News

Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.

  • Sponsored

    What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?

    The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...

  • Approval sought for multi-billion-baht Phuket medical hub | Thaiger

    Approval sought for multi-billion-baht Phuket medical hub

    Industry officials are seeking the go-ahead for a project to transform over 140 rai of government land in Phuket into a world-leading medical hub. The project is budgeted at 3 – 4 billion baht, depending on which report you read. Kitkong Tantijaraswarodom, from the Federation of Thai Industries, believes the development of a medical and wellness hub in the sub-district…

  • Permanent residency, changes to quarantine period – Government mulls strategies to revive economy | Thaiger

    Permanent residency, changes to quarantine period – Government mulls strategies to revive economy

    “The government is considering offering permanent residency to those buying condos in the Kingdom.” Energy minister and deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow has outlined a number of strategies the government hopes will help the Thai economy recover from the Covid-19 fallout. Permanent residency for some condo purchases, changes to the mandatory quarantine and incentives for foreign investment are all under discussion.…

  • Head of development think tank calls for dialogue to resolve political crisis | Thaiger

    Head of development think tank calls for dialogue to resolve political crisis

    The president of the Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on both sides to resolve the ongoing political impasse through “dialogue and democracy”. In a report in the Bangkok Post, Somkiat Tangkitvanich warns that the situation is reaching a “crisis point” as he lays out his proposals for how both sides can reach an agreement. A new round of protests…

  • Protesters mass at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok for the first of 2 scheduled rallies | Thaiger

    Protesters mass at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok for the first of 2 scheduled rallies

    Crowds are gathering at the Ratchprsong intersection in Bangkok, one of the promised locations for a rally in response to last night’s refusal of the Thai PM to resign. Thousands have already gathered and, if the weather holds out, the numbers will continue to swell as the evening approaches. Ratchprasong intersection is one of the busiest intersections in the city,…

  • UPDATE: Covid-19 detected on gym equipment, Koh Samui covid case | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Covid-19 detected on gym equipment, Koh Samui covid case

    The Department of Disease Control has provided some updates relating to the Koh Samui-based 57 year old French woman who tested positive on Thursday for a case of Covid-19, the first case on the Gulf island in 7 months. Quite swiftly authorities have been able to come up with a possible reason for the case after claiming they detected the…

  • Thai PM says a Covid-19 vaccine should be available for everyone | Thaiger

    Thai PM says a Covid-19 vaccine should be available for everyone

    Roll up your sleeve, the Thai PM says everyone should be able to receive a Covid-19, if and when it is finally tested and approved for use. Yesterday was the 2020 United Nations Day when PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the vaccine should be treated as “global public goods” and be “equally accessed by everyone around the globe”. Yesterday was the…

  • Hong Kong and Thai protesters form the “Milk Tea Alliance” | Thaiger

    Hong Kong and Thai protesters form the “Milk Tea Alliance”

    Links to continue to grow between the core Hong Kong protest movement and the current Thai protests. The alliance is being called “The Milk Tea Alliance”…milky orange-coloured sweet tea is popular in both Thailand and Hong Kong. Democracy supporters in Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan are sharing their criticisms and demands for change against “regimes” they claim are stymying attempts…

  • 72% think the Thai government are “stalling”, 60% say leave the Monarchy alone | Thaiger

    72% think the Thai government are “stalling”, 60% say leave the Monarchy alone

    72.4% of people polled in a recent Suan Dusit Poll say that the government should “immediately seek negotiations with the protesters and not to buy time.” The private survey was conducted by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. The poll was conducted between October 19 – 22 in the wake of the central city rallies, the hosing down of the protesters at Pathumwan…

  • Protest locations announced for today and tomorrow, PM says he “won’t quit” | Thaiger

    Protest locations announced for today and tomorrow, PM says he “won’t quit”

    10pm came and went. Last night’s deadline had been set for the Thai PM to resign. It was never likely to happen, and it didn’t. Protesters yesterday promised that, if the prime minister didn’t stand down, the protests would resume again. 2 protests have now been announced in central Bangkok for today and tomorrow. PM Prayut was attending Buddhist prayers…

  • Krabi beach stray dogs attack 4 year old boy | Thaiger

    Krabi beach stray dogs attack 4 year old boy

    A 4 year old boy was attacked on Klong Hang beach, Ao Nang, in Krabi by a pack of stray dogs. The young boy, Attachai, was with his mother, brothers and sisters, playing on the popular beach at the front of a hotel yesterday morning. A pack of 4 local stray dogs were lurking nearby. 2 of them ran at…

  • Protesters say more rallies will kick off again at 10pm tonight if the PM doesn’t resign | Thaiger

    Protesters say more rallies will kick off again at 10pm tonight if the PM doesn’t resign

    27C with a low chance of rain. That’s what the protesters will be facing after their promise to resume anti-government protests at 10pm this evening if the Thai PM doesn’t accede to their demands for him to resign. Phatupat Boonpathararaksa, alias Pai Daodin, released on bail from the Bangkok Remand Centre yesterday, announced this morning that speeches will be delivered…

  • Malaysian PM proposes a state of emergency in a political move to postpone budget vote | Thaiger

    Malaysian PM proposes a state of emergency in a political move to postpone budget vote

    Malaysia’s head of state is said to be consulting with the country’s other hereditary rulers to discuss a proposal by Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, who has requested that the King declare a state of emergency. The Star newspaper is reporting that the country’s rulers would meet at 2.30pm tomorrow, after which the king will deliver a decision to the PM. Muhyiddin…

  • 3 protesters denied bail as 10pm deadline for the PM’s resignation looms | Thaiger

    3 protesters denied bail as 10pm deadline for the PM’s resignation looms

    Whilst 1 protester was freed from the Bangkok Remand Prison last night, 3 of his peers remain in custody after being denied bail this afternoon. Supporters of the group protested last night outside the Bangkok Special Remand Centre, demanding their release and dropping of all charges against them. They disbanded around 5am this morning but have been re-assembling as Saturday goes…

  • The Isan Project honours a hero of Tham Luang cave rescue | Thaiger

    The Isan Project honours a hero of Tham Luang cave rescue

    The Isan Project has collaborated with the TAT on new marketing campaign featuring music commemorating the Tham Luang cave rescue. The story of how 13 young men, members of the Mu Pa (Wild Boar) football team, were saved in the caves of Chiang Rai continues to ignites interest in the miraculous internationally-followed rescue in July 2018 from the flooded Tham…

  • Protester released from remand prison, demands Thai PM’s resignation by 10pm tonight | Thaiger

    Protester released from remand prison, demands Thai PM’s resignation by 10pm tonight

    Protesters are continuing to pour on the pressure, now demanding the resignation of the Thai PM by 4pm this afternoon. Following the prime minister’s speech to the nation on Wednesday evening, protesters had earlier said they would “stand down” and shuffled their deadline forward for the PM’s resignation to Sunday night. But last night anti-government protesters set a 10pm deadline…

  • Man’s body discovered hanged in a Phuket Town apartment | Thaiger

    Man’s body discovered hanged in a Phuket Town apartment

    A man has been found hanged in Phuket Town apartment yesterday. Police are treating the cases as a suicide at the moment. The man was found hanged from the apartment’s ceiling fan. His lifeless body was discovered around 11am after neighbours complained to the manager about the smell coming from the man’s room. Police and the local Kusoldharm Foundation rescue…

  • 15 people considered “high risk” following positive Covid test for 57 year old Samui resident | Thaiger

    15 people considered “high risk” following positive Covid test for 57 year old Samui resident

    A 57 year old French woman, visiting the Gulf island of Koh Samui with her husband and son, has tested positive for Covid-19, five days after finishing the mandatory 14 day quarantine. The Division of Communicable Diseases director Sophon Iamsirithavorn told the media yesterday about the case which is baffling medical officials to understand where she had been exposed to…

  • More catchy than Covid, K-Pop fans raise millions to support Thai protesters | Thaiger

    More catchy than Covid, K-Pop fans raise millions to support Thai protesters

    More catchy the Covid and spreading out around the world, this time from South Korea. Fans of K-Pop groups, South Korea’s slick pop music genre, have already raised millions of baht to support Thailand’s anti-government protests. The young Thai protesters have been showered with support, supportive K-Pop lyrics, Tweets, messages. And money. The incredible worldwide reach of K-Pop fans, for…

  • UPDATE: World Covid cases surge again, US reports 81,000+ cases in past 24 hours | Thaiger

    UPDATE: World Covid cases surge again, US reports 81,000+ cases in past 24 hours

    Both the rate of new infections and deaths from the coronavirus has begun to spike in the worldwide totals again with some countries and locations having to go back into lockdowns for a second or third time. In the US and parts of Europe a major new surge of cases is concerning health authorities, especially as these countries are now…

  • 57 year old woman tests positive for Covid on Samui | Thaiger

    57 year old woman tests positive for Covid on Samui

    A 57 year old Frenchwoman has baffled Thai medical officials with her quarantine-defying positive test for Covid-19. The woman had been living on Koh Samui since returning from 14 days of quarantine. Whilst her positive status had become a hot topic on Samui over the past 24 hours, it took until this afternoon for Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Director of the…

  • Thai PM orders investigation into Samut Prakan gas pipeline explosion, 3 dead | Thaiger

    Thai PM orders investigation into Samut Prakan gas pipeline explosion, 3 dead

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is ordering an investigation into yesterday’s explosion of a gas pipeline in Samut Prakan, just south east of central Bangkok. At least 3 people were killed. Among the dead, 2 elderly women were killed, plus at least 28 confirmed injuries when the PTT gas pipeline exploded in the coastal Bang Bo district. The prime minister has also…

  • Preparations for the emergency session of the Thai Parliament | Thaiger

    Preparations for the emergency session of the Thai Parliament

    The Thai Parliament is getting ready for an extraordinary session called by the Lower House Speaker to debate the current impasse between the protester’s demands and the PM and government. The session will be held on Monday and Tuesday. But even before the emergency session begins, government and opposition parliamentarians cannot decide on the terms of the debate. Parliament president…

  • Bangkok hostels offer free beds to struggling protesters | Thaiger

    Bangkok hostels offer free beds to struggling protesters

    Some Bangkok hostels are opening their doors, and offering beds and accommodation to demonstrators, providing them free refuge, or at very low prices. Young protesters have travelled to Bangkok to be a part of the growing protest movement that is putting pressure on the PM and government to listen to, and accede, to their demands. More information about their demands…

  • Thailand News Today | State of Emergency lifted, Quarantine latest, Phuket Light Rail | October 22 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | State of Emergency lifted, Quarantine latest, Phuket Light Rail | October 22

    Today’s latest news and information about Thailand. Like and subscribe to our YouTube channel too. Go on, right now 🙂 You can also LIKE our Facebook page https://facebook.com/thethaigernews to get even more information about Thailand. Government lifts Bangkok’s State of Emergency Bangkok’s State of Emergency has been lifted, according to a statement published in the Royal Gazette, making it official.…

  • Thailand at the crossroads. The anti-government protesters vs Thai establishment – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Thailand at the crossroads. The anti-government protesters vs Thai establishment – VIDEO

    Click to watch the video… This video provides some background of the protests and their challenge ahead. They are battling a deeply entrenched “establishment”, including the Army, the government, the Bangkok ‘elite’ and years of conservative traditions protecting the revered Thai monarchy. The protesters are young, educated and motivated. The government controls the levers of power. What will happen? Like…

  • 1 killed, 20 injured in gas pipe explosion in Samut Prakan | Thaiger

    1 killed, 20 injured in gas pipe explosion in Samut Prakan

    A gas pipe explosion at a Samut Prakan industrial site killed 1 and injured 20 others. Flames burst in the air and those at homes in the province’s Bang Bo district fled the area. At this time, there’s been 1 confirmed death, an elderly bedridden woman, but Thai media reports there could be another death. Around 40 to 50 fire…

  • Floods across Thailand kill 3, affect thousands of households | Thaiger

    Floods across Thailand kill 3, affect thousands of households

    Floods from the wet season’s heavy rainfall over the past 2 weeks have killed 3 people and affected 63,672 homes across Thailand, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. 33 provinces have been impacted by floods since October 7, the department says. While conditions have improved in 14 of the provinces, the flood levels in other 17 provinces…

  • Government lifts Bangkok’s State of Emergency | Thaiger

    Government lifts Bangkok’s State of Emergency

    Bangkok’s State of Emergency has been lifted, according to a statement published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The order, banning large public gatherings, and censoring critical media commentary, was imposed last Thursday morning by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, leading to the breaking up a protest and the arrests of a number of activists. “The current violent situation that led…

  • 4.4 million methamphetamine pills seized near Laos border | Thaiger

    4.4 million methamphetamine pills seized near Laos border

    Police seized 4.4 million methamphetamine pills worth more than 400 million baht after a police chase in the Northeastern province Bueng Kan near the Thai-Laos border. Thai media says the alleged drug traffickers threw black bags full of the drugs out onto the road during the police chase and drove off into a rubber farm in the Bung Kla district.…

  • Pattaya residents accuse Greek expat of throwing sewage, threatening neighbours, and damaging property | Thaiger

    Pattaya residents accuse Greek expat of throwing sewage, threatening neighbours, and damaging property

    Residents of a housing estate in the district of Banglamung in Pattaya, have filed a police report against an expat they accuse of threatening and damaging behaviour. According to The Pattaya News, neighbours say the Greek national has threatened them, as well as “throwing sewage” at their homes, and damaging their fences. They add that, despite filing a police report…