Tim Newton

Tim joined The Thaiger as one of its first employees in 2018 as an English news writer/editor and then began to present The Thaiger's Daily news show in 2020, Thailand News Today (or TNT for short). He has lived in Thailand since 2011, having relocated from Australia.
  • Tourism NewsPhuket to get 3 new tourist attractions | Thaiger

    Phuket to get 3 new tourist attractions

    4 months after the launch of the Phuket Sandbox, a pilot reopening scheme that has now morphed into a country-wide reopening plan for international travellers, the local Phuket government are talking about spending 100 million baht on new landmarks to help attract tourists. The first of 3 landmark projects is a glass skywalk which would allow visitors to walk along…

  • Tourism NewsWill Thailand’s nightlife survive another 2 months of closure? | Thaiger

    Will Thailand’s nightlife survive another 2 months of closure?

    OPINION On Friday morning we were talking up the speculation that Thailand’s bars would be permitted to reopen on December 1. It had been a strong rumour, verified with countless politicians and police. Surely, with all the open flouting of the current alcohol ban, the government had just given up and were ready to reopen the bars, officially. The daily…

  • Crime News‘Joe Ferrari’ and 6 other police, face death penalty | Thaiger

    ‘Joe Ferrari’ and 6 other police, face death penalty

    Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka. Joe Ferrari, along with 6 other police, will be indicted this week over 4 charges relating to the alleged torture and subsequent murder of a 24 year old drug suspect. The 7 police now facing official charges are… Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon (head of the station) Pol Maj Rawirot Ditthong Pol Capt Songyot Khlainak Pol Lt Thoranin…

  • OpinionBanking on a Shinawatra revival – Pheu Thai kicks off their 2023 election campaign | Thaiger

    Banking on a Shinawatra revival – Pheu Thai kicks off their 2023 election campaign

    No surprise, despite some conservative media painting it as a shock political move. The official announcement of Paethongtan Shinawatra’s role at in the Pheu Thai election machine as “chief adviser in participation and innovation” has been spoken about for the past month. The return of a ‘Shinawatra’ – the former fugitive PM’s youngest daughter no less – will re-focus additional…

  • Visa InformationThailand Pass – 3 options to come back to Thailand right now | Thaiger

    Thailand Pass – 3 options to come back to Thailand right now

    The Thailand Pass is now in force if you want to come back to Thailand, whether local or foreign traveller. There are now 3 main options that provide topics for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, from one of the 63 approved low-risk countries, or outside of that list. Even for fully vaccinated travellers its not quite quarantine free, You will be…

  • Visa InformationThailand Pass – BKK on a Friday evening. Where was everyone? | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Thailand Pass – BKK on a Friday evening. Where was everyone? | VIDEO

    Tim does his weekly jaunt to Phuket from BKK. Thailand is ‘open’ again with almost-quarantine-free travel to fully vaccinated travellers. But the government’s promised surge of tourists has had a slow start. Plenty of articles about the Thailand Pass – search ‘The Thaiger Thailand Pass’ for numerous articles and links if you want to return to Thailand at this time.…

  • Phuket NewsNew Foundation in Phuket to provide grants for the most vulnerable communities | Thaiger

    New Foundation in Phuket to provide grants for the most vulnerable communities

    Living Waters Phuket was launched this week, the first fully established legal structure to provide grants to projects investing in sustainable community solutions across Phuket and the surrounding islands. A united Foundation This one-of-a-kind and brand-new Foundation, launched as Living Waters Phuket this week, is working to combine the efforts of registered charities, foundations, private companies and government organisations. The…

  • Tourism NewsThailand is open for tourism again, sort of | Thaiger

    Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of

    OPINION The opening you have when you’re not quite open. Quarantine-free arrival, except that you’ll still need to book at least 1 night of stay in an approved hotel or AQ (alternative quarantine). No bars are open (officially) and, in most parts of the country, most shops remain closed. In tourist-dependent places like Phuket, more than 90% of the formerly…

  • Tourism News46 countries permitted to travel to Thailand from November 1, and quarantine details | Thaiger

    46 countries permitted to travel to Thailand from November 1, and quarantine details

    … and everything you want to know, as of today, about re-entry into Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a list of 46 countries and/or territories that have been approved to take part in the planned reopening of the country from November 1. The list of countries is detailed below as per a .pdf file that was…

  • World NewsSingapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights | Thaiger

    Singapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights

    It’s designed to ferry lots of people long distances, in an ultra-quiet flying experience. So flyers would be used to flying the huge Airbus A380 from LA to London, Bahrain to Frankfurt, Melbourne to Hong Kong. The massive super jumbo airliner wasn’t designed for a short 1 hour hop. But that’s exactly what Singapore Airlines have planned now they’re getting…

  • Visa InformationSo long, farewell to Thailand’s Certificate of Entry – November 1 | Thaiger

    So long, farewell to Thailand’s Certificate of Entry – November 1

    But what will replace it? Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced an update to procedures for arrival in the Kingdom, post November 1. The Ministry says that the unpopular Certificate of Entry, currently required for all international visitors, is set to be replaced by a new system they’re calling the Thailand Pass system. It is set to start on…

  • South Thailand NewsViolence continues between military and insurgents in Thailand’s deep south | Thaiger

    Violence continues between military and insurgents in Thailand’s deep south

    The fighting between the military and insurgents in the Southern border provinces of Thailand continues. Yesterday the Thai military killed a suspected insurgent after a shootout in a peat swamp in the Bacho district of Narathiwat, a province on Thailand’s southern border. This marks the sixth insurgent killed in the area in the last week. A combined force of Thai…

  • Northern Thailand News“The Rescue” – What really happened inside Tham Luang caves? | Thaiger

    “The Rescue” – What really happened inside Tham Luang caves?

    We all followed the events of the cave rescue. We think we know what happened. But we don’t. “The Rescue”, by directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, has peered behind the heroic narrative that was cultivated at the time of the Chiang Rai Tham Luang cave rescue in July 2018. 13 young men – 12 teenagers and their 24…

  • EventsThammasat University Massacre – 45 year on | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Thammasat University Massacre – 45 year on | VIDEO

    Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of the infamous October 6 massacre at Thammasat University in Bangkok in 1976, when 4,000 police and military forces blocked all exits from the university before firing machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers, and other military-grade weapons on the students after increased anti-government protests. Officially, some 45 people were killed and over 145 injured, but…

  • World NewsActivists call on Facebook and Twitter to follow YouTube’s lead in blocking anti-vax content | Thaiger

    Activists call on Facebook and Twitter to follow YouTube’s lead in blocking anti-vax content

    Following YouTube’s blocking of all anti-vaccine content, and anti-vax-themed conspiracy channels, social media activists are now turning their attention to some of the other big platforms to follow YouTube’s lead. Twitter and Facebook are now targets to do more in stopping misinformation from spreading online. YouTube already had “misinformation” policies in place to prevent some of the more outrageous anti-vax…

  • Economy NewsThai baht to continue dropping against the USD | Thaiger

    Thai baht to continue dropping against the USD

    The Thai baht is forecast to droop to a 4-year low over the next trading week, and its largest monthly currency drop for over 20 years. The Baht’s challenges shadow US dollar gains over concerns about the US Fed’s (US Federal Reserve) ‘tapering’ plans as it reins in enthusiastic stimulus of the US economy. Thailand’s baht has been the region’s…

  • Thailand NewsUmbrellas out, more monsoonal rain in the wake of ‘Dianmu’ | Thaiger

    Umbrellas out, more monsoonal rain in the wake of ‘Dianmu’

    With tropical depression Dianmu now well into the Bay of Bengal and continuing to weaken, another low depression sits over Thailand’s lower north, continuing to drop rain in most parts of the country. The region is also coming to the end of the annual typhoon season which whips up west-moving storms from the Pacific and into the South China Sea…

  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | Phuket sandbox, streaming services, high-speed rail in Thailand | Thaiger

    Good Morning Thailand | Phuket sandbox, streaming services, high-speed rail in Thailand

    Tim, Bill and Able chat about the latest news stories in Thailand today, especially the latest information about the Phuket Sandbox and the re-opening of tourism for Thailand. All the latest news at thethaiger.com

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Autopsy of Koh Tao couple, buy a Moderna vaccine, Koh Samui sandbox? | June 8 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | Autopsy of Koh Tao couple, buy a Moderna vaccine, Koh Samui sandbox? | June 8

    A preliminary autopsy result suggest the billionaire Thai couple died from drowning at a Koh Tao resort pool on Shark Bay, Private hospitals in Thailand are planning to buy up to 10 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine through the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, locals at a village in Trang, a southern Thai province, set up nets along the roads…

  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | Thailand’s top foreign Vlogger, Foreigner vaccinations | Thaiger

    Good Morning Thailand | Thailand’s top foreign Vlogger, Foreigner vaccinations

    Today Bill and Tim chat to the popular and chatty Chad Burdette from CB Media about life as a YouTuber in Thailand. We also respond to your comments and answer your questions. Welcome to our new daily Good Morning Thailand coming from The Thaiger studios.

  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | Hotel woes, Phuket sandbox, your comments | June 7 | Thaiger

    Good Morning Thailand | Hotel woes, Phuket sandbox, your comments | June 7

    Today Bill and Tim speak to KP Ho,the co-founder of the Banyan Tree brand in Thailand. We also discuss the latest in the Phuket Sandbox plan and the reopening of Thailand to general travel. Can you travel to Thailand? Yes… find out how.

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid UPDATE Sunday: 2,671 new infections and 23 deaths, provincial totals | Thaiger

    Covid UPDATE Sunday: 2,671 new infections and 23 deaths, provincial totals

    There has been another 2,671 new infections of Covid-19 detected across Thailand in the past 24 hours. There’s also been 23 deaths. 604 cases were detected in Thai prisons. Most of the current outbreaks continue to be around Bangkok and its immediate provinces. Bangkok registered 675 cases yesterday. Provincial totals below… GRAPH: worldometers.info • A recent survey, conducted by the Centre…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid UPDATE Sunday: 2,671 new infections and 23 deaths | Thaiger

    Covid UPDATE Sunday: 2,671 new infections and 23 deaths

    There has been another 2,671 new infections of Covid-19 detected across Thailand in the past 24 hours. There’s also been 23 deaths. 604 cases were detected in Thai prisons. Thailand has now registered a total of 148,604 cases, the vast majority since the start of April in what’s being called the third wave, which emerged from the bars, nightclubs and…

  • Visa InformationUPDATE: Phuket Sandbox – Changes to travelling back to Thailand | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Phuket Sandbox – Changes to travelling back to Thailand

    Yes, there are some more details, about the Phuket ‘sandbox’ and there will certainly be some more changes in the next few weeks as we lead up to July 1. Getting back to Thailand, via Phuket, is now much easier from the start of July but there are still a few conditions and restrictions you need to be aware of.…

  • World NewsCancellation of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix for 2021 | Thaiger

    Cancellation of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix for 2021

    Race promoter Singapore GP have announced the cancellation of the 2021 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix due to “ongoing safety and logistic concerns” brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Colin Syn, Deputy Chairman of Singapore GP says the local GP has attracted fans from over 100 countries. “We understand that our fans were looking forward to another edition…

  • EntertainmentBTS make musical history with a slice of ‘Butter’ | Thaiger

    BTS make musical history with a slice of ‘Butter’

    Four #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 12 months! South Korean band BTS have made history again with ‘Butter’, topping Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart this week… the 4th #1 hit from the 7-member BTS on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart in 1 year, following ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Life Goes On’, and their collaboration on the ‘Savage…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Local-made AZ vaccine released, new prosecutor to chase ‘Boss’ | June 4 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | Local-made AZ vaccine released, new prosecutor to chase ‘Boss’ | June 4

    Several Thai provinces with low infection rates have had to delay their Covid-19 vaccine rollout after receiving fewer doses than expected, Siam Bioscience announced that they are ready to begin deliveries of the local AstraZeneca vaccine to the Thai government, the new chairman of a committee that oversees Thailand’s public prosecutors and he has set his sights on the infamous…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid UPDATE Thursday: 3,886 new infections and 39 deaths, provincial totals | Thaiger

    Covid UPDATE Thursday: 3,886 new infections and 39 deaths, provincial totals

    3,886 new Covid-19 cases and 39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 140,485 Covid-19 infections with more than 40,000 of those infections in Bangkok. The capital is still recoding nearly 1,000 new cases each day. Phuket, racing towards its July 1 ‘reopening’ reported another 6…

  • Tourism NewsOpening Phuket and Thailand to travellers and tourists on July 1 | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Opening Phuket and Thailand to travellers and tourists on July 1 | VIDEO

    If you’re wanting, or able, to come to Thailand at the moment, the best chance is about to happen. It’s called the Phuket Sandbox, but it’s a pilot program for the rest of Thailand’s tourist areas, and eventually the entire country, to reopen safely for travellers and tourism from July 1. There will be changes to the scheme and additional…

  • Covid-19 NewsUPDATE: Phuket extends current Covid restrictions from June 1 “until further notice” | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Phuket extends current Covid restrictions from June 1 “until further notice”

    UPDATE: Today’s planned vaccination of foreign staff and teachers at Phuket Headstart International School was cancelled last night at 9pm without explanation. Also information about kids travelling to Phuket with parent from July 1 HERE. ORIGINAL STORY: On one hand Phuket officials are extending restrictions to control the Covid situation, and on the other hand the TAT is talking up the…