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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Bang Kwang Prison escapee alleges corruption, phone access for inmates in leaked recording
A Thai inmate, who previously made headlines for a prison break in 2023, accused prison officers at Bang Kwang Central Prison of corruption and giving special privileges to some prisoners, including access to computers and mobile phones. The corruption allegations levied against Bang Kwang Prison were made by Chaowalit “Paeng” Thongduang, also known as Sia Paeng, in leaked voice recordings released…
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Thailand News | BMW reverses into crowd, injuring five foreigners in Pattaya, Thailand launches cannabis shop tracking map
Today we’ll be talking about a shocking incident involving a reckless driver in a BMW, a Turkish engineer who was on the lamb has been arrested in Pattaya over a fatal building collapse, in ASEAN News a fuel tanker explosion at a Myanmar port has had deadly consequences, then would you like some drugs, eh? A Canadian suspect has been…
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Information from over 300,000 accounts leaked as Engineers Council system hacked
A senior engineer warned that the Council of Engineers Thailand’s system has been hacked, potentially placing personal information of more than 300,000 members at risk. It was alleged that the data leak may have allowed criminals to access member details that could be used by call centre scam gangs. A senior professional engineer and high-profile council member, Chulert Jitjuejun, posted…
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Israeli woman allegedly uses nominee company for OnlyFans sales
Police arrested an Israeli woman and two Thai nationals in Krabi yesterday, April 23, during a nominee companies crackdown linked to more than 500 firms across Krabi, Phuket, and Surat Thani. The case began after investigators identified an accounting company allegedly registering businesses for foreigners by using Thai nationals as shareholders. The arrangement was allegedly used to conceal foreign business…
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Thai woman forced to pay 100,000 baht to retrieve her dog from caretaker
A Thai woman today, April 23, reunited with her pet dog after a dispute with a caretaker who allegedly refused to return the animal and demanded 100,000 baht. The 35 year old woman, Pare, sought help from a social media influencer and posted her case on TikTok, explaining that she wanted her white Pomeranian, Kati, returned. The dog had been…
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TikTok video of 150 baht coconut in Phuket divides Thai internet
A foreign TikToker recently posted about the price of a coconut on Patong Beach in Phuket yesterday, April 22, pointing out the upcharge in tourist areas, which were met with mixed reactions as debates raged on in the comments. The video, which focused on the price of coconuts in Phuket, left many viewers, Thai and foreign, divided. Some are defending…
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Thailand launches online map to track cannabis shops nationwide
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine in Thailand has launched an interactive online map to monitor licensed cannabis shops nationwide, as the government moves to tighten oversight and restrict use to medical purposes only. The system went live as related legal processes remain underway. Deputy Director-General Dr Thewan Thaneerat said on April 21 that the platform, formally known…
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BMW reverses into crowd injuring 5 foreigners in Pattaya
A Thai woman injured five foreigners, including a two year old Australian boy, after her BMW reversed into a crowd outside a massage shop in Pattaya yesterday, April 22. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the crash outside a massage shop near Made in Thailand Market at about 7.50pm and attended the scene with rescuers from the…
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Turkish engineer arrested in Pattaya over fatal building collapse
A Turkish engineer wanted under an Interpol Red Notice was arrested in Pattaya on Wednesday, April 22, after allegedly fleeing legal action linked to a fatal building collapse in Turkey. Officers from Chon Buri Immigration identified the suspect as 76 year old Abdullah Ayababa, who had been living in Thailand after working as an engineer in Turkey. Turkish authorities sought…
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Thailand News | Pattaya Bar fight leaves German Tourist hurt, Family turns funeral into farewell celebration in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Today we’ve got a whole lot of misbehaving people in store for you. First, the badly behaving foreigners in the form of Pattaya bar fights and lazy Phuket travelers, Then, the badly behaving monks in the form of a 50-year sentence for temple embezzlement not to mention the ones drinking and sniffing glue! After that we’ve got ladyboys getting naughty…
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Unemployment looms as PTT ‘tests’ self-service fuelling
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) has officially launched a self-service fuelling option at PTT Station outlets across Thailand, offering drivers a discount of 40 satang per litre with no minimum purchase required. The rollout, framed under an “easy and smart” concept, is designed to cut waiting times during peak hours and give customers full control of the refuelling process.…
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Thailand could scrap visa-free entry for 36 countries to target ‘higher-quality visitors’
Thailand is considering limiting its visa-free policy as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports looks to attract more long-stay and higher-quality visitors while introducing measures to support domestic tourism. Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworrakun said yesterday, April 22, that the government is currently reviewing Thailand’s visa-free scheme after criticism over its impact. In July last year, Thailand expanded its…
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Foreign tourists slammed for abandoning rental motorcycles at Phuket airport
Two foreign men were seen abandoning rental motorcycles outside the passenger terminal at Phuket International Airport despite signs banning motorcycles and parking, drawing criticism online. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared photos of the men and the two rental motorcycles today, April 22, with the caption, “Foreign tourists rode rental motorcycles to the second-floor of Phuket airport despite no entry…
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Korat men in monk robes filmed drinking alcohol, sniffing glue
Officials in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) launched an inspection today, April 22, after a video circulated online showing a group dressed in clothing resembling monk robes allegedly drinking alcohol and sniffing glue near a public area. The incident was reported near a Bodhi tree along the city moat behind the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organisation, prompting criticism over damage to the…
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Parasailing accident in Phuket caused by boat propeller, investigators say
A Phuket parasailing accident off Kamala Beach in Phuket, on Monday, April 20, was revealed to have been caused by a boat propeller cutting a rope, leading a tourist and an assistant to fall into the sea. The incident gained attention after a foreign witness shared video footage on TikTok, showing the rope connecting the parachute to the speedboat snapping…
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Boxing team member allegedly offers spiked drink to Thai boxer before bout
A Thai boxer poisoning case is under investigation after CCTV footage at a boxing stadium allegedly showed a member of a boxing team handing a drink to a fighter before a bout on March 28. Avatar PK Saenchai Muay Thai gym shared on its official Facebook page last month that one of its boxers, Supachai Sakunwong, also known as Pharuehatnoi…
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Chinese man injured after groping Thai woman outside Pattaya nightclub
A Pattaya sexual assault case is under investigation after a Thai woman accused a Chinese man of groping her outside a nightclub earlier today, April 22. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers responded to a report of an altercation at a nightclub on Southern Pattaya Road at around 1am. At the scene, officers found two Thai women standing near a Chinese man…
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MPs push law reform over unlicensed nightlife venues
Concerns over the regulation and licensing of nightlife venues in Bangkok and other tourist areas were formally raised today, April 22, after Members of Parliament highlighted widespread non-compliance under current laws, pointing out Khao San Road as an example. People’s Party MP for Bangkok, Bhuntin Noumjerm, along with fellow Bangkok MPs Paramait Vithayaruksun and Chorayuth Chaturapornprasit, and Nakhon Ratchasima MP Nueng…
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Thai senator calls Parliament’s free meal cancellation an ‘insult’ to her honour
A Thai senator faced backlash on social media after declaring that cancelling free meals in Parliament was an “insult” to the honour of senators, during a Senate meeting on Monday, April 20. The issue follows a March 15 Parliamentary meeting where Members of Parliament (MPs) agreed to end free meals following public criticism over the misuse of taxpayer funds. MPs,…
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Thailand seeks closer cooperation in Myanmar visit
Thailand said talks with Myanmar’s new leadership today, April 22, would focus on key bilateral and regional issues, including border security, pollution and the country’s return to ASEAN. Speaking in Naypyidaw at 8.15am local time, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the official visit had three main objectives. The first was to congratulate Myanmar on the formation…
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Kaeng Krachan forest fire burns 5,000 rai in Phetchaburi
A forest fire has burned about 5,000 rai (roughly 8 square kilometres) in Kaeng Krachan forest and spread near homes in Phetchaburi, while officials have also found two gaur carcasses in the burned area with gunshot wounds. The update was reported yesterday, April 21, after the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry ordered agencies to step up forest fire prevention and…
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Frenchman files counter complaint after his arrest for assaulting Phuket man during Songkran
A Frenchman filed a counter-complaint after he was arrested yesterday, April 21, for assaulting a Thai man during Songkran celebrations in Phuket on April 12. He claimed the Thai man had started the altercation. The incident came to light after the wife of 38 year old Weerasak Madlee contacted the Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, alleging that police had not acted on…
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Transgender fined over topless Songkran dance in Chon Buri
Police in Sattahip fined a transgender woman yesterday, April 21, after she was filmed removing her top and then dancing topless during Songkran celebrations in Bang Saray, Chon Buri, on April 20. The incident took place during the Wan Lai festival along Bang Saray Beach Road, where festivalgoers, including women and transgender participants, were dancing to loud music. One individual,…
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Thai parasailing staff and tourist fall into Phuket sea after rope snaps
A tourist and parasailing assistant fell into the sea in Phuket on Monday, April 20, after a rope snapped mid-flight. No injuries were reported. The incident was captured on video by a foreign witness and shared on TikTok account, @burcuus, with the caption “That was close.” The footage shows two men, believed to be a tourist and a parasailing assistant, being…
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Thai woman’s Songkran GHB exposure claim investigated as poison centre questions theory
Ramathibodi Poison Centre said the chances of successfully administering gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, through a water gun were very low after a Thai woman claimed she may have been exposed to the drug during Songkran celebrations in Bangkok. The woman posted a warning on TikTok on April 13, saying she was hospitalised after being exposed to GHB at an entertainment venue…
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Japanese chef closes ramen shop after online fame reveals permit issue
A Japanese chef temporarily closed his ramen shop in Samut Prakan after a work permit issue came to light following the shop’s rise to fame on Thai social media. The story began when a Thai woman posted a review in the Facebook group Ramen Lover Association of Thailand about a shop called Kham Sanya Kub Moo Tua Nan, or The…
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Frigate deal puts Thai Navy on path to shipbuilding self-reliance
The Royal Thai Navy held a meeting with the Thai Shipbuilding and Repairing Association (TSBA) and domestic shipyard operators yesterday, April 20, to discuss the offset policy framework for its planned frigate procurement. Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyaphan said the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) also participated in the meeting to clarify the principles and calculation methods used under…
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Thai AirAsia X flight changes leave travellers scrambling
Thai passengers have complained online after Thai AirAsia X (AA X) changed several Japan-bound flights and issued flight cancellations, particularly on the Don Mueang to Osaka route, disrupting travel plans in May. The issue gained attention in online Japan travel groups, where multiple passengers shared accounts of sudden flight changes with no prior email or SMS notification. One passenger wrote,…
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Foreign creator falls in love with Thailand, moves to Bangkok
A foreign content creator has drawn attention online after announcing she has moved to Bangkok, describing the Thai capital as her dream city as she begins a new chapter in Thailand. Louise, who posts on TikTok under the username @louisesolotravels, revealed on March 26 that she had relocated to what she described as her “dream city,” Bangkok. She previously travelled…
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Russian suspect arrested in Phuket over scam cash withdrawals
Police in Phuket arrested a Russian national yesterday, April 20, in connection with a call centre scam after he was found withdrawing funds linked to fraudulent operations. The suspect, identified as 41 year old Anton Kurchenko, was monitored by Phuket Provincial Police after making multiple ATM withdrawals outside a supermarket in Soi Ta-iad, Chalong subdistrict. According to a report from the…
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