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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Renovation of Hua Lamphong may wait another three years: BMA
It might be another two to three years until Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong station is developed for commercial use. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Office of Town Planning and Development has today put a hold to the State Railway of Thailand’s request to develop station and surrounding buildings for another two or three years. According to reports, the 120-rai site planned for…
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Monday Covid Update: 4,753 new cases; provincial totals
27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 20,734 with 20,640 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 4,753 new Covid-19 cases and 6,165 recoveries. There are now 77,811 people in Thailand being…
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Thai officials mull over testing methods for arrivals following Omicron emergence
With the emergence of the Omicron variant, just as Thailand was easing travel regulations, the Thai government is mulling over whether to reverse its plan to replace RT-PCR tests with the less accurate, but faster and cheaper antigen tests, or ATK, for arrivals from overseas. The CCSA held an emergency meeting over the weekend in response to the news of…
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Alcohol sales at Bangkok restaurants allowed until 11pm starting Wednesday
The cutoff time for alcohol sales at restaurants in Bangkok will be pushed from 9pm to 11pm. Governor Aswin Kwanmuang reportedly signed a provincial order allowing restaurants to serve booze until 11pm starting Wednesday, according to Thai media. Under the order, entertainment venues, such as bars and nightclubs, must remain closed until the end of the year. The order still…
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Japan suspends foreign visitors from entering as Omicron variant spreads
Japan is suspending foreign visitors from entering as the new Covid-19 Omicron variant spreads throughout the country. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the measure will take effect tomorrow. “We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan.” The move means the country will backstep in restoring its border controls that eased earlier this…
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Phuket gets approval for all-nighter New Year’s Eve party
Phuket is approved to allow New Year’s Eve celebrations to go on all night, along with alcohol sales. The notice was issued yesterday that states alcohol sales would be extended on NYE, from 11pm-6am. The order says usually it is forbidden to sell alcohol during those times, but notes that December 31 is an exception. The Phuket governor signed the…
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Police seize 36,000 fake US$100 bills and printing machines in a series of raids
In a transnational investigation into a large counterfeit bill operation, Thailand’s Police Cyber Task Force teamed up with the US Secret Service in Bangkok, seizing offset printing machines and tens of thousands of counterfeit $100 bills in early November. The investigation was launched after authorities noticed an uptick in banknote forgeries in Thailand. A source also tipped off authorities, saying most…
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Bangkok police say restaurateurs could face jail time for serving alcohol after 9pm
Police in Bangkok are warning restaurant owners that if alcohol is served after 9pm, they will face legal action… possibly even up to a year in jail and a fine up to 100,000 baht. Restaurants in the capital are allowed to serve beer, wine and cocktails up until 9pm, if they have passed standards set under the Safety and Health…
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Singapore and Malaysia reopen shared land border today
Singapore and Malaysia are reopening their shared land border today, marking another move forward to return to normal. The border was one of the busiest in the world pre-pandemic times, with vaccinated travellers being allowed to cross as of today. The border has been closed since March 2020, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded on either side. Families were…
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Siam Seaplane makes getting to your destination so much easier
Sponsored Article There’s an innovative new company that is going to drastically reduce the time required to get to your holiday destination and get to those hard to get to beach resorts in the Land of Smiles. Siam Seaplane will offer Thailand’s first premium amphibious seaplane service, providing faster, easier and seamless access to waterfront locations such as resorts, and…
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Booze sales are likely to be extended until midnight during Christmas and New Year’s
The hours on alcohol sales at restaurants might be extended on Christmas and New Year’s. Thai authorities are now considering pushing the hours for sales of beer and liquor from 9pm to 11pm or midnight. The proposal will be reviewed today during a meeting with government agencies and tourism associations, according to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Rachakitprakarn,…
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Omicron Covid-19 variant isn’t in Thailand, DDC director says
The Omicron Covid-19 variant isn’t in Thailand, director-general of the Department of Disease Control said yesterday, assuring the public that the mutated strain of the virus virus is not “travelling” into the country by tourists. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said that all “sandbox” visitors are being closely and stringently monitored by health authorities. “All 1,007 travellers from South Africa who recently…
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An aquatic meal with Olga Belka – taking art to new depths
by Baz Daniel I am sitting at the edge of the gorgeous Kata Rocks infinity pool at sunset with the world’s only underwater portraitist, who as far as I can tell, is probably also a mermaid. Her name is Olga Belka and she is as gorgeous and exotic as you might expect of someone with such a gorgeous and exotic…
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Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Train Station) – History and future | VIDEO
Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong is being closed down by the middle of December. Here’s a look at the legendary station’s past and future, plus a look at the local neighbourhood and working life at the station. The iconic station has been open for over 100 years and been the host of many happy, and sad, arrivals and departures. Please don’t…
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UPDATE: Israel bans ALL foreign entry over Omicron
Israel is the first country to impose a blanket ban on all foreigners from entering the country for at least 14 days. In a statement to parliament, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett says the ban, pending government approval, would last for 14 days. Meanwhile, the South African doctor who was the first to sound an international alarm over the new Omicron…
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New variant could dampen Thailand’s reopening enthusiasm
Thailand was the first country in Asia to more fully reopen to foreign travellers, and it is seeing a slow recovery, with more bookings for hotels, and new faces along shopping strips and markets in the country. November 1 was the launch of the Thailand Pass and a broader reopening to fully vaccinated travellers and tourists from 63 low-risk countries.…
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Hello Thaiger
Formed in 2018 as a digital rebrand of The Phuket Gazette, one of Thailand’s largest and most well-known English language regional print newspapers, The Thaiger expanded beyond local Phuket news, going nationwide. Our Thai language offering was launched just a year later and has long since surpassed the readership of the English news, with local Thais coming to read about…
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Will Iraqi Kurdistan’s youth turn to religious extremism next?
Over the past few days, there has been yet another indicator of how dissatisfied the people of Iraqi Kurdistan are with their leaders. Thousands of demonstrators, many of them students, took to the streets in the semi-autonomous northern Iraqi region to demand the restoration of financial stipends local authorities stopped paying around 2014. During the protests, security forces used a…
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Female Thai boxers conquer tradition
After a 20-month enforced break due to COVID-19, Muay Thai competitions have starting again in Bangkok’s traditional Lumpinee Stadium. For the first time, female athletes are allowed to enter the ring. SOURCE: DW News
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Songkhla prepares for tourism across the Southern land border
Despite having the second most daily Covid-19 infections in the country today with 441 and becoming the 6th most infected province overall, the Deep South border province of Songkhla is preparing to reopen in December and bracing for a surge of overland international visitors. Local tourism operators are saying they expect around 10,000 tourists from Malaysia and Singapore per week…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 6,073 infections, 32 deaths, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 6,073 new Covid-19 infections, down 486 since yesterday, and 32 Coronavirus-related deaths, half as many as yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,072,086 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 6,538 recoveries, up 337…
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Omicron causing concern, Thai authorities ban travellers from 8 countries
Countries around the world are pushing back against the latest strain of Covid-19, now officially called by its Greek alphabet name ‘Omicron’, or B.1.1.529 if you want to be scientific. Potentially, the new variant is more a transmissible coronavirus and was first recognised by South African health authorities. Now, a number of countries are already banning travellers from several southern…
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Thailand’s nightlife venues and bars told to keep closed until January 16
Thailand’s nightlife cat and mouse game between authorities and desperate bar and nightlife businesses will continue until the middle of January 2022. Following deliberations from the CCSA yesterday, entertainment venues will have to keep their doors closed until at least January 16. To put an exclamation mark after the latest announcement, the Thai government has also extended the emergency decree…
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Amnesty International under investigation for defending activists
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that Thai authorities have opened an investigation into human rights group Amnesty International after they spoke out against the prosecution of anti-government protesters. An opposing group of protesters who are devoted to the monarchy called for Amnesty International to be barred from Thailand. On Thursday, the group of royalists gave the government a letter saying that…
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CCSA sticks with plan to reopen bars on January 16
This article was revised on Monday, November 29. Despite hopes from millions of tourists around the world and millions of bar, club, and nightlife staff and owners throughout Thailand, the CCSA is sticking with plans to allow the bars to reopen on January 16. The CCSA had a meeting yesterday that revisited and revised several rules for entering Thailand and…
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“Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted
A reminder today that there is still more steam left in the Covid-19 coronavirus. Just as the world started to peek from behind the curtain of uncertainty, another Covid “variant of concern”, named Omicron, has been discovered. The World Health Organisation says Omicron has a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggests an “increased reinfection risk”. Officially, it is…
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Nuclear power in Hungary: Green, cheap and independent?
While Germany is phasing out nuclear power and many EU states don’t have any atomic plants at all, others are expanding their nuclear programs as part of the fight against climate change. These states argue that atomic energy is low in CO2 emissions and allows them to produce cheap electricity and be more energy-independent. But can nuclear power really lead…
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AfricaLink on Air — 26 November 2021
The new southern African COVID “super variant” sparks a global scare +++ Kenya launches its 10-day mass vaccination campaign +++ Sierra Leone indicts a key opposition leader +++ Zambians raise concerns over increased alcohol consumption SOURCE: DW News
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Bangladesh’s BNP opposition party in dire straits as leader’s health deteriorates
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister and arch-rivalof current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was admitted to the critical care unit of a Dhaka hospital early this month after her health deteriorated. The 76-year old former prime minister and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been suffering from several chronic and life-threatening diseases. “She has chronic liver disease,…
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Vaccine passport soon to be made digital and issued for free
Thailand is planning on streamlining the proof of vaccination process by offering an e-vaccine passport for free for international travellers. The CCSA announced the plan as one of the topics covered in their meeting today which also saw the elimination of Dark Red Zones and curfews, as well as a switch from RT-PCR tests for entering tourists to the faster,…
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