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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Chinese man caught stealing on flight to Thailand
Thai tourist police arrested a Chinese national on Sunday, April 13, after he was caught stealing cash from a fellow passenger aboard a flight arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Laos. Officers from Tourist Police Division 3, under Tourist Police Bureau 1, detained the suspect, Zheng, upon landing. Police recovered 16,020 baht in cash linked to the theft, along with various…
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Four killed in tragic Songkran road accident in Pathum Thani
Four people were killed and several others injured on Sunday after a car returning from Songkran celebrations collided with a motorcycle on the Taling Chan-Suphan Buri Road in Pathum Thani province. A survivor said poor lighting at the scene contributed to the crash. The collision occurred at the entrance of the Na Mai Subdistrict Administration Office on the road heading…
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Thai woman surrenders after stabbing Polish man in dog-walking dispute
A 51 year old Thai woman surrendered to police in Bang Saray, Sattahip, Chon Buri, on the evening of April 10, after being accused of stabbing a 54 year old Polish man in the chest during an altercation over their dogs near Ban Khao Chi Chan School. The Polish national sustained serious chest injuries and received first aid from emergency…
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Swedish man crashes truck on Pattaya beach, injures tourist
An 83 year old Swedish man lost control of his pickup truck at a Pattaya viewpoint on Saturday, sending the vehicle crashing through metal railings and plunging three metres onto the beach below. One tourist was injured in the incident, which took place during the busy Songkran long weekend. The accident occurred at around 4pm at the Yinyom Beach Viewpoint…
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Thai man caught smuggling petrol in watermelon truck to Myanmar
A 56 year old Thai man was arrested on April 12 while transporting nearly 400 litres of petrol hidden beneath a load of watermelons in a pickup truck, with plans to sell the fuel across the border into Myanmar at a significant markup. The arrest took place at a joint checkpoint in Nong Lu subdistrict, Sangkhlaburi district, Kanchanaburi province. Soldiers…
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Trat officials seize five boats in Cambodia smuggling bust
Officials intercepted a smuggling operation transporting consumer goods and animal products from Thailand to Cambodia along the coastal border in Hat Lek, Trat, on April 12, seizing multiple boats and arresting six suspects. The operation was carried out by the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai MECC) in Trat, working with the Royal Thai Marine Corps task force and border…
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Rak Chart Party submits UNESCO letter urging tighter review
Representatives of the Rak Chart Party travelled to Paris, France, to submit a letter to UNESCO headquarters today, April 12, expressing appreciation for its recognition of Thai cultural heritage while also calling for careful evaluation of world heritage registrations. The delegation, led by party director Chanin Pinthong and spokesperson Chaiporn Jirawinijnan, said the visit aimed to thank UNESCO for acknowledging…
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Indian tourist reports 25k baht theft by transgender in Pattaya
An Indian tourist filed a police report after allegedly being robbed by a transgender woman in a hotel room in Pattaya, Chon Buri, early yesterday, April 11. The incident was reported at 1.06am to Mueang Pattaya Police Station. The victim, identified as 59 year old Chandra, said cash totalling about 25,000 baht was taken from his room. The amount included…
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Bedridden Swiss man dies in Pattaya room fire
A 79 year old Swiss man died in a room fire at a rental property in Pong subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, yesterday, April 11, with police suspecting a cigarette butt may have caused the blaze. Police were alerted to the fire at 6.06am in Soi Huai Yai Muk, Moo 6, and responded with firefighters from Pong Municipality and…
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Phuket landfill fire contained but smoke continues
A fire broke out at a waste site in Saphan Hin, Mueang district, Phuket, yesterday, April 11, with officials containing the blaze but warning of ongoing smoke from the landfill blaze. The incident was reported at about 3.17pm at the Phuket City Municipality landfill site. Flames were found in landfill pits four and five, with the fire believed to have…
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Thailand to host Miss Tourism World 2026, boosting local tourism
Pattaya City is gearing up to host the Miss Tourism World 2026 pageant, with city officials meeting organisation representatives over the weekend to discuss preparations for the international event. Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Pinijkan held talks with Benja Kalyawinai, the copyright holder of Miss Tourism World Asian, and her team at Pattaya City Hall. Discussions covered venue selection, competition format, special…
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US banks warned of cyber risks from new AI model
Top executives from major American banks were warned by a senior US government official about potential cyberattack risks linked to a new artificial intelligence model from Anthropic, with a closed-door meeting held in Washington, DC. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed a select group of bank CEOs, including those from Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo, warning that integrating the…
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Thai police report 2,617 drink-driving cases as Songkran begins
Thai police recorded 2,617 drink-driving cases on the first day of the Songkran festival holiday, as millions of Thais hit the road to travel home and visit tourist destinations. Police General Samran Nuanma, deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, and Police General Somprasong Yentuam, a special expert of the Royal Thai Police, gave details on the situation as the…
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Foreign rider rides against traffic, flips off driver in Chon Buri
A foreign motorcyclist was detained yesterday, April 11, after riding against traffic, raising his middle finger and tearing up a police ticket in Mueang district, Chon Buri, in a traffic incident shared widely on social media. A video circulating online showed the man riding a motorcycle against traffic before stopping in front of a parked car outside a shopping centre…
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Foreign tourists spray fire extinguisher on Pattaya Walking Street
A video posted on social media at 5.16am today, April 12, drew criticism after foreign tourists were seen causing disruption to people nearby by spraying a fire extinguisher along Walking Street in South Pattaya, Chon Buri. The clip showed a tall foreign man wearing a white shirt and black shorts using a dry chemical fire extinguisher and spraying white powder…
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Rama 2 Road construction paused for Songkran, easing traffic
Rama 2 Road clear for Songkran travellers as construction halts Traffic on Rama 2 Road was flowing smoothly in both directions as of 7pm on April 11, with vehicles moving at speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour. The Department of Highways confirmed the update after temporarily halting all construction work on the road, reopening main lanes to ease…
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Airports boost safety and service for Songkran festival 2026
Thailand’s Department of Airports has announced a package of enhanced measures for the Songkran 2026 holiday period, promising smoother journeys for passengers travelling through regional airports across the country. The initiative, themed “Smart Travel Songkran 2026,” was unveiled on April 10 and falls in line with the Ministry of Transport’s campaign “Leave Anytime, Arrive Safely.” Director-general Donai Ruangsorn is leading…
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Man found dead in remote Phatthalung forest with bullet wound
A 29 year old man was found dead in a remote forest above Khlong Hua Chang Reservoir in Phatthalung province on Thursday, April 10, after rescue workers endured a gruelling journey by boat and on foot to reach the scene. At 4pm, rescue workers from Khao Hua Chang Municipality were alerted to a man who had lost consciousness deep in…
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Thailand’s oil reserves secure for 110 days, ministry confirms
Thailand has enough oil to last 110 days, the Ministry of Energy has confirmed, with daily diesel production averaging 83.2 million litres against daily sales of approximately 64.7 million litres. The ministry broke down the total reserves into four components: 25 days of statutory reserves, 23 days of commercial reserves, 31 days of oil in transit, and 31 days of…
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Man severely injured in pit bull attack in Phetchabun
A 61 year old man sustained severe injuries after being attacked by two pit bulls at a residence in the Chon Daen district of Phetchabun province on Friday. Rescue personnel from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation responded to the incident at a house in Ban Dong Khwaen village, Tha Kham subdistrict. Surachai Chuchaloem suffered extensive lacerations to his face, arms, legs, and…
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Thai ex-manager confesses to hacking Nonthaburi mall system in revenge
A former network manager of a shopping mall in Nonthaburi confessed to hacking his former employer’s computer system after being dismissed, saying he acted out of anger but did not expect the attack to cause more than 10 million baht in damage. A representative of the shopping mall filed a complaint with Cyber Police in January, reporting that the company’s…
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More than 80 undocumented Myanmar migrants found in Songkhla
More than 80 Myanmar migrants were found hiding in a forested area at the foot of a hill in Songkhla, yesterday, April 9, as officials investigated a suspected migrant smuggling operation. Officials acted after village and subdistrict leaders reported a large group hiding in the area. District officers, police and Songkhla immigration officers were then sent to inspect the site.…
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2 Chinese sex creators arrested in Bangkok with drugs, sex toys, and pornography
Two Chinese sex creators were arrested at a condominium in Bangkok today, April 10, after residents filed complaints about public disturbances. Police seized drugs, pornography and sex toys during the operation. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau raided a unit in Thung Maha Mek subdistrict, Sathon district, following multiple complaints from residents at the property. Residents reported that two Chinese…
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Frenchman wanted for drugs and money laundering arrested in Phuket
A Frenchman wanted for more than 30 offences in his home country was arrested in Phuket yesterday, April 9, after fleeing to Thailand to avoid prosecution. Royal Thai Police instructed Phuket Provincial Immigration Office to locate the Frenchman, later identified as 50 year old Ani. French police were seeking his arrest over more than 30 offences linked to drug trafficking…
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Black panther cub seized in Mae Sot sting operation
A black panther cub was recovered in a sting operation at a shopping centre car park in Mae Sot district, Tak province, yesterday, April 9, where police arrested two Myanmar nationals over an alleged cross-border wildlife trafficking attempt. The operation was carried out by the Central Investigation Bureau with officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, the…
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Chinese-born suspect behind 239 gambling websites arrested in Pattaya
A Chinese-born man holding Saint Kitts and Nevis nationality was arrested at a pool villa in Pattaya on Wednesday, April 8, for operating 239 gambling websites with more than 2.7 billion yuan, or about 13 billion baht, in circulation. The arrest followed coordination between the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), and the Immigration…
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Lampang police deploy horse carriage patrol for Songkran
A horse-drawn carriage police patrol was launched in Lampang on April 8 for Songkran, with officers in vintage uniforms patrolling areas, in a bid to reduce fuel usage and promote the province’s identity. Lampang provincial police introduced the new patrol in cooperation with Mueang Lampang Police Station as part of Songkran safety measures. The horse-drawn patrol will be used similarly…
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French tourist injured in gold necklace snatching in Phuket
A French tourist sustained a neck injury during a gold necklace snatching on Bangla Road in Phuket yesterday, April 9, but managed to recover the jewellery from the thief. Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the incident took place at about 4am while the tourist was walking on Bangla Road with two friends. A Thai friend recorded a video showing…
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Pattaya prostitution crackdown nets 16 foreign women
A Pattaya prostitution crackdown led to the arrest of 16 foreign women during a late-night operation along Pattaya Beach and nearby roads in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung, Chon Buri, yesterday, April 9. Immigration officers, working with social development officials, tourist police and volunteers, carried out inspections along Pattaya Beach Road and Pattaya Second Road targeting suspected soliciting for prostitution in…
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Interpol-wanted Swedish mafia arrested in Phuket condominium
A Swedish national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice was arrested in Phuket yesterday, April 9, for involvement in murder, illegal weapons offences, and drug trafficking in Sweden. Phuket Provincial Police carried out the operation as part of a wider crackdown on foreign nationals involved in crime, including suspects who fled their home countries or used Thailand as a base for…
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