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.
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Sudden blast injures two Thai soldiers near former conflict zone
Two Thai soldiers were injured while responding to a grass fire near the Chong An Ma border area today, January 30, after heat from the blaze triggered an explosion believed to have come from unexploded ordnance left over from past fighting. According to a report from the Second Army Region, the fire broke out in an area of dry grass…
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Truck snags wires and pulls down 70 power poles in Samut Prakan
A truck snagged on communication wires and later pulled down more than 70 electricity poles along a road in the Bang Pu area of Samut Prakan province today, January 30, causing widespread power outages in the area and nearby. Officers from Bang Pu Police Station were alerted to the accident at around 1pm. The incident occurred on a bridge at…
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Filmer criticised for not helping collapsed taxi driver in Ayutthaya
A taxi driver was filmed collapsing after crashing his car in a residential area in Ayutthaya today, January 30. The clip went viral and drew criticism toward the person filming, who was accused of recording instead of offering help. The video, shared on the Facebook page เจ๊ม้à¸à¸¢ v+, shows a taxi driving erratically before colliding with multiple parked cars. Moments…
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Chiang Rai family exhumes body after ‘dead’ son walks back home
A Thai man believed to be dead returned to his home in Chiang Rai province on January 24, leaving his family stunned and forcing them to exhume a body they had already buried, only to discover it was his friend, not him. Rescuers from the Thap Yang Sataranakusol Foundation were asked to assist a family in the Mae Fah Luang…
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Drug suspect abandons girlfriend in police chase on Ayutthaya road
A Thai drug user sped off on his motorcycle to escape police and continued fleeing even after his girlfriend fell from the vehicle. He did not get far and was arrested shortly afterwards. Footage from a police body camera went viral on Thai social media and was reposted by several news outlets. The video shows a man wearing a black…
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Pattaya rolls out colour-coded beach umbrellas to boost seaside views
Pattaya introduced new rule assigning specific umbrella colours to beach chair operators, saying the move will improve orderliness and create a more attractive seaside view for visitors. The mayor of Pattaya City, Porramate Ngampichate, shared the update on his official Facebook page yesterday, January 29, stating that umbrella colours and designs above beach chairs across the city would be standardised…
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Phuket man berates children in buffet, gets called out
A Facebook video went viral yesterday, January 29, after capturing a man shouting at two young brothers at a khanom jeen buffet in Phuket, shocking other diners. The clip, posted by the Facebook page à¸à¸µà¸‹à¹‰à¸à¸‚ยี้ข่าว :à¸à¸µà¸‹à¹‰à¸, shows the brothers, one in a striped shirt, the other in red, scooping food onto their plates. A man in a grey shirt behind them…
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Thailand reforms business, visa, and social laws to attract global expats
Thailand is undertaking its most comprehensive expatriate policy overhaul in decades, introducing reforms across business law, visa regulations, property ownership, and civil rights that collectively aim to position the country as Southeast Asia’s premier destination for foreign residents and investors. Announced progressively throughout 2024 and early 2025, these reforms respond to regional competition for foreign talent and investment, particularly as…
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American motorcyclist killed in Pattaya head-on crash with SUV
An American motorcyclist lost his life after crashing into an SUV in the opposite lane on a road in Pattaya last night, January 29. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station and rescuers from Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation were alerted to the fatal accident on Pong Overpass above Number 35 Road in the Bang Lamung district at around 10pm. Upon arrival,…
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Thailand News | British tourist hurt in illegal paragliding mishap, travel guide: explore Thailand like Lisa
Today we’ll be talking about a deadly crash during a Royal Thai Air Force training mission, a British Tourist hurt in an illegal paragliding mishap, and a little later a Danish-Arab Influencer’s videos mocking Thai culture have gone viral. Sounds like bad news but don’t worry I’ve got some feel good stuff at the end of the show brought to…
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Foreign couple caught on video getting frisky in Phuket tuk tuk
A foreign couple were caught engaging in sexual activity inside a tuk tuk while crossing Patong Hill in Phuket yesterday, January 29, openly disregarding passing traffic and other motorists on the busy route. The video, recorded by a driver following behind, quickly went viral after being shared by the Facebook page Phuket Times today, January 30. In the clip, the…
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Swiss national among 30 arrested in Pattaya drug crackdown
Officers from the Bang Lamung District Office arrested 30 drug suspects, including a Swiss national, during a major crackdown at two accommodation sites in central and northern Pattaya on Monday, January 26. District officials launched the first raid at Boom Boom House apartment in central Pattaya after receiving repeated complaints from local residents. The residents reported that the accommodation became…
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Four year old girl crashes Vespa into 7-Eleven in Pathum Thani
A four year old girl accidentally accelerated a Vespa scooter into a 7-Eleven store in Pathum Thani yesterday evening, January 29, injuring both herself and her aunt. The crash occurred around 7pm while the pair were arriving with two other family members at a 7-Eleven store in Soi Khukwang 11, Lat Lum Kaeo district. Officers from Khu Bang Luang Police…
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Udon Thani man casually smokes meth outside police commander’s house
A Thai man was arrested in Udon Thani yesterday, January 29, after police received a tip-off from locals who spotted the man casually lighting up meth in broad daylight, right across the street from the home of a senior police commander. The arrest took place when a patrol team led by a deputy inspector from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station…
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Belgian man injured after power bank explodes at Pattaya bar
A Belgian man suffered burn injuries to his left leg after a power bank exploded while he was drinking at a bar on Pattaya Walking Street yesterday, January 29. Pattaya City officials were alerted to the incident at around 3am. The injured man was identified as 58 year old Belgian national Segers Frank Willem C., who sustained burn wounds on…
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Thailand expects 42.23 billion baht boost from Chinese New Year tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates a bustling Chinese New Year in 2026, with an estimated tourism revenue of 42.23 billion baht, marking a 13% increase compared to the previous year. The improving trend in Chinese tourists visiting Thailand is evident, with daily arrivals ranging from 13,000 to 14,000 individuals. This period of high tourist activity is expected to…
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Researchers uncover new ant species in Trang rubber plantation
A team of Thai researchers has discovered a new species of ant in a rubber plantation near a tourist cave in Trang province. The insect has not been seen again since the area underwent development. Yesterday, January 28, Dr Weeyawat Jaitrong, senior entomologist and researcher with the National Science Museum of Thailand, confirmed the identification of a previously unknown ant…
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Illegal paragliding leaves British tourist injured on Krabi cliff
A British man sustained leg injuries after illegally paragliding within Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province and crashing into a cliff at a height of around 60 to 70 metres above the ground. National park rangers discovered the paragliding accident while conducting a routine patrol near Ton Sai Beach, in the western area of Ao Railay,…
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Royal Thai Police roll out warning-first traffic rule for early 2026
The Royal Thai Police launched a new road safety policy yesterday, January 28, aimed at improving traffic discipline, with officers instructed to issue verbal warnings before handing out fines to most violators from January through March. Police Lieutenant General Somprasong Yenthum, assistant to the national police chief, ordered senior commanders across the country, including Metropolitan Police, Provincial Police Regions 1…
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Iranian man arrested for pickpocketing Chinese tourist in Bangkok
Police arrested an Iranian man after he tricked a Chinese national into showing his money before pickpocketing him at an MRT station in Bangkok. The Chinese victim filed a complaint with Huai Khwang Police Station after the incident occurred while he was waiting for a train at MRT Rama 9 Station. According to the victim, the suspect appeared to be…
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Bangkok girl lured via online game rescued after 4-day search
A young girl who disappeared for four days from her Bangkok home was found alive today, January 29, in a condominium room in Bang Mod area, after police traced her disappearance to a suspected online grooming case linked to a popular mobile game. The rescue operation took place early this morning after officers tracked the girl’s movements following her disappearance…
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Thai netizens react after Japanese living statue hits actress’s son on head
A living statue street performer in Japan sparked backlash among Thai netizens after slapping the son of a Thai actress on the head. However, the boy’s parents later forgave the performer, saying the incident was a misunderstanding and confirming they would not pursue legal action. The incident came to public attention after the family of Thai actress Sarocha “Bua” Viriuamettakul,…
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4 year old boy brutally assaulted by grandmother’s boyfriend
Police rescued a four year old boy from a forest in Lop Buri province after he was assaulted by his grandmother’s boyfriend and abandoned after the man believed the child had died. The boy’s grandmother, 57 year old Banjong, sought help from officers at Chaibadan Police Station at around 3.30pm on Monday, January 26. She reported that her grandson, Pipo,…
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Two dead after Royal Thai Air Force plane crash in Chiang Mai
Two pilots were killed after a Royal Thai Air Force training aircraft crashed into a forested area in Chiang Mai’s Chom Thong district this morning, January 29, with authorities recovering the bodies only after bringing the wreckage fire under control. The crash occurred at around 10.50am on January 29 in a remote area near Ban Huai Muang Fang Sai in…
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Repeated dog attacks in Bangkok raises pet safety concerns
A woman in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district was left shaken after narrowly avoiding an attack by a neighbour’s dog on January 23. The same dog reportedly already injured her back in 2024. The incident marks the second time the same large dog has been involved in an aggressive encounter. The woman, who also owns a dog, was walking her pet…
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AirAsia leaves 23 passengers behind on bus, cites miscommunication
AirAsia issued an apology following a coordination issue that left 23 passengers on a shuttle bus during boarding for a domestic flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai. The incident occurred on January 17 on Flight FD3116, which was scheduled to depart Don Mueang International Airport at 7.10am. A passenger later described the situation in a Facebook post published on January…
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Thailand News | Bangkok to push work-from-home as PM2.5 soars, man in Ayutthaya escapes injury after stray bullets hit his pillow
Today we’ll be talking about the dangerous level of pollution in bangkok as the cities pushes for more work-from-home, Thai political parties riding nationalist currents amid border tensions, and a little later a Thai fugitive being extradited to the US for murder charges after nearly 30 years on the run. Bangkok to Push Work-From-Home as PM2.5 Soars Bangkok officials are…
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Foreign influencer under fire after insulting police in Pattaya
Videos showing a foreign influencer insulting police and mocking locals during a recent trip to Pattaya have triggered backlash on social media. Netizens say the clips highlight growing frustration with disrespectful behaviour among some foreign tourists. Clips shared on Reddit’s r/ThailandTourism forum on January 27 appear to show the man, identified by users as Danish-Arab influencer Ahmarnioff, engaging in behaviour that…
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Thai singer breaks down on stage after father critically injured in car accident
The father of a Thai singer is in critical condition after a pickup truck crashed into his motorcycle in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok yesterday, January 28. The singer later broke down in tears on stage, saying doctors had told her that her father has only a 10% chance of survival. Officers from Chaiyaphruek Police Station, emergency medical staff from Pak…
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Pakistani man caught and beaten for stealing cannabis in Phuket
Cannabis shop owners and witnesses in Phuket chased after and assaulted a Pakistani man after he stole a jar of cannabis from a store in Patong before handing him over to police. A female cannabis shop owner filed a complaint with officers at Patong Police Station yesterday, January 28, after a group of tourists, reported to be Pakistani nationals, stole…
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