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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Blood supplies low during pandemic, LGBTQ activists call to be allowed to donate
Blood supplies in Thailand have reportedly run critically low over the recent months as many donation centres have suspended operations due to the Covid-19 situation. With calls from the Thai Red Cross society for blood donations, LGBTQ activists are urging the Red Cross to change their criteria to allow those in the gay and transgender communities to donate, especially now…
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Thailand allows antigen test kits to be sold online, in regular shops
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration says the sale of Covid-19 antigen test kits in shops and online has now been approved. Dr Paisal Dankhum from the FDA says the Public Health Ministry took the decision to allow more widespread sales, in order to improve public access to ATKs. Previously, the kits could only be purchased through hospitals, health clinics, and…
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Friday Covid Update: 11,754 new cases and 123 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 11,754 new Covid-19 cases and 123 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,586,366 confirmed covid-19 cases have been reported. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 12,473 recoveries. There are now 115,233 people currently receiving treatment for Covid-19. Out of…
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Government reveals Thailand’s 2022 tourism slogan
The Thai government has unveiled the new slogan that will be used to market the country to foreign tourists next year: “Visit Thailand 2022, Now Even More Amazing Thailand Has It All”. Thai PBS World reports that the slogan was revealed at an online meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration yesterday. The meeting was chaired by PM Prayut…
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Thursday Covid Update: 11,646 new cases; provincial totals
107 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 16,727 with 16,633 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 11,646 new Covid-19 cases and 10,887 recoveries were reported. There are now 116,075 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment…
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Updated regulations on Thailand’s quarantine period for international arrivals
Starting tomorrow, the mandatory quarantine period for vaccinated travellers entering Thailand will be reduced from 14 days to seven. Those who are either unvaccinated, or who cannot show proof of their vaccination status, face a longer quarantine period of between 10 to 14 days. The mandatory isolation period is waived for vaccinated travellers entering Thailand through the pilot reopening projects…
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Thailand inks deal for 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines in 2022
A new deal signed with AstraZeneca confirms the purchase of 60 million vaccines next year for Thailand to use as booster shot third vaccines. The Ministry of Public Health signed the deal with the Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer to acquire the booster shots over the course of 3 quarters of 2022. The signing was accompanied by a ceremony attended by Minister…
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Ex-police chief, lawyer accused of involvement in altering Red Bull heir hit-and-run report
A former national police chief and a lawyer for the fugitive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, are being investigated over the 2012 fatal hit-and-run case and are accused of ordering an officer to change the reported speed the billionaire was driving when sped his Ferrari through Bangkok’s Thong Lor district, running over a police officer and killing him. Reports…
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“Sandbox” period in Phuket shortened to 7 days for vaccinated travellers
With the recently relaxed rules on the quarantine period for overseas arrivals, those who enter Thailand under the “Phuket Sandbox” will only be required to stay in the province for seven days instead of the previous 14. The “Sandbox” pilot reopening project allows vaccinated travellers from abroad to roam freely on the island rather than isolate in a hotel. The…
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Minister Don meets US officials over vaccine donation to Thailand
In Washington DC, Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Senator Tammy Duckworth to discuss the 1 million Pfizer vaccines the US donated that Thailand has yet to collect. Last week both sides argued that they were waiting on the other’s bureaucratic red tape to complete the donation, with Minister of…
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Thursday Covid Update: 11,646 new cases and 107 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported a slight uptick of 11,646 new Covid-19 cases and 107 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in Thailand’s latest wave of the virus, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,574,612 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 10,887 recoveries. There are now 116,075 people in Thailand currently receiving…
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Opposition accused of misinterpreting how long PM has left in office
A spokesperson from the PM’s Secretariat Office has slammed opposition parties for trying to end the PM’s term prematurely. Thippanan Sirichana accuses opposition MPs of trying to damage Prayut Chan-o-cha’s reputation because they’re concerned he might score a second term in office. According to a Bangkok Post report, the confrontation is the result of a difference of opinion as to…
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Court rules for Health Ministry, calls dual pricing beneficial
In a closely-followed court case, the Administrative Court in Phetchaburi ruled that multi-tiered “dual pricing” in Thai hospitals are not discriminatory as they benefit Thailand, according to the media outlet Coconuts Bangkok. Ewrin Buse, who sued the Ministry of Public Health after discovering he was being charged more for his cancer treatment as a foreigner, vowed to appeal the decision.…
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New tax to raise cigarette prices by around 8 baht per pack
Packs of cigarettes are going to get a little more expensive. The Thai Cabinet just approved a new excise tax structure for cigarettes. Retail prices for a pack are expected to rise by 6 to 8 baht. The Finance Minister says the new tax structure is expected to go into effect on Friday, but it still needs to be published…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 10,414 new cases; provincial totals
122 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 16,620 with 16,526 of those fatalities during the latest wave, first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 10,414 new Covid-19 cases and 11,580 recoveries. There are now 115,423 people in Thailand currently receiving…
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Education Ministry apologises for fake flood photo
After publishing an edited photo of the Deputy Education Minister wading in floodwaters, the Education Ministry has released a formal apology. Posting yesterday on their Facebook page, the ministry acknowledged the false information. The photo was posted yesterday showing the deputy education minister knee-deep in floodwaters, with a caption stating that she visited the areas that have been flooded as…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 10,414 new cases and 122 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 10,414 new Covid-19 cases and 122 coronavirus related deaths. Since April 1, in Thailand’s latest wave of the virus, the CCSA has reported 1,562,966 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the past 24-hours since the last count, 11,580 recoveries have been recorded. There are now 115,423 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for Covid-19. Out of the new cases reported…
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Thai Airways to resume flights to countries with high vaccination rates
Thai Airways says it will start selling seats on flights to highly-vaccinated destinations from October 1. The struggling national carrier expects to resume flights to the UK, France, and Germany, as well as Japan and Australia. The Bangkok Post reports that airline bosses made the decision after several destinations reported vaccination rates of around 70%. Airline spokesman, Chai Eamsiri, says…
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Thailand looks to Indian visitors celebrating Diwali to compensate for lack of Chinese visitors
Thai officials are hoping to capitalise on the upcoming Hindu festival of lights, also known as Diwali, to get Indian tourists into the country and bolster the stagnant tourism sector. The Bangkok Post notes that this expectation is also seen as a way of compensating for a lack of Chinese tourists. Diwali will begin in early November, which coincides with…
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Covid-19 Wednesday Update: 10,414 infections, 122 deaths
Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 122 deaths down from yesterday, but a jump from Monday when Coronavirus deaths neared the 100 mark. 10,414 new infections were recorded, an increase of nearly 1000 from yesterday which saw the first day under 10,000 since mid-July. Since April 1, in Thailand’s latest wave of virus, the CCSA has recorded 1,562,966…
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Health Ministry predicts infections will fall to 5,000 a day by end of October
Daily new Covid-19 infections are expected to fall to around 5,000 a day by the end of October, according to a Public Health Ministry spokesman. However, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit remains concerned that they could rise again, due to a number of factors. The Bangkok Post reports that the emergence of infection clusters and the arrival of new variants are still…
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More guidelines announced for schools reopening
Guidelines from the Ministry of Education for the reopening of schools say that 85% of teachers must be fully vaccinated before schools can resume a hybrid of onsite and online learning. Class size is limited to 25 students and they must stay 1.5 metres apart. The 85% aspect of the guidelines had previously been mentioned about 2 weeks prior. The…
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List of disease restrictions by colour-coded zoning
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration decided to extend the colour-coded zoning and corresponding disease control restrictions as well as to lift some measures for provinces classified as “dark red” zones with high Covid-19 infection rates, including shortening the nightly curfew by an hour. The revisions go into effect on Friday. The zoning and restrictions will be in place until…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 9,489 new cases; provincial totals
129 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 16,498 with 16,404 of those fatalities recorded in the country’s latest wave since April 1. 9,489 new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, the first time cases have been under 10,000 over the past several weeks. Since the start of…
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6 dead and 30 provinces affected by tropical storm ‘Dianmu’
The tropical storm Dianmu, which passed through northern Thaiand last week, has resulted in flooding across 30 provinces and has claimed 6 lives since September 23. The report says Dianmu has resulted in reported flooding in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket,…
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St. Andrews International School, joins global event for children’s wellbeing
Press Release On 30 September, St. Andrews International School, Sathorn has planned activities involving the entire school community of children, parents and employees to mark Global Be Well Day, a worldwide event led by Cognita, the group of 85 schools of which St. Andrews Sathorn school is a member. Over 58,000 children around the world will be taking part to…
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Kanchanaburi experiences earthquake so minor hardly anyone notices it
A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.2 was recorded by seismologists in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province early this morning. No damage or injuries were recorded and the Bangkok Post says no one even felt the temblor. The Meteorological Department says the temblor happened just before 5am and was centred 6 kilometres underground, somewhere under the Sri Sawat district, and 50 kilometres…
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Thailand’s reopening divided into 4 phases
Thailand is looking toward the future as the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced yesterday its plan to gradually reopen the country. The CCSA’s plan consists of 4 phases that take into consideration tourism revenue, geography, and Covid preventive measures. Pilot phase: October 1 to October 31. Phuket, Surat Thani, including Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao islands. Phang…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 9,489 new cases and 129 deaths
Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 9,489 new cases and 129 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in Thailand’s latest wave of virus, the CCSA has recorded 1,552,552 confirmed covid-19 infections. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 12,805 recoveries. There are now 116,711 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for Covid-19. Out of…
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Central Thailand told to prepare for possible flooding
Officials from Bangkok and the nearby provinces of Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani are being told to prepare for possible flooding, following the Royal Irrigation Department’s decision to accelerate the discharge rate of water from the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat in expectation of more rain. Thanakorn Tantikul, director of the Ayutthaya irrigation projects says the move was made to…
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