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Swedish man reports over 100,000 baht stolen by Pattaya transwomen
A Swedish tourist reported losing more than 100,000 baht in cash after being robbed a group of Thai transwomen at a condominium in Pattaya early today, May 15. Police from Mueang Pattaya Police Station received the complaint from the victim, identified as 67 year old Mahmoud, at around 3.40am before travelling to the condominium to investigate the incident. According to…
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Thailand’s ‘last titan’ confirmed as Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur on record
Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species in Thailand, the largest ever found in Southeast Asia, after fossils unearthed beside a pond in Chaiyaphum province were confirmed as belonging to a colossal long-necked sauropod estimated to have measured 27 metres and weighed around 27 to 30 tonnes. The species, named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, lived between 100 and 120 million years ago…
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Soap scraps reused at cosmetic product manufacturing site in Bangkok
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers raided an unlicensed production site in Bangkok and discovered soap manufactured from soap scraps collected from multiple factories. The Consumer Protection Police Division launched the investigation following complaints from consumers who experienced allergic reactions and other health problems linked to cosmetic products sold online. During the operation, investigators identified a residence in Bang Khae district that…
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Thai riders share mixed responses against ‘Global Switch Off’ campaign
Thai app-based riders raised mixed responses after an encouragement to join an international protest campaign, Global Switch Off, today, May 15, by temporarily shutting down digital platforms to demand stronger labour protections from companies. Gig workers include freelancers and independent contractors who work through digital applications, such as food delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers. Many platform companies classify workers as “partners”…
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Khon Kaen family warns public after finding tissue paper in fish ball
A family in Khon Kaen has issued a public warning after discovering tissue paper stuffed inside a fish ball purchased from a street food stall at Kaen Nakhon Lake. The incident gained attention after the family shared photos and videos in a Facebook group for Khon Kaen residents. According to the post, the fish ball stall was located near the…
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Local fisherman finds invasive blackchin tilapia off Pattaya Beach
The discovery of blackchin tilapia off Pattaya Beach raised concerns among residents and environmental experts over the potential impact of the invasive species on local marine ecosystems. A local fisherman with more than 20,000 followers on his Facebook page, Tart Channel, shared videos yesterday, May 14, showing blackchin tilapia caught near Pattaya Beach. In the caption accompanying the footage, he wrote……
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Arab buyers favour Phuket for cultural, religious familiarity
Gulf buyers are increasingly treating Phuket as more than a holiday destination, with the Middle Eastern demographic now accounting for an estimated 10% of off-plan property sales on the island. Thanks to direct flights from Saudi Arabia, new investment-linked residency pathways, and growing instability in the Middle East, all pointing the same type of buyer toward the same property market…
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Most Thai businesses report bribe demands from officials, survey finds
Nine in ten businesses in Thailand have encountered bribe requests from government officials, according to a nationwide survey released this week by a coalition of Thailand’s top private sector bodies, with the Pollution Control Department topping the rankings for the highest average payment demanded per encounter. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCIB), comprising the Thai Chamber…
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Legal wife contacts police after husband confesses mistress’s murder
A Thai man surrendered to police in Nonthaburi today, May 14, after murdering his mistress and confessing his crime to his legal wife, who advised him to turn himself in. He also brought the victim’s body to the police station in his car. Police at Bang Bua Thong Police Station received a call at around 10pm yesterday, May 13, from…
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Pattaya drowns again as heavy rain submerges roads
Heavy rain triggered flooding across several parts of Pattaya late last night, May 14, with roads submerged and tourists stranded in recurring flood-prone areas across the city. Thunderstorms lasting more than one hour caused water to accumulate in low-lying areas awaiting drainage, particularly in Soi Khao Noi, Soi Khao Talo, South Pattaya Sukhumvit Road, Third Road, and the railway road…
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Anutin calls corrupt Phuket officials ‘disgusting’ after beach encroachment
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul criticised corrupt officials in Phuket for facilitating land encroachment at Freedom Beach, describing the actions as “disgusting”. The Freedom Beach encroachment case gained national attention after People’s Party MP Chaloempong “Sam” Saengdee claimed he received death threats while investigating illegal occupation on Freedom Beach and surrounding land under the Khao Nak Kerd National Forest in Kathu district.…
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Thailand, Bahrain mark closer ties ahead of 50th anniversary
Thailand and Bahrain agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, medical tourism, and food security following talks between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Bahrain’s ambassador to Thailand today, May 14. Bahraini Ambassador Khalil Yaqoob AlKhayat met Anutin at the Government House during an official courtesy visit following his appointment. Anutin congratulated AlKhayat on his appointment and said Thailand values Bahrain…
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Ride-hailing apps given one month to improve safety standards
Thailand’s Transport Ministry has given ride-hailing platforms one month to improve passenger safety measures or risk licence suspension, as new rules are prepared for app-based taxi services. The planned measures include requiring drivers to hold public driving licences, installing CCTV cameras in vehicles, and providing passenger insurance coverage. Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the measures are aimed at improving…
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Bank of Thailand cuts GDP forecast to 1.5%, slashes interest rate to 1% as war and trade pressures bite
Thailand’s central bank has issued its starkest economic warning in years. The Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) Monetary Policy Report for Q1 2026 revised the country’s GDP growth forecast sharply downward to just 1.5%, well below the 2.4% recorded in 2025, as the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to cut the benchmark interest rate to a historic low of 1.00% per…
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Surin man detained in Cambodia prison after entering border forest
A missing Thai man is found detained in Cambodia prison after entering a border forest in Surin to search for natural resources, likely to be sold for income. The 58 year old man, Yot Sainoi, disappeared on April 25 after entering Huay Samroeng Forest near Ban Non Thong community in Kab Choeng district, an area bordering Cambodia. Yot’s wife, 47…
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Thailand confirms end to 60-day visa-free stays to attract quality tourists
Thailand’s visa-free entry for nationals of 93 countries is set to be cut from 60 days to 30 days after government officials confirmed plans to end the policy introduced in July 2024. The proposal, confirmed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Foreign Ministry, is expected to go to Cabinet next week, and an official start date will…
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Chinese gamblers injured leaping from window in Pattaya poker den raid
Police and district officials raided a poker den in Pattaya late last night, May 13, arresting 16 Chinese gamblers and seizing about 100,000 baht (around US$3,090) in cash, along with other gambling equipment. The raid took place at 11.46pm at a luxury house in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. The operation was led by Chon Buri Immigration Police, Nong…
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Swedish renter’s unpaid Patong locker exposes five guns, 100 bullets
Staff at a monthly rental storage company in Patong, Phuket, discovered five firearms and 100 rounds of ammunition on May 12 inside a locker rented by a Swedish man who had failed to pay rent for more than 120 days. The discovery was reported after Patong Police Station received a report from representatives of Mespace Self Storage Patong, located inside…
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Chinese weapon suspect Mingchen remains on ventilator at Pattaya hospital
Doctors treating Chinese weapon suspect Mingchen Sun in Pattaya suspected that his deteriorating condition was caused by a medication overdose after discovering a blue liquid substance in his stomach. Police arrested the 31 year old Chinese man Mingchen after officers discovered a cache of military-grade weapons at his luxury residence in Chon Buri. The discovery was made after police found a…
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Anutin clarifies ‘miscommunication’, insisting foreign businesses still require permits
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul apologised after confusion surrounding a Cabinet policy that led many people to believe that foreign investors would be allowed to operate businesses in Thailand without permits. The controversy emerged after Deputy Government Spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn announced yesterday, May 13, that the Cabinet had approved changes affecting eight categories of businesses operated by foreign investors. Patdarasm assured…
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Officials say foreigners own only 6% of Koh Pha Ngan following locals’ concerns
The director of Thailand’s Land Department stated that foreign nationals own only six percent of land on Koh Pha Ngan, following growing concerns among residents about increasing foreign influence on the island. Concerns intensified in recent years as the number of long-stay foreign residents, particularly Israeli nationals, has increased on Koh Pha Ngan. Some locals fear the island could gradually…
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Online hair dye leaves Ratchaburi man with severe allergic reaction
A man in Ratchaburi has warned others to carefully check hair dye products after he suffered a severe allergic reaction from a hair dye he bought online that left his scalp irritated, his face swollen, and fluid leaking from the dyed area. The case was shared on Facebook by a user named Khun Weng Khao Tom Pla Zing Ratchaburi, who…
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Thai taxi drivers accused of paying monthly bribes to escape traffic penalties
Taxi drivers and the Taxi Network Trade Association alleged that some drivers paid bribes to police in exchange for being allowed to park in a prohibited zone while waiting for passengers. The accusations were first raised by the Facebook page Thai Taxi Association, which claimed taxi drivers operating at Ginza Curve in the Rangsit area paid monthly bribes to local…
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American FBI suspect detained in Chiang Mai over US warrant
An American suspect was detained in Chiang Mai yesterday, May 12, after Thai police received information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that he was wanted in the United States for assault and stalking. The American, identified as 58 year old Joseph Frances Chinnock, also known as Joseph Kelly, was wanted on a US arrest warrant. The FBI reportedly…
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Thailand eases foreign business red tape in eight sectors to cut regulatory overlap
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved in principle two pieces of draft subordinate legislation under the Foreign Business Act 1999, exempting eight service business categories from the requirement to obtain a foreign business licence, the government announced on May 12. Deputy Government Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn, announced the Cabinet meeting. The two instruments, a draft royal decree and…
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Royal Thai garments take centre stage at Paris exhibition
A Royal Thai dress exhibition has opened in Paris under the patronage of Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, presenting royal garments, Thai textiles and contemporary designs at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The exhibition, La Mode en Majesté: Royal Thai Dress From Tradition to Modernity, opened today, May 13, and will run until November 1, 2026, in Paris, France. It is…
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Man drugged and robbed of 85,000 baht camera by buyer
A Thai man issued a public warning after allegedly being drugged with spiked orange juice after meeting up with a buyer for his camera at a university in Bangkok, resulting in the theft of photography equipment worth 85,000 baht. The victim shared details of the incident in a Facebook group for photography enthusiasts and said he had already filed a…
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Koh Pha Ngan nominee raids target 32 suspected companies
More than 300 police officers raided 32 companies on Koh Pha Ngan this morning, May 13, as part of a crackdown on suspected foreign nominee businesses allegedly using Thai nationals to hold land on behalf of foreigners. Deputy national police chief Samran Nualma led the operation at 9am alongside officers from multiple police units, including the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau,…
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Foreign man filmed provoking Thai man before street fight
A video of a confrontation between a foreign man and a Thai man has gone viral after footage appeared to show the foreigner slapping the Thai man before a street fight broke out. The clip, posted by a user named “Mai Tong Pood,” showed a brief altercation and included a caption claiming the foreign man had tried to provoke the…
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Chiang Rai man shoots neighbour over noise from livestream videos
A Thai man shot his neighbour at a house in Chiang Rai province on the evening of Monday, May 11, after a previous argument over noise from livestream videos. The incident took place at a house in Thoeng district. The victim, 24 year old Siwakorn, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his right arm and significant…
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