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 The hidden costs of ignoring pre-existing conditions in Thailand
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Thai immigration: Belarusian model not abducted in Bangkok
Thai immigration released the last photo of a Belarusian model who was later murdered in Myanmar, denying claims she was abducted while in Thailand. The final CCTV image of Belarusian model Vera Kravtsova before she left Thailand was released by the Immigration Bureau, following reports of her murder in Myanmar and claims she had been abducted from Thai soil. The…
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Naked foreign man escorted to hospital after blocking traffic in Pattaya
Police escorted a foreign man to the hospital after he stood in the middle of an intersection in Pattaya and approached motorists aggressively while completely naked yesterday, October 20. Local motorists alerted officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station to the incident at an intersection in South Pattaya at around 9am, asking for immediate action against the naked man. The foreigner,…
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Thai defence minister warns Cambodia: No deal, no summit
Thailand’s defence minister warned Cambodia that if border talks fail, there will be no peace deal, no ASEAN summit signing, and no further negotiations. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated as Defence Minister General Nattapol Nakphanit issued a firm ultimatum over ongoing border negotiations. Speaking at Government House at 9.35am today, October 21, General Nattapol declared that the upcoming Thai-Cambodian…
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Thai man arrested for car-based penis enlargement services
Bangkok police arrested a Thai man for illegally offering penis enlargement services to clients. He was found advertising his services on the TikTok application and performing illegal procedures inside his car. The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) had been monitoring unlicensed medical service advertisements online and discovered a TikTok account under the name “ช่างใหญ่ โมดิฟาย” (Yai Modify) offering penis enlargement injections…
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‘Cocktails in Bangkok’: Will Scott returns with expat tales of love, scams and chaos
Nearly a year after publishing The Entertainers 1992–1997: Kevin Keegan’s Legacy, former Thaiger Editor-in-Chief Will Scott returns to the world of fiction with Cocktails in Bangkok, a sharp and darkly comic collection of short stories set in Thailand’s expat underbelly. This latest release marks Scott’s first fictional work since Scoop – The Truth Only Gets in the Way of a Good Story (2016). In Cocktails in…
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Thailand video news | Naked foreigner disrupts traffic at Pattaya intersection, Expats slammed for reckless road stunt in Phuket
In Thailand Video News, Alex and Jay cover the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. This episode features a string of incidents involving foreigners misbehaving in Phuket, Pattaya, and Bangkok, a deadly tropical storm battering the Philippines, and, later on, highlights from a major Formula 1 STEM racing event that recently concluded at a Bangkok hotel. Naked Foreigner…
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Krabi pickup driver claims blocking ambulance due to concerns about mother’s illness
A Thai pickup truck driver blocked an ambulance at Plai Phraya Hospital in the southern province of Krabi, resulting in the death of a 69 year old heart attack patient. The patient, identified as Somkuan, was admitted to Plai Phraya Hospital with respiratory failure at around 11.10pm on October 16. His condition deteriorated, prompting the medical team to arrange for…
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Myanmar crewman dies in boat accident off Phuket coast
A 36 year old Myanmar national has died after suffering a fatal head injury while working aboard a fishing vessel caught in rough seas off Koh Racha Yai. The tragic accident occurred yesterday morning, October 20, while the crewman, identified as Tin Maung Htwe, was on duty as a mechanic aboard the Kiang Chai 3 fishing boat. He reportedly slipped…
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3 Japanese men harass Pattaya hairdresser, lifting her skirt during service
A Thai hairdresser filed a complaint against three Japanese men for lifting her skirt while she was providing a service to their friend at a salon in Pattaya. The victim, 34 year old Kanokkarn, shared CCTV footage of the incident on social media. She revealed that the incident occurred at 1.58pm on Sunday, October 19, at her salon on Soi Pattaya…
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Phuket’s 2.3 billion baht underpass shelved over flood, chaos fears
A major underpass project in Phuket has been scrapped after residents raised concerns about traffic disruption and flooding during construction. The Department of Highways has scrapped its 2.38-billion baht bidding process for the Heroines Monument underpass project in Thalang, following growing concerns about its impact on traffic and the potential for worsening flooding. The decision comes after strong local opposition,…
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Cool winds up north, flash floods lash Thailand’s south
Thailand braces for shifting weather as cool winds sweep northern Thailand and storms pound the southern regions, prompting flood and marine warnings. A high-pressure system from China is sweeping across upper Vietnam and is expected to reach Laos and northeastern Thailand today. This will bring cooler mornings and strong winds to the north and northeast, with a slight dip in…
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Foreign man criticised for dangerously filming video on Phuket road
Thai netizens questioned a foreign driver’s awareness of Thai traffic laws after a man was caught on a viral TikTok video performing push-ups in the middle of a Phuket road. The Thai TikToker shared the video on his account, @abudawut, yesterday, October 19, with a caption reading, “Everybody is crazy. A thousand strange things are possible in Phuket.” In the…
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Foreign man allegedly takes over public mooring and threatens boat drivers with knife
A local boat operator called on relevant government officials to take action against a foreign man who allegedly took control of a public mooring near Koh Hey in Phuket and threatened other boat drivers with a knife. The local boat operator, who claimed to be threatened by the foreign man, shared a video of the encounter with the Facebook news…
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Danish boxer stopped from jumping off Phuket building
Police intervened to prevent a Danish boxer from jumping off the roof of an accommodation building in the Kata area of Phuket on Saturday, October 18. Several local media outlets shared pictures and videos of the foreign man, later identified as a Danish national. The man was seen on the roof of a building in Soi Green Drinking Water, Kata,…
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Nigerian man arrested for drug dealing in Bangkok nightclub raid
Police raided a nightclub in the Ratchaprarop area of Bangkok early on Saturday, October 18, and arrested a Nigerian man on charges of drug dealing. Twenty-two partygoers later tested positive for drugs. At around 5am, officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Insee 19-69 unit inspected the entertainment venue in the Ratchathewi district. The operation…
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3 Indian men arrested for jealous attack on fellow countryman in Pattaya
Police arrested three Indian men at a rented room in Pattaya on Saturday, October 18, following a gang attack on a fellow countryman over jealousy. Another suspect remains at large. The victim, Narendra Tamta, filed a complaint with the Chon Buri Provincial Immigration Bureau on October 17 after suffering a serious head injury during the assault by four suspects. The…
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Pattaya woman slashes her own throat after argument with foreign boyfriend
A Thai woman slashed her own throat at a bar in Pattaya yesterday, October 19, following an argument with her foreign boyfriend. The self-harm incident was reported to rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Dhammastan Foundation at 1.36am, prompting the team to rush to a bar on Soi Pattaya Beach 13/2, Nong Prue sub-district, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. Upon arrival,…
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Thailand video news | Phuket moves to rein in cannabis use, Israeli man caught stealing temple donation envelope
In this episode of Thailand Video News, Alex and Jay cover the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia — from tighter cannabis regulations in Phuket and upcoming rush-hour taxi surcharges set for December, to foreigners making headlines for their drunken and bizarre behaviour. Phuket Moves to Rein in Cannabis Use to Safeguard Tourist Appeal Officials in the resort…
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Navy officer jumps off dormitory to escape alleged rape attempt by senior officer
A young navy officer jumped from the fourth floor of a dormitory in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri, claiming he was escaping a rape attempt by a senior officer. Rescuers from the Sawang Rojanathamsathan Sattahip Foundation were alerted to a serious fall at a dormitory within the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) premises in Sattahip, Chon Buri, at about 3am…
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Body of Thai hostage killed in Israel-Hamas conflict identified and returned
Israeli officials confirmed that one of the bodies returned by Hamas on Saturday, October 18, is that of a Thai hostage who was abducted and killed last year. Israel’s local media outlet, i24News, reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced yesterday, October 19, that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas the previous night was identified as a…
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Illegal gambling and e-cigarette URLs surge in 2025
Over 400,000 URLs associated with illegal gambling, e-cigarettes, and alcohol advertisements have been detected this year, according to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). Chomparee Chompurat, inspector-general of the DES, stated that a survey was conducted on websites potentially breaching the law from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2025. The findings revealed a significant increase in illegal…
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Police seize 4.4 million meth pills at Thailand-Myanmar border
Police have confiscated 4.4 million methamphetamine pills and detained two individuals suspected of smuggling the drugs near the border between Chiang Rai and Myanmar. According to officials on Saturday, the suspects 41 year old Sira and 34 year old Seri are residents of Mae Fah Luang district in Chiang Rai province. Authorities revealed that the arrest followed intelligence reports indicating that…
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Phuket pushes for stricter cannabis rules to protect tourism image
Phuket’s authorities are advocating for more stringent cannabis regulations after a rise in incidents involving foreign tourists displaying erratic behaviour has negatively impacted the island’s tourism image. Sarayut Mallum, vice-president of the Phuket Tourism Association, highlighted that many instances of foreign visitors behaving unusually have been linked to excessive cannabis consumption. He noted, ‘Some tourists smoked multiple joints consecutively, resulting…
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Tragic delay: blocked ambulance leads to patient’s death in Krabi
A hospital in Plai Phraya, Krabi, issued a statement addressing an incident where a pickup truck obstructed an ambulance, preventing the transfer of a critically ill patient who later died yesterday, on October 18. The hospital expressed deep condolences to the family of the deceased, who suffered from acute myocardial infarction and respiratory failure. The patient was admitted to the…
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Monk killed in pet dispute at Nakhon Pathom temple
A 70 year old man attacked a monk with a knife, leading to the monk’s death at a temple. The incident, believed to be linked to a dispute over pets, occurred at 6.30pm yesterday, on October 18. Police Lieutenant Veeralak Khornchom of Pho Kaew Police Station received a report of the assault on a monk at Wat Om Yai in…
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Taiwanese trio busted at Bangkok airport with rare wildlife
Three Taiwanese nationals were arrested at Don Mueang Airport after officials uncovered a bizarre and cruel attempt to smuggle dozens of protected animals out of Thailand by hiding them under clothing. The suspects, identified as 53 year old Hsu Ching Chung, 40 year old Hong Zhi-Xian, and 36 year old Yang Tsung-Ju, were stopped by police from the Natural Resources…
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Bogus doctor arrested in Pattaya clinic raid after repeat offences
Officers raided an unlicensed clinic in Pattaya after receiving reports of illegal medical services being provided without certified professionals. The operation, carried out yesterday, October 17, by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Region 2 in coordination with the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office (PPO), targeted a well-known clinic on Soi Chaiyapreuk 2 that had previously come under scrutiny. The…
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Thailand rolls out free dialysis as kidney disease cases soar
Thailand’s public health ministry has launched a free dialysis campaign to tackle rising chronic kidney disease cases and promote early prevention nationwide. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat announced a nationwide campaign to provide free dialysis and promote early screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The campaign aims to raise awareness, expand access to treatment and encourage lifestyle changes to prevent…
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Thailand tourists face 100k fine for toxic sunscreen on reefs
Thailand has warned tourists that using banned sunscreens in marine parks could lead to fines, as officials crack down on products harmful to coral reefs. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has issued a strict warning to tourists: using certain sunscreens in Thailand’s marine parks could see you slapped with a fine of up to 100,000…
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Water woes: Phuket MP calls for urgent fix as crisis worsens
Phuket MP Chalermpong Sangdee has called on the government to urgently tackle the island’s chronic water shortage, warning that the issue could spiral out of control during the upcoming High Season if action isn’t taken immediately. Speaking in Parliament, Chalermpong, who represents Phuket District 2, said water demand has surged due to a booming tourism industry and a population now…
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