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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Phuket airport to launch automated passport gates June 13
Phuket International Airport will open automated outbound passport gates on June 13 to reduce immigration waiting queues after social media complaints about congestion and alleged special paid lane services. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploytalay Laksameesaengchan said today, June 3, that the government had instructed relevant agencies to verify facts and address congestion at the airport’s immigration checkpoint. The move follows social…
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Chinese TikToker questions yuan-only payment at Huai Khwang restaurant
A Chinese social media influencer living in Thailand raised questions about the legality of a Chinese restaurant in the Huai Khwang area of Bangkok after claiming the business accepted only Chinese yuan and WeChat Pay instead of Thai payment methods. The influencer, 28 year old Wang Bingyang, known online as Bing, shared a video on his TikTok account, @jaideebingandfriend, on…
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Thailand video news | Thai’s react to visa restrictions, Canadian arrested for minor assault
In Thailand video news, Alex covers news stories from across Thailand. The stories include local reactions to the new reduced visa-free stays, then some political news with Thaksin Shinawatra officially receiving a royal pardon. In decidedly unpardonable crime news, we have a couple of creeps in the form of a Canadian teacher assaulting a student and a local man sneaking…
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Thai customs seizes One Piece cards worth 2 million baht
Thai Customs seized 30 boxes of One Piece card game products worth more than 2 million baht at the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla on May 31 after officers found the goods near an arrival gate with no owner present. The Customs Department said officers from Sadao Customs House were inspecting and monitoring the checkpoint area for customs offences when…
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Japanese tourist left with cut eyebrow after brawl with transwoman in Pattaya
A Japanese tourist suffered a cut eyebrow after a payment dispute with a Thai transgender woman, which resulted in a fight on Pattaya Beach earlier today, June 3. The incident was reported at 12.49am near Pattaya Beach, where residents stepped in to stop the dispute before taking both parties to Pattaya City Police Station. The altercation took place in front of…
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Thaksin to receive full release under royal pardon on Queen’s birthday
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to receive a full release under a royal pardon granted on the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana’s birthday. Royal pardons are traditionally granted to eligible inmates during significant national occasions, including royal birthdays and other important commemorative events. This recent pardon coincides with Queen Suthida’s birthday today, June 3, and applies…
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June 3 Thailand forecast predicts heavy rain across South, East
Thailand is expected to experience widespread thunderstorms over the next 24 hours, with heavy to very heavy rain forecast in parts of the East and South, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today, June 3. A moderately strong southwest monsoon covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand is driving wetter conditions across the country. Residents in…
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Thai woman punished after her off-road vehicle damages WWII landmark
A Thai woman was fined 10,000 baht after driving an off-road vehicle into a protected World War II bomb crater at a national park in Kanchanaburi province. The incident came to light after the woman shared photographs of her Toyota Land Cruiser on Facebook. The vehicle was shown stuck in mud at a location later identified as a historic bomb…
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Thai woman arrested after series of thefts at Bangkok airports
Police arrested a Thai woman at a resort in Sing Buri province after CCTV footage linked her to a series of thefts targeting passengers at two international airports in Bangkok. The investigation began on May 21 when a woman identified as Jiraporn reported a stolen bag to officers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Jiraporn told police she had fallen asleep for…
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Chinese herbicide safety questioned after driver dies in transit
Questions were raised over the registration and safety approval of a Chinese herbicide product after it was suspected of contributing to the death of a Thai man who was transporting it in his car. The concerns were highlighted by garage owner Paris Sittisarn, who shared the case on social media and urged authorities to investigate the product following the death…
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Pattaya CCTV catches man climbing fire escape into woman’s flat
CCTV footage in Pattaya has captured a man climbing a fire escape before breaking into a woman’s fourth-floor apartment while she was out, prompting her to vacate the property over safety fears. Prarthana Thongmali, a 22 year old saleswoman from Songkhla province working at a housing project in Pattaya, filed a report with Nong Prue Police Station after the incident,…
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Cabinet asked to back MRTA takeover of Bangkok rail lines
Thailand’s Transport Ministry is seeking Cabinet approval in principle today for a plan to place Bangkok’s electric rail network under a single management body, a move intended to replace the current Bangkok BTS fare structure with a unified 40-baht cap across all lines from January 1, 2027. Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced yesterday that the ministry would ask the…
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Thai govt seek clarification from Bolt after assault on Japanese man
A Japanese national called for justice, alleging that a Bangkok Bolt driver forced him to leave a vehicle mid-journey before physically assaulting him in the Asok area. The physical assault by the Bolt driver gained attention after the Japanese man shared his account on social media. The post was later translated and republished by the Facebook page Jmoi V+ yesterday, June…
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Malaysia bans Thai shrimp over seabass dispute, 4 billion baht at risk
Malaysia’s ban on Thai shrimp imports took effect on June 1, targeting five species and putting more than 4 billion baht in annual export revenue at immediate risk. The measure is a direct response to Thailand’s own import restrictions on Malaysian seabass, and it has already disrupted trade on both sides of the border. What Malaysia has banned and why…
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Thailand video news | Arrests made in Koh Samui Killing, Pattaya Self-Pleasurer
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay cover news stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The stories include 12 arrests made over suspected ties to the murder of a taxi driver las month in Koh Samui, then, over 50 arrests made in Roi Et as late night street racing continues to be a persistent problem, of course we have…
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Canadian teacher held in Prachuap Kiri Khan for child sex abuse
A former Canadian teacher was arrested in Prachuap Kiri Khan province for sexually assaulting a 15 year old schoolgirl during a private tutoring session at her home in Nakhon Ratchasima. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested the 68 year old Canadian national, identified only as James, yesterday, June 1. Police said he previously worked as a mathematics teacher…
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Nationwide ceremonies planned for Queen’s birthday celebrations
Nationwide celebrations marking Her Majesty the Queen’s 4th Cycle Birthday Anniversary are underway across Thailand, with major events planned in Bangkok and at provincial halls, Thai embassies and consulates abroad. Organised by the Prime Minister’s Office in coordination with state agencies, the programme features ceremonies at three marquee venues in Bangkok: Wat Ratchathiwat Wihan in Dusit district, Siam Paragon, and…
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Mae Hong Son landslide blocks highway, cars trapped
A landslide has blocked a highway in Khun Yuam district, Mae Hong Son, causing a significant traffic build-up after large boulders fell onto the road at around 9.20am today. The Mae Hong Son Highway District Director, Yodphet Khamseangdi, received reports that boulders had fallen and completely blocked the route on Highway 108 at kilometre marker 301, in the Mae Surin…
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Co-payment scheme begins, opposition flags borrowed funds
More than 39.2 million people have begun receiving 1,000 baht in government support today, June 1, as the Thais Help Thais Plus co-payment scheme officially launches, according to the Finance Ministry. Permanent Secretary for Finance Lavaron Sangsnit said beneficiaries comprise 13.18 million state welfare cardholders and 26.04 million people registered under the 60/40 co-payment programme. Funds are accessible daily from…
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Thailand’s ‘Dine and Dash’ Problem: When tourists walk out without paying
Small restaurants across Thailand’s tourist hotspots are facing a rising pattern of foreign visitors who eat full meals and then refuse to pay and the legal system offers them almost no protection. It was 120 baht. About three dollars. That was how much a Russian couple short-changed a small restaurant in Mai Khao, Phuket, on 26 April 2024. When the…
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Southwest monsoon drives flash flood risk across Thailand
Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a weather forecast for June 1, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across much of Thailand as the southwest monsoon strengthens over the Andaman Sea, the South, and the Gulf of Thailand. A monsoon trough extends across the lower North, upper Central, and lower Northeast regions into a low-pressure cell off the coast…
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Pattaya app driver locks car doors before sexually assaulting passenger
A ride-hailing app driver in Pattaya has been reported to police after a female passenger accused him of sexual assault and later entering her hotel room in South Pattaya yesterday, May 30. The case was shared on Facebook, along with a video clip. The woman, identified only as 27 year old May, is from Phichit province. She said she booked a…
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Street racing raid in Roi Et detains 51 youths over noisy bikes
Police and district officials detained 51 youths and seized 38 modified motorcycles during a Roi Et street racing crackdown overnight from May 29 to May 30, after residents complained about noisy bikes. The operation took place between 11.30pm and 2.30am on Highway 215. Officers checked areas in Nong Kaeo and Khaen Yai subdistricts, Mueang Roi Et district, and Ban Du…
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Democrats aim to sway Bangkok voters from Chadchart
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has expressed confidence that Bangkok voters currently backing incumbent Chadchart Sittipunt can still be persuaded to support Democrat gubernatorial candidate Anucha Burapachaisri and the party’s council candidates ahead of the June 28 election. Abhisit was responding to a King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI) poll showing many Democrat supporters leaning towards Chadchart, who is running as an…
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Bangkok international school found illegally teaching 100 foreign students
An illegal international school in Soi Pridi Banomyong, Bangkok, was raided yesterday, May 30, after immigration officers found it had operated without a licence and employed six foreign teachers without work permits. The inspection took place at about 1pm, after Immigration Bureau officers received a tip-off that the school was operating without approval and employing foreign teachers illegally. The Office of the…
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Chiang Mai named top digital nomad destination
Chiang Mai has earned a place among the world’s top eight destinations for digital nomads and creators, after Forbes magazine included the northern Thai city in its 2026 ranking. The city joins Medellín, Cape Town, Lisbon, Bali, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Berlin on the list, reflecting Chiang Mai’s growing focus on intellectual capital and creativity as drivers of urban development.…
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Sri Lankan man stabs Bangkok peacemaker to death
A Sri Lankan national has been arrested after a Thai man was fatally stabbed while trying to stop a knife attack in Bangkok’s Prawet district on May 29. Police investigated the crime scene on Soi Phatthanakan 61, where the confrontation took place. Apisek Racha, a Sri Lankan citizen, allegedly attempted to assault his friend, 23 year old Adiman Hayilapeh, with…
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Chinese loan shark gang found hiding in Chon Buri estates
A Chinese loan shark gang wanted in China was arrested in Bang Lamung, Chon Buri, yesterday, May 30, after Thai police and immigration officers found four Chinese nationals hiding in luxury housing estates. The four suspects were identified as 34 year old Zhang Chuay, 36 year old Ko, a 34 year old Chinese woman, and 34 year old Yang. They…
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Thai army officer honoured in South Korea for truck rescue
A Thai army officer received a certificate of honour in South Korea yesterday, May 30, after helping rescue a driver from an overturned trailer truck on a road in Seoul earlier this month. Colonel Srisawat Sriprakon, a Thai army officer attending the National Defence College course in South Korea, received the certificate from Professor Lee Hong Sub, acting president of…
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Two teens, 14 and 15, arrested for stabbing student in Bueng Kum
Two teenagers were arrested for allegedly stabbing a 15 year old vocational student in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district, with police tracking them down using CCTV footage. On May 30, Metropolitan Police Bureau commander Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom led the arrest of two suspects, a 14 year old identified as “A” and a 15 year old identified as “B”. Officers…
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