Thailand News
Discover the most recent and relevant news from across Thailand on The Thaiger’s National News page. Covering a wide range of topics, including politics, business, crime, and lifestyle, our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
Stay informed about the latest developments in Thai society, economy, and culture, as well as updates on travel, tourism, and expat life. With The Thaiger, you’ll never miss out on the essential news that matters to you.
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Sponsored The 5 common types of markets to start trading
Just getting started on trading? You’re probably wondering about the types of markets available and which one you should trade. This decision can be daunting for beginners since each market offers unique opportunities with varying risk levels and potential returns....
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Phuket man paralysed by drunk officer seeks 15 million baht in compensation
The family of the noodle vendor who was shot by a drunk, off-duty police officer last year on Phuket’s Bangla Road is seeking compensation of 15 million baht. The 25 year old vendor was shot in the stomach with the bullet lodged in his spine, paralysing him from the waist down. The officer is now on trial for attempted murder,…
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CBRE recommends top 5 luxury condominiums in Phuket with fantastic locations
Luxury condominiums in Phuket are an appealing alternative to villas or houses because you can purchase them on freehold, which means that the condos are 100% in your name. It is just like owning a property in your own country. Luxury condos also typically feature their own private pools, as well as a broader range of onsite amenities and 24-hours…
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Government aims to administer boosters to 70% of elderly before Songkran holiday
Health officials plan to administer booster vaccine doses to 70% of Thailand’s elderly population ahead of the Songkran holiday in April. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says it doesn’t want to see a repeat of last year, when infections and deaths rose significantly after the Thai New Year holiday, due to the limited availability…
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Daughter of former PM Thaksin moves up in political career, closer to PM candidacy
Thailand’s main opposition party is leaning closer to choosing their candidate for prime minister and reports say the daughter of the former leader Thaksin Shinawatra might run as the party’s candidate. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, was announced as the project leader for a Pheu Thai party campaign to draw in new members, but when asked about becoming a candidate for prime minister,…
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Businesses on Khao San Road push for Songkran rules to be eased
Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road are pushing for government officials to allow the gritty nightlife district to host activities for Songkran, the Thai New Year which is celebrated with massive water fights. Khao San Road has been known as a top destination for backpackers on a budget with cheap beer, buckets of alcohol, laughing gas balloons, and scorpion-on-a-stick.…
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Crayfish alien species found at Phetchabun waterfall, Thais discuss potential effects to ecosystem
After a non-native species of crayfish was found at a Northern Thailand waterfall, some are discussing the effects the species can have on the environment. A photo of a Redcraw crayfish, originating from Australia, at a waterfall in Phetchabun, sparked a debate about the potential damage this “freshwater lobster” can cause to the local ecosystem. Crayfish (also known as crawfish,…
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Thai woman dresses as bear to sell more Kratom
Now that kratom is legal in Thailand, one woman in the Isaan province Buriram is dressing up in a bear costume and standing on the side of the road to attract business. Apparently, it has worked and her roadside sales of kratom leaves have shot up to over 1,000 baht per day. 40 year old Monradee Mordham from Udon Thani has…
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Thai villagers put up sign told tell an aggressive elephant to go away
After attempts to lure a hot-tempered elephant back into a wildlife sanctuary failed, locals in the village where the elephant has wreaked havoc, destroying plantations and killing an elderly woman, have put up a sign – even though the elephant cannot read – telling the animal to go away. Park officials in eastern province Prachin Buri were ordered to detain…
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Monday Covid Update: 23,441 new cases; provincial totals
88 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,246 with 2,548 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,441 new Covid-19 cases and 23,153 recoveries. There are now 240,339 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights
Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for business, but you might be hard-pressed to book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it needs an additional two to three months to promote the airport among domestic and foreign tourists before it can reopen the route. Last week, Nok Air cancelled its flights…
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200 crocodiles on sale in Trang, southern Thailand
A crocodile farmer in Trang has slashed his prices after accumulating 450 crocodiles which he has found hard to shift since the coronavirus pandemic began. Around 200 of the crocodiles are currently for sale for the cheap price of 3,500 baht to 6,000 baht each, depending on the size. Before the pandemic began, Sommart Srisuk sold the crocodiles for 8,000…
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Most of Thailand to be hit by heavy rainfall today and tomorrow
Get your umbrellas out, you’re going to need them in most parts of the country today and tomorrow. The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast “very heavy rain” for the north, central Thailand, and the east coast of the southern region. A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is the reason for the wet conditions, according to the TMD, with a…
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Don’t forget about dengue while worrying about Covid – Thai health officials
Thai health officials have issued a warning about a seasonal outbreak of dengue fever that may be more severe than normal. The Department of Disease Control says that while the focus is on preventing the spread of Covid-19, the risk of contracting dengue tends to be forgotten about. However, so far this year, there have been 3 early deaths from…
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Health officials express concern over risk to elderly unvaccinated during Songkran
Health officials are urging the elderly population to come forward for vaccination or boosters ahead of next month’s Songkran holiday. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says new data shows an increase in severe illness and Covid-related deaths in the elderly. DDC boss Sopon Iamsirithaworn says those returning to their home provinces over Songkran risk…
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Hospitality sector, tourism operators call for entry restrictions to be dropped now
Businesses, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors, say July 1 – the date the government hopes to declare Covid-19 endemic – is too long to wait for restrictions to be lifted. As operators watch what’s happening in neighbouring countries, Thailand’s tourism sector is feeling anxious. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of…
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Samut Prakan woman kills son’s friend in bloody fight
A woman stabbed a man to death in Samut Prakan last night, claiming the man chased her son with a wooden stick. She said she first tried to stop the man from hurting her son, but then he hit her with the stick. The woman’s son, Vorakan, told police he been drinking with the man and a group of their…
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Songkran 2022 might be back on in Thailand, but…
UPDATE A Songkran with water MAY end up being a thing for 2022. This moist bombshell floating around the Thai media this afternoon. But you’ll need a face mask, an ATK tests and only at designated zones. The change of mind surprised everyone at this afternoon’s CCSA daily briefing. According to a post on the Khaosod English Facebook page, it…
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Tangmo: Fresh autopsy of Thai actress dispels suspicions (preliminary findings)
A second autopsy of the body of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharavirapong was conducted Thursday afternoon by the Central Institute of Forensic Science at Thammasat University Hospital in Bangkok. The actress’ mother, Panida Sirayootyotin, requested the re-examination to confirm her daughter’s cause of death and to dispel any skepticism surrounding the high-profile investigation. READ: Tangmo: Panel to verify 2nd autopsy…
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Iconic Thai rockstar writes song “Let go of Covid”, calls to end Covid-19 restrictions
An iconic Thai rockstar released a song this week calling on Thailand’s government to lift all Covid-19 restrictions. The song is titled “Let go of Covid”. The singer, known to Thais as ‘Aed Carabao’, said in a post that he went to a football tournament in the UK, and was shocked by how much life had returned to normal compared…
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Thailand’s State of Emergency extended, again
Two years into Thailand’s reaction to the Covid pandemic, Thailand’s State of Emergency will remain in effect after being extended for another two months. The emergency decree allows the Government to tackle the outbreak through its Covid-19 task force – the CCSA. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration makes decisions, relating to internal Covid policy and government reaction, on the run…
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Plans to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 test requirement still need confirmation
It might soon get a little easier to travel to Thailand. The government plans to scrap the pre-departure Covid-19 test requirements for vaccinated travellers entering the country under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. A spokesperson says they are waiting for confirmation. Under the planned revisions, just a PCR Covid-19 test is needed on arrival and a self-administered rapid…
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Another dry Songkran. No water fights for the Thai New Year
It’s going to be another dry Songkran. For the third time, water fights have been banned for the Thai New Year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The holiday, which is April 13 to 15 this year, is celebrated with massive water fights with crowds shooting water guns, spraying water hoses, and dumping buckets of water on each other. Everyone gets…
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Thailand prepares to transition to an endemic phase by July 1
Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 an endemic by July 1 and has laid out a plan to focus on reducing infection rates and coronavirus-related deaths by swift and accessible medical treatment, as well as by accelerating the rollout of booster dose vaccines, particularly to the elderly. During a press briefing today, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha Covid-19 said Covid-19 is still a…
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Zoning revised: Chiang Mai open to tourism, restrictions ease in several provinces
Restrictions are easing across Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai. The northern province is now fully open to international tourism and can welcome travellers entering under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. Restaurants in Chiang Mai can also serve alcohol until 11pm. A number of provinces have been reclassified on the Thai government’s colour-coded zoning scale based on local Covid-19…
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Thai-Myanmar bridge bombed, impacting trade between the countries
After an anti-government in Myanmar bombed a bridge between Thailand’s Mae Sot and Myawaddy on March 11, trade between the two countries has been impacted. The event has resulted in a decrease in the number of Thai transport trucks passing via the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak, northern Thailand. Earlier this week, a temporary bridge was built to assist…
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PM Prayut and Ministry of Energy’s guide to saving fuel and energy this summer
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is inviting those in Thailand to join forces and save energy to combat the global energy crisis together. He suggests setting your air conditioner at 27 degrees Celsius and using a fan in tandem to save energy. Prayut and the Ministry of Energy have some tips on how to keep your fuel costs and energy bills from…
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Singapore and Thailand to discuss cruise trips to Phuket
Cruise trips from Singapore to Phuket are in the works, with plans to offer the trip to fully vaccinated tourists starting in the third quarter of 2022. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control will hold talks with Singapore authorities to negotiate requirements for travellers, which may include proof of a rapid antigen test, or ATK, taken within 24 hours before departure as…
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Bodies of 3 teenagers found in Kanchanaburi’s Kwai Noi river
Authorities have found the bodies of the three siblings who went missing in the Kwai Noi River in Kanchanaburi on Wednesday. The body of 15 year old Naen and the body of 18 year old Champa were found in the river early this morning while the body of 18 year old Champi was found this afternoon. Yee, a family friend…
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Swedish woman who hid child in Thailand sentenced to prison
A Swedish woman who was arrested by Thai police in January has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison in Sweden for hiding her child in Thailand for over a year. The woman lost her custody battle with the child’s father but disappeared with the child in December 2019 before the court’s decision was enforced. The woman…
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Mask up! PM Prayut says Thailand’s mask mandate is still in effect
Mask up! Although Thailand is on track to declare Covid-19 as endemic in the next few months, for the time being, the nationwide mask mandate is still in effect. In a press briefing today, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said the mask mandate is not being lifted and there has been no meeting on the subject yet. There have been reports on…
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