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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Phuket international school petitions against slaughterhouse being built nearby
On Tuesday, administrators from an international school in Phuket submitted a petition to the province’s governor against a slaughterhouse being built within 400 metres of the school. The administrators claimed construction of the slaughterhouse would have “long term environmental effects” on people in the area. The slaughterhouse is planned to be 300-400 metres from the school. A report by Phuket’s…
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Thai government promises to eradicate forced prison labour following exposé
The Thai government has vowed to end forced labour in the country’s prisons, following an exposé by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The foundation’s investigation revealed shocking abuses in the Thai prison system, with inmates forced to make fishing nets for private companies for as little as 30 baht a month. Some said they did not get paid at all. Prisoners…
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HERE – Best Indian flavours in town
Sponsored Article Looking for the best Indian dining experience in Bangkok? Just look HERE! Situated on the lower level of an ancient Thai house, amid lush landscaping with a cellar of 200+ wine labels, is Restaurant HERE; a modern Indian all-day eatery and wine bar. Chef Garima Arora and the same team of one Michelin Restaurant Gaa are the force…
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Former Thai airman signs up to fight Russian forces in Ukraine
A former member of the Royal Thai Air Force is volunteering to fight alongside the Ukrainians defending their country against a Russian invasion. According to a Coconuts report, the former airman, who gives his name only as Chanapong, turned up at the Ukrainian embassy in Bangkok yesterday, saying he was there to enlist. “I want the Ukrainian people to know…
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Thai police raid home suspected of running illegal Korean gambling site
Thai police raided a home suspected of being the headquarters for an illegal gambling website that swindled more than 100 million baht from Korean victims. Officers arrested four South Korean men and a Thai woman who was renting the home in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. The suspects face charges of organising, advertising, and inviting people to join gambling without…
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Tangmo: Top Thai crime investigator debunks witness claims, calls for truth
A former top police crime investigator has come out of retirement to dismiss the story of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong’s death, as put forth by her so-called friends, and call for the truth to come out. In a video interview with Nation Thailand, Kamronwit Toopkrajang, former Lt-General and Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, is seen sitting on a boat analyzing…
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One of north India’s most wanted gangsters found in Thailand, entered on fake passport
A gangster wanted in India on multiple murder charges was arrested in Delhi after he was detained and deported from Thailand on Tuesday. Indian media say the man was a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jathedi syndicate and was known as one of the most wanted criminals in north India. 28 year old Virender Partap, also known as Kala…
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3 metre long snakes found while clearing land in Bangkok
Not one, but three pythons, each around three metres long, were found in an unoccupied plot of land in Bangkok. A worker was using a backhoe to clear the area when he stumbled across the large snakes. Rescuers also found another python and a green viper. They suspect at least 10 more snakes are in the area. The area in in…
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Thai Buddhist monk hosts funeral for himself as lesson about death
A Buddhist monk made headlines in Thailand when he invited residents in the northern province Phittanulok to a funeral… his funeral. The abbot at a local temple is alive and well, but wanted the ceremony to send a message to his followers that death is normal and just a part of life. The funeral at the Pothiyan Temple followed traditional…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,197 new cases; provincial totals
45 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,021 with 1,323 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,197 new Covid-19 cases and 19,093 recoveries. There are now 218,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thai couple arrested for allegedly running fake travel agency advertising trips in Krabi
A couple was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a fake travel agency advertising tour packages in the southern province Krabi off the Andaman coast. Reports say the couple had been doing the scam for seven years, scamming tourists out of a total of 100 million baht. Tour packages with accommodation included were advertised on Facebook for costing 2,500 baht…
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Thai officials warn prisons over forced fishing net labour
Following a December investigation by Thomson Reuters Foundation about abuse of Thai prisoners forced to make fishing nets, officials are warning prisons. The investigation found that prison guards beat prisoners who didn’t meet certain targets, and disallowed them to shower. Prisoners were also not paid minimum wage, and sometimes not paid at all. In February, 31 Thai and international rights…
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Spokesperson says Covid-19 treatment budget adjustment will not affect quality of care
Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, a spokesperson explained the decision to decrease the budget covering Covid-19 treatment costs, saying the price of some medical supplies have gone down. He told reporters that the budget adjustment will not affect the quality of care for Covid-19 patients. Thai media reports do not mention how much the budget is, but say medical centres and…
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Thais can now work in Saudi Arabia
As of yesterday, Thai workers can now work in Saudi Arabia, and will be protected by Saudi laws. Thailand’s cabinet approved two draft agreements about this yesterday, which will last for five years. They will be extended for another five years unless one or both parties decide against it. Both countries will cooperate to make sure recruitment and employment is…
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Students with Covid-19 can sit university aptitude tests with doctor’s consent
Government officials have decided that students infected with Covid-19 who need to sit university aptitude tests can do so at specially-prepared sites, if their doctor agrees. Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong says pre-university students who need to sit the General Aptitude Test/Professional and Academic Aptitude Test, scheduled for March 12 – 15, as well as other tests on March 19 and…
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Government launches outpatient service as it prepares to make Covid-19 endemic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has launched a new outpatient treatment scheme for Covid-19, as it prepares to transition the virus to endemic status. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Outpatient under Self-Isolation scheme should replace the current home isolation programme for most patients. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum says around 95% of cases are now either asymptomatic or have…
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Thailand-India air travel bubble gets the greenlight to start this month
Thai and Indian airlines are now allowed to offer flights through the travel bubble scheme between the two countries, allowing citizens and visa holders to travel between Thailand and India. Reports say Thai officials have been in talks with their counterparts in India for the past month. India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has confirmed on its website that India has created an…
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Ukraine Embassy in Thailand asks for donations to support its citizens, save lives
The Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand is seeking donations to support Ukraine and to save lives following Russia’s invasion. The embassy made a post on its Facebook page saying two special accounts in Thai baht have been opened to support the efforts. Donations can be made to Bangkok Bank account 911-0-20757-9. The embassy says “each donation matters.” Both Ukrainian and…
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Cabinet approves budget to make Phuket a “world class health destination”
Thai officials plan to make Phuket a “world class health destination.” The Cabinet just approved a 1.411 billion baht budget to develop health and wellness centres on the island and improve medical services. Over 45 acres of state-owned land in Phuket will be used to develop health centres and facilities. The project was expected to take four years to complete…
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Foreigner’s body found on Koh Larn beach off the coast of Pattaya
A man’s body was found on a beach on Koh Larn, an island off the coast of Pattaya, this morning. Police have not identified the body, but claim the man “is a foreigner”. At around 8am, the man’s body was found on the island’s Tien Beach. There were wounds on his right eye and eyebrow, and he was wearing two…
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Russian Ambassador meets with Phuket officials, discusses establishing a sister city
Impeccable timing! The Russian Ambassador to Thailand met with officials in Phuket to discuss establishing Russia’s Kamchatka Krai Administrative Region as a sister city and other matters that affect the roughly 8,000 Russian citizens on the island. Vice Governor Pichet Panapong says Thai authorities are in the process of reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding with the region, adding that it…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 20,420 new cases; provincial totals
43 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,976 with 1,278 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 20,420 new Covid-19 cases and 18,297 recoveries. There are now 215,725 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Tangmo’s friend reenacts incident for police to show how the actress fell in the Chao Phraya River
A friend of the Thai actress who was found dead in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok reenacted the celebrity’s fall off the speedboat today. The friend claims the actress, Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, fell in the river while she was trying to pee off the back of the speedboat. Many people, including Tangmo’s mother, have questioned the claims and suspect…
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French expat with Alzheimer’s rescued after getting lost in Chiang Mai forest
More than 200 people teamed up for a rescue effort to find a French expat with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing in Chiang Mai. He was found the next morning in an abandoned temple in a forest. The 70 year old man says he was driving to the French Embassy in Chiang Mai when he forgot the way home. His…
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Hoteliers asked to issue refunds to Test & Go travellers for Day 5 packages
With the government scrapping the Day 5 requirements for Test & Go travellers, more than 2,000 hotels and their partner hospitals or test centres are being asked to refund the costs of a night stay with Covid-19 RT-PCR testing. Under the revised entry requirements, travellers can take a self-administered antigen test instead of a PCR test on the fifth day…
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Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa granted 3-month conditional bail
Political activist and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, has been granted bail by the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The Ratsadon pro-democracy group leader has been in custody for over 200 days, on charges of lèse majesté and other charges related to political protests. His temporary release was tweeted by Norasate Nanongtoom of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. According to Norasate,…
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Health officials admit ongoing surge in infections affecting Favipiravir supply
Thailand’s Department of Medical Services says it’s struggling to maintain adequate supplies of Favipiravir tablets, due to the ongoing surge in Covid-19 infections. DMS chief Dr Natthaphong Wongwiwat says the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is both producing and importing the pills, but the increase in demand is outstripping available resources. He says the situation should stabilise this week, with additional supplies…
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More than 100 officers investigate local politician fatal shooting
More than 100 law enforcement officers have been assigned to investigate a case where gunmen attacked a van carrying members of a tambon administrative organisation, or TAO, on Valentine’s Day in the central province Nakhon Nayok. A politician of the tambon, or subdistrict, and the driver were killed in the shooting. A TAO chairperson was injured. In an order by…
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Thailand’s ban on “claw” machines could be reversed after Chiang Mai ruling
The popular “claw” machines at arcades and malls, some filled with stuffed animals or toys, are actually banned in Thailand because, back in 2020, the Interior Ministry announced that the games of technique and chance were considered “gambling tools.” But the two-year ban could be reversed after a recent ruling in Chiang Mai. Earlier this month, the Chiang Mai public…
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