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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Parliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul was elected Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister (PM) during a Parliamentary vote held today, March 19. Anutin previously served as PM after former PM Partongtar Shinawatra was removed from office over a leaked phone conversation with Hun Sen. He later announced the dissolution of Parliament on December 11 last year, leading to the General Election on…
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Chinese fraud suspect caught after trying to hide with sacred tattoo
A Chinese man was arrested yesterday, March 18, at a ritual site in Khon Kaen, where he attempted to get a sacred tattoo, hoping it would help him hide from the arrest. Officers from Immigration Division 4 were alerted by Chinese officials about a Chinese suspect wanted for fraud. The suspect, later identified only as Shang, was accused of running…
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Influencer’s stolen safe found damaged, two suspects arrested
Police in Nakhon Ratchasima today, March 19, arrested two suspects over the theft of a safe belonging to an influencer after it disappeared from a luxury condominium in Korat and was later found damaged. Investigators detained two men in the city before taking them to a disposal site in the Jo Ho area, where the safe was found damaged after…
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2 men leave 2 transwomen at Pattaya hotel without paying
Two men escaped from a hotel in Pattaya, leaving behind two Thai transwomen at the accommodation without paying on March 17. The 52 year old woman, Wan, who runs a hotel in the Jomtien area, shared CCTV footage of the suspects with The Pattaya News. She said one man was Thai, while the second was believed to be Chinese. Wan…
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Phatthalung psychiatric patient kidnaps nurse at knifepoint
A psychiatric patient allegedly threatened a nurse with a knife and forced her into a car before fleeing from Srinakarin Hospital in Phatthalung, yesterday, March 18, before leaving her by the roadside. Police at Srinagarindra Police Station were alerted by the hospital that a patient showing psychiatric symptoms linked to drug use had been brought in for treatment. While staff were preparing…
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British man dies in Bangkok after suspected spiked drink
A British music event organiser died at a hotel in Bangkok on March 6 after he and his girlfriend allegedly consumed drinks that were spiked with cocaine and heroin. The woman remains in a rehabilitation centre. The British event organiser and yoga instructor, 38 year old Tom Pardhy, had been holidaying in Thailand for about six weeks with his girlfriend, 31…
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Transport Ministry denies Khlong Saen Saep boat fare hike rumours
The Transport Ministry has denied reports that passenger boat fares on Bangkok’s Khlong Saen Saep canal will rise by 1 baht per segment this week, saying the operator has confirmed there has been no change to the current rates. The clarification followed claims that Khlong Saen Saep boat fares would increase from 11 to 21 baht to 12 to 22 baht,…
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Thailand tourism overrated claim prompts debate online
A foreign woman criticised Thai tourism, describing Thailand as “overrated” and citing high accommodation costs, food hygiene concerns, poor transport experiences, crowded islands, rubbish and unfriendly locals. The woman shared her experiences of travelling in Thailand in a video that was later reposted by local news outlet TravelNews. In the clip, she said she spent two weeks in the country…
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Chinese tourist struck in the face by bullet at Phuket shooting range
A visit to a shooting range in Kathu, Phuket, ended with a Chinese tourist being taken to the hospital yesterday evening, March 18, after she was struck in the face by a stray bullet when a staff member’s firearm discharged. Police in Kathu were notified at about 6.10pm that a foreign tourist had been shot at a shooting range opposite…
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AEROTHAI says 1,000+ Middle East flights to Thailand cancelled
More than 1,000 flights to Thailand have been cancelled by airlines from the Middle East since February 28, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI), as the regional conflict continues to affect traffic through Thai airspace. Surachai Nuprom, AEROTHAI’s deputy executive director and acting executive director, said today, March 18, that the impact on flight volumes in Thailand has become…
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5 monks criticised for enjoying banana boat in Bueng Kan reservoir
Thai monks faced criticism online after a video showed them riding a car-shaped banana boat in the Bueng Khong Long reservoir in Bueng Kan province. A Thai social media influencer posted the clip on his Facebook page, บอยขวัญถุงChannel, showing five monks taking the banana boat ride in the reservoir. The video drew attention across Thai social media and triggered debate about…
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Activist leads petition opposing non-Thai student admissions policy
A group led by activist Tae Achiwa gathered outside Thailand’s Ministry of Education in Bangkok yesterday, March 17, to submit a letter objecting to the government’s non-Thai student admissions policy. Tae arrived at around 11am with supporters from the Thai Mai Thon group and handed officials a petition opposing the Ministry of Education announcement on accepting students who do not…
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Heatstroke leaves footballer in coma during Korat sports event
A football match held as part of a local sports event in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) ended with an emergency today, March 18, when a player collapsed due to heatstroke during a game and was taken to the hospital. The incident happened during a special fixture at a football field in Ma Roeng subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, staged under…
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Thai man warns of petrol scam after paying 40,000 and getting water
A Thai man in Phetchabun warned the public to be cautious when buying fuel during the ongoing shortage, after he paid 40,000 baht for petrol but received a container filled with water. The man posted videos on his Facebook account, อำนาจ โซล่าเซลล์, on Monday, March 16, showing him and his employees draining water from a well-drilling engine. His caption read,…
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YouTube removes AI crypto scam ad impersonating Bitkub CEO
YouTube has removed a scam advertisement from its platform after it was found to use deepfake technology to impersonate a company executive and persuade viewers to invest in cryptocurrency. In a statement, YouTube said its misleading content policies prohibit impersonating public figures for the purpose of deceiving people, including false claims of endorsement or association with a public figure. The…
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1,000 trucks assemble in Chon Buri in fuel shortage protest
More than 1,000 trucks assembled in Chon Buri this morning, March 18, as the Land Transport Federation of Thailand pushed for government action over the ongoing fuel shortage. Its president is urging changes to fuel supply management, stating that certain energy capital groups are thriving at a time when the general public is struggling the most. At 9.20am, Land Transport…
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Thai aviation industry costs rise as AAT seeks government relief
The Airline Association of Thailand (AAT) has met executives from six member airlines to discuss rising cost pressures on the Thai aviation industry, as it prepares to ask the government for urgent relief measures. The AAT said it recently convened a meeting with top management from its member airlines: Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Nok Air, Thai Lion…
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Chicken rice shop left with 100 boxes after customer refuses delivery
A chicken rice shop in Chachoengsao gave away dozens of meals yesterday, March 17, after a customer allegedly placed an order for 100 boxes and then refused to accept the delivery. Locals queued outside the premises as the shop gave away boxed chicken rice free of charge. Some customers also asked to pay, saying they felt sorry for the vendor…
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Thailand News | Energy Ministry says fuel stocks are stable despite pump delays, Phetchabun Youth Boxing Group faces scrutiny over free training sessions
Today we’ll be talking about a hight profile case where Pattaya security guards are being questioned over a tourist assault video, a temple trip double decker bus crash that leaves dozens injured, and a little later a bizarre incident where a syringe was found on a plate at a Phuket hotel buffet. Energy Ministry Says Fuel Stocks Are Stable Despite…
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Influencer questions condo security after heavy safe with gold bar missing
A Thai influencer questioned condominium security in Nakhon Ratchasima after a large safe containing gold bars worth nearly 3 million baht went missing from her room, with no signs of forced entry. The 33 year old, Phannarai Khemmee, known online as Mod Oil, told followers on Facebook that the 250-kilogramme safe disappeared from her condominium room on March 14. She…
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Phuket van crash kills Russian woman, injures 11 others
A Russian woman was killed, and 11 other Russian nationals were injured in a Phuket van crash on Thep Kasattri Road in Thalang district in the early hours of today, March 18, while travelling to Similan Island in Phang Nga. Thachatchai Police Station officers were notified about the fatal accident at about 4am and went to the scene with rescuers…
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Five officers injured after bomb attack at outpost in Pattani
Five officers were injured in a Pattani bomb attack after an improvised explosive device detonated outside an outpost in Panare district yesterday, March 17, triggering a fire that damaged a building and several vehicles. Panare Police Station received a report at 7pm of an explosion at the Thanam strategic outpost in Ban Kha, Thanam subdistrict, Panare district, Pattani province. Police…
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British man found dead in drainage canal near Phuket beach
A British man found dead in a drainage canal near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket on March 14 was seen on CCTV appearing restless outside a hotel shortly before his body was discovered. A Burmese national went to the canal in the Bang Tao area at about 12.30pm on March 14 to harvest morning glory and came across the body.…
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Mother files complaint after volleyball coach repeatedly beats son
A mother filed a complaint yesterday, March 17, with the Crime Suppression Division after alleging an assistant volleyball coach at a sports school in Nonthaburi province repeatedly beat her son with a stick. On Phahonyothin Road, จ่าคิงส์ แตงทิม สะพานใหม่, a social assistance worker, accompanied 46 year old Anisa to meet investigators to seek legal action against the assistant coach. Her…
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Thailand is walking into a carbon trap and nobody’s talking about it
Somewhere in the rice paddies of Suphanburi, a farmer is making the same decisions his father made. How much fertiliser to apply, when to flood the fields, which market will pay the best price? He is not thinking about the European Union, nor is he thinking about carbon certificates or emissions trading schemes. He is thinking about his crop. But…
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Medical staff protest at Chiang Rai hospital over 12-hour shifts
Yesterday morning, March 16, around 200 medical staff at a hospital in Chiang Rai gathered to protest against a nursing council announcement that would require some staff to work 12-hour nursing shifts, saying the change could affect both their well-being and patient care. The group assembled at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital in Mueang Chiang Rai district, where nurses and other personnel…
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Police tries to shut down free youth boxing lessons in Phetchabun
A Phetchabun boxing group says it was reported to police for running a boxing event without permission, even though it describes the activity as free training for children. The case, posted online between March 15 and today, March 17, has drawn calls for officials to review what happened. The issue was first raised publicly on March 15 by Suwit Siriwech,…
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Five guards questioned after assault on foreign tourist in Pattaya
Tourist police in Pattaya, on March 15, tracked down five security guards linked to a viral video showing a tourist being assaulted at an entertainment venue on Walking Street, as officers move to pursue legal action. The video, recorded by a tourist and shared online, appears to show security guards surrounding and attacking a foreign tourist on Walking Street in…
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Drunk tourist claims missing cash from transwoman in Pattaya
An Instagram video posted by a foreign tourist has highlighted a dispute on Pattaya Walking Street, after a heavily intoxicated tourist claimed money was missing in an incident involving a transgender woman. In the clip, the poster said they were playing pool outside a venue when a drunk man approached and repeatedly shouted “Police! Police!” at them. Despite being told…
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Tourist finds used syringe on plate at Phuket hotel buffet
A family holiday meal at a Phuket hotel has raised food safety concerns on March 17 after a tourist and their group found what appeared to be a used syringe on a plate at an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. The incident was shared via a Facebook post to a group, which is a community for Chinese travellers in Bangkok. The original…
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