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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Phuket taxi driver denies assault after argument video goes viral
A Phuket taxi driver denied physical assault on a foreign man after a video of their argument went viral on Thai social media yesterday, May 4. The footage was posted by the Facebook page Koh Kalok Phuket with a caption questioning how the situation should be handled and included hashtags criticising taxi drivers. In the video, a foreign man is…
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Foreign tourist attacks Thai man over cannabis warning in Pattaya
A foreign tourist, who claimed to be a boxer, attacked a Thai man on Pattaya Beach yesterday, May 4, after being warned not to smoke cannabis in a crowded public area. The incident took place in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, and was reported after video footage of the confrontation circulated on social media. The dispute reportedly…
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Phuket restaurants hit by wave of foreign dine-and-dash cases over single weekend
Three dine-and-dash incidents involving foreign tourists were reported in Phuket around the same time, raising concerns among local business operators and prompting calls for action from police and officials. The first case occurred on Saturday, May 2, with details later shared on social media yesterday, May 3, by a restaurant owner. She said two foreign customers ordered stir-fried noodles and…
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Truck carrying lithium batteries catches fire, damaging expressway in Chachoengsao
A fire involving a truck carrying lithium batteries caught fire yesterday, May 3, on the Bangna-Trat Road in Chachoengsao, causing damage to an elevated expressway, prompting road closures and a safety inspection. Bang Pakong Police Station officers were alerted to the incident at around 7.30pm on the left lane of Thepparat Road, also known as Bangna-Trat Road, in Bang Pakong…
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2 Thai men arrested over knife-point robbery at Bangkok petrol station
A petrol station robbery in Rama IX, Bangkok, led to the arrest of two suspects after a man was threatened with a knife and robbed of his mobile phone and car key. The incident occurred at around 8.30pm on April 30 at a petrol station in Soi Rama IX 62, Suan Luang district. Police arrested the two suspects yesterday, May…
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Foreign couple rescued from Krabi mangrove after allegedly ignoring safety warning
A foreign couple became trapped in a mangrove forest at Ao Thalane in Krabi during a receding tide after reportedly ignoring safety instructions from a tour guide. The incident took place at Ao Thalane in Krabi province, a popular ecotourism site known for kayak trips through mangrove forests. Tours typically last around 30 minutes and require close attention to tide…
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Thailand hits 60-year investment record as Amazon, Google, BYD and others bet big
If you only looked at the investment scoreboard for Southeast Asian economies last year, chances are you would probably want to skip over Thailand. While Vietnam was sprinting ahead with 7% growth and Indonesia held steady at 5%, Thailand was limping with a meagre 2.4%. With the IMF recently cutting its 2026 projection to a dismal 1.6%, the narrative that…
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Pork fat spill leaves 5 cars sliding and crashing on Nakhon Pathom bridge
Five vehicles crashed yesterday, May 3, after pork fat was found scattered across a bridge on Petchkasem Road in Nakhon Pathom province. No injuries were reported. Dashcam footage shared on TikTok by user @9876543210ix showed traffic conditions at the time of the crash. The driver was travelling in the left lane, which became blocked by a pickup truck. The driver…
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Rayong man removed from manhole after passerby hears cries for help
A manhole rescue took place yesterday, May 2, after a 20 year old man was found trapped for more than seven hours in a drainage system near a fair in Pluak Daeng district, Rayong province. Officers from Pluak Daeng Police Station and rescuers from the Pluak Daeng Foundation arrived at a manhole near the fair entrance following a report from…
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17 year old Thai man killed in sign collapse in extended Songkran event in Saraburi
A sign collapsed during a thunderstorm on April 30, killing a 17 year old man and injuring 11 others at an extended Songkran event in Khok Sawang subdistrict, Mueang district, Saraburi province. The incident occurred at around 4pm at Pong Siri Market before the event began. A large number of people were waiting at the entrance, beneath a sign, to secure spots for…
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Samut Prakan helicopter crash injures pilot, mechanic
Two people escaped with minor injuries after a helicopter crashed and caught fire near a BTS maintenance centre in Samut Prakan at about 9.10am today, May 3. Rescue workers, ambulances, and first aid equipment were sent to the scene to assist the injured and transfer them to nearby hospitals. Officials sealed off the area around the crash site to prevent…
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Icelandic man found dead under tree on Koh Larn
An Icelandic man was found dead near Nual Beach on Koh Larn, Chon Buri, yesterday, May 2, with police treating the case as a suspected suicide pending further examination. Pattaya police were alerted at about 10am after a foreign man was found dead hanging under a tree in a vacant plot near the beach. Forensic police, investigators, a doctor, and…
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Two Japanese nationals caught with meth in Sukhumvit 33
Two Japanese nationals were arrested in Soi Sukhumvit 33 on suspicion of distributing crystal methamphetamine, with the Immigration Bureau commissioner ordering tighter visa renewal checks and deportation for foreigners involved in criminal activities. On May 2, officers from the Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau, under the direction of Police Lieutenant General Panumart Boonyalak and Police Major General Panop Worathanatchakul,…
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Koh Pha Ngan raid exposes illegal school, unregistered foreign teachers
A Koh Pha Ngan childcare centre was raided on May 1 after officials found it was allegedly operating outside the scope of its licence with unregistered foreign teachers and 163 children enrolled. Surat Thani Immigration police, Koh Pha Ngan police, district officials, and Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 officers inspected the property. The centre was licensed as a childcare facility operated…
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Korat officials arrested over fake birth certificates for Chinese children
Three civil servants in Nakhon Ratchasima have been arrested for their alleged role in issuing fake Thai birth certificates and transferring household registrations for more than 10 Chinese children. The Department of Provincial Administration confirmed on Saturday that investigations had identified 13 fraudulent registrations so far, with Thai men listed as fathers denying any biological connection to the children. Arrest…
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Police uncover child trafficking at Pathum Thani cat spa
A 33 year old woman and two associates have been arrested for allegedly running a child trafficking operation behind a cat spa front in Pathum Thani. Police, led by Police Major General Witaya Sriprasertphap, apprehended 33 year old Waykanyapat, 32 year old Thawatchai, and 38 year old Yuwadee on May 2 under human trafficking charges. The cat spa had been…
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Four Myanmar workers confess to killing employer over unpaid wages
Four Myanmar workers were arrested before crossing the border in Chiang Rai yesterday, May 2, over the murder of their employer at a workers’ camp in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai. Police arrested Su, Yao, Dam, and Boss, all Myanmar nationals without surnames, at about 1pm. They were charged with jointly killing another person with a knife. Chiang Rai police…
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Wild elephant attack kills rubber tapper in Prachin Buri
A rubber tapper and volunteer in Prachin Buri province was killed in a wild elephant attack yesterday, May 2, after he entered a forested rubber plantation near Thap Lan National Park. Police were alerted at 4.30pm that one villager had been killed by wild elephants near the forest edge in Thung Pho subdistrict, Na Di district. Park staff, police, district…
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Thai airlines call for urgent aid as jet fuel costs soar
Airlines are calling for immediate government assistance as rising jet fuel costs squeeze their operations. The Transport Ministry has agreed to review the proposed measures. Transport minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn met on Thursday with executives from Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai VietJet Air, Nok Air, and Thai Lion Air, as well as aviation agencies, to discuss the impact of fuel prices…
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Couple die in crash; daughter, 5, survives in Nakhon Ratchasima
A couple died after their pickup truck skidded off a rain-soaked road and crashed into a tree in Sung Noen district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on April 30. Their five year old daughter survived with only minor injuries. At around 5pm, rescue workers from the Sawang Saeng Tham Foundation arrived near the Kut Chik junction in Na Klang subdistrict, responding to reports…
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Boy, nine, trapped by rocks at Nakhon Ratchasima waterfall
A nine year old boy got his leg trapped between rocks while playing at a waterfall in Sung Noen district, Nakhon Ratchasima, causing panic among onlookers. The incident occurred at 3.07pm on May 1, when rescue services from the Sawang Sang Dhamma Foundation were notified about a boy injured and unable to free himself at Wang Nen Waterfall in Makluea…
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BYD dealership axes staff after footage exposes camera tampering, unsafe test drive
A BYD service centre in Chon Buri has dismissed all staff involved after dashcam footage showed technicians disconnecting a customer’s cameras and conducting a test drive without a seatbelt while on a mobile phone. The customer, Suriya Sudsanit, who initially made a Facebook post about the incident, brought his BYD to the centre for a routine service and to investigate…
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Thailand Labour Day march targets rising costs, job insecurity
Hundreds of workers marched to Government House in Bangkok today, May 1, on Thailand Labour Day 2026, pressing the government for fair wages, job security, and expanded social protections as part of International Workers’ Day events held worldwide. Labour groups led by the State Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation and the Thai Labour Solidarity Confederation gathered at Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen…
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Thaksin and family question EM bracelet ahead of prison release
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been approved for parole and is set to leave Klong Prem Central Prison on May 11, though his lawyer says Thaksin has questioned a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet given his age and health condition. Lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters yesterday, April 30, that a Justice Ministry sub-committee had included Thaksin’s…
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Thailand’s royals join world leaders in Stockholm for Swedish king’s 80th
Their Majesties the Thai King and Queen are in Sweden this week for the 80th birthday celebrations of King Carl XVI Gustaf, attending a series of royal engagements at the Royal Palace in Stockholm as part of a four-day state visit from April 29 to May 2. Yesterday morning, April 30, the Thai monarchs joined a thanksgiving ceremony at the…
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Israeli ‘The Avengers’ crime gang figure arrested on Koh Samui
A leading member of an Israeli criminal organisation called “The Avengers” was arrested on Koh Samui on Wednesday, April 29, under the cooperation with Interpol and Israeli officials. Immigration Bureau Division 6 commander Chutharet Yingyongdamrongsakul confirmed today, April 30, that officers detained 28 year old Matan Aviv following coordination with Interpol and the Israeli Embassy in Thailand. According to Israeli…
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Indian man pays 20 times item value after being caught with stolen fan in Terminal 21
A phone accessory shop owner at Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok confronted a foreign customer, reported to be an Indian national, over a shop theft and demanded compensation of 20 times the value of the stolen item. The incident took place at Case Study, a store located inside Terminal 21 shopping mall in Asok. The shop shared details and images…
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Bolt operating licence expires in May, amid DLT investigations
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport (DLT) announced yesterday, April 29, that it may refuse to renew Bolt’s licence after finding 2,193 legal cases linked to the ride-hailing platform since the start of the year. Department director-general Sorapong Paitoonpong issued the warning during a press conference on measures to regulate ride-hailing platforms. The move follows a case in Bangkok on April…
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Udon Thani condo staff finds rented room buried in rubbish
Condo staff in Udon Thani found a room with mountains of rubbish on April 28 after tracing a burst water pipe that had leaked down to the lower floor and caused a strong smell throughout the building. The room was reportedly rented by a 48 year old man from Udon Thani, who lived there with his seven year old son.…
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Foreign passenger flees safely after 2 taxi riders fight on Bangkok road
A foreign passenger narrowly escaped injury during a fight between two motorcycle taxi riders after app-based riders clashed with a knife on a road in Bang Bon district of Bangkok on Tuesday, April 28. Footage of the incident circulated on Thai social media yesterday, April 29, showing two motorcycle taxi riders arguing and fighting in the middle of a busy…
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