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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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Russian tour guide arrested for working without licence
Tourist police in Phang Nga arrested a Russian national yesterday, May 21, for working illegally as a tour guide while accompanying a group of foreign tourists. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at the car park of the Phang Nga Wildlife Breeding Station after officials earlier observed him guiding tourists at Suwan Kuha Temple. According to…
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Phuket locals demand investigation into foreign woman in police uniform
Residents in Phuket are calling for an investigation after a foreign woman shared photos and videos online showing herself wearing clothing resembling a Thai police uniform. The Phuket Times Facebook page posted images of the woman yesterday, May 21. In the photos, she appeared wearing a black vest featuring a Thai flag and a Royal Thai Police patch. She was…
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Medical emergency officer killed in Uttaradit ambulance accident
An ambulance accident in Uttaradit has killed a medical emergency officer after the vehicle veered off the road while responding to a car accident yesterday, May 21. The officer was identified as June, an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEM) from Nam Pat Hospital in Uttaradit, who was working with the Nam Pat Rescue Association during the emergency response. Nam Pat…
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Thai student injured in attempted robbery at train station in Sydney
A Thai student suffered a head injury in an attack by a man who reportedly attempted to steal musical equipment at a train station in Sydney, Australia, on May 17. A Thai music teacher identified only as Luck shared details of the incident with a Facebook page operated by a Thai resident in Australia. The story was later reposted by…
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Ex-politician linked to gambling den in Samut Prakan abandoned hotel
Authorities raided an illegal gambling operation inside an abandoned hotel in Samut Prakan last night, May 21, and discovered more than 43 million baht circulating through the bank account of the alleged owner, a former local politician. Officers from the Department of Provincial Administration and the Territorial Defence Volunteers Administration Bureau conducted the raid at about 8pm on the fourth floor of the Chalermwong…
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Thailand halts new Volvo EV registrations after battery defect
New registrations of the Volvo EX30 in Thailand have been suspended after the Department of Land Transport found that a recent fire involving the electric vehicle was linked to a defect in its high-voltage battery cells. The order was issued after Siripong Angkasakulkiat, deputy transport minister, instructed the Department of Land Transport to investigate the case. Thitiphat Thaijongrak, director of…
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Thai police criticised for seeking help from children during arrest
Two high-school students in Nakhon Si Thammarat helped police restrain a suspect on a public road, prompting a debate online about the safety and appropriateness of civilian involvement in police operations. Footage of the incident was shared by TikTok user @jxjxens before being reposted by several news outlets and Facebook pages. It showed two police officers struggling with a man…
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School van driver ignores barriers, stops on tracks as train approaches
A video shared on Facebook yesterday, May 21, shows a school van avoiding a collision with a train after the driver crossed while barriers were lowering, then stopped on the railway tracks. Facebook user สุรเสียง พลับพลาสวรรค์ posted a video of the incident showing a school van attempting to cross a railway crossing while warning alarms were sounding and barriers were…
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Another police officer involved in Chinese extortion case in Sa Kaeo surrenders
Another police officer surrendered in connection with the extortion case involving five Chinese nationals after four officers and a civilian were arrested last week. Immigration officers from Sa Kaeo Provincial Immigration Office and Wang Somboon Police Station raided a house in the province on May 16 after receiving complaints from Chinese nationals claiming they were being detained and extorted. The…
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May 22 weather forecast warns of heavy rain despite weaker monsoon
Thailand will see less rain over the next 24 hours, but heavy rain is still expected in some areas today, May 22, mainly in the west and the east, according to the weather forecast from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). The department said the southwest monsoon covering the upper Andaman Sea and Thailand has weakened, while a low-pressure cell remains…
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Questions raised over public viewing of Suvarnabhumi Airport checkpoint cameras
Concerns over passenger privacy emerged online after social media users questioned the public accessibility of CCTV footage at immigration checkpoints in Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The issue gained attention after a Thai X user criticised Airports of Thailand (AOT) when footage of a popular actor at the immigration checkpoint was circulated online. The user questioned whether sharing footage from security cameras violated…
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Four injured as fire spreads through fully booked Pattaya hotel
A fire broke out at a Pattaya hotel at about 9pm last night, May 21, injuring four people and forcing 240 guests to evacuate after flames broke out at a seventh-floor rooftop bar. The Facebook page Fire & Rescue Thailand first reported the incident, posting that a fire had broken out at a hotel. Video from the scene showed flames…
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Bangkok train crash exposes negligence, says minister
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat admitted that a train driver was negligent during the Bangkok train-bus crash at the Asok-Din Daeng intersection, which killed eight people, as he addressed new drug testing measures for public transport staff. The issue was raised in Parliament at 10.30am today, May 21, during a House of Representatives meeting chaired by House Speaker Sophon Saram.…
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3 Thai men arrested in Ecuador with 12 rare Galápagos iguanas
Three Thai nationals were arrested at an airport in Ecuador for wildlife smuggling after 12 rare marine iguanas were discovered hidden in their luggage. Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment and Energy said the animals were found during baggage inspections at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil on Tuesday, May 19. Officials said specially trained K9 dogs used for wildlife…
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Australian tourist found dead with white powder nearby in Phuket condo
An Australian tourist was found dead inside a condominium in Phuket at around 7.30pm yesterday, May 20, with police finding white powder on a plate near his body. Officers at Karon Police Station received a report of a death at the condominium and went to inspect the scene. Inside, police found the body of a foreign man on the floor. He…
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Jealous Thai rescuer allegedly threatens to kill wife, steals valuables
A woman in Nonthaburi accused her husband, a volunteer rescuer, of physically assaulting and threatening to kill her during a fit of jealousy before stealing valuables worth more than 600,000 baht. The victim, 44 year old Promphit, sought help from the Nonthaburi Member of Parliament (MP) assistants to Kraithawat Thammatada and Saichon Nitkham, who accompanied her to file a complaint at…
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Austrian man deported for blocking road and demanding money in Phuket
Phuket immigration police revoked the visa of an Austrian tourist and prepared to deport him after he caused public disturbances in Rawai by blocking roads and demanding money from residents and tourists. Videos showing the man’s behaviour circulated on Thai social media on Tuesday, May 19. The suspect was later identified as 39 year old Austrian national, Raphael. In the…
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Alcohol bottles found after Chinese tourist dies in Pattaya hotel fall
A Chinese tourist died after falling from the sixth floor of a Pattaya hotel early today, May 21, with police finding alcohol bottles in his room as they investigate what led to the fall. Pattaya City Police received the report at 3.36am and went to the scene with investigators and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue volunteers. The 33 year old Chinese…
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Nigerian suspect arrested in Nonthaburi with 7 bank cards and 42 mobile phones
Police arrested a Nigerian man suspected of involvement in a romance scam network in Nonthaburi after discovering dozens of mobile phones and bank cards. Rattanathibet Police Station superintendent Prut Jamroonsarn announced details of the arrest at about 6pm yesterday, May 20. The suspect was identified as 24 year old Nigerian national Sinedu Heophilus Acege. Prut said officers had been conducting…
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Thailand News | Thailand watches Ebola Situation after Congo Outbreak, British traveller’s bag delayed after sex toy alert on Thai Flight
Today we’ll be talking about steps the Thai government is taking in monitoring the ebola outbreak in the Congo, of course we have some foreigners behaving badly but also – surprise, surprise – facing consequences for their actions, plus, we’ll give you a full breakdown of everything we know so far regarding the Singha family dispute, and a little later…
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7 year old girl and soldier injured in ambush shooting in Narathiwat
A Thai soldier and a seven year old girl were injured in an ambush shooting in Narathiwat last night, May 20. The attack took place at about 7pm in Sawo subdistrict when unidentified gunmen opened fire on 29 year old Muhammad-Ammudi Waesohoh, a soldier from the 3rd Infantry Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment at Sirindhorn Camp in Pattani. According to reports,…
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Early morning fire damages Indian restaurant, suit shop in Pattaya
An early morning fire in Pattaya damaged an Indian restaurant and a neighbouring suit shop today, May 21. The initial report did not mention any injuries. Pattaya disaster prevention officials received the fire report at 4.56am. Firefighters, water trucks, and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue volunteers were sent to the scene inside Soi Pattaya Beach Road 13. The fire broke out…
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4 travel agencies on Koh Samui found operating through Thai nominees
Southern Tourism Business and Tour Guide Registration Office revoked the licences of four illegal travel agencies on Koh Samui for operating through Thai nominees. The revocation followed an expanded crackdown on nominee-run businesses across Thailand. Koh Samui Tourist Police and the Surat Thani Tourism and Sports Office inspected 12 suspicious travel agencies on the island and found four operating illegally. Under…
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Railway drug test finds two SRT workers positive for drugs
Two railway workers tested positive for drugs during random drug tests at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal conducted by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). The inspections were conducted on May 19 and yesterday, May 20, among railway operations staff and mechanical division employees, including train drivers, station staff, rail crossing…
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Pattaya’s tourism business association backs visa-free stay cut
Pattaya’s tourism business association has backed the government’s decision to reduce Thailand’s visa-free stay periods from 60 days to around 30 days, saying the move could help address scammer concerns, illegal business activity, and support tourism revenue. Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the Cabinet agreed to cancel the 60-day visa-free scheme for more than 90 countries. Countries with…
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Swede surrenders after attacking Indian hotel owner in Phuket
A Swedish man surrendered to Phuket police yesterday, May 19, after assaulting an Indian man outside a hotel in Patong following a dispute over missing money. Footage of the incident was shared by the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page yesterday, but the incident reportedly took place on Monday, May 18, outside the Patong Platinum Hotel. The suspect was identified as a…
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Homesick conscripts flee camp, steal motorcycle, fail drug test
Two reportedly homesick conscripts who had been in training for just 18 days were arrested yesterday, May 19, after allegedly fleeing a military camp in Udon Thani and stealing a woman’s motorcycle. The theft happened at about 6.10pm on May 17 in Non Sung subdistrict, Mueang district. The 22 year old woman had parked the motorcycle with the key left…
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Ebola risks in Thailand under watch after Congo outbreak
The Thai government has ordered the Ministry of Public Health to closely monitor Ebola risks in Thailand after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo an international public health emergency. Deputy government spokesperson Ploythalay Laksameesaengchan said Today, May 20, that the WHO declaration concerned an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, eastern…
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Koh Larn diving trip safety questioned after tourists left in storm
A tourist has urged marine tour operators in Pattaya to improve safety measures after claiming passengers on a group diving trip near Koh Larn, Chon Buri, on May 4 were left without enough staff support as strong waves and a storm approached. The incident was shared online through a TikTok video by a tourist who had joined a group diving…
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Dutch tourist found dead after kayak accident off Railay Beach
The body of a Dutch tourist who went missing after a kayak accident off Railay Beach in Krabi was found yesterday, May 19. The Dutch victim, identified as 61 year old Rob Borgmann, disappeared on May 16 after strong winds and waves overturned the kayaks he and his daughter were using during heavy rain. Officials said neither of them was…
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