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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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    9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand

    Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...

  • Phuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify | Thaiger

    Phuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify

    A new updated Phuket Provincial Order revises the international reopening scheme to include the new Sandbox 7+7 program but also slips in a revision to the parameters for cancellation or modification of the Phuket Sandbox. The order issued yesterday mostly revises the rules to include conditions for travelling to other destinations in Thailand after the first 7 days in Phuket.…

  • Airlines pushing for September reopening for domestic flights | Thaiger

    Airlines pushing for September reopening for domestic flights

    Struggling airlines are backing a push to reopen domestic flights in September from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, a hub for low-cost carriers. Negotiations are in progress with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, and budget airlines to create travel and safety regulations to resume flights. Airlines are struggling to remain liquid as nearly all domestic…

  • Police officers seen dining in restaurant despite Covid-19 rules | Thaiger

    Police officers seen dining in restaurant despite Covid-19 rules

    A picture and story have gone viral on Thai social media where people complained about the inequality in who has to follow rules and who doesn’t. The uproar was caused by 2 police officers who were spotted dining in a local restaurant in Bangkok despite continued Covid-19 restrictions prohibiting dine-in service. The police officers were identified to be from the…

  • Police arrest 21 people at Pattaya party violating Covid-19 decree | Thaiger

    Police arrest 21 people at Pattaya party violating Covid-19 decree

    Yet another party breaking all Covid-19 restrictions was just broken up in Central Pattaya tonight, with 21 people arrested. The event was in front of the Tree Town Market area on Soi Buakhao and police raided the party just before 9 pm. Pattaya and the rest of the Chon Buri province is now a maximum control dark red zone, and…

  • Teenagers arrested for handing out small bombs at Bangkok protest | Thaiger

    Teenagers arrested for handing out small bombs at Bangkok protest

    Police arrested three teenagers for allegedly distributing ping pong bombs at Sunday’s protest in Bangkok’s Din Dang area. Officers say the teenagers had added more gunpowder to the explosives to make them more powerful. Police seized 75 ping pong bombs from a suspect’s home. The teenagers allegedly told police that they had purchased the 100 ping bombs from a factory…

  • Protester injured and loses sight in one eye, family plans legal action | Thaiger

    Protester injured and loses sight in one eye, family plans legal action

    A 29 year old protester injured in a Bangkok rally last week has lost sight in one eye. Tanat Thanakitamnuay’s family says his right eye was hit by a “blunt cylindrical object” – which Coconuts Bangkok says was a tear gas canister – tearing the cornea, rupturing the eyeball, and causing his retina to peel off. Several protesters have been injured…

  • Former Future Forward leader Thanathorn faces new lese majeste charges | Thaiger

    Former Future Forward leader Thanathorn faces new lese majeste charges

    Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, is facing new trouble with 2 new lese majeste charges. The charges come from statements he made months ago about AstraZeneca being produced domestically in Thailand by Siam Bioscience, a company wholly owned by a subsidiary of Crown Property Bureau. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the…

  • Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging | Thaiger

    Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging

    The Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has reinforced the warning for vendors in Phuket to avoid price gouging or overcharging customers. He requested officials in Phuket to be vigilant in checking stores and vendors to make sure their pricing is reasonable and not artificially inflated. With the economic pummeling Thailand, and Phuket in particular, have taken with the loss of international…

  • Thailand planning travel bubble with South Korea once Covid crisis eases | Thaiger

    Thailand planning travel bubble with South Korea once Covid crisis eases

    Thailand plans to launch a travel bubble arrangement with South Korea once the Covid-19 situation improves, according to tourism officials. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the plan would allow for quarantine-free travel between the 2 countries, with hopes it will provide Thailand with a much-needed tourism boost. The plan has been confirmed by the TAT’s Thanet Petchsuwan, who will…

  • Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters | Thaiger

    Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters

    Amnesty International Thailand is calling for a full investigation into the shooting of young anti-government protesters, with 1 teenager currently in a coma. The unnamed 15 year old was shot in the back of the neck, while a 14 and 16 year old were also shot. The father of the 14 year old has already filed a police complaint. However,…

  • Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month | Thaiger

    Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month

    Domestic flights from Phuket to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are set to resume next month, according to the Transport Ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that the flights are being given the green light to facilitate the travel needs of tourists in Phuket as part of the island’s sandbox re-opening scheme. On July 21, the Civil Aviation Authority of…

  • SEC fears cryptocurrency trading by inexperienced traders | Thaiger

    SEC fears cryptocurrency trading by inexperienced traders

    The Securities and Exchange Commission in Thailand is worried about crypto investor ignorance as cryptocurrency trading volume in Thailand surged to 700 to 800 billion baht over the past 10 months. The chief executive of Zipmex Thailand predicted trading will hit 1 trillion baht by the end of 2021. At the PostToday Cryptocurrency Forum 2021 yesterday the Zipmex executive said…

  • Police arrest man for allegedly robbing Bangkok gold shop, threatening owner with fake gun | Thaiger

    Police arrest man for allegedly robbing Bangkok gold shop, threatening owner with fake gun

    Thai police arrested a man yesterday for allegedly robbing a gold shop and running off with a gold necklace valued at more than 50,000 baht in Bangkok’s Udomsuk area. He allegedly used a fake gun to threaten the shop owner and fled the scene on a motorbike with no license plate. After reviewing surveillance camera, footage police were able to…

  • Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending | Thaiger

    Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending

    In an attempt to boost revenues and welcome more tourists to the Phuket Sandbox and beyond, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a “Happy Paradise” programme. The plan aims at creating activities and excitement for Sandbox travellers and has kicked off with 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits. The program helps to invigorate not just Phuket arrivals, but also travellers…

  • Betong Airport in Yala is almost ready to be southernmost Airport | Thaiger

    Betong Airport in Yala is almost ready to be southernmost Airport

    Thailand’s southernmost province is set to open Thailand’s southernmost airport as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is nearing completion of safety inspections for Betong International Airport in Yala province. The CAAT is doing safety and security inspections now, which will be followed by a license and certification that will allow commercial flights to operate in and out of the…

  • Turtle full of plastic waste being treated in Phuket | Thaiger

    Turtle full of plastic waste being treated in Phuket

    An alarming sign of pollution was found in a young green turtle rescued from a Phuket beach last month and found to have over 150 pieces of garbage and plastic clogging its stomach and intestines. The turtle was first found on Kata Beach in Phuket on July 23rd looking weak and sick. The sea turtle was taken in by veterinarians…

  • Parit’s bail request rejected, after activist allegedly contracted Covid-19 in prison | Thaiger

    Parit’s bail request rejected, after activist allegedly contracted Covid-19 in prison

    A bail application for jailed political activist Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, has been rejected, with his lawyer saying he has also tested positive for Covid-19. 7 other activists had their bail requests rejected at the same hearing. All 8 have been charged over an anti-government protest at police headquarters in the central province of Pathum Thani on August 2. According…

  • CCSA approves Sputnik vaccine, allowing Russian Sandboxers | Thaiger

    CCSA approves Sputnik vaccine, allowing Russian Sandboxers

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration quietly okayed the Russian Sputnik vaccine as one of the accepted vaccine brands for international travellers entering Sandbox destinations in Thailand. The vaccine had previously failed to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration for import and use in Thailand. The Department of Disease Control is now expected to approve the order from…

  • Grenade found outside local politician’s home in Prachin Buri | Thaiger

    Grenade found outside local politician’s home in Prachin Buri

    A grenade was found in front of a local politician’s home in the central province Prachin Buri, east of Bangkok. The chief of the Kham Tanot Administrative Organization, 53 year old Suchart Dejsupha, said he was in a meeting when he received a message from his daughter with a photo of what appeared to be a bomb outside his house. Police…

  • Police raid birthday party at Bangkok resort, arrest 28 people | Thaiger

    Police raid birthday party at Bangkok resort, arrest 28 people

    Police raided a birthday party at a resort in Bangkok and arrested 28 people for violating emergency orders which prohibit gatherings of more than five people. Sutthisan police officers raided the resort in the Ratchadapisek area at around 3:30am today and arrested them for violating the disease control measures. Bangkok is classified as a “dark red” zone under maximum control with…

  • Family of Phuket murder suspect does not plan to request bail | Thaiger

    Family of Phuket murder suspect does not plan to request bail

    The family of Teerawat Thothip, the man who allegedly killed 57 year old Swiss national Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, does not plan to request bail for him. Region 8 Police Commander Kitrat Panpetch confirmed the family does not plan to file for bail. Nicole’s half-naked body was found earlier this month in a creek near Ao Yon Waterfall. Her shorts and shoes…

  • Woman who stole over 250 million baht from sick mother sentenced to 12 years | Thaiger

    Woman who stole over 250 million baht from sick mother sentenced to 12 years

    A Bangkok woman who stole 253 million baht from her elderly sick mother has been jailed for 12 years. The Bangkok Post reports that 55 year old Mawadi Siwirat stole the money from her 84 year old mother, named as Huay Siwirat, while she was receiving hospital treatment for a heart condition. Mawadi pled guilty and was found guilty on…

  • Saint-Tropez wildfire forces thousands to leave French resort hotspot | Thaiger

    Saint-Tropez wildfire forces thousands to leave French resort hotspot

    A wildfire in the Saint-Tropez region of Southern France has forced thousands of people to evacuate, says the fire service today. AFP reports that round around 750 firefighters responded to the fire while Reuters estimates the number of firefighters is closer to 900. Aircraft also dropped water on the blaze. The high temperatures and strong winds made the situation even more…

  • Thousands of sex toys valued at 3 million baht seized by police | Thaiger

    Thousands of sex toys valued at 3 million baht seized by police

    Thousands of sex toys valued at more than 3 million baht were seized yesterday by officers from the Child and Women’s Welfare Department in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district. Two men were arrested. Around 5,000 dildos, penis enlargement devices, penis massage oils and lubricating gels were seized from a warehouse off the Petchkasem highway. Fake Rolex and Gucci watches were also confiscated.…

  • Protester in a coma, police say riot officers used rubber bullets | Thaiger

    Protester in a coma, police say riot officers used rubber bullets

    Police deny claims that live ammunition was shot at protesters last night outside Bangkok’s Din Daeng police station. A young protester was reportedly shot in the neck and critically injured outside the station, but officers held a press conference outside the Metropolitan Police Bureau today and said only rubber bullets were used to control the crowd. The protester, who has yet…

  • PM’s office to file charges against red-shirt leader over Sunday’s protest | Thaiger

    PM’s office to file charges against red-shirt leader over Sunday’s protest

    The government is seeking to press charges against red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar over protests in Bangkok on Sunday. According to a Bangkok Post report, Seksakol Atthawong from the office of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, has confirmed that a complaint has been lodged with the Crime Suppression Division. Nattawut is accused of sedition and of violating the emergency decree and the disease…

  • Tourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days | Thaiger

    Tourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days

    Tourism operators in Phuket and other southern destinations are feeling more hopeful after a reduction in the minimum stay required as part of the Phuket sandbox. Yesterday, the Centre for Economic Situation Administration approved a proposal to set the minimum stay at 7 days, down from the previous 14. After this period, sandbox tourists are free to travel to other…

  • CP boss outlines 4 ways government could speed up pandemic recovery | Thaiger

    CP boss outlines 4 ways government could speed up pandemic recovery

    One of Thailand’s wealthiest businessmen has outlined 4 ways in which the government could accelerate the country’s Covid-19 recovery. The Bangkok Post reports that Dhanin Chearavanont, senior chairman of the Charoen Pokphand Group, was responding to questions from journalist Suthichai Yoon during a Facebook Live interview yesterday. According to Dhanin, the government must increase relief measures for those affected by…

  • Monk in Phitsanulok allegedly shoots and kills man at meditation centre | Thaiger

    Monk in Phitsanulok allegedly shoots and kills man at meditation centre

    A monk allegedly shot and killed a man, who he had a long-standing feud with, at a Buddhist meditation centre in northern Thailand’s Phitsanulok. The alleged shooter has been stripped of his monkhood and now faces murder charges. Sai Yoi police officer Suparerk Chanmee says the shooting at the Ratchathani Buddhist Meditation Centre was reported to the police around 10am this…

  • Bangkok man detained by police after allegedly assaulting woman | Thaiger

    Bangkok man detained by police after allegedly assaulting woman

    A man in Bangkok has been detained by police after allegedly assaulting a female Grab driver and then driving off. A video of the incident shows the man carrying a gun. The 36 year old man identified as “Sethawut” now faces charges of assault, criminal damage, and 2 weapons offences. Sethawut reportedly struck Grab driver Surang Sinkaew. It’s unclear what…