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.
-
Bangkok launches late-night operation to regulate homeless areas
Bangkok authorities last night, December 23, launched an operation along Sukhumvit Road to inspect and regulate homeless people and beggars in public spaces in one of the capital’s busiest commercial and tourist districts. The operation took place at around 10pm yesterday, stretching from BTS Nana station to the area outside Benjasiri Park in Khlong Toei district. City officials, social welfare…
-
Chaos erupts on Phuket road after foreign man allegedly slaps Thai woman
A foreign man allegedly slapped a Thai woman in the face, prompting her to fight back and triggering chaos on a street in the Patong area of Phuket yesterday morning, December 23. The incident was first brought to public attention by a Thai witness, Jeerawut Wangnurak, who shared video footage of the altercation on his Facebook account at around 6.30am.…
-
Illegal online coral trade leads to arrest in Bangkok
Thai environmental police arrested a Bangkok man today, December 24, for allegedly selling protected coral and sea anemones online, after officers uncovered more than 200 marine specimens at a residential property in the capital. The arrest took place after officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, working alongside officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources…
-
Foreign passenger attacks Thai Bolt rider and flees with motorcycle
A foreign man remains at large after allegedly attacking and robbing a Thai Bolt motorcycle taxi rider in Bangkok on Monday night, December 22. The victim, Ekkasit Jitwijarn, shared details of the incident on the Facebook group Grab Bolt & All Application in Thailand to warn other app-based riders and seek help from the online community. According to Ekkasit, the…
-
TAT to unveil first tourism film with Lisa as ambassador in January
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that the teaser advertising film featuring Lalisa Manobal in her role as Amazing Thailand Ambassador will be released in early January next year. TAT first revealed in October that the Thai-born K-pop star, Lisa, would officially join the agency to help promote Thai tourism worldwide. The announcement received an overwhelmingly positive response online,…
-
Garbage truck driver shoots neighbour dead in Phatthalung
A long-running dispute turned deadly late last night, December 23, when a garbage truck driver allegedly shot and killed his neighbour outside a home in Bang Kaeo district, Phatthalung, with the victim’s son also injured. The shooting occurred at about 10.20pm in Tha Madua subdistrict, where officers from Bang Kaeo Police Station, forensic specialists, doctors, and rescue workers were…
-
Phuket van driver dies after shooting himself at shooting range
A Thai van driver died after shooting himself at a shooting range in Phuket yesterday, December 23. The incident occurred in front of a staff member and was captured on CCTV footage. Officers from Sakhu Police Station were notified of the incident at around 6pm and rushed to a shooting range located in the Sakhu sub-district of Thalang district. Upon…
-
Motorway 7 and 9 go toll-free over New Year holidays
Yesterday, December 23, the Cabinet approved free travel on Motorway 7 and Motorway 9 from December 30 to January 5, a move aimed at easing traffic congestion during the busy New Year holiday period. Speaking after the Cabinet meeting at Government House yesterday, deputy government spokesperson Aiyarin Phanrit said the decision followed a proposal by the Ministry of Transport…
-
Woman alarmed by repeated flirtatious notes on delivered parcels
A woman has taken to social media after repeatedly finding handwritten, flirtatious messages on parcels delivered to her home, raising concerns about her personal safety. In a post shared on her personal Facebook page, the woman questioned whether such behaviour was appropriate for delivery staff and described feeling harassed and powerless after the messages appeared more than once. She wrote……
-
Chinese gold mine owner arrested in Phuket over deadly flooding case
Thai police arrested a Chinese businessman and his wife in Phuket after they fled China to avoid legal responsibility following a deadly flooding incident at a gold mine. Officers from Immigration Bureau Division 1 were contacted by Chinese officials requesting assistance in locating a wanted suspect, 56 year old Liu Hongbo. Liu was reported to be the owner of a…
-
Thai man and British national arrested with cocaine in Phuket
Phuket administrative officers arrested a Thai man and a British national for cocaine possession during a sting operation in the Patong area on Saturday, December 20. The Special Operations Unit of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Office launched the operation after receiving complaints about the sale of cocaine near Patong Beach. According to officials, most customers were foreign tourists. The complainant…
-
Thailand video news | Airport ramps up defences after drone sighting at Suvarnabhumi, Best Christmas spots to visit in Bangkok
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Highlights include a drone incident raising security concerns at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a pair of primate rescue missions with happy endings—the fairy-tale kind, not the massage kind—and a handy guide to celebrating Christmas right here in Bangkok. Airport Ramps Up Defences After…
-
2 Thai transwomen arrested for pickpocketing Israeli tourist in Pattaya
Police arrested two Thai transwomen after they pickpocketed an Israeli tourist on Pattaya Walking Street in the early hours of Monday, December 22. Patrol officers on the walking street received a complaint from the victim, a 52 year old Israeli national identified as Chamam Saher, at around 3.40am. He reported that his money had been stolen near a currency exchange…
-
Thailand and Laos strengthen ties with fifth friendship bridge
Thailand and Laos are set to open the Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge linking Bueng Kan and Bolikhamsai on Thursday, as the two neighbours celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations. The opening ceremony comes as both countries highlight the bridge as an important step in improving cross-border connectivity, which officials say is expected to support people’s livelihoods in both countries.…
-
Gunman remains at large after fatal shooting on Bangkok expressway
The gunman remains at large after a fatal shooting on an expressway in Bangkok early yesterday morning, December 23. Officers from Prachachuen Police Station were alerted to the shooting at around 4.50am yesterday. The incident occurred about 200 metres from a toll booth on the Sirat Expressway in the Prachachuen area of Bang Sue district. At the scene, police found…
-
Baby red kangaroo makes first appearance at Khao Kheow Zoo
A baby red kangaroo has emerged from its mother’s pouch for the first time yesterday, December 23, marking a rare sight just days before the New Year at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri. According to the zoo’s director, Narongwit Chodchoi, the newborn, born in May, is the offspring of a five year old female named Tao Tao and…
-
Orangutans rescued in Thailand set to head home to Indonesia
Four orangutans rescued in Thailand are set to be flown back to Indonesia today, December 23, marking a rare cross-border wildlife repatriation effort between the two Southeast Asian nations. The four orangutans, two males and two females, were rescued in separate wildlife trafficking cases earlier this year. Three were intercepted in Chumphon province in January, and the fourth was recovered…
-
Navy officers investigated after nightclub brawl in Ubon Ratchathani
Two Thai navy officers are under investigation following a brawl at a nightclub in Ubon Ratchathani, with allegations that they assaulted multiple people and conducted illegal searches. The incident occurred when the two petty officers, identified as Petty Officer First Class Kittichot Klabsri and Petty Officer First Class Kraisorn Kaewphrom, were off-duty and visiting a nightlife venue in Khong…
-
Questions remain after Myanmar detainee dies in Sri Racha jail
A Myanmar national detained for public intoxication in Sri Racha, Chonburi, was found dead in a police holding cell on December 21, prompting an investigation into the cause of death. The man, identified as Tang Siton, was taken into custody by Nong Kham Police around 2.18am on December 21, following reports that he had been behaving erratically while heavily…
-
Thief dies after smashing through glass in Chachoengsao home
A burglary in Chachoengsao ended fatally today, December 23, when the intruder was fatally wounded while trying to flee the scene. The incident took place at a three-storey townhouse in Moo 19, Bang Pakong district, where the homeowner was inside with her daughter and one year old granddaughter when they heard noises coming from the ground floor. Sensing something was…
-
Lost baby gibbon rescued in Chiang Mai village
A baby gibbon spotted alone near a Chiang Mai village was rescued by wildlife officials yesterday, December 22, after worried residents raised concerns over its safety. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation confirmed yesterday on its Facebook page that officers from Conservation Area Management Office 16 in Chiang Mai received the young gibbon following a report made…
-
Suvarnabhumi holds emergency meeting after drone incident
Suvarnabhumi Airport authorities called an urgent meeting yesterday, December 22, after a drone was detected near the airport’s outer zone, triggering an immediate security response. The meeting at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s headquarters in Samut Prakan was led by Airport General Manager Kittipong Kittikachorn, joined by senior security officials, including Region 1 Police Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Watthana Yichin, Police Major General…
-
Thailand video news | Buakaw rejects false claims about his nationality, Woman delivers baby in pickup
In today’s Thailand video news, Alex and Jay bring you the latest stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Highlights include renewed efforts to restart peace talks between Thailand and Cambodia, new cannabis clinical licence compliance rules set to take effect in early 2026, and, later, fresh calls to reform Thailand’s sex toy laws. ASEAN Foreign Ministers Push for Peace…
-
Starving lions and bears found in raid on border casino
Thai marines raiding a Chinese-linked casino in Ban Tha Sen, Trat province, discovered lions and bears confined in cages yesterday, December 22, reportedly left without food or water for several days. The discovery was made during a sweep of the Thamoda casino area and surrounding properties by Royal Thai Marine forces. The compound, located in Ban Tha Sen near the…
-
Cambodia claims Buakaw is a Cambodian citizen
On December 20, the Army Military Force Facebook page claimed a Cambodian-led online campaign used AI to forge a fake passport portraying Thai boxing star Sombat “Buakaw” Banchamek as a Cambodian citizen. According to the page, the AI-generated passport image was part of a Cambodian Information Operation (IO) intended to mislead the Thai public about Buakaw’s nationality. The page said…
-
Malaysian woman allegedly lives double life after secret marriage in Songkhla
A Malaysian woman called on religious authorities to take action after discovering that her brother’s wife had secretly married another man in Songkhla province of Thailand and lived a double life for more than a year. The woman, identified as Ekin Derahim, shared details of the alleged affair on her Facebook account on December 11. In her post, she also…
-
Korat prisoner tries to flee interrogation, ends up in hospital instead
A prison escapee’s leap for freedom came to an abrupt and painful end today, December 22, after jumping from a two-metre-high window at Sikhio Police Station in Nakhon Ratchasima. Today, police from Sikhio Police Station had brought the suspect, identified as 35 year old Somporn, in for interrogation regarding his earlier escape from Khao Phrik Prison in the same district.…
-
Chinese man arrested in Pattaya over large Pod K production
Police raided a house in Pattaya and arrested a Chinese national for producing and distributing Pod K, a vape liquid mixed with ketamine, during an operation on Thursday, December 12. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) launched the operation after receiving a tip-off about the illegal sale of Pod K, a substance that reportedly gained popularity among both Thai…
-
Chinese man allegedly steals bag from Thai woman at Bangkok airport
A Chinese national allegedly stole a bag from a Thai woman at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Tuesday, December 16, according to a report shared on social media by a Thai businessman. The incident was revealed by a Thai entrepreneur known as Big, who shared details of the alleged theft on his TikTok account, @bigceochaaba. He said the incident…
-
Woman gives birth in pickup truck near Ayutthaya roundabout
A woman gave birth in a pickup truck today, December 22, after going into labour unexpectedly while on the way to a hospital in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. Rescue officers from the Ayutthaya Ruamjai Association were alerted to the emergency after a pickup truck stopped at the Wat Sam Pluem roundabout, also known locally as Chedi Nakleng, on Rojana…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.