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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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Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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Pattaya beach blitz on rogue boats and pushy vendors
Pattaya’s beaches are set for a major shake-up as city officials launch a fresh crackdown on rogue boat operators and pushy beach vendors. Yesterday, August 7, a high-level meeting at Pattaya City Hall brought together Deputy Mayor Wuthisak Rermkijakarn, senior city advisors, district officials, marine authorities, and police to hammer out new rules for sea-based activities and beach businesses. Pattaya’s…
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Thai Airways soars with 12 billion baht profit in Q2
Thai Airways (THAI) is flying high again, racking up a staggering profit of more than 12 billion baht in the second quarter of 2025, fuelled by cheaper jet fuel and strong passenger growth. The flag carrier and its subsidiaries reported revenue of 44.83 billion baht (excluding one-time items) for the quarter, up 1.9% on last year. Passenger numbers climbed 4.2%…
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Bangkok toll booths go free for Mother’s Day travel
Drivers in Greater Bangkok can look forward to a free ride next Monday, as the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) scraps toll fees at 63 booths for the day in celebration of Mother’s Day. The toll waiver will run from 12.01am on Monday, August 11, to midnight on Tuesday, August 12, giving motorists a 24-hour break from charges on three…
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Cambodia delays Thailand’s call for landmine clearance and scam crackdown
Despite a ceasefire agreement aimed at bringing peace to the border between the two countries, Cambodia reportedly rejected proposals for landmine clearance and a crackdown on call centre scams, suggesting instead that the issues be postponed to the next discussions. Representatives from Thailand and Cambodia attended an extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) in Malaysia yesterday, August 7, to…
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Loan sharks arrested after shutting down debtors’ phones over unpaid loans
Police raided three mobile phone stores in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok in a crackdown on a loan shark gang that offered high-interest loans and used debtors’ mobile phones as collateral. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) reported the successful operation today, August 7. They searched three branches of a mobile phone shop called Nak Leng Mue Tue,…
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Jet ski heroes drag tourist from Phuket rip current (video)
A dramatic jet ski rescue unfolded off Phuket’s Bang Tao-Surin Beach on Wednesday when two quick-thinking lifeguards hauled an unconscious foreign tourist from a deadly rip current. Footage of the daring save, posted by Facebook user Witsarut Saman yesterday evening, August 7, shows the moment the lifeguards tore through pounding surf on a jet ski to reach the struggling swimmer.…
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Thailand tempest: Heavy rain set to drench Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a weather warning, predicting thunderstorms across 36 provinces, with Bangkok expected to be particularly affected, experiencing heavy rainfall in 60% of its area. Residents have been advised to exercise caution due to potential hazards from these conditions. The weather forecast for the next 24 hours indicates that thunderstorms will be prevalent throughout Thailand, driven…
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Tough times hit Thai cinema as viewers cut back
Box office blues could be looming for Thai cinemas as cash-strapped moviegoers become pickier about what’s worth their ticket money. That’s the concern from top Thai studio GDH 559 Co Ltd Content Director Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn, who said the sluggish economy is making audiences more selective—possibly reducing their cinema visits from several times a month to just once. “Viewers may think…
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Mental health meltdown grips Thailand’s pre-seniors
Thailand’s middle-aged adults are facing an emotional breaking point—and it’s worse than any other age group, according to a new health report. A total of 13.4 million people in Thailand are struggling with mental health issues, and those aged 45 to 59—the so-called “pre-senior” generation 98—report being the least happy, according to the Thai Health Report 2025. Released on Monday…
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Pattaya empowers teens with ‘Happy School’ workshops
Forget boring lectures—Pattaya’s young leaders got hands-on with happiness this week in a workshop-driven celebration of National Youth Day 2025. Yesterday, August 6 at 9am, the city kicked off its official youth programme at Le Bali Resort & Spa, with Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet presiding over the opening ceremony. Themed Happy School, the event encouraged student leaders from 11 local…
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3 Chinese and 2 Laotian arrested for livestreaming sex from Pattaya pool villa
Police today, August 7, arrested three Chinese men and two Laotian women while they were livestreaming sexual activities on a Chinese-based social media platform from a pool villa in Pattaya. Officers from the Immigration Bureau received a tip-off about Chinese nationals broadcasting explicit videos on social media using a property in Thailand as the backdrop for the lewd content. Following…
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Chinese steel surge pressures Thai manufacturers
China’s continued surge in steel exports is putting growing pressure on Thai steelmakers, according to Tata Steel (Thailand), a subsidiary of India’s largest steel producer. In the first half of this year, China exported 58.2 million tonnes of steel, marking a 9.2% increase from the same period last year. Asia remained the largest recipient of these exports, with Thailand among…
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Thai taxi rider exposes passenger’s sexual advancements, gets harassed online
A Thai app-based motorcycle taxi rider exposed a male passenger for sexually assaulting him during a ride by sharing footage of the incident on his TikTok account. However, he was bombarded with harassing messages from some of his followers. The app-based rider uploaded the video on Tuesday, August 5, to his TikTok account, @naikarfi_w, with a caption that read, “This’s…
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Thailand and Cambodia strike border truce in Malaysia
Peace talks prevail, for now, as Thai and Cambodian military leaders strike a truce to cool tensions on their volatile border. At 1.30pm today, August 7, senior officials from Thailand and Cambodia met in Malaysia for an emergency session of the General Border Committee (GBC), where both sides agreed to implement a 13-point ceasefire agreement aimed at ending rising hostility…
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Daughter seeks accountability after mother injured by shattered glass door
A Thai woman is seeking accountability from the owner of a condominium after a glass door unexpectedly shattered while being opened, severing a tendon in her mother’s finger. The daughter shared CCTV footage of the incident on the Facebook page Jmoi V+ to seek justice for her mother. The video shows the victim opening the glass door, which then suddenly…
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Phang Nga worker’s leg mangled in shrimp pond horror (video)
A shrimp farm turned into a horror scene yesterday after a worker’s leg was mangled by a water aerator in Phang Nga’s Takua Thung district. Emergency responders from the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation (Loma Khok Kloy) and a medical team from Takua Thung Hospital rushed to the scene at 11.57am yesterday, August 6, following a report of a man trapped in…
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Thai submarine deal saga drags on as China swaps engines
Thailand’s long-running submarine drama just got another twist—with German engines scrapped, Chinese ones swapped in, and years added to the wait. On Tuesday, August 5, Acting Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed the Cabinet’s approval of major revisions to Thailand’s long-delayed submarine deal with China, but offered no further details, citing confidentiality. The updated contract for the Yuan…
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Malaysian man accuses Thai ex-girlfriend of 4 million baht fraud and assault
A Malaysian man accused his Thai ex-girlfriend of swindling 4 million baht from him and physically assaulting both him and his current partner in the Isaan province of Kalasin. The 27 year old Malaysian man, identified only as Yap, shared his story with the local news agency Kalasin News in an appeal for justice for himself and his current Thai girlfriend. Yap…
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Phuket police seize 10,000 meth pills, arrest drug suspects
Phuket officials have confirmed the arrest of two suspected drug traffickers and the seizure of 10,000 methamphetamine pills in an operation aimed at dismantling drug networks in Kathu. This initiative is part of the ongoing No Drugs, No Dealers campaign. The operation, involving the Phuket Provincial Administration and Thalang and Kathu district offices, is aligned with the Ministry of Interior’s…
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Chinese Tourist robbed after night with Pattaya bar girl
A Chinese tourist’s night out in Pattaya turned sour after he woke up alone in his hotel room to discover that 8,000 baht had vanished, along with the woman he had brought back from a local beer bar. At around 11.06pm yesterday, August 6, Jiang Peng, a 38 year old Chinese national, filed a complaint with Police Sub-Lieutenant Kittipong Thalaengkan…
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Thailand splashes billions on freight train mega-upgrade
Thailand’s freight trains are about to get a serious upgrade—to the tune of 2.46 billion baht. The Cabinet has approved a massive procurement plan for 946 brand-new container flatcars for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), aimed at modernising the country’s outdated rail freight infrastructure and keeping pace with booming logistics demands. SRT Governor Veeris Ammarapala confirmed the project will…
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Loan shark conflict suspected after man found dead in Phatthalung plantation
A Thai man died in a fatal shooting in a palm plantation in the southern province of Phatthalung, with police suspecting a conflict within a loan shark gang as the motive for the murder. A letter addressed to his mother, discovered in his bag, is believed to provide a crucial clue. The body was discovered at around 4pm yesterday, August…
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Thailand video news | Thailand tables bold 8-point peace plan in high-stakes Cambodia talks, Thailand ranked #1 worldwide for marital cheating
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay cover news stories from across Thailand. The stories include Thailand tables a bold 8-point peace plan in high-stakes border talks with Cambodia, while a controversial war prediction lands a fortune teller in legal trouble. The government approves a $602 million deal for new Gripen fighter jets, and a man narrowly escapes an ambush…
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Foreigner arrested in Phuket for illegal work at bike rental
In Kathu, Phuket, a foreigner has been apprehended for illegally working at a motorcycle rental business, amid an ongoing effort by the Tourist Police to address unauthorised employment of foreigners. The Phuket Tourist Police reported that officers from Investigation Division 2 of the Tourist Police Bureau 3, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Pittaya Thepmuang, carried out a raid at ONE…
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Police bust major drug gang seizing 336 kg of narcotics
Police apprehended a major drug trafficking gang, seizing 314 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and 22 kilogrammes of ketamine, intended for distribution in Bangkok. The network is linked to a previously arrested gang from Wang Thonglang in May. At 1pm yesterday, August 6, at the Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 8, several high-ranking officers, including Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom and Police…
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Thai woman’s ‘fat belly’ was 8kg cyst shock
What looked like a bulging belly from too much food turned out to be an 8-kilogramme tumour—and the woman had no idea. A 31 year old Thai woman named Ratchanaporn from Satun province lived for years with a massive ovarian cyst growing inside her abdomen, completely unaware of its presence. Her family assumed she was overweight due to her eating…
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Thai tyre factory closed for illegal hazardous waste transport
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand has ordered the closure of Prince Chengshan Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd. due to repeated violations involving the illegal transport of hazardous waste from its factory without permission. This action follows previous incidents, including the seizure of tyres lacking Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) and tampered production dates. On July 31, the Industrial Estate Authority shut…
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Illegal cigarette trade in Songkhla cripples local businesses
The Thai Tobacco Trade Association has raised alarms over the rampant distribution of illicit cigarettes in Songkhla province, which has impacted over 4,000 legal tobacco retailers and forced the closure of about 200 small shops. Thanyasaran Sangthong, the association’s executive director, revealed that Songkhla ranks second in the country for illegal cigarette infiltration, severely affecting local tax revenue. The president…
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Mystery surrounds death of woman in Samut Prakan apartment
In Samut Prakan, neighbours were shocked to discover the body of a 59 year old woman in her apartment after she failed to send her usual morning greetings for two consecutive days. Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage and awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Today, August 7, Police Lieutenant Colonel Phatthakorn Chainoi of Bang Phli Police…
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Thai worker loses life in explosion at oil tank factory in Kanchanaburi
A male worker lost his life in an explosion at a factory in Kanchanaburi province. Two other workers were injured in the incident. A rescuer from the Khun Rattanawut Foundation, Persia Jongtawon, shared a video of the incident on his Facebook page yesterday, August 6. The explosion occurred at the Taspow oil tank production factory. In the caption, he wrote,…
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