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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Udon Thani storm kills frog hunter, destroys 40 homes
A severe storm battered the Kudjab district of Udon Thani on April 23, destroying dozens of homes and killing one man who crashed into a fallen tree on a darkened road. In Ban Non Thana, Moo 9, Saeng Ko subdistrict, powerful winds uprooted large trees, severing power lines and toppling rubber trees. Between 30 and 40 homes lost their roofs,…
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EC lines up 11 witnesses for Constitutional Court over QR ballot case
The Election Commission (EC) plans to present a list of 11 witnesses to the Constitutional Court next week as part of its defence in the QR code ballot case, EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee announced on Friday. The commission submitted a clarification statement to the court last week. Sawaeng also addressed concerns over one potentially contentious witness, describing the individual as…
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Thai-Cambodia border stays shut amid ceasefire non-compliance
Thailand’s defence minister has stated that border checkpoints with Cambodia will remain closed until Cambodia adheres to a ceasefire agreement. The announcement came during a ceremony marking the 139th anniversary of the defence ministry. Adul Boonthumjaroen stressed the need to comply with the truce and related bilateral protocols after the government cancelled Memorandum of Understanding 44 (MoU44) on Thursday. Taking…
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Foreign men caught on CCTV footage stealing guitar in Phuket
A Thai man is seeking help online after two foreign men stole his guitar from a motorcycle in Karon, Phuket, at around 2.30am yesterday, April 23. The 19 year old victim, Kasidit, shared details with the Phuket Times Facebook page and Khao Phuket in the hopes of identifying the two men and recovering his guitar. The theft was captured on…
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SRT shortens train booking period to 90 days to reduce unused seats
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) reduced the advance ticket sales period from 180 days to 90 days today, April 24, to improve seat management and reduce unused bookings. The SRT announced the adjustment on its official Facebook page today, April 24, saying the revised booking period is intended to make seat reservations more efficient and better reflect current passenger…
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Schoolgirl jumps from moving motorcycle in Bangkok after Bolt rider refuses to stop
A 17 year old schoolgirl jumped from a moving motorcycle in Bangkok after a Bolt rider drove past her destination and refused to stop. Witnesses and motorists helped the female student after she fell at an intersection on Phet Kasem 81 Road in Nong Khaem district at around 1am yesterday, April 23. Dashcam footage from a motorcyclist who stopped to help…
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Thailand cites Cambodia attacks, scam syndicates in UN reply
Thailand exercised its right of reply on April 22 at the 2026 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up, in response to allegations of Thai provocation by Cambodia during the General Debate. Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, reiterated that Thailand has consistently supported peace-building, nation-building, and development in…
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Chinese man found dead in Jomtien condo pool
A Chinese man died earlier today, April 24, after he was found unresponsive at a luxury condominium’s swimming pool in Jomtien, Pattaya. The Sawang Boriboon Pattaya Rescue Centre received a report at 12.30am that a man had drowned at a pool inside a condominium in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung, Chon Buri. Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene. The deceased,…
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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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