Thaiger
- Northern Thailand News
Son lights himself on fire after asking mom for lottery money
A woman’s 32 year old son, in northern Thailand’s Phrae Province, is in critical condition from lighting himself on fire after falsely believing that his mother had won the lottery and would not share her winnings with him. Police at Denchai Police Station were alerted of a man who burned himself in Ban Mai Jua, Denchai District and notified a…
- Covid-19 News
US President Biden jump starting Covid-19 strategy
Newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden is jump starting his Covid-19 strategy by signing more executive orders on his 2nd day in office. The orders include requiring Americans to wear masks for travelling in planes, ships, intercity buses and public transportation. The orders have fallen short of mandating the wearing of masks for everyone whilst in public spaces. Such mask-wearing…
- Covid-19 News
Chinese businessmen hand out food in Pattaya
Chinese businessmen are helping to feed people in Pattaya after handing out over 1,000 meals to the needy last night. The handouts occurred near Third Road with Pattaya City Police nearby to help ensure social distancing and other safety measures. Hundreds of locals were seen queing for the event well before it was scheduled to start, indicating the increasing need…
- Covid-19 News
Famous Thai actor tests positive for Covid-19
A famous Thai actor has announced he is infected with Covid-19 after posting a video on Instagram. He says both him and his mother were tested, but he was the only one with a positive test result. Techin Ployphet, aka DJ Matoom, says he met an infected but asymptomatic friend on January 9, but that friend didn’t know he was…
- Covid-19 News
13 Bangkok businesses allowed to reopen tomorrow
Tomorrow, 13 types of businesses in Bangkok are being allowed to reopen but must have strict disease control measures in place. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration made the decision which would undoubtedly give many businesses some relief as well as potential customers. Such businesses with restrictions include: Banquet venues, which will need authorisation from BMA for events with over 300 participants…
- Thailand News
Banned politician says government silencing him by invoking Lese Majeste law
A banned politician, who criticised the government’s Covid-19 vaccine plan, is claiming the government is silencing him (again) by invoking the Lese Majeste law against him. The alleged defamation case concerns his questioning of using one of the king’s companies as part of the Covid-19 vaccine strategy that he says will slow down the process of inoculations. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit accused…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Gambling crackdown, Seafood market to reopen, Vlogger challenge | Jan 21
In a nationwide crackdown on gambling, police in the Isaan province Khon Kaen raided a warehouse and seized more than 400 slot machines. Acting on a court warrant, police searched the warehouse. The locks on the door had been changed and police had to break into the warehouse. Inside, canvases covered 418 slot machines. Police say the machines were “plug…
- Transport News
Phuket police confirm speed limit of bypass road after locals complain
Phuket police are confirming the island’s bypass road speed limit as 50 kilometres per hour. That is, despite years of back and forth between motorists and the law. The latest announcement comes after locals posted online copies of their speeding tickets, which showed the confirmed limit. The stretch of road, almost the only stretch of road where you could get…
- Tourism News
Pattaya cleaning up its Walking Street act in time for Chinese New Year
Pattaya City is planning to clean up its Walking Street act in time for the upcoming Chinese New Year. But, as the second wave of Covid-19 mostly destroyed what was left of any foreign or domestic tourism, it might all be in vain. Thousands of businesses remain closed due to Chon Buri province being a “highly controlled” Covid-19 zone, which effectively…
- Politics News
US Ambassador to Thailand quits after Biden inaugurated
The US Ambassador to Thailand seems to have quit after only serving less than 1 year in office and moments after President Biden’s inauguration. Michael George DeSombre, who was appointed by President Trump in early 2020, made the announcement of his departure on the embassy’s official social media platform yesterday. A day before, he met with PM Prayut to “thank…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s poorer areas may suffer if vaccines funded by local municipalities
Thailand’s poorer areas may suffer if Covid-19 vaccine distribution is given the green light to be funded by local municipalities. Suspicions are already being raised as critics say many municipalities who offer to fund the vaccines may have alterior political motives. As many as 20 municipalities are reporting that they have already set aside funding. Ratchaburi Town Municipality, for example,…
- Environment News
Air pollution in Bangkok expected to get worse due to “cold spell”
Air pollution in Bangkok is expected to get worse over the next few days as pollutants are getting trapped in the atmosphere thanks to a recent cold spell and a lack of wind to blow the haze away from the city. In response to the unhealthy air pollution, The PM’s Office permanent secretary says he has asked several ministries to…
- World News
US President Biden reverses Trump’s policies on first day of presidency
Just after being sworn in, the new US President Joe Biden is reversing Donald Trump’s policies by signing 15 executive actions, principally targeting pandemic and climate change. Joe Biden, now America’s 46th President, said there is “no time to waste” as he referenced America’s battle with Covid-19. “Some of the executive actions I’m going to be signing today are going…
- Tourism News
The Thai government threw a tourist party (sound of crickets) | VIDEO
The Thai Government, flushed with the success of their containment of Covid-19, decided to market the Land of Smiles to the world as the safe place to travel. With the annual wet season starting to weaken the tourists would flock back to the S E Asian country that had such a remarkable success containing, then almost eradicating itself, of the…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Covid testing for visas, Business impact, Vaccine approval | January 19
Confusion reigns today over if Covid-19 tests will be required for visa extensions. While Phuket News spoke with an immigration official who said “no… you don’t need a Covid-19 test to extend your visa or apply for a work permit”, Khaosod English wrote an article headlined “Covid-19 test will be mandatory for all visa extension”. The Thaiger also contacted a…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s tourism in the Covid 2021 era
OPINION by Andrew J Wood Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine this week for emergency use in the country. Two private hospitals are also ordering millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines ahead of this regulatory approval. This is in addition to the government’s order of 63 million doses from two main sources as…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Weekend Bangkok bombs, Thailand fires, Covid update | January 18
369 new Covid-19 cases were reported today during the daily briefing. Most cases were detected in Samut Sakhon in a mass testing campaign. Thailand currently has 3,147 active Covid-19 cases under treatment and investigation. 12,423 infections have now been detected since the start of 2020 – 8,186 of them reported since December 20 last year… just a month back. 12…
- Thailand News
Tower Of Babble – Have your say on The Thaiger, January 18 | VIDEO
Tower of Babble is where we read some of your comments to The Thaiger YouTube videos. Some are insightful, some are interesting, some need to be shared! And some are just plain funny. If you leave a comment under any of our videos it may be shared on our Tower of Babble each day. Facebook Bangkok smog Mcnab James And…
- Thailand News
Police say at least 2 people to be arrested in Bangkok bomb attack – UPDATE
Police say they will issue arrest warrants for at least 2 people in connection to yesterday’s bomb attack in Bangkok. According to Thai PBS World, the people are suspected of throwing a ping pong bomb into a group of police officers in front of the Chamchuri shopping centre that injured 3 policemen and 1 reporter. But previous reports by Khaosod…
- Thailand News
Police hunt for those behind Bangkok bomb attack near pro-democracy protest site
Police are hunting for those responsible for yesterday’s bomb attack that hit near a pro-democracy protest site in Bangkok. The attack occurred at Samyan Intersection at around 6pm, leaving 4 people injured, including 2 policemen. Bangkok police chief Phukphong Phongpetra says the device used appears to be a pingpong bomb, which was filled with nails. Demonstrators gathered yesterday in front…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s first low-cost airline founder dies
Thailand’s first low-cost airline founder has died at the age of 66. Udom Tantiprasongchai, who passed away yesterday, started his business in 1994 with Cambodia International Airlines. The airline began operating regular flights from Phnom Penh to Phuket before expanding to other areas in Southeast Asia. After his airline licences were revoked by the Cambodian government, he started Orient Thai…
- Environment News
59 areas see excessive PM 2.5 dust in Bangkok today
59 areas in Bangkok are seeing excessive PM 2.5 dust ratings today as air quality is being described as moderate to poor. Din Daeng Road is being identified as the most polluted, according to the air4thai website of the Pollution Control Department. The amount of PM 2.5 dust is being measured at between 39 and 113 microns. Din Daeng is…
- Thailand News
374 new cases today – Covid update
New case numbers have jumped alarmingly again today, even though the growth curve was starting to flatten a bit this week. Thailand is reporting 374 new cases of Covid-19 today over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to over 12,000 infections since the pandemic began. Only 10 of those cases were non-local infections as they were found in state quarantine.…
- Crime News
Central Thailand hospital adding marijuana to spa restaurant menu
A little sprinkle here and a little sprinkle there. A central Thailand hospital is now adding marijuana to its spa restaurant menu. The Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, in Prachin Buri, is serving patients dishes and drinks prepared with marijuana leaves at its Abhaibhubejhr Day Spa. Asala Chaocharoen, one of the hospital’s pharmacists, says they have developed the menu item using 1…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s PM asks people to avoid political gatherings over concerns for their health
Thailand’s PM is asking people to avoid political gatherings over concerns for their health due to the recent cooler weather. As the country is still not out of the woods with the recent Covid-19 breakout, the cold weather, in the northern half of the country, is adding to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s health concerns for Thai people. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri…
- Economy News
BTS skytrain maximum fare rate increasing to 158 baht despite backlash
Bangkok’s BTS skytrain maximum fare rate is being raised to 158 baht despite receiving backlash over the hike. The Transport Ministry is behind the calls for City Hall to stop the increase as it says it is too expensive for the average commuter who takes the BTS 2 times a day. Saksayam Chidchob, the Transport Minister, says other routes should…
- Environment News
Thailand on fire – NASA satellite website tracks the country’s farm fires
Thailand is burning. The burning off of harvested crop plantations is lighting up the agricultural areas. The truth is starkly revealed in the live NASA satellite feeds which track the fires around the world. CHART: Fires in the past 10 days around parts of Thailand – Firms.Modaps Concentrations of the current fires can be seen in Central Thailand, north of…
- Thailand News
Week in review – the best of Thailand News Today | VIDEO
Click to watch HERE….. https://youtu.be/O0HpP6nOSbs Thailand News Today covers five days a week. Now we have a weekend edition which goes over the biggest, or best stories from the week. Out every Saturday afternoon, catch up with Jett and Tim’s major Thai news stories. Welcome to the Thailand News Today Weekend Edition. Click to watch HERE….. https://youtu.be/O0HpP6nOSbs
- Covid-19 News
Norway adjusts advice after 28 possible vaccine-related deaths of elderly people
The deaths of 23 elderly people are being investigated after dying a short time of receiving their first Covid-19 vaccine in Norway. Apart from the 23 deaths, medical officials are also reporting several people falling ill after receiving their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. At this stage there has been no direct correlation between the people’s deaths and…