News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
-
Egypt: New ruling on hymen repair stirs up controversy
During a recent live Facebook broadcast in Arabic, Dr Ahmed Mamdouh, director of the Sharia Research Department of Egypt’s highest religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, said that “in some cases, patching is required and legitimate for a girl who has been raped or deceived and wants to repent and turn a new page.” This new fatwa — the name given…
-
Foreign investors keep a close eye on struggling Pattaya hotels
With Pattaya hotel operators in dire financial straits brought on by the lack of tourists during the pandemic, foreign investors are apparently keeping a close eye on the situation. The hotel operators in the tourist city are being warned that if they do not get assistance for their outstanding loans, then their businesses could be taken over by foreign investors.…
-
Ministry of Public Health rules AstraZeneca vaccine cause of blood clot death
The Ministry of Public Health has determined a person whose death came from a blood clot and thrombocytopenia ultimately died as a result of one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This instance was the only one out of 628 cases that have been studied by the committee on Adverse Events Following Immunisation that concluded that a vaccine from AstraZeneca was…
-
DW correspondents able to leave Afghanistan
Just over a week after international coalition forces pulled out of Afghanistan, DW’s correspondents and their families have managed to leave the country via Pakistan. DW had asked all employees in Afghanistan to go to Kabul as soon as possible when it became clear that the Taliban would take control over the country. The situation for journalists in Afghanistan had…
-
Island of rubbish: Koh Samui’s pollution problem remains unsolved
No one can argue with the appeal of visiting Thailand’s exotic, tropical islands. With their glistening palm trees, crystal-clear waters, and powdery, white sands, a trip down south is what many yearn to cross off their bucket lists. One of Thailand’s most iconic islands is that of Koh Samui. As the largest and most developed island in the Gulf of…
-
Prediction for international travellers to Thailand lowered again
Tourism researchers have once again downgraded their expectations for the total number of international travellers in 2021 after Thailand has yet to recover from the third wave of Covid-19 starting in April that brought the Delta various and huge infection numbers across the country. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, known for its rose-tinted predictions and press releases, had predicted in…
-
3 arrested in Nong Gina abduction, trafficking suspected
New developments bring a twist in the strange case of Nong Gina, the 2 year old girl abducted by a Burmese man who claimed he left her in a cave as a sacrifice to nature spirits. As reported yesterday, the Mirror Foundation suspected more sinister trafficking reasons for the abduction, and police have now taken three people into custody for…
-
Phuket: 2 deaths, 1 Sandbox infection, bed occupancy passes 80%
In the last week, Phuket has seen 13 fatalities due to Covid-19 with 2 new deaths reported today, as well as one new Phuket Sandbox international traveller infected. The daily infection numbers have declined for the third day in a row to 211, and the rolling 7-day infection numbers also fell slightly despite the island marking its 11th day in…
-
Friday Covid Update: 189 deaths and 14,403 new cases
189 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,403 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the past 24-hours since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,610 recoveries. There are now 141,642 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the…
-
Officials to review curfew, Covid-19 restrictions in dark red provinces today
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to review the curfew in place in dark red provinces, and to discuss the easing of some restrictions. However, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the CCSA will be asked to keep the 9pm – 4am curfew as is until the end of this month. While the hours…
-
Vietnam to trial sandbox re-opening to foreign tourists on Phu Quoc island
Vietnam will trial a sandbox project on Phu Quoc, re-opening the island to vaccinated foreign tourists by the end of the year. The plan has been confirmed by the Vietnamese PM, Pham Minh Chinh, according to a TTR Weekly report. The government hopes to attract 2 – 3 million foreign tourists through the Phu Quoc sandbox, although officials have not…
-
Bangkok police to ramp up counter-protest measures
Police in Bangkok say they’ll get tougher on anti-government protest action, but without resorting to violence, according to a Bangkok Post report. Piya Tawichai from the Metropolitan Police Bureau says there is a need to control activists rallying at the Din Daeng intersection in order to keep law and order. However, he adds that the capital’s residents will not be…
-
2 hospital data breaches on Monday exposed patient data
Two prominent hospitals were the victims of data breaching hackers in the last few days with each hospital having over 40,000 patients’ personal information at risk. On Monday, Phetchabun Hospital had the personal data of 46,000 of their patients compromised while Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital had the data from 40,000 patients stolen in parallel attacks. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau…
-
How much is gold worth to these young miners in Ghana?
Osino is a community rich in gold. Mining moves the economy for years here. But illegal mining in eastern Ghana causes concern.”Galamsey” is done on a small scale and without a license. Young men are arrested, and their tools are destroyed. Miners dump waste into the water sources. There is no recovery of the exploited land. Traditional leaders worry about…
-
The lone hero of Abidjan’s cleanup
Djo Drigbé is 37 years old and has one mission: to see the city of Abidjan clean. He removes trash from beaches, streets, and gutters. He is unemployed and doesn’t receive any salary for his work. Donations guarantee a meal for his family. Drigbé lives with his partner and son. His dedication has drawn admiration. Drigbé dreams of working for…
-
Germany’s finest engineering applied to residential properties in Pattaya
PATTAYA: A few months ago, the German architect Mario Kleff demolished two new villas on Pratumnak Hill, which he is now replacing with a new one. The villa is being built using German engineering quality, with reinforced concrete and long steel girders. Intensive construction work has been underway at the Majestic Residence, Soi 366 Kasetsin, on Pratumnak Hill since…
-
Afghan families flee to Pakistan over Taliban forced marriage fears
Khalid Shinwari, 25, has taken a sigh of relief after managing to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and reaching Pakistan in recent days. A father of three, Shinwari’s family first moved to Pakistan during the Afghan civil war of the 1990s that brought the Taliban to power. “My father then thought that Pakistan would be a safe place to come to, given…
-
Saliva Covid-19 test kits not accepted for entry into Phuket
The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office is warning people arriving in Phuket that any antigen test kit they use as proof they don’t have Covid-19 needs to be a nasal cavity swab, and not merely a saliva test. The health officials warned they will not issue confirmation documents for ATKs that only use saliva and those who arrived with those…
-
Alex Albon will return to Formula 1 alongside Nicholas Latifi
The Red Bull supported Thai driver, Alex Albon will go back to Formula 1 for the next season as a Williams driver. He will be racing alongside Canadian driver, Nicholas Latifi. 25 year old Alex has been a test and reserve driver for Red Bull throughout 2021. He also competed in the German Touring Car championship after being discarded by…
-
NUG announces defensive war to battle Myanmar coup forces
In Myanmar, the National Unity Government made up of deposed former leaders announced a defensive war in the name of the Burmese people, but other countries are urging peace to allow humanitarian efforts to continue. The NUG formed a shadow government to represent the people of Myanmar in the wake of the February military junta that took over claiming election…
-
Rescued Chiang Mai child doing better, still needs time to heal, says doctor
The toddler that was recently rescued in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province is recuperating well and has allowed her parents to hug her, but still needs time to heal both physically and mentally, says a doctor. Gina’s father says his daughter has a healthy appetite and looks fresher and healthier than she did the day before. A doctor cautions that…
-
New disease control law planned to replace Emergency Decree, Covid task force to change
With talk of an end to the Emergency Decree, which was put in place to combat Covid-19 and extended several times, the government is looking into imposing a new disease control law and transitioning the Covid-19 task force, which was formed under the emergency order, into a new body. According to the Bangkok Post, the government said the Centre for…
-
Secure your future and protect your health with cancer insurance
Sponsored Aside from purchasing health insurance to cover common health issues and emergencies, many don’t realise that a cancer diagnosis could mean that they will be paying for treatment out of pocket. As many health insurance companies don’t cover or partially cover cancer treatments, it is important to think of possible future health issues. At The Thaiger, we care about…
-
Bicycling picks up speed among youth in Kashmir
A growing number of Kashmiris are taking up bicycling in the restive mountainous region, both to stay fit and fight environmental pollution. SOURCE: DW News
-
Phuket officials keeping an eye out for crocodile, possibly a water monitor lizard
Phuket sandboxers have 1 more thing to keep track of as a crocodile may still be on the loose. Officials from the Sirinat National Park are still on the lookout for a crocodile in the region after a search yesterday did not uncover the scaly reptile. Officials speculate that the crocodile may actually be a water monitor lizard. Park officials…
-
Thursday Covid Update: 16,031 new cases; provincial totals
An uptick of 16,031 new Covid-19 cases was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total count since the start of the pandemic last year to 1,338,550 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,309,687 of those infections.…
-
Foundation suspects darker motive in missing girl’s kidnapping
After a bizarre case where a baby known as Nong Gina disappeared on Monday and was thankfully recovered unharmed yesterday, the suspect later admitted to leaving her at a cave in the forest as a sacrifice to spirits that had spoken to him. Now an organisation that helps find missing people is casting doubt on the story, saying they suspect…
-
Kitchen in Phitsanulok home plunges into river trapping homeowner
An elderly man and his kitchen tumbled into a river this morning when a riverbank the house was built over collapsed. Rescue workers rushed to the Ban Wang Ped village in northern Thailand’s Phitsanulok province to help rescue the man who was struggling to stay above water. The wreckage of the kitchen made it difficult for the man to extract…
-
Landslide in Chaiyaphum partially destroys temple isolation centre while patients are away
10 people who were isolating at a temple in the northeastern Thai province of Chaiyaphum returned from getting Covid tests yesterday to discover the temple they had been isolating in had been struck by a landslide while they were out. Rocks, dirt and other debris had propelled down the hillside and partially destroyed the monastery that was being used as…
-
1 new Covid-19 death in Phuket, bed occupancy over 79%
Covid-19 daily infections in Phuket fell slightly to 219 today, while the death toll slowly climbs as one new fatality brings the total in the last 7 days to 11. Phuket has seen a total of 31 deaths from Covid-19 since the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic at the start of April. A few more hospital beds…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.