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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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PM will decide on need for lockdown if and when Omicron found in Thailand
The health ministry says the Thai PM will decide what steps to take if and when the Omicron Covid-19 variant is found in the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that the relevant agencies have been instructed to continue monitoring the situation and the Public Health Ministry will review the country’s re-opening in 2 weeks’ time. Speaking to the Bangkok Post,…
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Si Racha sushi restaurant patrons warned to test for Covid-19
Following in a string of Covid-19 outbreak warnings, the Chon Buri Public Health Office released a new bulletin for anyone who visited sushi stalls in a Si Racha market where Covid-19 infections were identified. Unlike other warnings over the past several weeks that gave one- to two-week date ranges for exposure, this alert is very time and location-specific. Health officials…
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Is Jordan doing Syrian dictator’s dirty work?
Earlier this month, a Syrian journalist working in Jordan was arrested. Freelance journalist Ibrahim Awwad was taken to Azraq, a United Nations-run refugee camp, east of Amman, where he apparently remains under house arrest. “He is now threatened with deportation to Syria, where he would face probable reprisals,” said media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), expressing concern about the…
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Omicron Covid-19 variant sparks growing curbs on global travel
B.1.1.529 is the scientific name of the new coronavirus variant discovered last week in South Africa. It has since been detected in several other countries, with Germany, Portugal, Great Britain, Israel and Canada, for instance, all reporting omicron infections. There are fears that the new mutant could be even more contagious than the currently rampant delta variant and that vaccines…
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Who benefits from China-Africa relations?
China’s donation of one billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccines to Africa was among the first things Chinese President Xi Jinping promised at the 8th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) in Dakar, Senegal, which started on Sunday and closes today. According to Xi, 400 million doses are to be produced in the continent. While the announcement could be seen as…
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Kashmir: Why is anger rising over secretive militant burials?
Mushtaq Ahmad Wani cried out for public support after Indian security forces refused to return the body of his teenage son, who was killed in a controversial operation on the outskirts of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. “Today it’s about my son. Tomorrow it will be your son as well,” Wani shouted while he was being taken away by Indian police…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says PCR tests will remain a requirement for foreign arrivals
Thailand will continue using the RT-PCR method to screen arrivals for Covid-19 as a preventative measure to keep the Omicron variant from reaching Thai soil. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced today that the Cabinet decided to reverse the CCSA’s decision to change the testing method to the faster, yet less reliable ATK method. The Thai government says the order on PCR…
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More venues in Thailand require proof of vaccination, or ATK test, at the door
Thailand’s future looks… vaccinated. More and more venues and events are embracing the government’s “Covid Free Setting” guidelines which call for not only staff, but customers to be fully vaccinated, or test negative for the virus, to be considered a “Covid free” area. Bangkok’s Khao San Road was blocked off the other weekend with bouncers checking documents and digital vaccination…
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Taiwanese co-pilot pays off NT$800,000 fine for breaching quarantine rules
According to the Taipei branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency (AEA), a co-pilot of a Taiwanese airline has paid off a punishment of NT$ 800,000 (US$ 28,551) for breaching of Covid-19 quarantine rules earlier this year. The co-pilot, identified in the media as Chung, was found to have left his home three times to visit friends and buy food while…
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Shanghai halts 500 flights, issues closure order after 3 three local Covid cases
After three locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases were reported in Shanghai on Friday, hundreds of flights were cancelled, schools were closed, and tourists activities were shut down. The three positive cases, according to a municipal government statement, were friends from the nearby city of Suzhou who attended an old architecture lecture last week. The three friends had close contact with nearly 200…
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Bangkok’s SRT Red Line launches commercial service, fares 12 to 42 baht
After four months of trial operation, commercial services on the Red Line commenced yesterday, with fares ranging from 12 baht to 42 baht, with its operating hours extended until midnight every day. The director-general of SRT Electrified Train Co., Suthep Panpeng, said that with the termination of free services, ridership will initially drop by 20% to roughly 8,000 per day,…
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Two South African travellers test positive for Omicron at Singapore airport
Singapore’s health ministry says two South African travellers tested positive for the new Covid-19 variant “Omicron” transit at Changi Airport on their way to Australia yesterday. Contact tracing has begun for airport personnel who may have come into contact with two travellers. According to the ministry, the two residents of Johannesburg with pre-departure negative tests before boarding a Singapore Airlines…
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Indonesian Paralympic powerlifter says no disability can destroy a dream
Indonesian para-athlete Ni Nengah Widiasih was partially paralyzed by polio as a child. At the 2020 Paralympics, she won a silver medal for weightlifting. She says when you dream big and try hard nothing can stop you. SOURCE: DW News
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Verdicts in Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi trial postponed until Monday
According to a source acquainted with the proceedings in Myanmar, the first verdicts in the trial of former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were adjourned to Monday by a court under the military junta. The court was set to rule on allegations of incitement and violations of Covid-19 guidelines under a natural disaster law today, one of nearly a…
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Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi pocketed 1,000 baht for ride down Sukhumvit
A foreigner in Bangkok claims he was ripped off by a taxi driver who drove him from Thong Lor to Sukhumvit Soi 11, saying the driver didn’t use a meter and pocketed 1,000 baht. Apparently, the driver claimed the passenger had handed him 100 baht. A Thai woman posted a video of the confrontation with the taxi driver on TikTok…
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Flash floods from heavy rain hit three districts in Surat Thani
Last night, villages in three districts in Southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province were hit by flash floods due to heavy rain and local rescue teams along with the military assisted residents in moving their belongings to higher ground. Governor Wichawut Jinto and Chamnong Sawatwong, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, led the relief effort, which included territorial…
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Ministry prepares to bring back Thais from eight African countries starting tomorrow
With Thai authorities issuing a travel ban on those from 8 African countries reporting the new Omicron variant, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing to bring Thai citizens in the high risk countries back to Thailand. Citizens living in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe can apply for a COE (certificate of entry) to return…
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PM asks for public to be consulted on plans for Hua Lamphong station
The Thai PM has asked the Transport Ministry to gauge the public’s view on the redevelopment of Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station. The Bangkok Post reports that the station is set to close in around 3 weeks’ time. A government spokesman says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked all relevant agencies to take public opinion into account in any commercial development proposals.…
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Bangkok’s Yellow Line skyrail starts test runs
The newest addition to Bangkok’s skyrail is here.The Yellow Line, which travels from Lat Phrao to Samrong in Samut Prakan, has reportedly begun its test run since last Thursday from the maintenance depot near Sri Iam station in Bang Na district. The Yellow Line, which is a joint venture worth 54,768.455 million baht between Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority and…
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Tourism officials welcome Czech movie filming in Phuket and Krabi
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is celebrating Thailand’s re-opening to international movie stardom once more. The southern provinces of Krabi and Phuket are being used as locations for a Czech movie currently being filmed in the kingdom. Nation Thailand reports that a film crew, consisting of 22 actors, directors, producers, and technicians are in Thailand to film a romantic comedy…
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Phuket yacht startup banks funding for 2022
The following is a press release from Boatcrowd. Chartering a private yacht is among the most exclusive, luxurious, and unforgettable experiences you can ever have. It opens you up to explorations and adventures that you would never experience on land, and it’s the perfect way to relax, enjoy, and see more of the world. As Covid restrictions are being lifted…
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Bangkok Metropolitan Administration opens up registration for free Covid-19 vaccines
To coincide with the Smart Entry scheme for public safety, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has opened the Covid-19 vaccine registration for Thais and non-Thais aged 18 and up. The programme will deliver the first dose, as well as the second and third doses. From now on, registration will be done through the QUEQ application. Those who intend to vaccinate in…
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Public Health Ministry monitoring Omicron variant, public urged not to panic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says the public shouldn’t panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the ministry is monitoring the situation and on alert for possible Omicron cases. Meanwhile, people should continue to observe existing disease prevention measures. “The departments of Medical Sciences and Disease Control have been tasked with monitoring the new variant…
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Bomb attack damages vehicles carrying ballot boxes from local election in Yala
A bombing in the Deep South province Yala damaged several vehicles carrying ballot boxes from a local election. After the polls closed on Sunday for the Bannang Sata tambon administration organisation elections, eight vehicles were used to take the ballot boxes to the district office. As the vehicles drove on a rural road at around 7:55pm, a parked motorcycle exploded. A…
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No plans to reverse re-opening, despite Omicron variant – Tourism Ministry
Thailand’s Tourism Minister says there will be no going back for the country’s re-opening plans, despite the emergence of the Omicron variant. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says closing the borders is not an option anymore. “Nobody wants another border closure as it was really difficult for us to re-open the country. Our economy still suffers from…
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COVID: South Korean cities grapple with cab shortage
Han Ye-jung could always count on an available taxi to bring her home, after working late into the night at her company’s office in central Seoul. However, that has changed since the start of the pandemic. At present, flagging down a taxi requires good luck or a test of endurance, Han told DW. A shortage of cabs in South Korea’s…
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Why are Russian ‘vaccine tourists’ flocking to Europe?
It’s unclear whether the Russian homegrown vaccine Sputnik V will be approved anytime soon in the West, making life difficult for many Russian nationals. That’s because entry to many countries requires proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with a jab that is approved in the European Union (EU). It’s not only tourists who are affected. Many Russian citizens also travel abroad,…
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Iran nuclear talks resume — will they yield results?
Representatives of Iran and diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are gathering at the Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna on Monday to try to salvage the 2015 international nuclear agreement. The United States is taking part in the talks indirectly, with diplomats from the other countries acting as go-betweens. The negotiations are aimed at bringing Iran back into…
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Asia-Europe summit: Is the EU gaining more ground in Indo-Pacific?
European leaders are renewing calls to strengthen diplomatic relations with Indo-Pacific countries, amid geopolitical challenges posed by China and changes to trans-Atlantic relations brought on during the Trump era. At last week’s 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that “Asia matters to Europe.” During the two-day virtual conference, leaders from the…
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Meeting near Russian border, NATO weighs response to Moscow’s military maneuvers
“We’re the ones that keep other people awake at night”: That’s the impact US Marine Corps Brigadier General Simon Doran hopes this massive show of NATO power has on Russian military planners plotting their next moves. Doran is the senior American representative serving with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21), the largest fifth-generation carrier air wing in the world.…
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