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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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China flood disaster: Passersby harass German reporter
“Are you that BBC guy?” a passerby asked Mathias Bölinger, a German journalist who has been reporting for DW and other broadcasters from the flooded regions in China. Ever since the BBC aired an investigative TV report on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic — a report Beijing considers “fictitious” — the British broadcaster has had a credibility problem in…
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Tunisia: A political crisis fueled by economic woes
Tunisian President Kais Saied had barely announced his decision to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and freeze parliament for 30 days when he began justifying it on Sunday evening, arguing that he had acted in accordance with the constitution. The president, a lawyer, said he based his decision on Article 80 of the Tunisian constitution, which grants the president the…
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Afghanistan: What does NATO withdrawal mean for India?
The final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, coupled with the Taliban’s sweeping offensive, have forced regional stakeholders to recalibrate their position in the war-torn country. One of those stakeholders is India — the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. India has long supported the civilian government in Kabul, heavily investing in the country over the past…
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More Pattaya people arrested drinking alcohol, violating Covid measures
There’s no glitch in the Matrix, it’s just regular Déjà vu as 12 people were arrested last night at an underground room as part of a Pattaya bar raid. The 12 suspects were allegedly drinking alcohol, which Pattaya police remind people is a violation of the current emergency decree. The police also say that the dozen suspects were also violating…
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UPDATE: Dying Samut Prakan mother tells daughters to go to orphanage
Earlier today, the Thaiger wrote about 2 girls whose mother passed away. However, before the mother died, she expressed a desire to her daughters that they go to an orphanage so someone could still take care of them Recently, it was found that the 2 girls will be taken to an orphanage and that the mother’s name is Apaporn Soontrarachun.…
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Couple “drops off” Covid infected 80 year old father at Korat temple, drive off
A husband and wife dropped off an 80 year old man they referred to as father, at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima/Korat in northeastern Thailand. After they dropped off their patriarch with nothing but a cloth bag, they drove off. The man was later found to have Covid. One Facebook user who claims to be a medical worker at the…
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Phuket officials add new layers of restrictions, Central closed for 7 days
It’s starting to get real in Phuket. New measures have been announced to further restrict the gathering places for people. Meanwhile, for now, the Sandbox continues unabated. The new restrictions are effective until at least August 2. The province has already surpassed its threshold of 90 cases in a week, earlier cited as the upper limit before the government would…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 14,150 new cases; provincial totals
CAPTION: Bang Sue railway station yesterday, the main vaccination centre in Bangkok. The photographer said that it was “chaos”. PHOTO: Facebook/Akbar Senior Motani 14,150 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the CCSA this morning, raising the total since the start of the pandemic last year to 526,828. The latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 infections, first recorded in…
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Bang Sue walk-in vaccinations for elderly expats to end Saturday
Walk-in vaccination services for elderly expats at Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station is ending on Saturday. The government is preparing to roll out the next phase in its Covid-19 immunisation plan. Starting Sunday, August 1, registration in Bangkok will open up to those 18 and older, but there will be no walk-in services. Until Saturday, foreign residents who are 75…
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Special train takes Covid patients home to northeastern Thailand
Today, “Special” train No. 971 took 137 Covid patients to various northeastern Thai provinces. The Special train left from the Rangsit railway station. A cabinet resolution earlier in the month decreed that the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public health were to arrange transportation to bring Covid patients back to their home provinces. Both ministries were ordered to…
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Dying Samut Prakan mother tells daughters to go to orphanage
Yesterday, 2 young girls had to be rescued from their home in Samut Prakan, a province south of Bangkok. They had watched their mother die of Covid and would later test positive for Covid themselves. The dying mother told her daughters to go to an orphanage. The 2 young girls were ages 7 and 9. The unnamed 9 year old…
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American charged after not wearing a face mask at a Taco Bell in Pattaya
A 33 year old American man was recently charged for not wearing a face mask at a Taco Bell in Pattaya. Earlier this month, the expat and another foreign resident got into a heated argument at the soft opening of Taco Bell over whether to wear face masks while in line to order at the fast-food restaurant. After being confronted…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 14,150 new cases and 118 deaths
Today, Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 14,150 cases and 118 coronavirus-related deaths. In the latest and most severe wave in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded 497,965 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 245 cases were found in correctional facilities. Over the past several months, more than 40,000 inmates have been infected with…
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Iran: Drought, water shortages spark protests
People in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province are desperate. Suffering from drought and water shortages since March, they’ve taken to the streets in the last couple of weeks to express their anger with the government and its poor management of water resources. According to official sources, at least four men, including one policeman, have died in the protests. Authorities claim they…
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Ivory Coast heavyweights meet in bid for reconciliation
Tuesday’s meeting between Ivory Coast’s current president, Alassane Ouattara, and his rival, the recently returned Laurent Gbagbo after he was acquitted of committing war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has raised tensions in the Ivorian capital Abidjan. But amid the uneasiness, there seems to be a sense of optimism among many citizens. “President Gbagbo and President Alassane, they…
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Myanmar’s economy to shrink by 18% due to military coup and Covid-19
The civil unrest following the February military coup, paired with the a spike in Covid-19 infections, is expected to cause Myanmar’s economy to contract by 18% this year, according to the World Bank. Since the military takeover, ousting the country’s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy, it’s estimated that more than 900 people have been killed…
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Singapore plans to vaccinate 80%, reopen with quarantine-free travel by September
Singapore plans to fully vaccinate 80% of the population and reopen with quarantine-free travel in September. As the Southeast Asian country accelerates its vaccination campaign to hit its target within the next month, officials are preparing to reopen the country and are working to establish travel corridors with countries that have low Covid-19 infection rates. Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told…
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Pattaya suspects arrested for live streaming breaking curfew
Last night a couple in Pattaya was arrested for allegedly live streaminging themselves singing while driving a motorbike past the mandatory curfew time. Administrative Chief Officer Phochai Sangeiad says a team from the Bang Lamung district set up a night-time checkpoint in front of Pattaya’s walking street. Phochai tells Thai media that they arrested 44 year old Paiboon Butwong, who…
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Phuket vice governor says “Sandbox” tourists aren’t scared off by Covid situation
Thailand’s latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 isn’t scaring away potential “Phuket Sandbox” tourists… at least that’s what the island province’s vice governor says. The official recently shot back claims that around a third of tourists who entered under the new reopening scheme decided to return home because of the continuous rise of Covid-19 infections and deaths. Under the…
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Ministry of Education seeks 21.6 billion education subsidy
Tomorrow, Thailand’s Ministry of Education will submit a proposal to Cabinet for approval of a 21.6 billion baht to subsidise education costs. The figure comes from 2,000 baht a student in elementary/vocations education systems. The education subsidy is to help reduce the financial strain on parents that have developed as a result of Covid. The proposal came up yesterday in…
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Another “monkey war” in Lop Buri, hundreds fight in the street- VIDEO
Hundreds of monkeys swarmed the streets in the Lop Buri in a massive fight, disrupting traffic on a busy intersection. It was another battle in what the Thai media dubs a “monkey war” believed to be between two rival groups of monkeys… the street monkeys and the temple monkeys. Back in March of last year, hundreds of monkeys from the…
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Plantations International provides Pattaya with provisions
Over 1,000 lunchbox sets were distributed yesterday at the Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya. The food was for local residents who had been adversely affected by recent business closures and restrictions. The food was distributed by Plantations International Co., Ltd. Plantations International provided lunchboxes and water bottles with the cooperation of Chon Buri provincial authorities to ensure the operation was…
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Monday UPDATE: 15,376 new infections, Provincial report
Thailand’s public health department has confirmed another 15,376 new infections and 87 Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours. 1,041 of the new cases are from the Thai prison system. Thailand has now reached half a million reported Covid infections since the start of 2020. Just 4 months ago, when the so-called 3rd wave kicked off, there were 1,247 patients in…
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Thai baht goes from top-performing to worst-hit currency in Asia
Before the pandemic, the Thai baht was the strongest-performing currency in Asia. Now, it’s the worst-hit currency in the region, according to Japan-based Mizuho Bank. The Thai economy has been shrinking over the past year, hitting lows which some compare to the contraction during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The Japanese bank says the under-performance of the Thai baht is…
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Government submits proposal to allow department store restaurants to sell food online
Department store restaurants may be allowed to sell food online through a proposal that will be submitted to the CCSA today for approval, says deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul, today. The spokeswoman says the CCSA’s operation centre decided on July 22 that the Ministry of Public Health should decide on criteria to allow department store restaurants to sell their food…
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Free transport for Covid-19 patients returning to home provinces for treatment
Thailand’s Health Ministry says Covid-19 patients who want to return to their home provinces for treatment can avail of a dedicated transport service for free. Officials say patients should contact the National Health Security Office, adding that the service is for those with mild symptoms only. The Bangkok Post reports that at least 31,175 of the capital’s infected people left…
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Indian landslide kills 9, injures 3
Yesterday, 9 people died and 3 were injured after their car was struck by falling boulders in Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state. The landslide also sent rocks crashing down on a bridge that crossed the Bapsa river Jairam Thakur, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh characterised the incident as “heart wrenching”. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers his “heartfelt…
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Indonesia extends Covid-19 disease control measures for another week
Covid-19 restrictions in Indonesia are being extended to August 2 as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to rapidly spread. Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the extension yesterday, adding that the government will gradually adjust restrictions. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Indonesia has reported 3.1 million Covid-19 cases and 83,279 coronavirus-related deaths. With a recent spike in…
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Monday Covid report, world situation and news briefs
Thailand’s public health department has confirmed another 15,376 new infections and 87 Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours. 1,041 of the new cases are from the Thai prison system. Thailand has now reached half a million reported Covid infections since the start of 2020. Just 4 months ago, when the so-called 3rd wave kicked off, there were 1,247 patients in…
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Monday Covid Update: 15,376 new cases and 87 deaths
Another day of 15,000+ infections announced in Thailand over the past 24 hours. Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration logged another 15,376 new Covid-19 infections and 87 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, the latest wave of the virus, the CCSA has reported 483,815 Covid-19 infections. Over the weekend, the CCSA reported 15,335 new infections on Saturday and 14,260 on Sunday Of today’s…
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