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.
-
EV charging station fire damages truck at Samut Prakan factory
An EV charging station fire in Samut Prakan damaged a small electric truck at a factory in Bang Sao Thong district yesterday, May 11, with no injuries reported. At 2.10am, officers at Bang Sao Thong Police Station received a report of a fire at an electric vehicle charging station inside a company in Bang Sao Thong subdistrict, Bang Sao Thong…
-
Krabi official registers marriage for drug suspect before arrest
A district chief in Krabi allowed a suspected drug dealer to register his marriage before the man was sent to prison following his drug arrest yesterday, May 11. Officials in Mueang Krabi district said the suspect, known as “Dome Koh Klang,” was arrested during an operation targeting small-scale drug dealers in Khlong Prasong subdistrict. Officers allegedly found 399 methamphetamine pills in his…
-
3 Chinese men held for turning Pattaya house into Pod K production
Police arrested three Chinese nationals after uncovering a luxury house in Pattaya, Chon buri, being used to produce ketamine-laced e-cigarettes, locally known as Pod K. Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) and Chon Buri Provincial Police raided the property in Bang Lamung district at around 4.30pm yesterday, May 11. The operation followed reports that a group of Chinese nationals…
-
Indian tourists accused of ganging up on Thai man in Phuket
A Thai man was allegedly attacked by a group of Indian tourists in Phuket early this morning, May 12, after he tried to stop a dispute over one of the tourists sitting on the bonnet of a parked car. The incident reportedly happened at around 4.30am near the end of Bangla Road in Patong subdistrict, Kathu district, Phuket. Officers later…
-
Bolt driver accused of conning Chinese tourist with 1,000 baht ‘fine’
A Chinese tourist has warned other travellers after claiming a Bolt driver in Bangkok tried to charge her 1,000 baht for an alleged seatbelt fine during a ride, despite her saying she saw no police officers. The tourist shared the story on Threads, saying it was the first time she had encountered such a driver despite visiting Bangkok many times.…
-
Chinese weapon suspects suffers seizure after 4-day hunger strike in Pattaya prison
The Chinese weapon suspect, Mingchen Sun, was rushed to the hospital last night, May 11, after reportedly suffering seizures and severe exhaustion following a four-day hunger strike while being detained at Pattaya Remand Prison. The 31 year old suspect has been in custody since his arrest in Chon Buri on May 8 after a car crash in Sattahip district led…
-
Foreign rider damages rental motorcycle in Phuket during off-road riding
A foreign motorcyclist, believed to be a Russian national, drew criticism online after a video showed him damaging a rental motorcycle while attempting to ride off-road in Phuket. The footage was shared today, May 11, by the Phuket Times Facebook page, which claimed the incident involved a foreign rider using a rented motorcycle on an off-road track in Phuket. The motorcycle…
-
Chinese man’s military-grade weapons linked to Thai police and military officers
Several police officers and military personnel linked to a Chinese national found in possession of firearms, military-grade weapons, and explosives in Chon Buri province. The investigation began after 31 year old Chinese national Mingchen Sun crashed his vehicle in Sattahip district, Chon Buri, on May 9 while travelling with a Taiwanese woman. Officers from Na Jomtien Police Station examined the…
-
Bangkok transwoman reportedly forced to shave hairs for insulting Quran
A group of Muslims gathered outside a restaurant in Ramkhamhaeng area of Bangkok allegedly to pressure a transwoman to issue an apology and shave her hairs for insulting the holy Quran during a livestreaming video on social media. The transwoman, identified only as Lor, reportedly grew up in a Muslim community in Narathiwat before later moving to Bangkok for work.…
-
5 Russian nationals held after viral altercation in Phuket night market
Five Russian nationals were arrested following a violent altercation at a night market in Phuket after footage of the incident circulated widely on Thai social media yesterday, May 10. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared videos from the disturbance at Midtown Phuket Night Market with a caption alleging, “A drunk foreign man caused trouble in the city centre by assaulting…
-
Chinese tourists filmed with protected parrotfish and starfish in Phuket
Phuket locals are calling for legal action against a group of Chinese nationals after videos circulated online showed them hunting protected parrotfish and handling starfish at Kata Beach. The footage, which spread widely on Thai social media, prompted criticism from residents and environmental supporters concerned about the treatment of marine wildlife and the lack of immediate enforcement action by officials.…
-
4 Indian tourists fall unconscious before 1 dies in Phuket hospital
Police are continuing to investigate after four Indian tourists lost consciousness at a restaurant on Kamala Beach in Phuket early Friday morning, May 9, before one of the men later died in hospital. Officers from Kamala Police Station and rescuers from the Kamala Subdistrict Administrative Office Foundation were called to the beachfront restaurant after receiving a report from a security…
-
Hong Kong activist Zhang Xinyan arrested in Thailand
Hong Kong activist Zhang Xinyan, a wanted member of the overseas group Hong Kong Parliament, has been arrested in Thailand for overstaying her visa and is reportedly set to be deported to mainland China. According to the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Parliament is an overseas pro-democracy activist group mainly founded and run by self-exiled Hong Kong activists. Sunai…
-
Police gun linked to Chinese suspect and C4 explosives traced
A police-issued firearm from Sai Mai Police Station passed through four officers’ hands before ending up with a Chinese suspect found in possession of C4 explosives and a weapons cache, police revealed yesterday. Following a meeting called by the police chief to discuss the case of 31 year old Ming Chen Sun, the suspect told officers he purchased the weapons…
-
Singha heir rejects family name, alleges teenage sexual assault
A prominent conservation activist and member of one of Thailand’s most powerful business families has gone public with allegations of sexual assault and a bitter inheritance dispute, sparking widespread discussion on social media. Siranudh “Psi” Scott, a fourth-generation member of the Bhirombhakdi family, owners of the Singha beer brand, posted a video to his Facebook account, which has 625,000 followers,…
-
Buriram frog hunter flees 10 armed Cambodian soldiers inside Thai territory
A 63 year old man from Ban Kruat district, Buriram province, got the fright of his life while frog hunting near a dam behind his village, after stumbling upon ten armed Cambodian soldiers on what he believes was Thai soil. Apirak Butphet was out with two companions when they spotted three flashlights in the dark. Assuming they were fellow villagers,…
-
McLaren 570S wedged under pickup truck in Sai Mai crash
A McLaren 570S worth up to 24 million baht collided with a pickup truck at the end of Chatuchot Alley in Sai Mai district yesterday, injuring one person and drawing widespread attention online. At 4.36pm, the supercar and a pickup truck collided at the end of the alley. One man was left with right arm pain and was transported to…
-
Koh Pha Ngan resort crackdown probes nominee ownership claims
Officials inspected four resorts in Sri Thanu on Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, May 9, arresting three hotel operators over alleged unlicensed hotel businesses as part of a wider probe into foreign-linked companies and possible nominee ownership. The operation involved officers from the Department of Provincial Administration, Surat Thani Immigration Bureau, and Koh Pha Ngan police. Sri Thanu, in Koh Pha…
-
TAT targets 1.2 million Japanese tourists at Tokyo festival
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is taking part in the 26th Thai Festival Tokyo 2026 at Yoyogi Park in Japan, aiming to attract 1.2 million Japanese tourists to Thailand by 2026. Deputy Prime Minister and foreign affairs minister Siha Sak Phuangketkaew presided over the opening ceremony alongside Japanese deputy foreign minister Shimada Tomoaki and Thai ambassador in Tokyo Vichu…
-
Gun malfunction saves former Thai village headman from attack
On May 8, a man attempted to shoot a former village headman and brother of a Bhumjaithai Party MP at a shop in Nakhon Si Thammarat. However, the suspect’s gun misfired, allowing him to flee before later surrendering to police. The suspect, 41 year old Sakorn, approached the former headman, 65 year old Phurachai Phimsen, at the shop and aimed…
-
Prisoner escapes with 23 days left in Thai jail term
A prisoner serving time at Thanyaburi District Prison in Pathum Thani has escaped with just 23 days left on his sentence, reportedly to search for his missing girlfriend. His father has pleaded with him to surrender. The Department of Corrections announced the escape of 37 year old Seksan Ruapthong on May 7. He had been convicted of bodily harm and…
-
Chinese man held with C4 and grenades ‘to attack Thailand’
A car crash in Chon Buri has led police to one of the largest private weapons caches uncovered in recent memory, after a 31 year old Chinese national was found with C4 explosives, anti-personnel mines, and two M16 rifles at his rented home. Mingchen Sun was arrested after his sedan overturned in the Na Jomtien area of Sattahip district, Chon…
-
Thai police bust major online vaping network in Bangkok
Bangkok police have dismantled a major online vaping network in the Prawet district, seizing over 200,000 illegal electronic cigarettes and related items. Deputy police chief Nirandorn Lueamsri announced the operation on May 8, involving officers from the Anti-Cyber Crime Division and Udomsuk Police Station, alongside customs officials. During the raid, officers discovered a large cache of electronic cigarettes and three…
-
True Academy Fantasia judge criticised for complaining contestant’s use of English
A commentator on True Academy Fantasia 2026 faced online criticism after remarks about the use of English of a contestant during an audition, saying it is “a bit showing off“. The incident occurred during a live audition aired on Wednesday, May 6, after the show began its online audition process on March 8. Contestants initially submitted video introductions and performances, with selected applicants…
-
Thai monks deceive children into ordaining and use them for donations in Malaysia
Parents of seven children, aged between three and 11, sought assistance after two monks in Prachuap Khiri Khan deceived them into ordaining as novices and soliciting donations in Malaysia. The case came to light after police in Kedah, Malaysia, arrested two Thai monks on April 7 on suspicion of human trafficking. Malaysian police said they had monitored the pair’s activities…
-
Coronavirus found in Thai bats poses low spread risk, DDC says
Thailand has found a coronavirus in bats during routine wildlife disease surveillance, but no human infections have been reported, and the public risk remains low, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). DDC Director-General Dr Montien Kanasawat said today, May 8, that the discovery reflected Thailand’s ability to rapidly detect emerging diseases through its monitoring systems. Researchers studying horseshoe…
-
8 Chinese nationals held in Chiang Mai for illegal series production
Eight Chinese nationals were arrested for illegally filming a social media drama series without permission in an accommodation in the Hang Dong district in Chiang Mai. Officers from Tourist Police Division 2 acted on a complaint that a group of Chinese nationals had rented accommodation in the district and were using it as a filming location. The complainants questioned whether the…
-
Philippines hosts talks as Thailand, Cambodia seek renewed trust
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to rebuild trust and open a new chapter in bilateral relations after three-way talks initiated by the Philippines during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu yesterday, May 7. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the Shangri-La Mactan hotel in Cebu to discuss the Thailand-Cambodia situation,…
-
Thailand News | Eight suspects detained after Chinese tourist dies following Pattaya Club assault, Humanoid robot ordained as honorary buddhist monk in South Korea
In the news today, eight suspects have been detained after the death of a Chinese tourist following a Pattaya Night Club assault, in Phuket, a British man was reportedly filmed damaging motorcycles in a knife-wielding outburst, also in Phuket an Israeli family is being accused of using their children to steal snacks from a convenience store, in health news Mpox…
-
Israel embassy warns Israelis as Phuket tightens foreigner rules
The Embassy of Israel in Thailand has warned Israeli nationals in Phuket to follow local laws after provincial officials reportedly ordered stricter enforcement measures against foreigners on the island. The statement, written in Hebrew, was shared yesterday, May 7, on the Facebook page Israel in Thailand. According to the post, authorities would strictly enforce local laws and regulations, with offenders…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.