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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Experts urge Covid-19 recovered people to still get vaccinated
The head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University issued a statement today advocating for people who have already had Covid-19 to still get vaccinated. Virologist Yong Poovorawan posted on Facebook saying that recovered Covid-19 patients are still at risk and should be vaccinated. The post was in response to a question from someone confused about…
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70% of people to have first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by September – Health Minister
By September, 70% of the population in Thailand is expected to have received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. An accelerated rollout of vaccines is expected to takeoff next month when the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine is ready for public use. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the government will focus on administering the first shot…
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Police in western Thailand discover 19 Burmese migrants hidden in truck
Police in the western province of Kanchanaburi have found 19 Burmese migrants concealed in a small truck in the district of Thong Paphum. The discovery comes as officers are ordered to crack down on migrant workers crossing illegally into Thailand. Thai Residents reports that local police officers were acting on a tip-off that Burmese migrants were being smuggled across the…
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Royal Thai Police to investigate 29 officers for suspected ties to labour trafficking
At least 29 police officers are being investigated for suspected involvement in labour trafficking. The Royal Thai Police Headquarters has appointed a committee to investigate the officers, a source told Nation Thailand. The national police deputy chief will oversee the investigation. Border patrol has reportedly been heightened over the past year due concerns that migrants who are entering Thailand illegally,…
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Nok Air submits business rehabilitation plan, now up for creditor approval
Nok Air handed in its business rehabilitation plan after extending the deadline twice. The airline’s creditors will meet to discuss the plan and decide whether to approve the plan. It would then need to be approved by Thailand’s Central Bankruptcy Court. Nok Air is the second national carrier to file a rehabilitation petition with the Central Bankruptcy Court over the past…
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Thailand News Today | Walk-in vaccinations scuttled, rain for the next few days | May 19
Walk-in registration may not be happening, Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again today, Koh Larn, just off the coast of Pattaya, has extended its closure until at least the end of May, Australian arrested on suspicion of international criminal activity, a tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination and Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the…
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Thai company interested in Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine for animals
Thailand might soon start importing the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccine for animals, according to the Russian news agency TASS. Representatives from a top pharmaceutical manufacturer in Thailand held a video conference with the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, to discuss the Carnivac-Cov Covid-19 vaccine for animals. Tests show that the Carnivac-Cov vaccine is effective at generating…
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Thai Airways restructuring plan approved by creditors
The restructuring plan to tackle Thai Airways International’s more than 300 billion baht debt, one of Thailand’s most high profile bankruptcy cases, was approved by the airline’s creditors, its legal advisor told Reuters reporters this afternoon. The plan was approved by 90% of the creditors. It will be reviewed by the Central Bankruptcy Court on May 28. In a previous report,…
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Covid-19 delivers another brutal quarter for airlines
As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, airlines experienced another terrible quarter, with less passengers and less revenue year-on-year. The president of Bangkok Airways reported dismal numbers saying that the airline is adjusting its flight plans to try to match the depressed market. Only 151,900 travellers flew on Bangkok Airways in the first quarter of 2021, an 88.5% drop over last…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,394 new infections, provincial totals
3,394 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing, raising the culumative count since the start of the pandemic last year to 116,948 confirmed infections and the death toll to 678. Out of the 3,394 new cases, 1,498 were detected in prisons. Thousands of inmates in at least 12…
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Thai company offers travel packages to the US with Covid-19 vaccine included
With the recent wave of Covid-19 hitting record highs and increasing the demand for vaccines, some Thais are looking to get inoculated overseas. There are now tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination. The company Unithai Trip is now advertising trips from Thailand to the United States that include a Covid-19 vaccine. Starting at $2,300 USD, travellers can go on…
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Despite a better performance in first quarter, Thailand’s GDP may not impress in second
Despite performing better than predicted in the first quarter, Thailand’s gross domestic product may not be as impressive in the second quarter. As the first quarter saw a contraction of 2.6% year on year, analysts say the contraction was better than predicted. Now, an Oxford Economics report says the recent third wave in Covid-19 may prevent the GDP from seeing…
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More wet weather on the way, heavy showers forecast for the South
Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the north-east, the south, and the east, are in for more rain from today. The Thai Meteorological Department says some areas will experience heavy rainfall as a result of the prevailing strong south-westerly monsoon. Areas on the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand can expect heavy showers, while in the north of…
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Closure order in Bangkok set until May 31, restaurants can now offer dine-in services
To control the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok, where more than 28,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the latest wave of infections, the closure order in the capital has been extended a second time, now set to be in place until May 31. While many entertainment and recreation businesses and venues are ordered to remain closed, some…
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Thai tourism minister re-iterates Phuket’s re-opening on July 1
The Thai government has again reiterated its plan to reopen Thailand, specifically Phuket, to foreign tourists and travellers. The southern island province, under the so-called “sandbox” plan, is Thailand’s pilot program for re-opening the country to general travel by July 1… just 6 weeks away. The government has consistently said that the island’s residents will have to be 70% vaccinated by the…
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Thai government expects to open vaccine registration to foreigners by August
A Health Ministry spokesperson has confirmed that foreigners living in Thailand should be able to register for Covid-19 vaccination by August. Ratchada Thanadirek says the government is working on a dedicated registration platform for foreign nationals living in the Kingdom, which it’s hoped will be ready in 3 months’ time. Meanwhile, Thai Visa News reports that vaccine registration for Thais…
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Covid UPDATE Wednesday: 3,394 new infections and 29 deaths
Today the public health department has reported 3,394 new cases and 29 new Covid-related deaths. 1,498 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons (more below). Taking the shameful inmate toll out of the equation and the trend is still steady with around 2,000 – 2,500 new cases each day over the past 3 weeks across Thailand. Around the world the…
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20 people arrested at Pattaya restaurant for allegedly violating alcohol ban
Police in Pattaya arrested 20 people last night at a local restaurant where alcohol was reportedly being sold. While Chon Buri recently eased disease control restrictions, now allowing restaurants in the province to offer dine-in services again, alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants are still prohibited. Saewana restaurant was raided at around 11pm last night by officers from Pattaya and…
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Thailand News Today | Releasing 50,000 prisoners, Covid sniffer dogs, bungled kidnap | May 18
Following an abortive attempt at a kidnap for ransom at the end of March, 3 people are currently under arrest, National vaccine rollout could finally get underway next week, pecially trained sniffer dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection, Koh Samet reopening to visitors after being closed for 3 weeks…
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Active Covid-19 clusters reported in 16 Bangkok districts
Bangkok residents living in any of the 16 districts in the capital with active Covid-19 clusters are being advised to strictly follow disease control measures. Spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin made the warning during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing. In the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, more than 28,000 cases have been reported in Bangkok. Taweeslip says there have been…
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Man arrested for allegedly exchanging fake US bills for 1.2 million baht
A man was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly exchanging counterfeit foreign bank notes at a currency exchange kiosk, taking off with 1.2 million baht. Police say Thanat Amatawimut, a 42 year old building contractor, exchanged 360 fake $100 USD bills for 1.2 million baht at a kiosk in Bangkok back in 2019. The staff accepted the cash, but later realised…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,473 new infections and 35 deaths, provincial totals
2,473 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. The majority of the new cases are local transmissions, primarily in Bangkok. 680 of the new cases were detected in prisons. Thailand now has 42,988 active Covid-19 cases, a record high for the country. Out of those cases, more than…
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Education Ministry launches online platform as schools’ reopening plans delayed
Thailand’s Education Ministry is launching an online platform for public school students who are, once again, being forced to learn at home due to restrictions and limitations imposed by the government. The third wave of the virus has prompted authorities to postpone the reopening of government schools from May 17 (yesterday) to June 1. However, as daily infections keep rising, that…
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Thai students to get free unlimited internet to help with online learning
Thai government school students are set to get free unlimited internet to help students move their studies online after the third wave of Covid-19 has forced schools’ reopening date to be postponed to June 1 from May 17. Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn, in along with the Education Ministry, said the internet packages will be powered by Thailand’s…
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Sinovac and AstraZeneca: The 2 primary Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand
Since Thailand started its mass Covid-19 immunisation campaign in late February, the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine, made in partnership with the UK’s Oxford University, have been used to vaccinate residents in Thailand. The local firm Siam Bioscience is now producing the AstraZeneca vaccine and the first Thai-made batch is expected to be rolled out next month. Type…
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Those under 60 years old can make vaccine appointments at end of month
Those residents between 18 and 59 years old can now plan on registering for a Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the month. The deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, made the announcement, giving the date of May 31 as the opening day for those in that age group to register through the Mor Prom app, Line chat, or at hospitals.…
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Sniffer dogs trained to detect Covid-19 in Bangkok communities
Specially trained dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection. Led by volunteers, the dogs will screen communities in the capital in the latest initiative to fight the resurgence of the virus. Nation Thailand reports that the project is being run by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.…
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Justice Minister says 50,000 inmates will be released following Covid-19 outbreaks
With thousands of inmates now infected with Covid-19 at several Thai prisons, shedding light on the country’s longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons, Thailand’s justice minister says around 50,000 inmates will be released next month. So far, the Department of Corrections has reported 10,384 Covid-19 cases in Thai prisons. Following the last week’s outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central…
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Covid UPDATE Tuesday: 2,473 new cases, 35 deaths
In Tuesday’s report of Covid cases in Thailand, the public health ministry has announced 2,473 new infections and 35 Covid-related deaths. The number of active cases continues to rise. Yesterday the state recorded 35,055 people still under care in hospitals or field hospitals. Most of these people remain asymptomatic. Around the world there are now 164,262,554 reported infections since the…
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British tourists come forward about being attacked on Koh Tao in 2013
Many continue to contend that Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, the 2 Burmese young men convicted for the 2014 murder of 2 tourists on Koh Tao’s Sairee Beach, are innocent. Now 2 tourists who were attacked on the same beach, just a year before the murder, are now coming forward to help prove that the conviction could have been unreliable.…
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