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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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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No foreign tourists to arrive tomorrow, the first day of “Samui Plus” reopening
No tourists will arrive in Koh Samui tomorrow, the first day of the island’s reopening under the “Samui Plus” travel scheme, similar to the “Phuket Sandbox.” Only 4 foreign tourists are expected on Friday. Tourism officials say it will be a slow start and they expect that an influx of travellers to the trio of islands in the Gulf of…
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Market vendor goes to police station, reports a spirit is harassing her
A Thai woman in northern province Phrae went to the local police station to report that a spirit was harassing her. The 39 year old market vendor who sells boiled corn told police the spirit was trying to possess her body and causing her heart and abdominal pain, according to the Thai media outlet Thairath. She tried taking medicine, but…
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Police warn to be careful about adding friends online, some aren’t real friends
Royal Thai Police are warning social media uses to be cautious when adding “friends” online. The police say sometimes these “friends” are not real friends after all. The police say to be especially wary of people posing as foreigners online as they can be sources of danger. Reportedly, the word of caution comes from deputy RTP spokesperson Deephor Siriwat. Thai…
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Man allegedly breaks into Bangkok 7/11, argues with police
A man has been arrested after he allegedly broke into a Bangkok 7/11 and rooted around for a bit, early Tuesday morning. According to police, 33 year old Songyot Tharanukan broke a glass door with a brick and then gained illegal entry into the ubiquitous convenience store. Police also say the man was none too happy to have to deal…
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Prachin Buri clinic raided for allegedly selling fake Moderna vaccines
A proprietor of a clinic in the central Thailand province of Prachin Buri has been taken in for questioning after patients allege, he was selling them fake doses of the Moderna vaccine. The owner is set to be questioned today, says Pattanachai Pamornpibul of the Wangg Takian Police. Yesterday, police raided his business, the Kularb Clinic. Clients had reported the…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 9,317 new cases; provincial totals
9,317 new Covid-19 cases and 87 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Out of the total of 363,029 Covid-19 cases reported by the CCSA since the start of the pandemic last year, the latest and most severe wave, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 334,166 of the infections. The 87 new coronavirus-related fatalities…
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For Covid-19, officials want you to stop talking… on trains anyway
British trains are known for being silent, with nobody disturbing others with chatting. Now British expats can get a taste of home as Thailand’s train authorities add to their Covid-19 safety precautions the request of no talking on trains to avoid the spread of the virus. The Department of Rail Transport has already implemented health and safety regulations to attempt…
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Man changes Virologist’s Wikipedia to include “Sinovac salesman”, faces charges
Recently, a Thai national allegedly modified the Thai language Wikipedia entry for Thai virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan to include that Dr Yong is also a “Sinovac salesman for the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration”. He is now facing charges such as criminal defamation and maybe computer crimes. On Monday, Bangkok police searched the 24 year old aspiring scribe’s home and seized his…
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Phuket finds another visitor has Covid, total now stands at 7
Yesterday, another visitor to Phuket was discovered to be infected with Covid. The discovery brings Phuket’s total infected visitors to 7, says provincial public health chief Kusak Kukiatikoon, today. Dr Kusak revealed that case number 7 comes from a South African woman who is a friend of the South African man who health officials had previously determined to be infected…
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Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
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Government extends emergency decree for the 13th time
The Thai Cabinet has approved an extension to the emergency decree until at least the end of September, meaning it has now been extended 13 times. According to a Pattaya News report, the extension comes into effect on August 1 and means the government will retain extraordinary powers, including the ability of the courts to hand down heavy penalties to…
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Thammasat University Hospital needs shipping containers to help overwhelmed morgue
Thammasat University Hospital, located in central Thailand’s Pathum Thani Province, is running out of room in its morgue and is now looking for shipping containers to store the remains of Covid victims. The hospital posted on Facebook to say it anticipates Covid cases to surpass 10,000 soon, as health officials increase their testing efforts in high risk areas. The Thammasat…
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Concerns raised as Health Ministry appears to ignore WHO warning on mixing vaccines
The public is questioning the Thai government’s proposal to combine Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers despite a warning from the World Health Organisation. The WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has warned against the practice, saying there is not enough information on the potential risks. However, the Pattaya News reports that Thailand’s National Communicable Disease Committee has just approved the proposal…
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42-billion-baht aid package to cushion the financial impact of Covid restrictions
The government will provide a 42-billion-baht aid package for businesses and individuals affected by the latest Covid-19 restrictions in the 10 “dark red” provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that 30 billion baht of the relief package will come from the government’s loan decree, while the other 12 billion will come from the national budget. The provinces of Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom,…
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DSI asked to step in and investigate multimillion baht street lamp project
Following the ongoing controversy of hundreds of millions of baht spent by local officials on expensive street lamps, the Department of Special Investigation has been asked to step in and investigate the projects in the Racha Thewa subdistrict of Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is also establishing 5 panels to investigate the lamp project, a probe…
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Karon criminal arrested for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht
Yesterday, a man was arrested in Karon, Phuket for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht from an American. The 42 year old unnamed Thai man allegedly stole 18,000 baht out of 39 year old James Anthony Melwesti’s villa. James had contacted Karon police to report he was 18,000 baht lighter. Thai media says that police checked CCTV and saw a man had…
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First night of curfew: 299 arrested
From last night to this morning, police arrested 299 people across 10 provinces. The suspects were allegedly not adhering to the new curfew, says police spokesperson Yingyot Thepjamnong. The breakdown of arrested is as follows: 57 arrested in Bangkok 187 arrested throughout: Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani 7 arrested in Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon 48 arrested in Songkhla,…
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Public warned about immigration police impersonators asking for bribes
The Thai Immigration Bureau is warning foreign residents and the general public to be careful of people who are impersonating as immigration police officers and asking for bribes or other payments. Apparently, the people posing as immigration officers are approaching individual foreigners and are inspecting establishments like factories, which tend to employ migrant workers. If approached by someone claiming to…
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More than 1,000 people file damage complaints related to Samut Prakan chemical fire
More than 1,000 residents in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phili district have filed damage complaints relating to the Ming Dih Chemical Company explosion and massive fire last week which took more than 24 hours to control. Helicopters were deployed to spray fire retardant foam. Residents within a 5 kilometre radius were told to evacuate. Toxic black smoke billowing from the chemical…
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Bangkok Government Complex provides free Covid testing, registering online first imperative
For people who wish to get a free Covid test at the Government Complex, they must register online first, says the National Health Security Office, today. The test will be the rapid antigen test. The testing location is on Chaeng Wattana Road and will be open until July 30. The hours are 8 am and 4 pm, but not on…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 8,685 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on a sharp upward trend in the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, Thailand now has 95,410 active coronavirus cases. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 8,685 new Covid-19 cases today, raising the total case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 353,712. The latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April…
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Thai government accused of mismanagement during the pandemic
The Thai government is being accused of mismanagement related to the Covid-19 pandemic and procurement of vaccines. The Thailand Development Research Institute released a report outlining the government’s role in combating the spread of the virus, saying there were poor preparations leading up to the recent and most severe wave. The institute is now calling for an independent committee to…
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Rapid antigen tests should be available next week for testing at home
Yesterday, the Public Health Ministry announced that rapid antigen tests will now be sold for home use. The tests will be sold at hospitals, health clinics, pharmacies, and other locations that have been approved by the FDA. The announcement states that government institutions that get the kits must send them to hospitals. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also said yesterday…
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Infections in the sandbox not surprising, says Phuket health office Chief
“The infected cases among Phuket Sandbox tourists were expected under the plan made before opening the island.” Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon announced at a press conference yesterday that Covid infected tourists popping up in the sandbox were “expected”. Dr Kusak assured the public, and tourists mulling where to go on vacation, that zero of the…
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Chon Buri governor orders nightly closures and requests residents to stay at home
With Covid-19 still on the rise in Chon Buri, the governor imposed new disease control measures ordering nightly business closures and officially requesting residents to stay at home from 9pm to 4am, unless travel is essential. The order goes into effect today. The restrictions are in place until the Covid-19 situation in Chon Buri improves. Chon Buri, which includes Pattaya,…
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2 Bangkok hospitals allowing foreigners to register for Covid-19 vaccination
UPDATE: The Thaiger has been informed that registration is open for 5 days only @ 100 people a day only. We would also urge people to understand that these vaccines are not in the country at this time and that people may be asked to pre-pay for the service. Following the decommissioning of the bug-ridden Thailandintervac.com website, expats in Thailand…
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Private hospitals call on government to cover costs of caring for Covid patients
Thailand’s private hospitals say that if the government would help cover the medical costs of Covid-19 patients, private facilities could help ease the burden on the public health system. The Bangkok Post reports that Pongpat Patanavanich from TPP Healthcare International, which owns MedPark Hospital, says medical costs at private hospitals are too high for those with limited budgets. According to…
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World Health Organisation warns against “dangerous trend” of mixing Covid vaccines
A chief scientist at the World Health Organisation has warned against an emerging practice of mixing Covid-19 vaccines. Speaking during an online briefing, Soumya Swaminathan described the practice of combining vaccines from different manufacturers as a, “dangerous trend”. She says a lack of safety data means countries should refrain from random decision-making on vaccine boosters and combinations. “It’s a little…
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Study shows antibodies drop by 50% every 40 days after 2 doses of Sinovac
A study carried out by the faculty of medicine at Thammasat University and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology has found that antibodies halve every 40 days after 2 doses of the Sinovac vaccine. Researcher Anan Jongkaewwattana says 500 people who received both doses of the Chinese vaccine took part in the study. The findings confirmed that their…
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Bangkok construction workers infected with both Alpha and Delta strains
Some workers at a Bangkok constructions camp have tested positive for both the Alpha and Delta variants of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post calls it a “mixed infection” while both Nation Thailand and Thai PBS say the workers tested positive for a hybrid strain of the 2 variants. Thailand’s Medical Sciences Department director-general Dr. Supakit Sirilak announced the findings today saying…
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