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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Health Ministry orders hospitals not to postpone vaccination appointments
The Public Health Ministry has instructed Thai hospitals to honour vaccination appointments, even though they may not have received the number of doses expected. According to Thai PBS World, Satit Pitutacha from the Health Ministry says it’s vital that people over the age of 60, as well as those with 1 or more of 7 underlying health conditions, receive a…
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Thai travel agents say ongoing third wave means no return of Chinese tourists for now
The Association of Thai Travel Agents says the ongoing reporting of over 2,000 new Covid-19 infections every day means there will be no Chinese visitors coming for a while. ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn points out that China has imposed tough restrictions on their citizens leaving the country, including mandatory quarantine on their return. “We can assume the Chinese government will…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 2,680 new cases and 35 deaths
2,680 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections, 156,365 Covid infections have been reported in Thailand. Out of the new cases reported today, 280 were in Thai prisons. In the latest wave of infections, around 30,000 inmates have tested positive for Covid-19.…
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Thai PM apologises for delays in vaccination rollout
Sorry seems to be the hardest word… Or so the song goes. But the Thai PM has managed it (admittedly some would say it took a while). Prayut Chan-o-cha has apologised for the hiccups with the national vaccine rollout, admitting yesterday that there had been delays. The Bangkok Post reports that the PM insists the situation will improve with the…
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28 year old Australian man found dead near Krabi island last week
Thai police are investigating the death of a 28 year old Australian man who was found dead last week by Koh Pu, a small island in Krabi near Koh Lanta. Robert Wojcik, a Sydney native who had lived in Thailand since late 2019 working as a divemaster, took his boat out on June 1. When he did not come home…
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Fire ravages buildings used to store cosmetics
Early this morning, a fire ravaged 11 buildings used for keeping cosmetic products in Pathum Thani, a Thai province north of Bangkok. There were no reported deaths or injuries but the estimated damages exceed 50 million baht. Firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire using 20 firetrucks, says the investigation chief, Kriangkrai Saengyot from the Pratunam Chulalongkorn police station. The fire…
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Korat prisons declared to be Covid free
Nakhon Ratchasima, aka Korat, a northeastern province, has no inmates with Covid-19 in any of its 6 prisons. It was determined to be Covid free after all of its inmates were tested for the virus, says the governor say Kobchai Boon-orana today. The announcement came via a video conference with the heads of the 6 prisons. The 6 prisons are:…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 2,662 new cases and 28 deaths, provincial totals
2,662 new Covid-19 cases and 28 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the start of the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 153,685 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases reported today, 534 were reported in correctional facilities. Over the past month, more than a dozen Thai…
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Police raid Hat Yai restaurant and arrest 10 people for drinking alcohol
Police arrested 10 people for gathering and drinking alcohol in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, a violation of the local disease control measures banning alcohol consumption at restaurants. A local had called police reporting people were having a party at the restaurant last night. Hat Yai district chief Chawakit Suwankhiri says police went to the Khru Pattakhan Ban Thung restaurant immediately…
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Koh Samui set to reopen on July 1, 50% of residents vaccinated so far
Koh Samui is hoping to also reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1. At this stage it’s a proposal that will need to be approved by the CESA and CCSA. So far, 57,000 residents on the popular Gulf of Thailand island have been vaccinated, making up 50% of the population on Koh Samui, according to the president of the…
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Grab driver with disability killed in car accident
Yesterday, a Grab driver with a disability was killed after his motorbike was hit by an SUV in Nonthaburi, a province northwest of Bangkok. 25 year old Danai Chainarao, whose right leg had previously been amputated, was declared dead on Tiwanon Road. His passenger was seriously injured and taken to a local hospital for medical attention. Police say the deceased’s…
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Trang villagers set up nets to catch snakes after 20 king cobras were spotted
After 20 king cobras were spotted and reports of a person dying from a snakebite, locals at a village in Trang’s Banpho area set up nets along the roads to catch the snakes. The net idea hasn’t worked so far. The head of the provincial emergency response team, Chokechai Phraethanareung, says they look into other methods to catch the snakes,…
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Private hospitals ordering 10 million doses of Moderna, expected to arrive by October
Private hospitals in the Kingdom are planning to buy up to 10 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine through the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. The Private Hospital Association expects to take delivery of the vaccines by October. Paiboon Eksaengsri from the PHA says progress was made at a meeting with Moderna importer, Zuellig Pharma. The price has also been set…
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Billionaire couple in Koh Tao drowned, preliminary autopsy results show
A preliminary autopsy results suggest the billionaire couple died from drowning at the Koh Tao resort pool. Water was found in both their lungs and medical examiners at the Police General Hospital say the couple died from lack of oxygen. More tests are being done and police are still investigating. Last Friday, the Thai-Indian couple Anshoo and Rakeshwar Sachatamakul, 55…
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Bangkok’s vaccine rollout brings a sense of optimism to the capital
Mass inoculation against Covid-19 has finally kicked off in Thailand and the sense of relief in Bangkok, epicentre of the latest wave, is palpable. The Bangkok Post reports on the rollout at Bang Sue Grand Station, now serving as a temporary vaccination centre. It’s where 78 year old U-ree Dechdamrong received her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday. A retired…
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Fed-up waiting, some Thais have travelled overseas to be vaccinated
While the Thai government continues to big up its vaccination rollout and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha insists there will be enough vaccines for everyone, many Thais have lost faith. And the few who can afford it are flying overseas – at significant cost – to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Coconuts reports that the reasons for doing so are varied… some have…
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82 year old woman first person to get vaccine in Chiang Mai
An unnamed, nationality unknown, 82 year old woman has become the first person to get a Covid vaccine in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai Province. She received her inoculation of AstraZeneca this morning and did not report any adverse side effects. The woman did not reveal whether she had gotten the vaccine in hopes of winning a cow: as a…
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Mass vaccination campaign starts today, first phase includes foreigners in “at risk” groups
“All foreign nationals on Thai soil are included in the national vaccination programme.” Thailand’s nationwide mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign officially started today. For foreigners living in Thailand, those who are 60 years old and above as well as those with certain underlying health conditions, will be given priority during this phase of vaccinations. In Phuket and Koh Samui, tourist destinations…
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Man arrested for allegedly trying to rob convenience store
An Australian man was arrested this morning after he allegedly tried to rob a Pattaya convenience store. 55 year old Vladisavljevic Alexander was arrested after police were alerted at 3 am to his activities. The alleged break in happened at a Tops Daily convenience store on Naklua Road. A nearby security guard heard noises coming from the store and called…
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Monday Covid Update: 2,419 cases and 33 deaths, provincial totals
2,419 new Covid-19 cases and 33 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising Thailand’s cumulative case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 179,516 and the death toll to 1,269. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections, the CCSA has reported a total of 151,023 Covid-19 infections. Thailand now has 49,101 active…
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Train accident leaves 30 dead in Pakistan
2 trains collided in Pakistan’s southeast province of Sindh today. 30 people have been reported dead and dozens more are injured. The Millat Express had derailed and was soon hit by Sir Syed Express. Rescue workers and villagers worked together to remove bodies from the wreckage. Between 15 to 20 people are still trapped inside the trains. Heavy machines are…
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Woman has to be rescued after falling through hole in Samut Prakan
Yesterday, a woman fell down a 2 metre hole. She was reportedly on her phone and did not notice the gaping hole that led to her plunging into a concrete water tank. The hole was located in a construction site in the Bang Bo district of Samut Prakan, the province that sits on the Gulf of Thailand. A local rescue…
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Bodies of couple who died at a Koh Tao pool sent to police hospital for autopsies
Medical examiners at the Police General Hospital will do an autopsy on the bodies of the billionaire couple who were both found dead in a resort pool on Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast. The results on the cause of death will be released in around 2 weeks, Koh Tao police chief…
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Taxi driver arrested for allegedly stealing from Australian man in Bangkok
Police arrested a taxi driver who allegedly stole thousands of baht and Australian dollars from an Australian man back in May 2018. The Australian had hired a taxi to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. When he got out, he realised that not only his passport was missing, but 40,000 baht and AUD$4,000 were also gone. Surveillance camera footage shows the man getting…
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Health Ministry insists supply issues won’t affect vaccine rollout
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says the country’s vaccine rollout will begin today, with 2 priority groups: the elderly and those with 7 underlying health conditions. The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Sathit Pitutecha, acknowledges that many hospitals around the country have postponed vaccination appointments scheduled for today over concerns they had not received enough vaccine doses. “We are aware of…
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Tourism operators pinning hopes on vaccine rollout
Thailand’s tourism operators are pinning all their hopes on the national vaccine rollout, which kicks off today. However, the government’s reputation for vaccine procurement and management has come in for sharp criticism and confidence is not high. Already, a number of provinces have had to postpone their vaccine rollouts after receiving an insufficient number of doses from the Public Health…
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Thailand Foreign Ministry concerned about Myanmar situation
A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Thailand expressed the country’s concern for their troubled neighbour Myanmar and the violence that rages on there. They called for the country, mired in protests and violent skirmishes against the military junta that seized power on February 1, to follow the actions agreed upon by leaders of the surrounding Southeast Asian nations. In…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 2,671 new infections and 23 deaths, provincial totals
There has been another 2,671 new infections of Covid-19 detected across Thailand in the past 24 hours. There’s also been 23 deaths. 604 cases were detected in Thai prisons. Most of the current outbreaks continue to be around Bangkok and its immediate provinces. Bangkok registered 675 cases yesterday. Provincial totals below… GRAPH: worldometers.info • A recent survey, conducted by the Centre…
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Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ community in Thailand
In the United States, June is Pride Month – a month to celebrate the LGBTQ community, in memory of the Stonewall riots in June of 1969. It is a month to recognize the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer population in the US. While Pride Month isn’t officially international, some acknowledgement and celebration have been seen in Thailand. In Bangkok,…
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500,000 Sinovac doses reach Thailand
Yesterday, China’s embassy in Thailand announced that the second shipment of 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccines given by the Chinese government got to Thailand. This second shipment brings the total donations of Sinovac from China to 6.5 million doses. Globally, China and Thailand have the most doses of Sinovac. Earlier this week, The Thaiger reported that 11 million doses…
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