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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Thailand Pass: all systems go for Monday
The new Thailand Pass system launches on Monday when the country re-opens with minimal quarantine for vaccinated tourists from select countries. The Bangkok Post reports a government spokesman as saying the new system will replace the Certificate of Entry with a more streamlined process. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the online system will allow tourists, Thais, and foreign residents of Thailand to…
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Somalia: Renewed clashes dim hopes for a credible election
After weeks of heated disputes between the outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and his Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over the disappearance of a female spy agent, the two men finally agreed to move on. According to a deal signed by Farmajo and Roble, “speeding up elections is a top priority.” As things stand, Somalia currently has no legitimate national…
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COP26: What is India doing to combat climate change?
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP26, in Glasgow next week, he will represent the third biggest polluter in the world. His attendance, nevertheless, will be seen as critical, since the leader of the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, Chinese President Xi Jinping, is not expected to attend. Modi’s focus will likely be…
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Record drug bust in Laos follows pandemic’s methamphetamine boom
The large haul of methamphetamine was seized by Laos police in what the United Nations considers Asia’s largest single drug bust on record follows the methamphetamine boom in Southeast Asia – particularly in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite border closures and other restrictions during the pandemic, those in the illicit methamphetamine trade have not only survived, but have managed…
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Bangkok public transport back to normal capacity on Monday
Bangkok’s BTS, BRT and Gold Line public transport systems will resume normal operating hours from Monday alongside the government’s move to reopen Thailand’s international borders and lift the nightly curfew in the capital. According to Nation Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit System director Surapong Laoha-Unya said the resumption of regular services comes with all employees having been fully vaccinated and required…
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Thailand’s Industry Ministry is backing hemp as a new cash crop
The Thai government is getting behind the hemp industry amid long-term plans to grow the local market and drive flow-on benefits to associated sectors. The Bangkok Post reports the Industry Ministry is currently laying out a budget plan, with it targeting the development of new products in the medical sector and support for tourism. Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said, according…
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Reform urged for foreigners to invest or buy condos in Thailand
The vice-chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand is calling for amendments to the restrictions and processes for foreigners to buy condos and invest in the country. He said the process is unnecessarily complex, and steps need to be taken to improve procedures and conditions if Thailand’s plan to lure wealthy pensioners is to gain any traction. He called…
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55 million meth pills seized in Laos in biggest SE Asian bust ever
One for the record books – police in Laos have made the largest drug bust in East and Southeast Asia’s history, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Police in Laos stopped a shipment and seized over 55 million meth pills and more than 1.5 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine yesterday. The bust was confirmed by 2 security…
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BlackPink’s Lisa says “no” to Phuket New Year countdown event
Grand plans by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to attract international acts for a New Year countdown concert in Phuket, has come crashing down today now that YG Entertainment in South Korea, the management for the K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, made an official statement saying she won’t be coming. The ‘BlackPink’ Thai-born star was a hot ticket for the…
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Khao San Road expects very slow recovery, even after reopening
Though it’s technically a long, flat stretch, the recovery for Bangkok’s backpacker tourist hub of Khao San Road will be a steep uphill battle. While the government plans the November 1 reopening, entertainment venues, clubs and bars that are a mainstay on the previously vibrant, cacophony of a strip are unlikely to reopen then, and businesses along the infamous road…
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Truckers and tour bus drivers plan strike over diesel prices
Thai truckers are set to go on strike on Monday as part of a campaign to have diesel prices capped at 25 baht per litre for one year. As reported by Thai PBS World, the strike – which will coincide with Thailand’s reopening on November 1 – will span about 80,000 trucks, including some tour buses. The campaign, labelled “truck…
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World’s first unisex condom invented by Malaysian gynaecologist
Using materials applied in dressing injuries and wounds, a Malaysian gynaecologist has invented the world’s first unisex condom. The unique Wondaleaf Unisex Condom uses medical-grade materials and is like an extended condom with adhesive flaps to attach to the body around the sexual organ to provide coverage and avoid skin to skin contact. The adhesive can be reversed, so a…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to outline Thailand’s path to net zero at UN Climate Change Conference
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will outline Thailand’s push to achieve carbon neutrality by 2065 at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in the United Kingdom next week. The Bangkok Post has reported Prayut will formally announce the country’s new pledge and provide details about its long-term strategies to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. In essence, he will provide a roadmap of…
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“Test run” at Bangkok airport to prepare for next week’s reopening
Staff at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have been gearing up for Thailand’s much-anticipated reopening, conducting a test run of electronic screening measures rolled out ahead of the staged return of tourism to the country. Thailand is poised to open its doors to vaccinated visitors from eligible countries and territories from November 1, allowing quarantine-free entry subject to a number of conditions.…
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Chinese travel to Thailand may resume late next year
Chinese authorities may let their citizens travel to Thailand again in about one year, according to predictions from the Association of Thai Travel Agents. While China has made the elite list of 46 countries allowed to enter Thailand without quarantine in the Test & Go scheme starting November 1, harsh travel restrictions in China will prohibit Chinese tourists, an important…
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Thailand eyeing EV benefits, but consumer incentives remain unclear
The Thai government is reportedly looking to spark local interest in electric vehicles, with the Finance Ministry poised to approve a number of measures designed to promote their use. The Bangkok Post reports a source on the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee as stating the measures are expected to significantly bring down the prices of imported EVs. With the government…
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Police arrest woman for posting and selling porn on Twitter
A woman in Chaiyaphum known online as Nan was arrested for the second time for posting porn photos and videos on her Twitter account. The 23 year old woman was arrested in tambon Watabaek of Thep Sathit district yesterday after the Chaiyaphum Provincial Court issued a warrant for her home to be searched. Police investigating in her house seized her…
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Foreign teenage boy falls to his death from 14th floor condo
In a condominium building in Sattahip, a 17 year old foreign boy was found dead on the ground after a fall from a 14th-floor condo. The boy’s nationality was reported as either Irish or British but has not been confirmed. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning on Soi Na Jomtien 18 at a mixed-use condo and hotel building. The boy’s…
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Finnair launches nonstop flights from Stockholm to Phuket
Finnair has launched its nonstop flight service from Stockholm to Phuket, with the first flight arriving on October 25. The Nordic region has traditionally brought many big-spending tourists to Phuket and Thailand, and Finnair will operate flights twice a week from Sweden’s capital to Phuket. The flights are great news after reports that many international carriers are dropping their slots…
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Thai PM expected to embark on first overseas trip since start of pandemic
The Thai PM is expected to attend the COP26 climate summit in Scotland, his first overseas trip since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Pattaya News report, there are reports Prayut Chan-o-cha will travel to Glasgow for the conference, which kicks off at the end of this month. Over 120 world leaders are expected to attend the…
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Entry requirements for international arrivals starting November 1
The Thailand Pass is set to launch in 5 days, aiming to ease the process to get approval to enter Thailand. The entry requirements for international travellers still require some hoops, but the government hopes this streamlining will help welcome back much-needed tourism to the country. The website for the Thailand Pass has been created at tp.consular.go.th but it is…
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Senior hotels association member says NYE stars will boost Phuket tourism
The president of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern chapter is backing the government’s decision to spend millions of baht on Phuket’s end-of-year festivities. Officials have confirmed that K-Pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform in Phuket on New Year’s Eve. Critics have derided the plan due to the cost involved, with many suggesting the money…
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Thursday Covid Update: 9,658 new cases and 84 deaths
9,658 new Covid-19 cases and 84 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 8,526 recoveries. There are now 99,144 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 1,856,110 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Out…
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Private sector expresses fear over Covid surge if alcohol ban lifted in Bangkok
Some members of the private sector have expressed concern about a spike in Bangkok’s infections if the alcohol ban is lifted from December, as planned. According to a Bangkok Post report, the TAT is expecting 300,000 visitors to Bangkok during the last 2 months of the year. This has prompted some to voice concern about the Covid-19 risks, particularly if…
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Africa looks to kick-start COVID vaccine production
As countries around the world hit COVID vaccine milestones, many African states remain worryingly behind in their initial rollout plans. But two major companies are looking to change that. Moderna and BioNTech — who have both manufactured effective mRNA vaccines — are now engaged in a race-of-sorts to boost production capacities in Africa. Until now, Africa has largely relied on…
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Kashmir: Artisans fight for survival amid dying art of pottery
As the paddy harvest season is nearing its end with the onset of winter, Dilshada Bilal, 35, is busy producing earthenware including fire pots and electric cooking heaters. Her modest workshop in the village of Larm-Ganjipora in southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district has a potter’s wheel, an oven, and storage space for her work. She lives a few meters away in…
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The route from Iraq to Belarus: How are migrants getting to Europe?
To put it into perspective: Since the beginning of October, there have been 11,300 attempts to illegally enter Polish territory from Belarus. So far this year, around 23,000 such attempts have been registered. From there, many make their way to the German border. Three German states border Poland: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony. Border police say there have been around…
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Madagascar hunger crisis exacerbated by global warming
The impacts of global warming are getting worse around the world. An example is Madagascar, an island nation which is currently experiencing its worst drought in 40 year. For months, aid organizations have been sounding the alarm over this forgotten crisis, since hundreds of thousands of people in Madagascar are malnourished and suffer from hunger; and many have been so…
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Are Southeast Asian nations fulfilling their climate commitments?
Southeast Asia is among the most at risk regions in the world to the impacts of global warming, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) warning in its most recent report that the region is facing rising sea levels, heat waves, droughts and increasingly intense rainstorms. “Recent studies estimate that up to 96% of the ASEAN region is likely…
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Alcohol ban predicted to damage Thailand’s reopening, reputation
With Thailand’s November 1 reopening fast approaching, Thai businesses are calling on the government to quickly lift all the restrictions on alcohol sales in the country. They advise that the nightlife that millions flocked to Thailand for before the Covid-19 pandemic, is being destroyed by the long-term closures. Furthermore, they warn that reopening without any nightlife will discourage people from…
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