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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Koh Samui has long been known as one of the world’s finest luxury travel destinations. Its pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and crystal-clear waters create an idyllic setting that attracts travellers seeking an escape from the everyday grind. And opting to...
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Thai schools look to recruit 20,000 English and Chinese language teachers
Thailand’s Education Minister has announced plans to recruit up to 10,000 native English-speaking teachers. Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan says the ministry wants improve Thai students’ English-language proficiency “as soon as the situation is safe to do so”. He also noted that the Ministry also wanted to source up to 10,000 Chinese teachers as well. He noted that there are already 7,000 foreign…
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Thai Kra Canal – numbers don’t stack up
OPINION The possibility of Thailand being sliced into 2, with a canal running east to west through the middle of the Isthmus of Kra (the Thai section of the Malay Peninsula), is back on the table. There’s a lot of heated response from readers, for and against the plans. Is there an economic model to support the new canal? How…
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Tourism chief appeals for patience, but admits things will “never be the same”
“The primary source markets would be Northeast Asia and the ASEAN countries, with a customer target of people in good health and high-purchasing power.” Patience is not only a virtue, but a necessity, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. The TAT chief is appealing to the Thai tourism industry to be “patient, united, and confident in…
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3 to 4 years for tourism revenue to recover, research centre says
It’s going to take years for Thailand’s tourism revenue to recover. A lack of international tourists caused income to drastically drop and it’s going to be at least 3 to 4 years until revenue is back to normal, according to the Krungthai COMPASS Research Centre. Many tourism companies are also changing their marketing approach to stay in business, focusing on a…
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15 luxury cars destroyed in Bangkok garage fire
A fire that broke out overnight in a Bangkok garage has destroyed 15 luxury vehicles, with total damage estimated at around 40 million baht. The garage is located in the Saphan Sung district of the capital, around 13 kilometres from Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Bangkok Post reports that the fire started at around midnight at the SY Auto Technic garage. It…
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Police bust factories: Used medical gloves resold and painkillers sold as herbal medicine
Police busted 2 factories. The first allegedly produced medicine illegally, selling medicines containing steroids and painkillers as “herbal medicine.” The other was allegedly repackaging used medical gloves, boxing them up and making them look good as new. In the herbal medicine bust, police seized 400,000 packages of what police say is “fake” herbal medicine under the brand name “Jindamanee.” Instead…
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Border police camps to be turned into quarantine centres
Border patrol police camps might be turned into quarantine bases for migrants workers employed through a labour program, but the government just needs the officers’ permission first. The plan would provide employers a cost efficient option for the mandatory 14 day quarantine and Covid-19 testing whilst allowing for migrants to return to work in Thailand since fleeing back to their…
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22% rise in suicide cases indicates links with Thai economy and lockdowns
An apparent rise in Thailand’s suicide rate, related to the country’s current business conditions, restrictions and ongoing world pandemic, is concerning health officials. The data was announced yesterday, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, The Mental Health Department has released a report indicating 2,551 people had killed themselves from January to the end of July, 2020. That is up a…
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Suicides spike during pandemic, police ask social media influencers for help
Suicides are on the rise in Thailand and some say stress brought on by the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the spike in self inflicted deaths. To help prevent the future suicides, mental health officials are asking social media influencers for help. Over a 6 month span, suicides have spiked by about 20%. 2,551 suicide cases were reported in the first…
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Teen arrested for allegedly killing school security guard in Pathum Thani
A teenager at a Pathum Thani school allegedly has killed the duty security guard after an argument about smoking marijuana on the school’s grounds. The body of 36 year old Parinya Unsab was found near a teacher’s house. Police say the man’s skull was fractured. Parinya had called the police early in the morning saying there were teenagers causing a…
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PM ignores opposition calls for him to step down… “I have a job to do”
Calls from opposition parties for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign have been brushed aside by the Thai leader, who insists he has a job to do. Politicians from the Pheu Thai and Kao Klai parties have called for him to step down, with Jiraporn Sinthuprai from the Pheu Thai Party even going as far as to say she’s prepared…
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“Phuket Model” to be re-named, expanded to all of Thailand
A much-talked-about plan to reopen Phuket to international tourists is set for a rebrand and expansion. The plan, formerly known as the “Phuket Model”, is proposed to be re-named “Special Tourist Visa”, and will now cover all of Thailand. But, in its latest incarnation, the model will only allow tourists from “approved countries” to be involved. Apparently, the Phuket plan…
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Tourism authority says Thailand must prepare for virus cases as part of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the country must re-open its borders by the last quarter of the year and prepare to manage new Covid-19 cases as a result. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the impact of new cases can be contained with careful risk management. The reality of the situation is now sinking in as Thai officials are now…
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Source says 3,000 baht handout coming soon, PM says it’s a rumour
Thais are getting some extra cash … Well, maybe. Reports say a 3,000 baht cash handout scheme is in the works to help revive the economy after the pandemic, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha told the press it’s just a rumour, saying the Thai government “does not plan cash handouts of another 3,000 baht to Thais.” An anonymous source from the…
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Rumours of a new coup “were pure nonsense” – Thai PM
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scoffed at a range of rumours circulating in Thai media. Firstly he laughed off the reports of another military coup, telling a packed media conference yesterday that the rumours “were pure nonsense”. The ‘theory’ behind the rumour is that a staged coup d’état could help quash the rising tide of student and opposition protests. Thailand’s quasi…
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Thailand is the fourth most searched-for destination for your next holiday
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped us from taking our holidays, or doing much travelling at all. But as travel restrictions ease, which destinations are coming out on top for our post-lockdown holidays? Official-esta.com has dusted off the calculator and checked the Google Search Volume data for the search terms “Flights to X” and “Holidays in X” to…
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Rumours of another coup are false, PM says
Coup? What coup? Rumours have been floating around about an impending coup d’etat by the army. When asked about a possible coup, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed it, calling the rumour nonsense and groundless. He then abruptly called the press meeting to an end. Some have been saying the army is preparing for the coup by moving its forces and equipment.…
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No more beer and wine delivery, Thailand to ban online alcohol sales
There’s going to be a new ban on alcohol sales, but apparently just on so-called “electronic channels.” (We think this means purchasing through social media outlets and websites) For those who order craft beer that can’t be found at local stores, you might be out of luck. An announcement on the Royal Gazette says no more online alcohol sales. The…
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Bangkok police prepare for mass university protest on September 19
Police in Bangkok say they’re gearing up for a large-scale student protest, set to take place at the Tha Prachan campus of Thammasat University on September 19. Pakkapong Pongpetra, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, says officials are not sure how many days the rally will go on for, or if those taking part plan to move from the campus to other parts…
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Holiday weekend road death toll: 59
Road deaths surged during the holiday weekend. 59 people were killed in road incidents and 365 people were injured, according to the Transport Ministry. From last Thursday to Monday, a total of 405 road incidents were reported across Thailand. 116 of the incidents involved motorcycles and 31 out of the 59 deaths involved motorcycles. Many of the crashes and collisions were…
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Holiday weekend boosts tourism, brings in 8.8 billion baht
The extended 4 day holiday weekend circulated 8.8 billion baht in revenue after months of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic… the upbeat report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The drop in international tourism has crippled local economies dependent on the industry. The holiday weekend was a major boost. The Friday and Monday public holidays were announced as…
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Trials and tribulations of returning to Thailand in the Covid era – a personal view
A series of articles by David Jackson Sunday morning and I am sitting inside my viewless window in a Bangkok Hotel waiting in anticipation for a trip down to reception where, after five lonely days, I get to experience my first brief contact with a human – a nurse who will presumably force a swab up my nose. Welcome to…
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Activist vows university rally will take place, with or without permission
The political activist Parit Chiwarak, aka. “Penguin”, says a rally planned for September 19 at Thammasat University will go ahead, even if permission is refused from the University’s management. The gathering is set to take place at the university’s Tha Phra Chan campus in Bangkok, with Parit saying he expects around 50,000 people to attend. Khaosod English reports that the…
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Protest leaders Anon and Panupong freed from jail on court order
Two prominent anti-government protest leaders have now been released from Bangkok Special Prison, where they were being held on charges of violating their bail conditions. The human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, and political protester Panupong Jaadnok, have been in and out of prison in recent weeks and, while out on bail, addressed the crowd at an anti-government rally, thereby breaching…
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Splitting atoms in the Big Bang – a day in the Big Mango
OPINION by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite the global pandemic, Bangkok’s rapid-fire megacity growth trajectory has remained largely in place. While life in Covid-19 times is a bit like sparring with wild gangs of chaos monkeys in a dead-end ally, thankfully one of the singular guilty pleasures of these strange times is the ability to at least travel domestically. Last…
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Rise of food delivery apps in Thailand exposes rights disparity
The owners of the highly popular food-delivery apps are facing growing calls to improve welfare rights for their workers, as more people opt to take on a full or part-time job as a “rider”. Speaking at the online seminar, “When Riders Strike Back”, Akkanut Wantanasombut from Chulalongkorn University says employment law needs to be expanded to cover new roles such…
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Bringing Thai nationals home is a team effort
As the world ground to a crawl thanks to Covid-19, things began ramping up at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with staff working tirelessly to help Thai citizens abroad get back home. MFA staff are based both in Thailand and overseas and are tasked with assisting Thai nationals during emergencies such as natural disasters or indeed, a pandemic, wherever they…
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PM denies government split over toxic chemical ban
As officials continue to debate a recently-introduced ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos, the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha denies the government is split on the matter. He points out that coalition governments will always have differing viewpoints and that such differences will not affect the administration’s overall unity. Currently Glyphosate hasn’t been included in the ban. “Our core priorities are public health…
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Students gather at Education Ministry, issue ultimatum
“Thai education has made us puppets. We are not robots of the system; we are the youth and have the right to express ourselves.” The Education Ministry in Bangkok has been chosen as the stage for another student rally, with around 300 young people, from 50 schools, gathering there yesterday afternoon. The students have been repeating their 3 key demands,…
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National parks may close annually to recover wildlife
Environmentalist think Thailand’s national parks need to take a break. They’re considering closing the parks once a year to give wildlife time to rehabilitate. Since many parks have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, wildlife has returned to areas, according to Environment and Natural resources Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. By closing the parks for a 2 to 4 months out of…
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