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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Eight foreigners detained for illegal street food sales in Bangkok
Eight foreigners, consisting of one Turkish national and seven from Myanmar, were detained for illegally selling street food on Khao San Road and Rambuttri Road in Bangkok. The operation was a collaboration between Immigration Division 1 and Chanasongkram Police Station. This initiative aimed to address the issue of foreigners working without proper authorisation in Bangkok’s major tourist areas. The focus…
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Body of foreign man found floating near Nui Beach, Phuket
The body of a tattooed foreign man has been found floating in the sea off Phuket’s Nui Beach, marking yet another tragic case of tourists meeting their end in the island’s waters. Karon Police were alerted to the grim discovery at around 3.20pm yesterday, May 21, after beachgoers spotted a body drifting offshore. Lifeguards responded quickly, using a speedboat to…
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Rocket mishap at Kalasin festival sends fireballs flying (video)
A dramatic scene unfolded during a traditional rocket festival in Kalasin province when a skyrocket exploded, sending fireballs in every direction. This annual festival in northeastern Thailand is deeply rooted in tradition, with villagers launching rockets to ensure seasonal rainfall and to compete for whose rocket stays airborne the longest. However, it is not uncommon for accidents to occur, such…
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Thai ghost comedy makes Cannes history
A possessed vacuum cleaner, a grief-stricken husband, and a ghostly wife have just swept Thai cinema into the global spotlight. A Useful Ghost, a bizarre yet moving political horror-comedy directed by Ratchapoon Boonbunchachoke, has made history as the first-ever Thai film to win the Grand Prix at Critics’ Week, a parallel section of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The independently produced…
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Vape and cig racket busted at Pattaya weed shop
A cannabis shop on Pattaya Beach Road has been exposed as a front for selling illegal vapes and foreign cigarettes, with cops seizing hundreds of illicit products in a dramatic police raid. Officers from Pattaya Police, in collaboration with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), swooped on the Dr Weed cannabis store in the heart of the popular resort town, uncovering…
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Teacher dies in Nonthaburi motorcycle accident
A tragic accident led to the death of a 30 year old teacher in Nonthaburi province. The victim, Jamaree Choomueang, lost control of her motorcycle on Chaiyapruek Road, resulting in a fatal crash. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to determine the cause. At 12.30am, today, May 22, officers from Chaiyapruek Police Station, along with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation team, responded to…
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Drunk motorcyclist goes against traffic flow and kills female rider
A drunk Thai man rode his motorcycle against the flow of traffic and collided with a female rider, resulting in her death, on Number 4027 Road in Phuket on Tuesday night. The accident was reported to officers at Thalang Police Station and Thalang Hospital at approximately 11.45pm, May 20. It occurred near the PTT petrol station at the Paklok branch in…
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Overturned truck causes crude oil spill on Bangkok road
A sleepy trucker turned a Bangkok expressway into a hazardous oil slick early this morning after dozing off behind the wheel and flipping his 18-wheeler. The incident unfolded at 1.20am today, May 22, on the Kanchanaphisek Road, near kilometre marker 52+900 in Prawet district, as the 18-wheel trailer truck veered into the central reservation and overturned, spilling over 30 tonnes…
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Russian woman busted in Phuket sex sting in tourist crackdown
A late-night sting in Phuket ended with the arrest of a young Russian woman accused of selling sex at a luxury villa, just as Thai police ramp up efforts to clean up crimes affecting tourism. Tourist Police confirmed the 25 year old woman, whose name has not been released, was arrested around midnight on Tuesday, May 20, at a private…
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Motorcyclist dies in Chon Buri crash involving pickup truck
A 43 year old man died yesterday in a motorcycle accident involving a big bike and a pickup truck. The incident yesterday, May 21, at 9pm, occurred near the entrance of Wat Santikham in Nong Pla Lai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. Emergency services and police from Bang Lamung Police Station were dispatched to the scene, where a…
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Thai airports to boost services for elderly and disabled passengers
Flying in Thailand is about to get a major upgrade—especially for those who need it most. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is rolling out a new set of regulations aimed at dramatically improving service standards for passengers requiring special assistance. Whether you’re elderly, injured, or living with a disability, these new rules are designed to make air travel…
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Koh Pha Ngan bus driver steals Romanian tourist’s credit card
Police yesterday, May 21, arrested a Thai coach bus driver for stealing a credit card from a Romanian tourist and using the card to fraudulently withdraw 280,000 baht. The Romanian victim, Cristina, sought assistance from the Surat Thani Provincial Immigration Bureau after discovering that her credit card had gone missing. The foreign woman suspected that she lost her card during…
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No sex on the beach: Cops go nuts for ‘coconut tree’ sex workers
More than 50 alleged sex workers were rounded up along Pattaya Beach last night in a dramatic police sweep, just over a week after furious residents branded previous crackdowns a “PR stunt.” Officers stormed the beachfront at 9.06pm, yesterday, May 21, in a coordinated operation aimed at flushing out the illegal trade tarnishing the city’s tourist image. The move came…
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Ranger surrenders after shooting colleague in Pattani
A ranger has surrendered after shooting a colleague from the 4215th Ranger Company, part of the 42nd Ranger Task Force, in Panare district, Pattani province. The incident occurred around 10pm yesterday, May 21, when a water pump malfunction prompted the soldiers to inspect it outside their base. Before leaving the base to inspect the pump, Pongdet Nananuksuk and Sarawut Kaewjanarit…
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Thailand’s Pride Celebration 2025 boosts rainbow tourism economy
Central Pattana Plc (CPN), part of Central Group and operator of Central shopping centres, is reinforcing its dedication to diversity and equality with the launch of Thailand’s Pride Celebration 2025: Pride For All. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, CPN’s chief marketing officer, highlighted that the campaign celebrates Pride Month as a recognition of human rights and a strategic element for economic expansion. Thailand’s…
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Foreign tourist flees angry mob after violating Krabi national park rules
A viral video has emerged showing a foreign tourist fleeing from angry Thai men after he violated rules at a national park in the southern province of Krabi. It is also alleged the foreigner behaved disrespectfully towards park rangers. The Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park Facebook page issued a statement addressing the incident after a video of the…
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Thailand mandates medical certificates for cannabis use
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced that cannabis users in Thailand will soon need medical certificates to ensure the plant is used for medical purposes only. This decision marks another step in the ongoing process of regulating cannabis use since its decriminalisation nearly three years ago. Somsak stated his intention to refine cannabis regulations in Thailand, highlighting that both foreign…
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Thailand education fund aims to return 55,000 dropouts to school
The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) is intensifying its efforts to reintegrate at least 55,000 school dropouts back into the educational system through flexible learning models by the 2025 academic year. EEF assistant manager Pattanapong Sukmadan explained that the initiative seeks to make education accessible “anywhere, with income and accreditation,” offering customised learning experiences tailored to individual needs and local contexts.…
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Man arrested in Bangkok for 8 million baht fraud scheme
A 46 year old man has been arrested for fraud, impersonation, and deceiving victims into investing over 8 million baht. Before his arrest yesterday, May 21, Vorathep, known for his polished appearance, had been duping people by presenting himself as a doctor or executive. Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasertpab, along with Police Colonel Ekkasit Pansithao and Police Lieutenant Jeerattawat Kitrungruengdet…
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New endangered tree species discovered in South Thailand
A rare tree species has been discovered deep in the wetlands of South Thailand, yet it’s already fighting for survival. Thai researchers have uncovered a brand-new species of tree in Surat Thani province, in what’s being hailed as a major botanical breakthrough. Dubbed “Tharathum,” a poetic blend of the Thai words for water (thara) and tree (tham), the plant was discovered growing…
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Shocked! Cambodian man’s fishing trip ends with charged farewell
A Cambodian man died from electrocution while fishing, with attempts by friends to revive him using sand proving fruitless. The incident occurred at 10.30pm on May 21 near Wat Laem Pradu in Phanat Nikhom district, Chon Buri province. Rescue services and medical personnel from Phanat Nikhom Hospital, along with local police, responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they found 32…
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Thai bank workers in baht-tle: Dodgy staff ‘cashed in’ on scam
Three Thai bank workers have been cuffed after allegedly helping a Chinese-run scam gang launder a jaw-dropping 2.2 billion baht, through a web of fake accounts. The dodgy trio, who worked at a branch in Pattaya, are accused of turning a blind eye while 15 Chinese nationals, all posing as tourists, opened bank accounts and swiftly drained millions in cash…
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Bangkok job fair to offer over 600k opportunities next month
The Ministry of Labour will be hosting a significant job fair in Bangkok next month, presenting over 600,000 opportunities across various age groups to enhance national employment and prepare the workforce for future demands. Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced that Job Expo Thailand 2025 will take place June 6-8 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The event will feature…
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Dopey striker’s 27 million baht own goal in cannabis smuggle sting
A former Arsenal wonderkid has admitted his part in a plot to smuggle £600,000 (26.4 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand to Britain, after luring his girlfriend and her pal into playing unwitting drug mules. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, was nicked after 60 kilogrammes of cannabis was found stuffed inside four suitcases that had just landed at London Stansted Airport from…
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Thailand and Maldives seal health boost pact in Geneva
Thailand and the Maldives have sealed a landmark deal to boost public health collaboration, with bold plans to strengthen the Maldives’ primary healthcare and regulatory systems — all signed and sealed during a high-profile global summit in Switzerland. The agreement was inked today, May 21, at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dej-is Khaothong,…
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Nuns’ beach trip raises questions about discipline and donations
Nuns from a temple in the central province of Samut Sakhon admitted to wearing wigs and going on a beach trip, following an online scandal. However, they insisted that they received permission from the National Office of Buddhism. The Facebook page CSI LA shared photos yesterday, May 20, showing the nuns dressed up, wearing wigs, and enjoying themselves at the beach…
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Trio busted for 700k baht hotel booking fraud in Pattaya
What was meant to be a dream getaway to Pattaya turned into a financial nightmare for dozens of unsuspecting tourists after falling victim to a slick Facebook hotel booking scam, and now the suspects are behind bars. Yesterday, May 20, police arrested three suspects accused of running a fraudulent operation that used fake Facebook pages to pose as reputable hotels in…
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Shell-ebration time: Korat Zoo hatches giant tortoises
Thailand has something to shell-ebrate — Korat Zoo has made history by successfully hatching 11 Aldabra giant tortoise babies, becoming the first zoo in the country to breed the rare species. The hatchlings emerged on Sunday, May 18, much to the delight of zookeepers and conservationists. Zoo director Thanachon Kensingh announced today, May 21, that all 11 newborns are healthy…
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Parade featuring naked boy as baby Buddha sparks backlash
An online backlash erupted after pictures and videos emerged showing a naked boy playing the role of the baby Buddha during a parade celebrating Atthami Bucha Day in the central province of Nakhon Pathom. Wat Mai Sukhontharam, a temple in Nakhon Chai Si district of Nakhon Pathom, held its annual ceremony, the 132nd Atthami Bucha, between May 17 and 19…
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Officials capture 94 iguanas wreaking havoc on Thai crops
They’re not native, they’re not welcome — and they’re not slowing down. A swarm of invasive iguanas is causing chaos in central Thailand, and wildlife officials have launched a full-scale capture mission before the situation spirals further out of control. Over five days last week, from May 13 to 17, Thai wildlife officials captured 94 free-roaming iguanas on Khao Phraya…
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