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.

  • Dozy driver flips car in late-night pile-up in Pattaya

    Dozy driver flips car in late-night pile-up in Pattaya

    A dozy driver had a rude awakening in Pattaya when he nodded off at the wheel and flipped his car in a three-vehicle smash, miraculously escaping without a scratch. The dramatic late-night crash happened around 11.30pm on July 2 along South Pattaya Road near Moo 10. Police arrived to find a white Toyota Yaris on its roof, blocking traffic and…

  • Nonthaburi monk rescued after wheelchair falls into canal

    Nonthaburi monk rescued after wheelchair falls into canal

    A heroic rescue took place in Nonthaburi province after a one-legged monk was left stranded in a roadside canal when his electric wheelchair tipped over during his morning alms round. The incident, which occurred near Wat Masong school in Thaweewattana subdistrict, sparked widespread sympathy after it was revealed that the 57 year old, Phra Vichai Saetang, has been a dedicated…

  • British mother warns of deadly scrub typhus after Thailand trip

    British mother warns of deadly scrub typhus after Thailand trip

    A British mother from North Yorkshire, England, issued a stark warning about the risk and dangers of catching a bacterial infection after her teenage daughter fell ill with alarming symptoms following a trip to Thailand. The infection, known as scrub typhus, is often overlooked by travellers but can be life-threatening if not treated in time. Earlier this year, the family…

  • Chiang Mai locals fear scam as love scandal posters pop up across province

    Chiang Mai locals fear scam as love scandal posters pop up across province

    A travel agency in the northern province of Chiang Mai caused panic in the local community with a bizarre advertising tactic: posters featuring the love scandal of James and Olivia along with a QR code. A Thai man, Wirawat Buranarom, spotted several paper posters with QR codes attached to streetlights and electricity poles in central Chiang Mai. Concerned by the…

  • Legal battle intensifies over Paetongtarn’s audio scandal

    Legal battle intensifies over Paetongtarn’s audio scandal

    Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s temporary suspension from duties as prime minister following a decision by the Constitutional Court, could have significant political consequences in the future. The court yesterday, July 1, voted 7-2 to accept a petition filed by senators seeking her removal, based on an audio clip allegedly featuring a conversation between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The…

  • Attack on Mae Tuen wildlife sanctuary sparks urgent police hunt

    Attack on Mae Tuen wildlife sanctuary sparks urgent police hunt

    An attack occurred when armed assailants opened fire on the Pha Lado Forest Protection Unit office in Mae Tuen Wildlife Sanctuary, Tak province. The natural resources and environment minister, Chalermchai Sri-on, has instructed police to apprehend the suspects, believed to be illegal loggers of rosewood. This incident is seen as a direct challenge to law enforcement and a threat to…

  • Austrian tourist dies after falling down stairs in Koh Samui hotel

    Austrian tourist dies after falling down stairs in Koh Samui hotel

    A tragic incident unfolded in Koh Samui early this morning, leaving a 45 year old Austrian tourist dead after falling down stairs in a hotel. The fatal accident occurred today, July 2, when Bo Phut Police Station, Surat Thani province, received an urgent report from the 191 centre at around 5am. The foreigner was found lifeless at the scene of…

  • Cambodia halts oil imports, Thai firms unfazed

    Cambodia halts oil imports, Thai firms unfazed

    Cambodia’s decision to halt refined oil imports from Thailand is unlikely to significantly affect Thai oil companies, as they have the flexibility to redirect their sales to other Asian countries, according to the Department of Energy Business (DOEB). Thai oil exporters currently send nearly 6 million litres of oil daily to Cambodia, which could instead be redirected to markets like…

  • Student survives bus collision at Bangkok pedestrian crossing (video)

    Student survives bus collision at Bangkok pedestrian crossing (video)

    A university student in Bangkok is lucky to be alive after being run down by a bus while crossing the road via a zebra crossing. The horrifying incident, captured on a nearby surveillance camera, quickly went viral after being shared online. Despite being hurled several metres from the point of impact, the young woman survived the crash and is now…

  • Cannabis cargo: British teen’s ‘snake-like’ scar tale in Georgia

    Cannabis cargo: British teen’s ‘snake-like’ scar tale in Georgia

    A British teenager accused of smuggling a £250,000 (11.2 million baht) haul of cannabis into Georgia broke down in tears in court, and showed a snake-like scar she says proves she was tortured and forced into the crime. Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, in the North-East of England, could face life behind bars if found guilty of trafficking nearly…

  • Pattaya’s tourist shift: Indian influx sparks debate on future

    Pattaya’s tourist shift: Indian influx sparks debate on future

    As July rolls in, Pattaya’s tourism officials are pinning their hopes on the co-payment programme, also known as the Half-Half travel scheme, focusing on the domestic market as international travel slows during the low season. With fewer long-haul visitors expected, Thai families on school break, along with an increasing influx of regional travellers, particularly from the Indian subcontinent, are being…

  • Hill myna dispute leads to fatal shooting in Krabi

    Hill myna dispute leads to fatal shooting in Krabi

    A dispute over a hill myna bird led to a violent incident in Koh Lanta, Krabi province. A man fatally shot his neighbour and the neighbour’s young daughter while injuring the man’s wife. Police are actively pursuing the suspect. Yesterday, July 1, at 11.30am, Police Lieutenant Pimon Phromcharoen from Koh Lanta Police Station received a report of a shooting at…

  • 4 Rottweilers rescued after being left to die in Chiang Mai forest

    4 Rottweilers rescued after being left to die in Chiang Mai forest

    An animal welfare foundation rescued four Rottweilers abandoned in a forest in Chiang Mai province. One of the dogs was found with two gunshot wounds. On July 1, locals from Mae Kam Pong Village, a well-known tourist destination, sought help from Odd, the abbot of Chedi Luang Temple, after discovering the dogs in the forest while foraging for food. The…

  • Thai workers arrested for risky border escape after Cambodia job scam

    Thai workers arrested for risky border escape after Cambodia job scam

    Ten Thai construction workers were arrested near the Thai-Cambodian border while attempting to return home after being deceived by employers in Cambodia. The incident occurred today, July 2, near the permanent checkpoint at Ban Khlong Luek in Sa Kaeo province. The Burapha Task Force, along with the Aranyaprathet Special Task Force, apprehended the group as they climbed the roof of…

  • Spanish family rescued after boat capsizes off Koh Samui

    Spanish family rescued after boat capsizes off Koh Samui

    A terrifying incident unfolded off the coast of Koh Samui as a tourist boat carrying a Spanish family of four capsized and sank in the middle of the sea. Fortunately, quick-thinking rescuers saved the family after they were left floating helplessly in the water. The incident occurred yesterday, July 1 at around 11.30am, as a long-tailed boat carrying a group…

  • Shocking victory: Russian fighter’s electrifying celebration (video)

    Shocking victory: Russian fighter’s electrifying celebration (video)

    A Russian MMA fighter got more than just a buzz from the crowd after winning a bizarre cannabis-fuelled fight in Thailand, he got electrocuted while celebrating. Ivan Parshikov, a former ONE Lumpinee contender, had just won his bout at the controversial Weed Boxing Championship, where fighters are allowed to blaze up before stepping into the ring. But as Parshikov clambered…

  • Thai woman accuses ex-MP and businessman of extorting 9 million baht

    Thai woman accuses ex-MP and businessman of extorting 9 million baht

    A Thai woman accused an ex-Member of Parliament (MP) and a prominent businessman of extorting 9 million baht from her by promising to help her avoid legal punishment. Despite paying the amount, she was imprisoned. The woman, identified as Punim, shared her ordeal on her Facebook account on June 26, asking her followers whether she should reveal the identities of…

  • Police bust Chinese call centre scam in Chiang Mai luxury home

    Police bust Chinese call centre scam in Chiang Mai luxury home

    In Chiang Mai’s Hang Dong district, police apprehended 15 Chinese nationals implicated in a call centre scam. The operation took place in a luxury house in tambon Ban Waen, where Provincial Region 5 police searched yesterday, July 1. Following a tip-off, police discovered that the property was purchased by Chinese people through Thai nominees and was being used as a…

  • Temple raid: Monks busted for meth use in central Thailand

    Temple raid: Monks busted for meth use in central Thailand

    Two young monks in Phetchaburi province have been arrested for consuming methamphetamine inside a temple’s monk quarters. The incident, which has left the local community stunned, occurred yesterday, July 1, when police in Khao Yoi district, in collaboration with local officials, raided the temple after receiving intelligence reports about the monks’ involvement in drug use. The operation was led by Police…

  • Police officer dies in SUV crash in Ubon Ratchathani

    Police officer dies in SUV crash in Ubon Ratchathani

    A tragic accident occurred involving a police lieutenant colonel who lost his life after his SUV crashed into a power pole. The incident took place yesterday, July 1, in Warin Chamrap district, Ubon Ratchathani province. Rescue operations took over 20 minutes to extract the officer’s body. Police Lieutenant Colonel Jeerarot Akkaraphachuensakul, deputy superintendent of Mueang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station, was…

  • Hairy surprise: Thai woman finds pubic hair on ‘brand-new’ shaver

    Hairy surprise: Thai woman finds pubic hair on ‘brand-new’ shaver

    A Thai woman in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan took to social media to share her shocking online shopping experience after discovering what she suspected was pubic hair from an unidentified person on what was supposed to be a brand-new shaver. The 44 year old woman, Chompoonuch Wanchana, posted a video of the disturbing unboxing on her Facebook…

  • Thalang thief caught red-handed with stolen bike hidden in room

    Thalang thief caught red-handed with stolen bike hidden in room

    A man has been arrested in Thalang after being caught hiding a stolen motorbike inside his room just hours after it was reported missing. The theft unfolded yesterday, July 1, when police swooped in on 38 year old Supachai Kaewplod at his residence in the Keha U-Athorn housing estate in Srisoonthorn. The arrest was led by Police Colonel Nikorn Chuthong,…

  • Thai teenager arrested for blackmailing girlfriend with explicit clips

    Thai teenager arrested for blackmailing girlfriend with explicit clips

    The Thai Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) Task Force arrested a 17 year old man for blackmailing his 13 year old girlfriend by posting explicit clips on social media following a quarrel. The arrest took place at 7.30am yesterday, July 1, in the Bangkok Noi district. The Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children-TICAC Task Force coordinated with law enforcement to apprehend…

  • Lights out in Bang Tao: Friday blackout warning for Phuket locals

    Lights out in Bang Tao: Friday blackout warning for Phuket locals

    Hundreds of homes, hotels, and businesses in Phuket’s Bang Tao area are set to be plunged into darkness this Friday, July 4, as part of a planned power cut to upgrade the local grid. The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) Thalang Branch says the blackout, scheduled from 9am to 4.30pm, is needed to safely carry out high-voltage upgrades and install new…

  • Thailand Video News | Thai PM Paetongtarn suspended amid leaked audio scandal involving Cambodia, Thailand introduces prescription form to regulate medical cannabis use

    Thailand Video News | Thai PM Paetongtarn suspended amid leaked audio scandal involving Cambodia, Thailand introduces prescription form to regulate medical cannabis use

    In Thailand, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended amid a leaked audio scandal, while new cannabis prescription rules tighten control over medical use. The country also saw a daring restaurant scam in Pattaya, a major heroin smuggling arrest at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and a rare bear encounter in Khao Yai National Park. Across the region, a Batik Air flight narrowly…

  • PlayStation teams up with BLACKPINK’s Lisa for epic teaser (video)

    PlayStation teams up with BLACKPINK’s Lisa for epic teaser (video)

    Hold onto your controllers, gamers! PlayStation has just dropped a teaser clip featuring none other than the world-renowned Thai artist Lisa Manobal from BLACKPINK, and fans are buzzing with excitement. The collaboration is leaving many wondering if this is just the beginning of a thrilling partnership between the gaming giant and the global music icon. The teaser, which showcases Lisa’s…

  • Bomb scare patrol: Phuket orders crackdown on abandoned motors

    Bomb scare patrol: Phuket orders crackdown on abandoned motors

    Local government officials in Phuket have been ordered to hunt down abandoned cars and motorbikes, over fears they could be used to hide bombs. The sweeping directive came during a high-level security briefing yesterday, July 1, chaired by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat at the Provincial Hall. “All agencies must take this seriously,” the governor warned. “We need to ensure the…

  • Bangkok abbot’s wealth questioned after he reports 23 million baht theft

    Bangkok abbot’s wealth questioned after he reports 23 million baht theft

    An abbot at a Bangkok temple reported to police the theft of 10 million baht in cash and nearly 13 million baht in gold on Sunday, June 29. He insisted the valuables were his personal property and not related to temple donations. Phra Ratchawatchara Phattanatorn, the abbot of Mueang Temple in Bangkok’s Bang Khae district, assigned the temple manager, Sakda Lertritsomboon,…

  • Thai Cabinet expands eligibility for ‘You Fight, We Help’ debt relief

    Thai Cabinet expands eligibility for ‘You Fight, We Help’ debt relief

    Thailand is extending a lifeline to millions of debtors, expanding the eligibility for the popular “You Fight, We Help” debt relief initiative. The crucial change will allow debtors with arrears ranging from just one day to those overdue by more than a year to access vital assistance. To provide broader support, the Cabinet approved a revised framework that now includes…

  • Thailand Post senior employees get first salary rise in 18 years

    Thailand Post senior employees get first salary rise in 18 years

    The Thai Cabinet yesterday, July 1, approved a long-awaited increase in the maximum salary cap for senior employees at Thailand Post, marking the first such adjustment in 18 years. The decision follows recommendations from the State Enterprise Labour Relations Committee (SELRC) and will come into effect immediately. Thailand Post, a state enterprise providing nationwide mail, logistics, financial, and agency services,…