Hot News
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Sponsored What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Tuesday’s full moon will be a SUPER full moon
Tonight there will be a full moon. But not just ANY full moon, a SUPER full moon. Whoooaaa! Whilst Koh Pha Ngan’s monthly full moon party has been shelved for the meantime, we can still appreciate this monthly phenomenon (well, not quite monthly). The The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says that the April astronomical phenomenon coincides with the…
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Thailand’s “problem foreigners” who don’t wear masks. Really?! | VIDEO
UPDATE: Even the Thai PM has been fined for not wearing a mask at a meeting at Government House yesterday. Phuket’s vice governor has stirred the pot by singling out, what he described as, “problem foreigners” who weren’t wearing their mask in public. Over the past week there has been renewed attention to the wearing of masks at all times…
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German and Thai arrested for allegedly selling methamphetamine to undercover officer
Narcotics suppression police arrested a German man and a Thai national in Pattaya for allegedly selling crystal methamphetamine. An undercover police officer had transferred money to 59 year old Claus Mike Haberstroh’s bank account and went by a home in the tambon Nong Prue to pick up the drugs. The suspects allegedly handed the undercover agent 39.16 grammes of crystal…
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28 people arrested at private villa parties in Pattaya for violating disease control orders
Private parties at luxury pool villas in a Pattaya neighbourhood were raided by police last night and 28 people were arrested. Around 50 officers from the Banglamung district and Chon Buri stations were called to the area after neighbours complained that the parties could potentially lead to the spread Covid-19. A birthday party for an English teacher was hosted at…
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Top 10 busiest airports: Atlanta bumped as China dominates list
After 22 consecutive years as the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta slips to number 2 while China and the United States dominated the entire top 10 list of the 2020 world’s busiest airports. With the covid-19 pandemic stifling travel around the world all the airports on the list saw massive drops in passengers and rankings climbed and fell and…
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Clubhouse app a new platform for political debate
Clubhouse, a popular audio social media app, is attracting political debates, despite the Thai government threatening prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. The law forbids posting against the monarchy or government, but the app creates a perfect channel for government and politicians to directly connect to targeted social groups. The appeal of the Clubhouse app comes in its exclusivity, as…
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Pedigree cats seized in drug raid find new home with “cat lady”
A cat lady has taken in 6 pedigree cats who were auctioned off yesterday after their owner was arrested in a drug raid. The auction proceeds went to the Narcotic Control Fund, which organises drug raids. The 6 cats, consisting of 5 Scottish Folds and 1 Bengal breed, were sold to Nutch Prasopsin, who owns a Facebok fan page called,…
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Shopping centres, supermarkets and convenience stores to close an hour earlier in Red Zones
With the rising reported cases in Thailand, The Thai Retailers Association and Thai Shopping Centre Association has adjusted closing times for shopping centres, supermarkets and your local convenience stores. The situation applies for red zone provinces only at this stage. The new closing times will operate until at least May 2. • Shopping centres will close at 8pm • Supermarkets…
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Biochar could solve smoke pollution problem in Chiang Mai
The emerging technology of biochar may be at the forefront of dealing with Chiang Mai and its globally infamous smoke and air pollution. After another terrible burn season where the air quality was rated among the worst in the world, Chiang Mai is often rated the most polluted city in the world. As scientists worldwide tackle climate change, Chiang Mai…
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Man arrested for allegedly stealing from foreign men he met through online dating
Immigration police in Bangkok arrested a 29-year-old Thai man who allegedly stole from foreign men he met through dating applications like Grindr. Allegedly, he even drugged some of his dates. Police say the man would sleep with the men in hotel rooms and then somehow get them to reveal their passwords for their online banking account. Police say he would…
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Lumbini Airport aim to bring Buddhist Thais to Nepal
Nepal is hoping to attract Buddhist pilgrims from Thailand to the birthplace of Lord Buddha with the opening of the Lumbini Airport scheduled later this year. The area is an important Buddhist site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nepalese officials hope to attract Buddhist Thai travellers on sacred pilgrimage trips. The Nepal Tourism Board recently met with the Royal…
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Briton stranded in Thai hospital after balcony fall appealing to return home
A 56 year old Briton is appealing to be repatriated after surviving an attempted suicide, falling from a 6-storey balcony here in Thailand. The family of the man is trying to raise £10,000 to fly him home, after he has been stuck in a Thai hospital recovering from his injuries. He has no insurance, and before the accident, he has…
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Tourism officials revise revenue forecast, insist Phuket will re-open on schedule
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand admits it may need to revise its 2021 revenue forecast, but insists the Phuket “sandbox” project is still going ahead – and on time too. Yuthasak Supasorn says tourism officials will set a new revenue target, for both domestic and international tourists, as Thailand battles with a third wave of Covid-19. In…
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Thailand aims for only electric vehicles by 2035
Thailand has announced an ambitious plan to move to only sell zero-emission electric vehicles by 2035 as it aims to be at the forefront of the electric car market. Right now in Thailand, less than 1% of the vehicles on the road are electric but an advisor to the Energy Ministry’s national policy committee said that it’s clear the world…
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New Covid-19 wave could cause the Thai economy to lose 100 billion baht per month
With more than 18,000 Covid-19 cases in 22 days, the new wave of infections may have a dramatic impact on the Thai economy… possibly a 100 billion baht loss per month, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. They say the outbreak is likely to primarily impact the service sector and the number of workers is expected…
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Bangkok Airways suspends some flights due to ongoing Covid-19 situation
In the midst of another wave of Covid-19 infections, Bangkok Airways announced it is suspending some flight routes due to the ongoing spread of the virus. The airline is suspending the Phuket-Hat Yai route from April 23 to October 30 and its Bangkok-Sukhothai and Bangkok-Trat routes from May 1 to 31. Travellers can change their flights without an additional charge.…
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8% March growth for Thai exports in promising recovery
An 8% increase in exports is expected for March fueled by online officials connecting foreign buyers with Thai exporters. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit touted the success of this plan to have officials working as salesmen to promote Thai products worldwide, the results of which produced 14.4 billion baht in exports last year. The Trade Policy and Strategy Office will release…
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Jet fuel tax reduction extended again to aid airlines, tourism
A tax reduction, for jet fuel that has been in place to help the airline industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been extended until the end of 2020. With international travel decimated, this tax cut is aimed to help airlines stay afloat and get more customers with lower prices while travel figures are massively down. The extension was scheduled to…
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Hydro-solar hybrid electric dam project nears completion
One of the biggest hydro-solar hybrid floating electricity projects in the world is nearing completion at Sirindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchathani. This installation will move Thailand away from its often criticised fossil fuel dependence by increasing renewable energy production in the country. 7 solar farms have been built over 300 acres using 144,417 solar panels. The platforms are expected to…
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Thailand’s covid vaccine passport – will it only be used for travel?
Hi. Im Tim Newton. Just upfront saying that these are my personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect that of The Thaiger. So today the Thai Government now has officially announced vaccine passports. The documents are going to be the next big thing in the long and winding Covid road. Firstly, before some comments, the details that we actually know. This…
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Man accidentally shoots himself cleaning his gun
Medics and police responded to a call last night where a man in Samut Prakan accidentally shot himself with his own gun while cleaning it. The 42 year old man, Thammarat Kaewkomonman, was found unconscious but alive, lying on the floor of the building and was rushed to Samut Prakan Hospital. He has a bullet hole on the left side…
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Free media threatened by Covid-19-inspired laws
The International Commission of Jurists is warning that media and journalists in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam are seeing legal repression grow during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the group outlined the expanding threat. New laws that many claim violate human rights also serve to throttle the space…
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‘Entry Thailand’ website launched to facilitate process for international travellers
To facilitate the process for travellers entering Thailand, tourism officials have launched a website as a one-stop-shop to make arrangements to travel to Thailand including booking an alternative state quarantine hotel. As to who these travellers would be at this time, that hasn’t been made clear. The “Entry Thailand” website set up by the Tourism Authority of Thailand outlines 6…
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Thai monk beheads himself with guillotine in attempt to reach nirvana, followers could face charges
A monk, apparently ‘seeking nirvana’, has beheaded himself with a handmade guillotine in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu. Police are now investigating to determine if any of the monk’s followers should be charged for helping the abbot with his untidy path to enlightenment. The monk, Dhammakorn Wangphrecha, reportedly spent 5 years planning his death and believed it would…
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Thai hotels consider temporary shutdown amid low tourist demand
The president of the Thai Hotels Association says many properties are considering shutting down for the low season as a result of the Covid-19 resurgence. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi says smaller hotels that don’t necessarily have the resources of the large chain properties are struggling with cash flow and crippled by low tourist demand. Many are considering shutting up shop between…
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World’s most travel-friendly passport list – 2021
The Henley Passport Index, which rates which passports are the most travel-friendly, has just released the list for 2021, with Japan once again at the top of the list. But the Index noted that this year’s international travel freedom comparison is mostly theoretical as the current Covid-19 situation continues to limit most international travel. With a Japanese passport, travellers can…
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Pro-democracy leader “Penguin” has bail application rejected – again
The Criminal Court in Bangkok has once again rejected a bail application from anti-government activist, Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”. The leader of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group had his application refused yesterday, on the basis that there was no reason to overturn previous decisions made by the Criminal and Appeals courts. The bail application had been lodged by Parit’s mother, Sureerat…
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Thanathorn suggests 4 changes to government’s handling of pandemic
The former leader of a now-disbanded opposition party has suggested 4 ways the government could improve its handling of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former leader of the Future Forward Party, and now chairman of the Progressive Movement, has posted his suggestions on the group’s Facebook page. According to a Bangkok Post report, the suggestions relate to the…
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Thailand’s 3rd wave wreaks havoc on the Tourism Restart Plan – where are we now?
OPINION by Andrew J Wood Thailand Ministers ponder the next steps to re-start it’s massive tourism industry, initially set for July 1, 2021 in Phuket. The plan may need to be overhauled as Phuket struggles to immunise the whole island in the wake of the third wave of hotspots. Phuket, prior to the third wave had already secured more than…
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Australia and New Zealand welcome the first passengers in the southern travel bubble
Whilst travel bubbles remain a bureaucratic nightmare for most SE Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand have opened their first green lanes since April last year, nearly 400 days. For the two countries it allows family and friends to re-unite. For New Zealand it opens the gates for its largest chunk of tourists. In 2019 some 1.5 million tourists visited New Zealand…
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