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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    Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you

    Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...

  • Thai netizens back kidnapped Chinese influencer’s emotional hunt for real family

    Thai netizens back kidnapped Chinese influencer’s emotional hunt for real family

    Thai netizens are expressing their support for a Chinese influencer after she shared her heartbreaking story of being kidnapped as a child and her ongoing search for her biological family. The 20 year old influencer, Auyoya Yich, is widely known among Thai netizens as Aurora or Tao Hoo (meaning tofu). She is currently an exchange student at Rangsit University in…

  • Thailand plans ‘Buddhist bank’ as temple scandals explode

    Thailand plans ‘Buddhist bank’ as temple scandals explode

    Thailand’s temples are facing their biggest credibility crisis in decades, with lurid scandals and financial misconduct battering public faith. Now, a senior minister has unveiled a bold plan to clean up the mess — by setting up a Buddhist bank to keep temples’ money in check. Speaking on his first day in office yesterday, July 7, Suchart Tancharoen, minister attached…

  • Nong Suea man arrested for temple donation box theft

    Nong Suea man arrested for temple donation box theft

    Police in Nong Suea arrested a 42 year old man for allegedly breaking into donation boxes at a local temple and stealing more than 5,000 baht. The incident was captured on CCTV. Yesterday, July 7, at 6pm, Police Colonel Worayut Pongtan, along with several other officers, conducted a raid and apprehended the alleged suspect, Piyaphan, at his residence in Mueang…

  • Casino chaos: Thailand scraps gambling bill amid turmoil

    Casino chaos: Thailand scraps gambling bill amid turmoil

    Thailand’s rollercoaster ride to legalise casinos has come to a screeching halt, as the government announced it will withdraw the hotly debated Entertainment Complex Bill following fierce public backlash and a fresh wave of political upheaval. Yesterday, July 7, Chief Government Whip Visuth Chainaroon confirmed that a motion to pull the bill from the current parliamentary session will be raised…

  • Surat Thani train station horror: Guards beat man over nap

    Surat Thani train station horror: Guards beat man over nap

    A family dinner ended in shocking violence for one Surat Thani man, who was brutally beaten by security guards at a train station simply for lying down to rest as he waited for his train home. The 57 year old man, identified only as Yutthaphon, was left with severe bruising across his face and body and a gaping head wound…

  • Police raid reveals illegal kratom and e-cigarette operation in Loei

    Police raid reveals illegal kratom and e-cigarette operation in Loei

    Police in Loei province, under the direction of Police Major General Weeradech Lekhawarakul and other senior officers, conducted a raid on a residence in Ban Khon Daeng, Mueang Loei district suspected of illegal activities. The operation yesterday, July 7, was in collaboration with pharmacists from the Loei Provincial Public Health Office. The rented house had been identified as a production…

  • Booze bonanza: Phuket bars cleared to serve on holidays

    Booze bonanza: Phuket bars cleared to serve on holidays

    Thirsty tourists and locals can breathe a sigh of relief, Phuket’s bars and entertainment venues have been officially cleared to serve alcohol this Asarnha Bucha Day and on other major Buddhist holidays, the island’s top cop has confirmed. Confusion erupted earlier this week when a bar in Koh Kaew, which doesn’t sit squarely in a designated tourist area, was warned…

  • Man in Suphan Buri kills neighbour under meth influence

    Man in Suphan Buri kills neighbour under meth influence

    A tragic incident occurred yesterday in Mueang district, Suphan Buri province, when a 36 year old man, Anucha, reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine, allegedly attacked and fatally injured his bedridden 63 year old neighbour, Suthep, by forcing him into a drainage pipe. Rescue workers yesterday, July 7, were unable to save Suthep’s life despite their efforts. Police Colonel Wanchai…

  • Bacon backlash: Cheap US pork threatens Thai farmers

    Bacon backlash: Cheap US pork threatens Thai farmers

    Thailand’s pig farmers are squealing in protest, warning the government that a flood of cheap American pork could cripple the nation’s entire agricultural sector and push thousands into poverty overnight. Yesterday, July 7, the National Swine Raisers Association (NSRA) issued a fiery statement urging officials to abandon any plans to open Thailand’s market to pork, offal and related products from…

  • British dad dies chasing fight dream as wife gives birth back home

    British dad dies chasing fight dream as wife gives birth back home

    A British mum gave birth to her third child yesterday, just days after her beloved husband died alone in Thailand while chasing his lifelong dream of becoming a Thai boxing fighter. Ryan O’Connor, from Rossendale, Lancashire, collapsed in a hotel bathroom in Thailand after falling severely ill during a once-in-a-lifetime trip to train at a Muay Thai academy. The father-of-three…

  • Rabies deaths in Thailand triple with dogs as primary source

    Rabies deaths in Thailand triple with dogs as primary source

    The Department of Disease Control (DDC) reported a threefold increase in rabies-related deaths in Thailand this year. Of these cases, 90% were contracted from dogs and 10% from cats. Yesterday, July 7, Dr Phanumart Yanawetaskul, Director General of the Department of Disease Control, announced that seven fatalities have occurred in Chon Buri, Sisaket, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Ratchasima, Tak, and Rayong. This…

  • 50 attackers storm security base in Narathiwat, injuring two officers

    50 attackers storm security base in Narathiwat, injuring two officers

    Approximately 50 assailants, armed with 24 firearms and pipe bombs, launched an attack on a security base in the Mueang district of Narathiwat province on June 28. Two officers, 45 year old Aphisit Srianurak and 36 year old Waehumran Waesamoh, were injured in the incident. Investigations revealed that 702 bullet casings were used during this attack, which have been linked…

  • Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury

    Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury

    A Thai woman narrowly escaped serious injury after a car crashed into her roadside beverage stall in Phuket on Sunday, July 6. The driver later accepted full responsibility for the incident. The vendor, Naruemon Thorthip, shared CCTV footage of the crash on Facebook the same day. According to the timestamp in the video, the incident occurred at around 2pm near…

  • Cambodia-Thailand scam empire busted in mega police raid

    Cambodia-Thailand scam empire busted in mega police raid

    A notorious crime boss running a luxury scam empire from Cambodia is on the run after Thai police swooped on 19 locations in an explosive crackdown on a sprawling transnational syndicate. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) stormed properties across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri today, July 8, in coordinated raids aimed at dismantling the network behind…

  • Nakhon Ratchasima student injured in spear gun attack

    Nakhon Ratchasima student injured in spear gun attack

    A 20 year old technical college student was injured in Nakhon Ratchasima after being shot with a spear gun dart. The victim, Kritin, had arranged to meet his girlfriend to resolve issues regarding infidelity. Upon arrival, he encountered an unknown male accompanying her, leading to a confrontation where the dart pierced his left hand. Yesterday, July 7, Police Lieutenant Sunthiphap Phonsawang,…

  • Aussie tourist found dead after late-night massage on Koh Samui

    Aussie tourist found dead after late-night massage on Koh Samui

    A barefoot Aussie holidaymaker was found dead in a Koh Samui massage parlour, hours after staff assumed he’d simply nodded off following a midnight rubdown. The 43 year old man, identified only as Christopher from Brisbane, was discovered lifeless in the early hours of Sunday, July 7, at a massage shop in Bo Phut, on the Thai holiday island. Police…

  • Senator accused of attempted rape by former news anchor

    Senator accused of attempted rape by former news anchor

    A former news anchor and advisor to a Senate subcommittee accused a senator of attempting to rape her at a condominium in the Bang Sue area of Bangkok. The ex-anchor, Natthasinee “Kwan” Pinyopiyavid, took to her Facebook account to invite journalists to attend a press conference at Parliament today, July 8, where she said she would speak out about the…

  • South Korean man plunges to death in mystery Pattaya hotel fall

    South Korean man plunges to death in mystery Pattaya hotel fall

    A South Korean man plunged to his death from a Pattaya hotel rooftop in a late-night mystery, just two days before a young Chinese man fell fatally from another building in the city. It’s unsure whether it was an accident or whether he is another victim of the insensitively titled Pattaya Flying Club. Emergency crews from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan…

  • Thai Vietjet launches cheap Mumbai-Phuket flights

    Thai Vietjet launches cheap Mumbai-Phuket flights

    Holidaymakers dreaming of sun-soaked Phuket get ready to pack your bags – budget airline Thai VietJet Air is turning up the heat on the India-Thailand travel scene with a brand new direct flight from Mumbai to the island paradise. The low-cost carrier, part of the larger VietJet Aviation Group, is set to launch the highly anticipated route in August, giving…

  • Man electrocuted, another injured in Udon Thani tree accident

    Man electrocuted, another injured in Udon Thani tree accident

    A 49 year old man died, and a 58 year old man was seriously injured while cutting eucalyptus trees for sale yesterday, July 7, in the Udon Thani province. The accident occurred when the tree’s branches came into contact with high-voltage power lines. Police Colonel Fasatan Laosen from Sangkhome District Police Station, Udon Thani, received a report of the incident,…

  • Thai woman dies in attack by wild elephant in Surat Thani forest

    Thai woman dies in attack by wild elephant in Surat Thani forest

    A Thai woman lost her life in an attack by a wild elephant while travelling on a motorcycle with her son through a forest in the southern province of Surat Thani. Officers from Khirirat Nikhom Police Station, along with rangers and rescuers from the Kusol Sattha Foundation, rushed to Thap Nok Forest within the Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuary after being alerted…

  • Bloodied man staggers from Pattaya alley after savage attack

    Bloodied man staggers from Pattaya alley after savage attack

    A bloodied man staggered out of a Pattaya alley screaming for help after a suspected booze-fuelled blade attack, with police now hunting the mystery knifeman behind the brutal ambush. A middle-aged Thai man, known only by the nickname “Mr Brave,” was found drenched in blood with horrific facial wounds in Soi Banglamung 13/1, Moo 5 yesterday, July 7, following what…

  • Five Thai men caught trying to cross border from Poipet

    Five Thai men caught trying to cross border from Poipet

    Five Thai men were apprehended attempting to illegally cross the border back into Thailand from Poipet yesterday, July 7. The Burapha Task Force, along with the Aranyaprathet Special Unit and the 1201 Ranger Company, intercepted the group. Initial inquiries revealed they were gamblers who had pawned their passports in an attempt to continue betting but eventually found themselves penniless. Four…

  • Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo

    Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo

    A Burmese family in Phuket issued a public apology after a photo of all seven members travelling on a single motorcycle went viral and sparked controversy on Thai social media. The image, showing a family of seven riding a motorcycle through the Sam Kong Tunnel in Phuket, was widely circulated on social media yesterday, July 7. In the photo, the…

  • Pattaya teen savagely battered by machete-wielding gang

    Pattaya teen savagely battered by machete-wielding gang

    A teenage cannabis shop worker in Pattaya is living in fear after a brutal ambush by machete-wielding thugs left him battered, bloodied and terrified to return to work. Nineteen-year-old Ananda Klangnongsang stepped forward to share his ordeal after the vicious attack, which took place at around 10.06pm on July 5 outside the shop where he works in Soi Kor Phai,…

  • Suspect in Phatthalung shooting caught in Songkhla rubber plantation

    Suspect in Phatthalung shooting caught in Songkhla rubber plantation

    Police have apprehended a 35 year old man, the suspect in the shooting of 54 year old man in Phatthalung. The suspect, Teerapong, also known as Boy, had evaded capture by hiding in a rubber plantation after a bounty of 100,000 baht was placed on his head. The arrest operation was carried out by the Centre for the Prevention and…

  • Tsunami fears rattle Phuket as officials urge calm

    Tsunami fears rattle Phuket as officials urge calm

    Thailand urged the public to “stay aware, not scared” after a spate of offshore earthquakes sent social media into meltdown and raised awkward questions about tsunami preparedness in Phuket and along Thailand’s Andaman coast. The call for calm came during a high-level emergency briefing chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Thirat Rattanawanich yesterday, Monday, July 7, as Phuket officials joined a…

  • Thai royal award celebrates Vietnam’s top teachers

    Thai royal award celebrates Vietnam’s top teachers

    Vietnam’s star educators are basking in the royal spotlight after a Thai delegation arrived to celebrate their achievements and ramp up educational ties across Asia. From July 6 to 8, a high-profile delegation from the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation (PMCAF), led by Chairman Dr Krissanapong Kirtikara, visited Vietnam to meet past award winners, promote regional cooperation and prepare for…

  • Thai officer accused of land encroachment on self-help settlement

    Thai officer accused of land encroachment on self-help settlement

    Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) requested police action regarding an alleged land encroachment involving a prominent police officer in Ubon Ratchathani. Police Senior Sergeant Major Yutthaphon Srisompong, popularly known online as “Johnny the Enforcer,” owns a resort in Lam Dom Noi. The land on which the resort is built has been designated by the ministry as…

  • Thai man admits killing 2 year old stepson for crying too much

    Thai man admits killing 2 year old stepson for crying too much

    A Thai man confessed to killing his two year old stepson at a house in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, claiming the child’s crying irritated him. The boy, named Kong Beng, was rushed to Sai Noi Hospital in Bang Bua Thong district at around 10pm on Sunday, July 6, after being found unconscious in the family home. Despite medical efforts, he…