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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Thai musician and activist has bail request turned down
The Thai musician and anti-government activist, Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, aka, “Ammy”, has had his bail request declined. The singer was arrested at Ratchathani Hospital, in the central province of Ayutthaya on charges of lèse majesté, arson, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He is accused of being 1 of 3 people to set fire to a portrait of HM the…
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Airline executive arrested for failure to pay wages of 150 workers
An airline executive has been arrested in the central province of Samut Songkhram, after complaints from150 employees that they had not been paid. Chawengsak Noiprasan, who had a court warrant issued against him in October, was taken to Don Muang police station from a property in the Bang Khan Take sub-district. He is a board member of Siam Air Transport.…
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Social distancing for Songkran, Thailand’s New Year water festival
Thailand’s massive water festival Songkran, celebrating the Thai New Year, got the “okay” as long as the festivities are in line with Covid-19 prevention measures. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says people need to abide by social distancing rules during the Songkran holiday from April 13 to 15… So make sure your water gun shoots at a long range. For long distance water…
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First golf quarantine guests complete stay at central Thailand resort
Thailand has hosted the first group of international tourists to carry out a “golf quarantine” stay. 42 golfers (41 from South Korea and 1 from Japan) flew into Thailand on February 19, entering quarantine at the Artitaya Golf Resort in the central province of Nakhon Nayok. Guests following Thailand’s golf quarantine programme are required to remain in their rooms for…
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When can we travel again? World Covid Travel Update | VIDEO
Today we’ll look at the larger world travel picture in this Covid era, and then we’ll check the latest opportunities if you want to come back to Thailand for travel. So when can we pack the bags and travel again? Well, in theory, right now. But in practice, depending where you’re coming from and where you want to go, that…
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Thailand tourism sector seeks to reopen the country by July
The following was submitted by Open Thailand Safely, a campaign pushing the Thai government to reopen Thailand to international tourism by July 2021. Leading international tourism companies in Thailand have launched a campaign to reopen the country’s borders from 1 July 2021. The #OpenThailandSafely campaign was launched 2 March with the support of over 15 major companies including YAANA Ventures,…
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Thailand News Today | Dodgy vaccine doctor nabbed,Pattaya club raided for ‘explicit’ shows | March 3
The Bangkok Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Royal Thai Army medic who is accused of injecting troops with a fake Covid-19 vaccine. He reportedly made more than 100,000 baht by charging troops, who were on a UN mission, 500 baht each for a tetanus vaccine and a fake Covid-19 vaccine, which an internal army investigation determined…
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UPDATE: Thai singer “Ammy” arrested for allegedly setting fire to royal portrait
UPDATE: A popular Thai singer from the band Bottom Blues was arrested in Ayutthaya on lèse majesté charges for allegedly setting a portrait of HM the King on fire. Yesterday, the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for those suspected of burning a portrait of HM the King outside a Bangkok prison on Sunday. Police earlier denied arresting the singer, Chai-amorn…
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WildAid launches ad campaign in Thailand to raise awareness about illegal wildlife trade
The following is a press release submitted by WildAid, a non-profit organisation pushing to end illegal wildlife trade. In honor of World Wildlife Day, WildAid is launching a series of advertisements highlighting the plight of endangered species, a result of poaching to meet consumer demand for wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, shark fin, tiger parts and helmeted…
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“Sawadee Thailand” travel insurance covers Covid-19 medical expenses
The following is a press release submitted by AXA Thailand on its “Sawasdee Thailand” travel insurance which covers the required Covid-19 medical insurance for those travelling to Thailand. AXA Thailand General Insurance is offering “Sawasdee Thailand”, a comprehensive travel insurance that includes health coverage for foreigners traveling to Thailand, offering up to 3.5-million-baht of medical expenses including COVID-19 which meets…
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Muay Thai added to European Games 2023
Thailand’s national sport Muay Thai has been added to the European Games 2023, set to be held in Poland. While Asia has been leading the sport for decades, many recent Muay Thai champions are from Europe, according to Sakchye Tapsuwan, president of the International Federation of Muaythai Associations, the governing body for the sport. “Europe has grown in strength, evidenced…
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Pattaya police raid nightclub suspected of presenting pornographic shows
Pattaya City Police inspected a nightclub after reports that the venue was hosting pornographic shows on the weekends. Although the nightclub, Dragon Man Club, wasn’t presenting a sexually explicit show when officers came by, the owner was arrested for operating an entertainment business and selling alcohol without the proper permit. Police say a tip was made through social media from…
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Deceased Phuket expat’s body stuck in hospital due to passport mix-up
In a nightmarish scenario, a deceased Phuket expat’s body is stuck in a Thai hospital as his step‐daughter claims hospital administrators won’t release the body due to a passport mix‐up. Gemma Swift, the step‐daughter of 75 year old David Donoghue, who died 2 weeks ago, says she is pleading with embassy staff in Thailand to resolve, what she says, is…
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Thai navy sailors rescue adorable cats from ship fire
In an act of good deed, navy officials have rescued 4 cats from a ship that had caught fire and began to sink about 13 kilometres off Adang Island in the southern province of Satun. The ship’s 8 member crew had jumped off the sinking vessel and were rescued by a passing fishing ship, but the cats were left onboard.…
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Cabinet approves budget of over 6.3 billion baht for 35 million more vaccine doses
The Thai government has approved a budget of 6.387 billion baht to procure an additional 35 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The budget was approved at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, according to a government spokesperson. Nation Thailand reports that the budget will be divided into 5.6 billion baht, which will be spent on AstraZeneca vaccines, with 700 million baht going…
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Miss Universe Thailand sacked from mental health role over political comments
Miss Universe Thailand, 28 year old Amanda Chalisa Obdam, has been sacked by the Department of Mental Health over political comments posted on Facebook. The Thai-Canadian woman was appointed as mental health ambassador on February 25, having won the Miss Universe Thailand title in October. Nation Thailand reports that her dismissal is due to comments she posted on Facebook in…
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Governor of Samut Sakhon recovering from Covid-19 after more than 40 days on ventilator
The governor of the central province of Samut Sakhon is slowly recovering after more than 2 months battling Covid-19. Weerasak Wichitsangsri tested positive for the virus in late December and subsequently ended up on a ventilator for over 40 days. It’s understood Weerasak’s time on the ventilator was a record for the hospital and at times, medics were unsure if…
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Thai PM orders Foreign Ministry to conduct vaccine passport study
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says the government will look into the possibility of a vaccine passport policy, with discussions set to take place on Monday. The PM has asked the Foreign Ministry to carry out a study on the use of vaccine passports, but adds that there is no guarantee such a system would work at international level. “So,…
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Gunman kills mayoral candidate, injures 4 other municipal candidates at funeral
UPDATE: Recent reports say 6 people were injured in the shooting. The suspect has surrendered to police. A gunman shot and killed a woman running for mayor and wounded 4 others at a funeral in Ratchaburi, a province west of Bangkok near the Myanmar border. Police say they suspect the shooting was politically motivated. Out of the 4 people injured,…
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Thailand News Today | Covid passport talks, Thai Airways heads to court | March 2
In today’s Thailand News Today…. The island of Phuket has a firm plan to get its residents vaccinated leading up to an October opening for tourists, the Thai PM backs up his police over last Sunday’s protest violence and Thai Airway’s employee union criticises the changes to employee contracts. But the plan must be approved by the national government by…
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Massive 6-metre-long python caught in Chon Buri
While tending to his land and preparing to cut down some banana trees, a Chon Buri man came across a massive 6-metre-long, 100-kilogram python. 8 people worked together to pull the giant snake out from the vegetation. The python tried numerous times to escape. It took around 30 minutes to catch the snake. The landowner told Thai media reporters that…
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Japan asks China to stop anal Covid-19 tests after travellers report “psychological distress”
After complaints that China’s anal swab Covid-19 test caused “psychological distress,” Japan has asked China to stop using the new, much more invasive method of testing on Japanese citizens entering the country. For the anal test, reportedly done on some travellers entering China from overseas, a 3 to 5 centimetre long cotton swab is inserted into the anus and gently…
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Police investigate reports of women’s underwear stolen from Phuket homes
Police in Phuket are looking for a suspect who residents say has been stealing women’s underwear. Surveillance camera footage from a resident’s home shows a teenager driving through a neighbourhood, then stopping and stealing ladies panties that were hanging up to dry. One resident told Phuket News that numerous residents in Thalang’s Baan Lipon area have reported missing underwear. “Recently…
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Phuket pushes to open doors to vaccinated international tourists by October
Phuket is set to open its doors to vaccinated, international tourists by October, pending the government’s approval. The local government’s initiative, named Phuket First October, proposes vaccinating a majority of its population over 18 years of age in time for the high season. The move would allow thousands of vaccinated Europeans to enter Thailand, while locals would be protected from…
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Bike rider killed after crashing motorbike into parked truck in Chon Buri
An 18 year old motorbike driver has been killed after ploughing his bike into the back of a parked truck. The Pattaya News reports that the incident took place at the weekend, in the eastern province of Chon Buri. Emergency workers arrived at the scene in the Baan Suan sub-district to find Sahapat Tippuang with serious head injuries. It’s understood…
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Thailand considering vaccine passport policy in bid to revive international tourism
Thailand’s Tourism Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, says he has asked the Public Health Ministry to approve a vaccine passport scheme aimed at reviving the devastated tourism sector. According to Pipat, the government is looking to the World Health Organisation to issue a statement on vaccine passports before it makes a decision on the matter. The Tourism Minister adds that having a…
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Suspect arrested in Hat Yai murder and rape of schoolgirl
The suspect of a schoolgirl’s disturbing rape and murder in Hat Yai is now under arrest. The alleged criminal, 49 year old Prathom Iadkhao, known as Bangmad Kongra, was already a convicted sex offender who spent 1 year in prison back in 2002. He was convicted of taking a young girl from her parents for lewd purposes in Songkhla. Now,…
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Vaccine rollout underway in Phuket as province receives 4,000 doses
The southern island of Phuket has kicked off its vaccine rollout, after taking delivery of 4,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac jab. Vaccine administration began yesterday, with priority given to 1,500 healthcare workers and 500 “at-risk” officials exposed to Covid-19 patients. Nation Thailand reports that Vachira Phuket Hospital is administering the vaccines, with capacity to vaccinate 400 people a day.…
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PM defends measures used against Sunday protesters
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha has defended police action against protesters taking part in Sunday’s anti-government rally in Bangkok. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets in an effort to drive protesters back from the PM’s residence at the 1st Infantry Regiment barracks, King’s Guard. The PM insists the actions were in line…
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Researchers claim Thailand’s bats not responsible for Covid pandemic
Thai researchers are claiming that horseshoe bats are not responsible for transmitting the Covid virus to humans. Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, a researcher with the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases-Health Science Centre, says hat even though the bats have tested for a coronavirus, it is not the strain that is transmissible to humans. “They are in the same family [of coronaviruses],…
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