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.
To keep up with the hottest news, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored Last chance for Thaiger readers: Get 10% off your health insurance—Offer ends in 5 days!
Did you know that treating a broken leg can cost around 200,000 THB for uninsured patients, and a three-day hospital stay for conditions like dengue fever averages 40,000 to 80,000 THB in Thailand? While healthcare in Thailand is more affordable...
-
Chiang Mai eatery fined for alcohol promotion
A Chiang Mai restaurant is warning other eateries to be very careful about promoting alcohol after being raided and fined. Police went to Ai ToMoE restaurant in Chiang Mai after a tip that it was promoting beer in its 499 baht buffet menu, according to the restaurant’s Facebook post yesterday. Offices arrested the chef, named “Boy”, and fined him 50,000…
-
Government says Emergency Decree extension won’t ban protests
Although the Emergency Decree was officially extended again today, through the end of August, the government says political gatherings and rallies won’t be banned. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the extension earlier today but officials insist the emergency measures are strictly for guarding against the resurgence of Covid-19 and unrelated to the ongoing protests. According to the secretary-general of the National…
-
310 out of 50,000 repatriates tested positive for Covid-19: minister
Thailand’s foreign affairs minister has reported to the Senate that full assistance is being provided to Thai nationals stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 world pandemic. This is despite the recent controversy surrounding an Egyptian airman visiting Thailand who tested positive after visiting shopping spots in the eastern Rayong province. The minister responded to questions from Senators, pointing out that…
-
Tourism sector facing massive closures
Thailand’s tourism sector, long seen as a lifeline for the nation’s battered economy, is in a meltdown; more than 30% of tourism-related businesses have left the market with many more expected to follow, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand. The president of the TCT says the tourism industry predicts further deterioration after 6 months of the Covid-19 crisis, as…
-
PM approves Emergency Decree extension
PM Prayut Chan O’Cha has signed off on a proposal by the National Security Council and the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration to extend the Emergency Decree until the end of August. The Emergency Decree gives the government sweeping powers to manage the Covid-19 crisis at the national level from a “top down” perspective. It also provides draconian penalties for…
-
Video catches Thai immigration officials asking for a bribe
Officers from an immigration office near Bangkok have been “suspended” after a Facebook video showed an immigration official asking for money to help “speed up his visa process”. The caption read… “This is real, such a shame, when will the cheating stop”. “Thailand is good, foreigners get Visas to work in the country. They go to the Nonthaburi Immigration for…
-
Bangkok university professor says no “travel bubbles” for at least 6 months
A professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says Thailand’s “travel bubble” plan, which would allow small groups of foreign tourists to visit Thailand, should be put on hold for at least another 6 months. In a Facebook post yesterday, he said that the global Covid-19 situation remains “of serious concern”, as new infections are still surging, with more than 200,000 new…
-
Government to increase value of mid-week hotel vouchers by 300 baht
In an effort to further boost mid-week travel, the government has agreed to increase the value of accommodation vouchers offered as part of its domestic travel stimulus package from 600 baht to 900 baht. It’s hoped the move will lead to an uptake in domestic travel between Monday and Thursday. Nation Thailand reports that the Cabinet has also decided to…
-
Phuket plans a drought-proof future
In the high season of 2018/2019 a water shortage emerged on Phuket and reached a critical phase just as the wet season of 2019 began. For a few months there seemed to be more water trucks delivering expensive water to residents than tourist passenger vans on the road (usually ubiquitous). Phuket’s three water sources were critically low, one of them…
-
Thai Cabinet extends the visa amnesty for foreigners
The Thai Cabinet has extended the visa amnesty for foreigners so they can remain in Thailand during the Covid-19 global pandemic. This is the second extension to the visa amnesty and will be a huge relief for tens of thousands of people who have been in a visa limbo, some without many other options other than staying in Thailand whilst…
-
Tourism minister says he’ll punish hotels price-gouging during “We Travel Together”
Hotel operators around Thailand will face being “delisted” and fined if they are found to be raising hotel room rates under the new stimulus campaign being rolled out by the Thai government, called “We Travel Together”. The campaign is designed to boost domestic tourism and covers 40% of a hotel’s room rate, as long as it doesn’t exceed 3,000 baht per…
-
Thai Army wants to purchase 1.35 billion baht replacement VIP plane
With most of the country’s fleets of commercial jets grounded due to the bans on international travel and limited domestic flights, the Thai Army says they’re planning to buy a new aircraft for “general use”. The plane is reported to be a Gulfstream 500 private jet valued at 1.35 billion baht. The plane would be bought under the 2021 fiscal…
-
Police meet to discus legal action against pro-democracy protesters and organisers
Following Saturday’s large protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Saturday afternoon and evening, Bangkok police are now pondering whether to prosecute the organisers for defying the emergency decree – the part of the law that prohibits large public gatherings. The protesters were demanding the dissolution of Parliament, the drawing up of a new Constitution and an end to official limitation…
-
Thai economy won’t need a bailout from the IMF
The Thai economy won’t need a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, although the GDP growth for 2020 may end up being the lowest in the region. The Governor of the Bank of Thailand, Veerathai Santipraphob says the Thai economy is “strong enough”. Speaking at a seminar entitled “Post-Covid Economic Direction”, Veerathai noted that, although Thailand has managed to control…
-
Visa amnesty extension “very likely”. Decision this week.
Only 11 days to go until we reach the end of the current visa amnesty, which has allowed people with expired visas to remain in the Kingdom during the midst of Thailand’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak. But even today Immigration officials say that a proposal to extend the visa amnesty, or some similar alternative, is before the government for…
-
Police say they are gathering evidence to arrest ringleaders of Saturday protest – VIDEO
Whilst the police attending the mostly-peaceful protest, on Saturday afternoon and evening around Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, they didn’t intervene and break up the crowd. But they were taking plenty of photos. Now Bangkok Police have announced that they were gathering evidence to press formal charges against the leaders of the pro-democracy protest. Chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Lt. Gen. Pakkapong…
-
Phase 6 to be announced this week, will allow more groups to come to Thailand
“…keeping the economy functioning is of secondary importance.” 5 move groups are expected to be allowed into Thailand as the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration rolls out Phase 6 of the -reopenings’ this week. The groups would include migrant workers and some foreigners. A meeting was held yesterday where the next phase of reopening Thailand was discussed which will be considered by…
-
Government stimulus package results in more than 3.6 million hotel bookings
Domestic tourism in Thailand is enjoying a much-needed boost thanks to a government stimulus package that has seen over 3.6 million hotel rooms booked so far. Thai citizens are availing of the Rao Tiew Dauy Kan (We Travel Together) package, which offers discounts on hotel bookings in an effort to inject life back into the country’s decimated tourism sector. An ongoing…
-
A new generation of political voices are demanding to be heard
Saturday’s pro-democracy rally is the largest street demonstration against the ruling Thai government since the May, 2014 military coup which brought General Prayut to power. The momentum for political change is coming from a new, younger generation, most who would have been just kids during the tumultuous Thaksin years and not even in high school when the military ousted the elected…
-
Emergency Decree, Phase 6 to be discussed in coming weeks: CCSA
Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in a press conference this morning that discussions on the Emergency Decree and a “Phase 6” of lifting Covid-19 restrictions and reopening the country are expected in the upcoming weeks. A meeting is expected of the committees, including the CCSA and the National Security Council, responsible for easing…
-
Poll: vast majority fear second virus wave, support foreign arrival ban
A recent opinion poll by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll, showed well over 90% of respondents fear a second wave of Covid-19 and want a complete ban on foreign arrivals in Thailand. The poll, taken July 14-18, gauged the concerns of 1,459 Thai adults of various education levels and occupations, about the possibility of a second outbreak,…
-
Bangkok sees biggest anti-government rally in months
In the largest political rally in months, over 1,000 people turned out to protest the government of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument last night. The protest was led by The Student Union of Thailand and the Free Youth group, who called for the gathering through social media. It was the largest political rally since before the Covid-19 crisis…
-
Huge anti-government protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument
Anti-government protesters congregated at the Democracy Monument in the heart of Bangkok late yesterday afternoon to demand the dissolution of the current Thai Parliament, demanding a new Constitution and the removal of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government The protest was organised by the Union of Students of Thailand and “Free YOUTH”, and was held in contravention of the emergency decree,…
-
NSC chief says recent virus cases won’t be used as excuse to extend Emergency Decree
Thailand’s National Security Council has announced it won’t use 2 recent Covid-19 incidents, in which VIPs were exempted from testing and quarantine only to later be found infected, to extend the Emergency Decree. A national state of emergency was declared on March 24 and enforced days later. Under the current Thai constitution, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has the authority to extend…
-
Suvarnabhhumi Airport sees huge jump in traffic
Despite a continued and near-total ban on international arrivals, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is seeing a spike in traffic after the government eased lockdown measures and allowed domestic travel. The airport’s general manager says that from July 1-15, Suvarnabhumi saw 3,205 flights (1,604 incoming and 1,601 outgoing) or an average of 214 per day. “The total number of passengers using…
-
In reversal, Australian embassy will provide visa extension letters
A number of embassies in Bangkok are saying that they won’t issue any further visa extension letters for their citizens when Thailand’s visa amnesty expires on July 31. Both the US and British embassies announced that their citizens in Thailand will have to decide “whether to stay or go,” and that such letters will “no longer be possible.” But at…
-
Pattaya motorcyclist in fatal crash
A motorcyclist in Pattaya was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident after crashing into a water truck yesterday. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident at the Chaiyapruek Intersection at about 1:30am. Police, emergency responders and reporters rushed to the scene to find the body of 22 year old Kittipan Duangrassamee lying on the road, bleeding heavily…
-
Transit passengers must have health certificate before buying ticket: CAAC
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has ordered the implementation of new regulations for any international flights entering Thailand – All passengers must have a medical certificate showing that they are free of Covid-19 before booking their ticket. The move follows China’s decision to temporarily ban Thai Lion Air from flying the Bangkok-Guangzhou route and Thai AirAsia X from flying…
-
Diplomats no longer exempt: will be subject to quarantine
The CCSA announced yesterday that centre has resolved that ambassadors and diplomats entering Thailand will no longer be exempt from Thailand’s quarantine requirements, and will be required to enter “alternative state quarantine” on arrival for 14 days. The announcement follows the discovery of a case of Covid-19 in the daughter of a Sudanese diplomat living in Bangkok. That case ostensibly…
-
Cabinet to decide on third visa extension for foreigners
The Foreign Affairs Ministry announced today that a third “automatic extension” of visas for foreigners is “in the works” and will be proposed to the Cabinet with the results announced “soon” by the Immigration Bureau. A decision was originally slated for July 15, then postponed to today. Spokesman Natapanu Nopakun’s remarks this afternoon indicate the decision hasn’t yet been made.…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.