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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Police intercept illegal transport of 71 Myanmar nationals in Tak
Yesterday, September 3, Thai highway police apprehended two men for illegally transporting 71 Myanmar nationals on the Wang Prachop–Phran Kratai Road in Tak province. The operation was led by Police Major General Khongkrit Lertsitthikul, alongside Police Colonel Sathit Samanphap and subsequent colleagues. The police were alerted to the illegal transport of foreign workers from Tak province further into Thailand, leading…
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New non-stop Mumbai to Phuket flight opens doors for tourists
Mumbai, India’s bustling financial capital, is now directly connected to one of Thailand’s most coveted tourist destinations, Phuket, thanks to the launch of a new flight route by Akasa Air planned for September 20. This non-stop service promises to revolutionise travel between India and Thailand, offering an efficient and seamless journey, leaving behind the long layovers and connecting flights that…
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Man arrested for indecent acts against woman with disability in Pathum Thani
A 44 year old man, Theerawat, was arrested following an incident involving inappropriate behaviour towards a woman with a disability. This arrest was made on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road in Pathum Thani province after an arrest warrant was issued by Thanyaburi Provincial Court on August 21 for charges related to indecent acts against a person over 15 years old. The incident…
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Bangkok taxi passenger injured in random shooting, suspect blames mental illness
Police yesterday, September 3, arrested a Thai man for shooting at a taxi on a road in the Bang Na area of Bangkok on August 30, leaving a male passenger with an arm injury. Officers from Bang Na Police Station received a complaint from the taxi driver, 43 year old Prom Sarachart, at 9.38pm on August 30 that his car…
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Police bust drug ring in Bangkok, seizing assets over 13 million baht
The Metropolitan Police Division 5 conducted a major operation to dismantle a drug network, raiding three locations and seizing assets worth over 13 million baht. Suspects were apprehended and charged yesterday, September 3. Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, alongside Police Major General Nopasin Poolsawat, Deputy Commissioner overseeing investigations, and Police Major General Pallop Aeremla,…
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Pattaya’s beach camping proposal faces opposition from tourists
A proposal to allow beach camping for a fee in Pattaya has ignited a wave of criticism from both tourists and long-term residents, raising concerns over the potential damage it could cause to the city’s image and its struggling hotel industry. “Beach camping, and what toilets are the campers using?” asked one European visitor, highlighting Pattaya’s ongoing cleanliness issues along…
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Thai man shoots motorcyclist in Trang, mistaking victim for thief
A Thai man shot a motorcyclist, who was travelling behind him on a road in Trang province on Tuesday, September 2, claiming he mistook the victim for a thief. Monks at Rai Pru Temple in Mueang Trang district sought assistance from the Nam Phud Sub-district Office Rescue Foundation at around 7.30pm on Tuesday after the injured victim, 22 year old…
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Thailand’s aviation authority may lift Nok Air flight suspension
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is considering lifting the international flight suspension for Nok Air after the airline submitted a safety improvement plan. The CAAT had initially halted Nok Air’s international operations due to safety standard concerns. Nok Air’s management has now provided documentation outlining their commitment to meeting CAAT’s safety requirements. The CAAT will evaluate the submitted…
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Cambodian smugglers caught with illegal cigarettes in Sa Kaeo
Yesterday, September 3, immigration police, excise officials, and the 13th ranger task force collaborated to arrest a group involved in the illegal cigarette trade near the border in Khlong Hat district, Sa Kaeo province. The operation followed complaints from locals at Baan Khao Din market about suspicious activities involving untaxed cigarettes. The police conducted a sting operation, which led them…
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Phumtham faces legal heat over House dissolution request
A political uproar has erupted after caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai sought royal approval to dissolve the House of Representatives. Yesterday, September 3, a list MP and political activist filed a complaint with the police accusing Phumtham of lese majeste. The move has sparked allegations of corruption and malfeasance in office, with accusations that he exceeded his authority. Suratin Pichan…
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Durian wholesaler shot dead in Yala’s Betong district
A mystery gunman fatally shot a well-known durian wholesaler at his business premises in Betong, Yala province. The incident occurred around 8.45pm yesterday, September 3, when Police Lieutenant Chatchai Channam, head of the special task force 444, was notified of the shooting. The victim, 68 year old Prasert Khananurak, known as Ko San, was found dead at the buying station yesterday,…
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2 more victims die in hospital following murder-suicide in Pathum Thani
Two more victims, including a 13 year old girl, died at a hospital following a murder-suicide committed by a Thai man who was caught having a romantic affair with the teenage victim, his sister-in-law. The 35 year old Thai man, Kiattisak, carried out the murder-suicide at the home of his wife, 26 year old Nannaphat, in the Khlong Luang district…
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Mystery woman’s body found in suitcase weighed down with dumbbell
A woman’s body was discovered in a suitcase at a reservoir in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, weighed down with a 15-kilogramme dumbbell. The deceased’s identity and nationality remain unknown, and it’s estimated that she had been dead for at least five days. Yesterday, September 3, at the Huai Yai Police Station meeting room, Deputy Provincial Police…
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Heavy rain warning issued for 35 Thai provinces including Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a weather forecast warning for Thailand, highlighting 35 provinces, including Bangkok, which is expected to experience heavy rain covering 70% of the area. Residents in Ranong, Chanthaburi, and Trat are advised to be vigilant against potential flash floods and forest runoff. This is due to a monsoon trough passing over northern and northeastern…
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Phuket tuk tuks set to go electric in new pilot project
Phuket’s famous tuk tuks are about to get a green makeover as the island becomes the testing ground for Thailand’s first project to switch small passenger vehicles from petrol to electric power. Akaradej Wongpitakroj, MP for Ratchaburi and chairman of the House Industrial Committee, confirmed on a recent visit that Phuket will spearhead the conversion drive. The lessons learned here…
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Chiang Mai tuk tuk driver denies physically assaulting Chinese tourist
A Thai tuk tuk driver in Chiang Mai denied physically assaulting a Chinese tourist after a video of the pair’s confrontation went viral on TikTok. The Chinese tourist, who posted the clip to his account, @ailong165, on August 29, claimed the incident occurred at about 8.45pm on August 28 in Chiang Mai Old Town. According to the tourist, the driver shouted…
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Pattaya monks slammed for loitering at markets for alms
Pattaya’s bustling markets are under scrutiny after officials found monks standing outside shops and food stalls waiting for alms, behaviour critics say undermines the sanctity of Buddhist practice. The inspections, led by Bang Lamung District Chief Officer along with subdistrict monks and local agencies, followed complaints that monks were abandoning their traditional morning alms rounds, known as pindapata. Instead of…
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Foreign motorcyclists slammed for risky U-turn on Phuket traffic island
Thai netizens criticised two foreign motorcyclists for making a U-turn by riding onto a traffic island in Phuket, with some suggesting they were simply following the example set by Thai motorists. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared a video of the incident yesterday, September 2, with the caption, “Very dangerous! Foreigners in Phuket at a U-turn near Thai Watsadu on…
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British pensioner’s prized tricycle swiped in Northeast Thailand
An 81 year old British man in Udon Thani has been left heartbroken after thieves made off with his treasured tricycle motorcycle in a daring early-morning theft caught on CCTV. Wayne, a retired restaurateur from UK’s Liverpool, filed a report at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station yesterday, September 2, through a translator. He told officers the blue and bronze three-wheeler,…
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Bangkok hotels face crunch as occupancy rates tumble
Bangkok’s hotel industry is heading into a storm in the second half of this year, with falling occupancy rates, soaring competition and a sharp drop in Chinese arrivals casting a shadow over the capital’s hospitality market. A report by Knight Frank Chartered (Thailand) revealed that average occupancy slipped by 3.7% to 75.1% in the first half of this year, while…
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Phuket man wanted after stabbing wife in domestic row
Police in Phuket are hunting a man who allegedly stabbed his wife with a pair of scissors during a row at a motorcycle repair shop in Thalang. The attack happened at around 7pm yesterday, September 2, opposite the Thai Watsadu store in Srisoonthorn. The victim, 38 year old Pornpana Manhan, was stabbed in the back and rushed to Thalang Hospital…
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Woman’s body found in suitcase in Chon Buri reservoir
A disturbing discovery has been made in Chon Buri, where a woman’s body was found in a suitcase weighed down with dumbbells, floating in a reservoir. The investigation is ongoing, as police work to solve the case. Today, September 3, a report was received by Police Lieutenant Mintharatit Thongsai of the Huai Yai Police Station regarding a suspicious suitcase emitting…
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Fugitive captured in Bangkok after motorcycle theft spree
A 26 year old man was apprehended today, September 3, after a series of escapades following his escape from detention in Surat Thani. While fleeing, he stole several motorcycles and evaded police with his wife, who at one point suffered a leg fracture in a collision. The arrest was executed by Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasertphap, with support from Police…
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Bangkok Purple Line project probed after dead fish found
Bangkok officials have launched an urgent probe after thousands of fish were found dead in a Thon Buri canal, with the blame falling on the construction of the new Purple Line electric train. Deputy Bangkok governor Wissanu Subsompon led a team of Drainage Department officers and environmental experts to Khlong Samre near Soi Somdet Phra Chao Taksin 21 following alarmed…
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17 year old teenage boys gang rape three 14 year old girl in Pathum Thani
Today, 3 September, at 10.30am, Sergeant Kings Taengthim of Saphan Mai brought the parents of three 14 year old girls to file a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), seeking legal action against a group of 5 to 6 teenage boys, around 17 years old, who allegedly committed rape and gang rape in Nong Suea District, Pathum Thani Province.…
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Bangkok Airways warns of U-Tapao airport pull-out
Thailand’s ambitious U-Tapao Airport project may be about to hit turbulence, with the consortium behind the 290-billion-baht development warning it could walk away after years of delays and government inaction. Bangkok Airways CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth confirmed that U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd (UTA), in which the airline holds a 45% stake, has asked for one month to decide whether to…
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Prasat Ta Muen Thom access restricted as Thailand tightens border security
Yesterday, 2 September, Major General Bunsin Padklang, commander of the 2nd Army Region, confirmed that recent clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border were more intense than those in 2011, resulting in significant losses for Cambodian forces. He revealed that several countries urged Thailand to cease fire, but only a temporary truce was achieved after prolonged negotiations. “The other side uses the…
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Thailand’s oldest hippo Mae Mali prepares for 60th birthday bash
Thailand’s most famous hippo is about to become the star of a birthday party like no other. Mae Mali, the beloved hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, will celebrate her 60th birthday with a three-day festival complete with games, exhibitions and a giant fruit cake. The celebrations will run from September 6 to 8 at the zoo’s…
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Phuket man sets ex-girlfriend’s car on fire, blames anger and impulse
A Thai man in Phuket confessed to setting his ex-girlfriend’s car on fire two months after their relationship ended, admitting he acted on a foolish impulse and now regrets his actions. Officers from Wichit Police Station launched an urgent search for the suspect after the red hatchback belonging to 49 year old Thitipha Suppasamran was torched outside her home on…
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Constitutional Court defends ruling that ousted Paetongtarn as PM
Thailand’s political storm intensified today after the Constitutional Court stood firm on its decision to oust ex-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, rejecting claims that the ruling was invalid due to a judge’s expired term. The court confirmed that its August 29 verdict, which removed Paetongtarn over alleged ethical misconduct linked to a leaked conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, remains…
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