Thailand News

Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.

  • Foreign man searches for Thai wife and son with letter and photos from 1966 | Thaiger

    Foreign man searches for Thai wife and son with letter and photos from 1966

    A foreign man is searching for his Thai wife and their son after receiving an old letter and photographs from the woman about 60 years ago. A Facebook user, Bubba Homes, posted an old letter and photos in the group ที่นี่..”ขอนแก่น” (This is Khon Kaen) today, March 23. In the caption, the user said a man named Abel wanted to…

  • Foreigner attacked and robbed by 3 men at Phuket ATM | Thaiger

    Foreigner attacked and robbed by 3 men at Phuket ATM

    Phuket police are yet to issue a statement after a foreigner was attacked and robbed by three men in front of an ATM in Patong. The incident was captured on CCTV. The footage was shared by several news outlets last week. A timestamp on the video indicates the incident took place at about 5am on March 19. KhaoSod English reported…

  • Thai Airways ticket prices rise 10% to 15% as jet fuel costs jump | Thaiger

    Thai Airways ticket prices rise 10% to 15% as jet fuel costs jump

    Thai Airways gradually increased fares by 10% to 15% as higher jet fuel costs linked to unrest in the Middle East. Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri told media the airline has been managing the impact of the escalating conflict involving a US and Israel coalition and Iran. He said the most immediate effect was the jet fuel prices, which rose…

  • Russian man charged after cash withdrawals linked to call centre scam | Thaiger

    Russian man charged after cash withdrawals linked to call centre scam

    Police in Chon Buri arrested a Russian man while he was withdrawing cash linked to a call centre scam operation from an ATM in Chon Buri on March 19. Chon Buri Provincial Police said officers launched a crackdown on a call centre scam gang after noticing suspicious behaviour involving foreign nationals withdrawing money from multiple ATMs across the Na Jomtien…

  • Iranian motorcyclist kills Finnish tourist on Pattaya zebra crossing | Thaiger

    Iranian motorcyclist kills Finnish tourist on Pattaya zebra crossing

    An Iranian motorcyclist crashed into and killed a Finnish man while the victim was crossing a road at a zebra crossing in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers investigated the crash on Na Jomtien Sai Song Road near Rom Pho Market at about 9.40pm. Police found two injured foreigners at the scene: 55 year old Finnish…

  • Thailand News | Thailand mulls shorter Visa-Free entry window, Thailand targets online nicotine pouch sellers | Thaiger

    Thailand News | Thailand mulls shorter Visa-Free entry window, Thailand targets online nicotine pouch sellers

    Today we’ll be talking about the foreign affairs ministry’s proposal to cut visa free stays from 60 days to 30 days, streakers in Pattaya and brawls on Bangla road, and a little later the British ‘mum on the run’ famous for posting her lavish lifestyle in Thailand supposedly funded by UK benefits has been sentenced to prison time back home.…

  • Suvarnabhumi Airport ranking rises to 36th in 2026 world’s best airport | Thaiger

    Suvarnabhumi Airport ranking rises to 36th in 2026 world’s best airport

    Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced that Suvarnabhumi International Airport was ranked 36th in the 2026 World’s Best Airport list, improving its ranking by three positions from 39th last year. In a Facebook post shared yesterday, March 22, AOT said Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport brought pride to Thailand again following service improvements that helped both airports rise in…

  • Japanese tourist attacked by group of Thai men on Pattaya road | Thaiger

    Japanese tourist attacked by group of Thai men on Pattaya road

    Police are investigating an assault on a Japanese tourist after viral footage showed a group of Thai men, including a motorcycle taxi rider, repeatedly punching and kicking him on a road in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station said the case came to light after clips of the incident circulated on Thai social media. In one video,…

  • Government says Thailand records three meningococcal deaths | Thaiger

    Government says Thailand records three meningococcal deaths

    The Thai government said today, March 22, that it has instructed the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to closely monitor an outbreak of meningococcal disease in the United Kingdom, with three deaths reported in Thailand. Deputy government spokesperson Airin Phanrit said information from international health bodies, including the UK Health Security Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and…

  • Police called after naked man walks into Khon Kaen petrol station | Thaiger

    Police called after naked man walks into Khon Kaen petrol station

    Police in Khon Kaen took a man into custody and sent him to the hospital today, March 22, after staff at a petrol station reported a naked man inside the premises, with rescuers saying he may have been experiencing a mental health episode. The incident was reported at about 11.30am at a PT station in Nong Kung Thanasan subdistrict, Phu…

  • Thailand to cut visa-free stay to 30 days, Foreign Ministry says | Thaiger

    Thailand to cut visa-free stay to 30 days, Foreign Ministry says

    Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is preparing to ask the government to cut the visa-free stay for eligible foreign tourists from 60 days to 30 days, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaeo said on March 20. Sihasak said the 60-day visa exemption policy was introduced under the government of Srettha Thavisin to support Thai tourism, which he noted remains important to the country’s economic…

  • Bangkok arrests 16 foreign women over alleged prostitution | Thaiger

    Bangkok arrests 16 foreign women over alleged prostitution

    A late-night prostitution crackdown in Bangkok led to 16 arrests on March 20 after complaints on social media alleged a group of foreign women were approaching visitors to offer sexual services on Sukhumvit Soi 4. The joint operation took place at about 8.30 pm in Khlong Toei district. Officers from Lumpini Police Station worked alongside officials from the Department of…

  • Samut Sakhon fishing crisis: fuel price hike forces boats to dock | Thaiger

    Samut Sakhon fishing crisis: fuel price hike forces boats to dock

    Samut Sakhon fishermen face dockings as ‘green oil’ price rises 6.5 baht per litre The Samut Sakhon fishing industry is under mounting financial pressure as the price of ‘green oil’ rises by 6.5 baht per litre on March 22, forcing many fishermen to dock their boats and prompting growing calls for government intervention. Mongkhon Mongkhontrilak, chairman of the Samut Sakhon…

  • 1.3 million meth pills worth 39 million baht found by Mekong | Thaiger

    1.3 million meth pills worth 39 million baht found by Mekong

    A village security team patrolling the banks of the Mekong River in Nong Khai province discovered three large packages containing around 1.3 million methamphetamine pills worth over 39 million baht on March 20. Police believe the drugs were part of a trafficking network’s attempt to move narcotics deeper into the country. The find was announced at a press conference at…

  • Department of Disease Control targets online nicotine pouch sellers | Thaiger

    Department of Disease Control targets online nicotine pouch sellers

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has lodged a complaint over the alleged online sale of nicotine pouches, after monitoring found the products were being advertised and sold digitally, with further checks pointing to a physical shop in Pathum Thani. Speaking yesterday, March 21, deputy director-general of the DDC Anek Moong-om-klang said that on March 17, he assigned investigators at…

  • Teen severely beaten in Saraburi over 90 baht debt | Thaiger

    Teen severely beaten in Saraburi over 90 baht debt

    A 15 year old girl in Saraburi suffered a fractured skull after being beaten by a group of four teenagers, reportedly over an unpaid debt of 90 baht for a shirt. The victim, known by the pseudonym Mook, was found with bruising across her face and body. She is currently receiving treatment at Saraburi Hospital. Her 58 year old grandmother,…

  • Senate committee to vote on revoking Thailand-Cambodia land pact | Thaiger

    Senate committee to vote on revoking Thailand-Cambodia land pact

    A special Senate committee is set to vote on Monday, March 24 on whether to recommend cancelling the Thailand-Cambodia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 43, which covers land boundary demarcation. This follows the committee’s earlier vote to recommend scrapping MoU 44, which pertains to maritime and offshore areas. Noppadol Inna, chairman of the Senate committee evaluating the pros and cons of…

  • Thai election commission defends ballot design amid court scrutiny | Thaiger

    Thai election commission defends ballot design amid court scrutiny

    Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) has defended its use of barcodes and QR codes on election ballots, insisting that voting remains free, fair, and confidential amid growing scrutiny over the practice. The Constitutional Court is currently reviewing a petition questioning whether these tracking features violate constitutional principles. EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee said the commission is awaiting a court summons to provide…

  • Chinese national arrested in Bangkok for police impersonation scam | Thaiger

    Chinese national arrested in Bangkok for police impersonation scam

    A Chinese national has been arrested at a Bangkok hotel on suspicion of impersonating a police officer to extort millions of baht from Thai victims, following the earlier arrest of an accomplice. Police from Chachoengsao province, acting on a court warrant, detained the suspect in his room at a hotel in the Huai Khwang district yesterday. Officers seized 5,484,200 baht…

  • Thai influencer sentenced for online gambling promotion | Thaiger

    Thai influencer sentenced for online gambling promotion

    A 24 year old social media influencer has been sentenced to six months in prison for promoting an illegal online gambling website to her nearly one million followers. Narumon “Mind” was found to have used her Facebook account, verified by Meta and boasting over 740,000 followers, to advertise a gambling site through her story posts in exchange for significant payments.…

  • Severe weather warning issued for 40 Thai provinces | Thaiger

    Severe weather warning issued for 40 Thai provinces

    Thailand’s Meteorological Department has warned of severe weather tomorrow, with thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds forecast across 40 provinces, with the northeast among the worst-affected regions. Over the next 24 hours, the upper part of Thailand will experience hot daytime weather. Rainfall is set to increase in the northeast and east, with thunderstorms, strong winds, and occasional hail forecast for…

  • Finland tops World Happiness Report in 2026, Thailand slips 3 places | Thaiger

    Finland tops World Happiness Report in 2026, Thailand slips 3 places

    Finland has been ranked the world’s happiest country for a ninth consecutive year in the World Happiness Report 2026, while Thailand fell three places from 49th last year to 52nd this year. The report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford on March 19, said the top three countries were Finland, Iceland and Denmark. Costa Rica…

  • Thai man rapes and blackmails ex-girlfriend over unpaid debt | Thaiger

    Thai man rapes and blackmails ex-girlfriend over unpaid debt

    A Thai man surrendered to Bangkok police after he raped his ex-girlfriend in a public bathroom and later blackmailed her with the explicit videos to pressure her over an unpaid debt of about 700,000 baht. The suspect, 28 year old Jirapas Kangwankrai, turned himself in at Tha Kham Police Station on Wednesday, March 18, after public attention intensified over a…

  • Chinese man blacklisted for filing fake theft to Chiang Mai police | Thaiger

    Chinese man blacklisted for filing fake theft to Chiang Mai police

    A Chinese man is suspected of filing a fake theft complaint in Chiang Mai in an attempt to obtain a police document for an insurance claim before leaving Thailand. Officers from Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station were alerted of a snatching at 11.40pm on March 17 by a 33 year old Chinese man, Xiao. He reported that the crime occurred…

  • SRT Red Line Salaya–Nakhon Pathom extension mapped for 2033 opening | Thaiger

    SRT Red Line Salaya–Nakhon Pathom extension mapped for 2033 opening

    Thailand’s State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is advancing plans for the Red Line Salaya–Nakhon Pathom extension, a proposed 25.3-kilometre route with a target opening year of 2033. SRT is also moving ahead with two Red Line extensions scheduled to begin construction in 2026, with contract signings planned for March and June 2026. The projects include the northern extension from Rangsit…

  • Naked foreigner held for public disturbance and property damage in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Naked foreigner held for public disturbance and property damage in Pattaya

    Police arrested a naked foreigner in Pattaya after causing a roadside disturbance and damaging a decorative statue outside a resident’s home. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to Thap Phaya Road near Soi Phra Tamnak 5 after reports of a naked foreign man walking along the street and appearing heavily intoxicated. His identity and nationality were not disclosed. Police said the…

  • Four paedos nabbed in CCIB child pornography crackdown | Thaiger

    Four paedos nabbed in CCIB child pornography crackdown

    As part of a nationwide child pornography crackdown, Thailand’s cyber police have raided and arrested four suspects accused of producing, possessing, sharing and selling obscene material involving children online. The Commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), Police Lieutenant General Surapol Prembutr, ordered an intensified crackdown on child pornography circulating on the internet and posing a threat to children and…

  • Thailand News | Parliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s Prime Minister, rare 25-Satang Coin from 1999 valued at 5,000 Baht | Thaiger

    Thailand News | Parliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s Prime Minister, rare 25-Satang Coin from 1999 valued at 5,000 Baht

    Today we’ll be talking about Thailand’s parliament electing a new prime minister, a viral moment of a man riding a horse in Ang Thong, and Bangkok’s safety plans for Khao San Road ahead of Songkran 2026.We’ll also cover an online debate over whether Thailand is overrated, a tourist brawl in Patong, and a rare 25-satang coin now valued at thousands…

  • Netherlands Embassy Bangkok relocation set for August | Thaiger

    Netherlands Embassy Bangkok relocation set for August

    The Embassy of the Netherlands in Thailand announced it will relocate its Bangkok office to Dusit Central Park in August, ending its long-standing presence on Wireless Road, one of the city’s prime areas. The embassy is currently based on a 32,000-square-metre plot in Soi Tonson off Wireless Road (Witthayu Road), an area known for its greenery and concentration of major…

  • Thai ex-cabin crew gets hate from South Korean netizens after resigning | Thaiger

    Thai ex-cabin crew gets hate from South Korean netizens after resigning

    A Thai woman drew abusive comments from South Korean social media users after resigning from Korean Air and posting a farewell message on Instagram featuring photos of herself in a flight attendant uniform. The former Korean Air flight attendant, identified only as Jam, shared the images on her Instagram account, @jammamyy, on February 28. In the caption, she wrote, “Once…