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.
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Arrest warrants sought for 8 civilians suspected of smuggling migrant workers
Deputy national police chief Damrongsak Kittiprapas has confirmed that arrest warrants are being sought for 8 civilians implicated in the illegal smuggling of migrant workers. The Bangkok Post reports that the 8 face charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigration. The workers were trafficked from Myanmar to the central Thai province of Samut Sakhon, where the latest outbreak of Covid-19…
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Can I travel around Thailand? Mor Chana app?
Yes. But for people travelling around Thailand at the moment there is still quite a lot of confusion and misinformation about where you can travel to and additional restrictions on travel. Statistically, and with the usual precautions, you are very unlikely to catch Covid-19. We’ll continue to publish any updates to this information on travel at thethaiger.com For people travelling…
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Thailand News Today | Stray car on runway, Indonesian quake, 300 baht tourist fee | January 15
A man has driven his car onto the runway at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport while allegedly under the influence of illicit substances. AOT officials are now trying to figure out how the man was able to breach airport security and drive onto the airport runway. Airport security vehicles were seen escorting the car off the runway, passing by waiting planes. The…
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A wild elephant kills 80 year old camper in Khao Yai
A wild elephant killed an 80 year old man camping in Khao Yai National Park early this morning. Park officials believe the bull elephant was in musth, which is when the elephant has rise in reproductive hormones and becomes aggressive. 80 year old Prayot Jitbun was sleeping in his tent when the elephant attacked. Other nearby campers alerted park officials…
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Former finance minister proposes legalisation of gambling
With Covid-19 cases linked to some illegal gambling dens, causing a headache for health officials trying to track down elusive gamblers to contain the virus, the former Finance Minister floated the idea to legalise gambling. The former Finance Minister and current leader of the Kla Party, Korn Chaitkavanich, claims legalising gambling will help contain the spread of Covid-19. He also…
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Kanchanaburi governor orders all hotels in the province to close immediately
To prevent the spread of Covid-19, the Kanchanaburi governor is issuing an order to immediately close all hotels, resorts and other accommodations, excluding those operating as local quarantine facilities. Hotels that currently have guests can continue to operate until the guests check out, but new guests are not allowed. Kanchanaburi is a tourist destination that draws in large groups of…
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Covid-19 projected to reduce Americans’ life expectancy – USC/Princeton study
With Covid-19 linked to more than 336,000 deaths in the United States, American’s life expectancy will decline, especially among black and latino people, according to researchers from the University of Southern California and Princeton University. The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that life expectancy at birth for Americans will shorten by 1.13 years to…
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Customers steadily decline at seafood market due to Covid-19 fears
The tourists’ well-known Mae Klong Seafood Market in the coastal province Samut Songkram is seeing a steady decline of seafood buyers due to fear of Covid-19. Samut Songkram is a neighboring province of Samut Sakhon, a hot spot of the new wave of the Covid-19 outbreak. Although the Samut Songkhram Municipality has imposed stringent measures on all markets in the…
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Pattaya hotels want official closure order to get unemployment benefits
Pattaya hotels and tourism businesses want to close… just temporarily until the Covid-19 situation improves, but they say an official closure order needs to be issued by the Chon Buri governor so employees can claim unemployment benefits. The hospitality and tourism industry in the 5 highest risk red zones (the coastal provinces Chonburi, Rayong, Chantaburi, Rayong, Samut Sakhon, and Trat)…
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Lost couple in Koh Pha Ngan forest rescued by tourist police and park officers
A 50 member team of Koh Pha Ngan rescuers and locals spent 6 hours searching for a Spanish couple who got lost while hiking on the island. The couple, a 41 year old man and 39 year old woman, were hiked to the Khao Ra viewpoint, the highest point on the island at 635 metres above sea level. They started hiking…
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Police say Phuket school won’t be charged for employing foreign teachers without a work permit
An international school in Phuket is not facing charges for employing foreign teachers without a work permit, police told the Phuket News. Back in November, 2 British nationals were arrested at the Palm House International School in Rawai in a raid by Phuket Immigration officers, acting on a tip that teachers were working at the school without a work permit.…
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Tower Of Babble – Have your say on The Thaiger | VIDEO
Tower of Babble is where we read some of your comments to The Thaiger YouTube videos. Some are insightful, some are interesting, some need to be shared! And some are just plain funny. If you leave a comment under any of our videos it may be shared on our Tower of Babble each day. Go to our YouTube channel and…
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Koh Samui senior police officer faces charges for allegedly raping a suspect
A senior police officer in Koh Samui faces charges for allegedly raping a 21 year old Burmese woman at the Bo Phut Police Station. The officer, who was an investigation squad leader at the Bo Phut station, has been suspended and is now in detention at the Koh Samui Court, according to Nation Thailand. The senior sergeant major allegedly took…
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Government launches suicide prevention committee to help suffering citizens
A suicide prevention team is being created to help those in despair, says Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, who will chair the committee. The ministries of Social Development and Human Security, Education, and Justice, as well as several other government bodies, will all play a role in the committee’s work. Anutin says the committee will work to ensure people are aware…
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Student arrested in dormitory at night, charged with lèse majesté offences
A student at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus has been arrested and charged with violating Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. Ironically, it was his calls for the law to be abolished that led to Sirichai Natueng, aka, “New”, being charged. The group, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, has confirmed the student’s arrest on its Twitter page. After being taken into custody,…
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Do you want to be a full-time video vlogger with The Thaiger?
You’re a budding vlogger. You have skills in writing, presenting and maybe even shooting videos. You look good in front of a camera and are comfortable being there. You may have graduated from a video-making course or even started your own channel. Come and work for The Thaiger and we’ll train you to produce amazing and quality content. This is…
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Thailand to introduce 300 baht “tourism fee” to insure foreign visitors, manage tourist destinations
Thailand’s Tourism Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, has confirmed a proposal to charge foreign tourists a fee of 300 baht per visit. The fee will be used to develop tourist destinations as well as providing visitors with insurance benefits while in the Kingdom. The proposal has been approved by the National Tourism Policy Committee and is set to be announced in the…
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At least 33 police officers, officials, implicated in migrant smuggling operation
At least 33 police officers and other government officials are being investigated for their role in the illegal smuggling of migrant workers into Thailand. The people smuggling operation is thought to be at the root of Thailand’s second wave of Covid-19, with countless migrants helped across the border without undergoing mandatory quarantine or any form of health checks. The Bangkok…
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Price control on 55 items, face masks and alcohol included
The government decided to maintain the price control list for 55 product items including face masks, raw materials for medical face mask production, alcohol (not the stuff you drink!) and alcohol-based hand sanitiser, and recyclable paper. According to the Commerce Minister Jurin Lakanawisit, price controls on 55 items for daily use will continue, especially the price for face masks. A…
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Chon Buri announces a list of 2 Covid-19 hotspots, visitors are urged to get a virus screening
Chon Buri Provincial Health Office is urging people who visited 27 Covid-19 hot spots in the province between December 20 and 31 to get a test at their local districts. Those who have outstanding Covid-19 symptoms after visiting the listed venues are also asked to report to the district public health offices they live in. Here’s the list… James Boy…
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Thailand News Today | Governor off respirator, sex-trafficking arrest, condo prices falling | January 14
The Samut Sakhon governor is continuing to recover from a dangerous bout of Covid-19 and is expected to be taken off a ventilator today. The 58 year old was in “critical condition” after contracting the virus on December 27. His infection was reported just a week after the outbreak at one of the largest seafood markets in the coastal province…
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Health officials concerned with “family clusters” after baby tests positive for Covid-19
Health officials are concerned about the increasing cluster infections among family members, friends and colleagues after a 3 month old baby in Bangkok tested positive for Covid-19 after coming in contact with an infected family friend. The baby’s mother and 7 year old brother also tested positive for Covid-19, according to the director-general of the Institute for the Prevention and…
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High school students call for final exams to be postponed due to Covid-19
Many Thai high school students are calling for final exams to be postponed after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted much of the school year. Some say they’ve struggled with online learning. Students are sharing the now-trending Twitter hashtag #เลื่อนสอบ, literally means “postpone exams,” and are expressing their concerns with the upcoming tests. One Twitter user says online learning has been a…
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UFO? Shooting star? Prachuap Khiri Khan locals find out bright object is the ISS
A bright object streaked across the sky last night, catching the attention of locals in Prachuap Khiri Khan and even shocking the local astronomy team observing the stars. It’s not a UFO. It’s not a comet. It’s actually the International Space Station. Astronomers from the province’s King Mongkut Science Park were observing the stars and photographed the streaks of line.…
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Tower of Babble – we respond to your comments | VIDEO
‘Tower of Babble’ is a new daily program on The Thaiger as we review your comments at our YouTube channel. Tower of Babble is where we read some of your comments to The Thaiger YouTube videos. Some are insightful, some are interesting, some need to be shared! And some are just plain funny. If you leave a comment under any…
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Thailand’s rich not eligible for 3,500 baht government handout
Thailand’s Finance Ministry has confirmed that wealthy citizens are not eligible for the government’s monthly cash handout of 3,500 baht. The Rao Chana (“We Win”) scheme consists of 2 monthly payments of 3,500 baht for those struggling with the financial fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those with savings above a certain, unspecified threshold, will not qualify. The ministry has not…
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Bangkok condo prices expected to continue to fall this year
Condo prices in Bangkok are falling and are expected to continue to fall throughout the year. The real estate market isn’t anticipated to pick back up again until the Covid-19 pandemic eases. The average prices of new condos in Bangkok are expected to fall by 5%, according to Nexus Property Marketing. The real estate marketing firm Juwai IQI Group says the average…
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Department of Land Transport eases rules for licence renewal to mitigate virus risk
The Department of Land Transport has suspended the need for written or practical tests for anyone renewing their driving licence between now and March 31. The department posted the decision on its Facebook page, saying tests are being cancelled in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to a Nation Thailand report, the suspension applies to the following…
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Thai brothers charged with trafficking Thai women to Brunei for prostitution
3 people, including 2 brothers, have been arrested on charges of sex trafficking, accused of sending women to Brunei for prostitution purposes. Brothers Somchai Sukson, 55 years of age, and 49 year old Rachen Suksorn, were detained under an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court, charged with a sex trafficking operation involving over 3 people. Following the arrest of…
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Future of Thai department stores is being redefined
While department stores have been a familiar destination for Thai people for many decades, CBRE, an international property consultant, is witnessing a decline in popularity and stunted growth, particularly in 2020 when Covid-19 adversely impacted the sector. CBRE believes that to adapt to e-commerce disruption and the changing consumer behaviour, department stores in 2021 (and beyond) will have to fine-tune…
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