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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Thai vessel passes Strait of Hormuz safely, second ship also permitted
A Thai-flagged Bangchak vessel has passed through the Strait of Hormuz safely amid unrest in the area, according to updates yesterday, March 24, from the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok and Bangchak Corporation Plc. A second Thai ship was also reportedly cleared to transit the strait. In a Facebook post on the “IR Iran Embassy in Bangkok Thailand” page, the Embassy…
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Foreign couple breaks into Phuket restaurant to swim and smoke cannabis
A restaurant owner in the Rawai area of Phuket reported a foreign couple to police after they were filmed entering the property without permission, using the swimming pool and consuming cannabis on-site. The owner of Grills Nai-Harn shared a video online showing an employee confronting the couple and asking them to leave. In her post, she asked for help identifying them…
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Laotian man kills and dismembers girlfriend in Bangkok
A Laotian man denied killing and dismembering his Laotian girlfriend after her body parts were discovered in Nonthaburi province yesterday, March 24. He claimed the woman committed suicide. Officers from Pak Kret Police Station were alerted at about 8pm yesterday after human remains were found in a water supply canal. Police said a woman’s head was placed inside a black…
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CAAT cuts Songkran air fares by 15% to 30% to ease travel costs
Air fares on selected domestic routes will be cut by 15 to 30% over the Songkran holiday period, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) has said, as it works with six major airlines to ease travel costs during one of the year’s busiest travel peaks. CAAT said it has been closely monitoring aviation conditions after conflict in the Middle East disrupted…
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Visa-free stay cut will not affect tourism, Thai foreign minister says
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Puangketkaew said today, March 24, that a proposal to cut the visa-free stay for tourists from 60 days to 30 days will not affect tourism, saying the change is intended to address misuse of the visa-free period. Sihasak spoke ahead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ annual 2026 seminar for consular officials worldwide, where he also…
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Injured Australian tourist found outside venue in Pattaya
Pattaya Tourist Police were called to an entertainment venue late yesterday, March 23, after an injured Australian tourist was found outside the premises, following an incident that reportedly began inside the venue. Officers stationed at the tourist safety point on Pattaya Walking Street received the report at about 11pm and went to the venue in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district,…
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Thailand video news | Thai Airways fares climb as fuel costs bite, Old letter fuels search for Thai family after six decades
In Thailand video news, Alex covers stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Today’s highlights include rising airfares as fuel costs surge, tourist assaults and ATM-related crime, and a viral Phuket hospitality debate. Find out if you’re on the list. Thai Airways Fares Climb as Fuel Costs Bite Thai Airways has increased ticket prices by 10 to 15% as jet…
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French man reports assault, 30,000 baht bill at Chiang Mai karaoke
Police in Mueang Chiang Mai are investigating a complaint filed yesterday, March 23, after a Frenchman reported an assault and a 30,000 baht drinks bill at a karaoke venue in Chiang Mai. The tourist gave a statement identifying himself as 35 year old Kevin, a French national who has been living in Chon Buri province for around two years. According…
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Foreign man searches for Thai wife and son with letter and photos from 1966
A foreign man is searching for his Thai wife and their son after receiving an old letter and photographs from the woman about 60 years ago. A Facebook user, Bubba Homes, posted an old letter and photos in the group ที่นี่..”ขอนแก่น” (This is Khon Kaen) today, March 23. In the caption, the user said a man named Abel wanted to…
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Foreigner attacked and robbed by 3 men at Phuket ATM
Phuket police are yet to issue a statement after a foreigner was attacked and robbed by three men in front of an ATM in Patong. The incident was captured on CCTV. The footage was shared by several news outlets last week. A timestamp on the video indicates the incident took place at about 5am on March 19. KhaoSod English reported…
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Thai Airways ticket prices rise 10% to 15% as jet fuel costs jump
Thai Airways gradually increased fares by 10% to 15% as higher jet fuel costs linked to unrest in the Middle East. Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri told media the airline has been managing the impact of the escalating conflict involving a US and Israel coalition and Iran. He said the most immediate effect was the jet fuel prices, which rose…
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Russian man charged after cash withdrawals linked to call centre scam
Police in Chon Buri arrested a Russian man while he was withdrawing cash linked to a call centre scam operation from an ATM in Chon Buri on March 19. Chon Buri Provincial Police said officers launched a crackdown on a call centre scam gang after noticing suspicious behaviour involving foreign nationals withdrawing money from multiple ATMs across the Na Jomtien…
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Iranian motorcyclist kills Finnish tourist on Pattaya zebra crossing
An Iranian motorcyclist crashed into and killed a Finnish man while the victim was crossing a road at a zebra crossing in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers investigated the crash on Na Jomtien Sai Song Road near Rom Pho Market at about 9.40pm. Police found two injured foreigners at the scene: 55 year old Finnish…
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Thailand News | Thailand mulls shorter Visa-Free entry window, Thailand targets online nicotine pouch sellers
Today we’ll be talking about the foreign affairs ministry’s proposal to cut visa free stays from 60 days to 30 days, streakers in Pattaya and brawls on Bangla road, and a little later the British ‘mum on the run’ famous for posting her lavish lifestyle in Thailand supposedly funded by UK benefits has been sentenced to prison time back home.…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport ranking rises to 36th in 2026 world’s best airport
Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced that Suvarnabhumi International Airport was ranked 36th in the 2026 World’s Best Airport list, improving its ranking by three positions from 39th last year. In a Facebook post shared yesterday, March 22, AOT said Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport brought pride to Thailand again following service improvements that helped both airports rise in…
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Japanese tourist attacked by group of Thai men on Pattaya road
Police are investigating an assault on a Japanese tourist after viral footage showed a group of Thai men, including a motorcycle taxi rider, repeatedly punching and kicking him on a road in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station said the case came to light after clips of the incident circulated on Thai social media. In one video,…
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Government says Thailand records three meningococcal deaths
The Thai government said today, March 22, that it has instructed the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to closely monitor an outbreak of meningococcal disease in the United Kingdom, with three deaths reported in Thailand. Deputy government spokesperson Airin Phanrit said information from international health bodies, including the UK Health Security Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and…
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Police called after naked man walks into Khon Kaen petrol station
Police in Khon Kaen took a man into custody and sent him to the hospital today, March 22, after staff at a petrol station reported a naked man inside the premises, with rescuers saying he may have been experiencing a mental health episode. The incident was reported at about 11.30am at a PT station in Nong Kung Thanasan subdistrict, Phu…
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Thailand to cut visa-free stay to 30 days, Foreign Ministry says
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is preparing to ask the government to cut the visa-free stay for eligible foreign tourists from 60 days to 30 days, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaeo said on March 20. Sihasak said the 60-day visa exemption policy was introduced under the government of Srettha Thavisin to support Thai tourism, which he noted remains important to the country’s economic…
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Bangkok arrests 16 foreign women over alleged prostitution
A late-night prostitution crackdown in Bangkok led to 16 arrests on March 20 after complaints on social media alleged a group of foreign women were approaching visitors to offer sexual services on Sukhumvit Soi 4. The joint operation took place at about 8.30 pm in Khlong Toei district. Officers from Lumpini Police Station worked alongside officials from the Department of…
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Samut Sakhon fishing crisis: fuel price hike forces boats to dock
Samut Sakhon fishermen face dockings as ‘green oil’ price rises 6.5 baht per litre The Samut Sakhon fishing industry is under mounting financial pressure as the price of ‘green oil’ rises by 6.5 baht per litre on March 22, forcing many fishermen to dock their boats and prompting growing calls for government intervention. Mongkhon Mongkhontrilak, chairman of the Samut Sakhon…
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1.3 million meth pills worth 39 million baht found by Mekong
A village security team patrolling the banks of the Mekong River in Nong Khai province discovered three large packages containing around 1.3 million methamphetamine pills worth over 39 million baht on March 20. Police believe the drugs were part of a trafficking network’s attempt to move narcotics deeper into the country. The find was announced at a press conference at…
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Department of Disease Control targets online nicotine pouch sellers
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has lodged a complaint over the alleged online sale of nicotine pouches, after monitoring found the products were being advertised and sold digitally, with further checks pointing to a physical shop in Pathum Thani. Speaking yesterday, March 21, deputy director-general of the DDC Anek Moong-om-klang said that on March 17, he assigned investigators at…
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Teen severely beaten in Saraburi over 90 baht debt
A 15 year old girl in Saraburi suffered a fractured skull after being beaten by a group of four teenagers, reportedly over an unpaid debt of 90 baht for a shirt. The victim, known by the pseudonym Mook, was found with bruising across her face and body. She is currently receiving treatment at Saraburi Hospital. Her 58 year old grandmother,…
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Senate committee to vote on revoking Thailand-Cambodia land pact
A special Senate committee is set to vote on Monday, March 24 on whether to recommend cancelling the Thailand-Cambodia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 43, which covers land boundary demarcation. This follows the committee’s earlier vote to recommend scrapping MoU 44, which pertains to maritime and offshore areas. Noppadol Inna, chairman of the Senate committee evaluating the pros and cons of…
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Thai election commission defends ballot design amid court scrutiny
Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) has defended its use of barcodes and QR codes on election ballots, insisting that voting remains free, fair, and confidential amid growing scrutiny over the practice. The Constitutional Court is currently reviewing a petition questioning whether these tracking features violate constitutional principles. EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee said the commission is awaiting a court summons to provide…
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Chinese national arrested in Bangkok for police impersonation scam
A Chinese national has been arrested at a Bangkok hotel on suspicion of impersonating a police officer to extort millions of baht from Thai victims, following the earlier arrest of an accomplice. Police from Chachoengsao province, acting on a court warrant, detained the suspect in his room at a hotel in the Huai Khwang district yesterday. Officers seized 5,484,200 baht…
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Thai influencer sentenced for online gambling promotion
A 24 year old social media influencer has been sentenced to six months in prison for promoting an illegal online gambling website to her nearly one million followers. Narumon “Mind” was found to have used her Facebook account, verified by Meta and boasting over 740,000 followers, to advertise a gambling site through her story posts in exchange for significant payments.…
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Severe weather warning issued for 40 Thai provinces
Thailand’s Meteorological Department has warned of severe weather tomorrow, with thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds forecast across 40 provinces, with the northeast among the worst-affected regions. Over the next 24 hours, the upper part of Thailand will experience hot daytime weather. Rainfall is set to increase in the northeast and east, with thunderstorms, strong winds, and occasional hail forecast for…
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Finland tops World Happiness Report in 2026, Thailand slips 3 places
Finland has been ranked the world’s happiest country for a ninth consecutive year in the World Happiness Report 2026, while Thailand fell three places from 49th last year to 52nd this year. The report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford on March 19, said the top three countries were Finland, Iceland and Denmark. Costa Rica…
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