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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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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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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Judge fined, driving licence suspended after Chiang Mai drink-driving crash
A court in Chiang Mai has fined a senior judge 14,500 baht and suspended his driving licence for 6 months after he caused a collision while drink-driving. Video footage posted on social media on December 31 shows a car driving into a rescue operation car at an intersection in the Muang district of Chiang Mai. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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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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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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333 lives lost on Thailand’s roads over end-of-year holiday period
While the government frets over the Omicron variant, 333 people died in road traffic accidents during Thailand’s so-called “7 dangerous days” during the end-of-year holiday. The official figures, reported by Nation Thailand, were released by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The department says there were 2,707 road traffic accidents reported between December 29 and January 4, with 2,672…
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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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Thailand sees 32,627 travellers in 2022, Russians top the list
As the future of the Thailand reopening hangs in the balance, travellers rushed to get into the country before the doors are pulled shut any further. Russia led the entries into the Kingdom with a few surprising countries making the top 10 list. 32,627 people have entered the country this year, from January 1 to January 4, bringing with them…
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Trains in Thailand report 3.16 million passengers over New Year’s
Over 3 million people rode the rails (quietly, we hope) over the New Year’s holiday period, with the Department of Rail Transport reporting 3,160,216 passengers taking trains between December 29 and January 3. During those 6 days, nearly 2.9 million of the 3.1 million rides were on the electric trains that criss-cross Bangkok. The Rail Transport Department Deputy Director-General broke…
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Massive LED billboard cluster causes sleepless nights in Thong Lor
Sleepless in Sukhumvit. A massive clump of LED billboards in Bangkok’s Thong Lor district has been such a nuisance to residents across the street, with many complaining they’re losing sleep, that an official complaint filed with local police and the district office could succeed in its removal. Thong Lor is known for its nightlife, with numerous clubs, pubs, restaurants –…
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Indian tourists who left Chon Buri before receiving positive test result found in Bangkok
Like wanted criminals, the mugshots of two Indian travellers were posted on a graphic released by the Chon Buri Health Department. Why? Because they tested positive for Covid-19. And after a search highly publicised in Thai media, the 30 year old and 32 year old were found in Bangkok. The two travellers entered Thailand through the Test & Go quarantine…
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UPDATE: Talk of Test & Go cutoff date, approved travellers can’t reschedule flights
UPDATE: At the conclusion of a Cabinet meeting this morning, a spokesperson for the Thai PM noted that Prayut Chan-o-cha supports extending the current suspension of the Test & Go program. The PM also indicated support for a January 10 sunset date for currently approved Thailand Pass applications – those approved before December 21 and for those applications made before…
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Elizabeth Holmes found guilty of 4 counts of fraud in landmark ‘tech start up’ case
“Fake it until you make it” may not be a popular slogan anymore for start ups and Silicon Valley’s T-Shirt brigade after the landmark case against Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes. Today she was found guilty of 4 counts of fraud – 1 of conspiracy to defraud investors, and 3 counts of wire fraud against investors. The jury was unable to…
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Former Thai boxer stabbed to death outside Pattaya night market
A 54 year old former Thai boxer was killed and two others were injured after a fight broke out between rival groups outside Pattaya’s popular Tree Town Nightmarket on Saturday night. One of the three suspects has been arrested, but he says he wasn’t involved and attempted to break up the fight. Narawit Pongsoungnoen, known as Ae Marine who competed…
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Government to discuss delaying resumption of Test & Go until end of January
Following an inevitable rise in cases of the Omicron variant in Thailand, the government will discuss postponing the resumption of the Test & Go entry scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says that the scheme was originally suspended due to concern over mounting Omicron infections globally. However, imported Omicron cases have now been detected in people arriving through Test &…
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PM says government will make tackling household debt a priority in 2022
The Thai PM has used his New Year address on Facebook to reassure citizens that 2022 will be the year the government tackles household debt. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government will focus on accelerating economic recovery and dealing with household debt in 2022. According to a Bangkok Post report, he acknowledges the economic hardships caused by the pandemic and…
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PM Prayut approves panel to evaluate Section 112 cases
While many protest and fight for repeal or reform of Thailand’s harsh lèse majesté laws – also known as Section 112 – PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has agreed to a plan proposed by the pro-monarchy KLA Party to convene a panel to review all complaints filed before proceeding with charges. The panel will be made up of experts who would evaluate…
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POLL: Chadchart still the lead candidate for Bangkok Governor
In the most recent NIDA Poll, Chadchart Sittipunt still holds a commanding lead in the candidate field for the Bangkok Governor election coming up later this year. Chadchart has been favoured in the election for months and is running as an independent having served previously in the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the role of Minister of…
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Police find drugs scattered at Bangkok restaurant New Year’s Party
A New Year’s Eve party at a Bangkok restaurant ended with a bang last night as police raided the establishment and arrested 40 people for charges related to illegal drugs. Police officers arrived at the venue on Soi Ratchadanivet in Huai Khwang in the early hours of New Year’s Day and found drugs scattered around the place with attendees testing…
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Maya Bay reopens | VIDEOS
Thailand’s Maya Bay is now open to tourists and visitors after being officially relaunched on new year’s day. Visitors to Koh Phi Phi Leh will have to apply in advance and numbers will be capped at 4,125 visits per day and tourist numbers cannot exceed 375 people at one time. But visits will be limited to 1 hour and no…
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555 traffic accidents and 65 road deaths on New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve was the third day of the yearly Seven Dangerous Days, where the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation tracks traffic accidents and deaths, as holiday travel create a sharp increase in traffic incidents. And yesterday saw 555 traffic accidents that resulted in 535 injuries and 65 road deaths. The Road Accidents Prevention and Reduction Centre reported…
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“Thailand Trusted Destination” certification aimed at luring tourists
“Thailand Trusted Destination” is the latest campaign in a long line of schemes government authorities have launched as they attempt to lure international travellers back to Thailand, even amid Omicron uncertainty. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports launched the campaign in a bid to increase the standards of tourism in the country. The project aims to build confidence in travellers…
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Thailand celebrated New Year’s Eve with fireworks, Covid-19 measures
Last night, despite fears of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, people all over Thailand celebrated the New Year with parties, events, and loads of fireworks. While many official government events were cancelled in provinces throughout the country and in the capital city, private events were permitted to continue with tightened Covid-19 restrictions. In Bangkok, Iconsiam shopping complex hosted the biggest New…
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Tourists flock to Koh Phangan for New Year’s beach party
Expats and tourists are flocking to Koh Phangan for the legendary Full Moon Countdown New Year’s party on Haad Rin Beach, packing ferries and overwhelming some in the tourism industry after a quiet two years due to the pandemic. While many hostels and hotels remain shuttered, those that are open are reporting to be sold out and in some cases…
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1 killed in shootout between students driving by a petrol station
A brawl involving gunfire between vocational students in Bangkok ended in one Thai person being killed and two more people being injured. The melee took place in the Bang Khun Thian district of the capital city, as 2 groups of students clashed in what appeared to be a shootout on the back of motorbikes that passed in front of a…
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Buckle-up for new year flight turbulence
New Year’s Eve mirrors Christmas Eve this year, and the days between, with world travel being disrupted – from cruises to flights, and everything in between. More than 8,000 flights have been cancelled since Christmas Eve in the US, alone. What was to have been the busiest period for travel for US citizens since the start of the pandemic, airline…
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Officials say jailed wildlife killer Premchai is fine and has finished Covid quarantine
Premchai Karnasuta, former boss of Italian–Thai Development, now behind bars for hunting and killing wildlife, is “doing fine” according to officials. The Bangkok Post reports that the Corrections Department have confirmed Premchai is sleeping well in prison and has completed an initial 21-day stay in a Covid-19 quarantine area. He will now begin a second 21-day quarantine period inside the…
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Cryptocurrency ban in China fuels Thailand’s crypto mining boom
China’s recent ban and crackdown on cryptocurrency has fuelled a cryptocurrency mining boom in Thailand as small investors quickly buy up the equipment that are now useless in China. In September, China’s central bank declared all digital currency trading and mining illegal. Some of the largest Bitcoin mining operations in the world relocated while many smaller miners are now selling…
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Russians the top demographic in Phuket, will likely remain so
Over the Christmas holiday, Russian tourists were the number 1 demographic in Phuket, and with the tightening restrictions on entry to Thailand except for the Phuket Sandbox, that trend is expected to continue into the New Year holiday and beyond. Before the whole Covid pandemic kicked off, pre-2019, Russians were already a major tourism force in Phuket. Now, after being…
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