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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Myanmar locksdown parts of Yangon as Covid-19 cases spike
Myanmar is responding to its sudden spike in cases by increasing restrictions and curfews in the largest city Yangon. Burmese health authorities have reported another record daily spike in Covid-19 cases. 261 new infections were reported yesterday taking its overall cases to 2,150. Curbs on entry into Yangon and the Burmese capital Naypyitaw are also now in place. The graph…
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Ships want a shortcut: Studies to start on Thai canal and land bridge
Thailand could actually sliced in half by a canal right across the Malay Peninsula, linking the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Proposals have been in the works for hundreds of years, but now the idea is popping up again, and alternatives, as shipping companies try and find ways to cut their costs. The Thai government plans to hold…
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Investigators deciding whether or not to pursue “Boss” charges
Officials at the Department of Special Investigation are considering whether to go after Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya on charges of reckless driving causing death and cocaine abuse. “The Department of Special Investigation is a department of the Ministry of Justice of Thailand. It operates independently of the Royal Thai Police and is tasked with the investigation of certain…
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22% rise in suicide cases indicates links with Thai economy and lockdowns
An apparent rise in Thailand’s suicide rate, related to the country’s current business conditions, restrictions and ongoing world pandemic, is concerning health officials. The data was announced yesterday, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, The Mental Health Department has released a report indicating 2,551 people had killed themselves from January to the end of July, 2020. That is up a…
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Suicides spike during pandemic, police ask social media influencers for help
Suicides are on the rise in Thailand and some say stress brought on by the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the spike in self inflicted deaths. To help prevent the future suicides, mental health officials are asking social media influencers for help. Over a 6 month span, suicides have spiked by about 20%. 2,551 suicide cases were reported in the first…
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‘Snake’ cave closed after visitors, looking for lottery numbers, graffiti the rocks
A cave known for its rocks resembling snakeskin is closed after some visitors vandalised the cave by rubbing the rock formations, hoping to find lucky lottery numbers. Other people wrote insulting graffiti on the rocks. The Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa ordered the immediate closure of the Phu Langka National Park’s Naga Cave until officials can come up with a plan…
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Teen arrested for allegedly killing school security guard in Pathum Thani
A teenager at a Pathum Thani school allegedly has killed the duty security guard after an argument about smoking marijuana on the school’s grounds. The body of 36 year old Parinya Unsab was found near a teacher’s house. Police say the man’s skull was fractured. Parinya had called the police early in the morning saying there were teenagers causing a…
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Phuket police arrest man for using ‘hookah’ pipes
A 29 year old Isaan resident has been arrested by Phuket police for possessing 6 hookahs… the Middle Eastern water pipes are illegal in Thailand (although not too difficult to find being used in some commercial premises). Krissada Pimchanda, from Khon Kaen, was charged with violating consumer protection laws. The laws prohibit the sale or provision of services for hookahs,…
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PM ignores opposition calls for him to step down… “I have a job to do”
Calls from opposition parties for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign have been brushed aside by the Thai leader, who insists he has a job to do. Politicians from the Pheu Thai and Kao Klai parties have called for him to step down, with Jiraporn Sinthuprai from the Pheu Thai Party even going as far as to say she’s prepared…
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23 Cambodians found in Thai forest after allegedly crossing the border
Nearly 2 dozen Cambodians were found in a forest near the Thai-Cambodian border. Thailand recently increased border patrol in fear that those sneaking in could be unknowingly be carrying the coronavirus. Numerous migrants have been arrested in the recent weeks for illegally entering Thailand through natural passageways, like rivers and forests, especially along the country’s western border with Myanmar. Thai…
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Covid-19 is capable of infecting the brain – Yale study
A new paper from a time at Yale University, Connecticut, in the US, says that headaches, confusion and delirium experienced by some Covid-19 patients may be the result of the coronavirus directly invading the brain. The preliminary research offers several some additional evidence to support earlier untested theories about long-term effects on some Covid-19 patients. The novel coronavirus not only targets…
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Airport officials deny French tourists were allowed to travel in Thailand
The general manager of Phuket International Airport denies reports that 2 French nationals were allowed to visit the country while its borders are shut to international tourists. Thanee Chuangchoo says the French visitors’ arrival was in accordance with all the usual Covid procedures, and that both spent their time in Thailand at a quarantine facility. “It’s just the same as…
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Former mayor gets 2 months detention for indecent act on journalist
The former mayor who ordered a journalist to strip down to his underwear is now facing 2 months in detention rather than a 2 month prison sentence. The Supreme Court recently commuted his sentence and the former politician Premsak Piayura is requesting a venue for his detention. In 2016, a rumour spread saying that Premsak, a former mayor of Ban…
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Thai Health Minister accepts chairman role with WHO Regional Committee
Thailand’s Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has been appointed chair of the World Health Organisation’s Regional Committee for Southeast Asia. The colourful and controversial minister made the announcement at a press conference yesterday afternoon. He says 14 countries put his name forward for the role, which has a fixed term of 1 year, partly due to Thailand’s success in controlling the…
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Salvage effort on Samui ferry delayed due to bad weather
An operation to lift the sunken Raja company ferry from the seabed off Koh Samui has been delayed due to strong winds and high tide. The salvage operation is aimed at recovering the ferry and a number of garbage trucks it was transporting at the time of the sinking. The ferry sunk on the journey back from Samui to the…
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Protest calling on Thai Head of State reform set for September 19
Pro-democracy activists are planning a 2 day protest in Bangkok to call for Thai Monarchy reform and demand democracy. They’re calling it… “September 19: Return the power to civilians” (translated). Activists plan to gather at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus at 2pm on September 19, camp out for the night and then march to the Government House at 8am the…
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Tourism authority says Thailand must prepare for virus cases as part of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the country must re-open its borders by the last quarter of the year and prepare to manage new Covid-19 cases as a result. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the impact of new cases can be contained with careful risk management. The reality of the situation is now sinking in as Thai officials are now…
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Source says 3,000 baht handout coming soon, PM says it’s a rumour
Thais are getting some extra cash … Well, maybe. Reports say a 3,000 baht cash handout scheme is in the works to help revive the economy after the pandemic, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha told the press it’s just a rumour, saying the Thai government “does not plan cash handouts of another 3,000 baht to Thais.” An anonymous source from the…
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Rumours of a new coup “were pure nonsense” – Thai PM
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scoffed at a range of rumours circulating in Thai media. Firstly he laughed off the reports of another military coup, telling a packed media conference yesterday that the rumours “were pure nonsense”. The ‘theory’ behind the rumour is that a staged coup d’état could help quash the rising tide of student and opposition protests. Thailand’s quasi…
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American and Thai in critical condition after motorbike incident in Pattaya
A US citizen has been hit by a motorbike around 1am on Pattaya’s Beach Road. The driver of the motorbike was also seriously injured in the incident. The American’s name has not been released by Police at this stage. When Sawang Boriboon Rescue responders arrived they found the American in shock with severe head injuries. But he was conscious at…
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UPDATE: Win motorbike shooter turns himself in
A 55 year old motorbike taxi driver turned himself in after an alleged shootout in front of a Samut Prakan Big C. Witnesses say 2 groups of motorbike taxi drivers, known as win, allegedly fired shots at each other in a so-called turf war, according to Thai media. Somjet Pojaroen, a former assistant village headman who runs a motorbike taxi…
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Bangkok airport security staff file lawsuit over pay cuts
“They saw us as security guards and looked down on us since we had little education, they thought they could trick us into signing those papers.” Some security staff at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport say they were tricked into pay cuts claiming they were told to sign new contract or they could lose their jobs. 10 staff members filed a lawsuit against ASM…
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Thailand is the fourth most searched-for destination for your next holiday
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped us from taking our holidays, or doing much travelling at all. But as travel restrictions ease, which destinations are coming out on top for our post-lockdown holidays? Official-esta.com has dusted off the calculator and checked the Google Search Volume data for the search terms “Flights to X” and “Holidays in X” to…
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One new Covid-19 case for Thailand today, a returnee from Japan
According to the CCSA, there is one new Covid-19 case in Thailand today. The man, currently in state quarantine, is a 38 year old Japanese film producer who travelled to Thailand from Japan on September 4. He has been serving his quarantine in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on September 7, but…
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Trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine paused after participant falls ill
Late-stage trials of a promising-sounding Covid-19 vaccine have been put on hold while researchers check out the exact cause of illness in one participant. The vaccine, being developed by Oxford University in the UK, in partnership with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, was in phase 3 trials, involving 30,000 participants. Volunteers were drawn primarily from countries with high numbers of virus cases,…
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Rumours of another coup are false, PM says
Coup? What coup? Rumours have been floating around about an impending coup d’etat by the army. When asked about a possible coup, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed it, calling the rumour nonsense and groundless. He then abruptly called the press meeting to an end. Some have been saying the army is preparing for the coup by moving its forces and equipment.…
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Snake bites teenager using the toilet
An 18 year old university student in Nonthaburi, just west of Bangkok, was bitten by a python while using the toilet. The 1 metre long python was in the toilet bowl when it bit the student’s penis, splattering blood all over the wall and toilet seat. Luckily the student is okay and only needed 3 stitches (which begs the question,…
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Phuket airport sees increase in domestic arrivals over long weekend
The general manager of Phuket airport, Thanee Chuangchoo, says domestic arrivals were on the up over the course of the recent 4 day holiday. The long weekend, from September 4 to 7, was brought in to replace the annual Songkran holiday in April, cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The jump in domestic arrivals will have provided some…
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Investigation ongoing following armed robbery of Chinese tourists in Pattaya
Police are continuing their investigation after a gang broke into a luxury property in Pattaya and robbed the Chinese residents at gunpoint. The original report said the thieves stole around 10 million baht worth of cash and valuables. This amount has now been revised by officials, who estimate it at around 3 million baht. The incident took place in the…
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Phuket Airport prepares for eventual launch of tourist pilot project
Phuket Airport carried out a trial run yesterday, going over all the steps necessary to admit tourists under the much-discussed, not-yet-happening, off-and-on “Phuket Model”. The plan to use Phuket as a pilot, to test a limited return of international tourists, was set to launch in October but has now been postponed. The brakes were applied when Thailand recorded its first…
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