The day's most relevant stories from the Philippines and Asia's major countries. Links to original sources.
The Department of Mineral Resources confirmed that dinosaur footprints discovered in Udon Thani date back around 120 million years, marking the province’s first reported discovery of prehistoric tracks of this kind. The discovery began when Thai tourist Pichai Prathetsena photogr
Two Thai men accused of murdering two Russian siblings in Pattaya have changed their pleas to guilty on all nine charges, including premeditated murder and rape, after previously denying some of the allegations. The development came during a hearing at Pattaya Provincial Court to
Thai immigration officers and the South Korean Embassy joined forces to investigate a suspected call centre scam network after raids in Bangkok led to the arrest of South Korean and Chinese nationals. During a raid on a house in the Watcharapol and Chatuchot area of Sai Mai distr
A police chief in Rayong has been reassigned following raids on four unlicensed karaoke venues that prompted allegations of monthly protection bribe payments to government officials. Police Colonel Nawin Sinthurat was ordered to leave his duties at Pluak Daeng Police Station on S
Thailand is pursuing a US$200 million World Bank loan to fund solar power installations and energy-saving upgrades in public buildings and industrial areas, as part of new clean energy investment plans announced today, October 18. The proposals follow discussions and agreements r
Thai police have seized around 7 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in drink sachets bound for Australia at a courier facility in Samut Prakan, along with more than 2.5 million yaba pills in a separate operation in Ratchaburi. The heroin seizure followed a tip-off about suspected drug
Three suspects were killed in an exchange of gunfire in Narathiwat’s Si Sakhon district yesterday, October 17, in a clash that also left one police officer dead and two paramilitary rangers wounded. Two of the dead had outstanding arrest warrants and have since been linked by DNA
A man claiming to be a tourist police inspector in Phuket has drawn criticism online after allegedly demanding a free meal at a restaurant and arguing when the owner refused. The Facebook page “แฉยับ ภูเก็ต” (Chae Yap Phuket) shared a video of the confrontation today, October 18,
A woman reportedly stormed into an abbot’s quarters at a temple in Buriram and shouted at him in a jealous rant, prompting villagers to call for an investigation. Villagers in Prasat subdistrict, Ban Kruat district, complained on 17 October about the incident, which was recorded
Thick masses of white foam have piled up across a canal in Pathum Thani, where residents are reporting black, foul-smelling water and fish beginning to die. Residents near Wat Lat Sanun in Lam Luk Ka district alerted reporters at around 7am today, October 18, after large amounts
A Pattaya cafe owner turned the tables on a suspected burglar by inviting him for a beer and keeping him entertained while secretly arranging for police to arrest him early today, October 18. The incident unfolded at around 3.30am at Jae Beer Khon La Yum restaurant near Jomtien B
Police rescued a university student in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai area yesterday, October 17, after a call centre scam gang convinced them to hide in a rented room and stage a fake kidnapping to extort their parents for up to 300,000 baht (US$9,018). Pathumwan Police Station received a
Thai police raided a karaoke venue in Bangkok early yesterday, October 17, arresting 13 Vietnamese nationals and one Thai woman following an undercover investigation into suspected ketamine sales. Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Khok Khram Police Station raided
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur ranked among the world’s most polluted major cities yesterday, October 17, as haze from Indonesian fires pushed Southeast Asia to its highest regional alert level. Singapore placed second on IQAir’s live ranking, behind Baghdad, with Kuala Lumpur third.
Immigration police have arrested a Chinese fugitive in Bangkok who allegedly ran a mule account network that supplied more than 133 bank accounts to money laundering gangs, with about 500 million yuan (roughly 2 billion baht, or about US$62 million) passing through them. Officers
A South Korean factory owner has been sentenced to three years in prison for seriously injuring a Thai worker with a compressed-air gun earlier this year. The court rejected the employer’s claim that the incident was a prank and criticised his treatment of the injured worker. The
Two Vietnamese men were arrested in Chanthaburi after crossing into Thailand from Cambodia without passports, later telling officers they had been lured by a high-paying job advertised on Facebook. The men, aged 38 and 25, were found during an overnight patrol on October 14 near
Thailand’s floods are back. Across the North, Northeast and parts of Central Thailand, floodwater is filling streets, homes and agricultural land. As of late September 2026, flash flood warnings were covering 24 provinces, and the images filling social media show people wading, s
A former Chinese flight attendant studying in Thailand has been arrested in Songkhla after police accused her of acting as a broker for Chinese nationals travelling illegally between Thailand and Malaysia. The 34 year old woman, identified by the pseudonym Pan Yudong, was among f
A Chinese court has sentenced three leading members of a Myanmar scam gang to death over crimes including murder, telecommunications fraud and illegal gambling, with 58 other defendants receiving prison sentences. The rulings were delivered on Tuesday, October 13, by the Quanzhou
Police have arrested a suspect in Tak province over the alleged abduction of three Chinese men who travelled to Thailand for promised jobs but were later found bound and blindfolded in a pickup truck near the Myanmar border. The arrest took place yesterday, October 11, after inve
A Pattaya court has issued arrest warrants for five suspects over the armed robbery of a Turkish businessman’s luxury home in Chon Buri, but police say all five have already left Thailand. Provincial Police Region 2 is coordinating with the Chinese embassy and taking steps to req
Bangkok police have arrested a 21 year old man accused of modifying firearms and assembling explosive-trigger components, after seizing guns, about 200 rounds of ammunition and suspected C4 detonators from a home in Prawet district. The Metropolitan Police Bureau announced the ar
Thai security and customs officers seized four international parcels from Germany and the United Kingdom yesterday, October 9, containing ecstasy, alprazolam and more than 450 grams of cocaine. The parcels were intercepted at the Express Mail Service Centre in Bangkok’s Lak Si di
The Tourist Police have asked the Russian Embassy to help brief Russian visitors on Thai laws, local customs and conduct to avoid, as the two sides discuss closer cooperation on tourist safety. Tourist Police Commander Pol Lt Gen Pongsiam Meekanthong met Russian Ambassador Evgeny
Sa Kaeo immigration police received 193 Thais deported by Cambodia at the Ban Khlong Luek permanent border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district on October 8. Cyber police later found that 18 of them have arrest warrants linked to call centre gangs. The group had been detained dur
The Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) has exposed four cases of household registration fraud in Chiang Rai, including two Chinese men wanted on INTERPOL red notices who obtained Thai identity documents. The cases are part of Operation Northern Shadow, which targets t
Vietjet Thailand will launch daily flights between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur from 9 October 2026, marking the airline’s first route to Malaysia. The service will run between Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) on a Boeing 737-8. The airline anno
Airports of Thailand (AOT) has signed a 25 year contract with a third ground handling and cargo operator at Suvarnabhumi Airport, following a baggage backlog and flight delays involving Thai Airways. AOT and Airports of Thailand Ground Aviation Services (AOTGA) signed the public-
Police in Chon Buri raided a metal company in Ban Bueng district on Thursday, 8 October, over suspicions it was operating through a Chinese nominee arrangement, and arrested a Chinese man already wanted by a court. Ban Bueng Police Station led the operation with Chon Buri Immigra
Heavy rain is forecast in 46 provinces today, with the North, Central and East worst affected. Bangkok faces fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rain. The story Thailand weather today, 10 October: heavy rain in 46 provinces, Bangkok heavy rain as seen on Thaiger
Thai authorities seized around 100 million baht in cash and assets in an investigation into an alleged scam, drug trafficking and money laundering network linked to a Myanmar-born drug kingpin known as Noo Chen. Officials disclosed details of the operation at a press conference o
A 33 year old Chinese music teacher who lost contact with his family while travelling in Bangkok returned safely to Shanghai. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance have not been disclosed. Wang Qi travelled alone from Shanghai to Bangkok on September 24. According to hi
A Thai man and his Taiwanese wife were reportedly found dead after a house fire in Taichung, Taiwan, on October 7. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. According to Taiwanese media reports, the fire broke out at around 3am local time at a two-storey house on Tucheng
A Thai teenager received widespread praise online after taking his grandfather on a journey of around 2,000 kilometres by train and bus to visit Singapore for the first time. The 16 year old, known as Queue, shared a video of the trip on his Instagram account, kollawat_2626, desc
Serm Suk Care Centre in Nonthaburi is under investigation after former residents alleged they were chained, physically punished and mistreated, while one woman claimed her friend died after suffering injuries linked to punishment at the facility. Nursing homes and care centres ac
Thailand has no shortage of yoga teacher training courses. Between Phuket, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and smaller retreat destinations, there are dozens of 200-hour programmes to choose from. This guide narrows them down to seven of the best yoga teacher training courses
A police officer was reportedly seen leaving the scene to eat at a restaurant after his SUV collided with a motorcycle, killing a university student and injuring another in Chon Buri on October 4. Security camera footage of the crash in Saen Suk district was recorded at around 1.
A Singaporean pilot was among 13 people detained in Laos after police uncovered 521 kilogrammes of suspected crystal methamphetamine in luggage intended for a private jet travelling to the Philippines. The major drug seizure took place at Luang Prabang International Airport on Oc
Flooding remains across 27 provinces and Bangkok, affecting more than 3.16 million people and leaving 52 dead as heavy rain and runoff from northern Thailand continue to worsen conditions across central and eastern regions. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DD
An environmental campaigner reportedly avoided an attempted attack by an unidentified man outside a factory in Prachin Buri on October 5 while following up on oily material found in floodwater and concerns over its impact on nearby residents. Residents in Si Maha Phot district ha
Three armed robbers broke into a foreigner’s home in Pattaya early yesterday, October 6, stealing cash and luxury watches before forcing the victim to transfer cryptocurrency worth about 27 million baht. The robbery happened at around 3.30am at a house in an upscale residential e
A Vietnamese man wanted under an INTERPOL Red Notice over an alleged property sales scheme worth more than 100 million baht has been detained in Phuket. Thai immigration officers detained 50 year old Tang Ngoc Nho today, October 6, following a joint operation involving Phuket Imm
A British man alleged that he was seriously assaulted and forced to transfer cryptocurrency during an incident involving two Polish men and a close friend at a condominium in Phuket. The incident reportedly happened at about 11pm on September 29 at a condominium in the Chalong ar
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul faced backlash from celebrities and animal lovers after urging flood victims to prioritise their own safety over their pets when evacuating to shelters. Anutin said some people refused to leave flooded areas unless they could bring their animals
Thailand and France discussed expanding opportunities for Thai workers in France, including potential employment for Thai chefs and Thai massage therapists, as part of wider cooperation on workforce development. The Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, Patdarasm Thongsalu
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) said yesterday, October 5, that it is monitoring a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia, but the risk of the disease being imported into Thailand remains low, with no evidence of spread beyond the affected area. Reports from Rus
A Thai mother has alleged that her son had her taken against her will to an elderly care centre, where she remained for more than two and a half years, before returning home to find her cosmetics business and valuable assets no longer under her control. The 63 year old, referred
A Thai man and a Chinese national from Macau were arrested in Bangkok and Pathum Thani after allegedly operating a call centre scam that tricked a university student into handing over 2.5 million baht. The suspects were identified as 25 year old Kachaphong and 40 year old Chan Lo
Siam Piwat announced a 10 billion baht (US$300 million) investment in ICONPHUKET, a new retail, attraction and entertainment destination in Thalang district, Phuket, marking the company’s first major development outside Bangkok in its 67-year history. The company officially unvei
Bangkok’s ageing cream-and-red buses will not disappear entirely when the capital shifts to electric public transport, with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) planning to retain around 700 vehicles for floods, emergencies and other special assignments. BMTA Director Kittik
Thai teenage singer and guitarist Nene Royal said a song written for her by Carabao co-founder Aed Carabao brought back memories of her childhood and brought her to tears as she reflected on her journey in music. Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikan Amloy, returned to Thailand
A restaurant owner in Buriram was attacked with a broken glass bottle on October 2 after he asked a customer and his friends not to dance on a table at his restaurant. The 29 year old owner, Somchai Kueapram, filed a complaint with officers at Ban Gruand Police Station after the
Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa programme has approved more than 12,000 foreign nationals since launching four years ago, generating an estimated 43 billion baht in economic value, according to the Board of Investment (BOI). The Thailand LTR visa was introduced in Septem
A Myanmar man wanted over an alleged drug trafficking network was arrested at a luxury condominium in Bangkok yesterday, October 4, after Thai and Myanmar authorities coordinated to locate the suspect. The suspect was identified as Aung Zaw Min Khant. Meiktila District Court in M
A Pattaya squid vendor has filed a police complaint after reporting gunfire from an unidentified foreign man, who allegedly returned to her stall with an imitation firearm after she rejected an unwanted sexual advance. The incident occurred at around noon on October 3 in South Pa
Two foreign passengers arriving from Jakarta, Indonesia, were arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on October 4 after customs officers found US$1.7 million (around 56 million baht) in banknotes hidden in their baggage. Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanpra
Vietnam GDP projections now put the country ahead of Thailand when economic size is adjusted for purchasing power and on course to overtake it in nominal terms by around the end of the decade. But Thailand remains considerably richer per person, meaning overtaking it in economic
In the Thailand video news, Jay covers the latest stories from across the country. The stories include widespread flooding, protests over flood waste and thousands of residents registering for government relief. Plus, police arrest a Phuket delivery rider over alleged thefts wort
A Thai abbot in Nonthaburi province denied owning a sex toy after laundrette staff found the item in a basket containing monk robes yesterday, October 4. Staff at a self-service laundrette in Mueang district found the item while loading monk robes and other clothing into a washin
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