Soi 6 in North Pattaya, designed to make road crossings significantly safer. The crossing features a push-button system that activates flashing lights, alerting oncoming vehicles to slow down or…
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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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Motorcycle crash in Pattaya due to unsecured gate leaves two injured
Strong winds caused a metal gate to swing open onto the road, leading to a motorcycle collision that injured two young people. The accident occurred in Soi Na Kluea 16, Pattaya, and while the injured have reported the incident, there has been no response from the landowner. The injured parties are identified as 20 year old Thanapon Thanathapsapanitch and 19…
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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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Vape and raid! Thai customs puff out chest in black market bust
Thai customs chiefs struck a major blow against the black market, seizing a mountain of illegal goods worth more than 88 million baht in a dramatic operation at one of the country’s busiest ports. Over 88 million baht (US$2.4 million) worth of contraband was nabbed at Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri, including e-cigarettes, fake designer bags, unlicensed cosmetics, and…
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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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Zoom and gloom as woman biker slams van at red light in Pattaya
Thailand’s roads turned deadly again as a young woman was left fighting for her life after ploughing her motorbike into the back of a stationary van in Pattaya in the early hours of yesterday morning. The horror smash happened at 3.30am yesterday, July 21 on Sukhumvit Road near Soi Siam Country Club, when 24 year old Chanaphon Huadsi crashed her…
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Chon Buri police arrest suspect with drugs and outstanding warrants
An operation led by Bang Lamung Police Station in Chon Buri, under the guidance of Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, successfully targeted drug-related offences, leading to the arrest of a suspect involved in two drug cases. The operation today, July 21, was spearheaded by Police Lieutenant Colonel Kornphong Sukwisit, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, along with Police Major Wuttipong Kasa, Investigation Inspector,…
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Chon Buri burglary: Elderly woman’s home looted, gold and amulets stolen
A burglary in Chon Buri on July 19 left a 70 year old woman in distress after a thief looted her home, stealing gold jewellery, over 100 Buddhist amulets, and thousands of baht in coins. The incident took place at a residence in Tambon Khao Mai Kaew. The victim, Phanthong Khampongjai, discovered the theft after returning home from chatting with…
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