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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Police crackdown after CNN investigation into multimillion dollar medical glove scam
Thai police have arrested a Japanese businessman and have issued several arrest warrants following the CNN investigation into the multimillion dollar, transnational medical glove scam involving a Thailand-based company. According to the report, millions of used medical gloves, some stained with blood, were exported from Thailand to American companies looking to cash in on the pandemic-driven spike in demand for…
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Truckers protest diesel prices at Ministry of Energy
A protest by truckers took place on a Bangkok highway yesterday to bring attention to the high price of diesel. The truckers are calling for a cap on fuel prices, and drove in a convoy to the Ministry of Energy to make their demands known. The drivers parked their trucks along 4 roads around Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post.…
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Phuket’s Bangla Road inspected by national and local health officials
Health officials went to Phuket’s Bangla Road, but not for a beer. The deputy director of Thailand’s Department of Health went to Phuket and inspect the famed walking street in person, reviewing Covid-19 prevention measures. While bars and nightclubs are ordered to be closed nationwide, photos from the provincial health office show bars are the street packed with people, and…
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Thailand’s southernmost town Betong to reopen to tourism
Neighboring Malaysia, Betong in southern Thailand will reopen for sightseeing tourists from December 1. The Yala provincial governor says that over 70 percent of residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Several renowned tourist attractions in the region, including the Anyorweng skywalk, hot springs, historical Malayan communist tunnel, and flower fields, have been prepared to welcome guests adhering to anti-Covid measures,…
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Protesters opposing PM visit detained by police in Krabi
A number of activists opposing the visit of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to the southern province of Krabi were detained by police yesterday. Thai PBS World reports that the 5 activists rallied at the province’s Ao Nang beach to protest a visit by the Thai leader. The PM and members of his administration were in Krabi for a mobile Cabinet meeting…
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Disgraced police chief Thitisan and 6 other officers indicted in murder case
A former police chief accused of murdering a suspect in custody has been indicted, along with 6 other former police officers. The Bangkok Post reports that public prosecutors have taken the case to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. Thitisan Utthanaphon is accused of torturing Chiraphong Thanapat to death by suffocating the 24 year old with plastic…
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Thailand’s Maya Bay set to reopen in January
Maya Bay. Remember that breathtakingly pretty beach on Koh Phi Phi Leh off Krabi? Now, the beach that featured in “The Beach” is now poised to reopen. The iconic natural cove of limestone karsts, turquoise waters and THAT beach was one of Thailand’s most popular attractions for a decade with up to 6,000 visitors everyday. But in the end even…
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Only 8 foreign tourists visit Hua Hin since November 1 reopening
Despite Thailand’s reopening, the beach destination of Hua Hin is still extremely quiet. The country officially reopened its borders on November 1, and has seen almost 45,000 international visitors arrive in the last two weeks. But in that time, the town of Hua Hin has seen only 8 foreigners arrive. Hua Hin has historically been a popular beach town in…
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Swiss man arrested on Koh Chang after going on the rampage while high on drugs
Police on the eastern island of Koh Chang have arrested a Swiss man after he began destroying his room while high on drugs. Police chief Apisak Kamnert says officers responded to a call from a homestay owner who reported that a foreigner was smashing up his room. The unnamed 58 year old Swiss man was arrested after creating significant damage…
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Thai PM “pleased” with increase in tourist numbers since November 1 re-opening
A government spokesman says the Thai PM is pleased with the rise in tourist numbers since the country re-opened with minimal quarantine on November 1. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says that since then, Thailand has welcomed 44,774 foreign visitors to the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, 31,666 of those arrived under the new Test and Go scheme, open to vaccinated…
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2 anti-government protesters shot in Bangkok as German embassy accepts letter from activists
At least 2 anti-government protesters were shot during yesterday’s rally in Bangkok, which culminated with activists delivering a letter to the German Embassy. (Some reports in Thai media say 3 protesters were shot.) Protest leader Thatchapong Kaedam said the letter informed the embassy of a recent Constitutional Court verdict that ruled that 3 activists were guilty of plotting to overthrow…
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Protesters march to German embassy, present statement against monarchy
Today saw a large and intense pro-democracy demonstration that culminated in a march to the German embassy where protesters submitted a statement against absolute monarchy. When they arrived, 3 representatives of the protesters were allowed to enter the embassy and officially present the declaration which stated that they were calling for a protection of democracy and an opposition to a…
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Chiang Mai tourism almost exclusively domestic for now
With Chiang Mai currently experiencing the fourth-highest daily infections in the country – 357 people in today’s figures – it’s not surprising that international tourism has hardly bounced back since the reopening of Thailand 2 weeks ago. The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the province has been estimated to have lost tourism revenue as high as 70 billion baht…
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Pattaya sees big tourism growth, but mostly domestic
Pattaya has been frustrated for being passed over for an exemption from the national alcohol ban that other tourist areas like Phuket have received as a tourism “Blue Zone”, but nevertheless, one of Thailand’s most popular resort cities is seeing tourism slowly emerge from its Covid-19 pandemic induced slumber. With a menu of events through the end of the year,…
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Phuket post-Sandbox arrivals double, surge in domestic tourism
Thailand has only been reopened for 2 weeks, but the Phuket Sandbox was the tourism experiment that started it all. And though Phuket has been welcoming international travellers since way back in July, the November 1 reopening saw a noticeable boost in arriving visitors, both foreign and domestic. The Sandbox scheme that required a soft quarantine where travellers could roam…
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Thai flights up 25%, experts suggest travel bubbles, cheaper Covid tests
Thailand’s reopening isn’t just a boost for Thai tourism businesses; it also provided a ray of hope in Asia for the battered airline industry as the first reopening in the region. The Executive Chairman of Thai AirAsia’s largest shareholder, Asia Aviation, says this sets the tone for flights, the tourism economy, and businesses in the country. Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,…
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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…
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Alleged Constitutional Court website hacker tracked down
A 33 year old man in Ubon Ratchathani was arrested today by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for allegedly hacking the Constitutional Court website on Wednesday. The man was arrested at his home in Warin Chamrab district of the Northeastern province after an investigation by the CCIB. The CCIB started an investigation immediately after the hack was reported by the…
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Police officer and his wife arrested for drug dealing, illegal guns
In the Phunphin district of Surat Thani, crystal methamphetamine was impounded from the home of a police officer and his wife could have now been arrested. The 52 year old police officer who worked at the Phunphin Police Station was arrested along with his 44 year old wife and charged with selling illicit drugs. A fact-finding investigation has been launched…
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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…
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First 10 days: 30,000 arrivals; 147,000 Thailand Pass applicants
The Tourism Authority of Thailand totalled up some data for the first 10 days of Thailand’s reopening, with over 30,000 arrivals so far and nearly 150,000 applications submitted for the Thailand Pass to gain entry to the country. The TAT’s report states that the combined total of international travellers arriving at all of Thailand’s international airports – both Bangkok airports,…
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Thitisan ‘Joe Ferrari’ and his officers now facing death penalty
The 7 police officers including Pol Col Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon, who were arrested after a video leaked of them suffocating a suspect to death during interrogation, will now face full charges as the Attorney-General has given the go-ahead to begin prosecution. The 7 will be tried for multiple charges including premeditated murder by means of torture, coercion, illegal detention,…
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Zipair is the first budget airline to fly from Asia to the US
As tourists finally begin to take to the skies again, a low-cost airline in Japan is set to become the first budget carrier to fly from Asia to North America. Zipair Tokyo Inc announced today that it is launching flight service between Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in California, the first budget airline to do so. Zipair…
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Flooding rains hamper Koh Samui for 2 days
The rain has stopped in Koh Samui… For a few minutes. On the island, there has been at least a drizzle nonstop for the past 2 days, with fits of torrential downpour pelting anyone who braves the weather.A popular Facebook group, Thunder Road Reporters, is a community group that members snap photos and post live updates of road conditions they…
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Businesses call on government to accelerate return of migrant workers
Businesses in Thailand are urging the government to speed up the process that will allow for the legal return of migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The Labour Ministry recently confirmed its intention to sign MoUs with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that would permit workers from those countries to enter Thailand from December. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s…
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Government warns pro-democracy activists to behave
The Thai government has warned pro-democracy activists to cease any activity they see as a threat to the monarchy. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam issued the warning in the wake of a Constitutional Court ruling that found 3 activists guilty of plotting to overthrow the monarchy. Anon Nampa, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul all deny the accusations, insisting they…
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Government considers easing entry rules, antigen testing may replace PCR test
In anticipation of more international arrivals in the coming months, the Thai government is reviewing current entry requirements. According to a Bangkok Post report, officials may replace the PCR test with antigen test kits and rules could be relaxed for people unfortunate enough to have sat near an infected passenger during their flight. Any amendment of the current rules would…
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Thailand’s safest motorbike helmets and where to get them
Thailand isn’t exactly known for its safe roads. In fact, the country has some of the most dangerous roads in which to traverse, especially if you take them on by motorbike. Compared to Europe and other Western countries, traffic situations and accidents are not dealt with in the same way. But, as it is quite hard to get an auto…
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Thailand Pass problems? Support beefed up with 24-hour hotlines
The Thai government has been touting the success of the Thailand Pass programme while quietly acknowledging a cornucopia of shortcomings and problems users have encountered and publicly complained about. But, due to the high volume of complaints about problems in attempting to register on the Thailand Pass website, the Department of Consular Affairs has beefed up their helplines with a…
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Government panel created to defend consumers online from fraud
A new panel was established by The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which will be in place to protect online shoppers from fraud. As Thailand’s internet economy experiences massive growth, problems related to online transactions are rising, too. With this panel, the government aims to help protect consumers from these internet scams. Secretary general of the Thailand Consumer Council…
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