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.
-
Sponsored What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
-
Pattaya preps for 5 billion baht Tomorrowland 2026 fest
Officials in Pattaya are preparing for a massive music festival set to attract thousands of visitors and inject 5 billion baht into the local economy. Bang Lamung district is already laying the groundwork for Tomorrowland 2026, the first Southeast Asian edition of the iconic Belgian music festival, with a high-level strategy meeting chaired by District Chief Patcharaphat Srithanyanon. The festival…
-
Phuket boat taxi trial hits delay but promises smoother trips
Phuket’s boat taxi project, aimed at easing traffic for tourists and locals, has been delayed, pushing back the start of its much-anticipated trial run. The pilot run of Phuket’s boat taxi service, a project touted as a game-changer for the island’s notorious traffic problems, has been pushed back to mid-December. The trial, originally scheduled to launch earlier, will now take…
-
Teen lured and beaten in Pattaya alley after online setup
A teenage boy was brutally attacked in a dark Pattaya alley after being tricked into a meeting by a mystery woman he met online, despite warnings from his mother. A 17 year old boy is recovering in hospital after being ambushed and severely beaten in a dimly lit alley in Pattaya. The incident occurred around 9pm on Thursday, November 6,…
-
Bang Saen Beach turns black, vendors fear tourist drop
Seawater at a popular beach in eastern Thailand turned black, raising concerns among visitors and vendors about health risks and a drop in tourism. Seawater along Bang Saen Beach in Chon Buri has taken on a strange black hue, believed to be caused by a plankton bloom triggered by recent storms and rainfall. While there’s no unpleasant odour or danger…
-
Power outages to hit 33 areas across Greater Bangkok today
Power will be cut in dozens of areas across Bangkok and nearby provinces as electricity officials carry out scheduled maintenance to improve the grid. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) has announced a planned power outage today, November 8, affecting 33 locations across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Nonthaburi. The temporary cut-off is part of routine upgrades to boost the efficiency and…
-
Tropical storm Kalmaegi batters Thailand with heavy rain
A powerful tropical storm is sweeping across Thailand, bringing heavy rain and flash flood risks to dozens of provinces as residents brace for worsening weather. From 6pm yesterday, November 7, to 6pm today, November 8, the weather across Thailand is expected to remain unsettled, with widespread thunderstorms and cooler mornings in the north, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).…
-
Thai charter reform at risk as border tensions take focus
Experts have warned that Thai voters may reject charter reform when they head to the polls, as rising nationalist sentiment shifts focus to border disputes. Yesterday, November 6, academics and political observers sounded the alarm that the junta-era charter is likely to survive another public vote, as attention shifts from constitutional reform to the more emotionally charged issue of revoking…
-
Thai man saves 5 year old girl from drowning and uncovers family abuse
A Thai man rescued a five year old girl and her older sister, who were allegedly abused and forced to work by their guardians. One of the girls nearly drowned in a canal in Bangkok while attempting to collect money from krathongs during the Loy Krathong festival. An owner of a motorcycle shop in the Bang Mod area of Bangkok…
-
Thailand adds extra day to new year break to boost travel
The Thai Cabinet has approved an extended new year holiday to boost domestic tourism and economic activity, adding one more day to the annual break. The government has approved an extended five-day new year holiday for 2026, declaring Friday, January 2, a special public holiday to boost tourism and spending. The full holiday period will now run from Wednesday, December…
-
Search underway for missing Russian woman with neurological disease in Phuket
Parents and friends are searching for a Russian woman suffering from a neurological disease who has been missing for 20 days in Phuket province. A Thai friend named Kaew took to social media to seek help from the public in locating the 30 year old Russian national, Maria Fomina. Kaew shared that Maria’s parents have already arrived in Phuket to…
-
Foreign tourist arrested with loaded ammo at Phuket airport
An Israeli tourist was arrested at a Phuket airport when police discovered a loaded ammunition magazine in his checked luggage during a routine scan. The arrest took place at around 4.30pm yesterday, November 6, after security staff at the airport’s domestic terminal flagged a suspicious item during a routine baggage scan. The 26 year old traveller, who had flown in…
-
Nigerian man, 5 Thais arrested for 114m baht online romance scam
Police have dismantled a major romance scam network run by a Nigerian national and five Thai accomplices, accused of swindling victims out of over 114 million baht. The arrests were made during Operation Romance 114, led by officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), targeting suspects across Bangkok and Chon Buri. Police Major General Chanannat Sarathwanphaet, TCSD Commander, confirmed…
-
Thai foreign ministry clarifies girl trafficking case in Tokyo
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the case of a young Thai girl who was trafficked to Japan, which came to light when Tokyo police raided a Japanese-owned massage parlour following a report about the victim’s circumstances. Nikorndej Plangkura, Director-General of the Department of Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, revealed that the incident occurred in mid-September.…
-
Repeat wildlife snapper caught again at Karon night market
A woman was arrested at a Phuket night market after being caught offering a protected slow loris to tourists for paid photos, despite past offences. The woman, who has now been arrested three times for similar offences, was detained at Karon Night Market yesterday, November 6, during a joint operation led by Karon Deputy Mayor Trin Thipmongkol. The raid included…
-
Thai man left blind after surgery at private hospital in Samut Sakhon
A Thai woman condemned a private hospital in the central province of Samut Sakhon after treatment for nasal polyps left her boyfriend blind. The woman, identified only as Ploy, took to an online community to share details of the medical mishap. She included photos showing her boyfriend’s eye and nose injuries, which she said resulted from surgery to remove nasal…
-
Shooting breaks out between Bangkok rescue teams, leaving 3 injured
Three rescue workers were injured in a shooting early yesterday, November 6, following a dispute between two rescue foundations on Lat Phrao Road in Bangkok. Wang Thonglang Police Station was alerted to the incident involving rescue volunteers near the entrance of Soi Lat Phrao 122 in Wang Thonglang district at around 1am. At the scene, officers found bloodstains on the…
-
PM Anutin storms off after question on scandal-hit deputy
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul abruptly ended a press interview after reporters asked whether he would remove Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao and alleged links to online scam networks. The incident unfolded following Anutin’s appearance at a high-profile ceremony aimed at launching a united crackdown on cybercrime, where six ministries and nine state and private agencies signed a memorandum of…
-
Trans trio glams up with lipstick for mercy after meth raid in Isaan
Three transgender women apprehended for drugs in Northeast Thailand asked to put on lipstick before arrest, hoping a touch of glam might win police sympathy. The flamboyant request came after a sting operation led to the arrest of five suspects today, November 7, including an alleged drug dealer and a group of methamphetamine users, in the Ban Noi Tai community,…
-
Thailand video news | Typhoon lashes coast as Thailand braces for flooding risk, Thailand to slap import duties on all low‑value online goods
In Thailand video news, Jay covers news stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The stories include a powerful typhoon edges closer to Thailand as the country braces for potential floods, while another deadly storm leaves devastation across the Philippines before hitting Vietnam. Bangkok clears nearly 400,000 krathongs after a calmer Loy Krathong night, the government prepares to tax all…
-
Thai police chief hits back at claims RTP is crime syndicate
Thailand’s police chief has defended the force after facing accusations from outside critics who claimed it operates as a large-scale criminal organisation. Police General Kittirat Panphet, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), has fiercely defended his organisation against allegations that it operates as a “large-scale criminal organisation.” Speaking yesterday, November 6, Big Tai, as he’s widely known, addressed the…
-
UK mum’s Thailand trip ruined over son’s passport sticker mark
A British mum claims her family was barred from flying to Thailand after airline staff said a faint sticker mark had damaged her son’s passport. Meghan Law, a 33 year old NHS nurse from Aberdeen, was due to fly from Edinburgh to Phuket with her two children on October 8 for a two-week, £3,000 (approximately 133,000 Thai baht) family getaway…
-
Pattaya woman accuses foreign man of launching unprovoked assault on her
A Thai woman accused a foreign man she met on a dating application of launching an unprovoked assault in Pattaya between 4am and 5am yesterday, November 6. The woman shared details of the alleged attack with the Facebook page Social Hunter 2022, along with photos showing injuries to her face and a portrait of the foreign man. The images revealed…
-
Police pose as joggers to catch foreigners hosting drug party in Koh Pha Ngan
Police officers disguised as joggers yesterday, November 6, arrested two foreign men for hosting a drug party at a house on Koh Pha Ngan, and seized cocaine from the suspects. Officers from Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off about suspicious behaviour at a rented house on the island. The informant reported that several foreigners were making loud noises…
-
‘Big Joke’ exposes 30 cops in online gambling payout scandal
A former senior police officer testified before a House panel, accusing dozens of fellow officers of taking payments from illegal online gambling networks. Former deputy national police chief Police General Surachate Hakparn, better known as “Big Joke,” has accused more than 30 police officers of receiving payments from illegal online gambling networks, handing over what he called “evidence” to a…
-
Officials raid Chon Buri plant over foul stench complaints
Officials inspected a recycling plant in Chon Buri after residents complained about foul odours, uncovering waste violations and environmental concerns. The inspection, carried out on November 5, was led by Ploylapas Singtothong, adviser to the industry minister, as part of the “Full Throttle” mobile inspection campaign. The facility, located in Bo Kwang Thong subdistrict, handles industrial waste processes including sorting,…
-
Thai royals to make historic China visit for golden friendship
Thailand’s monarchs will make a state visit to China following an invitation from the president, to mark a key diplomatic anniversary between the nations. King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida will embark on a historic state visit to China from November 13 to 17, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit commemorates 50 years of diplomatic ties…
-
4 foreign tourists rescued after speedboat stranded off Phuket
Four foreign tourists were safely rescued after their speedboat became stranded on rocks near Maiton Island in Phuket yesterday. Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen, Commander of the Third Naval Area Command, ordered officers from the Third Naval Area Command and the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 3 to rescue the four tourists after receiving a report that their speedboat was hit…
-
Delivery man found dead after recent surgery in Sri Racha room
A delivery worker was found dead in his rented Sri Racha room after neighbours reported a foul smell, days after he told his boss he was going to see a doctor. Rescue services and police forced entry into Room 532/45 at a dormitory at around 9.30am yesterday, November 6. Inside, they found the body of 33 year old Thawatchai Naen…
-
Thai senator sues ex-news anchor over Facebook post about alleged theft
A Thai senator is taking legal action against a former news anchor for defamation after she shared a Facebook post about his alleged theft on an expressway in 2021. The 40 year old former news anchor, Natthasinee “Kwan” Pinyopiyavid, visited Na Jomtien Police Station in Chon Buri yesterday, November 5, to acknowledge the defamation accusation made by a senator whose…
-
UK sanctions hit Thai firms over Russia war links
The UK has sanctioned four Thai companies for allegedly aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine, prompting Thai authorities to warn businesses of reputational risks. Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade (DFT), under the Ministry of Commerce, confirmed the development following an announcement by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The UK’s latest round of designations targeted 39 individuals and entities…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.