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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Baht out of luck: Thai currency slips as greenback flexes muscle
The Thai baht is wobbling once again, with currency watchers bracing for a further slide this week as the mighty US dollar gathers steam following a temporary pause in the US-China tariff war. Analysts say the baht could weaken to as low as 33.80 per dollar in the coming days, as uncertainty lingers despite a fleeting boost in global market…
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Similan and Surin islands go off-grid: The strategy to restore Thailand’s marine paradise
Each year, at the start of the monsoon season, officials press pause on tourism at the Similan and Surin Islands. From May 16 to October 15, the national parks are officially closed to all visitors. This isn’t a random decision but an ongoing annual measure to maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem, reduce the impact of tourism, and allow…
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Man arrested for father’s murder, body found in septic tank
A man was arrested for allegedly killing his father and hiding the dismembered body in a septic tank, in Mueang Suea subdistrict, Phayakkhaphum Phisai district, Maha Sarakham province. On Monday, May 12, police were notified by Thongsai of the discovery of the body of his 84 year old father, Boonram, in the tank. Thongsai suspected his half-brother as the perpetrator,…
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Truce or just a tariff tease? Trump and Xi hit pause on trade war
The bitter trade war between the United States and China that rattled global markets is getting a breather — but don’t pop the champagne just yet. The US and China have agreed to suspend punishing tariffs on each other’s goods for 90 days, starting Wednesday, after a tense round of high-stakes talks in Geneva over the weekend. The temporary truce…
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Kratom and disorderly: Pattaya bar raided over illegal jungle juice
A Pattaya bar has landed in hot water after being caught red-handed selling kratom-laced cocktails and operating without a licence during a late-night sting by police and district officials. At around 9pm, yesterday, May 13, a special operations team from Pattaya City Police, alongside Bang Lamung district officers, swooped on a buzzing beer bar in Nong Prue, Chon Buri. The…
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Desperate Thai mother offers to sell organs to keep son alive
A Thai mother took to social media in a desperate attempt to sell her organs to raise funds to care for her one year old son and to seek a better home for the young boy. The 33 year old woman from the Isaan province of Sisaket initially shared photos of her son on Facebook to find an adoptive family.…
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Man apprehended in Bangkok over indecent filming charges
A 34 year old man was apprehended at a condominium in Bang Sue, Bangkok, following an investigation into allegations of indecent acts. Pirapong was charged under a Nakhon Si Thammarat court warrant for inappropriate behaviour towards people over 15 years old, using force in a public setting, which caused distress and humiliation. The incident occurred in 2023 when a 30 year…
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Pattaya tour boat boss calls tourists ‘animals’ in foul-mouthed tirade
A Pattaya tour boat operator has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after being caught on camera swearing at a boatload of foreign tourists: calling them “animals” in a foul-mouthed rant that’s since gone viral. The shocking outburst unfolded aboard a Koh Larn Relax tour boat during a snorkelling trip to Koh Sak last Saturday afternoon, and was exposed…
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Homemade rocket explosion causes panic at Thai festival (video)
A homemade rocket exploded at the weekend at its launch base in Yasothon province, just as it was about to soar into the sky. This incident, which took place on Saturday, May 10, caused locals to flee for safety. The homemade rocket festival, known as Bun Bang Fai, is a tradition in northeastern Thailand, celebrated to ask for rain from…
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Foreign beggar gang busted for using kids as cash bait in Pattaya
A foreign beggar gang using children and the disabled to pull in cash from tourists has been busted in a dramatic sting operation by immigration police in Pattaya. Undercover officers, posing as holidaymakers, swooped on a group of Cambodians spotted hustling money from passersby at popular tourist spots around the city. Some of the suspects were seen carrying two or…
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Military colonel linked to online gambling escapes arrest
A military colonel is facing an arrest warrant for allegedly running an online gambling network and hiding luxury vehicles in a military camp. Police seized assets worth 10 million baht and arrested six administrators. Yesterday, May 13, the Provincial Police Region 7 in Nakhon Pathom, led by Police Major General Pongpan Wongmaneethej, conducted operations at three locations linked to the…
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Man arrested in Surat Thani for assaulting niece
A 49 year old man was arrested in Surat Thani after being accused of sexually assaulting his wife’s 13 year old niece. The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Surat Thani Provincial Court on February 2, 2024. The suspect, Samphan, allegedly took advantage of his wife’s night shifts at a hospital to commit the assaults, threatening the girl not to…
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Cha-am theft ring busted, stolen goods used to buy methamphetamine
A group involved in numerous thefts across Cha-am, Phetchaburi, targeting electrical wires and appliances, was apprehended. The suspects, who used the stolen proceeds to purchase methamphetamine, were involved in nearly 10 cases. Victims can inspect the recovered items at Cha-am Police Station. Police Lieutenant General Naiwat Phadermchit led the operation yesterday, May 13, at 2.30pm. The suspects, identified as 47…
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Thai man murders 2 year old stepdaughter for interrupting sex
A Thai stepfather murdered his two year old disabled stepdaughter for interrupting him while he was having sex. The child’s body was later found in a river in the northern province of Chiang Rai, . Police apprehended the stepfather yesterday, May 13, after the girl’s family reported her missing on May 10. They stated to officers at Mae Fah Luang…
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Toyota Fortuner accident in Phetchabun claims life, injures another (video)
A Toyota Fortuner yesterday veered off course and crashed into two people waiting for a bus under a tree by a dual carriageway. The accident, yesterday, May 13, occurred near an intersection in Na Chaliang, Mueang Phetchabun district, resulting in one death and one injury. The incident was captured on CCTV and shared on the Facebook page ข่าวคนรักบ่อไทย (Khao Khon…
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Message in the sand: Nepali tailor found dead on Phuket beach
A mystery death on one of Phuket’s most popular beaches has left locals and tourists shaken, after a Nepali tailor was found hanged with a chilling message written in the sand beside him. The body of the man, later identified as Marike, was discovered beneath a pandanus tree on Kata Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning, May 13,…
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Chiang Rai massage parlour busted for illegal activities
Police in Chiang Rai arrested a massage parlour operating as a front for prostitution, utilising undercover agents to confirm illegal activities. The establishment charged between 1,000 and 3,000 baht per hour, depending on the employee’s age and appearance. Yesterday, May 13, Chiang Rai Governor Charin Thongsuk, alongside Police Major General Manop Senakul, the Chiang Rai Provincial Police chief, and Police…
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Phuket red mist: Daft foreign tourist climbs traffic light to go green
A hapless foreign tourist in Phuket sparked outrage after climbing a traffic light pole in the middle of the night, in a bizarre bid to turn it green. The impatient biker, riding through the Samkong intersection at 1.20am, today, May 14, decided he’d had enough of waiting at a red light. So, in a moment of madness, he ditched his…
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Escaped Thai prisoner recaptured after 50,000 baht reward offered
A prisoner convicted of drug-related charges has been apprehended after escaping from Na Thawi district prison. This followed the offering of a 50,000 baht reward for information leading to his capture. Today, May 14, the Na Thawi district prison’s Facebook page, under the Department of Corrections and Ministry of Justice, announced the escape of a male prisoner convicted under the…
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High stakes: Teesside teen busted in cannabis smuggle shock
A Teesside teen feared missing in Thailand has turned up 4,000 miles away, busted in handcuffs and facing a possible life sentence after allegedly trying to smuggle a massive haul of cannabis into the ex-Soviet state of Georgia. Bella May Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, in the North-East of England, sparked a frantic international search after vanishing during what was…
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Thai girl denied by police father gets support from TV host
A 16 year old Thai girl received educational support from a well-known news host after her mother was diagnosed with brain tumours, and her high-ranking police officer father refused to care for her. A female massage shop owner, Piao, went to an online community to seek help for her employee, Rung, and Rung’s teenage daughter, Noo Dee. The two wanted to…
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Brace yourself: It’s a ‘rai-ny’ day forecast for 46 Thai provinces
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today issued a weather warning, predicting thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across 46 provinces in Thailand, including significant downpours in Bangkok, affecting 70% of the area. Residents are cautioned against possible flash floods and sudden flooding, particularly in hilly regions and areas near water flow paths. In the next 24 hours, the southern and upper regions…
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Audit and buried: Bangkok earthquake horror sparks 17 arrest bids
Bangkok cops are gunning for 17 suspects over the deadly collapse of a 30-storey government tower during the March 28 earthquake, with a damning probe pointing fingers at engineers, site managers and bosses from the firms behind the doomed build. Those facing arrest include execs from Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No.10 Engineering Group, whose joint venture was constructing the…
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Family of 11 under scrutiny for alleged incest and porn production
A Thai woman clashed with the founder of a non-profit organisation in the central province of Phetchabun after her family was accused of incest and pornography production. The alleged incest and pornography production involving a family of 11 members garnered significant public attention after the news Facebook page, Tan Bao, shared the story on Saturday, May 10. In the post,…
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Knife fever: Brit suspect flees after Frenchman knifed in Phuket
A Frenchman is fighting for his life after being savagely stabbed outside a Phuket nightclub, with one British suspect fleeing the country and another still on the run. What began as a wild night out in Cherngtalay turned into a horror scene in the early hours of Sunday, May 11, when 29 year old French tourist, Nubel, was knifed three…
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Thai woman publicly severs ties with scam mother
A Thai woman publicly announced that she cut ties with her biological mother after the mother repeatedly used her identity to deceive men online. The woman’s daughter, Phantiwa, took to her Facebook account to inform her followers that she would no longer be involved with her mother, Suphat, and would not be held responsible for any damages caused by her.…
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Call centre scam costs elderly woman 760,000 baht
A call centre scam targeting the elderly has been reported by a renowned prosecutor after her nearly 80 year old mother was swindled out of 760,000 baht. The scam involved a con artist posing as a reputable businessman online, exploiting loopholes in the banking system to delay investigations. Yesterday, May 12, at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, prosecutor Supaporn Nipavanich,…
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China slump no drag-on for Phuket, says property tycoon
Fears that China’s economic slowdown could batter Thailand’s tourist trade have been brushed aside by a luxury property boss, who insists Phuket is still booming thanks to big spenders from elsewhere. Phuket’s posh property scene is still sizzling despite fewer Chinese tourists hitting the island and one property mogul reckons it’s all just a blip. Allan Zeman, chairman of the…
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Former conscript arrested for 2015 sexual assault of teenager in military camp
A former conscript accused of sexually assaulting a 16 year old girl in a military camp in 2015 has been apprehended after nearly a decade on the run. The incident involved six conscripts and took place in Prachin Buri province. Today, May 13, Police Major General Theerachart Theerachatthamrong ordered Police Colonel Patai Kusantia and Police Lieutenant Colonel Chatuporn Tikkaew to…
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Ko Samui waterfall horror lands British soldier in deep debt
A dream trip to Thailand turned into a living hell for a British soldier after he plunged from a waterfall, shattering his body and racking up a jaw-dropping £100,000 (4.4 million baht) medical bill, with no way home in sight. The 21 year old squaddie has been left broken and stranded after falling from a popular Thai waterfall while taking…
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