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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Wildlife sting: Baby orangutans rescued in Bangkok trafficking bust
Thai police swooped in to rescue two baby orangutans from being sold on the black market—just moments before they were due to be handed over to a buyer in Bangkok. The dramatic bust took place at a petrol station on Prasert Manukit Road in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district yesterday, May 15, after a tip-off from international wildlife agencies. Officers arrested…
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Phuket driver forces wife into boot to make room for tourists
Netizens and taxi drivers in Phuket criticised a hatchback driver for illegally offering transport services to foreign tourists and for carrying his wife while on duty, resulting in the vehicle being overloaded. The Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (meaning Phuket is so brutal) shared a video of the overloaded grey hatchback on May 15, with a caption reading “I appreciated the…
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Tycoon, engineers face arrest in Bangkok building collapse scandal
A high-stakes manhunt is underway after Thai police issued arrest warrants for 17 people linked to the fatal collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok—a disaster that has rocked the nation’s construction industry and could land several top executives behind bars. At the centre of the storm is prominent businessman Premchai Karnasuta, chairman of Italian-Thai Development, who…
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Steel carnage: Factory collapse crushes cars in Chon Buri horror
Panic erupted in Chon Buri today as part of a factory building came crashing down without warning, flattening vehicles and sending workers fleeing in terror. The collapse shook Amata City Industrial Estate Phase 10 in Phan Thong district, leaving behind a mangled mess of metal, dust, and debris. The incident occurred today, May 16, in the heart of one of…
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Bling sting: 300k baht loot swiped in broad daylight Thalang heist
A bold burglar made off with a treasure trove of luxury goods and sacred artefacts in a daylight raid on a Thalang home yesterday, leaving behind a ransacked house and a stunned neighbourhood. The break-in occurred around 3.20pm yesterday, May 15, at Phanasanthi 3, Village 8, Srisoonthorn subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket. Thalang Police were alerted after the shocking discovery was…
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North Pattaya bridge blaze sparks safety crackdown
Smoke, fire and a stench of burning wires sent shockwaves through a Pattaya neighbourhood this week, as a bizarre blaze under the Naklua Bridge sparked panic and shone a spotlight on an area long plagued by shady activity. Yesterday afternoon, May 15, thick clouds of smoke began pouring from beneath the bridge along Sukhumvit Road in Naklua, prompting alarmed residents…
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Flight club: Thailand plots new routes to Vietnam to boost tourism
Thailand is gearing up to launch new direct flights linking its northeastern provinces to Vietnam to supercharge tourism and deepen regional ties. The plan, revealed during Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s official visit to Vietnam, aims to make travel easier between the neighbouring countries while tapping into their growing tourism markets. Speaking during her two-day visit, which concludes today, May 16, the…
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Thai woman saves daughter from rape attempt by drug addict
A Thai mother bravely fought off a man who attempted to rape her five year old daughter at their home in the Isaan province of Udon Thani, hitting the suspect with a clothes iron until he fled the scene. A 33 year old Thai man, Watchara, shared a video on his Facebook account yesterday, May 15, showing residents in the…
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Top Shanghai official tours Pattaya in tourism charm offensive
Pattaya rolled out the red carpet this week as a high-profile Chinese delegation arrived to explore what the city has to offer—and to send a strong message: Thailand is open, safe, and ready to welcome Chinese tourists back in droves. Yesterday afternoon, May 15, at the Garden Cliff Hotel, Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet and his secretary, Phumpipat Kamolnath, greeted Zhang…
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Public fury after Thai man rapes his mother in Lampang forest
A Thai man raped his 73 year old mother in a roadside forest in the northern province of Lampang, despite the victim repeatedly begging her son to let her go. The suspect had been in and out of prison in recent years. The elderly victim visited officers at Koh Ka Police Station yesterday, May 15, to file a complaint against…
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Thai state banks urged to bolster export businesses amid US tariffs
State-owned financial institutions are encouraged to implement measures to aid export businesses and the supply chain. During a policy briefing yesterday, May 15, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira highlighted the impact of US reciprocal tariffs, predicting a two-year challenge for domestic businesses, particularly those involved in exports. Pichai urged these financial institutions to expedite the introduction of support measures, especially for…
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Monk’s millions: Pattaya woman busted in gambling scandal
A scandal mixing faith, fortune, and online gambling has rocked Thailand, as police swooped in on a Pattaya condo to arrest a young woman linked to the disgraced abbot of Rai Khing Temple. The monk is accused of blowing more than 300 million baht of temple funds on online baccarat—and now the money trail has led straight to the resort…
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Thai male DJ disappears in Kanchanaburi amid alleged adultery
A family believes that a male DJ, a boyfriend of a woman in the family, was kidnapped in the central province of Kanchanaburi, allegedly due to a conflict involving adultery. A Thai woman named Premyuda filed a missing person report at Mueang Kanchanaburi Police Station after losing contact with her boyfriend, 33 year old Waraphong “Taetae” Khunsrijaturong, at around 5am…
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Bangkok on shaky ground despite low quake risk, expert warns
In Thailand, although the probability of another earthquake occurring soon is low, several regions, including Bangkok, remain at high risk of experiencing tremors from nearby fault lines, according to a seismologist. At the Bangkok Post Knowledge Forum, held under the title After the Quake, Professor Pennung Warnitchai from the Asian Institute of Technology highlighted Bangkok’s vulnerability to distant earthquakes due…
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Thailand tightens regulations on short courses for foreign students
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has implemented new regulations to curb the misuse of short courses by foreign students as a means to engage in illegal work in Thailand. Effective immediately, all educational institutions are required to submit their short course curricula for evaluation. Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi announced yesterday, May 15, that the guidelines are…
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Illegal beach bars bulldozed in Phuket tourist crackdown
Phuket officials have swooped in on Surin Beach, tearing down makeshift beach bars and restaurants in a two-day operation to reclaim public land from illegal businesses cashing in on tourist traffic. Under the watchful eye of Phuket Governor Sophon Suwanrat, Thalang district authorities, backed by a small army of police, soldiers, forestry officers, and local enforcers, began dismantling the illegal…
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Chinese tenants flee without paying and leave mess behind
A group of Chinese nationals fled without paying rent and left a rented house in a filthy condition in the central province of Prachin Buri. The owner of the house, Surathin, shared photographs of the property, filled with rubbish, on his Facebook account on Tuesday, May 13, with a caption that read, “These Chinese people are terrible. They rented my…
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Phuket motorcycle taxi rider steals dropped cash of foreign couple
Dashcam footage captured a Thai motorcycle taxi rider stealing cash that was accidentally dropped by a foreign couple in Phuket yesterday, May 14. Phuket Times shared the dashcam video on its Facebook page today, May 15, with a caption condemning the rider’s behaviour. An excerpt from the caption read… “Can’t stand this! It tarnishes Phuket’s image! This Thai taxi rider…
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Finance deputy minister targets illegal cigarette smuggling in Thailand
The Ministry of Finance’s Deputy Minister, Paophum Rojanasakul, recently visited the Nakhon Pathom office of the Excise Department Region 7 to oversee operations aimed at eliminating illegal excise tax-evading goods. The initiative focuses on preventing the smuggling and sale of illicit products. Efforts were particularly targeted at stopping the smuggling of illegal cigarettes across the border into various areas, including…
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Vietnamese businessman caught smuggling avocados in Thailand
In Pathum Thani, a Vietnamese businessman has been apprehended for smuggling approximately 16 tonnes of fresh avocados into Thailand, sparking concerns over potential threats to local agriculture. The man, known as Van, was detained by the Consumer Protection Police (CPP) yesterday, May 14, at a warehouse in Soi Thep Kunchon 6, situated near a significant wholesale market for agricultural products…
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Thailand’s tourist trade rocked by tariff-ic blow
Thailand’s tourist trade is feeling the heat, not from the sun, but from a chilly global economy and punishing US tariffs that are sending shockwaves all the way to Bangkok’s hotel lobbies. Thailand’s hotel sector is bracing for a rough ride as fewer foreign visitors and shrinking wallets threaten to slash spending, spark price wars and pile pressure on operators,…
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Suspected fake chicken eggs cause alarm in Nong Khai
Residents in the Isaan province of Nong Khai sought clarification from the relevant government department, claiming that a Thai couple tricked them into buying fake chicken eggs. A 42 year old Thai man, Jatuphon Phusri, contacted news agencies to report that he and other residents of the Non Phu Khao Thong community in the Rattana Wapee district were deceived by…
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Former Tha Song Yang district chief arrested for fraud allegations
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) collaborated with Nonthaburi Provincial Police to arrest a former district chief officer from Tha Song Yang on allegations of fraudulent project acceptance. Today, May 15, Saroj Phuengrampan, Secretary General of the NACC, alongside Chadarat Anakkhaon, Deputy Secretary-General for Region 1, Suphot Sringammueang, Acting Deputy Secretary-General for Region 6, Sontaya Yapin, Director of the NACC in…
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Thief steals cash, alcohol and speaker from Chachoengsao shop
A cunning customer pretended to sit and drink at a shop while the owner went upstairs to rest. Taking advantage of the situation, he stole money amounting to over 10,000 baht, along with a bottle of alcohol and a Bluetooth speaker. By the time the theft was discovered, the culprit had already fled on a motorcycle. Today, May 15, footage…
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Female delivery rider harassed by fake air force officer in Bangkok
A female delivery rider has shared her alarming experience of harassment by a customer claiming to be an air force officer in Bangkok. The incident, shared on a popular Facebook page, serves as a cautionary tale after she was assaulted and threatened by a male customer. The post described how the rider took on extra work in the Don Mueang…
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Thai woman allegedly electrocuted at Samut Prakan Police Station
A Thai woman is now in stable condition after she was allegedly electrocuted at Phra Samut Chedi Police Station in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. Two Thai men visited the police station yesterday, May 14, to file a complaint after being chased and attacked by a group of unidentified men. The gang attempted to shoot and stab them on a…
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Gang arrested for stealing electrical wires in Bangkok
A gang involved in stealing electrical wires was apprehended following a report by a Metropolitan Electricity Authority representative, as the theft caused significant damage. CCTV footage captured the incident, which resulted in injuries to the suspects due to an electric shock yesterday, May 14, at 10.30pm. At Bang Khun Thian Police Station, Police Major General Khomsit Rangsai, Chief of Police…
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Shroom with a view: Israeli busted in Samui magic mushroom sting
Another Israeli tourist has landed in hot water after being busted in a late-night sting on Koh Samui, this time for allegedly flogging hallucinogenic mushrooms out of a beachside cannabis shop. Thailand’s patience with unruly foreign visitors is wearing thin and a fresh scandal on Koh Samui has only added fuel to the fire. Police in Surat Thani arrested a…
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Thai soldier forced to drive Grab and share profits to commander
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is investigating a high-ranking officer in the northeastern province of Udon Thani, who was accused of forcing a soldier to work as a Grab driver and collecting the earnings for himself. A journalist from Channel 8 accidentally uncovered the alleged corruption within the RTAF while using the Grab ride-hailing app. The journalist noticed that…
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Tragic elephant trampling in Chachoengsao’s Ta Takiab district
A male villager in the Ta Takiab district of Chachoengsao province was found deceased after being trampled by a wild elephant while collecting chillies. The district chief led a challenging search through a forest known for its elephant population. Yesterday, May 14, at around 12pm, district chief Amnuay Kaset Sinsanukoon received a report from the village head of Ban Khao…
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