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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Thursday Covid Update: 8,129 new cases; provincial totals
19 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,987 with 289 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,129 new Covid-19 cases and 6,978 recoveries. There are now 82,734 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Restrictions ease, 25 provinces reclassified as “yellow” zones
Restrictions are easing in 25 provinces following a revision to the colour-coded zoning based on local infection rates. Starting January 24, those provinces will move from “orange” controlled zones to “yellow” zones under surveillance. In the “yellow” and “blue” zones, alcohol sales will be allowed until 11pm. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation decided to relax some measures today at its…
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Thailand extends State of Emergency for another two months
Thailand’s State of Emergency was extended for another two months. The decree, which was first invoked by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in March 2020, gives the government sweeping powers, through the establishment of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, to set restrictions and measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Thailand. The decree was last set to expire on…
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Alcohol sales at restaurants in approved provinces will be allowed until 11pm
Alcohol sales at restaurants in approved provinces will be allowed until 11pm, starting January 24. Under Thailand’s colour-coded zoning with corresponding disease control measures, alcohol sales at restaurants until 11pm will be allowed in “yellow” zones under high surveillance and “blue” zones which are approved for pilot tourism programmes. In 44 provinces, classified as “orange” zones, alcohol sales at restaurants…
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Hotels call for Covid-19 land and building tax cuts to be extended
The hotel industry is asking the government to extend a land and building tax cut that was enacted in June of 2020, citing the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic with no economic recovery in sight. They requested the 90% tax cut be extended for 2 more years, or, failing that, enact a new tax cut of 70 to 80% to…
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Those who don’t report positive ATK results can face penalties – DDC director
Has your at-home Covid-19 test come out positive? If so, report the results to government health officials. Those who do not report their result can face charges. Speaking at a press conference, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, warned that anyone who finds themselves infected with Covid-19 by using the ATK test and keeps it a…
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Pork price crisis ups demand for poultry, chicken added to price control list
Thailand’s pork price crisis is causing an increased demand for chicken, leading poultry and egg prices to surge. The Ministry of Commerce has now added chickens and chicken meat to their price control list. The ministry now mandates that chicken raisers with over 100,000 chickens, and slaughterhouses with the capacity for over 4,000 chickens a day, disclose their quantity, stocks,…
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Former police chief ‘Joe Ferrari’ says he just wanted to “scare suspect”
A former police chief charged with murder after a drugs suspect died when multiple plastic bags were placed over his head during questioning, says he just wanted to scare the victim. Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka. Joe Ferrari in Thai media, a police chief in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan at the time, told the court that he never intended to…
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Elderly rescued from unauthorised care facilities in Bangkok after reports of poor conditions
Elderly people kept in poor conditions at unauthorised care facilities in Bangkok, some abused and even put in shackles, were rescued yesterday. Thai authorities raided two centres in the Lat Krabang and Nong Chok districts, which are both owned by the same person, and discovered residents squeezed into tiny rooms, and some residents even in shackles. Authorities then took 40…
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Bangkok is blooming: Flora Festival takes over several public parks until July
Sunflowers are blossoming in Bangkok. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is organising the Bangkok Flora Festival where flowers will be planted in various parks in the capital from now until July. The first garden is a sunflower field at the Vachitabenjatas Park or Suan Rot Fai Park near the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Over 1.5 acres of Suan Rot Fai Park is…
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Department of traditional medicine says it can treat Long Covid with Thai herbs
Long Covid, the often-debilitating series of symptoms some people are left with even after recovering from Covid-19, can be treated with Thai herbs. So says the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, which is offering treatment to Long Covid sufferers. The Bangkok Post reports that practitioners of traditional and alternative therapies have launched a mobile unit offering Thai herbs…
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CCSA says Test & Go could make a comeback soon – with a few tweaks
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets later today to discuss the fate of the Test & Go entry scheme, along with the potential easing of some restrictions. Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says Test & Go could make a comeback soon, but will involve stricter monitoring of foreign arrivals’ health. The Bangkok Post reports that the scheme could now require…
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Phuket’s Patong Tunnel to be complete by 2027
The Patong Tunnel will drill under the infamous hill that just about every tourist has to go over at some stage to get to Patong Beach. The windy road, up and down the hill, has been the scene of hundreds of fatal incidents with motorcycles, cars, trucks, vans and fully-loaded tour buses using the same patch of dangerous road. Efforts…
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Foreigners vaccinated in Thailand can apply for a digital vaccine passport for free until March 31
Digital vaccine passports through Thailand’s Public Health Ministry are being issued for free until March 31. Both Thai nationals and foreign residents who were inculcated in Thailand can register for the e-Vaccine Passport on the Mor Phrom application. A 13-digit number is needed to register on Mor Phrom. For Thais, this is their Thai ID number. Foreigners who have been…
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Rail to connect Thailand to China delayed 3 years to 2026
With recent plans fast-tracked to build a bridge to connect Thailand to the Chinese-La0 cargo train route, more rail projects are being focused on. But the plan to create high-speed rail service that travels 873 kilometres from Bangkok into China is now slated to begin operations 3 years later than originally planned. The first leg of the high-speed rail, which…
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Alleged Bengal tiger poachers must remove their homes from national park
Yesterday, rangers at Khao Laem national park in Kanchanaburi ordered the removal of four homes, belonging to five people suspected of hunting and killing two endangered Bengal tigers last week. The suspects and their families, or anyone else currently living in the homes, must leave within 30 days. Those who don’t comply will be charged with violating the National Park…
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Top 11 Best Influencer Marketing Agencies in Thailand
Sponsored Article The marketing landscape is shifting as digital transformation accelerates during the pandemic. Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular, especially in Thailand. In 2023, $53.53 million was spent on influencer advertising efforts in Thailand. Choosing the right influencer and content strategy is vital for successful influencer marketing campaigns. Thailand offers various influencer categories, with Fashion & Beauty, Arts &…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,122 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,968 with 270 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,122 new Covid-19 cases and 7,460 recoveries. There are now 81,602 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Roadside bomb explodes on road in Deep South province, damages police truck
An improvised bomb exploded on a road in the Chanae District of Narathiwat yesterday, damaging a police pickup truck. The explosion left cracks in the windshield, and fragments of the bomb were scattered. No injuries were reported. Police Captain Yuthachai Rojsirimontree, a Chanae investigator, said the attack happened on the Chanae-Dusongso road at about 3.45pm. Police believe militants detonated the…
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Parents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools
A group of Thai parents and teachers against mandates for ATK tests and face masks at schools held a protest outside of the Ministry of Education and Public Health yesterday. Many schools and universities in Thailand are back to on-site classes again, but under the Covid-19 prevention measure set by the Public Health Ministry. Every student has been asked to…
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British man fined for overstay after being forced into Bangkok quarantine
You take your PCR test after your stay in Thailand, before you return home to the UK. You test positive and are confined in a Bangkok hospital for 10 days. Then, to add insult to injury, you’re fined 4,000 baht for overstaying your visa when you go through immigration… purely because you were confined in hospital. This is the sad…
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Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years
Thai Immigration police arrested a 48 year old Hungarian suspect who is wanted in his home country for alleged insurance fraud and has been staying in Thailand illegally for more than 10 years. Immigration police say the man is on 4,254 days overstay after entering Thailand in 2010 on a 60 day tourist visa. Officers say the man was arrested…
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Chinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19
Chinese New Year is expected to be celebrated on February 1 to welcome the Year of the Tiger. But with the raising Covid-19 infection rate, especially in Bangkok, the Chinese New Year event on the Yaowarat Road, known as Chinatown, is cancelled again this year. The Royal Jubilee Gate, or Odeon Gate, will still be decorated, and people are allowed…
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Officials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister
Along with pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go scheme, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is discussing adding more Sandbox destinations to have the entry scheme open in every region of Thailand. The ministry will make formal proposals, including lowering the Covid-19 alert level to level 3, at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration general…
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Restrictions could be eased, Covid alert lowered after CCSA meeting tomorrow
As infections continue to decline in Thailand, the government meets tomorrow to discuss the easing of a number of restrictions. The CCSA is also expected to lower the country’s Covid alert, from Level 4 to 3. It was raised earlier this month amid concerns over the highly-contagious Omicron variant. The move followed the suspension of the Test & Go entry…
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One million sign call for withdrawal of Amnesty International Thailand’s operating license
Apparently, one million people want to expel Amnesty International from Thailand. The vice minister of the Prime Minister’s office says he’s collected one million signatures in his campaign to withdrawal the non-profit organisation’s operating license. The vice minister, who some call “Rambo Isaan,” accuses the NGO of being a threat to the country. Amnesty International Thailand has been a vocal…
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Thailand’s Commerce Ministry sets up war rooms to combat high prices
In an effort to take legal steps against merchants selling products at unfairly high prices, the Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce Boonyarit Kalayanamit says he will chair war rooms to combat high prices. The secretary stated this yesterday in an urgent meeting with Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit. The director-general of the Internal Trade Department under the Commerce Ministry,…
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Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions
The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general…
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Thai baht rises as officials consider resumption of Test & Go
Thailand saw strength in its currency “baht” today as expectations are high for the relaxing of quarantine for vaccinated visitors under “Test & Go” quarantine exemption scheme. Registration for the entry scheme was closed last month, but the Public Health Ministry is proposing the scheme be reopened again. The Public Health Minister says that if approved by the Centre for…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists
In the next 10 years, Thailand could rank as the world’s ninth busiest travel hub welcoming 200 million passengers each year, according to a forecast from the International Air Transport Association. To prepare for the anticipated post-pandemic uptick, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is extending its east side of the main passenger terminal. The government approved an initial budget of 7.8 billion…
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