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 Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...
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Raids uncover 7.2 million baht in unsafe electrical goods across Thailand
The premises of three companies involved in selling substandard electrical products online were raided, resulting in the seizure of goods valued at over 7 million baht. Thitiphat Chotidechachainan, the leader of a Ministry of Industry working group, oversaw the inspections after reports indicated the storage of goods lacking certification from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI). The first location inspected…
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DSI investigates illegal airfield on public road in Nakhon Ratchasima
The Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) recently disclosed findings regarding a private airfield, known as the VIP Runway, located in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima. Clarifications are awaited from five government agencies regarding the alleged illegal transformation of a public road into a private airstrip. This investigation was prompted by a complaint from…
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Heavy rain warning for 41 Thai provinces, flash floods possible
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall across 41 provinces, including Bangkok, where 70% of the area is expected to experience significant downpours. Residents are urged to be cautious of potential flash floods, with the influence of tropical storm Wipha noted. Rain is forecasted for Chanthaburi, Trat, Ranong, and Phang Nga provinces, with some areas…
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Pattaya mob sparks bill-dodging chaos at Indian restaurant
In Pattaya, an altercation at an Indian restaurant has led to significant property damage and financial losses, with patrons fleeing without paying bills amounting to over 5,000 baht. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday, July 15, at Green Chilly Indian Restaurant, situated near Soi 16 in South Pattaya. The restaurant’s owner, 34 year old Tiyaporn Saengchan,…
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Baby in backpack: Samut Prakan mum busted for abandonment
A newborn baby girl found abandoned in a roadside backpack has sparked outrage — and heartbreak — after police tracked down the mother, who now faces criminal charges. The shocking discovery was made yesterday, July 18, when a passerby found the infant stuffed inside a black backpack left on a footpath along Suhrawardy Bang Kasee Road in Samut Prakan. The…
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Suvarnabhumi tests indoor smoking rooms to curb toilet puffing
Smokers flying through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport may soon breathe a sigh of relief — indoors. In a controversial move, Thai health authorities are building two prototype smoking rooms inside the airport, aiming to clamp down on passengers lighting up in restricted areas like toilets. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) confirmed the rooms are expected to be completed by the…
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Thailand to send back stolen orangutans to Indonesia
Thailand is preparing to send four rescued orangutans back to Indonesia by the end of the year, marking a symbolic step in the fight against wildlife trafficking — and celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) confirmed that the orangutans were seized in two separate illegal wildlife…
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Pattaya woman scammed while trying to save sick aunt
A Pattaya housekeeper desperate to save her sick aunt was cruelly scammed out of nearly 5,000 baht in an online loan fraud — leaving her devastated and broke. The incident unfolded at 10pm yesterday, July 18, when 26 year old Ratchaneekorn Pholjamrat walked into Pattaya City Police Station, clutching receipts and screenshots, to file a formal complaint against the online…
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Chinese fugitive and Korean drug suspect busted in Pattaya
In Pattaya, Chon Buri province, immigration police have apprehended two foreign men in distinct criminal cases. The Immigration Bureau revealed these arrests, including a Chinese fugitive and a South Korean drug suspect, during a recent press briefing. The first case involved Chon Buri Immigration Office officers raiding a residence in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, where they detained 39…
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Vietnamese dealer busted in Bangkok bar drug raid
A wild Bangkok nightlife scene turned into a full-blown drug bust early yesterday morning after police swooped in on a popular entertainment venue in Wang Thonglang district, arresting a Vietnamese dealer and detaining 40 others who tested positive for drugs. The raid was the climax of an ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police Bureau into a suspected drug operation run…
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American tourist falls to death after lovers’ row at Chiang Mai condo
A dream holiday turned into a nightmare in Chiang Mai after a 35 year old American man plunged to his death from the 10th floor of a luxury condominium. The tragic incident unfolded at 9.50pm on Friday, July 18, in the Chang Klan area, shocking the local expat and tourist communities. The victim, Justin Todd Henry, had travelled to Thailand…
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Bangkok lift horror: Woman killed in goods elevator accident
A Bangkok worker was crushed to death in a horrific elevator accident yesterday after a goods lift malfunctioned at a commercial building in the capital’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. The victim, a 46 year old woman known only as Koi, worked at a forklift parts shop on Ban Batr Road. She was killed instantly when her head became trapped…
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Big Buddha deadlock: Locals demand justice, abbot stalls
Phuket’s iconic Big Buddha Viewpoint remains closed nearly a year after a deadly landslide claimed 13 lives, as tensions mount between locals, temple authorities, and government officials over who should take responsibility — and whether the site should reopen at all. The sole legal owner of the land, the Royal Forest Department’s Phuket branch (RFD Phuket), has issued a list…
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Aussie man found dead in Pattaya condo double tragedy named
A bizarre double tragedy has rocked Pattaya after two foreign men were found dead just hours and floors apart in the same condominium. One of the victims, an Australian national, has been named, while the identity of the Swedish man remains undisclosed pending embassy notification. The grim discoveries were made two hours apart on Thursday, July 17, at the Grand…
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Thailand braces for another week of heavy rain and strong winds
Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall across Thailand, with strong winds expected in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand from today to next Thursday. Many regions, including northern, northeastern, central, eastern, and western southern Thailand, are expected to experience significant rainfall due to a monsoon trough and a strong…
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Newborn baby abandoned in backpack on Samut Prakan bridge
Police are searching for a mother who abandoned her newborn baby by placing her inside a backpack and leaving her on a roadside in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. The Samut Prakan Rescue Foundation was alerted to the discovery at around 2pm yesterday, July 17. The baby was found in a black backpack left on a bridge along Surao Bang…
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Pattaya motorbike taxi driver found dead in apartment
Pattaya was rocked by a tragic late-night discovery when a local motorcycle taxi driver was found dead in his apartment, shocking his community and leaving his wife devastated. The grim scene unfolded at 1.06am today, July 18, when the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit received a call about a body found in a room at an unnamed apartment block on…
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Brit mum busted in Munich drug sting after Thailand detour
A British mum has been charged after she was reportedly caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand to Germany, becoming the latest in a troubling wave of young UK nationals caught in overseas weed crackdowns. Cameron Bradford, a 21 year old from Knebworth, Hertfordshire, is facing serious charges in Germany after being arrested at Munich Airport on April 22. Immigration officers declared…
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Hackers breach Thai Labour Ministry website, data safe
Cyber crooks launched a bold attack on Thailand’s Ministry of Labour website yesterday, replacing the homepage with a brazen “hacked” message — but officials say no sensitive data was compromised. The ministry confirmed that its systems were breached but insisted the core database remained untouched. Permanent Secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyuth assured the public that the digital assault, while serious, caused no…
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Pattaya mob attack: Bolt driver beaten by gang of 30
Pattaya’s nightlife turned violent in the early hours of today when a Bolt driver was viciously attacked by a mob of more than 30 people, leaving tourists and bar staff in shock. The savage assault unfolded at 3.36am today, July 18, along Pattaya Second Road near Soi 10, where police responded to frantic calls about a mass brawl. Officers arrived…
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Aussie tourist found dead in Patong hotel bathroom
A 69 year old Aussie tourist was found dead in his Phuket hotel bathroom yesterday morning, just days after arriving for a six-week tropical getaway. Hotel staff at the property off Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong made the grim discovery around 10.30am yesterday, Thursday, July 18, after a concerned Thai woman reported she hadn’t heard from the man in…
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Pattaya police allegedly ignore sexual assault complaint against Bolt rider
A Thai woman accused Pattaya police officers of failing to take action after she lodged a sexual assault complaint against a Bolt motorcycle taxi rider. The woman shared her account of the assault yesterday, July 17, in a Facebook group, พัทยา (Pattaya), condemning officers at Mueang Pattaya Police Station for their alleged inaction. In her post, she wrote… “I reported…
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Bangkok woman choked by foreigner in 7-Eleven fights for justice (video)
A late-night milk run turned into a nightmare for one Bangkok woman, choked by a stranger in a 7-Eleven, dismissed by police, and left fearing for her safety. But she’s not staying silent. In a harrowing incident that has sparked outrage online, a woman recounted how a quick trip to the 7-Eleven at Fortune Condo Narathiwas ended in a physical…
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Copper conned! Aussie cop fleeced in Thai cryptocurrency scam
A retired Aussie police officer hoping to enjoy a quiet life in Thailand has instead been left nearly penniless, after being duped out of more than 40 million baht in a slick cryptocurrency scam run by a German expat in Phuket. Michael “Tom” Reinecke, thought he was investing in a high-return digital currency venture but now says he’s the latest…
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Wheels of misfortune: Woman crushed in Phuket truck horror
A sunny Phuket afternoon turned into a nightmare when a young woman riding pillion was killed after a six-wheeled lorry ploughed into a motorbike on Wiset Road in Rawai, sparking fresh calls for better road safety. The fatal crash happened at around 1.45pm yesterday, July 17 near the Go Wholesale branch in Rawai, when a white Hino truck collided with…
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Man drowns after pickup plunges off Nakhon Si Thammarat bridge
A late-night shortcut turned fatal for one man in Nakhon Si Thammarat, when a routine drive ended in horror as his pickup truck plunged off an unfinished bridge, claiming his life in a freak drowning accident. The tragic incident unfolded around 8.30pm yesterday, July 17, when 51 year old Bamrung’s brown-black Isuzu pickup veered off a construction zone in Village…
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Thai actress catches Laotian housemaid stealing nearly 1 million baht
A Thai actress discovered that her Laotian housemaid had been stealing cash in small amounts over the course of a year, leading to a total loss of nearly 1 million baht. The actress, Nathalie Devies, and her husband filed a police complaint on July 10 after realising that cash in both Thai and foreign currencies had gone missing from their…
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Thaksin plans to turn Thailand into a tech and aviation powerhouse
Thaksin Shinawatra is back in the spotlight—and he’s thinking big. The former PM has laid out an ambitious strategy to turn Thailand into a regional superhub for aviation, electric vehicles (EV), and green-powered data centres, in what he calls a “golden opportunity” for national transformation. In his recent public statement, Thaksin said Thailand is geographically primed to become ASEAN’s premier…
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Udon Thani man found dead after financial collapse
A man was found dead outside his home in Udon Thani in a chilling scene that left neighbours and relatives shaken. The 54 year old, who reportedly lost millions and struggled with emotional despair after his divorce, left behind a haunting farewell note and five luxury watches. Police Lieutenant Sirichai Photichak from Udon Thani Police Station led officers and rescue…
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Top of the clicks! Bangkok crowned world’s No.1 nomad hotspot
Bangkok has bagged the title of the world’s dream city for digital nomads, beating out 1,300 other hotspots to take the crown as the top destination for remote workers in 2025. According to a global survey by travel platform HotelWithTub, Thailand’s buzzing capital has been crowned the number one city on the planet for digital nomads this year, scoring 91…
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