Hot News
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Sponsored Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
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Van packed with 39 illegal burmese workers stopped in Phichit
A tip-off led to police uncovering a van packed full of 39 illegal Burmese immigrants in the lower Northern province of Phichit. The van was stuffed tightly with 17 Burmese men and 22 Burmese women with one admitting that they had crossed the border illegally and were heading to Nakon Sawan to work at construction sites. The police in Phichit…
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Thai man takes grandfather hostage in Bangkok standoff
A 70 year old Thai grandfather was taken hostage by his 35 year old grandson in a Bangkok hotel leading to a standoff that ended when police tased the man. The incident took place in the Charoen Krung area of Bang Rak in the capital city. The grandson had recently been released from prison one month prior after serving a…
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Thailand reopening roundup: What happens November 1
Things are moving fast towards the November 1 reopening which in the last few days swelled from 10 countries being allowed entry to Thailand to 46 countries, 3 entry plans, replacing the Certificate of Entry, and even an attempt to reopen nightlife. Below is a round-up of the plans as they stand now. “TEST & GO”: COUNTRIES THAT CAN ENTER…
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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…
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US man arrested for bank fraud 1 day before statute of limitation
In the sort of scene usually reserved for action movies, an American man wanted for bank fraud was captured at the last minute, one day before the statute of limitation expired on his crimes. Thomas Grimm, a 63 year old man from the US, was arrested at a hotel in Hua Hin accused of a scam 15 years ago where…
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Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be opening up Thailand to international travellers, but Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan is aiming to open up entertainment venues to those international travellers. The Tourism Minister plans on officially proposing that entertainment venues, bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, pubs and other nightlife venues be reopening in the Blue Zones, the new term for the…
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Full details on the 3 ways to travel to Thailand from November 1
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has released a summary of the new plans to reopen Thailand to allow international tourists to travel on November 1. Thailand will reopen without quarantine for fully vaccinated people travelling from 46 approved countries, who will only have to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and wait in an approved hotel for the results. Those…
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Biden reaffirms US would defend Taiwan against Chinese attack
US President Joe Biden said that the US would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese attack. He was asked about this hypothetical situation yesterday during a CNN town hall segment. His response is a departure from the typical US stance on the Taiwan issue, but follows the trend of increasingly firm policy approaches towards China. China, historically, considers…
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Thai car production expected to grow
Car production in Thailand is expected to grow, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. With the rates of Covid-19 infections falling and the careful management of the semiconductor shortage, the target of 1.6 million units is expected to be surpassed. Lockdowns and other restrictions are being eased in many countries that buy cars produced in Thailand, which means that…
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Man arrested after allegedly raping young girl 18 years ago
A fugitive for 18 years, police just caught up with a man accused of raping a young student 18 years ago. The 42 year old man was arrested in Bangkok after evading police for nearly 2 decades since 2003 when it is alleged that he raped a young girl in Phayao in the north of Thailand. The crime suppression division…
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Thailand’s focus on wealthy tourists won’t benefit small business
With the November 1 reopening, the government has not been looking to welcome back any and all travellers that want to come to Thailand. Instead, they’ve been narrowly focused on attracting the “right” tourists, attempting to lure wealthy investors and retirees to dump money into Thailand, while often brushing aside the moderate and budget tourists that have for years been…
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“Together Phuket Stepping Forward”: tourism plan after Sandbox
“Together Phuket Stepping Forward” is the new tourism campaign designed to be the successor to the Phuket Sandbox now that the government is firming their plans to open without quarantine to a newly-expanded list of 46 countries. The plan grew out of a town hall meeting yesterday with private and public agencies along with the Phuket Tourist Association. Phuket Governor…
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Largest petrochemical producer to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Thailand’s largest petrochemical producer has vowed to do its part in helping in the fight against climate change. PTT Global Chemical Plc announced that by 2030, it intends to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. The company also aims to accomplish the goal of net-zero, or carbon neutrality, by 2050. Carbon neutrality is achieved when the emissions of carbon dioxide…
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Phuket officials confirm island’s recovery plan following sandbox “success”
The southern island of Phuket is looking to the future, with ambitious plans to evolve into a tourism, education, and service innovation hub between 2023 and 2027. The Bangkok Post reports that officials are preparing to launch the “Together Phuket Stepping Forward” campaign, in line with the country’s imminent re-opening. Governor Narong Woonciew says the campaign will follow on from…
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Expect thunderstorms and strong winds in parts of Thailand until Sunday morning
Thailand is expected to see thunderstorms and heavy winds across Thailand that may last through tomorrow. A rain warning was issued for October 21-23. There are easterly and southeasterly winds prevailing over northern Thailand, the Gulf of Thailand, the South and the Andaman Sea. The South will see continuous rains with the Gulf of Thailand seeing wave heights over 1…
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Road safety group says bad roads to blame for many motorbike accidents
The director of the road safety group, ThaiRAP, says bad roads are a significant contributor to motorbike accidents in the kingdom. Kasem Choocharukul was commenting on Thailand having the highest number of deaths from motorbike accidents in the world. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says 3 out of 4 roads, covering a distance of 1,000 kilometres, have been…
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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…
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46 countries permitted to enter Thailand from November 1
… 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…
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Bangkok’s 2 airports prepared to welcome international travellers
As the November 1 reopening nears, Bangkok’s two airports are finalizing their plans on how to welcome and process international travellers for the first time since Covid-19 closed the borders. Suvarnabhumi Airport and the secondary Don Mueang International Airport, which traditionally caters to budget airlines and short-haul flights, are adopting an arrival style similar to that in place for the…
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Alleged launderer for drug kingpin arrested, 70 million in assets seized
A man alleged to be a money launderer for a major drug trafficking ring has been arrested. The alleged money launderer was linked to alleged drug kingpin “Nu Chen” and police seized about 70 million baht worth of assets at his house in central Bangkok. Police impounded 2 cars, 2 title deeds, 18 kilogrammes of gold bars, US $10,000, and…
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Full Moon Party attempt Saturday muted by Covid-19 restrictions
A cautious step at restarting Koh Phangan’s famous Full Moon Party has met with some hurdles in the interest of Covid-19 safety. The world-renowned monthly party has been on hiatus since the onset of Covid-19 with many questioning if the party, and Haad Rin, the town that hosts the massive event, will be able to bounce back after the pandemic.…
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Court rules “Jo Ferrari” suspect died of deliberate suffocation
In the wake of the Jo Ferrari scandal that uncovered police brutality and opulence in a painfully public way, a court just ruled that the suspect – who died after having his hands tied and plastic bags placed over his head – was the victim of deliberate suffocation. Pol Col Thitisan “Jo Ferrari” Utthanaphon was captured on video in a…
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Governor says income distribution essential to Phuket recovery
The Governor of Phuket announced in a speech yesterday that his goal was to maximize income distribution as the island begins to open up more. Phuket is expecting an influx of tourists to arrive after the November 1 reopening, and a campaign is being launched to make sure that the benefit from the increased tourism can be shared by all.…
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Woman arrested for alleged social media accounts hack scam
A 21 year old Thai woman was arrested by the Economic Crime Division for fraud, accused of hacking Facebook and Line accounts. The woman was arrested at Nornee Apartment building in Minburi in northern Bangkok after an arrest warrant was issued. Police from the Economic Crime Division took the woman into custody at her apartment, accused of gaining access to…
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Hospital makes plans to move patients due to flooding
The largest hospital in the Northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province has flooded. After heavy rains in the region, the hospital is now saying that they have made plans to relocate their patients to other facilities if the water levels continue to rise. The Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima hospital flooded yesterday morning when the Lam Takhon canal overflowed. The public health inspector general…
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Bangkok Airways to resume Phuket-Hat Yai direct service flights
Bangkok Airways is resuming its direct service flights between Phuket and Hat Yai starting October 31. According to The Phuket News, the service will be operated by an ATR72-600 aircraft, starting with 1 flight daily. The outbound flight PG298 departs Phuket airport at 9:45am and arrives at Hat Yai airport at 10:50am. The inbound flight PG299 departs Hat Yai at…
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Today’s Awk Phansa holiday marks the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat period
Today’s Awk Phansa holiday marks the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat period or ‘Phansa.’ In Buddhist beliefs, Awk Phansa commemorates Buddha returning to earth from heaven after a 3 month retreat visiting his mother. Upon his return to Earth, his followers give gifts of food to him and visit temples to make merit. The occasion is also celebrated by…
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Government outlines 7 conditions of quarantine-free re-opening
As the grand re-opening date of November 1 approaches, with little clarity as to what that will look like, here’s some of what we know – and what we don’t. According to a Thai PBS World report, the government has outlined 7 conditions that will determine if someone can enter the kingdom quarantine-free. The following conditions have been communicated by…
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UK government calls on Thailand to accelerate its net-zero target
As the UK prepares to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, the British government is urging Thailand to sign a key pact. The UK is hosting the climate talks, known as COP26, in partnership with Italy. The event takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12. The Bangkok Post reports that a press briefing was held…
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PM tells reporters to focus on economy, doesn’t want to talk about election
The Thai PM says he can cope with everything he has to deal with and is not bothered by rumours of political disagreements. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, he then asked journalists to stop asking about the election and focus their questions on the economy instead. Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing the media after yesterday’s meeting of the Defence…
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