Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored Where to travel in Thailand in April [2025]
Travelling in Thailand is peak during April if you are looking for a real taste of summer. With high temperatures, amazing beaches, and exciting events, April is an amazing time to visit the country as a whole. Due to the...
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New York TAT says US travellers look for trips without quarantine
The New York Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says that Americans who are fully vaccinated are looking to travel to destinations without complex restrictions. American travellers are looking away from previously popular destinations like Europe and Canada, and when they look for tropical beach destinations, quarantine-free destinations like the Maldives and the Caribbean are drawing the customers that…
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Thammasat University approved to import Covid-19 vaccines
The Royal Thai Gazette published the announcement yesterday that Thammasat University has now joined a handful of government entities that can import Covid-19 vaccines. The publication of their regulations on medical services and public health management during the pandemic allows them to import medicine and vaccines as an authorized government entity. Thammasat University has already set its sights on importing…
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Field hospital raided after reports of Covid patients doing drugs, having group sex
Police raided a field hospital in central Thailand after reports that the Covid-19 patients were doing drugs and having orgies. A staff member at the field hospital in Samut Prakan, just southwest of Bangkok, told police the patients engaging in group sex and getting into fights where some patients were injured. Officers from the Internal Security Operations Command dressed in…
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Restrictions eased in “dark red” provinces; new “Covid Free” initiative
“Thai officials are shifting their focus to work on ways the public can safely live with the presence of the coronavirus rather than trying to completely eradicate it.” Disease control measures are easing in Thailand’s “dark red” provinces, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today. Starting September 1, the ban on interprovincial public transportation will be lifted, restaurants will…
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4-day no-confidence debate for PM Prayut set for August 31
Dates have now been set for in-depth debate over the move to censure PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as opposition moves for a vote of no-confidence. The debates are now set to begin on August 31 and continue over the course of 4 days, ending September 3 and will then be followed by a vote on September 4. The decision came from…
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Thailand to be added to UK “red list” from Monday
Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket or elsewhere, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK: the country is being added to the UK’s red list. The British Department of Transport says that from Monday, Thailand joins Montenegro as the 2 new additions to the UK government’s red list. This means UK residents arriving…
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Government asks opposition not to invite public to vote to remove PM from office
A government spokesman has asked the opposition Pheu Thai party to drop its plan to invite the public to vote on the PM’s removal from office. Thai PBS World reports that the opposition party is planning to ask the public to cast their votes online during, or shortly after, a no confidence debate against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 5 of…
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Friday Covid Update: 18,702 new cases and 273 deaths
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 18,702 new Covid-19 cases and 273 coronavirus-related cases today. Since April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,110,708 Covid-19 infections. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 20,163 recoveries were reported. Thailand now has 185,200 active Covid-19 cases. With the latest and most severe wave on a downward trend, there…
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‘Jo Ferrari’ – his arrest, press conference and investigation
Details have now emerged on the arrest of former policeman Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka “Chief Joe” or “Jo Ferrari”, the Nakhon Sawan police station superintendent accused with 6 other officers of torturing and suffocating a suspect in custody, allegedly in an attempt to extort 2 million baht. Despite previous reports originating in Thai media, the fleeing officer was not found just…
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Government says yes, no, yes, no, yes on Chinese ATK deal
If you are a casual reader of The Thaiger you are may have read that the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation made a deal to import 8.5 million antigen test kits at the urging of hospitals desperate to quickly test and treat Covid-19 patients. Perhaps you even followed up and learned about the pause on purchasing after the Rural Doctors Society blasted…
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Public Health Ministry to propose easing of restrictions for vaccinated residents
With the number of active Covid-19 cases on a downward trend, the Public Health Ministry plans to make a proposal to ease measures for those who are fully vaccinated, or who have passed Covid-19 tests, in provinces classified as “dark red” and “red” for high infection rates. The ministry plans to propose dine-in services at restaurants to be allowed for those…
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Fugitive police Chief Joe said to be captured in Myanmar
[UPDATE: Media is now reporting to have received confirmation from police sources of the information below.] A few Thai media websites are reporting the alleged capture of Pol Col Thitisan “Chief Joe” Utthanaphon, the police station superintendent seen in video with a group of officers released this week putting a plastic bag over a suspect’s head, reportedly suffocating a suspect…
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Thai Vietjet to resume flights to Singapore and Taiwan starting October
Thai Vietjet will resume international flights to and from Taiwan and Singapore starting on October 20 and 21 respectively. Flights from Singapore will have routes to Bangkok and Phuket. Sealed domestic flights connecting for those entering under the Phuket “Sandbox” will be available for those on the Taipei-Bangkok flights. Passengers are required to comply with immigration regulations and are liable…
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Thursday Covid Update: 18,501 new cases; provincial totals
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 18,501 new Covid-19 cases and 229 coronavirus-related deaths today. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 20,606 more recoveries. There are now 186,934 active Covid-19 cases, a downward trend over the past week. With the situation improving, restrictions are likely to be eased. Since the start of the pandemic…
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7 police officers face charges relating to suspect’s death in custody
Arrest warrants have been issued for seven police officers who were allegedly involved in the incident where a plastic bag was put over a drug suspect’s head before he was beaten, allegedly by officers demanding a 2 million baht bribe. Reports say the man died from suffocation, but officers wrote the death off as a drug overdose. As of this…
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Red Cross pleads for blood donations due to shortage
The Red Cross Society is pleading with the public to donate blood as Thailand’s hospitals are currently experiencing a severe shortage of blood reserves for patients. The shortage has led to the postponement of multiple surgeries. Director of the National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society, Dr Dutjai Chaivanichsiri, spoke earlier today to say the Covid situation has…
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19 arrested for gambling and drugs in Suphan Buri
Police arrested 19 people in the central province of Suphan Buri for illegal gambling and holding a gathering that violates the Emergency Decree. Officers also seized methamphetamine and a gun. Officers arrived at the scene and confiscated 3 bags of methamphetamine pills and a pistol. All the 19 suspects, between the ages of 23 and 50, also face drug charges.…
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7 teenagers arrested for allegedly planning to use small bombs at protest
Police arrested seven teenagers for allegedly possessing ping pong bombs with plans to use them at an upcoming protest in Bangkok. Officers raided a home in Nakhon Pathom, right outside the capital, at around 3:30am yesterday and seized 18 ping pong bombs. The teenagers at the home, ages 12 to 19, were arrested. Police also confiscated 3.69 grams of marijuana,…
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UNICEF says ongoing closure of schools is affecting child development
The United Nations Children’s Fund says many young children are missing the milestone of their first day at school as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Bangkok Post report, UNICEF says ongoing school closures risk harming children’s development and mental health. UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore says countless children have already missed out on months of face-to-face…
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Man assaulted at Pattaya worker camp
A Cambodian worker at a camp in Pattaya sustained a severe head injury after he was reportedly beaten by teenagers. Police were alerted to the attack at 11pm a few days ago. When police got to the worker camp, they found the man lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his head. The worker, identified 28 year old “Mr Mai,”…
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Figures show Covid-related deaths 2.5 times higher among pregnant women
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says Covid-related deaths in Thailand are 2.5 times higher in pregnant women. Assistant spokesperson Apisamai Srirangsan says the deaths are mainly caused by respiratory failure. Thai PBS World reports that findings from December to August 11 show that the deaths of pregnant Covid-19 patients accounted for 0.43% of all Covid-related fatalities. The Royal College…
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Officials meet today to discuss easing some Covid-19 restrictions
Government officials are to meet today to discuss the possibility of easing some restrictions, ahead of a meeting of the Covid-19 task force tomorrow. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the proposal to ease some curbs is being driven by a fall in the infection rate across the country. Today, Thailand reported 18,501 new cases, compared…
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Restaurant operators accept rules for re-opening dine-in services
Restaurant operators are happy to accept new rules for re-opening as laid out by the Public Health Ministry, if it means they can get back to business. The measures are strict and include the need for all customers to show proof of full vaccination. According to a Bangkok Post report, the re-opening of dine-in services would be done under a…
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Manhunt launched for ex-cop who allegedly killed suspect in custody
Thai police are out to catch one of their own, with a manhunt launched for former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon, who is on the run. The ex-cop, previously chief of police in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan, is accused of causing the death by suffocation of a drug suspect in custody. The dead man has been named as 24-year-old…
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Apply for a business visa in Thailand easily
Are you looking to attain a business visa in Thailand? Don’t worry as The Thaiger’s partner Tadoo is here to help. The business visa is great for those who are looking to enter Thailand for business meetings and/or conferences. Moreover, if you already have a job and are needing to relocate to Thailand with that company, then the business visa…
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Mobile vaccination bus to travel around Bangkok, exact locations to be visited unknown
City Hall in Bangkok is planning a new service called “BMV” which stands for Bangkok Mobile Vaccination Unit. The service will be a bus that drives to people’s houses and provides vaccination services. The service is set to start next week, says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwangmuang. Pongsakorn did not say which Bangkok areas the service will go…
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Covid delays construction of 3 train lines
The construction of 3 electric train lines has been postponed due to Covid, says the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas, today. The lines are the Orange Line, the Pink Line, and the Yellow Line. Pakapong says the lines were already 4% to 5% ahead of schedule. Now, the project is 2% to 3% slower than scheduled.…
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Purchase of 8.5 million Chinese antigen test kits paused again
Like many things regarding Covid-19, or Thai policy in general, the saga of importing controversial antigen test kits has reversed directions yet again. Following an order last week to proceed with the purchase of 8.5 million Chinese-made antigen test kits, the cabinet has now withdrawn the purchase approval. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha supported the cabinet decision to withdraw the deal to…
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7 arrest warrants approved for police suspects in Nakhon Sawan torture killing case
A Thai court has approved 7 arrest warrants for police officers in Nakhon Sawan, the northern Thai province. The 7 officers are suspects in the alleged torture and subsequent killing of a suspect. A shocking video allegedly showed the police covering the suspect’s head with a plastic bag until he suffocated to death. The 7 police suspects are: Thitisan…
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Blood donations desperately needed for Phuket expat
The Phuket Regional Blood Center calling blood donations for an elderly expat’s open-heart surgery. 87 year old Peter Ferry, who is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, told the Phuket News today that he is currently at Bangkok Hospital Phuket waiting for people to donate blood so he can have the surgery. Peter’s blood type is B negative, which is so rare…
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