Hot News
Stay updated with the latest Hot News in Thailand, featuring in-depth reporting and analysis of local events and goings on! We bring you breaking news, in-depth reports, and exclusive interviews covering a wide range of Thailand-focused topics, from Crime and Politics to Tourism and Business.
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Sponsored Common health concerns for expats in Thailand: Prevention and protection
Moving to Thailand as an expat offers adventure, vibrant culture, and an excellent lifestyle, but it also brings some health challenges that might not be familiar to you. From tropical diseases to climate-related conditions, understanding common health concerns and knowing...
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Major tourism operator calls on government to restart Test & Go
The board chairman of Minor International has called on the Thai government to reinstate the suspended Test & Go entry scheme. Failing that, William Heinecke says they should expand the number of sandbox destinations, according to a Bangkok Post report. Minor International is based in Bangkok and its businesses include Minor Hotels, which operates 530 properties, including the Anantara, Four…
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Thailand continues pushing for tourism revenue despite Covid-19
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged all government agencies to get behind the “Amazing Thailand New Chapter” tourism campaign being readied for launch by the end of January. According to a government spokesperson, the administration is pushing forward with tourism plans that the floundering economy so desperately needs, despite the growing spread of the Omicron variant and Covid-19 infections across the…
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NBT Twitter account retweets pornographic dick pic
The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, the state-run TV and radio station, had a bit of a cock-up today on their social media. Though it’s unclear exactly how it happened, earlier today the official Twitter account of the NBT, which acts as the media arm of the Government Public Relations Department, retweeted a pornographic picture of a man sitting with…
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Health Minister insists cannabis is not a narcotic, high-inducing THC still illegal
Cannabis is not a narcotic drug… at least that’s what Thailand’s Public Health Minister is saying. In an interview with Thai media, Anutin Charnvirakul said cannabis (not with the high-inducing component THC) is legal and can be grown as well as used for medical purposes, adding that authorities should let residents grow the once-criminalised plant and sell cannabis as a…
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Bail extended for pro-democracy activist and protest leader Panusaya
The pro-democracy activist and anti-government protest leader, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, has had her bail extended, according to a Thai PBS World report. Yesterday, the Bangkok South Criminal Court ruled to extend bail for Panusaya, as well as lifting conditions that had prohibited the young student from leaving her home. Panusaya, one of the leaders of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group, has…
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Tourists with mild symptoms can have Covid treatment covered by Thai insurance
The government has decided to allow Thai insurance firms to offer new Covid-19 treatment packages to foreign tourists, according to a Nation Thailand report. In addition, Tares Krassanairawiwong from the Department of Health Services Support says more hotel isolation facilities, the so-called “hospitels”, will be made available to tourists with mild symptoms. Tares says that many infected tourists struggle with…
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Tourism operators call on government to delay introduction of 300-baht entry fee
Tourism operators are calling on the Thai government to delay the introduction of a 300-baht tourism fee to give the sector time to recover. The fee is due to take effect from April, with the Bangkok Post reporting that it will apply to foreigners arriving in the kingdom by land, sea, and air. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi from the Thai Hotels…
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Alleged major drug trafficker arrested in Songkhla, 54 million baht in assets seized
A 50 year old alleged major drug trafficker has been arrested in in the southern province Songkhla after 30 raids were conducted in the hunt for him yesterday. Officers also seized over 54 million baht worth of his assets. The raids came following tips from two drug suspects who were caught in early November at a checkpoint in Chumphon, where…
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Applicants for Thai citizenship must pass new Thai language test
The Thai government has introduced new regulations that require those who apply for Thai citizenship to pass a new Thai language test. According to a Bangkok Post report, government representative Rachada Dhnadirek says the fees for citizenship have also doubled. Up until now, Thai citizenship was based on regulations in place since 1967, which required applicants to speak and understand…
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Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
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Rejuvenated Maya Bay open for business
Maya Bay, the tropical island cove of Hollywood acclaim in Krabi province, finally reopened for tourism on January 1, after 3-and-a-half years of closure in a bid to restore its damaged white-sand beach and decimated marine ecosystem. Officials temporarily closed the bay in June 2018 to clean the beach and restore the area’s coral reefs. Originally planned as a 4…
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50 million baht in ecstasy shipped from Germany seized by Thai Customs
Around 23 kilograms of ecstasy shipped to Thailand from Germany was seized by Thai Customs officials. Reports say the drugs have a street value of more than 50 million baht. Two parcels, which were declared as chocolate and coffee beans, were delivered to Thailand by sea freight and were destined for Laos. The packages went through an x-ray at the…
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Man arrested for tricking a 12 year old into sending sexual videos on Free Fire
Thai police arrested a 24 year old man for allegedly deceiving a 12 year old girl into sending sexually explicit videos of herself through Thailand’s popular online survivor shooter game Free Fire, which is played on a smartphone. He allegedly used the photos to blackmail the girl’s parents. The child’s parents filed a complaint with local police in November and…
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Methamphetamine seized from truck in Northern Thailand
A man in Northern Thailand was arrested for allegedly transporting illicit drugs in his truck from Chiang Rai to Phrae. Police say they seized 5.6 million amphetamine pills and more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine at a checkpoint in Phrae. The driver was passing through the checkpoint and reportedly claimed that he wasn’t carrying any cargo or goods in the…
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Police apprehend man who killed 2, injured 3 at Phuket market
After a shooting on Friday at the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1 that left 3 injured and 2 dead, police announced today that they have apprehended the suspect they hold responsible for the shootout. Investigators have been tracking his escape after he fled the scene of the crime and managed to pick him up this morning. He allegedly confessed…
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NIDA Poll: No optimism about pandemic, economy, and politics
A new NIDA Poll asked people about their thoughts on 2022, asking about politics, the economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic, with the majority of respondents not having a particularly positive outlook on the coming year. They were asked if the economy will improve, if the pandemic will subside, and also if PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will remain in power or what…
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6 European tourists found who disappeared after positive Covid-19 test
After a brief hunt, 6 European tourists who were tested for Covid-19 and left their hotel before the results were returned, test results which came back positive, have now all been located and moved to the hospital. Authorities rounded up 2 French tourists, 2 Polish tourists, a Swiss tourist, and a Norwegian tourist. The 6 tourists had all come to…
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Phuket to 8 foreign reps: your citizens must obey Covid-19 rules
When children in class misbehave, teachers contact the parents and tell them to keep their kids in line. But what do you do when foreign tourists are misbehaving in your country? Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew met today with Consul Generals and Honorary Consuls from 8 countries to ask them to warn their citizens to follow the rules – especially Covid-19…
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Police searching Coconut Island for fresh market shooter
After a shooting spree at a fresh market in Phuket Town that left 2 people dead and 3 injured, the gunman phoned the police and announced his intention to confess to the crimes and turn himself in. But Maneenop Meethong, the 47-year old seafood vendor at the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1, did not surrender to police and is…
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Phuket Shooting at a fresh market leaves 2 dead, 3 injured
A man opened fire on a fresh market in Phuket Town, shooting and killing 2 people and injuring 3 others in the hail of bullets. The shooing took place this morning at Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1 in Phuket Town on Ranong Road. Police were notified around 10:20 am of the shooting and Phuket City Police responded with rescue…
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Police officer accused of leaking sex video of lover on Twitter
In the past few months, The Thaiger has covered multiple stories of the police busting women selling sex videos on OnlyFans and social media like Twitter and the LINE app, and even a special warning against dressing up as sexy police officers when making adult material on OnlyFans, but today’s story of sex, police, and the internet, has a different…
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69 provinces now “orange” zones with ban on alcohol sales at restaurants
Restrictions are tightening in a number of Thai provinces. Thailand’s Covid-19 task force revised its colour-coded zoning based on local infection rates and decided to classify 69 of Thailand’s 77 provinces as “orange” zones under tight control to curb the spread of Covid-19. The new zoning goes into effect on Sunday. The other provinces will remain classified as “blue” zone provinces,…
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BREAKING: Test & Go registration closed indefinitely
Registration for Thailand’s Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme will be closed indefinitely. And travellers, who are already approved to enter Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption program, have until January 15 to arrive (although the cut off date of January 15 was clearly announced at yesterday’s CCSA briefing there has been a random walking back of that…
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Thai baht falling over Omicron fears and strong US dollar
As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, it’s not just our patience and our resolve that is weakening. The Thai baht is falling too, weakening against a stronger US dollar and global fears over the impact of the Omicron variant rapidly spreading throughout the world. Today the conversion rate stands at 33.59 baht to the US dollar just off of its…
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Phuket governor vows to iron out issues with sandbox requirements
The governor of Phuket has pledged to sort out a number of issues with the island’s sandbox scheme as infection rates continue to rise. According to a Bangkok Post report, Narong Woosiew says the matters identified will lead to improvements, adding that he will soon introduce “Phuket Sandbox Version 2“. “Currently, the local economy is doing well due to the…
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Restaurant alcohol sales, tightening quarantine on CCSA agenda today
It’s an all-too familiar scenario at this stage, and one that will have restaurateurs and others in the hospitality and tourism sectors putting their heads in their hands. While we must emphasise that nothing is confirmed yet, the CCSA meets today to consider a number of tough curbs proposed by the Public Health Ministry. Based on Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s…
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6.2 billion baht earmarked by Exim Bank for bailout for airlines
Local airlines are getting a cash injection as the Export-Import Bank of Thailand has given over 6.2 billion baht to keep them afloat and planes in the sky. The financial assistance is aimed to increase liquidity and restructure airline debt to stay solvent through the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Exim Bank president. The bank is starting out by…
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Kids ride free on BTS and MRT trains for National Children’s Day
National Children’s Day is coming up on January 8 and if you’ve got no plans for it, how about taking the kids for a free ride on Bangkok’s BTS and MRT trains? To celebrate the holiday, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand will allow children under the age of 14 and under the height of 140 centimetres to ride…
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Investigation finds no evidence PM paid MPs for votes
A House Secretariat investigation says it’s found no evidence that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha paid MPs to vote for him. The probe was in response to an accusation from an opposition politician in September. Wisarn Techathirawat, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, accused the PM of paying 5 million baht to a number of MPs in return for votes of…
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Phuket governor says island will remain open for tourists, despite rise in infections
The governor of Phuket has reassured local businesses that the island remains open for tourists under its sandbox scheme. Narong Wunsiew says that despite a steep rise in Covid-19 case numbers, there are no plans for a lockdown. “As we aim to contain Covid-19 while boosting the economy, we have received pleas for us not to shut down the island…
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