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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Chiang Mai tuk tuk driver denies physically assaulting Chinese tourist
A Thai tuk tuk driver in Chiang Mai denied physically assaulting a Chinese tourist after a video of the pair’s confrontation went viral on TikTok. The Chinese tourist, who posted the clip to his account, @ailong165, on August 29, claimed the incident occurred at about 8.45pm on August 28 in Chiang Mai Old Town. According to the tourist, the driver shouted…
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Sri Lanka brews Thai ties with world-famous Ceylon tea
Sri Lanka is banking on its world-famous Ceylon tea to deepen ties with Thailand, using the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations as the perfect occasion to showcase its prized export. On Monday, September 1, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Bangkok hosted a glittering evening reception titled Ceylon Tea Finest Evening. The event spotlighted the nation’s premium teas while highlighting their…
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Pattaya monks slammed for loitering at markets for alms
Pattaya’s bustling markets are under scrutiny after officials found monks standing outside shops and food stalls waiting for alms, behaviour critics say undermines the sanctity of Buddhist practice. The inspections, led by Bang Lamung District Chief Officer along with subdistrict monks and local agencies, followed complaints that monks were abandoning their traditional morning alms rounds, known as pindapata. Instead of…
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Foreign motorcyclists slammed for risky U-turn on Phuket traffic island
Thai netizens criticised two foreign motorcyclists for making a U-turn by riding onto a traffic island in Phuket, with some suggesting they were simply following the example set by Thai motorists. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared a video of the incident yesterday, September 2, with the caption, “Very dangerous! Foreigners in Phuket at a U-turn near Thai Watsadu on…
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Bangkok hotels face crunch as occupancy rates tumble
Bangkok’s hotel industry is heading into a storm in the second half of this year, with falling occupancy rates, soaring competition and a sharp drop in Chinese arrivals casting a shadow over the capital’s hospitality market. A report by Knight Frank Chartered (Thailand) revealed that average occupancy slipped by 3.7% to 75.1% in the first half of this year, while…
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Thai woman finds missing husband’s skeleton in septic tank
A Thai woman discovered a skeleton in a septic tank at her home in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima, which she believed to be the remains of her husband, who had gone missing three years ago. The 60 year old woman, Thawee Paekratoke, called officers from Nong Boon Mak Police Station to her home in the Laem Thong sub-district,…
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Phuket man wanted after stabbing wife in domestic row
Police in Phuket are hunting a man who allegedly stabbed his wife with a pair of scissors during a row at a motorcycle repair shop in Thalang. The attack happened at around 7pm yesterday, September 2, opposite the Thai Watsadu store in Srisoonthorn. The victim, 38 year old Pornpana Manhan, was stabbed in the back and rushed to Thalang Hospital…
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Woman’s body found in suitcase in Chon Buri reservoir
A disturbing discovery has been made in Chon Buri, where a woman’s body was found in a suitcase weighed down with dumbbells, floating in a reservoir. The investigation is ongoing, as police work to solve the case. Today, September 3, a report was received by Police Lieutenant Mintharatit Thongsai of the Huai Yai Police Station regarding a suspicious suitcase emitting…
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Bangkok Purple Line project probed after dead fish found
Bangkok officials have launched an urgent probe after thousands of fish were found dead in a Thon Buri canal, with the blame falling on the construction of the new Purple Line electric train. Deputy Bangkok governor Wissanu Subsompon led a team of Drainage Department officers and environmental experts to Khlong Samre near Soi Somdet Phra Chao Taksin 21 following alarmed…
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E-motorcycle company accused of dodging responsibility after battery blast
A Thai policewoman accused an e-motorcycle company of denying responsibility after a vehicle’s battery explosion caused damage amounting to about 10 million baht to her and her neighbour’s property. Police Lieutenant Colonel Manchupa Subwilawan brought the case to renowned lawyer Porramate “Kaew” Chaiphatcharakunpong, fearing that she and her husband’s plea for justice would go unnoticed. She stated that the electric…
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17 year old teenage boys gang rape three 14 year old girl in Pathum Thani
Today, 3 September, at 10.30am, Sergeant Kings Taengthim of Saphan Mai brought the parents of three 14 year old girls to file a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), seeking legal action against a group of 5 to 6 teenage boys, around 17 years old, who allegedly committed rape and gang rape in Nong Suea District, Pathum Thani Province.…
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Bangkok Airways warns of U-Tapao airport pull-out
Thailand’s ambitious U-Tapao Airport project may be about to hit turbulence, with the consortium behind the 290-billion-baht development warning it could walk away after years of delays and government inaction. Bangkok Airways CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth confirmed that U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd (UTA), in which the airline holds a 45% stake, has asked for one month to decide whether to…
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Thailand’s oldest hippo Mae Mali prepares for 60th birthday bash
Thailand’s most famous hippo is about to become the star of a birthday party like no other. Mae Mali, the beloved hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, will celebrate her 60th birthday with a three-day festival complete with games, exhibitions and a giant fruit cake. The celebrations will run from September 6 to 8 at the zoo’s…
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Phuket Airport stages emergency drill as safety test Friday
Passengers flying through Phuket International Airport this Friday morning can expect to see chaos, but only as part of a full-scale emergency drill. Airport officials confirmed that the exercise, scheduled for 9am on Friday, September 5, will simulate a major incident under the Airport Contingency Plan. The goal is to sharpen safety standards and ensure staff are fully prepared to…
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Phuket man sets ex-girlfriend’s car on fire, blames anger and impulse
A Thai man in Phuket confessed to setting his ex-girlfriend’s car on fire two months after their relationship ended, admitting he acted on a foolish impulse and now regrets his actions. Officers from Wichit Police Station launched an urgent search for the suspect after the red hatchback belonging to 49 year old Thitipha Suppasamran was torched outside her home on…
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Constitutional Court defends ruling that ousted Paetongtarn as PM
Thailand’s political storm intensified today after the Constitutional Court stood firm on its decision to oust ex-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, rejecting claims that the ruling was invalid due to a judge’s expired term. The court confirmed that its August 29 verdict, which removed Paetongtarn over alleged ethical misconduct linked to a leaked conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, remains…
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Thailand video news “Nan River Reaches Highest Level in 14 Years, Flooding Reported”, Gen-X Business Leader Tops Poll as Thailand’s Preferred Prime Minister, Thaksin backs Prayut”
Thailand’s week has been marked by sharp contrasts—plans for a VAT hike to ease fiscal pressures, polls showing rising support for a Gen-X business leader as prime minister, and the Nan River’s worst flooding in 14 years. Meanwhile, violent clashes, sexual assault allegations in the film industry, and outrage over flag disrespect stirred public debate. Adding to the…
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Military officer arrested for fake flu vaccine scam in Thailand
A military medical officer was apprehended for allegedly deceiving over 200 military personnel in South Sudan with fake influenza vaccines. Yesterday, September 2, Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasert ordered Police Colonel Manoon Kaewgam to collaborate with Jarong Kraomao, director of the Bureau of Special Investigations, and Phairoj Niyomdecha, director of the Investigation and Intelligence Operations Group 2, from the National…
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Thai man attacked, seriously injured by wild bull in plantation
A Thai man sustained serious injuries after being attacked by a wild bull in a pineapple plantation in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan yesterday, September 2. The community leader, Arunchai Sommit, contacted the Luang Phor Nai Kuti Wat Kui Buri Rescue Foundation to transport the injured man, 64 year old Somsak, from the pineapple plantation in the Kui…
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Phuket’s pricey new night market flop shut in 2 months
Phuket’s newest night market has turned into a multimillion-baht flop, shutting its doors just two months after opening in a blaze of publicity. The 30 million baht Plern Pao Night Market, near Surin Circle’s clocktower roundabout, closed abruptly this week. Organiser Plern Pao Co Ltd issued a notice on Monday, September 1, confirming the shutdown and instructing vendors to collect…
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Pattaya woman escapes knife attack in abandoned building
A woman in Pattaya has told how she narrowly escaped a brutal knife attack after being lured into an abandoned building by a man posing as a Good Samaritan. The 47 year old victim, identified only as B, said she feared for her life after being beaten, stripped and threatened with rape and murder before escaping on her motorcycle. The…
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Nigerian dealer and Thai girlfriend arrested in Samut Prakan
Yesterday, September 2, police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer and his Thai girlfriend in their apartment on Srinakarin Road, Samut Prakan. They were found with cocaine and related assets, following a tip-off about their drug activities in the Sukhumvit area. The suspects were identified as 33 year old UKWE Vincent Chisom from Nigeria and 30 year old Thai national Kesinee,…
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9 year old boy found walking with dog on 30km journey to find mother
A motorist yesterday, September 1, assisted a nine year old boy who had attempted to walk 30 kilometres to meet his mother in the eastern province of Rayong. The motorist noticed the boy trying to hitchhike, but no one stopped for him. He was spotted on Buraphaphat Road in the Map Ta Phut area of Rayong, accompanied by his black…
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PM bombshell: Pheu Thai confirms push to dissolve Parliament
Thailand’s political stalemate deepened this morning as the Pheu Thai Party confirmed that a request has been submitted to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn for the dissolution of Parliament, a step that may lead to a snap election within months. At 9am today, September 3, at Parliament, Sorawong Thienthong, Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, revealed that a dramatic step was taken after…
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Thai nationals intercepted returning from Cambodia after job scam
Seven Thai nationals were intercepted by the Burapha Task Force as they attempted to return from Cambodia after being lured into working for an online gambling site. The group decided to flee home when the promised conditions were not met. At approximately 12pm yesterday, September 2, Police Colonel Chainarong Kasi, commander of the Aranyaprathet Task Force, directed officers from the…
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People’s Party backs Anutin as PM under strict terms (video)
Thailand’s political chessboard just shifted again, and the clock is now ticking on Anutin Charnvirakul’s path to power. In a dramatic U-turn, the People’s Party (PP) announced this morning, September 3, that it would support Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as Thailand’s 32nd prime minister, but only under strict conditions that could collapse the new government within months. The…
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Forest monk accused of child abuse in Phichit
A troubling incident has emerged in the Thai monastic community in Phichit province, where a forest monk is alleged to have abused three young boys. This incident has prompted a police report and an investigation. The events unfolded when a teacher at a school in Thanang subdistrict, Phon Thale district, noticed unusual behaviour among students. Conversations among the pupils indicated that…
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Thailand braces for heavy rain and potential flash floods
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has forecasted significant weather changes for the upcoming week, with heavy rainfall expected to affect 80% of the country. The weather from September 2 to September 8 will see monsoons impacting lower north Thailand, lower northeastern regions, central areas including Bangkok and its vicinity, the east, and the south. This is due to the monsoon…
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Thai film director accused of sexually assaulting 2 actresses
Two freelance actresses accused a film director of sexually assaulting them during an acting workshop. The director claimed that he was teaching them about a love scene. The actresses, aged 32 and 16, sought help from social media influencer Chotanan “Pae” Lertritphuwadon after the assault. Chotanan then accompanied one of the victims, 32 year old A, to Bang Bua Thong…
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Kasikornbank launches Visa debit payments on MRT
Kasikornbank is collaborating with partners to introduce a Visa debit card payment system for MRT services. This initiative is aimed at making urban travel more convenient, seamlessly integrating public transportation payments through Kasikorn Visa debit cards across all MRT lines without requiring top-ups. The service also extends to other public transport systems, including the Airport Rail Link, expressways, and buses…
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