Hot News
Thailand hot news, breaking stories, crime, politics, tourism, and business—stay updated with in-depth reports and exclusive interviews on the latest events across the country. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Thailand news source.
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Phuket re-opens Thursday, hotels ready and waiting to welcome foreign guests
As the southern island of Phuket gets ready to re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists on Thursday, hotel operators say they’re well prepared. A Bangkok Post report takes a look at the measures in place for the imminent launch of the Phuket “sandbox scheme”. Yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha highlighted the need for robust measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. At…
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Koh Larn to pilot Pattaya’s reopening to tourists
Koh Larn off the coast of Pattaya could be reopening to tourists in the near future. As Thailand prepares to reopen to foreign tourists by October, the Chon Buri island will serve as a pilot project for the area’s reopening. Pattaya Mayor Sontaya Khunpluem says the city is in favour of the Thai government’s 120-day reopening plan, a goal announced…
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Tourism Minister threatens to cancel travel stimulus if only some operators benefit
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says if all operators cannot benefit from a domestic travel stimulus scheme, it may be cancelled. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will meet with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to ensure everyone in the sector can be helped by the scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, the government plans to launch the Tour Teaw Thai scheme…
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Gunshots on Jomtien Beach road, no injuries.
Gunshots rang out in the normally peaceful streets running along Jomtien Beach, frightening people in the neighbourhood but not injuring anybody. The incident took place early yesterday morning when an as-yet-unidentified man fired several shots in public along the beach road. The man is said to have fired off several rounds of gunshots from inside his car around 2:30 am…
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Former military conscript arrested for Child pornography in Tak
Police in the northern Thai province of Tak have arrested a child pornography distributor. They seized thousands of digital files that included both underage girls and “underage women”. Cyber crime police and local police raided a house. They arrested a 28 year old person identified as “Mr Olarn”. They seized a computer, a mobile phone and a bank passbook. The…
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Activist group seeks to dissolve ruling Palang Pracharath Party, PM’s resignation
An activist group that goes by the name Prachachon Khonthai (People Of Thailand, or POT), say they are filing a petition to dissolve the ruling Palang Pracharath Party next week. The 30 members strong group had come together yesterday on Phitsanulok Road, Bangkok. They gathered surrounded by 300 nearby police officers. The leader, Nititorn Lamlua, who was previously a People’s…
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Britain’s health minister resigns after affair breaks Covid guidance
The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis Yesterday, Britain health minister, Matt Hancock resigned after admitting he broke Covid-19 guidance after kissing and “embracing” his non-wife/aide in his office. The move did not sit well with colleagues amidst the lockdown. Matt…
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Welcome back home: Phuket’s message to the world, echoes its X-Factor, its people
“As the countdown to the Sandbox hits seven days, resort island pays tribute to its real-life tourism attraction.” OPINION by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Tourism eyes around the world are focused on a resort island in Thailand this week for the reopening of international, vaccinated travel to the Phuket Sandbox. A key emerging storyline from the island’s frenzied runaway to July…
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Full text of Phuket Sandbox order released in English
Today, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew signed Phuket Province Order No. 3491/2564 officially detailing the rules of the Sandbox reopening. While most provisions have been widely discussed – fully vaccinated travellers coming from at least 3 weeks in a low- to medium-risk country, negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours, US $100,000 Covid-19 insurance, 14 days in an SHA+ hotel, tests on…
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Must you be married to share a room in the Phuket Sandbox?
In an attempt to clarify without actually clarifying the issue, the Phuket Tourist Association was compelled to release a follow-up statement in response to an off-the-cuff remark by an official that implied that only legally married couples could share a room in the Phuket Sandbox rollout. Apparently, the grapevine went like this… During a Zoom meeting with the Association of…
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Protest groups vow continued demonstrations this weekend
Protest groups Prachachon Khon Thai and Thai Mai Thon, who led large protests against threats of legal action yesterday, have vowed to continue the protests tomorrow. A third prominent anti-establishment group, Ratsadon, were demonstrating yesterday at the Democracy Monument but have not committed to a protest event tomorrow. Despite police declaring they would prosecute leaders and protesters at yesterday’s events…
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Police to prosecute yesterday’s protesters for Covid-19 violation
Yesterday saw many protesters commemorating the 89th anniversary of the bloodless revolution that turned Thailand into a constitutional monarchy. Today police declared they plan on prosecuting demonstrators for violating the Covid-19 emergency decree banning groups of more than 50 people and are currently gathering evidence against rally leaders and protesters. Police officials say that the protesters exceeded the emergency decree…
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Man allegedly steals almost 300,000 baht from monk
Police in Si Racha, a district south of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand have arrested 21 year old “Constitution” and have charged him with “snatching” and stealing at night from a monk. The monk was relaxing at a “motorcycle resting place”. “Constitution allegedly stole the monk’s cell phone and managed to extract a password for a bank app from…
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Illegal cigarette shipment busted, valued at 30 million baht
Naval officials and other police agencies have seized illegal cigarettes valued at 30 million baht. The officials seized a boat that had been used to transport the goods. 1,900 boxes with 475,000 packs of cigarettes were discovered. Allegedly, the smugglers were trying to move their shipment without paying tax. Thai media reports that government agencies had received information from a…
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Pair allegedly steals phone cards valued at 240 million baht
Yesterday, 2 people have been arrested for allegedly stealing prepaid phone cards. Collectively, they caused north of 200 million baht in damages. The two phone card nabbing suspects are 43 year old Naret Chamnong and 46 year old Phatcharalak Waenwong. They are both former employees of a mobile phone operator. Police searched 2 locations yesterday in Bangkok and Saraburi, a…
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Phuket officials in last-minute scramble to fix sandbox hiccups
The president of the Phuket Tourist Association says clarity is needed around a number of issues if the island’s July 1 re-opening is to proceed smoothly. According to a report in the Bangkok Post, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says confusion over tracking apps and vaccine certificates are just 2 of the issues that need to be sorted out. The sandbox scheme was…
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Covid-19 round-up for expats 2: Will your country give a vaccine?
With so much information swirling around the reopening of Thailand and the international tourism and vaccine distribution for foreigners, we thought we’d round up some updates for our readers about what your home country says about if you should travel to Thailand and how they are helping with a vaccine and the Covid-19 situation inside the Kingdom. The information in…
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Covid-19 round-up for expats 1: Should you travel to Thailand?
With so much information swirling around the reopening of Thailand and the international tourism and vaccine distribution for foreigners, we thought we’d round up some updates for our readers about what your home country says about if you should travel to Thailand and how they are helping with a vaccine and the Covid-19 situation inside the Kingdom. The information in…
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List of countries by Covid-19 risk level, classified by Thailand’s DDC
Under the “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” travel models, travellers not only need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to be eligible to enter Thailand under the schemes, but they also need to be travelling from countries classified by Thailand’s Department of Disease Control as a low to medium risk for Covid-19. The DDC posts a new list on the…
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Phuket police raids nab suspects for allegedly having guns, drugs, kratom
Yesterday, a raid in Phuket grabbed 5 alleged drug dealers. They confiscated over 1,000 Yaba pills (meth), crystal meth, guns and ammunition. One man was also arrested for allegedly having kratom leaves. According to the police report 33 year old Theerasat ‘Jack’ Onrat was arrested for allegedly possessing 940 yaba pills. Police confiscated his mobile phone and his pickup truck…
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Police arrest suspect who allegedly killed Covid patient and 7-Eleven clerk
Police have arrested the suspect who allegedly shot and killed an employee at a Bangkok 7-Eleven and then broke into a Pathum Thani field hospital, killing a Covid-19 patient early this morning. 23 year old Kawin Saengnilkul, a former special forces soldier, was reportedly holding a person hostage at a relative’s home in Ranong when the police arrive at the…
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15 year old stabbed at private school
Earlier this week, a mother posted on Facebook to detail her story about her grade 9, 15 year old getting stabbed in school. The stabbing happened at a private school in the northern Phitsanulok Province. The student had been stabbed by a classmate and was subsequently rushed to the hospital. Thai media had contacted 35 year old Orasa Singhavee to…
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Phuket governor outlines plans to track and trace foreign arrivals
The governor of Phuket says the authorities and provincial officials are creating a command centre for the purpose of tracking and tracing foreign tourists under the island’s sandbox scheme. The island re-opens in 1 week’s time to vaccinated tourists from low to medium-risk countries. According to a Pattaya News report, governor Narong Woonciew says a meeting was held yesterday between…
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Guitarist from “Playground” dies in road incident
The guitarist from a well known Thai, alt-rock band “Playground” died in a fatal car accident yesterday morning. The band is seeking the public’s help in providing footage from the incident. 41 year old Watchara “Tui” Chaiphan was involved in a road accident just before 8 am. He was riding a classic motorcycle when he crashed into the back of…
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Hotel platform predicts increasing demand for holidays in Thailand
With just days to go before Phuket re-opens, and talks underway to re-open the country as a whole in October, one of the world’s largest hotel platforms says the data shows things are looking up for Thailand. Bradley Haines from SiteMinder says Thai hotel operators should feel some encouragement from current booking trends around the world. According to Haines, the…
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Meteor causes explosion, green glow above Northern Thailand
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…. bolide?! Last night in Nothern Thailand, sounds like an explosion were heard while many witnessed a mysterious greenish turquoise glow in the skies above. Scientists suspect it may have been a bright type of meteor called a bolide. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand explained that the sights and sounds many…
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Phuket governer reviews rules, new details for July 1 arrivals
In announcing what is expected for the first arrivals in the Phuket Sandbox plan on July 1, Governor Narong Woonsew mostly reconfirmed the rules set out, though a few details and additions came to light. Thailand will welcome back international travellers with the first international flights arriving next Friday. The first arrivals to Phuket will be fully vaccinated Europeans from…
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CCSA gives details on “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” travel schemes
The “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” travel schemes were approved by the Thai Cabinet yesterday, allowing the islands to reopen to travellers who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Phuket is set to reopen on July 1 while the trio of islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, is set to reopen on July 15.…
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Sandbox could be revised, cancelled if Covid-19 outbreaks occur
With Phuket scheduled to reopen to international travellers next Friday, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has put together a “Plan B” for closing the Sandbox in case of outbreaks. Deputy Director-General of the Department of Information Natapanu Nopakun, who also acts as the Deputy Spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, outlines possible scenarios in an English address during the…
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US Warns its citizens against traveling to Thailand
While Thailand is pushing full steam ahead to reopen to international tourism, the United States government issued a statement warning Americans not to travel to Thailand citing Covid-19 risks and civil unrest in the south. The US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs regularly updates travel information for US citizens wishing to go abroad, issuing a Travel Advisory Level…
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