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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Thailand reforms business, visa, and social laws to attract global expats
Thailand is undertaking its most comprehensive expatriate policy overhaul in decades, introducing reforms across business law, visa regulations, property ownership, and civil rights that collectively aim to position the country as Southeast Asia’s premier destination for foreign residents and investors. Announced progressively throughout 2024 and early 2025, these reforms respond to regional competition for foreign talent and investment, particularly as…
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Truck triggers blackout after toppling 70 poles in Samut Prakan
A container truck brought down more than 70 power poles in Samut Prakan early this morning, January 30, after becoming entangled with low-hanging communication cables while entering the Bang Pu Industrial Estate. The incident left a 2-kilometre stretch of power infrastructure severely damaged and caused widespread blackouts in the area, prompting emergency repairs expected to continue into the night. The…
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American motorcyclist killed in Pattaya head-on crash with SUV
An American motorcyclist lost his life after crashing into an SUV in the opposite lane on a road in Pattaya last night, January 29. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station and rescuers from Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation were alerted to the fatal accident on Pong Overpass above Number 35 Road in the Bang Lamung district at around 10pm. Upon arrival,…
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Thailand News | British tourist hurt in illegal paragliding mishap, travel guide: explore Thailand like Lisa
Today we’ll be talking about a deadly crash during a Royal Thai Air Force training mission, a British Tourist hurt in an illegal paragliding mishap, and a little later a Danish-Arab Influencer’s videos mocking Thai culture have gone viral. Sounds like bad news but don’t worry I’ve got some feel good stuff at the end of the show brought to…
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Swiss national among 30 arrested in Pattaya drug crackdown
Officers from the Bang Lamung District Office arrested 30 drug suspects, including a Swiss national, during a major crackdown at two accommodation sites in central and northern Pattaya on Monday, January 26. District officials launched the first raid at Boom Boom House apartment in central Pattaya after receiving repeated complaints from local residents. The residents reported that the accommodation became…
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Dutch man held at Phuket Airport over assault on Thai vendor
Police arrested a Dutch man at Phuket International Airport yesterday, January 29, after he and three friends assaulted a Thai street vendor during a parking dispute in Patong last week. The owner of a beverage stall called Isaan Cafe, whose name was withheld, filed a complaint with Patong Police Station following the incident, which occurred at around 9.30pm on Saturday,…
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Four year old girl crashes Vespa into 7-Eleven in Pathum Thani
A four year old girl accidentally accelerated a Vespa scooter into a 7-Eleven store in Pathum Thani yesterday evening, January 29, injuring both herself and her aunt. The crash occurred around 7pm while the pair were arriving with two other family members at a 7-Eleven store in Soi Khukwang 11, Lat Lum Kaeo district. Officers from Khu Bang Luang Police…
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Udon Thani man casually smokes meth outside police commander’s house
A Thai man was arrested in Udon Thani yesterday, January 29, after police received a tip-off from locals who spotted the man casually lighting up meth in broad daylight, right across the street from the home of a senior police commander. The arrest took place when a patrol team led by a deputy inspector from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station…
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Thailand expects 42.23 billion baht boost from Chinese New Year tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates a bustling Chinese New Year in 2026, with an estimated tourism revenue of 42.23 billion baht, marking a 13% increase compared to the previous year. The improving trend in Chinese tourists visiting Thailand is evident, with daily arrivals ranging from 13,000 to 14,000 individuals. This period of high tourist activity is expected to…
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Pattaya taxi rider criticised after arguing with Russian women over fare
A Pattaya app-based motorcycle taxi rider took to social media to condemn two Russian women for refusing to pay an additional fare for travelling together, but many netizens disagreed with him and instead condemned the rider for breaking traffic laws by carrying two passengers on a single motorcycle. The rider, whose identity has not been disclosed, shared a video online showing…
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Researchers uncover new ant species in Trang rubber plantation
A team of Thai researchers has discovered a new species of ant in a rubber plantation near a tourist cave in Trang province. The insect has not been seen again since the area underwent development. Yesterday, January 28, Dr Weeyawat Jaitrong, senior entomologist and researcher with the National Science Museum of Thailand, confirmed the identification of a previously unknown ant…
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Illegal paragliding leaves British tourist injured on Krabi cliff
A British man sustained leg injuries after illegally paragliding within Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province and crashing into a cliff at a height of around 60 to 70 metres above the ground. National park rangers discovered the paragliding accident while conducting a routine patrol near Ton Sai Beach, in the western area of Ao Railay,…
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Iranian man arrested for pickpocketing Chinese tourist in Bangkok
Police arrested an Iranian man after he tricked a Chinese national into showing his money before pickpocketing him at an MRT station in Bangkok. The Chinese victim filed a complaint with Huai Khwang Police Station after the incident occurred while he was waiting for a train at MRT Rama 9 Station. According to the victim, the suspect appeared to be…
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Thai FDA warns about unregistered herbal inhaler Chang Thai
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning today, January 29, about a popular herbal inhaler after discovering that the product does not appear in its official registry and may be using another item’s registration number. The FDA received a consumer complaint regarding a 2-gram herbal inhaler labelled Chang Thai (meaning Thai elephant) with the number G508/68, production…
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Bangkok girl lured via online game rescued after 4-day search
A young girl who disappeared for four days from her Bangkok home was found alive today, January 29, in a condominium room in Bang Mod area, after police traced her disappearance to a suspected online grooming case linked to a popular mobile game. The rescue operation took place early this morning after officers tracked the girl’s movements following her disappearance…
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Thai netizens react after Japanese living statue hits actress’s son on head
A living statue street performer in Japan sparked backlash among Thai netizens after slapping the son of a Thai actress on the head. However, the boy’s parents later forgave the performer, saying the incident was a misunderstanding and confirming they would not pursue legal action. The incident came to public attention after the family of Thai actress Sarocha “Bua” Viriuamettakul,…
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Two dead after Royal Thai Air Force plane crash in Chiang Mai
Two pilots were killed after a Royal Thai Air Force training aircraft crashed into a forested area in Chiang Mai’s Chom Thong district this morning, January 29, with authorities recovering the bodies only after bringing the wreckage fire under control. The crash occurred at around 10.50am on January 29 in a remote area near Ban Huai Muang Fang Sai in…
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Thai woman vanishes after travelling to Laos with American ex-husband
A Thai-born American man becomes the main suspect in the disappearance of his Thai ex-wife after they travelled to Laos together. He denied any involvement and said he will only speak through a lawyer. The missing woman is 45 year old Thatsanee Saelee, a Thai national from the Hmong ethnic group. According to her son, Winyu, Thatsanee lost contact with him…
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Repeated dog attacks in Bangkok raises pet safety concerns
A woman in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district was left shaken after narrowly avoiding an attack by a neighbour’s dog on January 23. The same dog reportedly already injured her back in 2024. The incident marks the second time the same large dog has been involved in an aggressive encounter. The woman, who also owns a dog, was walking her pet…
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AirAsia leaves 23 passengers behind on bus, cites miscommunication
AirAsia issued an apology following a coordination issue that left 23 passengers on a shuttle bus during boarding for a domestic flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai. The incident occurred on January 17 on Flight FD3116, which was scheduled to depart Don Mueang International Airport at 7.10am. A passenger later described the situation in a Facebook post published on January…
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Foreign influencer under fire after insulting police in Pattaya
Videos showing a foreign influencer insulting police and mocking locals during a recent trip to Pattaya have triggered backlash on social media. Netizens say the clips highlight growing frustration with disrespectful behaviour among some foreign tourists. Clips shared on Reddit’s r/ThailandTourism forum on January 27 appear to show the man, identified by users as Danish-Arab influencer Ahmarnioff, engaging in behaviour that…
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BoT flags suspicious cash withdrawals, tightens online gold trading rules
Thailand’s central bank, Bank of Thailand (BoT), is cracking down on suspicious financial activity after unusual cash withdrawals totalling 250 million baht were flagged across commercial banks. BoT Governor, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, revealed on January 28 that commercial banks have been ordered to urgently investigate irregular cash withdrawal patterns. In one case, a customer withdrew 250 million baht in a single…
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Thai singer breaks down on stage after father critically injured in car accident
The father of a Thai singer is in critical condition after a pickup truck crashed into his motorcycle in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok yesterday, January 28. The singer later broke down in tears on stage, saying doctors had told her that her father has only a 10% chance of survival. Officers from Chaiyaphruek Police Station, emergency medical staff from Pak…
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Pakistani man caught and beaten for stealing cannabis in Phuket
Cannabis shop owners and witnesses in Phuket chased after and assaulted a Pakistani man after he stole a jar of cannabis from a store in Patong before handing him over to police. A female cannabis shop owner filed a complaint with officers at Patong Police Station yesterday, January 28, after a group of tourists, reported to be Pakistani nationals, stole…
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Chinese man runs car over friend and kills him outside Pattaya hotel
A Chinese man called rescuers to help his friend after accidentally running his car over him outside a hotel in Pattaya, telling authorities that he did not see the victim. Rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Dhammastan Rescue Foundation rushed to a hotel in the Jomtien area of Pattaya to assist the victim, a 40 year old Chinese man whose name…
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Man stabbed after alleged sexual request at Ayutthaya Railway Station
An alleged lewd request led to a violent stabbing outside Ayutthaya Railway Station yesterday evening, January 28, leaving the victim severely injured and the perpetrator in police custody. The altercation reportedly unfolded around 8.30pm near a bridge, roughly 200 metres from the station, when the victim, 38 year old Wirat, who had been drinking alcohol with a friend, approached another…
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Pattaya taxi driver seeks justice after foreign brawl damages rented car
A Thai taxi driver condemned a group of foreigners in Pattaya for refusing to take responsibility after their physical altercation caused damage to his rented vehicle. The taxi driver, Adisorn Wongprakob, shared footage of the fight on his Facebook account on January 22. In the caption, he wrote… “They all ran away after fighting and causing damages to my car.…
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Primary school student falls from school building in Samut Prakan
A primary school student in Samut Prakan fell from the second floor of her classroom building this morning, January 28, after climbing on a desk near a window before the start of class. At around 8am, the Ruamkatanyu Foundation unit stationed at Phra Samut Chedi Police Station received an alert from the Samut Prakan emergency dispatch centre, reporting a student…
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Bangkok urges WFH on Jan 29-30 as PM2.5 pollution worsens
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today, January 28, warned of worsening PM2.5 pollution across eastern Bangkok and parts of Pathum Thani, as the city urges Work From Home measures. The remarks were made during a press conference at the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, where the governor addressed the emergence of red-level air quality in at least four eastern districts. He noted that…
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Spanish woman and Thai vendor critically injured in Chiang Mai car crash
A Spanish woman and a Thai food vendor sustained serious injuries after a Grab driver crashed his electric car near the old city moat in Chiang Mai this morning, January 28. Locals who witnessed the accident at around 7.40am alerted officers from Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station and rescue teams to assist the victims. The Spanish woman and a Thai…
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