Tanutam Thawan

Local Thai journalist speaking fluent Thai and English. Tanutam studied in Khon Kaen before attending Bangkok’s Chulalongkhorn University.
  • Covid-19 NewsAstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to be donated to Thailand from Japan

    AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to be donated to Thailand from Japan

    As Thailand’s vaccine supply runs short due to production delays, the Japanese government has offered to donate doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, according to Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul. An agreement is set to be signed this week and vaccine doses would be delivered next month. Anutin only gave a brief statement and did not say how many doses…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok police warn that protests planned for Thursday break the Emergency Decree

    Bangkok police warn that protests planned for Thursday break the Emergency Decree

    Bangkok police are warning pro-democracy activists that they may face legal again if they hold a rally. Several Bangkok-based groups backing the movement pushing for monarchy and government reform are planning to hold a rally on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the 1932 Siam Revolution. On July 24, 1932, the Khana Ratsadon political party, which means “Peoples’ Party,” led…

  • South Thailand News2 suspected insurgents killed in gunfire exchange with police-military team

    2 suspected insurgents killed in gunfire exchange with police-military team

    In a clash with Thai security forces at a seaside resort, 2 suspected insurgents were killed. As of this afternoon, a team of police and military were still surrounding the resort in Pattani’s Yaring district and another suspected insurgent was still inside. Pattani has been prone to violence due to the religious separatist insurgency in Thailand’s region near the Malaysian…

  • World NewsThailand abstains from vote on UN resolution condemning Myanmar violence

    Thailand abstains from vote on UN resolution condemning Myanmar violence

    On the United Nations’ rare move, adopting a resolution urging the military in Myanmar to cease violence, Thailand abstained from voting on the non-binding motion. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat says there were several essential factors to why Thailand declined to vote. 119 member countries of the United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday in support of the resolution…

  • Thailand NewsProposed start date now July 15 for “Samui Plus” reopening

    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…

  • Hua Hin NewsWild elephant breaks into home and raids kitchen in Hua Hin – VIDEO | Thaiger

    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…

  • Covid-19 NewsMonday Covid Update: 3,175 new cases and 29 deaths

    Monday Covid Update: 3,175 new cases and 29 deaths

    3,175 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the recent and most severe wave of infections, the CCSA has recorded a total of 192,443 Covid-19 cases including more than 30,000 at Thailand’s overcrowded prisons. Out of the new cases reported by the CCSA today, 140 infections were…

  • Crime News1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine and heroin seized near Malaysian border

    1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine and heroin seized near Malaysian border

    Police in the southern province Satun seized 1.2 tonnes of heroin and methamphetamine valued at around 1 billion baht that had been left in a canal near the Malaysian border. Thai maritime authorities and Satun marine police were surveying a mangrove forest at the Tam Malang Canal when they found 39 large plastic bins in the wetland. Large quantities of…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 3,058 new cases; provincial totals

    Friday Covid Update: 3,058 new cases; provincial totals

    Thailand’s latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, infecting 176,410 people since April 1, continues to be on a downward trend. Today, 3,058 new Covid-19 cases and 22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the tally since the start of the pandemic to 210,782 total confirmed cases and 1,577 fatalities. There are now 32,795…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai DDC probe into Covid-19 vaccine recipient deaths to finish next week

    Thai DDC probe into Covid-19 vaccine recipient deaths to finish next week

    Thai health officials are finishing up an investigation into deaths involving those who had received the Covid-19 vaccine. The Department of Disease Control is looking into 68 deaths and plans to report the cause of death of each case next week. So far, 13 of the cases are not directly related to the vaccine, according to the director of the…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 3,058 new cases and 22 deaths

    Friday Covid Update: 3,058 new cases and 22 deaths

    3,058 new Covid-19 cases and 22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The recent and most severe wave of the virus, infecting 181,919 people since April 1, is now on a downward trend as the number of recoveries recorded each day continues to exceed the number of new cases. Today, the CCSA reported 4,094…

  • Phuket NewsExpats in Phuket without a work permit can register for a Covid-19 vaccine

    Expats in Phuket without a work permit can register for a Covid-19 vaccine

    Expats living in Phuket, who do not have a work permit, can now register for a Covid-19 vaccine. Under the local vaccine registration website, www.phuket.win, there are now links for foreigners with work permits and foreigners without work permits to apply for a vaccine. Of course, with the ever-faulty websites run by the Thai government, we had to give it…

  • Thailand NewsThai-English auto-translate down on Facebook due to “technical issues”

    Thai-English auto-translate down on Facebook due to “technical issues”

    Facebook’s Thai to English auto-translation feature on posts and comments has been taken down due to “technical issues,” the social media company’s communications manager for Thailand and Laos wrote in a statement to The Thaiger. Some have pointed out that auto-translate displayed an incorrect and derogatory word for a post on a recent royal ceremony in Thailand. Facebook did not…

  • Thailand NewsPolice arrest 2 men for allegedly trying to extort 2 million baht from a man

    Police arrest 2 men for allegedly trying to extort 2 million baht from a man

    Police arrested 2 men, including a Thai soldier, who allegedly extorted a businessman, threatening to post obscene photos of him on social media if he didn’t give them 2 million baht. 31 year old Nawatkorn Pongassaphon and 31 year old Vorasart Lailang, a Thai army corporal, were arrested yesterday evening at a shopping centre in Nonthaburi, a suburb just outside…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: 3,129 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 3,129 new cases; provincial totals

    Thailand’s latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 is on a downward curve with 33,853 active cases reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Although the daily tally of new cases remains high, with 3,129 infections confirmed today, new recoveries recorded each day continue to exceed the number of new cases. Today, the CCSA logged 4,561 new recoveries. 30…

  • Thailand NewsStudents in Thailand’s Isaan region go back to school on an elephant

    Students in Thailand’s Isaan region go back to school on an elephant

    Schools across the country reopened this week after closures due to Covid-19. Some students in the Isaan province Surin decided to go to school in a much different and unconventional way… on an elephant. Three boys, dressed in their school uniforms and carrying their backpacks, rode on top of an elephant together to the Banyawuek School in the province’s Chumphon…

  • World NewsUS Embassy in Thailand issues security alert due to violence near Myanmar border

    US Embassy in Thailand issues security alert due to violence near Myanmar border

    Mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades from Myanmar have landed in Thai border towns in the Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces. With the ongoing violence between the Burmese military and ethnic armies following the February coup now with clashes near Thai border towns, the US Embassy in Thailand has issued a security alert and is now requiring all US government…

  • Thailand NewsThursday Covid Update: 3,129 new cases and 30 deaths

    Thursday Covid Update: 3,129 new cases and 30 deaths

    CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story reported an incorrect number for the confirmed cases at correctional facilities. The correct number is 457 infections. 3,129 new Covid-19 cases and 30 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the most severe wave of Covid-19 infections in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 178,861 cases.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsIsaan farmer and son electrocuted and killed by wire fence in rice field

    Isaan farmer and son electrocuted and killed by wire fence in rice field

    A 58 year old farmer and his 26 year old son were both electrocuted to death last night in the Isaan province Khon Kaen. The farmer had been placing an electric fence at his rice field to protect wandering cattle from damaging his seedlings. Local residents walking by heard dogs barking and looked over to see the farmer, Prasert Nonpoo,…

  • Thailand NewsAnother data breach: Info leaked on Bangkok Immigration website

    Another data breach: Info leaked on Bangkok Immigration website

    In the second data breach this week involving a Thai government website for foreign residents, the Bangkok Immigration site leaked personal details, such as passport numbers and visa information, of expats who registered for an appointment. Expat and local blogger on Thai news, Richard Barrow, posted screenshots of the data breach, with personal details redacted, saying the website is exposing…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: 2,331 new cases; provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 2,331 new cases; provincial totals

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 2,331 new cases and 40 coronavirus-related deaths, an update in fatalities over the past week. The recent and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, infecting 175,732 people since April 1, is on a downward track with the number of active cases getting lower each day as the daily recovery count continues…

  • Phuket NewsThai police chief donates 100,000 baht to Phuket man shot by a drunk officer

    Thai police chief donates 100,000 baht to Phuket man shot by a drunk officer

    Thailand’s national police chief has donated 100,000 baht to support the man in Phuket who was shot and critically wounded by a drunk, off-duty police officer on the island’s Bangla Road, a popular nightlife area in Patong. Aroon Thongplad, a noodle vendor at the Phuket walking street, was grabbing a bowl from a customer when he was shot in the…

  • Thailand NewsPM Prayut Chan-o-cha says sorry again for delays in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says sorry again for delays in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has again apologised for holdups in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, saying there were a number of reasons for the delays. Earlier this week, 25 vaccination sites in Bangkok postponed inoculations. Several hospitals also delayed vaccinations over the weekend due to a limited supply. “As the prime minister and director of CCSA, I am the top executive…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: 2,331 new infections and 40 deaths

    Wednesday Covid Update: 2,331 new infections and 40 deaths

    2,331 new Covid-19 cases and an uptick of 40 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 infections, 175,732 cases have been recorded since April 1. While the daily case count remains high, the wave of infections is on a downward slope with the number of recent…

  • Thailand NewsCentral Bankruptcy Court approves Thai Airways debt restructuring plan

    Central Bankruptcy Court approves Thai Airways debt restructuring plan

    The high profile restructuring plan to tackle Thai Airways International’s around 400 billion baht debt was approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court today. While the pandemic hit airlines across the globe, Thai Airways has been recording losses for nearly a decade. The record loss of 141.2 billion baht posted last year prompted the struggling airline to file for bankruptcy protection.…

  • Thailand NewsAustralian man arrested for alleged child sex abuse in Thai border town

    Australian man arrested for alleged child sex abuse in Thai border town

    After being on the run for 6 months, an Australian man who allegedly sexually assaulted Burmese children in the Tak’s Mae Sot district near the Myanmar border was arrested. A warrant had been issued for Adam James Fox back in December of last year after he failed to show up to court. Adam had been arrested in March of last…

  • Bangkok NewsCCSA has yet to begin talks on lifting alcohol ban at Bangkok restaurants

    CCSA has yet to begin talks on lifting alcohol ban at Bangkok restaurants

    Authorities haven’t begun to mull over whether to allow restaurants in Bangkok to serve alcohol again. The booze ban at restaurants and the closure order on bars is intended to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The idea is that with nowhere to go out for a drink, gatherings would be reduced. To lift the ban on alcohol at restaurants, the…

  • Crime NewsThai police say they’ve gathered “strong evidence” on transnational drug trade

    Thai police say they’ve gathered “strong evidence” on transnational drug trade

    “Good news” will be reported soon on Thailand’s crackdown on transnational drug trade, at least that’s what police are saying today about the ramping up of the transnational drug rings and trafficking. Drug suppression operations have intensified over the past month with numerous drug seizures including several at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport where methamphetamine and heroin were found hidden in packages…

  • Thailand NewsDogs from Thailand and more than 100 countries banned from US due to risk of rabies

    Dogs from Thailand and more than 100 countries banned from US due to risk of rabies

    Dogs from Thailand as well as more than 100 other countries are banned from entering the United States for the next year due to a high risk of rabies. The US Centre for Disease Control released a notice yesterday on the temporary suspension of dogs from countries classified by the CDC as high risk for rabies among dogs. Dog rabies…

  • Thailand News“Bubble and seal” method to contain outbreaks at factories, keep business afloat

    “Bubble and seal” method to contain outbreaks at factories, keep business afloat

    With a number of Covid-19 clusters at large factories, the Thai government has been working to contain the virus quickly and rollout of vaccinations to the workers to prevent a downfall in the industrial sector. One of the controversial methods of containing the virus is the so-called “bubble and seal” policy at factories where a cluster of infections has been…