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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Israeli man arrested in Koh Phangan with drugs worth 50 million baht
A 42 year old Israeli national was arrested in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani, on Friday after Tourist Police seized narcotics valued at more than 50 million baht in a drug crackdown on the island. The suspect, identified as Shai Alfasi, owned the Lola bar and restaurant in the Hat Hin Kong area and was allegedly distributing drugs using the WhatsApp…
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Pattaya police crackdown on prostitution to boost tourism image
In the early hours of yesterday, February 14, at around 1.36am, a coordinated effort by Tourist Police and Immigration Police took place along Pattaya Beach to tackle suspected prostitution activities and enhance the city’s tourism reputation. The operation was spearheaded by Police Lieutenant Colonel Prabda Suksunthee, Superintendent of the Tourist Police Sub-Division 4, Region 2, Battalion 2, and Police Lieutenant…
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Thai police replace fines with flowers for Valentine’s Day
Yesterday, on February 14 at 10.30am, Police Colonel Phattana Ropru, head of Don Hua Lo Police Station, together with traffic police officers, set up a checkpoint on Don Hua Lo–Thong Khung Road in front of the Don Hua Lo Municipality in Mueang district, Chon Buri. The operation was carried out as part of routine efforts to maintain traffic discipline and…
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Pattaya Beach operation targets homeless and beggars
Pattaya City officials carried out an operation along Pattaya Beach yesterday, February 12, to regulate homeless people and others staying overnight in the area, while urging the public to stop giving money to beggars. The operation took place at Pattaya Beach in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, led by Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Pinijkarn with teams from the Department of Social…
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Election ballot barcode prompts debate over traceability
Questions have been raised about an election ballot barcode after an Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) official said it is used as a security control measure, while separate comments raised concerns that ballots could be traceable. Yesterday, February 12, at the ECT Office, Acting Sub Lieutenant Phasakorn Siriphokyaporn, deputy secretary-general of the ECT, responded to public grievances about barcodes on…
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Si Saket MP candidate denies chasing teen girl for sexual purposes
A candidate for the position of Member of Parliament (MP) in Si Saket denied attempting to take a 16 year old girl away from her parents for sexual purposes. He claimed that his intentions were good and that he only wanted the girl to attend school. A viral video showed the MP candidate, whose identity remains undisclosed, chasing after the…
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Taiwanese man arrested for unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket
Police raided an unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket yesterday, February 12, and arrested a Taiwanese man accused of providing treatment without permission. Wichit Police Station officers, working with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, carried out the operation at 6.10pm at Sunrise Smile Dental Clinic, located on the second floor of a building behind a department store in Wichit sub-district, Mueang district,…
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Women accuse undertaker of sexual abuse during cleansing ritual
Two women yesterday, February 12, filed complaints with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok against a well-known undertaker in Ang Thong, accusing him of sexually abusing them during ritual cleansing ceremonies to remove black magic and misfortune. At 2pm, paranormal investigator Jiraphan “Mor Pla” Phetkhao accompanied the two alleged victims to meet Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner…
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Police seize M16 rifles and grenades in Nakhon Si Thammarat raid
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat arrested three men and seized military-grade weapons during a raid on a house in Thung Song district yesterday, February 12, as part of a crackdown on online arms trafficking. The announcement was made by Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police following an operation carried out under national policy directives to suppress crime involving firearms and explosives.…
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46 foreign extras arrested in Krabi for working without permits
Police arrested 46 foreign extras yesterday, February 12, after discovering they were working without permits at an abandoned mine in Krabi province while filming a television series reportedly based in Dubai. Officers from the Krabi Provincial Employment Office, Mueang Krabi Police Station, Border Patrol Police, and Immigration Bureau conducted a joint raid at the mine in the Thab Prik sub-district…
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Nine foreigners busted in Phuket luxury villa poker raid
Police in Phuket arrested nine foreign nationals at a luxury villa in Rawai on February 11 after uncovering an illegal poker operation promoted through Instagram that required players to pay 20,000 baht per session. Officers had received information that a group of foreigners were advertising poker games via an Instagram account named Poker Level. The promotional messages, written in Russian,…
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ECT rejects Chon Buri vote recount request, cites lack of corruption evidence
The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) formally rejected a request for a vote recount in Chon Buri’s District 1, stating there was no concrete evidence to support allegations of corruption. On February 9, a group of voters gathered at a badminton court in Chon Buri province, which had been used to store ballots from the District 1 polling station, after…
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Thai single mother dies after assault by boyfriend in South Korea
A Thai single mother from Chaiyaphum was found dead in Mokpo, South Korea, on February 12 after allegedly being assaulted by her Thai boyfriend. South Korean police have taken the man into custody and are pursuing legal action. The case came to light after the Facebook page ท่านเปา เรื่องนี้ต้องใส่ใจ shared details of the incident. The victim was identified as Sunantha…
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Pattaya hotel staff confronts foreign couple over sex near spirit house
A foreign man allegedly assaulted a hotel employee in Pattaya who sprayed water over him and his girlfriend for engaging in sexual activity near a spirit house outside the property late at night. The incident came to light after a 41 year old Cambodian staff member at Dream Hotel Pattaya, Piatra, shared a video online exposing the couple’s behaviour. The…
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Thailand deploys rainmaking aircraft to tackle PM2.5
Yesterday, February 12, the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation said it is continuing its operations in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, as well as the North and Northeast, to help disperse PM2.5. Monitoring indicated PM2.5 levels between February 12 and 16 would be moderate to beginning to affect health (yellow to orange). The operations, led by Director-General Rachen Silparaya,…
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Pattaya man stabs British tourist in Pattaya over drug dispute
A Thai man stabbed a British national outside a convenience store in Pattaya earlier today, February 13, claiming the foreigner punched him and broke his tooth after he insisted he was not a drug dealer. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the incident at 1.29am at a convenience store along Jomtien Beach Road. Police arrived at the…
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Krabi installs heart-shaped traffic lights for Valentine’s Day
Krabi Municipality installed heart-shaped red traffic lights at major intersections in the city yesterday, February 11, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, later sharing photos on its official Facebook page. The unusual traffic lights, shaped like hearts instead of the standard circular red signal, were posted on the official Krabi Municipality Facebook page and quickly drew attention online. The decorative red signals…
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Prison-trained ‘doctor’ busted for illegal penile procedures
A man was arrested in Si Racha, Chon Buri, today, February 12, for allegedly operating as an unlicensed doctor and running an illegal clinic from his home, where he offered penile enhancement procedures to clients he contacted through TikTok. Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division, acting under the direction of senior commanders, detained the suspect, identified as 38 year…
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Man throws fermented fish at Election Commission office in Bangkok
A man wearing exercise clothing and carrying a tennis racket hurled bags filled with fermented fish paste at the wall of the Election Commission office in Bangkok, today, February 12, claiming he was unhappy with the agency’s performance. The incident occurred while most reporters were gathered to cover political activist Sonthiya Sawatdee, who had arrived to submit a petition urging…
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Three Chinese men arrested after illegal border crossing in Sa Kaeo
Thai rangers in Sa Kaeo arrested three Chinese men yesterday evening, February 11, after they were found illegally crossing into Thailand from Cambodia through a natural path in Aranyaprathet district, reportedly intending to seek business opportunities in Bangkok. According to a report from the Burapha Task Force, Aranyaprathet rangers intensified patrols along the Thai-Cambodian border and intercepted the group at…
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Thailand News | shooting and hostage situation at Patong Prathan Khiriwat School (Hat Yai), Bangkok offers free Valentine’s Day marriage services
In todays stories I will be talking about a school hostage crisis in Hat Yai, a tourist found injured in Pattaya, major visa changes nationwide, Bangkok’s free Valentine weddings, new sugar rules, monks completing a 3,700-km peace walk, and Thailand’s corruption score falls. Shooting and Hostage Situation at Patong Prathan Khiriwat School (Hat Yai) On 11 February 2026, an 18-year-old…
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Russian man detained after assault on Thai woman in Pattaya
Police in Pattaya detained a Russian man today, February 12, after he allegedly assaulted a Thai woman while heavily intoxicated on Pattaya Second Road in Chon Buri, prompting bystanders to restrain him before officers arrived. Police Lieutenant Jittisuk Suthinitatwong, deputy inspector of the Pattaya City Police Station patrol unit, received a report from residents that an intoxicated foreign man had…
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Chon Buri election director files complaint over ballot obstruction
The election director for Constituency 1 in Chon Buri yesterday, February 11, filed a police complaint against two women following an alleged intrusion and obstruction during the collection and consolidation of ballot boxes at the tally venue. The complaint was lodged following an incident that reportedly took place on February 9 during the transfer and consolidation of ballot boxes after…
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School shooting in Songkhla leaves principal dead, students injured
A young gunman stormed into Phatongprathan Kiriwat School in Hat Yai, Songkhla, yesterday afternoon, February 11, after seizing a police rifle, opening fire on staff and students, and taking hostages before eventually surrendering. Police were first alerted to the incident at 2.54pm after receiving reports of a young man armed with a machete in the Thung Lung area. Officers and…
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Bangkok offers free Valentine’s Day marriage services with prizes for couples
Bangkok is set to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2026 with a citywide initiative allowing couples to register their marriages at 10 specially themed venues, including romantic and unique locations across the capital. Narong Ruangsri, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) permanent secretary, announced that couples can register either at district offices or at designated off-site events on February 14. Each location will…
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Buddhist monks complete 3,700km peace walk across the U.S.
After 108 days and more than 3,700 kilometres on foot, a group of Theravada Buddhist monks concluded their cross-country “Walk for Peace” with a quiet but powerful arrival in Washington, D.C., yesterday, February 10. Beginning in late October 2025, from Fort Worth, Texas, the monks trekked through nine states to spread a message of compassion, unity, and inner peace. Clad…
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Thailand to revise visa policies in economy revamp efforts
Thailand’s Cabinet has formally approved a new phase of visa policy changes aimed at attracting more tourists, digital nomads, students, and retirees as part of a broader economic stimulus strategy. Deputy government spokesperson Aiyarin Phanrit confirmed yesterday, February 10, that the Cabinet has endorsed a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covering short-, medium-, and long-term visa measures. The…
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Thailand launches taxi QR code system for tracking, safety and complaints
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport (DLT) has introduced a three-colour QR code system in taxis nationwide, allowing passengers to verify drivers, track trips in real time, estimate fares and file urgent complaints. The initiative aims to improve passenger safety and service transparency across the industry. QR code stickers are now being installed on approximately 70,000 metered taxis currently in operation,…
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Thailand News | Thai election talks on hold pending official results, new taxi QR code system rolls out to help riders track and fare estimate
Today we’ll be talking about election coalition talks as well as debates over vote counting transparency, a suspect nabbed with rhino horns at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and a little later QR code systems are rolling out in Thai taxis just in time for the Chinese New Year travel rush. Thai Election Talks on Hold Pending Official Results Acting prime minister Anutin…
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Thailand’s corruption score falls in 2025 index
Thailand’s score in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) slid to 33 out of 100, down from 34 the year before, placing the country 116th out of 182 countries in the global rankings, according to Transparency International’s latest survey released yesterday, February 10. The CPI, published annually by the global anti‑corruption watchdog, ranks nations by perceived levels of public‑sector corruption…
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