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 Embassy in Japan advises citizens to register for repatriation flights
The Thai Embassy in Tokyo is advising citizens who wish to return home to register for two repatriation flights in May. Thai PBS World reports that with the ban on international flights extended until the end of May, the embassy is laying on two special flights for citizens who wish to return to Thailand. Posting on its Facebook page, the embassy…
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Government refuses Opposition’s request for debate on executive decrees
Calls from Opposition parties for a special session of parliament to debate the Thai Government’s executive decrees have been given short shrift, with the government saying the debate will have to wait until May 22, when parliament is set to reconvene. The three decrees relate to the procurement of significant loans, reported to be up to 1.9 trillion baht, in…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, April 27
Recommendation for the Emergency Decree to be extended for another month Thailand’s Emergency Decree is now very likely to be extended for another month after it expires this Thursday. The emergency decree gives the Thai PM sweeping powers and is provided for in the Thai Constitution for situations like this. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today decided to extend the…
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Thailand loses US free trade benefits worth billions of baht
Thailand loses duty free access for 42.2 billion baht in exports to the US market from today, 6 months after Washington warned it would pull back on trade privileges unless the kingdom committed to labour rights reforms. Once trade preferences for Thai products are removed they are subject to tax of between 4% and 5%, making them more expensive in…
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“Thai Airways will survive”. Emergency meeting next Wednesday.
“Thai Airways will not collapse. The fact that Deputy PM Somkid stepped in to handle the issue means the government will rescue it.” It’s no secret that Thailand’s national carrier has been a financial basket case for over a decade, bleeding money and marketshare as the years pass. The top-heavy Thai company is bailed out by the Thai government each…
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Thailand’s wildlife is thriving in shutdown, but maybe not for long
by Ben Schaye There have been a lot of viral news stories going around Thailand the last few weeks about the way wildlife is rebounding while humans are all hunkered down at home under Covid-19 lockdown. Dugongs (sea cows) have been seen frolicking off the coast of Trang, a pod of false killer whales appeared near Koh Lanta, and endangered leatherback…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, April 24
15 new Covid-19 cases in Thailand, no new deaths 15 new confirmed Covid-19 cases were announced today. This brings the total since the start of the outbreak to 2,854. 60 more people recovered and were released in the same 24 hour period. The total number of patients recovered is now 2,490. Only 314 patients remain in hospital undergoing specific Covid-19…
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Thailand News Today – Thursday, April 23
Thousands of tourists stranded on a trio of Gulf islands An estimated 10,000 foreign tourists are stranded on three islands in the Gulf of Thailand – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. More than half of them, around 5,700 are on Koh Samui, another 3,300 foreign tourists on Koh Phangan and about 1,000 on Koh Tao, after passenger flights…
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Thai government addresses widespread sexual abuse
“There have been few complaints in the past because the victims are afraid of their harassers who are usually their bosses,” Sexual harassment is a hot-button issue in many countries, today, with awareness rising of a topic which has long been unaddressed and taboo. Yesterday the Thai government pledged to protect victims who come forward and to investigate complaints of…
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Thai school director turns himself in after allegedly molesting one of his students
Yesterday at 3 pm the director of Ban Hua Na Lao school in the Phetchabun province (central Thailand), 59 year old Narongwit Phakham turned himself in to Ban Tiew Police after being accused of molesting a student at his school. Following up on a video clip of the school director allegedly molesting the schoolgirl in his school office, police officials…
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Thailand visa amnesty extended to July 30
Thailand’s cabinet has approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners for three more months. The extended amnesty is a bid to prevent long queues at immigration centres around the country. Narumon Pinyosinwat, spokeswoman for the Thai government, says they want to stem the spread of the coronavirus and avoid foreigners having to wait in lines and threaten their own health…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 21
Thailand’s new ‘normal’ – Government charts course post-April 30 The Thai government is trying to find a balance between the public health needs and the imperative to re-boot Thailand’s economy. The Government is rumoured to be mulling another month of the emergency decree. The current emergency decree is set to expire in 9 days, on April 30. This is a…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, April 20
27 new virus cases, no deaths for third straight day Thailand reported 27 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours but no additional deaths today. The new figure is 5 fewer than the 32 cases reported yesterday, and the lowest number of daily cases recorded since March 14. For the third consecutive day, no additional deaths, related to…
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Back to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready
OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Tourism is a vital part of Thailand’s economy. And as the country emerges into the post-Covid world, getting tourists back to the country will be an essential springboard to the rest of the Thai economy. None of that will be automatic or easy as international travel has been severely disrupted and will take months,…
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Deputy PM tries to clarify the PM’s letters to Thailand’s richest citizens
On Friday night the Thai PM told the Thai population that he was going to send a letter to Thailand’s Top 20 richest people asking for their ideas on how to revive the Thai economy. And he hinted that he wants them to chip in as well. He explained that he’s doing it to gather their input and ideas to…
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PM asks public to cool down on selling their gold
Massive unemployment due to the national state of emergency and the Covid-19 outbreak has pushed gold prices to near a 7 year high, and gold shops throughout the country are running out of cash because so many people are cashing in. In a briefing this week in Bangkok, PM Prayut Chan-Ocha asked the public to show restraint and not to…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, April 17
Healthcare leader predicts 200,000 people could be infected with Covid-19 Despite the relatively low number of new coronavirus cases in Thailand, hospitals are already reaching capacity in dealing with patients that need ICU treatment and ventilators… this from Boon Vanasin, chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group. He claims that the three main hospitals in Bangkok specialising in Covid-19 treatment are already…
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Thunderstorms in the South, heatwave in the North
The Thai Meteorological Department forecast for today says that “a thermal low will blanket northern Thailand while winds from the south and southeast will bring humidity to the lower North, the Northeast, the Central and Eastern regions (forecasts for Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket below). Weather continues to be humid and unsettled in the south as the south-westerly monsoon starts to build strength.…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 16
Singapore’s new cases surge Singapore health officials have reported 447 new infections yesterday, a record daily increase, with the majority of new cases linked to dormitory housing for low-paid migrant workers. The city-state, which has registered 3,699 infections and 10 deaths, initially managed to keep its outbreak in check but is now battling a fast-rising second wave of cases. Singapore…
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Migrant workers in Thailand can now stay until November 30
Yesterday the Thai government officially announced a blanket extension for the country’s migrant labourers. They will now be permitted to stay until November 30 this year and will be exempted from any sort of overstay penalty. Government Spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat says that the government has backed the Ministry of Labour’s review of the Cabinet resolution on March 24 on the…
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2.7 billion in “cash gifts” for officials working to fight Covid-19
Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul announced the Thai Cabinet has approved “cash gifts” for government officials working to fighting the Covid 19 outbreak. “The move to disburse cash gifts from the 2.7 billion baht budget was proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.” Those who work in fields directly affected by the outbreak – doctors, nurses and other essential…
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Thai Government pharmaceutical organisation boosts production of key medicines
Dr Mukdavan Prakobvaitayakit, the deputy managing director of The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says “the GPO has been increasing the amount of production for chronic disease medication by 50%. ” This unexpected Covid-19 pandemic has hit the stockpile of 5 – 6 key medicines, which are being used in the treatment of Covid-19. In normal circumstances, GPO usually purchases raw materials…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, April 15
30 new Covid-19 cases (Wednesday), 2 more deaths Thai health officials today confirmed 30 new Covid-19 cases, taking the national total to 2,643. New cases – 30 Total cases – 2,643 Death toll – 43 2 new deaths raise the national tally to 43. Today’s result follows the general trend of fewer new cases each day. But a spokesman for…
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Covid-19 crisis delays Thailand’s biofuel future
Thailand’s Energy Ministry has postponed a nationwide plan to switch to biofuels until the Covid 19 crisis subsides. The ministry initially told oil refineries to stop producing gasohol 91 at the end of May and planned to increase consumption and manufacture of biofuels like gasohol E20, which will generate income for local farmers who grow biofuel energy crops like sugarcane…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 14
Thailand Covid-19 cases rise to 34 (Tuesday), 1 more death Health officials today confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases from around the country, bringing the total to 2,613. There was one additional death, a Bangkok bus driver, raising the country’s death toll to 41. Today’s number is higher than the 28 recorded yesterday, and comes after five straight days of declines…
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Thailand facing double whammy – Covid-19 and worsening seasonal drought
The Office of the National Water Resources says up to 6,255 villages in 24 provinces have already been declared as drought-affected areas, while national dams and reservoirs are only at an average of 49% capacity (only 26% of that water is usable.) It has been predicted that the drought could last until at least July. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says…
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AoT, already struggling, deny investing in faltering Thai Airways
“We’ve got enough problems of our own.” Airports of Thailand is denying claims that it is interested in acquiring a stake in the financially floundering flag carrier Thai Airways, saying that they too are struggling with the sharp drop in revenue after airlines and airport shutdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thai Airways, once considered one of Asia’s most luxurious…
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Thailand Covid-19 cases rise to 34 (Tuesday), 1 more death
Thai health officials today confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases from around the country, bringing the total to 2,613 since the beginning of the outbreak. There was one additional death, a Bangkok bus driver, raising the country’s death toll to 41. Today’s number is higher than the 28 recorded yesterday, and comes after five straight days of declines since the 111 recorded…
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Drunken man incinerates ATM after running out of alcohol
Last night around 10pm a drunk man, apparently desperate to get more alcohol, became angry and aggressive, whereupon he decided to incinerate an ATM machine hoping that it was going to explode and rain cash, or alcohol, in Rayong, south east of Bangkok. General Montree Yimyam along with officials from the Rotong Police Station, arrested the man, later revealed as…
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Up to 10 million Thais out of work in next three months – CCSA
As many as 10 million Thais could be out of work in the next few months if the current Covid-19 epidemic drags on. Supant Mongkolsuthee, the president of the Federation of Thai IndustriesGovernment, says the Thai government needs to provide timely support for businesses. As head of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s working committee, tasked with overseeing small and…
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