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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3 foreign men assault another foreigner in Pattaya Songkran celebration
A video recently shared online showed a group of foreign men in a fight during Songkran celebrations on Pattaya Walking Street on April 17. The footage, posted by a Thai woman, showed a group of three men, believed to be from Middle Eastern countries, confronting a foreign man reported to be European, aged between 50 and 60. In the caption, the…
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Trat fisherman fined over 140,000 baht for illegal diesel
Excise officers in Trat and marine police seized 3,800 litres of illegal diesel from a fishing boat in Khlong Yai in the early hours of today, April 17, after receiving a tip-off about untaxed fuel entering Thai waters. At about 1am, officers searched the vessel at Por Kasemsiri pier in Khlong Yai district, Trat. Surachai, a 62 year old man…
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Bangkok woman claims date rape drug was sprayed into her face at Songkran party
A Thai woman issued a public warning after alleging that she was exposed to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), or date rape drug, through water sprayed from a water gun during a Songkran event at an entertainment venue in Bangkok. The TikTok user, @jeeppji, shared a photo of herself unconscious in the hospital on Monday, April 13. In the caption, she wrote that…
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Chinese man killed after falling under truck in Pattaya
A 48 year old Chinese man died in a Pattaya motorcycle accident yesterday, April 16, after losing control of his motorbike and being run over by a six-wheel water truck. Police were called at around 12pm to a road near a school in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, where a truck had collided with a motorcycle. Officers from Nong…
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Thailand set for slowest economic growth in ASEAN in 2026, IMF says
Thailand is expected to record the slowest economic growth in ASEAN in 2026 after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast to 1.5%, down from 1.6% projected in January. The downgrade, reported today, April 17, places Thailand behind its regional peers, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The IMF said Vietnam is expected to lead the region with 7.1% growth, followed…
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2 transgender suspects surrender after leaving hickey on victim’s neck
Two from three transgender suspects surrendered to police after sexually assaulting a man during Songkran celebrations in Phichit province, leaving a hickey on his neck. The 24 year old victim, Chitsanupong, filed a complaint with Mueang Phichit Police Station after the incident on April 15 at a Songkran event on Khao Tang Road. He had earlier shared details of the…
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British pensioner dies after being swept out to sea in Hua Hin
A British pensioner from Liverpool died after being swept out to sea in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, on April 15. Police said he was swimming alone and was unable to return to shore. The 75 year old man had entered the water in the morning as his girlfriend watched from the beach. His body was later found by a fisherman…
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Missing Taiwanese man found undergoing treatment in Pattaya
A missing Taiwanese man was found at a hospital in Pattaya, undergoing mental health treatment, three days after his Thai girlfriend reported him as missing and contacted police for help. The man, whose name was not disclosed, was found yesterday, April 16, at Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital. His 26 year old Thai girlfriend, identified only as Bua, had reported him missing…
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Private detained for raping girl in public bathroom near Khao San Road
The First Army Area detained a private who raped a girl in a public bathroom near Khao San Road during Songkran celebrations. The brother of the 15 year old victim took her to Chana Songkram Police Station at 1am on April 14 to file a complaint. The family alleged that police refused to take legal action at first and instead…
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Bangkok draws nearly 5 million to Songkran events
Nearly five million people attended Songkran events in Bangkok between April 10 and 15, according to City Hall data released yesterday, April 16. The capital also recorded increases in rubbish, grass fires and road deaths compared with the same period last year. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said cumulative attendance at 94 Songkran venues reached 4,958,965 people, a…
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Thai Airways cuts May flights across Asia, Europe
Thai Airways has reduced flight frequencies across domestic, Asian and European routes for May in response to weaker tourism demand and high fuel costs. The schedule, reported as of yesterday, April 16, affects key routes from May 1 onwards, with some reductions lasting until the end of the month. On domestic routes, flights to Khon Kaen will be reduced from…
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British man apologises after drifting car near Songkran event
Police are seeking to revoke the driving licence of a British man who was caught drifting a car during Songkran celebrations in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province on April 12. Viral footage shared on Thai social media showed a red vehicle drifting on a concrete area near the Songkran event site close to Black Bridge in Hat Yai district.…
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Bangkok tuk tuk driver tries to overcharge influencer during Songkran, faces legal action
A Bangkok tuk tuk driver is facing possible legal action after he allegedly tried to overcharge a beauty blogger 2,000 baht for a journey of about 700 metres, in a trip that took around three minutes in total. The influencer, Chatsak Mahata, better known as Eclair Juepak, posted a video on social media on Tuesday, April 14, describing the incident.…
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Chinese woman stages her own kidnapping to extort money from father
Thai police arrested four Chinese nationals in Samut Prakan after a Chinese woman staged her own kidnapping with her boyfriend and two other men to extort money from her father. The case came to light after the woman’s father filed a complaint with police in China, saying his daughter, identified only as Tong, was kidnapped in Cambodia. He was told…
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ONE Championship launches lawsuit against Thai boxer over contract dispute
ONE Championship launched legal action against Thai boxer Rodtang Jitmueangnon over alleged breaches of contract. In a post published on its Facebook page, ONE Championship Thailand, the promotion said it had started legal proceedings in Thailand, Japan and Singapore against Rodtang, whose real name is 28 year old Tinnakorn Srisawat. ONE said the action followed multiple alleged contract breaches, including…
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4 Pattaya taxi riders and bar guards arrested for attacking 2 foreigners
Four Thai men, including motorcycle taxi riders and bar security guards, were arrested after a viral video showed them attacking two foreigners during Songkran celebrations in Pattaya. The video was shared by the SiamChon News Facebook page on April 13 with a caption claiming that Pattaya motorcycle taxi riders attacked a foreign tourist in Soi Pattaya 6 after he sprayed…
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Thailand video news | Songkran road toll climbs as return travel raises fresh safety concerns, Patong police detain tourists accused of targeting officers with water guns
In Thailand video news, Alex and Jay cover stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The headlines include both the highs and lows of Songkran. ASEAN leaders also respond to rising tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, air pollution continues to worsen in northern Thailand. Songkran Road Toll Climbs as Return Travel Raises Fresh Safety Concerns Thailand recorded 191 deaths…
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Phichit man reports sexual assault by women and transwomen during Songkran
A man filed a police complaint after a group of women and transwomen sexually assaulted him during Songkran celebrations in Phichit province, leaving a hickey on his neck. The victim, identified only as Chitsanupong, shared photos of marks on his neck on Facebook yesterday, April 15. Based on the tagged location in the post, the sexual assault took place at…
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Cat bites owner, stops Thai train, gets blamed for seven-hour delay
A cat that attacked its owner and scratched fellow passengers on a southbound train has been blamed online for a seven-hour delay, though passengers say two successive engine failures were the real cause. Rapid Train No.169, travelling from Bangkok Aphiwat to Yala, arrived at Yala station at 6.15pm on Monday, 430 minutes behind schedule. A Facebook post by Kijja Pongpisan,…
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Police confirm accidental death of man found near Sukhumvit building
Police have confirmed the death of Hotesh (Nikhil) Sham Dodani, a 37 year old Thai resident, was accidental, with police and post-mortem reports now providing verified findings after initial reports could not confirm the full circumstances surrounding his death on April 4. Police Lieutenant Panurut Limsangkad from Thonglor Police Station responded to the scene on Soi Sukhumvit 24, Khlong Tan…
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Chiang Mai records highest drink driving cases during Songkran
Drunk driving accounted for 3,726 cases recorded during the 2026 Songkran Festival, with Chiang Mai reporting the highest number, according to Thailand’s Department of Probation. Director-General Piya Raksakun said the department instructed probation offices nationwide to enforce strict measures under campaigns promoting road safety, including “safe driving, reduce speed, reduce accidents,” and efforts to reduce road incidents during the holiday…
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Air quality in Thailand worsens as pollution levels rise in 42 provinces
Air quality across Thailand has deteriorated significantly, with PM2.5 levels breaching safety thresholds in 42 provinces spanning the north, northeast, and central regions, as forecasters warn of worsening pollution over the coming week. The Air Pollution Resolution Communication Centre reported on Tuesday, April 15, that readings taken at 7am showed unsafe PM2.5 concentrations across a broad swath of the country.…
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Patong tourists arrested for water-throwing chaos during Songkran
Seven foreign tourists were arrested in Patong after forcing open a vehicle door to spray water inside during Songkran celebrations, despite the driver’s clear objections. The group now faces charges of causing a public disturbance and obstructing traffic. Patong police addressed the situation on April 14, following a viral social media clip captioned “Patong chaos: foreign tourists force door open…
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102-year-old ‘Khun Yai Whin’ walks unaided at Songkran festival
A 102 year old woman known as “Khun Yai Whin” became the highlight of this year’s Songkran celebrations in Mueang district, Pathum Thani, walking unaided and drawing admiration from the more than 500 people in attendance. The festival, held today, April 15, at the multipurpose area of Baan Klang subdistrict, centred on honouring the elderly in keeping with Thai new…
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Chiang Rai Songkran festival boosts tourism despite heat
Chiang Rai’s Songkran festival draws crowds to the Mekong River, with tourists cooling off in water activities and celebrating the Thai New Year along the banks in Chiang Saen district. The “Maha Songkran Three Nations” festival officially kicked off on April 13, with visitors braving the northern Thailand heat to join in the festivities. The Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organisation,…
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Man high on meth arrested after attempted assault in Samut Prakan
A man allegedly high on methamphetamine broke into a young woman’s apartment in Samut Prakan during the Songkran holiday and attempted to assault her before being chased down and detained by locals. Police from Bang Phli station received a report of the attempted assault and coordinated with local patrol officers and volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation to investigate the incident…
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Man arrested for groping journalist during Songkran festival
Police arrested a man accused of groping a female journalist on Rama 4 Road during Songkran celebrations on Sunday afternoon. Officers from Pathumwan station apprehended Methasit (surname withheld) at 4.30pm on April 13 after he allegedly touched a journalist on her left buttock while she was reporting on the water festival. The journalist said she was walking along the road…
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Chinese man caught stealing on flight to Thailand
Thai tourist police arrested a Chinese national on Sunday, April 13, after he was caught stealing cash from a fellow passenger aboard a flight arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Laos. Officers from Tourist Police Division 3, under Tourist Police Bureau 1, detained the suspect, Zheng, upon landing. Police recovered 16,020 baht in cash linked to the theft, along with various…
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Swedish man crashes truck on Pattaya beach, injures tourist
An 83 year old Swedish man lost control of his pickup truck at a Pattaya viewpoint on Saturday, sending the vehicle crashing through metal railings and plunging three metres onto the beach below. One tourist was injured in the incident, which took place during the busy Songkran long weekend. The accident occurred at around 4pm at the Yinyom Beach Viewpoint…
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Foreigners cause chaos with fire extinguisher in Pattaya Songkran festivities
Two foreigners caused a disturbance on Walking Street in South Pattaya during Songkran celebrations early on Sunday after using a fire extinguisher to spray at bystanders and motorcycles, leaving a trail of chemical residue and damage. The incident happened at around 5am and was captured on video, which quickly spread across a popular local Facebook group. One post described the…
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