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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South Korea visa-free trial launched for Indonesian group tourists
South Korea launched a visa-free trial scheme for Indonesian tourists travelling in organised groups, as part of its broader effort to attract 30 million foreign visitors annually. The South Korean government unveiled a new campaign titled “Visit Korea Year” during the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting, held under the theme “K-Tourism, Embracing the World: A Great Transformation of Inbound Tourism,…
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Blind Myanmar refugee found dead after police drop-off in New York
A blind Myanmar refugee and father of two was found dead on February 24 in Buffalo, New York, after being released from custody and later left at a Tim Hortons coffee shop, prompting calls for a full investigation in the United States. The deceased was identified as Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who had fled Myanmar and entered the United States…
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Russian man rewards Bangkok taxi rider for locating missing sister
A Russian man rewarded a Bangkok motorcycle taxi rider with US$100, about 3,100 baht, after the rider helped locate his missing sister, who reportedly has a mental illness. The woman was reported missing in Bangkok, prompting her older brother to ask a motorcycle taxi rider for help. The rider then posted a missing person notice in a Facebook group for…
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Stolen iPhone led to arrest of transgender suspect in Pattaya
Tourist police in Pattaya yesterday, February 26, arrested a suspect in a Chinese tourist robbery case, who said he was threatened and had cash and a mobile phone stolen earlier this month. The case dates back to around midnight on February 1, when the Chinese tourist ran naked to hotel staff at a hotel in Pattaya to ask for help…
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Drug suspect’s revenge plan cut short, shot dead by Nan police
Police in Nan fatally shot a drug suspect during a gun exchange on a rural road in Tha Wang Pha district at about 5.30pm on Wednesday, February 25, after he threatened to kill a police officer who previously arrested him. The incident was reported on the Na Noon–Sop Khun Rural Highway No. 4022. The deceased was identified as 36 year…
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Speeding stop leads to arrest of Russian man on Koh Pha Ngan
On February 25, tourist police arrested a Russian man with drugs on Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani, after stopping a speeding car and later searching his home, where multiple types of narcotics were found. The arrest followed patrols at about 7pm on February 25, where officers followed a car travelling at high speed in a community area. When the vehicle…
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Laotian worker says dream precedes skeleton discovery in Chon Buri
Police in Chon Buri are investigating a discovery of skeletal remains in a Bang Lamung coconut grove after a Laotian worker filed a report on February 25, saying he had dreamed of a woman asking for food the night before. The remains were reported in a coconut plantation beside the Ban Na Wang–Pong Sakaet road, near Khao Song Phi Nong in…
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Underwear-clad foreigner assaulted after drunken outburst in Pattaya
A group of Thai men assaulted a foreigner after he stripped down to his underwear and socks and ran into the road in Pattaya in the early hours of yesterday, February 26. A Thai woman shared a video of the incident on Facebook yesterday with the caption, “Again in Pattaya! Any intoxicants?” The footage shows the foreign man standing in…
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Teacher hits student’s arms with bamboo stick, leaving 10+ bruises, cites stress
A school punishment complaint is under investigation after a Prathom 2 (Year 2) student in Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi, was allegedly punished in class with bamboo-stick strikes to both arms, leaving more than 10 bruises. At about 5pm on February 25, two mothers, Nathee and Praphada, both 26 years old, filed a report at Tha Muang Police Station after their…
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Swede charged after alleged single slap leads to Australian man’s death
Police arrested a Swedish man after he killed an Australian man following a slap in the Patong sub-district, Kathu district, Phuket, on Wednesday, February 25. A Thai woman called Patong Police Station and sought emergency assistance after her 58 year old Australian boyfriend, Alan Roger Jolliffe, collapsed and suffered a serious head injury after being struck in the face by…
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Thai woman breaks down after hugging late mother’s lookalike in Phuket
A Thai woman drew a strong emotional response online after sharing a video of herself asking to hug a lottery vendor in Phuket who she said resembled her late mother. The content creator, Supatsara “Bam” Thongbor, is known for lifestyle videos based in Phuket. She completed her studies in Bangkok and later moved to Phuket for work before launching her…
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Thai Airways denies shipping F-35 parts to Israel amid protests
Thai Airways has responded to online criticism linked to protests in Australia, after activists accused the airline of transporting F-35 parts to Israel, saying that customs, not airlines, have the authority to inspect goods for legality. Chai Iamsiri, chief executive officer of Thai Airways International plc, addressed the issue after it circulated on social media. View this post on…
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Thai man rejected by Kanchanaburi hotel allegedly due to his appearance
A Thai mobile coffee shop operator complained about a hotel in Kanchanaburi province after his booking was cancelled at check-in, which he said was due to his appearance. The man, Gap, is known online among coffee communities for running a mobile coffee shop from his motorcycle. He travels around Thailand and stops in different areas to sell coffee under the…
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Foreign customer claims money missing, leaves after CCTV offer
A Pattaya massage parlour raised concerns yesterday, February 25, saying a foreign customer claimed money was missing from her bag after a one-hour massage, before leaving after CCTV and police were mentioned. The allegation was shared in the Facebook group เตือนภัย แจ้งเหตุ พัทยา, where the poster said the incident happened in the Jomtien area. According to the post, the foreign…
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Foreign woman walks away calmly with stolen suitcase in Phuket
CCTV footage captured a foreign woman, believed to be an Indian national, stealing a suitcase from a luggage shop in Phuket yesterday, February 25. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared the security camera clip today, February 26. The footage showed a woman walking along a footpath in front of the luggage store before stopping outside. She was then seen taking…
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Senior officer accused of hitting woman with bottle in Chaiyaphum
Police are investigating an assault complaint from yesterday, February 25, after a woman reported that she sustained injuries after a senior police officer reportedly struck her following a confrontation at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Chaiyaphum. The complaint was filed at Nong Bua Daeng Police Station by 32 year old Supatra, who alleged that she was assaulted in the restaurant by…
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Rolling Loud Thailand refund delays trigger complaints online
A Thai TikToker and other online users called on the local organiser of Rolling Loud Thailand to explain delays in ticket refunds following the festival’s cancellation announcement in October last year. Rolling Loud, a hip-hop music festival, debuted in Thailand in 2023. It later returned despite controversy over headliners being cancelled at the last minute before a show, according to…
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Patong police investigates death of Australian tourist in Phuket
Police in Phuket are investigating the death of an Australian man who died at a hospital late yesterday, February 25, after reportedly being assaulted earlier the same day in Patong. Patong Police were notified at about 11pm that a foreign tourist had died at Patong Hospital, prompting officers to attend and begin an investigation. The deceased was identified as 58…
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Bangkok rolls out adaptive CCTV-AI traffic lights to tackle traffic
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has begun upgrading traffic lights at dozens of intersections to an adaptive system that uses CCTV and AI to adjust signals in real time, with plans to expand the rollout further this year. According to information posted on February 20 on the BMA‘s Facebook page, Bangkok is moving away from traditional fixed-timing traffic signals and towards…
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Thai wife arrested for planting bomb on husband’s mistress’ car
A Thai woman attached explosive devices to the car of her husband’s mistress in an attempted killing, but the devices failed to fully detonate, causing only minor damage to the vehicle. Officers from Don Hua Lor Police Station were notified of an explosion on the morning of December 24 last year. The victim told police an explosive device fell from…
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Foreign woman revived after drowning incident at Pattaya Beach
Rescue teams in Pattaya, Chon Buri, were called yesterday morning, February 25, after reports that a foreign tourist had been pulled from the sea unconscious, prompting emergency resuscitation. Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescue unit in Pattaya received the report at 7.30am about a foreign national who had drowned and was unresponsive on Pattaya Beach, in Na Kluea subdistrict. Rescue and medical…
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Election Commission targets people over ballot image sharing and decoding
Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) filed a complaint against a group accused of sharing images of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers online and attempting to decode them, saying the activity was intended to discredit the commission. The ECT ballot barcode and QR code issue emerged during vote counting in the latest General Election. Members of the public gathered…
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Young boy hospitalised after cable tie tightened around testicles
Parents in Prachin Buri filed a complaint yesterday, February 25, after a Prathom 4 student was hospitalised for several days with severe testicle injury, allegedly caused when other students tightened a cable tie around his testicles. The incident occurred while the 10 year old boy was walking to a toilet, where he was allegedly assaulted and restrained by older Prathom…
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Teenager stabs ex-girlfriend after she refuses to reconcile
A 16 year old Thai boy stabbed his ex-girlfriend in Songkhla province on Saturday, February 21, after she refused to reconcile following a break-up. The victim’s father, 49 year old Udomrat, said the attack happened at about 2.50pm at a teacher welfare residence where his daughter, Fai, was taking extra classes. He shared details of the case with news agencies,…
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Phuket tuk tuk driver filmed hitting car of Russian couple
A Russian couple had accused a Thai tuk tuk driver of threatening them and damaging their car during a road dispute outside a convenience store in Phuket. The Phuket News Facebook page reposted a video of the incident and the couple’s account yesterday, February 24. The footage, recorded by the couple, showed a tuk tuk driver in a white T-shirt…
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Surin armoury fire triggers explosions before crews bring flames under control
A fire broke out at an arsenal in Surin province last night, February 24, triggering repeated explosions and a major emergency response. One officer was reported injured, with the cause still unknown. At about 7:30pm, the fire started at Border Patrol Police Subdivision 21 in Chaniang subdistrict, Mueang Surin district, followed by a series of explosions. The first blast was…
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Former monk arrested after Telegram account linked to child sex abuse
Cyber police have arrested a former monk and temple resident at a temple in Phichit, after investigators linked a Telegram account to alleged child sexual abuse material, an alleged sexual assault of a 10 year old girl, and other conduct involving a public toilet. The arrest followed an investigation led by the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children unit (TICAC), working…
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Kanom krok tops TasteAtlas list as best Thai dessert for 2026
TasteAtlas ranked kanom krok as Thailand’s best dessert for 2026 and placed it seventh on its list of the world’s best pancakes. Thailand’s Minister of Culture, Sabida Thaiseth, invited the public to celebrate the recognition of Thai desserts by the international food and travel guide. She said kanom krok was named the top Thai dessert based on reviews from international…
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Air Force conscript dies in training, mother alleges army carelessness
A mother is seeking accountability after her son, a newly enlisted Air Force conscript, collapsed and died during training in Don Mueang district, Bangkok. She alleges instructors ignored his worsening condition. The case was shared by the Facebook page “น้ำ-นิชนันท์ วังคะฮาต-Nitchanan Wangkahat”, which said the account was based on the mother’s allegations. The conscript was identified as 21 year old…
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AI vs human traders: how technology is changing trading behaviour in 2026
Thailand’s trading sphere in 2026 sits at an intersection of retail participation, institutional automation and a regulatory framework that increasingly acknowledges algorithmic decision making. You see this on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, in futures markets and across licensed digital asset platforms, where execution speed and data interpretation now influence outcomes as much as balance sheet strength. Human judgment still…
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