News
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Phuket warehouse raid uncovers scam with 20,000 items seized
Police in Phuket have dismantled a large-scale fraudulent parcel operation, seizing more than 20,000 items believed to be used in a nationwide cash-on-delivery (COD) scam. Yesterday, November 16, Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, led a team including officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station to inspect a commercial unit in Boat Plaza, Rassada subdistrict. The raid…
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Thailand video news | Thailand updates alcohol rules, Thailand introduces new tax on low-cost imports
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex covers key stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia, including changes to the alcohol laws, a new tax on low-cost imports aimed at protecting local SMEs, several incidents involving misbehaving foreigners, and a few feel-good updates to end on a positive note. Thailand Updates Alcohol Rules with New Sales and Closing Hours Thailand has…
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Second Russian man arrested over drug sale QR code stickers in Phuket
Police arrested another Russian drug dealer on Friday, November 14, following an extended investigation into drug sale QR code stickers placed on utility poles across Phuket. The investigation was expanded after a Russian man was arrested on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province earlier in November for promoting drug sales via QR codes. The suspect was found placing QR code…
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12 Chinese drug users and 20 illegal Vietnamese workers arrested in Pattaya club raid
Police raided an entertainment venue in Pattaya yesterday, discovering 12 Chinese nationals who tested positive for drugs and 20 Vietnamese workers without permits. More than 100 officers from Provincial Police Region 2 raided Space Club Pattaya on Pattaya Sai Sam Road in Bang Lamung district at 2.49am. Channel 7 reported that this operation differed from previous ones, as officers did…
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November 17: 40 Thai provinces brace for storms, strong winds
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a warning today, November 17, as severe storms and strong winds are forecast to sweep across 40 provinces, with the upper region facing erratic conditions and southern seas seeing waves of over two metres. The TMD announced that a strong high-pressure system from central China is expected to move across southern China and northern…
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Foreign man fined for strolling naked while visiting Thai wife in Kamphaeng Phet
Yesterday, A foreign man captured the attention of locals after strolling naked through a local market and a convenience store in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. Residents buying groceries at Khlong Lan Market recorded the man calmly walking around without clothes. In the clips shared on social media, bystanders stare in disbelief as the man casually makes a payment at…
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Thailand and Sweden eye bigger trade boost and tech ties
Thailand and Sweden held talks to boost bilateral trade and investment, focusing on technology, green products, and a potential EU free trade agreement. In a high-level meeting on Friday, November 14, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun sat down with Swedish Ambassador Anna Hammargren to push forward the Thailand-Sweden Strategic Partnership and discuss fast-tracking negotiations on a long-awaited Thailand–EU free trade agreement.…
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Trump threatens to sue BBC for US$5 billion over speech edit
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the BBC over an edited broadcast of his speech, claiming it falsely implied a call for violent action. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump vowed legal action against the BBC’s flagship Panorama programme, accusing it of manipulating footage from his controversial speech on January 6, 2021. “We’ll sue them for anywhere…
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Ayutthaya businesswoman offers red drinks for lottery luck
A crane company owner made a vow at a famous Ayutthaya hermitage after a business success, while worshippers searched for lucky numbers in holy water. Yesterday, November 15, crowds of worshippers and tourists gathered at the hermitage of Rishi Naen That Phutthakun in Pho Taeng subdistrict, Bang Sai district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The site has become a spiritual…
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Chinese fake tour guide arrested after 1,043-day overstay
Tourist Police arrested a Chinese national in Pattaya for working illegally as a tour guide while overstaying his visa by nearly three years. Undercover Tourist Police swooped in on a Chinese tour group early on Wednesday, November 12, arresting 30 year old Jinlei (surname withheld), who was caught leading tourists with a fake tour guide licence while overstaying his visa…
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Arsenic alert in Mekong prompts urgent government action
The People’s Party (PP) has called on the government to address arsenic contamination in the Mekong River caused by foreign mining, urging immediate action. The spread is believed to be caused by foreign mining activities in China, Myanmar, and Laos. Chiang Mai MP and PP deputy spokesperson, Phattarapong Leelaphat, voiced concerns on Facebook, accusing the government of remaining silent despite…
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Woman caught smoking meth in Pattaya temple bathroom
A homeless woman was caught using methamphetamine in a temple bathroom in Pattaya after a concerned resident alerted police to a suspicious smell. At 12.10am yesterday, November 15, patrol officers from Nongprue Police Station responded to an unusual tip-off at Wat Chai Mongkol, a temple near Walking Street in South Pattaya. A concerned citizen had reported a strange chemical odour…
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Phuket gets new governor after record-short term ends
Phuket will welcome a new governor after the sudden departure of the former officeholder, marking a swift change in provincial leadership. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, the current Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), is scheduled to arrive in Phuket tomorrow, November 17, to take over as the new Governor of Phuket. His appointment was confirmed earlier this week through an…
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Cool weather kicks in as storms brew across Thailand
A cold snap and stormy conditions are sweeping across Thailand as a weather system from China brings strong winds, rain, and cooler temperatures nationwide. A moderate high-pressure system from China is sweeping across upper Thailand and the South China Sea, bringing cool to cold mornings and strong winds to northern, northeastern, central, and eastern regions, including Bangkok. The northeast is…
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Why is everyone talking about investing in 2025?
If there’s one financial topic dominating conversations right now, it’s investing in 2025. Across Reddit threads and Wall Street trading floors, sentiment is cautiously optimistic—though somewhat weary—about what the next 12 months may bring. But what’s really behind this growing interest? And why are more people than ever, from seasoned investors to first-timers, choosing to jump in? The Economic Rebound…
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143 macaques rescued in Sa Kaeo border smuggling raid
Thai officials rescued 143 macaques during two anti-smuggling operations near the Sa Kaeo border, targeting a cross-border wildlife trafficking ring. The first raid occurred around 3pm yesterday, November 14, in Ban Khao Chong Khaep, Khlong Hat district, where a joint task force uncovered 62 long-tailed macaques packed inside plastic crates hidden in a sugarcane field. No suspects were apprehended at…
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Blazing cables and explosions jolt Pattaya neighbourhood
A fire broke out on overhead cables in a Pattaya neighbourhood, causing explosions and panic as locals and rescue teams worked to prevent it from spreading. The fire broke out around 8pm yesterday, November 14, in the Ton Krabok area of Na Kluea, sending flames and sparks cascading from power poles positioned in front of homes. Alarmed locals quickly notified…
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Rare great hornbill spotted in Chiang Mai after 10 years
A great hornbill was spotted in a Chiang Mai national park, marking the first confirmed sighting in over a decade and signalling improved forest health. Chiang Mai’s Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park is celebrating a major ecological milestone after spotting a great hornbill, also known locally as nok kahang or nok gak, for the first time in over a…
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Toddler found dead by Rayong roadside prompts police probe
Police in Rayong are investigating after a toddler’s body was found near a roadside restaurant, with signs of severe injuries and possible foul play. Rayong police have launched a full-scale investigation after the body of a two year old boy was discovered abandoned and unclothed near a roadside restaurant in Mueang subdistrict, Nikhom Phatthana district. Officers were alerted to the…
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Bangkok woman’s lottery streak stuns Ratchaburi locals
A Bangkok woman returned to a Ratchaburi monastery to give thanks after winning the lottery multiple times, crediting her luck to a revered local spirit. Excitement is building in Ratchaburi ahead of the national lottery draw tomorrow, November 16, as word spreads of a woman who’s racked up six consecutive wins, each time returning to perform a dance of thanks…
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Thai ex-cop Santhana granted bail in 2021 Taiwanese kidnap case
A former police officer was granted bail after being arrested in Bangkok for allegedly abducting a foreign businessman as part of a wider criminal case. Santhana Prayoonrat, a 66 year old former senior police officer with a controversial past, was granted bail yesterday, November 14, following his arrest in connection with the 2021 abduction of a Taiwanese businessman in Bangkok.…
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Royal order visits Phuket to back aid for the underprivileged
An international chivalric order met with Phuket officials to discuss new partnerships aimed at supporting social development and local communities. A delegation from the Order of Saint Stanislas, an international NGO with roots in European chivalric tradition, visited Phuket on Thursday, November 13, to explore community development partnerships and expand support for disadvantaged residents. The high-profile visit took place at…
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Toxic gas leak kills 2 workers in Krabi pit accident
Three workers were exposed to toxic gas while cleaning a chemical pit at a company in Krabi, leaving two dead and one hospitalised, according to police. Two Myanmar workers died and a third was rescued after inhaling deadly gas while cleaning a chemical pit at an industrial site in Krabi’s Plai Phraya district yesterday, November 14. The incident took place…
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Thai shops caught hiking prices under co-pay scheme
The Thai government is cracking down on shops accused of raising prices and violating rules after joining a nationwide co-payment scheme to aid consumers. Santi Piyatat, a minister from the Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) received 66 complaints between October 29 and November 11, flagging widespread misuse. Among them, 29 involved shops…
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Laotian man arrested after knife-point gold snatch in Bangkok
A Laotian man was arrested in Bangkok after allegedly robbing a woman at knife-point while she was shopping at a busy market, according to local police. The 33 year old Laotian man, identified as Tabun, has been arrested for allegedly snatching a gold necklace from a Myanmar woman at knife-point in a busy Bangkok market. The incident unfolded on November…
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Street food feud turns violent in Jomtien Beach brawl (video)
A beachside brawl broke out in Pattaya when a group led by a street vendor confronted several men, reigniting an old dispute caught on video. A simmering street food feud exploded into violence yesterday morning, November 14, when a female vendor allegedly led a group of nearly 10 people in an assault on a group of men relaxing on Jomtien…
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Thailand hit by chilly mornings and stormy seas this weekend
Thailand braces for cooler mornings and rough seas as a weather system sweeps the country, bringing strong winds and thundershowers across several regions. A moderate high-pressure system sweeping down from China continues to influence Thailand’s upper regions and the South China Sea. This system is delivering cool morning temperatures and strong winds, particularly across northeastern Thailand. Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon…
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Drunk driver arrested after gun scare outside Patong Hospital
A man was arrested in Patong after allegedly using a blank gun to threaten two people while driving under the influence near a busy intersection. The incident unfolded near the Nam Sia Intersection on Phra Metta Road, when Patong Police were alerted around 10pm yesterday, November 13, to a suspicious pickup truck with obscured number plates threatening passers-by with what…
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Bangkok climbs ‘World’s Best Cities’ list, eyes top 20
A new global report has ranked Bangkok among the world’s top cities, highlighting its growing appeal for tourism, investment, and long-term urban potential. Bangkok is stepping further into the global spotlight after being ranked 22nd in the World’s Best Cities for 2026 report, a notable jump from 32nd place last year. The prestigious index, released by Resonance Consultancy during the…
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Thai student left homeless after bank account used as mule by classmate
A Thai university student is seeking help after his Vietnamese friend tricked him into sharing his bank account number and used it as a mule account, leading to the account being frozen. He was unable to pay his dormitory rent and has been sleeping in a common area at the university. The third-year student in Udon Thani, 22 year old…
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