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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
Thailand makes AstraZeneca its first choice for Covid vaccine
Thailand’s deputy PM and public health minister says the AstraZeneca vaccine is the nation’s first choice for protecting itself against Covid-19. Anutin Charnvirakul says more than 150,000 have received AstraZeneca jabs with only a low percentage having developed side effects. But the low amount of side effects seen is a different tune to the vaccine’s previous safety concerns as other…
-
Report attributes 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand to air pollution
According to the State of Global Air 2020 Report, around 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand, back in 2019, have been attributed to air pollution. The report cites the PM2.5 pollution particles as the main culprit as particles in that size range are the most likely to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to these fine particles…
-
PM doesn’t know if members of his Cabinet frequented Bangkok Covid hotspots
The Thai PM says he can’t say if members of his administration visited bars and entertainment venues where a cluster of Covid-19 infections has been reported. Prayut Chan-o-cha says he doesn’t know if ministers partied in the Thong Lor area of Bangkok, which was reported as a new hotspot of infection last week. On Saturday, out of 71 new cases…
-
Aviation authority calling for 20,000 vaccine doses for crew, ground staff
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is calling for vaccine doses to protect around 20,000 airline crew and ground staff before the country re-opens to international tourists. The CAAT says it’s vital that those working in the aviation industry are protected and has submitted its request to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. According to Suthipong Kongpool from the CAAT,…
-
Songkran: Economy booster or Covid-19 spreader?
While the government is encouraging people to enjoy themselves and spend money in the struggling economy for the upcoming Songkran Festival, some Covid-19 experts are warning that this may bring about a third or even fourth wave of infections. The past has shown that people letting loose and partying free is often the source of viral outbreaks, as was the…
-
Khon Kaen hospital’s 2 Covid-19 infected doctors limit services
Health officials say 2 doctors who work at Khon Kaen University’s Srinagarind Hospital are now infected with Covid-19. The hospital is now responding to the situation by suspending the acceptance of new patients and postponing scheduled operations. According to the provincial public health office chief, the 2 doctors worked in the hospital’s Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine. All hospital…
-
Leader of Thai cryptocurrency exchange warns regulators about tight restrictions
The co-founder of Thailand’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has slammed regulators for plans to set requirements that would limit who can trade cryptocurrency. Following a drastic spike in domestic crypto trading, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission, decided to look into tighter restrictions and say traders will be soon required to have experience, be educated in trading or pass an exam. Too…
-
Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone following new Covid clusters
Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19 following the rise of infections linked to bars and entertainment venues, primarily off Sukhumvit Road in Thong Lor and Ekkamai. Thailand’s top virologist Yong Poovorawan says the recent Covid-19 clusters, along with Thailand’s slow rollout of vaccines, is “worrying” and fears that…
-
CCSA Update: 194 new Covid-19 cases, outbreak at Narathiwat prison
194 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Most cases are linked to an outbreak at a prison in the southern province Narathiwat. A number of other cases are linked to bars and entertainment venues in Bangkok. Out of the 194 new cases, 94 cases were in Narathiwat. Most are prison inmates.…
-
Thailand to discuss travel bubble with Singapore
Thailand is looking into setting up a travel bubble with Singapore. Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry will discuss the idea this week with officials from the Singapore Embassy. Tourism officials are also looking at potential travel bubbles with other neighbouring countries with a low number of active Covid-19 cases, such as Vietnam and Laos, according to sports and tourism minister…
-
Foreigners charged with DUI teach English to Koh Samui probation staff
Foreigners on Koh Samui who have been caught driving while intoxicated are now teaching English to probation officers as part of their community service. Those with a drink driving charge are ordered by the court to complete 24 hours of community service. The foreigners have been teaching probation staff basic greetings and conversational English as well as grammar and legal…
-
Phuket’s pilot program to reopen Thailand – Interview Bill Barnett | VIDEO
There’s a lot more of Thailand besides Phuket, but the southern Thai island has received a lot of attention in the past few weeks because of the intention to remove quarantine for vaccinated international arrivals from July this year. There’s a lot at stake as the rest of Thailand will be watching the pilot program, eager to see it work…
-
Thailand unlikely to join ASEAN in pressuring Myanmar junta to stop bloodshed
Thailand’s government is unlikely to join other members of ASEAN in calling for Myanmar’s junta to stop the bloodshed. Fears over receiving a flood of refugees across the Burmese border and damages to its military ties may be of more importance to the Kingdom, despite the government’s recent claims that it is “gravely concerned” over the situation in Myanmar. If…
-
New Covid-19 clusters at bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas
New Covid-19 clusters have been reported at several bars and pubs in Bangkok, primarily off Sukhumvit Road. So far, 40 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting entertainment venues in Bangkok. Those who have visited bars in the Thong Lor, where most of the infections were reported, are asked to go to the website “BKKcovid19” and fill out an…
-
Firefighters’ bodies retrieved, 100,000 baht to families
Bodies were retrieved in the early hours of today for the 4 firefighters who lost their lives during yesterday’s building collapse in Bangkok. The director of the Thawi Watthana District Office confirmed that at about 6:30 am rescuer workers were able to remove the bodies of the heroic firemen, most of them volunteers. The bodies were pulled from the wreckage…
-
Japanese Ambassador to Thailand infected with Covid-19
Among the new infections of Covid-19 reported yesterday in Thailand was Kazuya Nashida, the Japanese Ambassador to Thailand. The Japanese Foreign Ministry released a brief statement yesterday confirming the Ambassador has contracted the Coronavirus in Bangkok. Mr. Nashida is currently receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Bangkok, and the information provided indicates that the ambassador is showing signs of…
-
Vaccine certificates in the works for Thailand
With vaccination finally underway in Thailand, some uncertainty still exists regarding vaccine certificates and official paperwork after receiving your Covid-19 jabs. The Public Health Ministry says that they are waiting for the World Health Organisation to release a standardised format for a vaccine certificate before they start issuing them. That form is expected to be released in June according to…
-
6 Covid-19 infections in Surat Thani from prison
Today, 6 people contracted Covid-19 infections in the Surat Thani province after an event that hosted prisoners from Narathiwat Central Prison. On April 1, 5 inmates and 3 staff members from the prison, located in the south of Thailand, travelled to Surat Thani. The supervisors stayed in the Diamond Plaza Hotel in Surat Thani City, while the 5 prisoners stayed…
-
CCSA Update: 84 new Thai Covid-19 infections, 1 death
Thailand saw 84 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death as reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. This brings Thailand’s total infections above 29,000 to 29,031 and 95 deaths, with 1,268 active cases being treated currently. Today’s death, a 29 year old woman living in Bangkok, had been mistakenly told she tested negative on March 21, and…
-
Busy in BKK – dust off the planes, Thais are travelling again! VIDEO
BKK is busy, well, compared to the last 10 months in Thailand. Bangkok’s two airports were closed as part of the 2020 ‘lockdown’ and only reopened at the end of May after about 8 weeks, and only to domestic traffic (with some limited international repatriation, cargo, and a few passenger flights). Over the past 10 months Tim has been flying…
-
Heavy storms to hit many parts of Thailand between today and Tuesday
The Thai Meteorological Department is warning of sudden summer storms, bringing strong gusts and possibly even hail, across many parts of the country. Yep, looks like the wet season has arrive d abut early in parts of Thailand this year. The TMD says the north-east, east, north, central, and upper south of the country will be affected from today until…
-
Thailand News Today | Monk dies after C-19 vaccine, Phuket dusts off international airport | April 2
In today’s episode we look at…An elderly monk has died after being vaccinated for Covid-19, Phuket Airport’s international terminal is switching its light on for the first time in nearly a year, and an elaborate banquet set up in Chon Buri… but all the guest were dead. A 70 year old monk has died the day after he was injected…
-
Songkran, Thailand’s wettest holiday, dampened by Covid-19
Holiday spending during Songkran, the one time when “raining on one’s parade” is a plus, is projected to be the lowest in 9 years at about 113 billion baht, down 17% from 2019 with people still facing concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism industry has been hoping for a big boost from the celebration, but it is seeming less…
-
Personal Data Protection Act might be delayed to give businesses more time to prepare
The launch of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act, set to go into effect in June, might be delayed to allow small and medium-sized more time to prepare for the new regulations. The new Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn says that if the public has negative views about the new legislation, then the ministry might discuss whether to defer…
-
Thai Health Minister “confident” the monk’s death is not related to the Covid vaccine
Following the death of a monk just a few hours after being vaccinated against Covid-19, Thailand’s public health minister expressed his sympathy, but says he is confident that the vaccine is not the cause of death. Anutin Charnvirakul says the 71 year old monk had underlying conditions of severe diabetes and high blood pressure. An autopsy is being conducted to…
-
58 new Covid infections, 2 from entertainment venues
Thailand is reporting 58 new Covid-19 infections today with 2 being from entertainment venues. Thailand’s death toll has remained unchanged at 94. 45 of today’s cases were locally-transmitted and 13 were imported, raising the total in the Kingdom to 28,947 since the pandemic began in early 2020. The spokesman for the CCSA, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, says the 2 cases from the…
-
Young Chon Buri couple in debt win 12 million baht in Thai lottery
A young couple in Chonburi, who say they are in debt, has won 12 million baht in the Thai national lottery. The couple won the 1st prize yesterday which is equivalent to US$360,000. 32 year old Saweng Norabut and 29 year old Kotchakorn Norabut went to the Nongkham Police Station yesterday with the set of 2 lottery tickets. The winning…
-
Court sentences Thailand’s “Jack the Ripper” to death
The convicted serial killer known as “Jack the Ripper in Thailand” has been sentenced to death. The Khon Kaen court in the Isaan province announced its decision today, sentencing convicted murderer Somkid Poompuang to death. In 2005, Somkid was convicted of murdering 5 women, including a singer and 4 masseuses. He had sex with the women before killing them, either by…
-
Thailand’s monsoon season expected to be heaviest in 30 years
Thailand’s upcoming monsoon season is expected to start early and see the heaviest amount of rainfall in 30 years. The Royal Irrigation Department has instructed agencies to prepare for the situation by inspecting reservoirs’ and irrigation buildings’ conditions. As of now, the reservoirs are 50% full. The country overall has used a total of 73% of the water in the…
-
Bangkok roadside checkpoint inspected by deputy police chief on first night
Thailand’s Deputy National Police chief has inspected a drink-driving checkpoint on the first night it was reinstated, in the Lad Phrao district of Bangkok. Damrongsak Kittiprapas visited the checkpoint to ensure it was running smoothly and that officers were working in a transparent fashion. Police checkpoints are returning around the country, after national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk paused them for…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.