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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Karen army takes over Burmese military base along Thai-Myanmar border
A military base in Myanmar near the Thai border was reportedly taken over by an ethnic army. Since the February 1 military coup in Myanmar, ousting the country’s democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an estimated 750 protesters and civilians have been killed by security forces, leading to clashes with ethnic armies. Many ethnic armies support the anti-coup movement,…
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Koh Samet to close from today for at least 2 weeks, Koh Chang may follow
The island of Koh Samet, in Thailand’s eastern Rayong province, is closing to visitors and non-residents for at least 14 days to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The province saw 21 new infections yesterday, with at least 1 being linked to Koh Samet. The shuttering is effective as of today with another popular island, Koh Chang, also possibly following…
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Foreign investors eye business in Thailand as hotels face closure during new outbreak
The new wave of Covid-19 infections this month has led to a drop in occupancy rates at Thailand hotels, some reporting drops of 5% to 30%, battering hoteliers that have already been struggling from a year of little to no foreign tourists. Some hotel operators have been forced to sell their businesses, according to the president of the Arjarnnar Asset…
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Restrictions tighten, but some say it’s not enough to control the outbreak in Thailand
With this month’s wave of Covid-19 infections hitting a record high in Thailand, the government is setting tight restrictions to help slow the spread and contain the virus, but some say it’s not enough. In Bangkok, the epicentre of this month’s infections, the government ordered the closure of numerous businesses and places until May 9 including schools, parks, gyms, and…
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Hua Hin to submit October re-opening plan for government approval
The seaside town of Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, is working on a proposal to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists from October. Krod Rojanastien, from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, says the Hua Hin Recharge campaign aims to include the resort town in the government’s re-opening plan. He says the area has already earned a reputation for wellness holidays…
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Bangkok car riders must wear face masks if 2 or more people in car
Bangkok car riders now must wear a face mask if more than 2 people are in the car. The City Hall made the announcement yesterday, as part of the measures by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19. Family members in the same car aren’t being excluded from the rule. Questions on social media have signaled…
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Health Ministry to investigate death of woman following Sinovac jab
Health officials will carry out an autopsy on the body of a 23 year old woman who died days after receiving the Sinovac vaccine. Relatives of the deceased say she became ill after receiving the second dose of CoronaVac, the Covid-19 vaccine from Chinese manufacturer, Sinovac Biotech. The Bangkok Post reports that the unnamed woman, who worked as a salesperson…
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Lockdown decision expected tomorrow for Bangkok
A full lockdown decision is expected tomorrow for Thailand’s capital of Bangkok after record daily Covid-19 infections have sent the city into a frenzy trying to stop the spread of the virus. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is expected to make the recommendation which will be forwarded to the full committee chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The CCSA will…
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Tuesday’s full moon will be a SUPER full moon
Tonight there will be a full moon. But not just ANY full moon, a SUPER full moon. Whoooaaa! Whilst Koh Pha Ngan’s monthly full moon party has been shelved for the meantime, we can still appreciate this monthly phenomenon (well, not quite monthly). The The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says that the April astronomical phenomenon coincides with the…
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Covid-19 task force to resume central role in handling of crisis
The government is placing the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration back at the centre of its handling of the pandemic, after the CCSA delegated some authority to government ministries. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says the Covid-19 task force will resume its central role as the government ramps up the national vaccine rollout. Officials aim to vaccinate around 30 million people…
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Thai PM fined 6,000 baht for not wearing face mask during Cabinet meeting
You know what it’s like when you’re rushing out the door in the morning with too many things on your mind. You’re being slammed for your handling of a pandemic, berated for your failure to procure sufficient vaccines and generally, having a bit of a rough ride. There’s a lot to distract you as you gather your belongings. Keys, check.…
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Thailand’s “problem foreigners” who don’t wear masks. Really?! | VIDEO
UPDATE: Even the Thai PM has been fined for not wearing a mask at a meeting at Government House yesterday. Phuket’s vice governor has stirred the pot by singling out, what he described as, “problem foreigners” who weren’t wearing their mask in public. Over the past week there has been renewed attention to the wearing of masks at all times…
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Travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore starts May 26
A travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will start on May 26, waiving the quarantine period for those travelling between the 2 countries. For those travelling from Hong Kong to Singapore, visitors will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, except for travellers who are younger than 16 or who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. Travellers going from…
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Former negotiator says peace in Thailand’s deep south can be reached with ongoing discussions
With the ongoing violence from the religious separatist insurgency in Thailand’s deep south, a former member of the Thai negotiating team says the discussions between the government and Malay-Muslim dissidents need to continue to bring peace and unity. The Southern provinces Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat near Malaysia have been plagued with violence for years. Since the separatist movement in Thailand’s…
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Entertainment venues linked to majority of Covid-19 cases in Bangkok
Bars and nightclubs are linked to the majority of Covid-19 cases reported in Bangkok over the past month. Data from Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration show that nearly two-thirds of the recent wave of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok traced back to entertainment venues. In late February, Bangkok was reclassified from a “red” zone to an “orange” zone, allowing alcohol…
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Pattaya’s homeless population on the rise after a year without foreign tourists
More people are sleeping on the streets in Pattaya. Even some women who work in bars in the city’s red light district are setting up tents in the empty bars to sleep at night. The lack of foreign tourists in Pattaya, a city that was named one of the top 20 most visited cities in the world back in 2019…
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ASEAN nations agree to appoint envoy to broker cross-party talks in Myanmar
Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to appoint an envoy to act as mediator in cross-party talks in Myanmar. The country has been rocked by months of violence following a February 1 military coup in which the democratically-elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted. The leader of the coup, Min Aung…
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Health Minister says he’s going nowhere as opposition calls for his resignation
Thailand’s Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is defying calls for his resignation over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Members of the opposition Move Forward Party have slammed the government over how it has dealt with the third wave of Covid-19, as infections and deaths rise across the country. Critics say the current administration was not adequately prepared for a resurgence…
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28 people arrested at private villa parties in Pattaya for violating disease control orders
Private parties at luxury pool villas in a Pattaya neighbourhood were raided by police last night and 28 people were arrested. Around 50 officers from the Banglamung district and Chon Buri stations were called to the area after neighbours complained that the parties could potentially lead to the spread Covid-19. A birthday party for an English teacher was hosted at…
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Government insists Phuket re-opening will go ahead as planned
The Thai government is adamant the planned re-opening of the southern island of Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists will go ahead. However, with Covid-19 infections rising across the country, some tourism operators say they need more clarification on how. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit insists the “Phuket sandbox” model is on track for July 1. “We have neither cancelled nor changed…
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More closures in Bangkok, in force now
It’s not a formal lockdown, but it may as well be, with newly announced closures from the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority. From Monday, April 26, a lot more services, public spaces and businesses around Bangkok are now closed. Additionally events will be limited to just 20 people, down from the former limitation of 50 people. Face mask-wearing will be enforced with…
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Indonesian submarine confirmed in 3 pieces at 800m depth
In a follow-up to our previous story this morning, Indonesian authorities have now stated officially that the missing submarine has been found and it is safe to assume all 53 crew members have died. Earlier in the day, debris from the submarine such as a bottle of lubricant and a torpedo protection device, as well as an oil slick, were…
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Top 10 busiest airports: Atlanta bumped as China dominates list
After 22 consecutive years as the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta slips to number 2 while China and the United States dominated the entire top 10 list of the 2020 world’s busiest airports. With the covid-19 pandemic stifling travel around the world all the airports on the list saw massive drops in passengers and rankings climbed and fell and…
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Double truck driver bust yields 2.2 million meth pills, 165 grams of marijuana
Two truck drivers were arrested in a massive double bust where police seized a total of 2.2 million methamphetamine pills and 165 grams of dried marijuana. One truck full of meth was caught in the Nong Khai province on the Laos border, while the other driver was apprehended in Chon Buri province. Banglamung Police announced the arrest yesterday while working…
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Covid UPDATE: Sunday 2,438 new infections announced, provincial totals
Today there are another 2,438 new Covid-19 infections and 11 coronavirus-related deaths, including a young woman who was 25 weeks pregnant. Meanwhile the BMA have announced the closure of 31 additional business types as of midnight tonight around Bangkok. There are additional announcements pending for other Thai provinces today. The number is a slight drop on Saturday’s total of 2,839…
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Thailand News Today | Sunday update – all the latest news, ANZAC Day | April 25
Today there are another 2,438 new Covid-19 infections in Thailand. Meanwhile the BMA have announced the closure of 31 additional business types in Bangkok as of midnight tonight. The number is a sight drop on yesterday’s total of 2,839 new infections. But Sunday’s totals are often lower due to the reporting from provinces. Today’s numbers show that Thailand’s Covid experience…
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Burmese military in a shootout near Thai border
Burmese military exchanged gunfire with unknown opposition last night opposite the Three Pagodas Pass near the Myanmar-Thailand border. Local media reports that gunshots broke out around 10:30 pm when members of the 32nd Infantry Battalion of the Burmese army fired at as-yet-unidentified armed fighters. The exchange took place in Payathonzu, a town near the Thai border in the Burmese Karen…
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3 family members shot and burned in Pattani attack
A heavily-armed motorbike gang in Pattani shot and then burned 3 family members making a delivery from Songkla to Narathiwat in an alleged terrorist attack. The murders took place early on Saturday morning on the main road from Narathiwat to Pattani, where forensic teams have found more than 30 bullet casings. Police expect swift arrests and blame local insurgents for…
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500,000 Sinovac doses arrive in Thailand
Half a million more Sinovac vaccines have arrived in Thailand, while tomorrow another 2 million Favipiravir antiviral pills arrive. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has been pushing to increase Thailand’s supply of both vaccines and medicine to treat patients already infected with Covid-19. This brings Thailand up to 2.5 million Sinovac jabs in the race to vaccinate the population amid…
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50 Buddhist nuns positive for Covid at Chiang Mai dharma practice centre
50 Buddhist nuns have tested positive for Covid-19, causing the Chiang Mai dharma practice centre, where they live, to be closed. The Chiang Mai public health office closed the centre, located in the main city district for 2 weeks from Saturday. People who took part in activities at the centre from April 7 are being asked to take a Covid…
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