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 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Pattaya condo destroyed by blaze – VIDEO
Fire severely damaged a room at a luxury condominium in Pattaya yesterday evening, just before sunset. Firefighters were notified of the fire at a condominium in Soi Thappraya 9 at 6pm. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters, rescue workers and reporters rushed to the condominium complex, the name of which is being withheld while the investigation is ongoing,…
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3 arrested for rape, death of teen schoolgirl
Police in Kanchanaburi, the largest of Thailand’s western provinces, have arrested 2 young men in connection with the rape and unexplained death of a teenage schoolgirl. They apprehended the pair yesterday after obtaining warrants. The 2 face charges of depriving a schoolgirl aged under 18 of parental care and also performing indecent acts. 21 year old Phakhin Chanyiam and 18…
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UPDATE: Covid-19 cases pass 10 million, deaths surpass 500,000
The Covid-19 coronavirus has now officially infected over 10 million people worldwide. We emphasise “officially” because today’s sad milestone only accounts for confirmed cases. The 10 million case milestone was almost certainly passed some time ago with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announcing recently that infections in the US alone could be 10 times greater than reported.…
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China’s Covid-19 cases spike: 17 in Beijing
Mainland China today reported its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in 4 days, driven by a resurgence of the virus in Beijing. The National Health Commission reported 21 new confirmed infections nationwide on, up from 13 a day earlier and the highest since Monday. In Beijing, 17 new confirmed cases were reported, up from 11 a day earlier and…
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India’s Covid-19 cases surpass 500,000
India reported more than 17,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, putting the country ‘s total above 500,000, as reported by the Federal Ministry of Health today, with infections occurring in major cities including the capital, New Delhi. India has the fourth largest virus outbreak worldwide in confirmed infections, and follows only the US, Brazil and Russia, according…
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Billions in illicit drugs burned in Thailand and Myanmar
In a joint operation, authorities in Thailand and Myanmar destroyed 25 tonnes of illicit drugs valued at more than 62 billion baht (US$2 billion) in Ayutthaya and Yangon. The move comes as drug cartels in the Golden Triangle boost supplies and seek new channels of distribution. The Golden Triangle, where Laos, northern Myanmar and Thailand meet, has been a hub…
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Pattaya motorcyclist killed in collision with minivan
A motorcyclist in Pattaya was pronounced dead at the scene after crashing into a minivan at an intersection. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident at the Wat Boonkanjanaram intersection at 8pm. Police, emergency workers and reporters rushed to the scene to find a damaged motorbike, which had struck the back of white minivan at the intersection. The van…
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Unilever, Honda and Coca-cola boycott Facebook
One of the world’s largest advertising spenders has added its name to the campaign to convince marketers to ditch Facebook. Global consumer goods company Unilever announced on Friday that it will stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram, joining a growing movement to stop spending ad dollars on social media platforms. In a post on its website, Unilever referred to its…
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Animal sedative found in runner’s water bottle
A potentially deadly dose of an animal sedative was found in the water bottle of a runner who was hospitalised and claimed he’d been poisoned after he left it unattended. A chemical analysis of the water in the bottle concluded that, indeed, it was contaminated with a high concentration of the horse tranquiliser Xylazine The analysis was conducted by a…
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‘Family Guy’ white actors will no longer voice non-white roles
Mike Henry from ‘Family Guy’ announced he will no longer voice the role of Cleveland Brown, while the creators of ‘The Simpsons’ announced they would stop using white actors to play non-white roles as well. Mike Henry said in a tweet that he will no longer play the part of Cleveland Brown, a black character who has appeared on the “edgy”…
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Government agency issues guidelines to help Thailand’s souvenir suppliers
Thailand’s Department of Industrial Promotion says it is working on ways to help the country’s souvenir makers recover from the devastation wreaked by the Covid-19 lock-down. Speaking to Nation Thailand, Nattapol Rangsitpol, director-general of the DIP, says the latest advice complements the government’s stimulus campaign Tiew Pan Suk (Trips to Share Happiness), aimed at boosting domestic tourism and the local…
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Many Thais face salary cuts, job loss due to pandemic, survey finds
The coronavirus pandemic has already led many into financial difficulties, some being put on temporary leave from their jobs, and others losing their jobs altogether. A recent survey shows that 1 in 4 workers lost their jobs or were currently out of work as a result of the impacts of the pandemic crippling the economy. A significant percentage of those…
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Redshirt activist acquitted, freed after nearly 4 years
Activist Thanet Anantawong has been acquitted of national security and computer crime charges after being detained for almost 4 years. He was charged over 5 Facebook posts made in 2015, criticising the now defunct National Council for Peace and Order, and the army. The posts were critical of the late Privy Council president and former PM Prem Tinsulanonda, and the…
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Phase 5 rules to be announced Monday
On Monday the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration will hold a significant meeting, led by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to decide several major issues of importance to Thailand as well as foreigners hoping to come into the country. The issues to be discussed and expected to be resolved are: An official decision on “Phase 5” relief measures and the date of…
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Despite recent denials, NokScoot is closing down
The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed another victim – regional budget airline NokScoot is closing down. The company’s board of directors decided yesterday to liquidate the airline, the decision to be announced in a general meeting of shareholders held in 2 weeks. The move will leave around 450 staff unemployed, except the few who will remain to work on the liquidation…
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Citylife magazine employee hacks editor’s bank account, steals 4 million baht
Police arrested a Chiang Mai-based English magazine employee yesterday for allegedly hacking and stealing nearly 4 million baht from her editor’s account. On Friday, Citylife Media Group editor-in-chief Pim Kemasingki noticed that her bank account only had 24 baht left, millions short of what she should’ve had. After requesting a bank statement from the Siam Commercial Bank, Kemasingki received a call…
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Death sentence of Lao drug lord “Mr X” commuted to life
Bangkok’s Criminal Court handed down life imprisonment to Laotian drug ring leader Xaysana “Mr. X” Keopimpha, on charges of smuggling 1.2 million methamphetamine pills, known as “yaba,” into Thailand. He was initially sentenced to death, and the sentence was upheld by a lower court in December, but the penalty was commuted to life imprisonment because he cooperated with the court.…
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Heroin making a comeback among Thai teens
As if the spike in synthetic drugs coming from the so-called Golden Triangle weren’t enough, authorities report that heroin is making a comeback in Thailand, especially among teenagers, who are often unaware of the dangers, including HIV and hepatitis C. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board reports rising numbers of teens aged 15-18 admitted to rehab programs for heroin…
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Brits banned from Singapore after lockdown ‘bar crawl’
A group of British men staying in Singapore were prohibited from working there again after breaking the local lockdown to go on a “bar crawl”. The men each received a fine of around S$9,000. They were all charged after a photo of them drinking together during the country’s “lockdown” went viral last month. A different party, comprising an American couple…
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Bangkok buses to ease social distancing requirements in Phase 5 as schools reopen
In the fifth stage of Thailand’s easing of Emergency Decree lockdown measures, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority plans to ease social distancing measures public buses to accommodate the increase in commuters after schools reopen on July 1. “In the fifth phase of the easing of Covid-19 lockdown, which will start on July 1, the government will allow schools and many…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, June 26
A different program today looking at the issues of flying around Thailand at the moment and a few things to remember. Also the latest we know about the borders slowly opening up and the process of slowly allowing some foreigners to re-enter the country. Back to the usual format on Monday. Have a fantastic weekend. Tim and The Thaiger team.
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Thai Air Asia to resume all domestic routes, flights in July
Thai Air Asia will return to full domestic services in Thailand during July, with all routes and flights back in action for a total of 23 destinations and 25 routes. The announcement was made this afternoon. Thai Air Asia’s CEO told Associated Press that the airline has been slowly ramping up its domestic routes since May and is now ready…
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Pakistan airlines cleans house after the pilot license cheating scandal
In the wake of a deadly Pakistan plane crash, the country’s flagship carrier, PIA, says they may let go more than 150 pilots after finding many have allegedly faked their own licenses. The government says that pilots both inside and outside the airline had allegedly allowed other people to take their exams in order to keep their flying licenses. Now, those…
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Unilever drops “fair” from skin lightening cream’s branding
Unilever has announced it is dropping the word “fair” from its “Fair & Lovely” skin lightening cream after many have described the branding as racist. Sunny Jain, president of Unilever’s. beauty and personal care division says… “We recognise that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right,…
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Fight over “El Chapo’s” legacy leaves 16 dead in Mexico
The war to protect drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s legacy burst into a gun battle between rival Mexican gangs and left 16 dead on Thursday, authorities said. The 16 people, heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests, died in a six-hour shootout near the rural town of Tepache in the northwestern province of Sinaloa. “A van with seven bodies was located” after the initial clash,…
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AirAsia’s flight plans uncertain due to bans
After rumours that Thailand will extend its scheduled international flight bans into July, Air Asia’s flight plans remain uncertain as it hopes are ‘up in the air’ about resumption of its international flights. Due to having little advanced notice of travel bans due to the Covid-19 measures being changed constantly, the airline is on standby as it awaits the final word…
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Hong Kong documentary sees scene removed after new law
A pro-democracy Hong Kong documentary saw a scene removed after a new law criminalized anything that is seen as “insulting” China’s national anthem. The director of the documentary, Evans Chan, says he had to delete the scene which featured an artist playing the national anthem, which reveals how the new law is already censoring artistic creativity. Hong Kong is considered a…
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Red Bull heir gets away with murder, anti-corruption officials say police neglected their duties
Nothing has been done to Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya who crashed his Ferrari into an officer and killing him back in 2012 and then speeding off. Now anti-corruption officials are saying that officers investigating the fatal hit-and-run accident neglected to fulfil their duties. An investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission found intention to exempt Yoovidhya from prosecution on charges…
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Billionaire sheikh uses Evian water to fill up tanks
An Abu Dhabi billionaire has reportedly filled up his mansion’s water tanks with Evian water shipped from France. The sheikh by the name of Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is the Emir of Abu Dhabi imported the famous water as part of renovations to Ascot Place, his 18th-century Berkshire mansion-valued at 60 million euros. A legal battle in London’s High Court…
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London police attacked after responding to illegal event
After responding to an illegal music event in London, twenty-two police officers were attacked by crowds defying the ban on parties during the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the scenes as “appalling,” adding: “Violence against the police will not be tolerated.” Police said they were targeted when responding to residents’ complaints about noise and violent behaviour.The…
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