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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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Thailand News Today | Covid latest, Cockfights closed down, Bryde’s Whale beached | January 11
249 new Covid-19 infections have been reported today in the daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,914 active cases and has reported a total of 10,547 cases with 67 fatalities since last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson, apparently with a Covid crystal ball, speculated that the number of daily new cases is expected to decrease and significantly slow…
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Thai labour market bounces back despite the pandemic
Despite Covid-19 pandemic’s negative impact on the economy with numerous layoffs and business closures, the Thai labour market survived and is experiencing an unemployment rate that is lower than expected, according to the Deputy Chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, Chalee Loysoong. While the unemployment rate is lower than expected at 2% or 700,000 individuals, Thammasat University associate professor…
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Can Phuket survive? Interview with Bill Barnett | VIDEO
Interview with Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks. Phuket has now been hit with a 3rd major crisis, each one more profound than the long-term effects from the 2004 tsunami. Now the island has new restrictions imposed on arrivals on the southern island, imposed by the Phuket Provincial Authority.
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Elephant dies after month of treatment for gunshot wounds, 40 bullets found in the body
A wild elephant died yesterday after nearly a month of medical treatment for gunshot wounds. Officials say more than 40 bullets were found in the body. The 3 tonne elephant had also attacked and killed a park officer last month who was trying to bring the elephant in for treatment. The elephant, around 20 to 25 years old, was being…
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Police raid 5 homes and businesses suspected of gambling, arrest 21 people
Police arrested 21 people on gambling charges after 5 raids in Bangkok over the weekend. While deputy chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, Jiraphop Phuridet, says the raids on January 8 and 9 are part of a nationwide crackdown initiated by the national police chief after a Covid-19 outbreak at a Rayong gambling den, the raids busted what seems like…
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Dead whale found washed up on Koh Samui beach
A dead Bryde’s whale was found washed up on Koh Samui’s Choeng Mon beach yesterday. By the look of the rotting carcass, said to be around 11 metres long, marine resource specialist Thon Thamrongnawasawat says he believes the whale died several days ago. The cause of death is currently under investigation by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thon said…
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Thai Red Cross Society calls for urgent blood donations, reserves run critically low
The Thai Red Cross is urging people to donate blood as Thailand hospitals are in “critical condition.” Blood reserves have run low and the number of blood donors has dropped by 50%, according to the Thai Red Cross Society. The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the dwindling blood supply. Many people are worried about Covid-19 and less likely to donate blood,…
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Black box data located from the crashed Boeing 737 in Jakarta
The black boxes from a passenger plane which crashed in the sea soon after take-off from Jakarta on Saturday have been located. The black box recorders record conversations in the cockpit as well as an array of data from the plane’s control systems. Indonesian ships has been searching the crash site with navy divers hoping to retrieve the two flight…
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Pakistan goes dark after electrical fault causes nationwide blackout
Pakistan is slowly recovering after the entire country experienced an electrical blackout today. Power minister Omar Ayub Khan tweeted that this latest blackout was caused by a fault in southern Pakistan at 11:41pm local time yesterday, which was at 3:41am today here in Thailand. “The fault tripped the transmission system of the country… leading to the shutdown of power plants.”…
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245 new cases, 181 locally transmitted-Covid update
Thailand is reporting 245 new Covid-19 infections today, with 181 of those cases being locally-transmitted. Today’s news, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, brings the total amount of Covid-19 infections in Thailand to 10,298 since the start of the pandemic. The death toll has remained at 67, while 6,428 have fully recovered from the virus. Samut Sakhon was…
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Pattaya motorbike taxi commended after returning wallet to foreigner
A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is being commended online after finding and returning a lost wallet to a foreigner. The woman, 43 year old Kelaya Supaphol, was dropping off a customer by the McDonald’s on Pattaya’s Second Road when she says she saw the wallet on the ground. She picked up the wallet and checked inside, with another motorbike taxi…
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UPDATE: Phuket announces restrictions for travel to Phuket
Thailand: ‘Real world’ versus the ‘rules’, Part 378. Arriving in Phuket this morning (Sunday), nearly 24 hours after the introduction of new restrictions for travellers back to the island from around Thailand, we’ve had 4 people contact The Thaiger saying that ‘nothing has changed’ from recent weeks. On 2 of the flights the passengers were asked, before boarding’ to download…
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Public Health Ministry speculates new infections likely to slow by end of January
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry speculates that the 2nd wave of Covid-19 infections is likely to “slow down” by the end of this month. However, Dr. Opas Kankawinpong, the director-general of the Disease Control Department is warning that the virus could spread in office buildings and congested areas after such infections has been detected found in a few Bangkok offices. “We…
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Travel documents now required for 5 provinces hit hardest by Covid
Travel documents are now being required for anyone travelling in and out of 5 central and eastern provinces in Thailand, the worst hit by the 2nd outbreak of Covid-19 around the country. The documents will need to state the reason for travel in the provinces of Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chon Buri, Trat and Chanthaburi… all coded as red zones where…
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Domestic air travel drops 60 percent at start of 2021
Thailand’s domestic air travel is seeing a 60% drop in the early weeks of the new year, thanks to the recent Covid-19 outbreaks around the country. The Department of Airports drew the figure from 20 airports under its supervison nationwide, according to Apirat Chaiwongnoi, the acting Director-General of the department. Such domestic passengers at those airports also dropped in numbers…
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16 foreigners, 5 Thais arrested in Pattaya for illegal gambling
Pattaya police have arrested 16 foreigners and 5 Thais for illegal gambling in a Pattaya condo. They raided the Espana Condominium & Resort at 1am yesterday morning, arresting the lawbreakers, after receiving a tip that an illegal gambling casino was being hosted at the condo. Officials found 21 people gambling inside rooms 517 and 518 located on the 5th floor.…
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Health Minister considers making lawbreakers pay for Covid treatment
Thailand’s Public Health Minister is considering making lawbreakers pay for their own Covid-19 treatment after pointing out that those who put the public at risk for the coronavirus should foot the bill for treatment. Anutin Charnvirakul floated the idea on his Facebook after a meeting yesterday raised concerns about illegal gambling activities and human-smuggling that has contributed to the rise…
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Phuket governor announces new restrictions for travel to Phuket, effective now
Travelling to Phuket? You need to be aware of the changed circumstances for arrivals, depending where you’re travelling from. A 3 page announcement was released by the Phuket PR department this afternoon with the new restrictions for arrivals on the island. The announcement splits up travellers into 5 potential groups. All arrivals from the “highest-risk” areas within the ‘red zone’…
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Australian dies after falling from Pattaya condo balcony
A 58 year old Australian man has died after falling from the 8th floor of a condominium in Pattaya last night. It happened around 10pm on Thappraya Road in Nongprue. The name of the condo has not been announced. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the condo residents gathered around the area where the man fell. The body of the…
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The Mor Chana app won’t reveal personal data – Minister
The Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta says the Mor Chana has be “designed specifically” to protect the user’s data. As an example, it will only display a computer code instead of the user’s name. The Minister says it will only track the movements of each individual and not make their personal information public. He admitted that the Public Health…
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20 Thai provinces currently free of Covid-19 infections
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force has confirmed that 20 provinces in the country have had no active cases of the virus since the new outbreak began. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has named the provinces as Si Sa Ket, Yasothon, Nong Bua Lamphu, Bueng Kan, Roi Et, Kalasin, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Phrae, Phayao, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son,…
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Woman jailed in Singapore for lying to Covid contact tracers
A 65 year old Singaporean woman, who tested positive for Covid-19 in February, has been jailed for 5 months after officials discovered she lied about having contact with a male friend. Oh Bee Hiok did not disclose that she’d met up with 72 year old Lim Kiang Hong 5 times in the weeks leading up to her diagnosis. It’s understood…
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US health experts say rampage through Capitol was textbook super-spreader event
A day after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building, the country experienced its deadliest day since the Covid-19 pandemic began, recording 4,000 deaths from the virus. And health experts say those figures are certain to get worse, describing the unprecedented rampage through the Capitol as a textbook super-spreader. Thousands of protesters crowded together, forcing their way into…
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Thailand’s emergency decree extended again
Thailand’s nationwide Emergency Decree has been extended again, this time until the end of February. The decree gives the Thai government the ability to set policies and procedures to prevent the control the spread of Covid-19… things like restricting travel, setting up road checkpoints and introducing other restrictions without having to consult the parliament. All the latest articles about Thailand’s Covid-19…
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Chon Buri governor urged to order hotels to close so staff can collect social security
The Eastern Hotel Association is urging the governor of Chon Buri to order all hotels in the province to close, so that staff can be eligible for social security payments. Prien Sae Ku, president of the EHA, says that as the province is currently considered “high risk” and people from other provinces are unable to enter without just cause, hotels…
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Covid-19 could cost an estimated 9 billion baht loss to the economy – Thai alcohol association
An alcohol business association is saying the latest round of restrictions and closures on pubs and bars could cost the industry and businesses 9 billion baht. The Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association is railing against the Thai government’s policies as they restrict the operations and operating hours of tens of thousands of bars, pubs and clubs around the country. They…
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Mor Chana app – what you need to know
So what’s going on with the new Mor Chana app? As far as the Thai Government is concerned, it’s part of their fight to track and trace the Covid-19 virus during this current outbreak. More Chana is a contact tracing tool. In essence, the app will allow you to check in when you go to different locations around Thailand, enter…
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Thailand News Today | Southern floods, Face mask fines, Thai Air Asia woes | January 8
Thousands of residents in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, in the very south of Thailand, have been evacuated from their homes due to flash flooding from nearly a week of almost continuous heavy rain. Local authorities say a total of 18,024 households across 19 districts have been impacted. In Yala, the Sai Buri River has burst its banks, flooding homes and…
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Schools and lottery market in Loei close after family tests positive for Covid-19
Schools and a lottery market in the Northeastern province Loei were ordered to close after a family tested positive for Covid-19. The province is marked as a “yellow zone” under high surveillance with a total of 6 reported Covid-19 infections. Schools will be temporarily closed from today until 24 January, while the lottery market will be closed from today onwards.…
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As Covid-19 spreads, more hotels in Phuket close
Phuket tourism and hospitality business are hit again by the current Covid-19 outbreak with more hotels closing down. Many hotels are starting to close again due to a significant number of bookings cancellations. Most of them can’t handle the costs to stay open and some are expected to permanently shut down. Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks.com says that the latest outbreak is…
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