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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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The Thaiger key takeaways Valid passport, visa documents, health certificate, and vaccination records are essential for immigration and medical care in Thailand. Health insurance that meets visa requirements, like Cigna, provides protection, direct billing, and access to a wide hospital...
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Pfizer Covid-19 treatment, Paxlovid, “strongly recommended” by WHO
The World Health Organisation has given its backing to Pfizer’s Covid-19 treatment, Paxlovid, recommending it over the alternatives. The WHO says it “strongly recommends” the treatment for Covid patients with milder symptoms, who remain at high risk of being hospitalised. However, it adds that, as with vaccines, inequality in accessing the drug remains a problem for lower and middle-income countries.…
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Blue by Alain Ducasse ranked No. 25 on list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
Press Release He did it! The key player of Blue by Alain Ducasse, Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet, had two goals for the restaurant when it opened. The first one he scored within the first year of opening doors. And now, he has made good on his second goal, with the restaurant being ranked at No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best…
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Koh Phang Ngan looking beyond Full Moon parties to more sustainable tourism
The Koh Phang Ngan Hotel and Tourism Association says the island is looking beyond its legendary full moon parties and aiming for more sustainable tourism. The association’s president, Chantana Limsuwan, says the island hopes to welcome 100,000 visitors this year, following the easing of travel restrictions. The Bangkok Post reports that the Full Moon Party on April 16, coupled with…
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Chon Buri field worker believed to have died of heat stroke
A Chon Buri worker was found lying dead in the cassava field where he worked in Phanat Nikhom district yesterday. His co-worker, who found him, said she found his tractor still running with no one around it, so she went to check, and found the man lying completely motionless. Police suspect that the man, 58 year old Seree Hiranrat, died…
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Thailand receives 200,000 Covavax doses donated by India, partners
Thailand’s health ministry has taken delivery of 200,000 protein-based Covid-19 vaccine doses and will distribute them to government hospitals around the country. The donated doses of the Covovax vaccine will be offered to the unvaccinated. According to a Bangkok Post report, the doses were donated by the Indian Embassy in Thailand, under an initiative by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. This…
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Cambodia reduces quarantine for unvaccinated visitors from 2 weeks to 1
Starting yesterday, visitors to Cambodia, who are not fully vaccinated, will only have to quarantine for one week, and not two. Cambodia’s health ministry said air travellers not fully vaccinated must take antigen tests on their last day of quarantine. The country has eased Covid-19 restrictions in the past month, and officially stopped requiring Covid-19 tests upon entry for vaccinated…
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Lost cat with a 300,000 baht reward FOUND near home in Nonthaburi
Who let the cat out? A chubby kitty who ran away has wandered back home all on her own (as some cats do). Manee, a Scottish Fold, had been missing since Sunday, until 1am yesterday, when a security guard at a residential compound in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, spotted her and she dashed into a neighbour’s home. She was…
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Members of Thailand’s Move Forward Party banned from renewing passports
A member of Thailand’s Move Forward Party told the press today that she and two other party members had been banned from renewing their passports on suspicion that they have committed treason. MFP member Pannika Wanich made the announcement after meeting with Phaya Thai police today, who she said made the order for the ban. The Department of Consular Affairs…
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European airlines assess mask rules for flights to United States
After US airlines stopped requiring people to wear masks on domestic flights last week, European airlines are assessing their mask rules for flights to the US. European carriers are now divided over policies on trans-Atlantic flights. British Airways told customers that the requirement to wear masks onboard depends on restrictions in the arrival destination. KLM, a Dutch airline, told passengers…
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Pandemic economic impact hits Phuket hotels as 73% of new projects put on hold
Island’s transaction market heats up as owners face liquidity issues, while broad tourism sentiment wanes PHUKET, THAILAND: Thailand’s battered hotel sector is showing increased signs of fatigue as the global pandemic enters its third year. Nowhere is this more apparent than the resort island of Phuket, where over 73% per cent of new hotel developments either lay dormant or have…
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Instant noodles replace flowers at unusual Thai funeral
Bouquets of instant noodles replaced flowers at an unusual funeral today at a temple in Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand. In a magnificent display, hundreds of sachets of Mama noodles and other dried foods were arranged like flowers around the coffin. Prabhali Konghoon, who died peacefully at age 68, had unique wishes for his funeral which his relatives carried out for…
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UPDATE: Daughter has contacted missing family, police suspect economic hardship
Following the report on the missing family in the central province of Sukhothai, Thai media has updated the story that the daughter has been able to contact her family today and everyone was safe. However, she didn’t share more details about where her family was or why they had been impossible to contact. Police speculate that it may have been…
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“Phuket taxis are fantastic”, and other unlikely headlines – OPINION
‘Dog bites man’ would rarely be a headline. ‘Man bites dog’ however IS a headline. In the same way ‘a taxi driver provided customer with a good experience’ isn’t a headline. That’s unless it’s in Phuket Thailand. The Thaiger could pave the road, all the way from Bangkok to Phuket, with stories of the southern island’s faltering attempts at public…
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Village chief kills thief who stole his chickens
A village headman shot and killed a thief who allegedly stole his chickens at around 6am this morning in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The shooter said the man was threatening him with a machete so he shot him three times in the chest out of self-defence. Police are speaking with eyewitnesses to determine what happened. When police arrived at the…
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Thailand’s diesel price expected to spike starting May 1
Even though Thailand’s energy minister vowed last month to keep the 30 baht per litre cap on diesel prices until the end of May, officials now expect the diesel price to start pushing 35-36 baht per litre by the start of May. The director of the Energy Policy and Planning Office says all agencies have been instructed to plan how…
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Police seize 100 fake visa documents and work permits offered for Thais to work aboard
The Immigration Bureau reports that they raided a Bangkok company that allegedly offered fake documents and visas for Thai people who wanted to work aboard. The officers say they found counterfeit documents for submitting to the embassy and fake work permits for applying for work with more than 60 companies in foreign countries. Yesterday, the immigration police reported that their…
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200,000 Covovax vaccines from India expected to arrive in Thailand today
The Ministry of Public Health reports that Thailand will receive 200,000 Covovax vaccines from India today. Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, will be on call to receive the vaccine delivery personally. The Director-General of the Disease Control Department, Dr. Opas Kankawinpong says that the Covovax vaccines were donated by the QUAD, or the countries that agreed on Quadrilateral Security Dialogue…
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Thursday Covid Update: 21,931 new cases; provincial totals
129 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,392 with 5,694 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,931 new Covid-19 cases and 24,619 recoveries. There are now 188,926 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Thai man’s testicles burst after fight with water buffalo
A buffalo breeder in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, has been rushed to hospital this morning with ‘burst testicles’ after one of his water buffaloes attacked him. The man tried to break up a fight between 2 of his buffaloes when one rammed into him leaving him with torn testicles, a wounded thigh and a bruised chest. He was found lying…
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Manhunt continues for escaped Rohingya refugees in Malaysia
Malaysian authorities are still on the hunt for 130 illegal Rohingya migrants, who escaped barefoot from a temporary immigration depot near the Kedah-Penang border on Wednesday, after a riot broke out at the facility early yesterday morning. The refugees were reportedly protesting overcrowding at the facility when the situation escalated into a riot. The undocumented migrants, still on the run,…
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Thai policemen accused of faking crimes to advance their careers
A woman has claimed a group of 17 police officers in the Isaan province of Amnat Charoen invented a ‘fake crime’ involving her to advance their careers. She claimed she had been working as a ‘spy’ for the local police for more than 20 years. But the officers wanted to get promoted, so they conspired with her, insisting that the…
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Political activist and Move Forward member found hanged in Isaan province
A male political activist and finance officer of the Move Forward Party has been found dead in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Initial reports suggest that he hanged himself at a bus stop near a police booth in front of the district office. But his mother believes her child was murdered as wounds and “mysterious evidence” have been identified.…
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New west-side Bangkok hospital rail lines delayed
Thailand’s transport ministry announced yesterday that two new Bangkok rail lines have been delayed. The lines are the SRT’s Light Red Line, and the MRTA’s Orange Line, both of which will connect with Siriraj Hospital. The ministry’s permanent secretary said the two transit lines have not yet been built as the ministry is still working on a feasibility study. He…
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Death penalty for Thai man who killed high school student
A Thai man has been sentenced to death over the murder of a high school student in Trang province, southern Thailand, in 2018. The man shot and killed a 16 year old boy and shot and wounded another man who was the only witness to the murder. The victims’ families are satisfied with the Supreme Court’s ruling after fighting for…
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Thai PM endorses India travel bubble in bid to boost international tourism
A travel bubble arrangement between Thailand and India has received the backing of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, as officials look to revive foreign tourism in the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the travel pact between the 2 countries has also been endorsed by Thailand’s public and private sectors. In the pre-Covid days, Thailand welcomed nearly…
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Kyiv calls for negotiations to evacuate troops, civilians from Azovstal steel plant
After Ukrainian fighters holed up in the Azovstal steel plant ignored a Russian ultimatum to surrender or die on Wednesday, the government in Kyiv has proposed talks with Moscow to evacuate their troops and civilians from the surrounded steelworks factory. The move comes after a Ukrainian marine commander, Serhiy Volny, made a desperate plea to world leaders, asking them to…
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Low demand, supply surplus leads J&J to suspend sales forecast of Covid vaccine
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson says it’s currently unable to provide a sales forecast for its Covid-19 vaccine. According to the firm, vaccine hesitancy in low-income countries, coupled with existing low demand in wealthier nations, has led to a surplus of stock. J&J had previously forecast sales of up to US$3.5 billion for this year, according to a Reuters report.…
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Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard saga continues
The legal saga between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard continues in court. Depp filed a lawsuit against Heard after she wrote a column in 2018 describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. Even though Heard never named Depp explicitly, he is suing for implying he was a domestic abuser. Depp delivered a roughly three-hour testimony on…
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VERSO – The school that equips students with future-ready skills
Sponsored Article If you are looking for an international school in Bangkok that is focused on developing students with future-ready skills and mindsets that they need in order to work in a variety of settings anywhere in the world, you have come to the right place! VERSO International School is a pioneering, innovative, and design-driven school that equips students with…
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Man’s body found in Sri Racha waters, Chon Buri
A fisherman spotted a man’s dead body floating in waters off Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province on Tuesday. The fisherman told The Pattaya News he saw the body after parking his boat at a pier. The deceased man has not yet been identified, however he is reported to be Asian. The fisherman spotted the body near the Loi island.…
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