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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Q3 tourism hopes fade as US advises citizens not to travel to Thailand
Hopes are fading for a tourism revival in the third quarter of this year after the US government cautioned its citizens against unnecessary travel to Thailand. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has added Thailand to its Level 4 countries, the highest-level warning, as a result of the rising Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Pattaya reopening postponed indefinitely as Covid-19 persists
The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced that the Pattaya reopening plan scheduled to launch on September 1 has been postponed indefinitely. With Covid-19 still ravaging the Chon Buri province, the TAT has conceded that it won’t be possible to reopen to international travellers safely in just 20 days. Hua Hin and other tourist areas received the same bad news from…
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Fingerroot candy/zinc mix not a Covid cure, says Royal Thai police
Kingrachai/fingerroot flavoured candy mixed with zinc cannot help Covid sufferers and is fake news, says the Royal Thai Police. Further, the Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of health verified that this candy/zinc mix is fake news as the product belongs to the category of chewing gum and candies. Also, there is no data to support the claim that…
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Motorbike “mob” protest in Bangkok, police advise drivers to take alternative routes
With another car and motorbike mob protest in Bangkok, honking horns and backing up traffic, Royal Thai Police released a warning early today warning drivers to avoid the Ratchaprasong intersection and advised people to take one of 12 alternative routes. There have been several car and motorbike mob protests over the past several months, many calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to…
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Over 14,000 foreign tourists avail of Phuket sandbox scheme during first month
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reports that Phuket welcomed over 14,000 foreign tourists, generating an estimated 829 million baht, during the first month of the island’s sandbox scheme. The Phuket sandbox was launched on July 1, allowing vaccinated foreign tourists from low-risk countries to visit the island without quarantine. Participants are required to stay in approved hotels and remain on…
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US tells citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, upgrades country to highest warning level
While officials rush to restore Phuket’s reputation following the murder of a Swiss tourist, the eyes of the US government are on how Thailand is managing the pandemic (or not). According to a Bangkok Post report, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is warning citizens against travel to Thailand as Covid-19 infections and deaths continue to rise. The…
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Media organisations call on government to obey court order on free speech
Following a Civil Court ruling against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thai media organisations are calling on the government to abide by the court’s decision. Last Friday, the court ruled that the PM had overstepped his authority in banning the dissemination of news that could create public fear. In its ruling, the court found that the ban was too vague and therefore…
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Political activist “Penguin” back in prison ahead of large protest tomorrow
Pro-democracy activist Parit Chiwarak, aka “Penguin”, has been re-arrested and imprisoned ahead of an important rally tomorrow. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit was detained on his arrival at Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday following a summons issued on August 2. Parit faces charges related to graffiti that appeared outside a police office in the central province of Pathum Thani.…
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Phuket officials rush to restore visitor confidence following tourist murder
Officials on the southern island of Phuket are pulling out all the stops in a bid to restore tourist confidence, following the murder of Swiss national Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf last week. The victim, who’d been visiting Phuket under the island’s sandbox scheme, was found dead at Ao Yon waterfall last Thursday. The Bangkok Post reports that the murder has left local…
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Pattaya suspect refuses to exit car, livestreams police encounter
Viral videos or live streams of encounters with the police have become a common occurrence in the United States and a few other countries, but on Friday a transgender person in Pattaya refused to exit her car after being stopped by police and live-streamed the whole event. The woman was a suspect after reports of a drug dealer in a…
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Penguin and 3 other activists turn themselves in to police
Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, along with 3 other well-known activists and leaders in the protests against the government turned themselves in at the National Police Headquarters today after arrest warrants were issued for protesting in violation of the Emergency Decree. Sirichai “New” Nathuang, Nutchanon Pairote, and Promsorn “Fah” Veerathamjaree also surrendered to the Royal Police today. They are accused of planning…
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Confession and evidence, not a scapegoat, in Phuket murder
More details are emerging as confirmed about the suspect arrested in the horrifying murder of Swiss traveller Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, found dead at Ao Yon Waterfall on Friday. Police have taken Teerawat Thothip into custody and say that he has confessed to the crime amid suspicions that Phuket police would find a scapegoat to quickly “solve” the crime. The 27 year…
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Police and protesters clash at increasingly aggressive protests
Tensions flared at today’s anti-government protests, as demonstrators had to re-route 3 times due to police pushback efforts. The original plan was to meet at the Democracy Monument at 2 pm today and march to the Grand Palace, as pro-monarchy groups called for the army to step in and fortify the historic complex they called a sacred site. But police…
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UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”
UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in…
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Lawsuit against Royal Thai Police filed by injured press members
After getting shot with rubber bullets while covering the tumultuous protests on July 18, 2 members of the press have filed a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police for the injuries. A reporter for Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed the lawsuit yesterday with the Civil Court, naming the Royal Thai Police, along with the Commissioner, Metropolitan…
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New internet freedom study lowers Thailand to 3rd to last
A new report on internet freedom and censorship around the world has placed Thailand in the third-lowest ranking, dropping 2 levels from last year. On a scale of 1 to 11, one being nearly unrestricted and 11 being fully locked down, Thailand is now ranked an 8, with the report declaring Thailand’s internet freedom 73% restricted. Comparitech, the company that…
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Apple to add child sexual abuse protections to mobile devices
In an effort to protect children from predators, Apple will update iPhones and iPad to detect and report images of child sexual abuse. The megacompany vowed yesterday to implement new detection software to automatically flag any photos that involve children being abused and exploited as soon as they are uploaded into iCloud, Apple’s proprietary cloud-based storage service. Photos will be…
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Man arrested for stealing just over 1,000 baht in Wichit, Phuket
Recently, a man was arrested for allegedly stealing just over 1,000 baht from a wallet that was left on a counter in a “Super Cheap” store in Wichit, Phuket. 50 year old “Mr Sutchai” was arrested earlier week, around 2 pm, says Wichit Police. The police say Sutchai took the wallet out of a shopping trolley that had been forgotten…
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PM calls for expedited probe into “Sandbox” traveller’s death; victim’s timeline released
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered authorities to expedite the investigation into the case of the Swiss government official who was found dead, possibly raped and murdered, in a creek in Phuket after entering Thailand under the island’s new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. Thailand’s national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has flown down to Phuket and is now investigating the case along with detectives…
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Group of teenagers arrested, police seize knives and explosives
A group of around a dozen teenagers were arrested for possession of knives and explosives. The Mathayam level, or high school, students were approached by police as they were allegedly waiting to confront students from another school. The students, ages 15 to 18, were seen off Sukhumvit Road in Samut Prakan’s Pak Nam subdistrict, just southeast of Bangkok. Police searched…
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Survey shows nearly half of Thai businesses expect return to normality in early 2022
A survey carried out by the Bank of Thailand shows that nearly half of Thai businesses expect life to return to normal during the first quarter of 2022. According to a Bangkok Post report, businesses of all sizes were interviewed between July 1 – 22 as part of the business sentiment index. The findings show that 45% expect people to…
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Body of Swiss national in Phuket identified as foreign government official
Officers have announced the identity of the Swiss national who was found dead in a Phuket creek as 57 year old Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, a woman who entered Thailand last month under the new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, Nicole is the assistant protocol chief of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. Another report in Thai media says…
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Environmental groups urge government to ban the import of plastic waste
The Thai government is being urged to push ahead with a ban on importing plastic waste, instead promoting the recycling of domestic plastic waste. Over 100 environmental groups say this is essential to protecting the environment, as well as creating a circular economy. According to a Bangkok Post report, 107 groups have released a joint statement calling for a ban…
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Dr Boon, THG group must clarify Pfizer deal controversy
Trouble is deepening for Dr Boon Vanasin, the President of Thonburi Healthcare Group, who has been accused of a large stock purchase before lying about his company procuring Pfizer vaccines that caused the stock to soar. The Chairman of the Crime Victims’ Assistance Club has filed a complaint with the CyberCrime Investigation Bureau against Boon for sharing that fake news…
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TAT touts the Phuket Sandbox first month July successes
The official numbers are out and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has touted success in the Phuket Sandbox plan’s first month, with over 14,000 international travellers arriving and a reported 829 million baht of revenue generated in July. Between the reopening date July 1 and the end of the month July 31, 14,055 travellers arrived, and the 829 million baht…
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Monarchy supporters claim protesters weaponising Covid-19
Pro-monarchy groups have requested military protection against a protest planned for Saturday, going so far as to claim protest organisers are weaponising Covid-19. The Centre of the People for the Protection of Monarchy submitted a petition today requesting military intervention from Army Chief General Narongpan Jittkaewtae in protecting the monarchy against protesters. The Free Youth movement is planning a large…
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5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine
Around 5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have been injected with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from March 12 to July 30, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Out of the 280,075 foreign residents vaccinated, only 74,587 of them have received both doses of the vaccine. Only 20,903 foreign residents ages 60 and above, a…
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Child pornography group run by Suphan Buri couple busted
A Suphan Buri couple has been arrested after police raided their home and charged them with running an online child pornography ring. The 52 year old man and his 45 year old wife in the province just north of Bangkok reportedly confessed to the crime and were taken into custody. The married couple is accused of running a group where…
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Phuket’s BigGym allegedly closes 2 branches for good, doesn’t reimburse members
Yesterday, in Phuket, a joint complaint was filed by 36 gym goers after the fitness centre, BigGym reportedly closed 2 branches, allegedly without notifying their patrons that they were about to shut down. The complainants say they lost over 3.5 million baht in membership fees. The members filed their complaints against BigGym with the Phuket City Police. One member,” Mr…
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Officers surprise drug suspect with birthday cake in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Officers in Nakhon Si Thammarat surprised a man who was detained on drug charges with a birthday cake. Police who arrested the man looked at his ID card and noticed it was his birthday. The 33 year old man claims says he had never blown candles on a birthday cake before. The man was driving his motorcycle when he noticed…
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