Eastern Thailand News

Eastern Thailand news, Pattaya news, Isaan news, Rayong updates, and Chonburi developments—stay informed on local events, business, tourism, and culture, including attractions like the Sanctuary of Truth and Koh Samet. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Eastern Thailand news source.

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    5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)

    Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...

  • Ceramic doll statues conceal 20 million baht heroin haul in Thailand

    Ceramic doll statues conceal 20 million baht heroin haul in Thailand

    Mueang Nong Khai police uncover a stash of heroin bars worth over 20 million baht hidden within innocuous Chinese ceramic doll statues. At a press conference held on Monday, February 12, authorities revealed the seizure made at the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, Nong Khai. According to police reports, the alarming find unfolded when two Lao nationals arrived at the checkpoint…

  • Thailand zoo unveils new capybara print legwear

    Thailand zoo unveils new capybara print legwear

    Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri province is introducing its newest sensation: capybara pants, scheduled to be available in stores next month. Announced via the zoo’s buzzing Kha Moo and the gang Facebook page, the revelation of these quirky trousers has sparked a viral storm, amassing over 1,500 shares in merely five hours. Director General of The Zoological Park…

  • Chon Buri’s Wonnapha Beach makeover sparks online debate

    Chon Buri’s Wonnapha Beach makeover sparks online debate

    The renovation of Wonnapha Beach in Chon Buri province sparked significant debate among the online community. The popular tourist destination, situated in the town of Saensuk, has undergone a facelift that has seen parts of its sandy stretch replaced with precast concrete slabs, resembling large tiles. This development has left little of the original beach visible, leading to a divided…

  • Sunken secrets unveiled: Thai-US Navy joint mission to salvage Sukhothai corvette

    Sunken secrets unveiled: Thai-US Navy joint mission to salvage Sukhothai corvette

    In a bid to lay to rest the haunting echoes of the past, Admiral Adung Phan-iam, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), declared today the impending joint operation with the US Navy to probe the depths where the Sukhothai corvette now rests. Sinking beneath the waves on that fateful December 19 night in 2022, the Sukhothai corvette became a…

  • Trunk turmoil: Mother elephant’s rampage leaves owner dead in Surin

    Trunk turmoil: Mother elephant’s rampage leaves owner dead in Surin

    A mother elephant from Surin province, led by its owners to beg along a road, became agitated, charging ahead and trampling her owner, resulting in the mahout’s death in a pool of blood. Upon receiving the report, local police officers from Kao Liew Police Station were promptly dispatched to investigate the scene, along with emergency medical personnel and rescue teams.…

  • Ancient dinosaur fossils discovered in Khon Kaen

    Ancient dinosaur fossils discovered in Khon Kaen

    Dinosaur fossils, estimated to be between 100 million to 110 million years old, have been unearthed in the Nam Phong district of Khon Kaen. The fossils, thought to be from the sauropod and spinosaurid species, were discovered by a team from the Department of Mineral Resources, led by Sasa-On Khansubha, a palaeontologist from the Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum. The initial investigation…

  • Sri Racha restaurant owner falls victim to catering scam

    Sri Racha restaurant owner falls victim to catering scam

    Pa Restaurant in Bang Phra subdistrict of Sri Racha, Chon Buri, has become the latest victim of a catering reservation scam that left the owner out of pocket. The restaurant owner, 55 year old Udom recounted his plight to the media on February 1, aiming to expose the scammers. A mysterious caller, posing as a prospective customer, expressed a keen…

  • Chon Buri: Teenage schoolgirl rescued from gutter after getting her foot stuck

    Chon Buri: Teenage schoolgirl rescued from gutter after getting her foot stuck

    A teenage schoolgirl stepped onto a gutter, causing its cover to give way beneath her, and got her leg stuck as a result in Sri Racha district, Chon Buri on Thursday, February 1. The incident unfolded in front of the J J Steak shop, leading to a rapid response from the Sawang Prateep Sri Racha Rescue Unit. The distressed 15…

  • Bang Lamung: Truck driver’s daring manoeuvre results in collision

    Bang Lamung: Truck driver’s daring manoeuvre results in collision

    A truck driver’s daring manoeuvre left a trailer truck mangled and the driver with multiple injuries on Bang Lamung‘s No. 36 Road, Chon Buri. The Huay Yai Police received distress signals yesterday from the Pong sub-district, where the unfolding drama had taken a perilous turn. As the dust settled, the wreckage revealed the aftermath of a gruesome impact: a container…

  • From brooms to boom: Street sweeper sweeps up 12-million-baht lottery jackpot

    From brooms to boom: Street sweeper sweeps up 12-million-baht lottery jackpot

    A street sweeper’s life transformed overnight when luck smiled upon her with a 12-million-baht government lottery win. Somsong Singsa, a 56 year old municipal worker from Si Sa Ket province, revealed that a vendor’s persuasion made her purchase two winning tickets. After four decades of toil, she now plans to resign and provide for her family, who are overjoyed at…

  • Chinese tourist drowns on Rayong’s Koh Samet

    Chinese tourist drowns on Rayong’s Koh Samet

    A Chinese tourist drowned at Ao Tubtim, Koh Samet, Rayong at 5pm on on January 27. Phe police officers rushed to the accident scene following a report of a Chinese tourist drowning. Local rescue and Rayong medical teams were also dispatched. Clad in a blue swimsuit, the 46 year old Chinese tourist lay lifeless. Despite the immediate deployment of first…

  • Thai rural school fights educational inequality with single teacher for 19 students

    Thai rural school fights educational inequality with single teacher for 19 students

    A rural school overseen by the Primary Education Office of Nakhon Phanom in Nong Yat subdistrict has only 19 students with one single teacher looking after the class. Thanyalak Deechan, the only teacher at the Dong Choke Ratsadon-uthit school, revealed to Thai PBS that the establishment caters to 19 students ranging from kindergarten to primary 6. To compound the challenge, the…

  • Heroic Thai rescue worker saves baby elephant with CPR (video)

    Heroic Thai rescue worker saves baby elephant with CPR (video)

    In a heart-stopping moment caught on camera, an experienced Thai rescue worker saved a baby elephant by administering CPR at a roadside accident in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. A baby elephant, part of a wild pachyderm group, was struck by a motorcycle. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, the rescue worker with 26 years of rescue experience, Mana Srivate,…

  • Paws and ponder: Annual military dog auction raises tails in northern Thailand

    Paws and ponder: Annual military dog auction raises tails in northern Thailand

    Curiosity piques as the Department of Military Animals at the Army Canine Centre in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima unveils its annual spectacle, the military dog auction. Dog lovers and curious minds are in for a treat as we unravel why these heroic canines end up on the auction block. Contrary to popular belief, these military dogs aren’t rejected. Instead, they…

  • Jive at Dong Tan: Beach-turned-bazaar sparks excitement in Jomtien

    Jive at Dong Tan: Beach-turned-bazaar sparks excitement in Jomtien

    Dong Tan Beach has turned into a night bazaar, buzzing with commerce, stirring both excitement and disarray among local businesses in Jomtien. The once tranquil beach now hosts a nightly spectacle, drawing sellers and buyers alike, transforming this coastal haven into the vibrant Dong Tan Night Market. The market’s meteoric rise in popularity has, however, birthed a set of challenges.…

  • Rayong: Residents draw the line against U-Tapao Airport noise nightmare

    Rayong: Residents draw the line against U-Tapao Airport noise nightmare

    Nearly 500 households in Ban Chang district, Rayong, united against the U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport expansion. The bone-rattling aircraft noise has reached a fever pitch, and tensions are soaring as authorities remain deaf to their pleas. The community, armed with determination, has drawn the line with an imminent demonstration at U-Tapao Airport. Chawalit Romruen, the headman of the Samnakthon sub-district, alongside Prasert…

  • SUV inferno leaves two women seriously injured

    SUV inferno leaves two women seriously injured

    A speeding SUV spiralled out of control, crashing into a streetlight post and erupting into flames on the Mab Eiang-Laem Chabang Road on January 17. The aftermath left two women injured and the vehicle reduced to ruins after the inferno. Eyewitnesses recounted the harrowing sequence of events, with the SUV hurtling down the road before the catastrophic collision. One of the…

  • Thai trio arrested for fraud and coercion in job scam

    Thai trio arrested for fraud and coercion in job scam

    Three Thais were arrested yesterday for fraud and coercion by tricking victims into a job scam and by forcing them to open mule accounts in the eastern region and West Thailand. Police Major General Saruti, Sopha District, Commander of the Provincial Crime Suppression Division, Pol. Col. Pattanaphong Sriphinphao, Superintendent of Region 2, Provincial Crime Suppression Division, Pol. Lt. Col. Narong…

  • RTA sergeant questioned over double murder at Nakhon Phanom petrol station

    RTA sergeant questioned over double murder at Nakhon Phanom petrol station

    A Royal Thai Army (RTA) sergeant is now under intense interrogation in connection with the chilling double murder of two petrol station workers last month. Police Major General Thawatchai Thungpao, Nakhon Phanom police chief, led the operation yesterday afternoon, January 17, alongside crack investigators from Nakhon Phanom’s Muang station and Provincial Police Region 4. The suspect, still awaiting identification, is…

  • Lottery vendor scoops 6 million baht lottery jackpot

    Lottery vendor scoops 6 million baht lottery jackpot

    A lottery vendor in Nakhon Phanom province scooped the first prize jackpot in yesterday’s lottery draw. The winning ticket, number 105979 landed a 6 million baht bounty for the vendor. The 63 year old lottery vendor, Onchan Suriyon, also known as Uan, resides at Ban Thung Mon, Village No. 8, Kham Toei Subdistrict, Mueang District, and set up her stall at…

  • Buzzing tragedy unfolds as Thai man found dead after bee attack in Chon Buri

    Buzzing tragedy unfolds as Thai man found dead after bee attack in Chon Buri

    A landscaper from Si Sa Ket was discovered lifeless under a tree along Highway 331 in Chon Buri, where authorities suspect involved in a fatal encounter with a beehive. Nong Prue Police Station received an alert about the grim discovery on January 15, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement and rescue teams. Upon arrival, they found a blue Isuzu…

  • Police inspector transferred to inactive post following son’s murder involvement in Sa Kaeo

    Police inspector transferred to inactive post following son’s murder involvement in Sa Kaeo

    A deputy inspector at Aranyaprathet Police Station has been temporarily transferred to an inactive post at Sa Kaeo police headquarters. Sa Kaeo Police Chief Police Major General Omsin Boonyanuson confirmed the move which aimed to prevent any interference in the murder investigation involving the officer’s teenage son and four other suspects. Speaking to reporters, Omsin assured the public of a…

  • Cell caper: Phone shop employee steals mobiles worth 400,000 baht

    Cell caper: Phone shop employee steals mobiles worth 400,000 baht

    A phone shop employee took advantage of the store owner’s trust after working for a full year, and stole 10 mobile phones worth more than 400,000 baht. A Facebook page posted a warning message about a phone store employee stealing 10 phones, including iPhones today, January 15. “Warning about a fraudster embezzling more than 10 iPhones and models of other…

  • Young girl finds and returns gold bracelet worth 70,000 baht to owner

    Young girl finds and returns gold bracelet worth 70,000 baht to owner

    A primary 4 girl returned a gold bracelet worth more than 70,000 baht to its owner. Villagers flocked to praise the honest girl who picked up a 2 baht (approximately 30.32 grammes) gold bracelet and returned it to the owner. The girl, of Number 53, Village No. 2, Ban Talu Non Muang. Samrong Ta Jen Subdistrict, Khukhan District, Si Sa…

  • Teacher grants funding to 10 year old boy who missed school to help grandmother

    Teacher grants funding to 10 year old boy who missed school to help grandmother

    A heartbreaking story has surfaced about a 10 year old boy who diligently works to support his family. Despite being the mainstay for his grandmother, he often has to miss classes to sell garlands in order to make a living. The boy, Guitar (nickname), missed so much school that he kept having to repeat his year and is currently still…

  • Elephant herd continue to cause havoc in central Thailand

    Elephant herd continue to cause havoc in central Thailand

    Volunteers in Prachin Buri province warned reporters to watch out for wild elephants in Wang Tha Chang Subdistrict yesterday, January 8, during their visit. The Subdistrict Administrative Organisation and village headman were watching out for wild elephants from Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Chachoengsao Province, which migrated across the border. The herd, comprising over 150 elephants, invaded deep into…

  • Chon Buri: Essilor Thailand opens job applications with daily wage of 361 baht

    Chon Buri: Essilor Thailand opens job applications with daily wage of 361 baht

    Essilor Optical Laboratory (Thailand) Co., Ltd, located in the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate, Chon Buri, announced openings for new employees. The announcement, posted on the Factory News page, describes the job as comfortable, with a good income, excellent benefits, excellent bonuses, and continuous overtime opportunities. The direct application process offers a wage of 361 baht per day, a shift allowance…

  • Nakhon Pathom: Special Forces seize 69 tonnes of illegal pork

    Nakhon Pathom: Special Forces seize 69 tonnes of illegal pork

    The Special Forces unit of Phraya Nakhon Ratchasima seized 69 tonnes of illegal pork yesterday, January 5, and more than half of the transportation permits were found to be counterfeit. Thanadol Suwannarath, the deputy commander of the unit, disclosed that the raid took place in a cold storage facility in Nakhon Pathom province following a tip-off. The Ministry of Agriculture…

  • Gardeners at Khao Saming grow golden rambutans and make good profit

    Gardeners at Khao Saming grow golden rambutans and make good profit

    Gardeners in Khao Saming District, Trat province, have been growing golden rambutans for two years and reported experiencing good yields. The rambutans have generated profitable annual incomes. The first lot of rambutan is priced at 100 baht per kilogramme, while the second lot which weighs 2 kilogrammes costs 60 baht per kilogramme. However, the gardeners have not yet started selling…

  • PM launches ’30 baht plus’ health scheme in Roi-Et

    PM launches ’30 baht plus’ health scheme in Roi-Et

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is set to kickstart a revolutionary healthcare initiative dubbed the 30-baht Plus universal health scheme. The grand launch is scheduled for this Sunday, January 7, in the northeastern province of Roi-Et. This innovative trial, to be initially rolled out in Roi-Et, Phrae, Phetchaburi, and Narathiwat, promises free medical services at state and private hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.…