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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Caregiver sentenced to 5 years for child swap in Thailand
The Appeal Court has sentenced a 32 year old caregiver, Wichuda “Som”, to five years in prison for swapping a three year old child under her care with another baby. The ruling follows an appeal against a lower court’s verdict, with the child’s mother still waiting to be reunited with her biological daughter. In a case previously reported, Paveena Hongsakul…
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Prisoner escapes with 23 days left in Thai jail term
A prisoner serving time at Thanyaburi District Prison in Pathum Thani has escaped with just 23 days left on his sentence, reportedly to search for his missing girlfriend. His father has pleaded with him to surrender. The Department of Corrections announced the escape of 37 year old Seksan Ruapthong on May 7. He had been convicted of bodily harm and…
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Chinese man held with C4 and grenades ‘to attack Thailand’
A car crash in Chon Buri has led police to one of the largest private weapons caches uncovered in recent memory, after a 31 year old Chinese national was found with C4 explosives, anti-personnel mines, and two M16 rifles at his rented home. Mingchen Sun was arrested after his sedan overturned in the Na Jomtien area of Sattahip district, Chon…
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Thai police bust major online vaping network in Bangkok
Bangkok police have dismantled a major online vaping network in the Prawet district, seizing over 200,000 illegal electronic cigarettes and related items. Deputy police chief Nirandorn Lueamsri announced the operation on May 8, involving officers from the Anti-Cyber Crime Division and Udomsuk Police Station, alongside customs officials. During the raid, officers discovered a large cache of electronic cigarettes and three…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat theft suspect consumes 25 meth pills before arrest
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat arrested a theft suspect today, May 8, after he allegedly stole 40,000 baht, used part of the money to buy methamphetamine, and consumed 25 pills in less than 24 hours. Police identified the suspect as 39 year old Arin from Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district. He was arrested at a rented house in Tha Sala district…
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Thai monks deceive children into ordaining and use them for donations in Malaysia
Parents of seven children, aged between three and 11, sought assistance after two monks in Prachuap Khiri Khan deceived them into ordaining as novices and soliciting donations in Malaysia. The case came to light after police in Kedah, Malaysia, arrested two Thai monks on April 7 on suspicion of human trafficking. Malaysian police said they had monitored the pair’s activities…
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Coronavirus found in Thai bats poses low spread risk, DDC says
Thailand has found a coronavirus in bats during routine wildlife disease surveillance, but no human infections have been reported, and the public risk remains low, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). DDC Director-General Dr Montien Kanasawat said today, May 8, that the discovery reflected Thailand’s ability to rapidly detect emerging diseases through its monitoring systems. Researchers studying horseshoe…
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8 Chinese nationals held in Chiang Mai for illegal series production
Eight Chinese nationals were arrested for illegally filming a social media drama series without permission in an accommodation in the Hang Dong district in Chiang Mai. Officers from Tourist Police Division 2 acted on a complaint that a group of Chinese nationals had rented accommodation in the district and were using it as a filming location. The complainants questioned whether the…
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Thai mother seeks help to locate missing child after babysitter swaps baby
A Thai woman is seeking help to locate her missing child after a babysitter allegedly lost the infant and replaced the baby with another child. The 24 year old mother, identified only as Joy, approached the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women to assist in finding her biological child. She said she had already taken legal action against the babysitter,…
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Thailand News | Eight suspects detained after Chinese tourist dies following Pattaya Club assault, Humanoid robot ordained as honorary buddhist monk in South Korea
In the news today, eight suspects have been detained after the death of a Chinese tourist following a Pattaya Night Club assault, in Phuket, a British man was reportedly filmed damaging motorcycles in a knife-wielding outburst, also in Phuket an Israeli family is being accused of using their children to steal snacks from a convenience store, in health news Mpox…
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Israel embassy warns Israelis as Phuket tightens foreigner rules
The Embassy of Israel in Thailand has warned Israeli nationals in Phuket to follow local laws after provincial officials reportedly ordered stricter enforcement measures against foreigners on the island. The statement, written in Hebrew, was shared yesterday, May 7, on the Facebook page Israel in Thailand. According to the post, authorities would strictly enforce local laws and regulations, with offenders…
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2 dogs eat gold necklace worth over 140K baht, prompting urgent surgery
Two Pomeranians underwent surgery after swallowing parts of a gold necklace worth more than 140,000 baht, prompting their owner to warn other dog parents on social media. The incident was shared by 41 year old Natthaporn Rukkachart on his TikTok account, @pompomgang888, where he posted videos explaining what happened to his dogs. Natthaporn owns three dogs named Shabu, Yujin and…
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Phuket teenager praised for saving foreign man after roadside collapse
A Thai teenager was praised after performing CPR on a foreign man who collapsed on a road in Kathu district, Phuket, last night, May 7. Images and videos of the rescue were shared by several Thai news agencies and Facebook pages, showing the boy assisting the injured foreign man, who had a visible head wound and was lying motionless on…
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Russian tourist praised for helping elderly vendor in Phuket
A kind foreign man, reportedly a Russian tourist, received praise online after stopping to help an elderly Thai vendor push a cart up a steep hill at a windmill viewpoint in Rawai, Phuket, yesterday, May 7. The incident was shared by the Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, which posted a video showing the Russian man helping push the vendor’s cart up…
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Foreign woman dies after motorcycle hits van on Phuket road
A foreign woman died, and a man was seriously injured after a head-on motorcycle crash involving a van on Patak Road in Karon, Phuket, at around 8pm on Wednesday, May 6. Footage of the incident circulated on Thai social media yesterday, May 7. The crash occurred on a curve near the Holiday Inn hotel in Karon district. The video showed…
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Nigerian, Belgian nationals arrested for cocaine sales in Phuket
Two foreign men, from Nigeria and Belgium, were arrested in Phuket on May 7, after tourist police allegedly found cocaine during an operation targeting foreigners suspected of selling drugs in Patong. The suspects were identified as Samuel Egbujonuma Silas, a Nigerian national, and Bruno Trunfio, a Belgian national. Both were also found to have overstayed their visas. Egbujonuma Silas was…
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Malaysian man possible blacklisted for damaging Hat Yai police wheel clamp
A Malaysian man faces a 3,000 baht fine and possible blacklisting from Thailand after damaging a police wheel clamp in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, on May 4. A traffic police officer from Hat Yai Police Station had placed the clamp on a black Mercedes-Benz registered in Malaysia after it was parked in a prohibited area on Prachathipat Road. A traffic…
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Mpox cases in Thailand reach 48 after Songkran period
Thailand is closely monitoring mpox after the Songkran travel period, with 48 confirmed cases reported this year as of May 3 and health officials warning that more cases may appear during the disease’s incubation period. Department of Disease Control (DDC) chief Dr Montien Kanasawat said today, May 7, that mpox remains under close watch, especially the Clade Ib strain. The…
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Thai man accuses fortune teller of sexual assault during ritual
A businessman has accused a well-known fortune teller of sexual assault during a healing ritual, allegedly presented as a way to cure illness and resolve karma, with a complaint set to be filed with police today, May 7. The man, identified only as 32 year old Ae, went to the Bangkok office of Sai Mai Tong Rod, a social media…
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British man allegedly goes on rampage, damaging motorcycles and shop sign in Phuket
A British man reportedly went on a rampage in Phuket, damaging motorcycles and a food shop sign with a knife, yesterday, May 6. Images and footage of the incident were shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page with a caption that read… “A British man went on a rampage in Phuket, brandishing a knife and shouting. It is believed that…
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Singaporean woman arrested at Samui airport over nominee businesses
A Singaporean woman was arrested at Koh Samui International Airport in Surat Thani on May 4 for allegedly operating nominee businesses on the island. Officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and Surat Thani Immigration tracked down the suspect, identified only as Janis, before her scheduled flight. She was taken into custody at the airport and transferred to a…
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Burmese man sustains severe burns after alleged attack by 6 Chinese nationals
A Burmese construction worker alleged that six Chinese supervisors beat him, poured boiling water over his body, and threatened to remove his nails during an hours-long attack at a restaurant in Rayong on April 30. The victim, identified as 27 year old Tata, sought help from Thai social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet after suffering severe injuries with extensive burn…
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EV locks itself during charging, traps one year old girl inside
A mother has warned EV drivers after her car locked itself while charging at a station in Kamphaeng Phet at 11pm, leaving her one year and six month old daughter alone inside before a locksmith helped open the car. The incident was shared online by a Facebook user as a warning to EV drivers who may leave their keys inside…
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Thailand News | Tourist injured after risky Songthaew backflip in Pattaya, gear mistake leads to fire at Bangkok petrol station
In the news today we’ve got some tourists in Pattaya engaging in both risky and lewd behavior in separate incidents, Prime Minister Anutin has ordered a crackdown on badly behaved tourists, it’s not all tourists behaving badly, though, as two Thai teen suspects have been arrested for robbing an aussie in Pattaya, speaking of Australia a large shipment of heroin…
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Thai couple arrested for stealing animals from 2 Bangkok zoos
Two suspects were arrested at their accommodation in Don Mueang after stealing three animals from two zoos in Bangkok on May 1. Pata Zoo shared sketch images of the suspects, a man and a woman, on its official Facebook page yesterday, May 6, along with details of the incident and descriptions of the pair. The theft took place at around…
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MP urges action as Thai youth depression hits 26.9%
Democrat Party MP Karndee Leopairote, yesterday, May 6, urged the government to strengthen mental health support for young people after citing rising rates of depression and self-harm among Thai youth. Speaking during a House of Representatives meeting at Parliament, Karndee said she was raising the issue both as an MP and as a mother after her daughter told her that…
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Airports of Thailand confirms higher international passenger fee from June 20
Passenger service charge (PSC) for international departures are set to increase from 730 baht to 1,120 baht starting June 20, following approval from the Ministry of Transport of Thailand. Airports of Thailand (AOT) President Paweena Jariyathitipong announced yesterday, May 6, that the revised passenger service charge (PSC) had officially received approval after earlier plans were proposed in February. The PSC…
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No mafia in Phuket, only foreign criminals
Phuket Provincial Police Commander confirms the province is free of mafia networks and ransom operations. Crypto extortion plots were orchestrated by foreign nationals attempting to strike and flee, but all were arrested. Authorities are actively cracking down on foreign nominees taking local jobs. Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, gave an interview on May 6,…
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French students describe their Mirror Foundation internship as valuable experience
Two French university students shared their experiences working with the Mirror Foundation internship programme in Thailand, describing the placement as an opportunity to support underprivileged communities while learning about Thai culture and teamwork. The Mirror Foundation published the students’ experiences on its official Facebook page on Tuesday, May 5, as part of efforts to promote its internship programme and encourage more…
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Dream Vegas: A Beginner’s Guide to Payments and Account Access
Dream Vegas is one of the better-known brands run on White Hat Gaming’s platform. For Canadian players the two practical concerns are simple: how do I get money into and out of my account, and how do I sign in securely so I can play without surprises? This guide walks through the common payment routes available to Canadians, the account…
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