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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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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Songkran road deaths, injuries cut in half thanks to Covid surge | Thaiger

    Songkran road deaths, injuries cut in half thanks to Covid surge

    Songkran New Year celebrations have seen road deaths and injuries cut in half thanks to surge of Covid infections just before the start of the annual holiday that essentially cancelled major gatherings. The Road Safety Director Centre says 192 people have been killed and 1,818 injured so far during the Songkran holiday, with 37 dying on Wednesday alone. But those…

  • Phuket’s July Sandbox no-quarantine model “needs a major revamp” | Thaiger

    Phuket’s July Sandbox no-quarantine model “needs a major revamp”

    Thailand’s Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is acknowledging that Phuket’s ‘Sandbox’ model for a no-quarantine re-opening in July will need “a major revamp”. As the Songkran travel bubble bursts and the monsoon season waves start to roll onto the island’s west coast beaches, Phuket’s scheduled July re-boot suddenly seems a long way off. Minister Phiphat says he plans to meet…

  • New restrictions start from midnight tonight (Saturday), more could come later | Thaiger

    New restrictions start from midnight tonight (Saturday), more could come later

    The Thai government has resolved to ‘manage’ its way out of the current Covid outbreak. There won’t be lockdowns or curfews, but there will be earlier closing times and alcohol bans to help provinces stem the growth in new infections. The past 3 days of reporting new infections in Thailand are the highest numbers since the start of the Covid-19…

  • UPDATE: Owner attacked by pit bull dies of injuries | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Owner attacked by pit bull dies of injuries

    The owner, attacked by his pet pit bull in the Pattaya suburb of Bang Lamung yesterday, has died of the injuries sustained in the attack. The horrific incident which occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning had shocked the family, who had raised the now 2 year old dog Giant since he was only 3 months old. Wisit Sanguan,…

  • China grows 18.3%, the only major economy to grow in 2020 | Thaiger

    China grows 18.3%, the only major economy to grow in 2020

    China’s economy set a record for growth in Q1, 2021, marking an 18.3% jump in year-on-year figures, the biggest quarterly growth in almost 30 years. China only started publishing growth statistics in 1992, and this drastic increase is the fastest growth recorded since then. The figures, however impressive, are mainly due to what is called a “low base effect” where…

  • Thailand fruit exports up, despite new Covid-19 fears | Thaiger

    Thailand fruit exports up, despite new Covid-19 fears

    Thailand fruit exporters saw a 107% growth in January and February over last year’s comparable figures, reports the National News Bureau. 18 countries have free trade agreements for fruit with Thailand, and the total trade in the first 2 months of 2021 is valued at US $461 million. Thailand is actively exporting fresh fruit with its top buyers being Australia,…

  • Thai household debt expected to keep rising- Kasikorn Research | Thaiger

    Thai household debt expected to keep rising- Kasikorn Research

    Despite rolling out Covid-19 vaccines, in which could see a faster return to pre-Covid times, Thailand’s household debt is expected to keep rising. Kasikorn Research analysts say it could, in fact, reach 89-91% by the end of the year. In a recent survey, KResearch says 10.8% of respondents could be stuck in a financial crisis. Of those who may be…

  • Man trampled to death while feeding roadside elephant | Thaiger

    Man trampled to death while feeding roadside elephant

    A man in Nakhon Ratchasima, north east Thailand, has lost his life yesterday when he pulled his car over to feed an elephant that then trampled him to death. According to Mu Si police, Rachan Theerapittayatrakul had stopped his pickup truck near Thanarat Road when he saw an elephant tied to a tree by the roadside and attempted to feed…

  • New red zone map shows where restrictions may apply after this afternoon’s CCSA meeting | Thaiger

    New red zone map shows where restrictions may apply after this afternoon’s CCSA meeting

    This new map is up for discussion today when the CCSA meets today. 18 provinces are to be designated as red zones. The amount of red zones may changes as well after this morning’s CCSA update on new infections. The CCSA will meet later this afternoon, chaired by the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. According to some early notes on the upgraded…

  • Bangkok sees 7.87 million vehicles over Songkran holiday | Thaiger

    Bangkok sees 7.87 million vehicles over Songkran holiday

    Covid-19 and its third wave be damned, close to 8 million vehicles travelled in and out of Bangkok so far during this year’s Songkran festival holiday period. Thailand’s Ministry of Transport released figures yesterday on the yearly holiday and revealed that more than 7.87 million cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes hit the roads and travelled into and out of Bangkok…

  • Songkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents | Thaiger

    Songkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents

    On the fifth day of Songkran’s infamous “seven dangerous days”, there were 330 road accidents resulting in 37 deaths and 328 injuries reported across Thailand. Songkran brings an increase in travel, and with it, an unfortunate increase in traffic accidents and road deaths. With Covid-19 severely curbing festivities this year, figures are generally down, but the government continues to encourage…

  • Pattaya area man severely injured after pet pit bull attacked | Thaiger

    Pattaya area man severely injured after pet pit bull attacked

    A Pattaya area man sustained severe injuries when his pet pit bull attacked him in the early hours of the morning. The incident took place in Bang Lamung with authorities being called to the scene near Soi Bang Lamung Temple. The victim, 56 year old Wisit Sanguan, had been bitten by his own pet dog and was bleeding profusely from…

  • New NGO law could target anti-governemnt activists | Thaiger

    New NGO law could target anti-governemnt activists

    A controversial new NGO law was drafted with critics arguing it targets activists and the Thai government saying it ensures transparency. The Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organisations was written by the Office of the Council of State in February and debated in the second half of March, but could be passed into law soon. Human rights groups…

  • Thailand provinces currently imposing travel restrictions | Thaiger

    Thailand provinces currently imposing travel restrictions

    Here’s a list of Thai provinces current imposing restrictions on entry, by road or air, as you travel at this time. Today is the last day of the Songkran holiday, so there will be a return home for many people although it’s expected that many have also taken the Friday off to merge the Songkran break with the weekend. So…

  • Pattaya tourism remains open without quarantine, for now anyway | Thaiger

    Pattaya tourism remains open without quarantine, for now anyway

    As province after province closes down more sectors, imposing stricter regulations, administers mandatory Covid-19 testing, and enacts quarantines for domestic travellers (in some cases), Pattaya is taking a different approach: heartily welcoming tourists to their city. Colourful Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome spoke yesterday saying that everyone from everywhere is welcome in Pattaya, and will not be required to quarantine or…

  • Hotel blog suggests Phuket should push ahead with July reopening despite Covid surge | Thaiger

    Hotel blog suggests Phuket should push ahead with July reopening despite Covid surge

    A hotel information blog is claiming that, despite growing Covid-19 numbers, Phuket should stick to its schedule in reopening to travellers without quarantine in July. That’s only 2 and a half months away. In an interview with the Director of Travel and Tourism Consulting at GlobalData, they stressed that while it is crucial to rein in the spread of Covid-19…

  • New Yaba pill laced with crystal meth to increase potency | Thaiger

    New Yaba pill laced with crystal meth to increase potency

    A new type of yaba (methamphetamine) pill in Thailand is being laced with a crystal meth coating to boost its potency. The news comes after Border Patrol Police say they seized 40,950 Yaba pills in Thailand’s northeastern Nakhon Phanom province. Police say the pills are not the regular yaba pills that have existed in the country for years, but are a…

  • Travelling from the UK? Here’s some details on restrictions…. | Thaiger

    Travelling from the UK? Here’s some details on restrictions….

    As the summer holiday is just around the corner, many in the UK are wondering if and how they will travel abroad during the Covid pandemic. Despite it being against the law to travel abroad for holiday and leisure in the UK, those who need to travel may want to know what requirements certain countries have in order to enter.…

  • Songkran holiday eerily quiet after Covid mutes celebrations | Thaiger

    Songkran holiday eerily quiet after Covid mutes celebrations

    Thailand rang in another Lunar New Year, or Songkran, without its normal festivities, highlighting the impact that the Covid pandemic has had on the world. For the 2nd year, the biggest Thai holiday was subdued without water-splashing, parties, and concerts. Instead, the predominantly Buddhist nation turned to its more muted, traditional activities of making merit to observe the 3 day…

  • Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority announces health and safety regulations | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority announces health and safety regulations

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says airlines must continue to follow health and safety regulations as the country has seen a 3rd wave of the Covid-19 virus. Its the third time the CAAT have introduced restrictions on in-flight services since airlines were grounded in April last year. The authority says new guidelines to take effect today include… • Maintaining…

  • Burmese students to hold Bangkok cultural event to support Civil Disobedience Movement | Thaiger

    Burmese students to hold Bangkok cultural event to support Civil Disobedience Movement

    Burmese students in Thailand are holding an art and culture concert to raise awareness and funds for the Civil Disobedience Movement. The concert, called “Myanmar Spring,” will be held on April 24 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The event will help fund the movement, which has staged protests over the February 1 coup in Myanmar by the military.…

  • A Thailand Covid update that you won’t read in the news | Thaiger

    A Thailand Covid update that you won’t read in the news

    Tim Newton goes through some of the moving goal posts regarding Thailand’s Covid situation RIGHT NOW. Vaccines for expats, what will happen after Songkran, provincial restrictions, new quarantine requirements. Reading the tea leaves and reading between the lines, Tim provides his personal opinions on many issues expats and foreigners in Thailand are worried about at this time.

  • Songkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths | Thaiger

    Songkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths

    On the second day of the Songkran road safety campaign, officials report 30 deaths, 374 injuries and 357 road accidents, up slightly from yesterday. The week of Songkran is infamous for increased traffic incidents and is often referred to as “7 dangerous days”, prompting government officials to push a campaign to raise awareness and safety this holiday. This year the…

  • 2 emergency decrees provide businesses financial help | Thaiger

    2 emergency decrees provide businesses financial help

    Thailand enacted 2 new emergency decrees today aimed at providing assistance to businesses and reducing default interest rates to help people affected by Covid-19. A deputy government spokeswoman confirmed the needed action was critical to protect and aid entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises during the time of pandemic-driven economic crisis. The goal was to combat unfair interest rates on…

  • Environmentalists criticise Netflix fishing doco for inaccuracies and misinformation | Thaiger

    Environmentalists criticise Netflix fishing doco for inaccuracies and misinformation

    As Thailand accuses a Netflix documentary of using outdated and inaccurate information about the country’s fishing industry, a number of global environmental experts are echoing similar criticisms. According to a report in Coconuts, Seaspiracy has been slammed for being full of inaccuracies and twisting the science behind the damage to the world’s oceans, minimising the role of climate change and…

  • 1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths | Thaiger

    1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths

    The Songkran road safety campaign is off to a moderate start with a reported 25 deaths and 356 injuries across Thailand on Saturday. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general reports that there were 348 road accidents in the country on the first day of the campaign. Though the figures don’t sound like an achievement, they are actually a fair…

  • Thailand road accidents cost 500 billion baht per year | Thaiger

    Thailand road accidents cost 500 billion baht per year

    Thailand is notorious for its road and driving conditions, and a disproportionate number of driving accidents. The World Health Organisation now reports that road accidents cost an estimated 500 billion baht in 2019 alone. The WHO report placed Thailand as the number one country in ASEAN with a 32.7 per cent death rate, the highest in Southeast Asia. The Road…

  • Songkran activities cancelled in Ayutthaya due to Covid-19 | Thaiger

    Songkran activities cancelled in Ayutthaya due to Covid-19

    After the recent outbreak of Covid-19 across Thailand, in a large part due to entertainment activities, Thailand’s former capital city of Ayutthaya has now officially cancelled all Songkran festival activities for the upcoming holiday. All events previously planned to mark the Thai New Year’s holiday between April 13 and 15 have now been called off. An urgent declaration by the…

  • Many Thais ‘skipping’ Songkran due to the recent clusters | Thaiger

    Many Thais ‘skipping’ Songkran due to the recent clusters

    It’s Songkran, but not as we know it. This weekend Thais start to head back home for this year’s extended national holiday. Last year the celebrations were cancelled altogether, amid Thailand’s initial lockdowns. So this year, partly aided by the mid week dates of Songkran, the government added extra days, that are topped and tailed by weekends. So, many Thais…

  • 7 Thai dogs find a new home in California | Thaiger

    7 Thai dogs find a new home in California

    7 stray dogs from Thailand have immigrated to the United States as one California woman attempts to rescue as many Thai dogs as possible. Melissa Bacelar is the owner of The Wagmor Luxury Pet Hotel and Spa, along with its offshoot pet adoption service, Wagmore Pets. Located in Studio City, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles bordering Hollywood, the pet hotel…