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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Trash island no more! Koh Larn’s rubbish crisis nears fiery end
A long-awaited solution to Koh Larn’s mountain of rubbish is finally on the horizon, and it’s going up in smoke. The waste incineration plant on the popular tourist island near Pattaya is now 70% complete and expected to be operational within six months, according to Kiatsak Sriwongchai, the permanent secretary of Pattaya City. Construction of the plant began on May…
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Motorcyclist dies in tragic hit-and-run on Bangkok overpass
A motorcyclist tragically died yesterday after being hit by a car and falling from the Bang Prakaew overpass in Bangkok. The collision involved a BMW, which fled the scene, leaving debris behind. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suvijak Noisri of Bang Mod Police Station received a report of a road accident at 7.30am, yesterday, April 16, involving a motorcycle and a car on…
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Drunk Chinese tourist crashes, pukes, passes out in Pattaya
A drunk Chinese tourist turned a quiet Pattaya street into a late-night demolition derby after ploughing his pickup into parked vehicles, before vomiting out the window and passing out behind the wheel. Pattaya police were called to the boozy crash scene in the early hours of this morning, after the Chinese man smashed his black pickup truck into multiple parked vehicles,…
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Thailand pioneers 3D-printed titanium hip socket surgery
Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol University has achieved a world-first by developing and implanting a 3D-printed, customised titanium hip socket for a patient. This advancement marks a significant step forward in orthopaedic surgery and highlights Thailand’s medical innovation. Apichat Asavamongkolkul, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, shared insights into this pioneering procedure during a press conference titled World…
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Weather alert: April showers to batter Bangkok and beyond
Brace yourselves, Thailand, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has sounded the alarm for today, as severe weather is set to ravage 40 provinces across the nation, including the bustling capital of Bangkok. Expect intense thunderstorms, howling winds, and the shocking possibility of lightning strikes. Southern Thailand is in the line of fire, with a whopping 70% of the region bracing…
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Phuket’s buffalo orange gets GI push to juice up global fame
The beautiful resort island of Phuket is hoping its native fruit, the Garcinia or som khwai (buffalo orange), will peel into prestige as a Geographical Indication (GI) product, adding some serious juice to the province’s agricultural and food industries. In a recent workshop led by deputy governor Suwit Pansa-ngiam, local producers were schooled on the ins and outs of GI…
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Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna’s expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can turn into major stress. To help expats feel more secure, Cigna is now offering a special deal. New customers who…
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Thailand eyes LNG import deal with US to ease trade tensions
Thailand is preparing to offer energy import deals to the United States in a bid to rebalance trade and strengthen bilateral ties, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavachira. Speaking after a meeting with executives from PTT today, April 16, Pichai said Thailand plans to sign a 15-year concession to import 1 million tonnes of liquefied natural…
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Khao Yai landslide injures 2 Filipinas, waterfall trail closed
Two female tourists from the Philippines were injured after part of a cliff near Haew Narok Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park collapsed today, April 16, prompting an immediate closure of the area for safety inspections. The incident occurred near a high cliff section by the bridge walkway leading down to the popular Haew Narok Waterfall. Large volumes of soil…
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Thailand records 171 road deaths in 5 days of Songkran
Thailand’s Road Safety Centre reported 171 deaths and 1,208 injuries from 1,216 road accidents during the first five days of the 7 Dangerous Days Songkran safety campaign. Data released yesterday, April 15, shows that speeding, drink-driving, and poor visibility remain the top causes of accidents. Motorcycles were involved in over 85% of crashes. Just yesterday alone, 214 accidents were recorded,…
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Pattaya nightclub security apologise over brawl with foreign tourists
Two Pattaya nightclub security guards have apologised for their role in an altercation with foreign tourists that went viral online, sparking public backlash and prompting an official police investigation. The brawl, which reportedly unfolded inside a nightlife venue, before spilling outside onto Soi 6 and was widely circulated on social media, showed the guards involved in a physical confrontation with…
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Park ranger dies retrieving tourist’s phone in Kanchanaburi cave
A Thai park ranger tragically lost his life after diving into a rain-swollen stream to retrieve a tourist’s dropped phone inside a cave in Kanchanaburi province. The incident occurred yesterday afternoon, April 15, at Tham Sao Hin, also known as the Stone Pillar Cave, located in Lam Khlong Ngu National Park in Thong Pha Phum district. At around 1pm, 43…
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PM Paetongtarn named Young Global Leader 2025
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (YGL) for 2025, crediting her as one of the top changemakers under 40 on the global stage. Government advisor Jirayu Huangsap confirmed the honour today, April 16, noting that the 38 year old PM is among 114 individuals selected worldwide for their leadership and…
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Meatball mayhem: Pattaya vendor slices ex’s ear in street bust-up
A fiery feud turned bloody in the early hours of this morning when a Pattaya meatball vendor slashed her ex-husband’s ear during a jealous booze-fuelled bust-up, right in front of her food stall. It all kicked off at 2.36am, today, April 16, when emergency crews and police were scrambled to Soi Kor Pai after reports of a stabbing outside a…
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Bangkok handshake: PM duo set to strengthen Thai-Anwar ties
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will welcome Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Bangkok tomorrow, April 17, for talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations and boosting regional cooperation between the two Southeast Asian nations. The visit marks a continuation of diplomatic dialogue between the two leaders, who first met during Paetongtarn’s official visit to Kuala Lumpur on December 16. They also…
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Strong winds cause glass collapse at Thai Air Force canteen
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) spokesperson has explained the recent incident where strong winds caused a glass partition to collapse in a Bangkok canteen. The event, involving an elderly woman with a cane, occurred at the Jantharubeksa Sports Stadium canteen on April 13. She fell backwards when a sudden storm with strong winds blew through, causing the glass partition…
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Songkran festival turns sour as woman drenched by teens (video)
A young woman was left frustrated during the Songkran festival after being unexpectedly drenched with water by a group of teenagers, causing her to be knocked off balance. The water’s suspicious yellowish hue further added to her concern. Celebrated annually, the Songkran festival is eagerly awaited by many for its water festivities. However, participants are reminded to prioritise safety, as…
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Protecting your bets: password hygiene and account management
Online betting continues to grow in Thailand. With more people using mobile apps, protecting personal accounts becomes essential. Most users store payment information, history, and login data on their phones. If this data gets exposed, the consequences can be serious. Strong password practices play a big role in securing betting accounts. Many users now use multiple platforms to place bets,…
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Traffic toll: Thailand ranks 4th in global road accident fatalities
A recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Statista highlights Thailand as one of the countries with the highest road accident fatality rates globally. The country records a death rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people annually, significantly surpassing the global average. According to data from Statista, Thailand’s roads are alarmingly dangerous for users, placing the country among the…
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Thailand investigates construction firms in collapsed building case
Thailand’s Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) visited the collapsed site of the new State Audit Office. The visit today, April 16, aimed to gather further evidence related to nominee cases involving four contracts with two major construction companies. The DSI is coordinating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate potential collusion, and the commerce…
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Cops hunt suspects in Songkran shooting at Nakhon Sawan temple
Police are actively pursuing two people involved in a shooting at a Songkran festival at a well-known temple in Nakhon Sawan, resulting in three injuries, with one person critically wounded after bullets were lodged in eight places on their body. The incident occurred on Monday, April 14, at Wat Krok Phra Nuea, Krok Phra district. Initial investigations revealed that the…
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Thailand boosts green industry with World Bank project
Efforts are underway to enhance carbon data management in Thailand’s industry to boost investment in the Map Ta Phut sandbox, a collaborative project between the World Bank and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT). This initiative aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and support factory operators in Rayong’s Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in transitioning to businesses based on…
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Shooting in Sisaket leaves one dead, suspect in custody
A shooting incident in Sisaket has left one man dead and another critically injured. The violent event occurred at a community pavilion in Ban Khon, Mueang district, Sisaket province, when a group of young men opened fire. The assailant has since surrendered to the police. The incident transpired just after midnight yesterday, April 15. Yailak Jantho, the village headman of…
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Myanmar earthquake rattles northern Thailand border towns
Northern Thailand was rattled awake in the early hours of this morning as tremors from a Myanmar earthquake crept across the border, stirring fears of more seismic shocks to come. The 4.1-magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar just after midnight today, April 16, sending tremors rippling across the Thai-Myanmar border and unsettling residents in the north, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.…
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Pattaya locals question drink-driving checks during Songkran
As Pattaya soldiers on with its Songkran celebrations, locals are raising doubts about the effectiveness of alcohol checkpoints in curbing drunk driving and road accidents. Local police have ramped up road safety measures during the annual 7 Dangerous Days campaign, including more checkpoints and alcohol breath tests. But residents are sceptical. Popular sentiment is the same, locals claim regulating drink…
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Pickup truck crash in Ayutthaya claims one life, injures four
A pickup truck returning from Songkran celebrations lost control and veered off the road, plunging into an irrigation canal. The accident resulted in one fatality and four injuries. A survivor expressed uncertainty about the cause of the accident. Today, April 16, Police Lieutenant Colonel Damrongsak Saeng-ngen of Bang Ban Police Station reported that at 11pm yesterday, April 15, a pickup…
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Soaked: Flash floods fury leaves Phuket in deep water
Phuket woke up underwater yesterday as torrential overnight downpours triggered flash floods, swamped roads and sparked fresh fears of landslides, turning paradise into panic. Parts of of the popular holiday resort resembled rivers rather than roads yesterday morning, April 15, after relentless rain pummelled the island overnight, flooding key areas and prompting landslide warnings across southern Thailand. Among the hardest-hit…
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Thailand dangles 30% rebates to lure big-budget film crews
The Thai government is rolling out the red carpet for foreign film producers, dangling increased rebates and support as global interest in the country as a shooting destination surges. A recent surge in major international productions, led by HBO’s The White Lotus Season 3, which was filmed in Thailand, has sparked renewed interest in the kingdom’s tropical locations and generous…
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Foreign man criticized for bad behaviour at Songkran party (video)
A TikTok user shared a video of an incident involving a foreign man displaying inappropriate behaviour during the Songkran festival in Thailand. The man is accused of deliberately splashing water on women’s faces and chests during the Thai New Year celebration, then smiling with satisfaction. He allegedly also spat at people and threw ice yesterday, April 15. In the video,…
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Thai and mighty! Thailand leapfrogs Malaysia in global rankings
Thailand may have outpaced Malaysia in a key global competitiveness ranking for the first time in a decade but experts warn the shine may not last as structural issues, budget cuts, and a lack of long-term vision continue to hold the kingdom back. Thailand has climbed to second place in Southeast Asia in the IMD World Competitiveness Centre’s global rankings,…
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