THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News

Patong municipality has stepped in to tamp down a brewing controversy, denying that it approved a public Jewish New Year celebration on Patong Beach that had been reported to take place between September 22 and 23. In a clear and concise Saturday statement, officials said no authorization was granted for religious activities on public land—citing the sensitivity of the issue and the potential for community friction. The denial followed a formal complaint from the Thai Friends of Palestine Club, who penned a letter to the Phuket governor urging the event be blocked. The group warned that allowing an Israeli-linked celebration on the open sands of Patong could run counter to Thailand’s public posture on the Gaza conflict and risk stirring tensions in a largely Muslim area of the island. Local officials say the decision is rooted in keeping the peace and preserving Phuket’s reputation as a congenial destination for tourists…

When Thai Rice Became the Star of the Sydney Food Scene What began as a booth at a major Sydney food expo quickly turned into a fragrant celebration of Thai grain craftsmanship. From September 8 to 11, more than 2,000 visitors flocked to Thailand’s stand — not for flashy gadgets or celebrity chefs, but for the irresistible scent and silky texture of Hom Mali rice. If you’ve ever wondered how a humble grain can steal the spotlight, this was that moment. Hom Mali: aroma that does the talking Department of Foreign Trade Director-General Arada Fuangthong put it plainly: the campaign aimed to present Thai Hom Mali as a “world-class, high-quality product with a unique taste, softness, and aroma.” And judging by the crowds, the message landed. Visitors sampled steaming spoons of Hom Mali and left with the sort of slow, satisfied smiles that come from perfect rice — the kind…

Bangkok’s commuters are facing a familiar mid‑week stomach‑knot: the government’s comforting 20‑baht flat fare for electric trains is due to expire on September 30, and unless the new Cabinet presses “extend,” the country’s urban transit budget could leap back to its full, tiered rates come October 1. For millions of daily riders who’ve come to treat 20 baht as a small, predictable oasis in an otherwise increasingly expensive city, that’s not just a policy decision — it’s a pocketbook drama with morning‑rush stakes. The fare cap, introduced by the Pheu Thai‑led government last October, covered both the Red Line and the Purple Line and quickly became one of those rare transport policies that had commuters quietly thanking the heavens — or at least the transport ministry. It kept every ride at a flat 20 baht, smoothing out the math for students, office workers, and seniors who tally costs down to…

Late-night tragedy in Sukhumvit: foreign woman falls from Bangkok hotel balcony A somber scene unfolded in Bangkok’s bustling Sukhumvit district in the early hours of September 20 when a 25-year-old foreign woman fell from a seventh-floor hotel balcony and later died. The incident — which occurred around 2:30am in the Wattana area — has prompted an active police investigation led by Lumpini Police Station and drawn attention because of its location in one of the capital’s busiest nightlife and tourist corridors. What happened Officers from Lumpini Police Station, under the direction of Pol. Lt. Chakrapong Pitakgornsakul, were called to the hotel after the woman’s body was discovered in the building’s car park. First responders included forensic specialists and medical examiners from Chulalongkorn Hospital, along with volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation. Authorities reported the woman suffered multiple fractures and a severe head injury; her body has been transported to Chulalongkorn Hospital…

When Parking Goes Viral: Samut Prakan Truck Lurch Triggers 10-Car Domino Crash What started as an ordinary morning outside a residential block in Samut Prakan quickly became a viral cautionary tale about parking safety. A TikTok video shared by user @jikkosanfa shows a truck that was started with its gear engaged, suddenly lurching forward and smashing into the car in front — and then, in classic domino style, shoving more than 10 vehicles into a chaotic chain-reaction crash. The clip, captioned roughly as “A reminder from the housing community, unsure what happened” and tagged #carcrash #allhit #parking #accidentscanhappenatanymoment, spread quickly. Viewers watched as cars parked tightly along both sides of a narrow driveway were nudged, scraped, dented or pushed entirely out of their spaces. The soundtrack? The original audio from Fluk Rescue – มนุษย์พรเทพ, which only added to the drama. The moment it all went wrong The footage shows how…

In a plot twist that reads like a cautionary medical thriller, authorities in Rayong have arrested an unlicensed woman who quietly treated more than 1,000 patients across four dental clinics in Pluak Daeng district — all within roughly six months. The Dental Council announced the arrest on September 19, flanked by senior officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division and the Department of Health Service Support, and the story has since prompted a wider probe into the clinics involved and the standards that allowed this to happen. How the scheme came to light The investigation began not with a dramatic raid but with ordinary citizens filing complaints about a suspicious dental clinic. Professor Doctor Chairat Chaloemratnaroj, president of the Dental Council, said officials followed up on those tip-offs and found that the woman — a graduate of a foreign dental school — had been providing routine and more advanced dental…

What started as a routine IndiGo hop from Mumbai to Phuket on the evening of September 19 turned into a heart-stopping diversion to Chennai after an anonymous caller warned of explosives hidden in the aircraft’s lavatory. The Airbus — carrying 176 passengers and six crew — had climbed out of Mumbai and was en route when Mumbai airport staff received the chilling phone call. The caller advised that the plane would explode mid-air and then abruptly hung up, triggering an immediate chain reaction of emergency protocols. Photo of Chennai Airport — courtesy of Curly Tales Within minutes the threat was relayed to Chennai Air Traffic Control and the decision was made to divert. The aircraft touched down safely at Chennai airport at 7:20 pm, but the drama was far from over. Ground crews, emergency responders and security forces converged on the tarmac. Passengers were quickly evacuated and shepherded into waiting…

On the morning of September 19, a routine school holiday errand turned into a nasty reminder of how quickly a carefree ride can go wrong. In the Khao Mai Kaew area of Ban Yoko, Pattaya, rescue teams from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation were scrambled after a red Honda Wave 125i was found mangled against a roadside wall and its young rider lying nearby with multiple abrasions. The scene: a sharp bend, a red scooter, and a 12-year-old named Chalee Eyewitnesses and first responders described the Honda Wave — a popular commuter bike in Thailand — as badly damaged where it came to rest. The rider, identified as 12-year-old Chalee, had been helping his parents move goods earlier in the morning. With the job done and the sun climbing, he decided to ride the bike home. Around 10:30 a.m., while negotiating a sharp curve, he apparently took the bend too…

Thailand’s army has accused Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet of feeding “false narratives” to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over a simmering border dispute, and warned Kuala Lumpur not to be drawn into what Bangkok calls a one-sided version of events. The flashpoint is Ban Nong Ya Kaew in Sa Kaeo province — a patch of land that, in the Thai army’s telling, is indisputably Thai territory. Major General Winthai Suwaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), laid out Bangkok’s position at a press briefing on September 19. He said that while a bilateral ceasefire has held for 53 days, Cambodian forces have continued to breach the agreement through drone incursions, landmine placement, disinformation campaigns and what he described as the use of women, children and monks as “human shields.” Winthai insisted Thai troops had respected the ceasefire and remained within Thai sovereignty around Ban Nong Ya Kaew. He…

Phuket’s Rehab Scene Levels Up: Meetings, Maps and a Modest Expansion with Big Intent Phuket isn’t just a sun-drenched playground for tourists anymore — it’s also sharpening its tools to tackle addiction care with greater rigor and consistency. On September 19, a provincial working group gathered at the Miracles Asia Drug Rehabilitation Center in Pa Khlok, Thalang district to review a plan that could reshape how drug treatment is delivered across the island. Leading the session was Phuket Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai, flanked by key health officials: Dr Banphot Pankluem, Deputy Director of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO); Mark Juan Heather, Director of Miracles Asia; and representatives from agencies connected to public health and social rehabilitation. The backdrop for the meeting was pragmatic — an effort to expand capacity and, perhaps more importantly, to align local rehab centres with national standards of accreditation and quality control. From 20…