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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Pattaya ramps up canal cleanup to boost eco-tourism future
Pattaya’s historic canals are getting a facelift, with city leaders calling on residents to join the fight against pollution and preserve eco-tourism. Yesterday, August 27, Pattaya City launched the second phase of its canal conservation project, targeting the Nok Yang and Naklua canals along with surrounding areas. The initiative aims to protect the waterways from pollution and urban encroachment while…
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Foreigner nabbed for daring bike theft on Pattaya Walking Street
A foreign national was arrested today after allegedly stealing a motorbike on Soi 16 off Pattaya’s Walking Street. The man’s identity and nationality remain unknown, but witnesses claimed he appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the theft. According to police, the incident began today, August 28, when the motorcycle owner discovered his vehicle missing…
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Farmhand steals bike and cash in Bang Lamung vanishing act
A 37 year old farmer in Huay Yai, Bang Lamung district, was left stunned after a newly employed worker allegedly vanished with her motorcycle and cash just five days into the job. At around 10am yesterday, August 27, Nichakorn Khonseu reported the matter to Police Lieutenant Mintrathit Thongsai, an investigator at Huay Yai Police Station. Nichakorn told police that she…
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Thailand to host Tomorrowland festival with 2 billion baht budget
The Thai Cabinet has approved a budget of 2 billion baht, equivalent to approximately US$59 million, to host the globally acclaimed electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland in Thailand for the next five years. Pattaya has been chosen as the prime location for this event, and the official announcement was made today, August 27. The festival is expected to generate at least…
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Chon Buri police bust illegal poker den, arrest nine foreigners
Chon Buri police, in collaboration with Chon Buri Immigration Police, successfully dismantled an illegal poker gambling den in a Pattaya residential village on August 25. The operation resulted in the arrest of nine foreign nationals, comprising five Chinese and four South Korean. Acting on tips from locals who reported foreign vehicles obstructing the neighbourhood, the officers seized gambling equipment and…
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Red light ban hits Pattaya ambulances after Rayong crash
Pattaya’s ambulance crews have been ordered to hit the brakes. A deadly smash in Rayong has sparked a new crackdown banning rescue vehicles from running red lights. The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Pattaya has announced a strict directive forbidding ambulances and volunteer rescue vehicles from driving through red lights, even during emergencies. The move follows a tragic crash in…
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Pattaya panic: Visa crackdowns and QR codes shake expat life
Pattaya’s carefree days are fading fast. Last year, the city embraced digital control: cashless payments, visa crackdowns, surveillance tech, and retirees are struggling to keep up. Once a haven for easy living, Pattaya now demands QR codes, clean records, and compliance, leaving old-school expats wondering if they still belong. Some expats argue that Pattaya is the same as ever: just…
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Illegal Pattaya hotel ordered torn down after resident complaints
Pattaya residents have scored a victory after city officials ordered the demolition of parts of a controversial hotel project that locals say has been disrupting their neighbourhood. Deputy Mayor Manoch Nongyai, Acting Head of Building Control Marut Uthaiwattananon, and engineers from Pattaya City Hall, inspected the Super Villa Village on Soi Chaloem Phrakiat 29 following complaints. Residents said demolition and…
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Khao Kheow Zoo probes late-night intruder drama
Mystery trespassers who sneaked into Khao Kheow Open Zoo at night have triggered a police investigation and a sweeping safety review at one of Chon Buri’s most popular tourist attractions. Zoo officials confirmed today, August 26, that police had been called in after the unauthorised entry earlier this month. The incident, they warned, posed a potential risk not only to…
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Pickup’s sudden turn leaves Pattaya bikers in agony
A routine morning ride turned to chaos in Pattaya yesterday when a motorcycle slammed into a pickup truck, leaving two young riders with serious injuries. At around 9am yesterday, August 25, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Team rushed to the scene of the collision on Chaiyaphruek Road in the Pong-Khao Mai Kaew area. The crash involved a grey Forza 350…
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Banglamung raid: Woman arrested for illegal e-cigarettes and drugs
In Banglamung, Chon Buri, on August 21 at 6.30pm, police conducted a raid on a residence located on Soi Thung Klom-Tal Man 29. The operation, led by Deputy Superintendent Police Lieutenant Colonel Thana Wisetchai and Investigation Chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphat Sutsong, resulted in the arrest of 50 year old Hathaithip “Thai” Rueangkham. Police seized 62 disposable e-cigarettes of the…
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Motorcycle theft in Pattaya: thief rides off with Honda Click
In Pattaya, Thailand, on August 22, a 36 year old food vendor, Thanongsak Khotamang, reported a daring motorcycle theft. He provided CCTV footage of the incident to local media. The theft took place near his food stall on Jomtien Beach. Thanongsak shared that around 7.40am, while setting up his stall, he parked his white Honda Click motorcycle, with the registration plate…
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Pattaya police slash crime with AI tech, new plans ahead
AI-powered cameras, tough traffic crackdowns, and a touch of ceremony: Pattaya police are busier than ever. The Police Administration Oversight Committee of Pattaya City Police Station convened for its monthly meeting at the station’s Operations Control Room. The session was chaired by Amporn Kaewsaeng and attended by Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyoo, the station’s superintendent, along with police officers, media representatives,…
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Pattaya locals turn trash into treasure in DIY workshop
Forget the bin, Pattaya residents are turning garbage into gold thanks to a DIY upcycling workshop that’s sweeping the community. Nongprue Municipality, located in East Pattaya, hosted a creative Upcycling Waste workshop under its Happy Health Centre initiative this week, training locals to turn discarded plastic into useful household items. Led by Deputy Mayor Wanchai Saeng-ngam, the event welcomed more…
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Lost Chinese gran saved by ID bracelet in Pattaya
An elderly Chinese tourist became stranded and confused in the middle of Pattaya traffic until a tiny bracelet saved the day. Thai police successfully reunited an 80 year old Chinese woman with her family after she was found disoriented and alone on a traffic island in South Pattaya yesterday, August 22. The woman, identified only as Zhang, was discovered around…
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Facebook gun dealers snared by tourist cops in Thailand
Facebook gun deals went badly wrong this week after undercover officers swooped in on two suspects accused of selling illegal firearms online. The Tourist Police Command, led by Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phuek-am, executed two coordinated stings yesterday, August 21, seizing multiple weapons and ammunition in Pattaya and Ratchaburi. In the first case, officers tracked a suspect in Bang Lamung…
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2 Chinese men hunted after holding Thai woman captive in Pattaya
Two Chinese men are on the run after holding the Thai wife of a compatriot captive at a house in Pattaya earlier today, August 22. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to a house in a village on Soi Bongkot, South Pattaya, at around 3am to assist the woman, whose identity was not disclosed. The victim was reportedly…
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Pattaya Film Festival goes big with ghosts, guns and AI
Get ready for thrills, screams and cinema under the stars. Pattaya Film Festival 2025 is rolling out the red carpet from August 28 to 30 with an ambitious line-up of screenings, seminars and spooky showings in unexpected locations, including a temple. The event, held at SF Cinema Central Marina, marks the city’s latest push to brand itself as a film…
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Pattaya leaders aid bedridden and elderly in city push
Pattaya officials carried out a targeted welfare operation in Naklua yesterday, delivering aid to bedridden patients and elderly residents. Yesterday, August 20, Deputy Mayor Thitipan Petchtrakul and Pattaya City Council President Banlue Kullavanij hit the streets of Naklua, delivering essential aid to three of the area’s most vulnerable residents. Accompanied by fellow council members and officers from the Social Welfare…
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Gun-toting dad smashes woman’s face in Pattaya diner row
A furious father sparked chaos in Pattaya after pistol-whipping a woman and firing a shot into the air during a restaurant clash. The shocking incident occurred on Sunday, August 17, on Soi Phothisan 8, but the suspect was arrested three days later after police obtained damning CCTV evidence. At 5pm yesterday, August 20, officers from Bang Lamung Police Station raided…
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Pattaya Airways turbocharges tourism with new jets
Thailand’s skies are about to get busier—and easier—as Pattaya Airways takes delivery of three ATR72 turboprop aircraft, a move aimed at fuelling domestic travel and making multi-city trips across the kingdom a breeze. The expansion, set to kick off in December, strengthens Thailand’s tourism rebound by adding more routes and increasing flight frequencies between major hubs and emerging hotspots. “These…
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EEC Travel Mart puts Thailand’s tourism in the spotlight
Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces have pulled out all the stops to turbocharge the country’s tourism industry, unveiling a high-powered showcase billed as a game-changer for the region. The EEC Travel Mart, staged yesterday, August 19, at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre, brought together hundreds of top names from the tourism sector. Business leaders, hoteliers,…
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Pattaya cement scandal: Contractor fined for drain dump
When it comes to environmental blunders, few things anger Pattaya residents more than contractors treating the city’s drains like a rubbish tip. That frustration boiled over this week when municipal officers caught a contractor red-handed pouring cement wastewater directly into a public drain on Pattaya Beach Soi 4. The man was hauled into City Hall and slapped with a 2,000…
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Rogue app drivers face tough Pattaya clampdown
Chaos on Pattaya’s streets is finally facing a clampdown, after city police and transport chiefs joined forces to tackle rogue taxis, illegal ride-hailing apps, and traffic gridlock. On Monday, August 18 at 4.45pm, top brass gathered at Pattaya City Police Station’s Operations Centre for an urgent summit on transport reform. The meeting was co-chaired by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phanuphong Nimsuwan,…
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Illegal waterworks busted in Jomtien street raid
It was a routine inspection that turned into a shocking discovery—Jomtien municipal officers have busted an unauthorised excavation on Soi 5, near Wat Boon Kanjanaram, where a rogue operator had secretly tapped into Pattaya’s water system. During the inspection, officials uncovered a freshly dug site with evidence of an illegal water connection. The engineer behind the operation was swiftly summoned…
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Drunken blunder: Pattaya waitress’s bike stolen outside bar
A bar waitress in Pattaya lost more than just her buzz after a staff birthday party—she lost her motorbike too. At around 5.06am yesterday, August 18, 25 year old Sumitra Saengarun reported that her black GPX motorcycle had been stolen from outside the Red Cat Bar on Pattaya Beach Road, just metres from Pattaya City Police Station. Sumitra, who works…
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Massive blaze reduces Pattaya recycling plant to ashes
A fierce blaze ripped through a recycling factory in Pattaya yesterday, leaving nothing but twisted metal and charred debris. The inferno erupted at the Banjong Recycling Factory in Village 4, Takhian Tia subdistrict, Bang Lamung district yesterday, August 18, with fireballs lighting up the sky and smoke billowing for kilometres. The cause? A suspected electrical short circuit—though forensic teams are…
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Two dead in motorcycle and pickup crash on Pattaya’s Sukhumvit Road
An accident occurred on Sukhumvit Road, near the U-turn at Pattaya South Highway, early yesterday, August 17. At 5.06am, a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle resulted in two fatalities and property damage. Police Lieutenant Anirut Jehaera, Deputy Investigator at Pattaya City Police Station, responded to the crash report, with injuries and fatalities reported. Rescue volunteers from the…
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Pickup truck crash in Pattaya scatters meatballs on road
In Pattaya, Thailand, a significant accident took place just after midnight on August 16, when a pickup truck lost control on a wet road, flipped over, and struck an electric pole, resulting in injuries to three people. This incident occurred on Sukhumvit Road, en route to Sattahip, near the motorway underpass intersection in Nongprue. The Pattaya Swang Boriboon Rescue Centre…
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Family flees home after teenage gang attack in Chon Buri
In the Banglamung district of Chon Buri, a 42 year old woman named Sutharat Deejaivong has reached out to the media for assistance after her home was allegedly attacked by more than 20 teenagers armed with guns and ping-pong bombs. The attack resulted in property damage and forced her family to flee in fear. Despite having filed a police report,…
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