Chaos and quick thinking took center stage on Soi 16, just off Pattaya’s famous Walking Street, when a foreign national was arrested today after allegedly making off with a motorbike. The man’s identity and nationality remain unconfirmed, but witnesses say he appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time — a detail that may complicate his legal woes. The scene played out like a short, gritty movie. The motorcycle owner arrived to find his ride gone and immediately sounded the alarm. Motorcycle taxi drivers — those ever-present fixtures of Pattaya’s transport scene — heard the commotion and sprang into action. Familiar with the narrow, bustling lanes that feed into Walking Street, they pursued the suspect through crowds of tourists, bar-goers, and late-afternoon shoppers. The chase ended near the old pier at the entrance to Walking Street, where the suspect was reportedly apprehended by locals and held until…
THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News
Thai police pulled back the virtual curtain on a pair of online black markets this week — one trafficking in protected wildlife, the other dealing in illegal firearms — and took suspects into custody after undercover operations exposed both rings. Facebook sale leads to real-life arrest What began as a seemingly ordinary scroll through Facebook turned into a sting operation after officers discovered posts advertising protected animals for sale under the account name “Chatree Kodkan.” Investigators found listings that included a bearcat and a slow loris — species protected under Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act of 1992. Police set up an undercover purchase for the bearcat, agreeing to a meeting at an apartment on Soi Nawamin 155 in Nuan Chan, Bueng Kum district. The price tag: 15,000 baht (roughly US$460). At about 11:30 a.m. on August 27, officers moved in. When 22-year-old Kanthika handed the animal over to undercover…
In the early, still hours of August 27, a roaring wall of mud and water tore down from the hills above Mae Chaem district, Chiang Mai, and changed lives in an instant. What began as one landslide in Pang Ung village quickly became a double tragedy: first, a predawn slide that destroyed homes and sent people to hospital; then, as night fell, another catastrophic mudslide that killed four people, injured 15, and left five others missing. At 2:50 a.m., the first slide struck Pang Ung, smashing five houses and sweeping away belongings in a filthy torrent of earth. Emergency responders found one person dead and more than ten injured; victims were rushed to Khun Yuam and Mae Chaem hospitals for treatment. Rescuers worked through the mud and the dark, and one resident remained unaccounted for after initial searches. But the calamity didn’t stop there. In the evening, torrential rains unleashed…
Bangkok sparkled a little brighter on the night of August 23, 2025, when Naruemol “Adele” Phimphakdee — the 23-year-old beauty representing Phuket — stepped onto the Miss Universe Thailand stage and claimed a hard-earned spot among the top three. Tall, elegant and impossibly poised at 183 cm, Adele lit up the arena with a confident wai and a smile that felt like sunshine on the Andaman coast. The Miss Universe Thailand 2025 gala was a pageant spectacle: glittering gowns, dramatic spotlights, and the hush-before-the-reveal that every fan lives for. When the announcer called “Phuket,” Adele instinctively raised her hands to wai — a tender, perfectly Thai moment that captured the crowd and social feeds alike. “I expected to make it into the top three, and I did. It was like a dream,” she told reporters, still visibly stunned and elated. “When I heard the word ‘Phuket’, I raised my hands…
When a venerable hotel brand finds itself at the centre of a boardroom drama, the headlines write themselves — and Dusit Thani’s latest episode reads like a high-stakes family saga set against the backdrop of Bangkok boardrooms and luxury residences. On August 27, Chanin Donavanik, acting chairperson of Dusit Thani Plc and scion of the chain’s founding family, broke his silence to paint a vivid picture of what he called an “outsider takeover” attempt and a fracture within the family that founded one of Thailand’s most respected hospitality names. Chanin, grandson of founder Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui, did not mince words. He said he had been targeted by a proposed resolution from Chanut and Children Co. Ltd. — the holding company that controls the majority stake in Dusit Thani — to remove him as a director. “Many of you may have seen reports that Chanut and Children have proposed a resolution…
Trapped by Daily Interest: A Thai Woman’s Desperate Plea for Rescue from Loan Sharks In a story that reads like an economic horror tale, a 49-year-old Thai woman has gone public with a private nightmare: she says she was driven into prostitution — without her husband’s knowledge — to pay 4,200 baht in daily interest to a web of informal lenders. The woman reached out to Channel 3’s Hone Krasae programme, asking journalists and government officials to help untangle the debt spiral that has swallowed her savings, her business and nearly her life. Once the owner of a small business, she says the pandemic wiped out her income and forced her to turn to loan sharks for emergency cash. She borrowed between 5,000 and 10,000 baht at a time from more than ten informal lenders. What started as short-term loans ballooned into “several hundred thousand baht” in outstanding debt as…
Bangkok has just taken a giant leap forward in the world of aviation training. Acron Aviation’s brand-new Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) at the Bangkok Training Centre (BTC) has been officially certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a landmark endorsement that broadens the city’s appeal as an international training hub. Why this matters (and why pilots are cheering) Certification from the UK CAA isn’t a ceremonial ribbon-cutting — it’s a rigorous technical stamp of approval. Inspectors from the regulator praised BTC’s team for professionalism, operational readiness and adherence to high technical standards during the evaluation. In plain English: the simulator, the instructors and the support systems all passed a very exacting checklist. That approval means BTC can now deliver UK CAA-compliant training programmes. For airlines and cadets who operate under UK regulations — or who seek training recognised across Europe, the Middle East and Asia — that’s…
If you were planning to park at Don Mueang International Airport next year and stroll off into the sunset (or the departure lounge), you might want to rethink your budget. Starting December 1, Don Mueang is overhauling its parking charges — and for many travellers that means a noticeable bump on the way out, before you even board a plane. What’s changing — the new parking rate breakdown The airport says the revision is designed to cover rising operational costs and to help improve facilities, but the effect is clear: long-stay parking will be significantly more expensive. The updated hourly-based tariff (with partial minutes rounded up to a full hour) applies to the basement car park at Terminal 1, the seven-storey car park near Terminal 2, and the three-storey car park in the old building. The first 15 minutes are still free, but after that the prices climb quickly: 1…
Phuket’s Smart City Plot Thickens: Officials Get a Crash Course in AI Phuket is turning another page in its smart city story — and this one comes with a dash of artificial intelligence. On August 26, the island hosted a lively, full-day training program at Phuket Vocational College called “Enhancing Knowledge on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Government Administration.” The session gathered a who’s-who of local leadership: Governor Sophon Suwannarat, heads of government agencies, district chiefs and community leaders, all eager to learn how machines can help make life smoother for residents and visitors alike. Narong On-in from the Phuket Provincial Office didn’t sugarcoat the message: technology is sprinting ahead, and the public sector has to keep up. “Government officials need knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply AI in their work,” he said, highlighting how AI can boost efficiency, streamline processes and ready Phuket for an increasingly digital…
Free ride to the King’s Cup: Thailand’s M81 goes toll-free If you’ve been scheming to catch the 51st King’s Cup at Kanchanaburi Stadium (aka Kleebbua Stadium) without the usual toll shock, Thailand’s Department of Highways has just handed you the perfect travel pass: the M81 motorway will be toll-free from 3pm on Friday, August 29 until 9am on Wednesday, September 10. That’s nearly two weeks of toll-free cruising across a 96-kilometre ribbon linking Bang Yai in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi — prime time to cheer on your team without digging into your wallet every few exits. The fine print you’ll actually want to read Before you punch the air and hit the highway, here are the essentials with a friendly nudge to be sensible: Dates: 3pm, August 29 → 9am, September 10. Who can use it: Four-wheel vehicles only — sorry, motorbikes and tuk-tuks. Speed limit: A safety-first cap of 80…