Pattaya News
Welcome to The Thaiger’s Pattaya news page, your one-stop destination for the latest happenings in Thailand’s coastal town, AKA Sin City of the East! Our dedicated team delivers up-to-the-minute news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Pattaya, covering everything from local politics and business to entertainment and lifestyle. Stay informed about the city’s thriving tourism industry, expat community, and vibrant nightlife, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Waves ban on Pattaya boats after tourist catamaran capsizes
The Marine Department, Pattaya Office, imposed a ban on small boats venturing into the Pattaya sea. With a red flag fluttering halfway up the mast yesterday, December 25, the Department issued a stern warning to fishing boats, jet skis, speedboats, and towing boats, urging them to stay ashore amid the turbulent waters. Large fishing vessels escaped a categorical ban but…
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Intoxicated tourist’s festive frolic on Pattaya Walking Street
On Pattaya Walking Street, a tourist found himself in the spotlight after refusing to foot the bill for his drinks, stirring a peaceful intervention by the local law enforcement on December 24. The tourist, whose identity remains undisclosed, showcased signs of inebriation, becoming uncooperative in settling his tab amounting to 198 baht. Responding swiftly to the distress call from the…
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Tourist speedboat capsizes near Bubu Island: all passengers rescued
The tourist speedboat Bandaya 19 met with an unfortunate incident on Sunday (December 24) as it capsized near Bubu Island, a mere 3 kilometres from Satun’s Lipe Island. The boat was ferrying 73 tourists, which included 3 children, and had 4 crew members on board at the time of the mishap. Without losing a beat, the Navy’s 491st Special Warfare…
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Pattaya’s New Year’s Eve beach bash: Extended hours and giant umbrellas
In a move to ring in the New Year with a bang, Pattaya has given the green light for beach umbrella operators to stay open overnight on New Year’s Eve. In a meeting chaired by Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn on December 21, set the stage for exciting changes in the beach umbrella scene. Over 150 operators, along with top city…
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Pattaya: Traffic chaos at Bali Hai Pier
The picturesque road from Walking Street to Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya has transformed into a bustling bazaar, causing mayhem for both locals and tourists alike. The 1.5-kilometre stretch, once a serene link between nightlife and island getaways, is now a traffic-ridden nightmare. The situation has escalated to the point where motorcycles are haphazardly strewn across the road, leaving no…
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Foreigners defrauded by Thai woman with their passports leads to arrest
More than 30 foreigners turned the tables on a 33 year old woman, dragging her to the Pattaya City Police Station with a trove of 40 passports. The former language school teacher, Supawadee Thongnoi, stands accused of a cunning visa renewal scam that left expats high and dry in Thailand. Previously, victims had lodged complaints at the Pattaya City Police…
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Motorbike rider cheats death in Pattaya cable catastrophe
In Pattaya, a Bolt motorbike rider narrowly cheated death when he collided with a hanging cable, leaving his neck gruesomely wounded. The motorbike rider, 22 year old Ethan Ketwongsa, took to Facebook to recount his harrowing ordeal that unfolded on December 17. Cruising down Soi Ban Nern Thang Rotfai 1, just off the parallel railway road in East Pattaya, Ethan…
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Young firefighter steals hearts and extinguishes flames
Capturing the internet’s attention, six year old Peerapat, a kindergarten student at Wat U-Tapao Kindergarten in Chon Buri, has become a viral sensation after a video of him extinguishing a forest fire alongside adult firefighters surfaced on social media. The video, shared on Thai social media on December 18, has amassed over 2 million views, turning Peerapat into a symbol…
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Pattaya visa scam leaves hundreds of tourists out of pocket and overstaying
Hundreds of victims have been financially swindled by an unscrupulous visa extension agency in Pattaya, with some foreign victims being illegally overstayed in the Kingdom. Today, 36 year old Chanidapha Thowasakul, represented a group of more than 30 victims, including foreign nationals, and brought 33 year old Suphawadee (surname withheld) to the Pattaya City Police Station. The victims, with 40…
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Honesty prevails: Seafood restaurant staff’s noble act returns lost fortune to tourists
In a heartwarming twist of fate, a group of tourists, seemingly from the Middle East, narrowly escaped a financial catastrophe after leaving behind a bag loaded with 9,275 Dirhams and 105 US Dollars, totalling around 100,000 baht at the renowned Moom Aroi seafood restaurant in the Na Kluea area. On the evening of December 13, two women and two men…
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Mysterious body of foreigner floating in Sattahip bay
Sattahip police received a distress call from a vigilant local fisherman who stumbled upon a body about 500 metres offshore near an island in Sattahip Bay on December 16. Rushing to the scene, an elite team of investigative police and a search and rescue unit were met with the sight of an unknown male, clad in nothing but black shorts,…
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Pattaya Airways takes flight in Q4 2024
At an exclusive event in Bangkok, the CEO of the Pattaya Group Tosaporn Asunee, announced the imminent takeoff of Pattaya Airways in the fourth quarter of 2024. Tosaporn stated… “We see a rising demand for air transportation services as the post-Covid situation stabilises. “The industry is bouncing back, and the demand is increasing rapidly. Recognising this opportunity for expansion, we decided…
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Pattaya city plans for one-way roads trial in 2024
Located in Thailand, the bustling city of Pattaya recently grabbed headlines as city leaders declared their intent to usher in a significant change. Leaders in Pattaya City have revealed a proposal to convert the traffic flow on the bustling Soi Buakhao to one-way roads system. The announcement elicited diverse reactions and viewpoints, yet the prevailing sentiment among our readers, according…
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Pattaya Beach’s controversial sidewalks to be expanded following public outcry
Pattaya Beach’s controversial sidewalks caught the attention of the city’s Mayor, Poramese Ngampiches, who, after inspecting the area late last week, committed to expanding and improving the walkways. This follows a wave of public disapproval that swept across social media platforms, triggered by images of the newly paved sidewalks near Soi 13/2 and Royal Garden Mall. The beach has been…
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Foreign buyers flock to Thailand’s tropical condos: Chinese and Russians lead
Foreign buyers such as the Chinese and Russian are dominating the condominium scene, turning Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket into international real estate playgrounds. A staggering 10,703 units, raking in a jaw-dropping 52.3 billion baht, exchanged hands in the nine months leading up to September, marking a whopping 38% surge from the previous year, according to the Real Estate Information Center,…
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Pattaya gears up for the free ‘Music Youth Creative Space’ event
Pattaya is abuzz with anticipation for the upcoming Music Youth Creative Space event, a dynamic platform aimed at sparking musical interest and fostering the creative potential of the city’s young population. Slated to take place over two consecutive weekends, December 15-16 and December 22-23, the event promises a musical extravaganza at the picturesque Jomtien Beach. From 5pm to 10pm each…
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Transgender woman accused of 200,000 baht gold theft in Pattaya
Pattaya police recorded yet another transgender magpie thief case involving some gold and an Indian man in Sin City. This time a 39 year old transgender woman was apprehended at a condominium in Pattaya’s Nong Prue district, following allegations of theft in the middle of the night. The victim, a 40 year old Indian tourist, reported the loss of a…
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Highs and lows in Pattaya as marijuana shop puts its foot on the illegal laughing gas peddle
In Pattaya, a shop selling legal marijuana products was discovered to be selling laughing gas to tourists too. A discreet investigation revealed that the shop, operating under the guise of a legal enterprise, was surreptitiously selling nitrous oxide balloons to an unsuspecting clientele, comprising both Thai locals and curious foreign tourists. The audacity of the operation was epitomised by a…
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Pattaya’s permanent secretary Pramote Tubtim passes away in service
The city of Pattaya is reeling from the unexpected and sorrowful passing of its Permanent Secretary, Sub Lieutenant Pramote Tubtim, during his active service. The news of Pramote’s death yesterday has left the community in shock and mourning. Just hours before his untimely death, he had been diligently fulfilling his duties, adding to the sense of disbelief surrounding his sudden…
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Pattaya’s infamous 4 Step Tomboy nightclub takes a stumble in narcotics raid
Officials yesterday cracked down on Pattaya‘s infamous 4 Step Tomboy nightclub. Allegations of illegal activities prompted a raid that exposed the possession of narcotics at the nightclub. Bang Lamung District Office and Pattaya Police Station officials, spearheaded by district chief Phisit Sawatdinukul and district chief secretary Kamolchanok Konsombat, launched a decisive raid on the notorious 4 Step Tomboy nightclub at 3.30am,…
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Chon Buri: Peacock on residential rooftop captured by rescue teams in Nong Prue
A peacock was spotted yesterday perching on a residential rooftop at Eakmongkol Village 3, Bang Lamung, Chon Buri. The Nong Prue rescue teams, upon receiving the unusual report at 5.40pm, promptly arrived on the scene to manage the situation. The peacock, typically an inhabitant of the wilderness, had somehow made its way to the urban locality and decided to make…
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Lampang high-speed chase ends with seizure of 1.3 million amphetamine pills
Amidst the serene landscapes of Lampang, the tranquillity was shattered on December 6, as a high-speed chase ended in the capture of two alleged drug smugglers with amphetamine pills. The suspects, identified only as 43 year old Worapot and Chainarong, were found in possession of an astonishing 1.3 million amphetamine pills. The apprehension of such a significant drug haul was…
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Thai Health Minister delivers bundle of joy and initiative: Give Birth, Great World
Dr Cholnan Srikaew, the Thai Minister of Public Health and associated agencies, this week launched an initiative called Give Birth, Great World at a press conference in Ayutthaya. The primary concern addressed at the launch meeting was Thailand’s alarming demographic trends, which, according to reports, is causing the nation to be among 23 others worldwide with a higher death rate…
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Pattaya punch-up: Ex-US soldier seeks answers as Thai man delivers unexpected blow
A former US soldier sought help from locals in Pattaya after a Thai man punched him in the face. The victim was unaware of the motive for the attack. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers and rescue team rushed to the Pattaya Sai Song Road near Soi Pattaya 13 after a Thai woman, 44 year old Nattanan, notified them about the…
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Slovenian national found dead in Pattaya condo, suspected suicide
The lifeless body of a 47 year old man from Slovenia was discovered in a Pattaya condominium yesterday. The preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of death was likely suicide. The scene was inspected by a team led by Pattaya police chief investigator, Police Lieutenant Colonel Thananon Athipansee, alongside medics from Bang Lamung Hospital and rescue workers. The team was…
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Swiss man accidentally falls from 3rd floor of Pattaya condo while smoking
A Swiss man suffered head and leg injuries after he accidentally fell from the third floor of a condominium in Pattaya while smoking at 5am today. The accident was reported to the Sawang Borriboon Dhammasatan Rescue Team at 5am today, December 7, where rescuers rushed to the scene in the Jomtien neighbourhood of Pattaya. At the scene, the rescuers found…
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Pattaya: Infant found dead in rubbish bin shocks community
An infant, estimated to be around six to eight months old, was found dead in a rubbish bin located on Soi Thappraya 5, Pattaya. This chilling discovery took place on Tuesday morning, December 5. The infant was found carefully wrapped in a black shirt, and a brown and red towel, and placed inside a plastic bag, which bore the ominous…
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Thai teen caught smuggling knives into 4Kings (Part 2) movie screening
A cinema visit in the Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, took a grim turn when a Thai teenager was apprehended while attempting to smuggle a collection of knives into the screening of 4Kings (Part 2). This film is known for its depiction of violence among vocational school students in Thailand. The 17 year old man was intercepted at the Big…
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Indian tourist assaulted in Pattaya over parking misunderstanding
The bustling seaside resort of Pattaya was recently the setting for an unfortunate incident involving an Indian tourist assaulted by a local motorbike taxi driver. The Indian visitor, Somnath Saha, fell victim to a physical assault, allegedly perpetrated by the taxi driver. The conflict began when the 39 year old Indian tourist parked his motorbike in a spot the local…
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Certainties of life: Death, taxes, and ladyboys robbing Indian men of gold in Pattaya
There are several certainties guaranteed in life, death and taxes, US interference in other countries’ foreign policies, and ladyboys in Pattaya robbing Indian men ostentatiously flaunting their gold. In the vibrant streets of Pattaya, where the night unfolds with many unexpected tales, a recent incident involving a pickpocketing ladyboy added another chapter to ladyboys in Pattaya robbing Indian men of…
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