News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Bangkok police are “ready” for Thursday’s protests
Police in Bangkok are readying themselves for rallies that are planned for Thursday, which makes the 89th anniversary of the June 24, 1932 revolution by the Khana Ratsadon. The revolution made Thailand go from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one. The Metropolitan Police Bureau’s commissioner, Piya Tawichai said today that he anticipates 4 groups to demonstrate in 3 days.…
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Parachutist dies after being smashed into cliff face, falling into forest
A 53 year old sublieutenant went base jumping over the weekend and died when a gust of wind propelled the chute toward a mountain’s cliff. The man smashed into the cliff but appeared conscious. Then he plummeted into the thick forest below. The incident took place in central Thailand’s Lopburi Province. The unidentified parachutist had gone base jumping with 5…
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Covid cluster spreads from Yala to other southern provinces
A Covid cluster in Thailand’s southern province Yala has widened to 190 infections in multiple provinces, says the Disease Control Department. The cluster started at a madrasa, an Islamic boarding school. The majority of the infections (69) were discovered in Yala. Some of the infections by province are as follows: Satun: 37 Songkhla: 17 Pattani: 14 Krabi:14 Narathiwat: 13 Surat…
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Proposed start date now July 15 for “Samui Plus” reopening
The proposed reopening date for the “Samui Plus” travel scheme is now July 15. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast, are planned to reopen to travellers from overseas who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Initially called the “Samui Sealed Route,” the proposed travel scheme will allow those who are…
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Hotel association survey shows average occupancy at around 6%
A survey carried out by the Thai Hotels Association shows that average occupancy for June is not expected to increase from the 6% seen in May. In a further blow to the hotel industry, TTR Weekly reports that occupancy in alternative state quarantine facilities is predicted to fall to 10%, down from 13% last month. THA president, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi,…
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Another doctor urges caution over hasty reopening plans
Another doctor has stressed the need for caution over hastily reopening Thailand. However, where the last doctor cautioned against removing the 14 day quarantine, this doctor is emphasising that vaccinating 50 million Thais should not be the only priority. Dr Nithipat Jiankul, chief of the respiratory disease and tuberculosis department, says that the mass vaccination campaign to achieve here immunity…
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Wild elephant breaks into home and raids kitchen in Hua Hin – VIDEO
A wild elephant busted into a home in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district yesterday, breaking through the wall and poking its head into the home’s kitchen. The elephant’s trunk reached into a shelf, knocking over kitchen supplies and grabbing what appeared to be a bag, then stuffing it into its mouth. The homeowner posted photos and a video on…
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Phuket reports sixth Covid-19 death in current outbreak
The southern island of Phuket, just days away from launching its pilot re-opening scheme, has recorded a sixth death from Covid-19. The death has been reported in the Phuket News this morning, following an announcement from the island’s Provincial Public Health Office. The patient is the fourth Phuket person to die of Covid-19 in the last 3 weeks. Officials have…
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Lockdown in 3 Chon Buri locations to control Covid-19 spread
The governor of the eastern province of Chon Buri has ordered a lockdown in 3 locations in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. According to a Pattaya News report, Phakkhrathon Thianchai issued the closure order last night. The province reported 175 new infections yesterday, the highest since the start of the current outbreak in April. The Pattaya News…
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KLM to increase flights to Middle-East, Asia as border restrictions ease
The Dutch carrier KLM plans to increase its flights to Asian and Middle-Eastern destinations as countries plan for a re-opening of their borders. According to TTR Weekly, the airline’s summer network is almost the same as in 2019, but with a reduction in the number of flights on offer as a result of the pandemic. The airline plans to introduce…
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Restaurant operators repeat calls for financial aid
Thailand’s restaurant owners are pleading for state relief as they struggle to stay afloat amid tight Covid-19 prevention measures. Taniwan Koonmongkon from the Thai Restaurant Association says the PM’s aim of re-opening the country fully by October provides some hope but for now, restaurants are struggling. “Restaurant operators feel hopeful after the premier on Wednesday set a goal of fully…
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PM Prayut asks everyone to work together towards reopening
Now that it’s been a half week since PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that Thailand will be reopening in 120 days, mid-October, multitudes of plans are underway to get the country ready. In a statement online tonight, the prime minister asked for unity, requesting people and government offices to work together to achieve this massive undertaking. PM Prayut reiterated his declaration…
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In Egypt, online group Qawem saving hundreds of women from sextortion
Last summer, Mohammed Elyamani was hit by the news that a 17-year-old girl who had reached out to him for help after her ex-boyfriend threatened her with “sextortion” had committed suicide. When the girl messaged Elyamani about her case, the 35-year-old social activist — who uses Facebook to raise awareness about sexual harassment and sextortion, threats to distribute private and…
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Officials predict 600,000 tourists to Phuket following reopening
Despite recent predictions lowering expectations to between 9,000 and 10,000 international arrivals in July, and about 7,000 tickets booked in the latest available statistics, officials announced they expect more than 600,000 tourists to arrive between July and September after the reopening of Phuket. The ambitious prediction comes with an expectation of about 15 billion baht in revenue for the financially…
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Technician electrocuted to death while trying to fix jacuzzi
On Saturday, a man was electrocuted while repairing a jacuzzi. The shocking incident happened in the Cherng Talay area of Phuket. Police and rescue workers were called around 6:50 pm last night to find 45 year old Surapol Samthong’s body next to the jacuzzi. Rescue workers were able to safely remove Suapol’s body from the scene. His body was then…
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Pattaya pushes for August 1 Sealed Route reopening plan
Pattaya is steadfastedly pushing forward with plans for reopening the tourist city on August 1, with 8 tourism associations submitting a proposal to the governor of Chon Buri. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, but has been later on the schedule due to difficulties in controlling its porous borders, as opposed to islands like…
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1 million Sinopharm doses arrived Sunday
1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Bangkok on Sunday. This coming from a Facebook post by the CRA Secretary General Dr Nithi Mahanonda. The vaccines will travel to the Medical Sciences Department to be tested on it efficacy and safety. This should take 2 days to finish. “Then, the vaccine will be distributed to hospitals picked by…
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Who is Iran’s new President-elect Ebrahim Raisi?
Ebrahim Raisi won the election by such a clear margin that a second round of voting won’t be necessary — and yet, his victory was tainted by historically low voter turnout. Many observers have said Friday’s election was tailor-made for the archconservative judiciary chief: the most promising opponents were prevented from running against him, and competitors with similar views withdrew…
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Reopening guidelines for Phuket and Samui
In a press release, the Tourism Authority of Thailand recently sought to lay out and clarify guidelines for how Thailand’s reopening will begin. The Phuket Sandbox plan rolls out first on July 1 (awaiting final approval), followed by a proposal for Surat Thani province reopening Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao on a sealed route July 15. Here’s the…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,682 new cases, 20 covid-related deaths, provincial totals
Today the CCSA have confirmed 3,682 new infections of Covid-19 and 20 new deaths. 578 of today’s announced infections are from the Thai prison system. Today’s figures continue a slow rise in the daily case detections over this week. The median age of the people that died in the past 24 hours was 66. Over the past 24 hours, 2,401…
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Man returns lost parakeet, gets rewarded with BBQ
Recently, a man in Bang Lamung, a district in the eastern Thai province of Chon Buri, returned a missing parakeet to its owner. The delighted owner repaid the man with a BBQ dinner. Recently, a man in Bang Lamung, a district in the eastern Thai province of Chon Buri, returned a missing parakeet to its owner. The delighted owner repaid…
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Thai Lion predicts football matches, other abilities currently unknown
Step aside Aslan, there’s a new mythical lion in town. A Thai zoo up in the northern province of Khon Kaen is claiming they have a lion that can predict the Euro 2020 football matches. The lion, a 5 year old white lion named “Boy”, has supposedly correctly predicted 4 Euro 2020 matches. The lion lives and does his sports…
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Reopening details for Phuket, Samui and beyond laid out
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha made the bold announcement Wednesday that Thailand would be reopening in 120 days and now more details are being solidified for different regions around the country. The Phuket Sandbox leads the way July 1, and new plans look to launch Samui Plus on July 15, with Krabi, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Buri Ram, and Phang Nga expected to…
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Multiple Chiang Rai schools to close after infections found
Per the Chiang Rai governor’s orders, multiple school’s in Chiang Rai have been ordered to close. Schools had reopened on Monday. The Chiang Rai governor, Prajon Pratsakul, says the following schools are doing classes online: Samakkhi Witthayakhom School Chiang Rai Technical School Chiang Rai Kindergarten School Also, schools that fall under the authority of the Chiang Rai municipality are also…
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Refinements to the Sandbox as the countdown continues to Thailand’s reopening
Nearing the 10 day countdown to the Phuket sandbox and it couldn’t be a more important milestone for Thailand’s battered tourist industry. The official re-opening to world travellers and tourists to the tropical island in southern Thailand is a vital pilot program for the rest of the country. This week the PM proclaimed that all of Thailand will be open…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 3,682 new infections and 20 covid-related deaths
Today the public health department have announced 3,682 new infections of Covid-19 and 20 new deaths. 578 of today’s announced infections are from the Thai prison system. Today’s figures continue a slow rise in the daily case numbers over this week. Notably, the worst outbreaks are still occurring around Bangkok and its adjacent suburbs. Also, the southern provinces are also…
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In Lebanon, one crisis follows the next
Many classrooms in Lebanon remain closed these days, and it has nothing to do with the coronavirus. “It is becoming more difficult for us as teachers to commute to our workplace because of the lack of gasoline,” says Taghreed Taki, who teaches at a public school in Rashaya, two hours from the capital Beirut. “If you want to get gas…
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Dole pineapple factory has 34 new Covid-19 cases, 413 total
A Dole pineapple factory in Hua Hin confirmed another 34 Covid-19 infections, accounting for most of the 45 new infections in Prachuap Khiri Khan today. The canned pineapple plant previously had nearly 400 infections. In a quarantine facility within the Dole Thailand pineapple factory, mass testing people consider to be at-risk turned up the 34 new infections. The factory in…
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Drug smuggler caught in Kalasin with 300 kg of marijuana
A police chase in Kalasin early this morning ended in the arrest of a suspected drug smuggler and the impounding of 300 kilogrammes of compressed marijuana. The chase took place around 2 am through the streets of the Na Khu district when police received a tip-off prompting them to attempt to pull over the car. The Chevrolet Captiva with Chon…
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Amendment to reform Constitution rejected by Parliament
A draft amendment started by Pheu Thai Party, an opposition party, to establish a Constitution Drafting Assembly has just been rejected in the parliament. The legal advisory committee to parliament rejected the amendment, which was intended as a path towards creating a new, revised charter. The section in question, Section 256 in Thailand’s constitution, would be amended in order to…
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