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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    How to travel around Thailand for under US$30 a day

    The Thaiger key takeaways Staying in budget hostels or guesthouses and eating street food keeps daily expenses low. Mixing buses, trains, and budget flights allows affordable travel between cities and islands. Free or cheap activities, such as temples, markets, parks,...

  • Cabinet approves measure to entice “high potential” foreigners to Thailand | Thaiger

    Cabinet approves measure to entice “high potential” foreigners to Thailand

    The cabinet has approved a measure to entice “high potential” foreigners, such as wealthy retirees and specialists, to spend a prolonged period in Thailand. The measure is a bid to promote foreign investment and to improve the struggling economy. The 4 groups that the government hopes to attract to Thailand are high income earners, foreign retirees, experts in different fields,…

  • Major survey shows what venues people want open, bars absent from list | Thaiger

    Major survey shows what venues people want open, bars absent from list

    A major survey by the Thai Department of Public Health has uncovered what places many people in Thailand want to see have their restrictions eased or to open, the most. The survey was conducted over the past month in 29 dark red zones. It was not stated how many people were polled, but the respondents are said to represent a…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 11,786 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 11,786 new cases; provincial totals

    Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 1,406,542 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,377,679 of those cases. …

  • Thailand to overhaul reopening plans for pilot areas, one system policy to be adopted | Thaiger

    Thailand to overhaul reopening plans for pilot areas, one system policy to be adopted

    Thailand is overhauling their reopening plans to simplify and unify current protocols. The new idea is to adopt a “One SOP, One System policy, with SOP standing for standard operating procedure. The new plan will toss out mandatory quarantine and sealed routes for pilot areas sometime this year. They will also slash Covid tests costs in half, in some instances.…

  • Japan plans to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses to several Asian countries, 300,000 heading to Thailand | Thaiger

    Japan plans to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses to several Asian countries, 300,000 heading to Thailand

    Japan is planning to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca vaccines to several Asian countries, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. The newest donation from Japan should go out as soon as possible and includes 400,000 doses for Vietnam, 300,000 for Thailand, and 100,00 doses for Brunei. With 500,000 doses heading to Taiwan, Japan’s total donation to the island will be just shy…

  • Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left | Thaiger

    Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau is claiming that the officer who allegedly plowed his truck through a group of pro-democracy protesters over the weekend did not commit a hit and run. 1 protester was injured as a result of the incident. Pol Lt Gen Phukphong Phongpetra concedes that a prisoner transport vehicle was involved in the incident but claims that it…

  • Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam | Thaiger

    Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam

    A 17 year old girl was arrested for allegedly robbing a gold shop and threatening the manager with a kitchen knife after she lost money in an apparent scam. The teenager reportedly told officers that she had gotten involved in what appeared to be an online investment website. She had seen an advertisement on Instagram and decided to invest the…

  • Japanese expats warned about terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia | Thaiger

    Japanese expats warned about terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia

    Japanese citizens living in Thailand reportedly got an email warning about potential terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia. The alert advises Japanese expats in six nations to stay away from religious facilities and crowds, according to the Associated Press. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AP reporters that the warning was due to “increased risks such as of suicide bombings.” Thailand’s…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 136 deaths and 11,786 new cases | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 136 deaths and 11,786 new cases

    136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,738 recoveries. There are now 129,025 people being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA…

  • Campaign to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated starts | Thaiger

    Campaign to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated starts

    Thailand is increasing its efforts to vaccinate pregnant women. They have recently kicked off a campaign to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated. From yesterday until October 13, the Ministry of Public Health plans to vaccinate as many as 100,000 pregnant women, says Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha. Sathit says that pregnant women are inherently vulnerable as they are…

  • Message from Foodpanda driver telling customer to wear a bra sparks outrage | Thaiger

    Message from Foodpanda driver telling customer to wear a bra sparks outrage

    A woman has shared a screenshot of a message she received from a Foodpanda driver telling her she should wear a bra. The post has since gone viral, sparking outrage among Facebook users. “Customer when you come out to pick up your stuff, please wear a bra. I don’t feel comfortable (if you don’t wear one).” According to a Bangkok…

  • Quarantine, sealed routes may be ditched as government revises re-opening plan | Thaiger

    Quarantine, sealed routes may be ditched as government revises re-opening plan

    Mandatory quarantine and sealed routes could be scrapped as officials reconsider the rules for re-opening the country. The adoption of the “One SOP, One System” model for the re-opening of Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Cha-am, and Bangkok from October 1 is being submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next week and also includes a proposal to halve…

  • Monday Covid Update: 12,583 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Monday Covid Update: 12,583 new cases; provincial totals

    132 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, a total of 14,485 people infected with Covid-19 have died, according to the CCSA. 14,391 of those fatalities were during the country’s latest and most severe wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last…

  • Police say Din Daeng protests will end by next month | Thaiger

    Police say Din Daeng protests will end by next month

    The daily protests at the Din Daeng intersection will end by October, says the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau. The police did not specify how the protests would end. The daily demonstrations have been held since last month. They have been organised by locals, who call themselves “ThaluGas”, as well as protests by Ratsadorn Taliban, and Ramkhamhaeng for Democracy. There have…

  • NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor | Thaiger

    NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission is nearing a conclusion in their case of police planes being allegedly used to smuggle liquor out of Hat Yai, a southern Thai province, to Bangkok, says deputy secretary general of the commission, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol. Niwatchai’s comments are in response to a post on the Facebook page “@Watchdog.ACT”, which brought up the investigation into the case.…

  • Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province | Thaiger

    Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province

    Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, is proving worrisome for the Crime Suppression police as they have named the area the country’s most murderous province since the start of 2021. Police suspect the abundance of households that possess guns is partially to blame for the high murder rate. The Crime Suppression police have expressed their alarm at the number…

  • The Thaiger Digital Summit – Seven Thai Tech Start-Ups Speak Out | Thaiger

    The Thaiger Digital Summit – Seven Thai Tech Start-Ups Speak Out

    Disrupt or Die. Tune in to a full-tilt, one-hour online event led by The Thaiger’s Co-Founder and leading digital entrepreneur Michael Kenner. On the virtual stage will be fast-paced conversations with seven amazing start-up disruptors who are set to change Thailand’s online space. From super apps, the sharing economy, big data, to taking business off the sois and onto digital…

  • Monday Covid Update: 132 deaths and 12,583 new cases | Thaiger

    Monday Covid Update: 132 deaths and 12,583 new cases

    132 coronavirus-related deaths and 12,583 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 16,304 recoveries. There are currently 132,113 patients in Thailand being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the…

  • Thai PM calls on state agencies to disburse allocated funds quickly to revive economy | Thaiger

    Thai PM calls on state agencies to disburse allocated funds quickly to revive economy

    The Thai PM is calling on state agencies to inject funds into the economy for the new fiscal year in October, in order to help its recovery. According to a Bangkok Post report, deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul says budget spending is vital to the revival of an economy decimated by Covid-19. “In light of the pandemic, the state budget…

  • Return of 2-ballot voting system could prove a threat to PM’s future | Thaiger

    Return of 2-ballot voting system could prove a threat to PM’s future

    The future of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and that of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party is in question due to the return of the 2-ballot voting system. The Bangkok Post reports that Parliament has approved a charter amendment bill that proposed a return to the system. According to the report, the voting system could prove an advantage to the Pheu Thai…

  • COVID-19 Sunday afternoon Update, provincial totals | Thaiger

    COVID-19 Sunday afternoon Update, provincial totals

    180 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,029 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the past 24-hours since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,742 recoveries. There are now 135,966 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the…

  • Phuket plans to set up 10 more isolation centres as Covid concerns linger | Thaiger

    Phuket plans to set up 10 more isolation centres as Covid concerns linger

    The escalating Covid situation in Phuket has prompted officials to establish 10 more isolation centres. Phuket’s governor, Narong Woonsiew said yesterday that the rise in infections mirrors the Covid situation in Bangkok 2 months ago. Phuket has been averaging 200+ Covid cases a day for the past 13 days (between 206 and 258 new daily infections), which “represents a serious…

  • NIDA poll suggests many Thais don’t think Prayut will be PM again | Thaiger

    NIDA poll suggests many Thais don’t think Prayut will be PM again

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s current term as prime minister might be his last, says the respondents to a new survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. The NIDA poll was taken from September 6 to September 9 by phone. 1,310 people, 18 and older, of various levels of education and different occupations throughout the country were queried on their opinions…

  • Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges | Thaiger

    Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges

    Siew, the man who is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of the toddler “Nong Gina”, is facing 2 new charges: depriving a child under 15 of parental care and detaining a child, says the superintendent of Bo Luang police station, Kriangsak Prom-Uthai. The toddler who is just shy of 2 years old went missing from her home last…

  • Sunday Covid Update: 180 deaths 14,029 new cases | Thaiger

    Sunday Covid Update: 180 deaths 14,029 new cases

    180 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,029 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the past 24-hours since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,742 recoveries. There are now 135,966 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the…

  • Covid-19 AFTERNOON UPDATE Saturday: provincial totals | Thaiger

    Covid-19 AFTERNOON UPDATE Saturday: provincial totals

    Covid-19 infections and deaths have been fairly consistent over the past week but today’s 253 deaths reported over the last 24 hours is a disappointing jump from the 189 deaths reported yesterday. The number of daily Covid-19 infections remained steadily around the 15,000 mark for more than a week, with the past 24 hours seeing 15,191 infections. 726 of those…

  • Covid-19 UPDATE Saturday: 253 deaths, rate of infections steady | Thaiger

    Covid-19 UPDATE Saturday: 253 deaths, rate of infections steady

    Covid-19 infections and deaths have been fairly consistent over the past week but today’s 253 deaths reported over the last 24 hours is a disappointing jump from the 189 deaths reported yesterday. The number of daily Covid-19 infections remained steadily around the 15,000 mark for more than a week, with the past 24 hours seeing 15,191 infections. 726 of those…

  • Officials expect 400,000+ Covid-19 infections from free ATK plan | Thaiger

    Officials expect 400,000+ Covid-19 infections from free ATK plan

    The Chinese-made Lepu Medical Technology antigen test kits at the centre of a controversial importing deal are now scheduled to be distributed free across Thailand from September 16. Health officials are anticipating a spike of several hundred thousand new Covid-19 cases as a result of ATK distribution. The National Health Security Office expects that as a result of the influx…

  • Foreign investors keep a close eye on struggling Pattaya hotels | Thaiger

    Foreign investors keep a close eye on struggling Pattaya hotels

    With Pattaya hotel operators in dire financial straits brought on by the lack of tourists during the pandemic, foreign investors are apparently keeping a close eye on the situation. The hotel operators in the tourist city are being warned that if they do not get assistance for their outstanding loans, then their businesses could be taken over by foreign investors.…

  • Ministry of Public Health rules AstraZeneca vaccine cause of blood clot death | Thaiger

    Ministry of Public Health rules AstraZeneca vaccine cause of blood clot death

    The Ministry of Public Health has determined a person whose death came from a blood clot and thrombocytopenia ultimately died as a result of one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This instance was the only one out of 628 cases that have been studied by the committee on Adverse Events Following Immunisation that concluded that a vaccine from AstraZeneca was…