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.

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  • Epidemiologists dispatched to Phuket to help curb the spread of Covid

    Epidemiologists dispatched to Phuket to help curb the spread of Covid

    Epidemiologists from Thailand’s Disease Control Department have been dispatched by the Ministry of Public Health to Phuket. The move is intended to help curb the spread of new Covid infections on the island; Phuket has regularly seen 200 cases a day over the last couple of weeks and hospital beds have reached 90% occupancy. Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattibhoom…

  • Phuket Vegetarian Festival gets “green light” to run from October 6 to 14

    Phuket Vegetarian Festival gets “green light” to run from October 6 to 14

    WARNING: The content below contains photos and videos of self-mutilation that some people may find disturbing. The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival has been given the “okay” to be held from October 6-14. For those who haven’t heard of the festival, it’s not exactly known for the vegetarian food. It’s actually a very spiritual celebration where some practice self-mutilation to enter…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 13,897 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 13,897 new cases; provincial totals

    188 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 14,953. Out of those fatalities, 14,859 were during the country’s latest and most severe wave of the virus, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 13,897 new…

  • Covid-Free Setting zones require all staff vaccinated by October 1

    Covid-Free Setting zones require all staff vaccinated by October 1

    Starting October 1, Thailand will roll out their Covid-Free Setting measures in an effort to safely reopen businesses. Yesterday Department of Health Chief Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai announced that as part of that rollout, shopping centre employees and staff at other at-risk businesses must be fully vaccinated by that October 1 launch. The Department of Health head made the declaration while visiting the…

  • Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 16 |

    Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 16 |

    Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand.

  • Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money

    Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money

    A man who posed as a famous disc jockey, DJ Poom, on Facebook is being investigated by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau after 2 banks lodged complaints against him for allegedly soliciting donations for Covid and then allegedly pocketing the money. He is also accused of stealing data and cash after making a site that sells products. The 2 banks are the…

  • Parents must decide by September 24 if they want their children to get Pfizer vaccine

    Parents must decide by September 24 if they want their children to get Pfizer vaccine

    Before schools reopen, parents will have to decide if they want their children inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine. They have until September 24 to make up their minds, says the Education Ministry. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration provided the vaccination timeline yesterday. 12 to 17 year olds will have access to the Pfizer vaccine if they wish to get…

  • PM orders government officials to get ready for Thailand’s re-opening

    PM orders government officials to get ready for Thailand’s re-opening

    The countdown is on to the October re-opening of Bangkok and 4 other provinces and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the tourism, health, and interior ministries to get ready. According to a Bangkok Post report, the PM has instructed officials to prepare to boost tourism while still living with Covid-19 restrictions. However, not everyone agrees with the October re-opening, with…

  • Advertisements and messages that could cause harm or danger to Thais to fall under greater gov scrutiny

    Advertisements and messages that could cause harm or danger to Thais to fall under greater gov scrutiny

    The Thai Cabinet Committee has decided to take a firmer stance on advertisements that they say could instigate social harms and messages that reference the monarchy. They plan to issue laws and regulations to control such harmful advertisements. Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul says the committee has approved the draft ministerial regulations toward advertisements or services that might cause danger…

  • Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Following a meeting between the Bangkok governor and the tourism minister, officials have decided to delay the re-opening of the capital by 2 weeks. Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the capital’s re-opening will be pushed back to October 15, as most residents are still waiting for their second vaccination. Currently, just 37% of residents are fully vaccinated. The Bangkok Post…

  • Wednesday Covid Update: 13,798 new cases; provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 13,798 new cases; provincial totals

    144 coronvirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 14,765. Out of that number, 14,671 were recorded after April 1, during the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 13,798 new Covid-19 cases and 14,133 recoveries were…

  • Booster for those with 2 Sinovac vaccines coming by October

    Booster for those with 2 Sinovac vaccines coming by October

    Those already vaccinated in Thailand may be getting a shot in the arm by next month or even sooner, as Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared that booster shot administering will begin imminently for those who received 2 Sinovac vaccines already. He stressed that the actual timing will be up to the Disease Control Department but predicted it will be…

  • Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting

    Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting

    The deputy inspector on a case that is investigating police officers involved in smuggling illegal bootleg alcohol into Bangkok is remaining curtly tight-lipped regarding the case. When asked about the recent investigation, he refused to comment, telling reporters they should ask the main inspector directly. He said the inspector could provide more information and commentary and making remarks to the…

  • Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain

    Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain

    A 40-ish year old construction worker was killed in Phuket yesterday after he got stuck under a section of a storm drain; he eventually downed after rescue efforts failed. The man had been working at a construction site for a flood protection project near the Patong Hospital. He has been identified only as “Mr Mahana” and the Pattaya news says…

  • “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” says 85% vaccination to reopen

    “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” says 85% vaccination to reopen

    In order to safely reopen schools for on-site learning, the Department of Health has declared that, for red and dark red zones, a minimum of 85% of all students, teachers, and staff in the school must be fully vaccinated before reopening. The issue of Education has become a quandary worldwide as countries weigh the need for children to receive an education…

  • Daily Covid Update | Wednesday, September 15 |

    Daily Covid Update | Wednesday, September 15 |

    Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand.

  • Department of Airports to lose 3 facilities to Airports of Thailand

    Department of Airports to lose 3 facilities to Airports of Thailand

    Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has confirmed that 3 airports under Department of Airports management are to be transferred to Airports of Thailand in a bid to boost tourism. Udon Thani, Krabi, and Buriram airports will all be managed by AoT in the hope that they can be transformed into hubs that can handle higher tourist numbers. According to a Bangkok…

  • Up to 20% of Thais report suffering from lingering Covid effects, says Department of Medical Services

    Up to 20% of Thais report suffering from lingering Covid effects, says Department of Medical Services

    The Department of Medical Services has announced that 10% to 20% of Thai Covid patients suffer from lingering Covid effects, a post-syndrome that is also known as “long Covid”, but the department adds that multiple terms have been used to characterise the syndrome. Long Covid can persist for weeks, and sometimes months after a patient has recovered from the virus. Dr…

  • Wednesday Covid Update: 144 deaths and 13,798 new cases

    Wednesday Covid Update: 144 deaths and 13,798 new cases

    144 coronavirus-related deaths and 13,798 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, in the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 1,391,477 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,133 recoveries. There are now 128,546 people being…

  • Tourists from Middle East put off Thailand due to bureaucracy, costs of Covid tests

    Tourists from Middle East put off Thailand due to bureaucracy, costs of Covid tests

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the high cost of Covid-19 tests, coupled with Certificate of Entry bureaucracy, is proving a deterrent for tourists from the Middle East. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chaiwat Tamthai from the TAT’s Dubai office says would-be tourists from the Middle East are in favour of the Phuket sandbox concept, but put off by…

  • Red Cross to get 946 million baht to purchase 1 million doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine

    Red Cross to get 946 million baht to purchase 1 million doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine

    The cabinet has decided to allocate around 946.3 million baht from the Central Fund to the Thai Red Cross Society so they can buy 1 million doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine, which will be used to vaccinate specific target groups, for free. Zuellig Pharma Company, the representative for Moderna in Thailand has offered to sell the US produced vaccine…

  • Cabinet approves measure to entice “high potential” foreigners to Thailand

    Cabinet approves measure to entice “high potential” foreigners to Thailand

    The cabinet has approved a measure to entice “high potential” foreigners, such as wealthy retirees and specialists, to spend a prolonged period in Thailand. The measure is a bid to promote foreign investment and to improve the struggling economy. The 4 groups that the government hopes to attract to Thailand are high income earners, foreign retirees, experts in different fields,…

  • Major survey shows what venues people want open, bars absent from list

    Major survey shows what venues people want open, bars absent from list

    A major survey by the Thai Department of Public Health has uncovered what places many people in Thailand want to see have their restrictions eased or to open, the most. The survey was conducted over the past month in 29 dark red zones. It was not stated how many people were polled, but the respondents are said to represent a…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 11,786 new cases; provincial totals

    Tuesday Covid Update: 11,786 new cases; provincial totals

    Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 1,406,542 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,377,679 of those cases. …

  • Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew

    Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew

    Bangkok police continue to wield the merciless hammer of law and order. They brought it down last night on a 12 year old, arresting the child for allegedly violating curfew at the Din Daeng intersection. The minor was riding his bike to observe a protest, says a group of lawyers and activists. At least 11 other people were also arrested.…

  • Japan plans to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses to several Asian countries, 300,000 heading to Thailand

    Japan plans to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses to several Asian countries, 300,000 heading to Thailand

    Japan is planning to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca vaccines to several Asian countries, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. The newest donation from Japan should go out as soon as possible and includes 400,000 doses for Vietnam, 300,000 for Thailand, and 100,00 doses for Brunei. With 500,000 doses heading to Taiwan, Japan’s total donation to the island will be just shy…

  • Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left

    Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau is claiming that the officer who allegedly plowed his truck through a group of pro-democracy protesters over the weekend did not commit a hit and run. 1 protester was injured as a result of the incident. Pol Lt Gen Phukphong Phongpetra concedes that a prisoner transport vehicle was involved in the incident but claims that it…

  • Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam

    Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam

    A 17 year old girl was arrested for allegedly robbing a gold shop and threatening the manager with a kitchen knife after she lost money in an apparent scam. The teenager reportedly told officers that she had gotten involved in what appeared to be an online investment website. She had seen an advertisement on Instagram and decided to invest the…

  • On-site learning to resume in November, subject to students being vaccinated

    On-site learning to resume in November, subject to students being vaccinated

    The Education Minister says schools can re-open for in-classroom learning from November 1, provided enough students are vaccinated. Addressing a press conference, Treenuch Thienthong confirmed the plan to re-open schools following consultation with health officials and the interior ministries. According to the minister, the re-opening hinges on the rollout of Pfizer vaccine doses, which will be offered to students between…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 136 deaths and 11,786 new cases

    Tuesday Covid Update: 136 deaths and 11,786 new cases

    136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,738 recoveries. There are now 129,025 people being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA…