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 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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Protester slammed for dressing as schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools
2 government MPs have criticised a member of the “Bad Students” protest movement after she dressed as a schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools. In an online protest, the activist donned a school uniform and held up a sign condemning sexual harassment in the Thai education system. Nation Thailand reports that while her actions have generally been supported…
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Finance Minister says Thailand’s GDP will take 2 years to recover
Thailand’s finance minister says the countrys GDP will take 2 years to recover the 9% it has lost since the Covid pandemic ravaged the economy. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, the Finance Minister, says the economy would have expanded by 3% this year if it weren’t for the pandemic. “The pandemic crisis will make the economy contract by around 6% in 2020, therefore…
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UPDATE: Coming to Thailand? Check your insurance and ASQ fine print.
A concerned reader sent us this information, based on his experiences in the ASQ when he arrived in Thailand. We publish them with good faith but would urge everyone to check their insurance situation, whether they’re currently in ASQ or might be in the near future, to check your individual circumstances. AXA has also responded to the comment, we provide…
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New Thailand Plus app for tourists will help officials track their whereabouts
A new app, named Thailand Plus, for tourists has been created to help officials track their whereabouts more precisely once they have arrived in Thailand. The app was developed by Sompote Arhunai, the CEO of the Energy Absolute Company, which also developed the “Mor Chana” application. Sompote says the app will send information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and…
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Buri Ram province chosen as first site for medical marijuana harvesting
Thailand’s northeastern province of Buri Ram has been selected to be the first to harvest medical marijuana at home under a ministry-sanctioned pilot project. The community that has been selected by the Cannhealth Institute, is located near a hospital in the Isaan province and features 10 houses in the provinces Khu Muang district. Each house would be allowed to grow…
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Tourists flock to Chiang Mai Royal Park Rajapruek over the long weekend
Over the long holiday weekend, more than 1,500 tourists a day flocked to the Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai. Most of the visitors were Thais from other provinces to enjoy the beautiful display of seasonal flowers adorning the park grounds. The Ratchaphruek Flower Gardens are considered a “must-see” when visiting the northern capital. The expansive gardens are incredibly picturesque.…
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Bank of Thailand takes action to curb Thai baht’s strength
The Bank of Thailand has moved forward measures, originally meant to begin early 2021, but most of which will now take effect from end of this month. The end result is that the new rules will make it easier for Thais to shuffle money overseas and invest in foreign assets. It will also make is easier for Thai citizens to…
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Protests go west, up to 2,000 gather in Thonburi
Fit for the end of a 4 day long weekend, the protest road show headed west yesterday, to a far western district of Bangkok in Tawichai Wattana, an hour’s drive from the city centre. It turned into more of a festival than a political rally where up to 2,000 people gathered. A similar rally was held at the same location…
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US federal judge shoots down President Trump’s attempt to block Pennsylvania vote certification
A US federal judge has shot down US President Trump’s campaign team’s attempt to block the certification of votes in the state of Pennsylvania. The judge issued the order that also refuted claims of widespread irregularities for mail-in ballots. The news comes after President Trump has refused to concede the election despite other leaders worldwide already recognising Joe Biden, a…
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Ketamine seized last week in “biggest drug bust ever” contains only chemical cleaning agents
Whoops. After claiming that ketamine was seized in what Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board says is the biggest drug bust on record, the board is now saying the initial 60 bags that were tested, contained only chemical cleaning agents. Last week’s bust at a Chachoengsao warehouse made international headlines as officials reportedly found 11.5 tonnes of the illegal drug. Special K…
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Chief ASEAN economist says protests not helping Thailand’s weak economy recover
Chief ASEAN economist of Nomura, Euben Paracuelles, says Thailand’s current protests are not helping Thailand’s weak economy recover. In fact, Pracuelles says Thailand’s economy is the weakest and slowest in the region, noting that it is in “pretty bad shape”. He further says that the last thing the kingdom needs is something to weaken its recovery and that the current…
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Poll reveals Thais hope President-elect Biden will be a “good leader”
Thailand’s Suan Dusit Poll has revealed that most Thais hope that the President-elect Joe Biden will be a good leader of his country. The opinion survey, by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, was conducted online on November 13 through November 18, in which 1,038 people responded with their opinions throughout the country. A majority of Thais, almost 90%, responded that they…
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Protest leaders threaten to escalate if authorities interfere with upcoming rally
Protest leaders of The Ratsadon (People’s Movement) group are threatening to escalate the rallies if authorities interfere with an upcoming rally at the Crown Property Bureau in Bangkok this Wednesday. The anti-government group named Dao Din, which is part of the wider Ratsadon group, has voiced its opposition to parliament’s rejection of the charter amendment bill proposed by iLaw, a…
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Grammy executive files lèse-majesté complaint against Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul
A lèse-majesté complaint has been officially filed against Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, one of the leaders of the Ratsadon ‘People’s Movement’. She was the first to read the, now infamous, 10 point manifesto at the Thammasat University in April, and then in a more public forum at a Democracy Monument protest in early August. Nitipong Hornak, a songwriter and judge on Thailand’s…
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The 11.5 tonnes of Ketamine that wasn’t
That huge Ketamine bust in Chachoengsao province last week, some 11.5 tonnes (yes tonnes!) of the drug, has turned out to not be quite what it seems. Originally drug officials seized 475 bags, each weighing 25 kilogram. 66 of these bags were tested. What was inside the bags wasn’t Ketamine, as claimed by police, but trisodium phosphate instead. Which brings…
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Student protesters gathering today under Bangkok skytrain
Despite 2 students recently being summoned for breaking the emergency decree, members of the “Bad Student” protest group are gathering today under the Siam BTS skytrain station in Bangkok to continue rallying. The students set up a stage on the bed of a truck that was parked in front of Siam Paragon shopping mall after rain forced them to move…
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Only taxis travelling to and from Bangkok airports can charge for luggage
The Land Transport Department is clarifying the recent news that taxis in Bangkok can charge special handling fees for luggage after the announcement received public scrutiny. The department’s deputy director Tanee Suebrerk says this special fee only applies to metred taxis travelling to and from Bangkok’s two airports. He says that those taxis who do not deliver passengers or pick…
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PM thanks volunteers for graffiti cleanup after huge anti-government protest
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is thanking pro-government volunteers for their efforts in helping clean up graffiti and paint after last Wednesday’s massive anti-government protest in central Bangkok around the Ratchaprasong intersection. The People’s Movement rally was held that day from 4pm, near the police HQ, with a protest co-leader saying they had acted out of anger after police used water…
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Pattaya Fireworks Festival hoped to boost economy over upcoming weekend
The Pattaya Fireworks Festival is approaching with many hoping it will boost the economy over the upcoming weekend. Stacked with long fireworks shows and some hotels offering promotional fares for advance bookings, officials say they hope it will wake up the weekend as Thais and foreigners alike take part in the annual short list festival. The festival runs over November…
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Personal data of 13 million online users leaked in data breach
The Digital Economy and Society Minister is calling in the experts after revelations that a data breach means the personal data of over 13 million online users has been compromised. The details of the accounts have been found up for sale on an underground website, according to a Thai PBS World report. The news has sparked condemnation of Thailand’s cybersecurity.…
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Rejoice Thailand. 681 tourists will arrive in November!
Rejoice, roll out the red carpet and sound the bells. Here they come! Thailand is about to be flooded with 681 tourists who have applied for, and received, the Special Tourist Visa. Ok, we’ll admit that’s the number is a bit down on last year’s monthly 3.3 million tourist arrivals (average). But, twisting the numbers like only the Tourist Authority…
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Police confirm over 30 protesters from both sides face criminal charges
The deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed that charges will be brought against 31 people from both pro and anti-establishment groups, following protests in Bangkok earlier this week. Piya Tawichai says 14 people face charges for offences committed in the area of the Parliament building last Tuesday, while a further 17 are being charged for crimes committed…
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PM won’t rule out lèse majesté charges for protesters
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has implied in a media address that anti-government protesters may face lèse majesté charges. He has previously threatened to use the full force of the law against pro-democracy activists and was responding to questions from reporters about whether this included the section on lèse majesté. “It is among all those laws. Do you understand the term all…
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The Thai tourism new normal, learning to live with the pandemic
OPINION by Julian Spindler Thailand’s world-class tourism industry, one of the twin drivers of our economy, is in a deep, coronavirus-induced coma, close to death. No life support is currently available. Pandemic paranoia has gripped the nation, freezing our bio-security risk management in full containment mode, meaning zero tolerance for local Covid-19 transmission. The socio-economic, and some might add political, impacts…
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Residents express health concerns as smog engulfs Pattaya
Pattaya residents have expressed concern over air pollution, as the eastern coastal city finds itself engulfed in smog. The Pattaya News reports that the deterioration in air quality has been ongoing for a number of days, with a cloud of haze obscuring the bay and neighbouring islands. Residents are advised to wear masks when outside and to limit outdoor exercise,…
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Over 5 million escape Bangkok by car and public transport as holiday begins
The Transport Ministry says just under 5.3 million Bangkok residents have left the capital as the long holiday gets underway. Anon Luangboriboon says the exodus began on Wednesday, a day before the holiday period began. The Bangkok Post reports that the figures include those travelling by car and public transport, with 2.25 million leaving by bus and van. Anon says…
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Long weekend, busy roads and price gouging
Airfare and accommodation costs have skyrocketed over this long weekend, an artificially added 2 days of holiday by the Thai government to stimulate the local travel economy. Airfares, if you didn’t get the earlier ‘cheapies’, have risen to 2 – 3 times their ‘normal’ discount prices. And accommodation costs have followed suit (although the OTAs are still advertising plenty of…
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Ministry of Finance proposes extension to shopping stimulus scheme
The Ministry of Finance is proposing to get Thais to shop the country out of recession. They’ve proposed an extension to the shopping co-payment scheme, Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves), first introduced last month. The scheme aims to encourage spending by offering Thai shoppers discounts of up to 150 baht a day at participating stores, to a maximum of…
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PM threatens protesters with full force of the law if unrest continues to escalate
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned pro-democracy protesters that they face the full force of the law if ongoing political rallies continue to escalate. On Tuesday, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered outside the Parliament building, where MPs and senators were voting on draft amendments to the constitution. A draft submitted by human rights group iLaw, with the backing of 100,000…
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Vaccine could be ready by the end of next month – BioNTech/Pfizer
BioNTech has announced the candidate Covid-19 vaccine, the German company is developing with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, could be released for public distribution before the year, at least in the US and Europe. BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin says that both companies plan to apply for “emergency use authorisation” of their candidate vaccine in the US today (US time), while European regulators…
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