Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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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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Late-night transgender fight shocks tourists on Pattaya Beach (video)
A dramatic altercation between two transgender women broke out on Pattaya Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning drawing the attention of stunned tourists and quickly going viral online. At 2.36am yesterday, April 10, Pattaya Police were alerted to the scene of the fight. Officers rushed to the popular beachfront location but, by the time they arrived, the pair…
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Foreign travellers told to log on 3 days before Thailand arrival
Foreign travellers planning a trip to Thailand are being told to get online and fill in Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) three days before they arrive or risk being turned away at the border, as the country ditches its old-school paper arrival cards in favour of a slick new digital system. From May 1, all international visitors, whether arriving by air,…
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Wanted Russian arrested at Phuket Airport over unpaid wages
Immigration officers at Phuket International Airport swooped to arrest a 29 year old Russian national wanted on a Phuket Provincial Court warrant for allegedly failing to pay employee wages and defying directives issued by labour inspectors. The dramatic takedown took place at approximately 3.30pm on Wednesday, April 9, inside the airport’s international arrivals hall. The arrest was the result of…
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Thai drivers race and crash into old woman, tearing her body apart
A sedan driver raced a pickup driver along a public road in the central province of Nakhon Sawan with devastating, fatal consequences after crashing into an old woman, tearing her body apart. News Facebook page เจ๊มà¸à¸¢ v+ (Jamoi v+) shared pictures and videos of the incident yesterday, April 10. According to the page, the accident occurred on Takian Luean Road…
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Shipyard foreman dies after drinking herbal liquor in Si Racha
A 50 year old foreman at a well-known ship repair yard in Si Racha, Chon Buri, was found dead at his home yesterday after reportedly consuming herbal liquor. The body was found by his wife, prompting an immediate police investigation into the unexplained death. Police Lieutenant Colonel Natthaphon Boonrachakun of Laem Chabang Police Station was alerted to the incident and,…
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Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang fly high in global airport rankings
Thailand’s major airports are flying high on the global stage, with Suvarnabhumi International Airport breaking into the top 40 of the world’s best airports for 2025 and Don Mueang International Airport landing in the top 10 for low-cost travel hubs. Yesterday, April 10, Airports of Thailand (AOT) Chief Executive Officer Keerati Kitimanawat announced the impressive leap in global rankings, attributing…
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Booze cruise: Patong police nab 6 foreigners in drink-drive blitz
Patong police launched their Songkran road safety crackdown in dramatic style last night, collaring six foreign revellers for drink-driving in the early hours, some more than three times over the legal limit. Officers set up a checkpoint near Loma Circle on Thaweewong Road between 12.30am and 2.30am today, April 11, as part of the nationwide Seven Days road safety campaign,…
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Injured foreign man vanishes after bloody bar brawl in Krabi
A foreign man, whose body was covered in blood, disappeared on his motorcycle following a brawl with his friends at a bar on Koh Lanta, an island in the southern province of Krabi, raising concerns among residents. A video showing a foreign man with bloodstains across his body was shared on social media by a Thai bar owner. The footage was…
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Bruises over baht: Pattaya van driver bloodied in beer-fuelled brawl
A late-night squabble over a 300-baht commission exploded into a full-blown street scrap in Pattaya, leaving one van driver bloodied and bystanders bolting for cover as chaos erupted in the early hours. The drama unfolded just after midnight on April 10, when Pattaya police received a call about a violent altercation on Second Road. Officers raced to the scene alongside…
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Bangkok ramps up Songkran safety with AI and ‘Five-No’ rule
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has extended an invitation to the public for Songkran celebrations on Silom and Khao San roads from tomorrow, April 12, to Monday, April 14, with assurances of safety measures implemented throughout the city. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has established thorough safety protocols for all Songkran venues, including entrance checkpoints and CCTV installations, to ensure public…
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Thai man strangled and robbed while urinating by roadside
A Thai man survived being strangled and robbed while urinating by the roadside in the northern province of Chiang Rai this week. The 26 year old victim, Apisit, filed a complaint at Mae Lao Police Station yesterday, April 10, after he managed to survive the shocking attack. The robbery took place at Nong Chang Khot Park along Den Ha–Dong Mada…
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Thai military police probed for escorting alleged fraudster
Two military police officers have been detained and are set to face disciplinary action for leading the motorcade of an alleged fraudster who purportedly claimed close connections with several political figures, stated Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The officers, in uniform, were observed escorting Thanyatep Sirithapsadechakul, a 32 year old, who has recently been criticised for asserting ties with numerous political…
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Thailand Video News | Building collapse death toll, Burger King fire, Lewd Pattaya shoot
In today’s roundup for Friday, April 11, we’re tracking the biggest headlines making waves across Thailand and Southeast Asia. A fire in Phuket damaged a Burger King and several motorbikes, while tragedy strikes in Bangkok as the death toll from a building collapse continues to rise. In Pattaya, a Chinese couple’s explicit photo shoot sparks public outrage and legal consequences.…
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Ayutthaya buffalo trader’s home attacked with grenades, no injuries
A buffalo trader in Ayutthaya was left in shock after unidentified persons threw grenades at his home, causing significant damage. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, April 9, in Phra Ya Ban Lue subdistrict, Lat Bua Luang district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The attack resulted in three damaged vehicles and frightened livestock, though fortunately, no one…
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New Zealand man caught smuggling cocaine to Phuket in passport
Police arrested a New Zealand man at Phuket International Airport for smuggling cocaine into the country by concealing it inside a passport. Officers at the international arrivals terminal of Phuket Airport yesterday, April 10, discovered a packet of cocaine in the possession of the 24 year old New Zealander, whose identity was not disclosed in the report. According to a…
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Drunken fight on Pattaya Beach Road leaves two injured
Chaos erupted along Pattaya Beach Road when a drunken domestic dispute spiralled into a full-blown physical fight, drawing police and rescue crews to the scene. The altercation, which occurred at 8.06pm on Wednesday, April 9, near North Pattaya, left a 49 year old man and a 42 year old woman injured and incoherent after reportedly drinking excessive amounts of white…
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Pheu Thai pushes bill to repeal 23 NCPO orders
Pheu Thai Party list member of Parliament Chaturon Chaisang advocates for a bill to revoke 23 orders issued by the disbanded National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). This proposed legislation is set to be introduced in the forthcoming Parliamentary session. As the chairperson of the Parliamentary committee responsible for reviewing outdated NCPO directives, Chaturon provided an update on the…
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IMF urges Thailand to give baht-up households a helping hand
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned Thailand to boost protections for struggling families or risk keeping millions trapped in a cycle of crushing debt, much of it borrowed just to put food on the table. In a hard-hitting Country Focus report released on April 9, the global financial watchdog highlighted that more than half of Thai workers lack formal…
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Cop killer on the run: Drug suspect flees after deadly shootout
Police are searching for a drug suspect who fatally shot a police officer during an attempted arrest at a rubber plantation in the northeastern province of Loei yesterday. Police Sub-Lieutenant Pairoj Prom-in, along with the drug suppression unit of Mueang Loei Police Station, swooped on the plantation in the Kokdu subdistrict, Mueang district, Loei, at around 12pm yesterday, April 10,…
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Thailand EC launches voter turnout campaign for May 11 elections
Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) kicked off a nationwide campaign to rally voters ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 11. The elections will determine new mayors and councillors across 2,121 municipalities, except Bangkok. EC chairman Ittiporn Boonprakong announced yesterday, April 10, that the commission expects a voter turnout of 70%, up from February’s 66%. Some provinces have already…
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Who’s a cheeky monkey? Phuket cops go ape over missing orangutan
Police raided the home of a Chinese woman in Phuket after a neighbour spotted an orangutan inside the property last week. However, no monkey was found during the search. The Phuket Info Centre news page reported the raid on the Chinese woman’s residence on Wednesday, April 9. The house is located in Supalai Lake Village on Thep Kasattri Road, in…
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Thailand braces for summer storms during Songkran festival
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has warned about summer storms during the Songkran festival. Thunderstorms, strong winds, and potential hail are expected, especially in the upper northeastern and northern regions. From April 10 to 12, increased rainfall is anticipated in the South. Yesterday, April 10, Suchada Sang Thaensap, the secretary to the Minister of the…
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Thailand urged to address rising zero-dollar exports from China
Thailand’s economy is being short-changed by a flood of so-called “zero-dollar” investments and exports from China, with experts warning the government must clamp down, or risk a new wave of growth that benefits everyone but the Thais. Amonthep Chawla, chief economist at CIMB Thai Bank’s Economic Centre, said America’s latest tariff moves, both those aimed broadly and those specifically targeting…
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Thai travellers offered 50% off flights to China for Songkran
Chinese travel agents are pulling out all the stops to fill planes over the Songkran holiday, offering Thai tourists cut-price tickets to the mainland in a desperate bid to claw back losses after a dramatic drop in Chinese visitors to Thailand. Some tour operators are slashing fares by up to 50%, flogging unsold flight tickets at bargain rates rather than…
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Phuket police probe Aussie man’s apparent suicide
Just days after a previous suicide scare, a 62 year old Australian man was found dead in a Phuket home. His tragic end sparking renewed concerns about mental health support for expats. The Aussie, from Darlinghurst, Sydney, was found dead in an apparent suicide at a house in Village 2, Rawai, on the afternoon of April 9. Chalong Police were…
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23 dead, 71 missing in Bangkok high-rise collapse
A heartbreaking vigil continues in Bangkok, where the father of a 17 year old girl has stood outside a collapsed high-rise for nearly two weeks — still hoping for a miracle. The death toll from the catastrophic collapse of a 30-storey building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district has climbed to 23, with 71 people still unaccounted for, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration…
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Thai veterinarian sues fake PM advisor after losing 10 million baht
A Thai veterinarian sued a serial liar posing as an advisor to the prime minister after she lost nearly 10 million baht throughout their four-year relationship. The deceptive behaviour of 32 year old Thunyathep “Hot” or “Pond” Sirisubdaechakun came to light after 33 year old Thai actress Rinyarat “Kana” Watchararojsiri publicly shared her experience and took legal action against him. Kana…
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Thai youths warned over racy Songkran selfies and booze pics
Songkran might be a time for splashing fun and festive selfies but young Thais are being warned: post the wrong pic, and you could end up in serious legal trouble. As Thailand gears up for its world-famous water festival, the government has issued a stern warning to young revellers about posting inappropriate content online. From skimpy outfits to alcohol-fuelled parties,…
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Man arrested at Bangkok bus terminal with firearm in backpack
Police arrested a 44 year old man after he was found carrying a firearm and ammunition in his backpack inside the Mo Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok. The incident unfolded at around 11am, yesterday, April 9, after security staff alerted police to a suspicious individual loitering near a metal detector. Police Colonel Sanong Saengmanee, Superintendent of Bang Sue Police Station, quickly…
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Snake handler rescues Satun family from giant king cobras
A renowned snake handler was called to assist a rubber plantation family in Satun province after discovering a pair of giant king cobras had made a nest and laid 29 eggs near their plantation. The presence of these snakes had halted rubber tapping activities for the family residing in Ban Phang Palm 7, Palm Pattana subdistrict, Manang district, since March.…
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