News
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 Why long-term expats in Thailand say insurance is worth every baht
Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...
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Love feud sparks gunfight at Phatthalung sports event
What was meant to be a night of community celebration turned into a battleground, as a simmering love feud exploded in gunfire at a district sports event in the southern province of Phatthalung, leaving two teenagers fighting for their lives. Yesterday, July 17, officers from Pa Phayom Police Station responded to an emergency call reporting a shooting at the annual…
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Tit for tat: 3 Indian men call cops on Pattaya bar girl over small boobs
Three Indian men in Pattaya sparked a police call-out after accusing a Thai bar girl of ripping them off, claiming she looked nothing like she did under the bar lights and even complained about her “small boobs.” Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station rushed to a hotel on Soi Pattaya 11, Bang Lamung district, after the men rang for help, demanding…
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Bangkok spa inferno guts building in early morning blaze
Flames ripped through a Bangkok spa at dawn today, sending thick black smoke billowing into the skies above Siam Square and gutting parts of a four-storey building. At 6.40am today, July 18, the 199 emergency hotline received a report of a fire raging at a commercial property on Siam Square Soi 3, off Rama I Road in Pathum Wan district.…
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Banking on trouble: SCB scales back as storm brews in Thailand
Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) is battening down the hatches and scaling back its operations for the next 12 to 18 months, warning of tough times ahead as Thailand’s economy hits choppy waters. SCB Chief Executive Kris Chantanotoke painted a bleak picture of the months to come, blaming soaring household debt, sluggish growth, and the threat of US tariffs for the…
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Heavy rainfall and strong winds sweep Thailand amidst storm
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across Thailand, with strong winds expected in the upper Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand in the coming week starting tomorrow. This announcement coincides with Tropical Storm Vipa intensifying. The alert, announced today, July 18, highlights that numerous areas of Thailand are expected…
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Failed escape: Korean, Chinese fugitives busted in Pattaya swoop
Thailand immigration police swooped on two foreign fugitives in a transnational crime crackdown in Pattaya, including a Chinese crook caught trying to escape over the roof and a Korean drug boss with a taste for crystal meth. Commissioner Panumas Boonyalak and his team swooped on suspects in separate raids across Pattaya this week as part of a major international sting.…
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Thailand booms as Hat Yai steals budget travel spotlight
Thailand continues to attract record-breaking numbers of tourists in 2025, with Chinese, Malaysian, and South Korean travellers leading the way. Meanwhile, Hat Yai is gaining traction as one of Asia’s most affordable and exciting travel hotspots. Agoda, one of Asia’s top digital travel platforms, has released fresh data showing Thailand continues to dominate regional tourism in the first half of…
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Thai man missing after bamboo hunt in Khon Kaen forest
A Thai man went missing on a mountain in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after foraging for bamboo shoots with his family members on July 11. His mother reportedly provided “unclear information” to officials. The 52 year old mother, Samorn, filed a missing persons report at Nong Ruea Police Station on July 11, stating that her 24 year old…
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Thailand pushes China to fast-track fruit and rice exports
Thailand is turning up the heat on China to help fast-track its tastiest exports—from sweet tamarinds to juicy pomelos—in a high-stakes trade push aimed at cracking the world’s biggest consumer market. The Ministry of Commerce is pulling out all the stops to promote Thailand’s prized Geographical Indication (GI) products in China, urging Beijing’s top trade agency to speed up the…
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Thailand boosts ornamental fish exports with new strategies and logistics
The Thailand is intensifying its initiatives to boost the ornamental fish industry, recognising it as a significant contributor to agricultural exports. The goal is to enhance Thailand’s global market presence and increase income for local farmers. Bancha Sukkaew, Director General of the Department of Fisheries, highlighted that the global ornamental fish market is projected to be valued at 10 billion…
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Russian teen busted for Pattaya pier graffiti
A 16 year old Russian boy has been caught red-handed after launching a midnight graffiti attack on Pattaya’s iconic Bali Hai Pier Overpass. In the early hours of today, July 17, Pattaya City’s Special Affairs Unit swooped in on the teen, identified only as Dobrynia, as he vandalised the structure with spray paint. The sharp-eyed officer spotted the youth in…
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NBTC to revise mobile tariffs, cheaper packages under 240 baht
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is revising mobile phone tariffs, encouraging operators to introduce cheaper Blue Flag Packages from the current cap of 240 baht per month. Yesterday, July 16, acting Secretary-General of the NBTC Trairat Viriyasirikul announced that today’s NBTC meeting covered a total of 86 agenda items, with 25 items reviewed. These included business operation permits,…
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Boom in the bin: Hua Hin rocked by live grenade and C4 find
Rubbish collectors got more than they bargained for when a pile of deadly military explosives was discovered beside a bin in Hua Hin, sparking a full-scale bomb squad operation and a police investigation that’s now gripping the quiet coastal town. At around 11.30am yesterday, July 16, police were alerted by a concerned resident who spotted a suspicious object dumped next…
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Phuket tourism revenue set to rise 10% amid European off-season surge
Phuket is experiencing a notable shift in tourism patterns as European visitors increasingly opt for off-season travel, with tourism revenue anticipated to grow by over 40 billion baht, or approximately 10%, this year, according to the Phuket Tourist Association. The association’s president, Thanet Tantipiriyakit, highlighted a growing interest among tourists from the UK, Germany, and France in visiting Phuket during…
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Pattaya cops rescue Russians with highway bike push
Two stranded Russian tourists were left stunned—and grateful—after a team of Pattaya police officers came to their rescue in one of the city’s more unusual displays of public service: pushing a broken-down motorbike through traffic with nothing but a boot and big hearts. The drama unfolded around 9.40am yesterday, July 16, when the couple’s motorbike battery unexpectedly died right in…
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Thai firms face US tariffs amid trade war challenges
The Board of Investment (BoI) has introduced measures to support Thai entrepreneurs in coping with the repercussions of the US tariff policy and the ongoing trade war. These measures range from ceasing the promotion of solar panel manufacturing to encouraging the adoption of new technologies in factories. The decision regarding photovoltaic (PV) panel production is part of the BoI’s strategy…
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Thai transgender hairdresser asked for HIV test after client’s pimple bursts
A transgender hairdresser took to social media to share her shocking experience of a client and her mother fearing that she would spread HIV, even though she is HIV negative. The 35 year old hairdresser, Watchara “Emmy” U-phat, shared the story on Facebook on July 13, along with a photograph of her HIV test from Korat Medical Laboratory. The result…
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Thai drug traffickers arrested in Myanmar, bounty 2.5 million baht
Key drug traffickers who had fled arrest warrants with a combined bounty of over 2.5 million baht, were extradited from Myanmar to Thailand. The operation, yesterday, July 16, exemplifies enhanced cooperation between Thai and Myanmar drug enforcement agencies. The apprehension of the fugitives, Tachin Norawong and Chamung Kantawong, was facilitated by the collaboration between the Office of the Narcotics Control Board…
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Ubon manhunt after machete attack leaves girl, 4, blind
Police in Det Udom district announced a manhunt for a suspect involved in the attack on a four year old girl, which left her blind. The suspect has a criminal record with over 10 drug-related cases. The incident occurred on June 28 in Ubon Ratchathani province. Ekaphop Luangprasert, the owner of the Saimai Must Survive Facebook page, visited Ubon Ratchathani…
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Teenagers steal 600 baht from gas station in Chon Buri
Five teenagers riding motorbikes, locally referred to as dek waen, were captured on CCTV committing theft at a gas station along Highway 331 towards Chachoengsao, in Moo 4, in Chon Buri, Thailand. The incident took place at 2.18am on July 13, . The CCTV footage reveals the group arriving on two motorbikes after fleeing a police checkpoint and stopping at…
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Chai Nat woman wins big with 30 million baht lottery jackpot
A woman from Chai Nat is laughing all the way to the bank after scooping a jaw-dropping 30 million baht in the latest government lottery draw—thanks to five winning tickets that turned her into a multi-millionaire overnight. The lucky draw took place yesterday, July 16, revealing the first prize number as 245324, with the two-digit suffix 26. Among the nation’s…
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Husband’s violent assault on wife in Samut Sakhon sparks outrage
In Samut Sakhon, social activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, also known as Gun Jompalang, accompanied 32 year old Bua to Krathum Baen Police Station yesterday, July 16. The visit aimed to provide further testimony regarding the severe violence inflicted upon her by her husband. The victim sustained multiple injuries, including facial burns from a hot iron, and endured beatings and physical restraint.…
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Family scoops 6 million baht jackpot in Thai lottery
The tranquil village of Ban Yang Noi in Surin province erupted in joyous celebration as news broke of a staggering 6 million baht lottery win that has forever altered the destiny of Ta Noi and Yai Phon and their loved ones. The air was thick with anticipation yesterday, July 16, as families across Thailand tuned in for the much-awaited government…
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Thai man slits neighbour’s throat over mistaken phone theft
A Thai man slit his neighbour’s throat at a house in the northern province of Phetchabun in the early hours of this morning after wrongly suspecting her of stealing his mobile phone. Officers from Chondean Police Station received a report of the brutal attack at 12.30am today, July 17, and responded to the scene, a residence in Tha Kham subdistrict,…
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Truck runs red light, fatally hits Thai traffic officer in Bangkok (video)
A six-wheel truck ran a red light, causing a fatal accident involving a distinguished traffic officer from the Khlong Tan Police Station in the Pattanakarn area of Bangkok. The driver claimed he had a green light. The Suan Luang Facebook page reported on the incident, stating that the accident occurred around 5.50am at the Thaworn Thawat intersection (Pattanakarn 25) and…
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UAE island fever: Phuket and Madagascar top wishlist
Island fever is sweeping the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with travellers trading city breaks for sun-soaked escapes like Phuket. Expedia’s 2025 Island Hot List reveals a 30% global spike in demand for tropical getaways, and UAE holidaymakers are leading the charge, craving culture-packed, nature-filled trips that go beyond beach loungers and cocktails. According to Expedia’s latest insights, UAE travellers are…
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Creamer crime! American nabbed with heroin ‘brew-tally’ hidden
In a dramatic sting at Phuket International Airport, an American man was arrested while attempting to smuggle over 6 kilogrammes of heroin out of Thailand. The jaw-dropping plot, uncovered by a coordinated operation involving the Tourist Police, Customs, and narcotics officers, has raised alarms throughout the region. The alleged suspect, Tyler Trong Luong, was intercepted yesterday, July 16 as he…
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Van hits cyclist at Bangkok crossing, elderly man injured (video)
A van ran a red light and collided with a bicycle on a pedestrian crossing, leaving an 84 year old man with a fractured sacrum. The incident occurred near the Bueng Nong Bon Park in Prawet district, Bangkok, on July 13. The Facebook page Drama-addict shared CCTV footage of the accident, which showed the van hitting the bicycle at the…
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AirAsia spreads its wings with new Bangkok–Hai Phong route
AirAsia has officially launched its brand-new direct route between Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport and the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong, offering four flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. To mark the inaugural journey, vibrant welcome events were held at both Don Mueang and Hai Phong International Airport, with excited passengers greeted by celebratory activities and…
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Honey trap! Love-struck Pakistani youths kidnapped in Thailand
In a shocking “honey trap” scandal, three young Pakistani men have fallen victim to a sly scheme set by Indian women in Thailand. Usman Amin, Muhammad Ahmed, and Tajammul Shehzad, hailing from Sahiwal, were swept off their feet by the women via phone conversations before jetting off on what was meant to be an exciting adventure. They departed on May…
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