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 Boost your business in Thailand: 5 powerful benefits of using BoostedByPeople
As a business owner in Thailand, you know how tough it is to stand out online. Ads get skipped, scrolled past, or flat-out ignored. People are more sceptical than ever about what they see on their feeds. And even when...
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Thailand ranks ninth on Global Climate Risk Index for “extreme weather events”
When it rains, it pours in Thailand… and torrential downpours during the country’s monsoon season is known to cause severe flooding, damaging property and leading to injuries, sometimes deaths. The weather in Thailand is considered so intense that the country is ranked ninth on the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 on nations most affected by “extreme weather events” between 2010…
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4,510 travellers arrived in 2 days of reopening, 6 with Covid-19
According to data released today, in the 2 days since Thailand’s grand reopening, 4,510 international travellers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Of those arrivals, only 6 tested positive for Covid-19, less than 1% of arriving passengers, according to the Hazard Communication Director of the Department of Disease Control. The top countries arriving in the first two days of the…
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Central plans 500 million baht reboot for New Years festival season
After months of restrictions for shopping centres, with promotional events banned in areas with high Covid-19 infection rates, 35 Central shopping centres across Thailand are preparing for the holiday shopping season with a multimillion baht market campaign to boost sales. Central Pattana Plc is set to spend as much as 500 million baht this New Years festival season in an…
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AstraZeneca finally delivers over 10 million vaccines in a month
AstraZeneca has had a turbulent relationship with Thailand and the Thai government after expectations of 10 million vaccines a month fell well short followed by a lot of finger-pointing and threats. But in October, AstraZeneca delivered 10.5 million vaccines, the first time it met the quota of what was expected or promised, depending on who you believe. When the deal…
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Thai court hands 4-year prison sentence to man for selling used medical gloves
An employee of the company accused of exporting millions of used medical gloves to buyers in the US has been sentenced to four years in prison. A recent investigation by CNN reported that the Thai-based Paddy the Room Trading Company sold and exported millions of dirty, used medical gloves, some with bloodstains, to American companies looking to cash in on…
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Government red tape loses Thammasat University free vaccines
After Thammasat University struck several deals to import millions of vaccines to Thailand, they hit a snag with government bureaucracy blocking the donation of 3 million Moderna vaccines from Poland. After struggling to get the necessary paperwork approving the vaccine donation from the government, the university had to give up and Thailand will lose the donated vaccines, the first 1.5…
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National Anti-Corruption Commission finishing up probe into Joe Ferrari’s unusual wealth
The ex-police chief accused of suffocating a suspect to death during interrogation is also being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission for his unusual wealth, especially for a police officer in a rural area on an around 40,000 baht per month salary. The officer is said to have made millions of baht from confiscating luxury cars that had been smuggled…
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Studying in Phuket As Foreigner – Education Visa
The Thaiger offers the following deal on Education Visas… Every year, millions of tourists flock to Phuket for the weather, beaches, culture, food, and shopping. Many of them are long-term guests who have come to spend their vacations here. This country has so many facets that it would be hard to see everything in one or two three-week vacations. Many…
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Airports of Thailand expects 726,000 passengers in November, mostly domestic
The president of Airports of Thailand says the country’s airports can expect around 726,000 passengers this month, following Thailand’s re-opening. However, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says most of those will be domestic travellers, with around 270,529 expected from overseas. The Bangkok Post reports that 31 flights, carrying around 2,600 passengers, landed at Suvarnabhumi yesterday. Around 1,500 were international arrivals. Meanwhile, Anucha Nakasai…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,679 new cases and 56 deaths
7,679 new Covid-19 cases and 56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,482 recoveries. There are now 97,585 people in Thailand currently being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded…
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Disgraced cop Thitisan and 6 other officers charged in death-in-custody case
Disgraced police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon and 6 other officers have been charged in an investigation into the death of a man in custody. The victim, 24 year old Chiraphong Thanapat, died while under interrogation at a police station in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan in August. Video footage that showed Thitisan placing several plastic bags over the drug suspect’s…
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PM says Thailand will step up fight against climate change
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to step up Thailand’s focus on tackling climate change. He made this announcement yesterday in Glasgow at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as the COP26. This convention is a forum in which world leaders can meet and make plans to address relevant climate issues. Prayut…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 7,574 new cases; provincial totals
78 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,338 with 19,244 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,574 new Covid-19 cases and 8,279 recoveries. There are now 98,444 people in Thailand being…
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6,600+ arrive on first day of Thailand’s reopening
Thailand reopened yesterday with quarantine free international travel for vaccinated visitors, with more than 6,600 travellers entering the country. It’s a major step forward for the country after closing borders at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Fully vaccinated passengers from 63 countries can now enter without having to go through quarantine, with just a minimal isolation period…
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Thailand aviation sector optimistic following November 1 re-opening
Following Thailand’s re-opening yesterday to vaccinated tourists from 63 approved countries, the aviation sector is feeling positive. According to a TTR Weekly report, Thai carriers are hopeful that the re-opening will mean they can restore their schedules to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. The current situation is that Thai Air Asia is operating just 10 of its…
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No decline in Covid-19 infections across 10 Thai provinces
With no drop in Covid-19 infections in 10 provinces, the CCSA says the Public Health Ministry is monitoring the situation closely. Spokesperson Apisamai Srirungson says that while new cases in Thailand as a whole have now dropped below 10,000, the situation is proving concerning in Khon Kaen, Rayong, Chiang Mai, Tak, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, as well as Songkhla, Yala,…
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Thailand Pass workaround for API error
NOTE: The following article was published in November 2021 and the Thailand Pass website has since been updated. For all those struggling to get past the dreaded Error from API server message when registering for the Thailand Pass, we’ve got a ‘fix’ for you – just follow these steps: 1. Use Google Chrome You need to be using Google Chrome…
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Bangkok hospital director summoned for allegedly smuggling Favipiravir
The Bangkok hospital director who allegedly smuggled hundreds of boxes of Favipiravir antiviral pills, which are used to treat Covid-19, has been summoned by police. Last week, officers seized 390 boxes of Favipiravir and arrested nine people who were allegedly involved in selling the pills on social media at five times higher than the standard price. Officers from the Consumer…
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Bangkok officials push hospitality sector to get health and safety certificates
With the country reopening and Bangkok lifting restrictions, city officials are pushing for businesses in the hospitality industry to apply for Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certificates. The move, which is part of a project by tourism and health officials, is intended to boost safety confidence among tourists, according to the Bangkok Post. Another key detail… restaurants in Bangkok with…
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Killing off retirement opportunities in Thailand – OPINION
OPINION Quite clearly the Government has simply not thought through the impact of the insurance provisions imposed by the Thailand Pass on “budget tourists” and likewise on current and prospective retirees in Thailand. The sobering reality is that it is well nigh impossible for individuals, 70 years and above, to obtain health insurance other than at exorbitant rates. The insurance…
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Monday Covid Update: 8,165 new cases; provincial totals
55 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,260 with 19,166 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,165 new Covid-19 cases and 9,574 recoveries. There are now 99,227 people in Thailand being…
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Suspect in transnational sex trafficking case arrested in Samut Sakhon
A suspect in a transnational sex trafficking case was arrested on Friday in Samut Sakhon, a province just southwest of Bangkok. The suspect allegedly promised a number of Thai women well-paying jobs in massage parlours in Dubai, but once the women were in the UAE, their passports were seized by traffickers and they were said to be forced into sex…
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Protesters rally in Bangkok, call for lèse majesté law to be abolished
Pro-democracy activists gathered in Bangkok yesterday, demanding an end to Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The law, officially section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising, defaming, or otherwise insulting the monarchy. The authorities have used the law on numerous occasions to levy charges against anti-government protesters, many of whom are now behind bars. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday’s…
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Thailand renews crackdown on illegal migrants ahead of re-opening
Thailand is cracking down on illegal migrants and those who smuggle them into the country, as authorities try to prevent imported Covid-19 infections. The Defence Ministry says over 30,000 illegal migrants have been intercepted and deported since the beginning of the year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the number arrested continues to rise as the country prepares to re-open…
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Thailand re-opens: minimal quarantine for vaccinated tourists from 63 countries
From today, vaccinated tourists from 63 countries can enter Thailand (by air only) with minimal quarantine requirements. Fully inoculated tourists from approved countries only need to wait in their hotel room for the result of their PCR test and are then free to go where they like. The move has been welcomed by a tourism sector crushed by the Covid-19…
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Thailand Covid zones update: Alcohol, curfews, dining, schools, getting together
The CCSA has revised the colour-coded zones for Thailand ahead of today’s reopening. It reduces the dark red zone to just 7 remaining provinces, reinstates the yellow zone for provinces under observation but not restricted, and adding a tourist blue zone that appears less connected to actual Covid-19 stats than it is to economic potential to benefit the tourism sector.…
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Suan Dusit Poll: It’s time for an election and Prayut wouldn’t win
A new Suan Dusit Poll conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University revealed that the majority of Thai people are ready for a new general election and think early 2022 is the time for it. Over 70% of people surveyed felt that Thailand is ready now for new elections, while only just under 23% opposed the idea, with just under 7%…
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Consular Deparment FAQ on Thailand Pass entry November 1
A thorough infographic of the Thailand Pass process was released by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for people planning their travel after November 1. The white text on photo backgrounds might not be the easiest way to digest this complex process, so below is the transcribed text of the announcement with some key new information detailed.…
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17 more countries added to (almost) no quarantine list in Thailand
Late last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an amendment to the list of countries that can enter Thailand without quarantine starting tomorrow, adding 17 new countries to the list of 46 countries and territories. (But even fully vaccinated travellers will have to spend one night in an SHA+ or ASQ hotel as they wait for their test result).…
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New zone restrictions: Booze, curfew, dining, schools, gatherings updated
So the CCSA has radically revised the colour-coded zone scheme for Thailand ahead of the reopening, reducing the dark red zone to just 7 remaining provinces, reinstating the yellow zone for provinces under observation but not restricted, and adding a tourist blue zone that is less connected to Covid-19 stats than it is to economic stats of how it can…
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