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.
-
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....
-
Partiers arrested in raid Covid-19 tested, awaiting court Monday
After the raid on 2 nightclubs masquerading at restaurants in Pattaya that resulted in 121 arrests, the group of arrested partygoers are all being tested for Covid-19 while awaiting court hearings. The raids of The Garden 168 and Mo Salah Bar and Restaurant late Friday night into early Saturday morning found a mix of Thais and foreigners drinking, smoking shisha,…
-
Saudi Arabia reforms: Royal power play or meaningful change?
Over the past month, Saudi Arabia has been announcing new social reforms almost every week. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabian authorities slightly amended a law to allow adult women to live independently, without first having to get permission from their father or other male kin. A few days after that, other officials declared that women could register to go on…
-
Chum Saeng Hospital closed after 4 staff contract Covid-19
After 4 staff of Chum Saeng Hospital in Nakhon Sawan were infected with Covid-19, the hospital was forced to close until July 10. The medical personnel assisted in delivering a baby and after the birth, the woman complained of chest pains. She was then tested for Covid-19 and the results came back positive. The hospital, in the Chum Saeng district…
-
LGBTQ troops and vets go to war with homophobia in Ukraine
The silence inside a makeshift cinema in the heart of Kyiv was shattered with the crash of a windowpane. Fireworks flashed. Homophobic attackers were attempting to besiege the screening of a film about the lives of LGBTQ people. The assailants threw tear gas and pyrotechnics. A member of the audience jumped up onto the windowsill and began throwing the projectiles…
-
Dept of Medical Sciences warns against antibody testing kits
The National Department of Medical Sciences is speaking out against a growing trend of people trying to self-test regarding Covid-19. They are warning people against using home antibody testing kits in order to test the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine after they have received their inoculations. The Department warns that not only could test results be inaccurate, but a misunderstanding…
-
Wife wins case against police husband’s mistress, awarded 200,000 baht
She has been shamed by the whole country all throughout the media. This is worth more than the money that she must pay. A woman in the Central province of Chai Nat, has won a case against her husband’s mistress with Juvenile and Family Court ordering ordering the mistress to pay 200,000 baht in damages to the “rightful wife”. 33…
-
Chon Buri orders beach, market closure; Navy closes 12 beaches
As Chon Buri and Pattaya work to contain and reduce Covid-19 infections, beaches and a market area have been ordered to close indefinitely. Last night, the Chon Buri Public Relations Department released a new round of closure orders, affecting beaches and Market areas. The Royal Thai Navy also joined in on the closure orders, announcing a string of beaches in…
-
Cuba’s COVID vaccine rivals BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna
In a measure of its ambitious efforts to be vaccine self-reliant, Cuba has named one of its homegrown jabs Abdala, after a famous dramatic verse by independence hero and national icon Jose Marti. In the verse, the young hero, Abdala, heads to war to defend his fatherland, full of patriotic fervor no matter how strong and powerful the enemy. From…
-
Poll: Majority of Thai people against 120 day reopening plan
Who isn’t excited about the 120 day reopening plan announced by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha last week? Turns out nearly 74% of people in Thailand, that’s who. In a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration, the majority of people surveyed were against the reopening in less than 4 months (the PM made his 12 day call last Tuesday).…
-
Former military conscript arrested for Child pornography in Tak
Police in the northern Thai province of Tak have arrested a child pornography distributor. They seized thousands of digital files that included both underage girls and “underage women”. Cyber crime police and local police raided a house. They arrested a 28 year old person identified as “Mr Olarn”. They seized a computer, a mobile phone and a bank passbook. The…
-
Covid UPDATE: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths, provincial totals
The public health department has announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths for Sunday. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s each day (more Covid updates below). The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital,…
-
Laos gets in on high speed rail project
Laos is entering a monthly meeting that was previously just Thailand and China. They will go over progress updates on plans to join Thailand to China with a high speed rail system in Thailand with Vientiane. The agreement was decided at no later than the 29th meeting of the joint committee last Friday. A proposal was suggested by the Thai…
-
As Phuket opens, Bangkok, 9 provinces face new restrictions
Things are changing next week in the level of severity of the rules and restrictions for Covid-19 safety and control. No, we’re not talking about loosening all the restrictions in the Phuket Sandbox reopening, we’re referring to partial lockdowns in Bangkok and 9 other provinces around Thailand to battle rising Covid-19 infections. The Royal Gazette published today the new restrictions…
-
Military, police deployed to seal off nearly 600 construction worker camps
As Thailand polishes up the immigration desks to welcome back international travellers from this Thursday, the military and police are being deployed to seal off nearly 600 construction worker camps in the Bangkok and inner provincial area to ensure the inhabitants don’t leave before their camps are sealed off as a prevention measure against the latest Covid outbreaks. The Thai…
-
Britain’s health minister resigns after affair breaks Covid guidance
The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis Yesterday, Britain health minister, Matt Hancock resigned after admitting he broke Covid-19 guidance after kissing and “embracing” his non-wife/aide in his office. The move did not sit well with colleagues amidst the lockdown. Matt…
-
Chiang Rai police looking for robbers who grabbed gold valued over 3 million baht | VIDEO
Police in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai are searching for 2 suspects who allegedly robbed gold chains valued over 3 million baht from a gold shop. The suspects reportedly fled the scene on a motorbike. The robbery happened yesterday afternoon. Around 2:30, the robbers fired multiple shots from a handgun to intimidate the Yaowarat Sinthawee gold shop staff.…
-
Covid UPDATE Sunday: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths
For Sunday the public health department have announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s. The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital, adjoining provinces, and provinces directly to…
-
Multiple business associations oppose lack of Bangkok lockdown
After the government announced yesterday a one-month closure of construction camps, the Federation of Thai Industries and many other business associations complained that the action was too weak. The FTI and other business groups believe that a full lockdown is necessary to control Covid-19 outbreaks in Bangkok and half-measures like this are ineffective at best. The federation is one of…
-
Tanzania: President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s 100 days in office
On the streets of Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, the hustle of life goes on. Many, it appears, are oblivious that it has been 100 days since Samia Suluhu Hassan made history when she was sworn in as the first female president of Tanzania. Those who spoke to DW had differing opinions on Suluhu Hassan’s performance so far. “We…
-
14 Burmese arrested in Kanchanaburi after illegal border crossing
Last night, 14 Burmese people where are arrested in Kanchanaburi after an illegal crossing at the Thai-Burmese border. Border patrol security forces near Huai Nam Khao village in Muang district discovered a suspicious pickup truck driving yesterday evening around 8 pm. Local police officers and soldiers patrolling the border region pulled over the truck and discovered 14 Burmese Nationals inside.…
-
121 arrested in raid of “restaurant” clubs violating Covid-19 rules
A raid around Pattaya at the earliest hours of this morning brought over a hundred arrests for violating Covid-19 measures, drinking, gathering, and smoking shisha. The raid of 2 venues that attempted to skirt the national bar and club closure laws by operating as an alleged restaurant took place between midnight and 2 am. The so-called restaurants had been operating…
-
Covid UPDATE: 4,161 new infections, 51 deaths, provincial totals
Today the public health department announced 51 deaths and 4,161 new infections of Covid-19. Only 72 were related to detections in Thai prisons, a further drop in prisoners testing positive for the coronavirus. Here is Saturday’s announcement of Provincial cases announced in the past 24 hours. Notably Chon Buri added a whopping 320 new infections to today’s total. Phuket, ready…
-
Tech-savvy Egypt targets TikTokers and digital dissidents
In recent years, Egypt has become a thriving place for digital technology — as well as the Middle East’s No. 1 internet censor. “Communications and technology are the fastest-growing sectors of the Egyptian economy, with recent growth averaging about 16%,” David Butter, analyst at the London-based think tank Chatham House, told DW. However, he said, there is an obvious contradiction…
-
Covid-19 patient dies after waiting 1 week for ICU bed
As Bangkok faces a health crisis of bed shortages for Covid-19 patients, one woman died after waiting a week to be assigned an ICU bed. The woman was 38 years old from Laos and lived in Ban Krua Nuea in Bangkok. She suspected that she caught Covid-19 at her work selling clothes around Pratunam Market. After developing a cough she…
-
Full text of Phuket Sandbox order released in English
Today, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew signed Phuket Province Order No. 3491/2564 officially detailing the rules of the Sandbox reopening. While most provisions have been widely discussed – fully vaccinated travellers coming from at least 3 weeks in a low- to medium-risk country, negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours, US $100,000 Covid-19 insurance, 14 days in an SHA+ hotel, tests on…
-
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 4,161 new infections, 51 deaths
For Saturday, the trend of new infections, and deaths, from Covid-related disease, remains on the rise. Today the public health department announced 51 deaths and 4,161 new infections of Covid-19. Only 72 were related to detections in Thai prisons, a further drop in prisoners testing positive for the coronavirus. As the Thai government is faced with its worst week of…
-
Must you be married to share a room in the Phuket Sandbox?
In an attempt to clarify without actually clarifying the issue, the Phuket Tourist Association was compelled to release a follow-up statement in response to an off-the-cuff remark by an official that implied that only legally married couples could share a room in the Phuket Sandbox rollout. Apparently, the grapevine went like this… During a Zoom meeting with the Association of…
-
1 month closure of Bangkok, southern work camps ordered
While Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul claimed the situation in Bangkok hospitals was not critical, senior doctors at many hospitals are proposing a 1-week full lockdown of the capital city. Perhaps meeting in the middle, late this afternoon PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the 1-month closure of all construction work camps in Bangkok as well as 4…
-
India: Do calls for reforms to respect LGBTQ rights go far enough?
Manoj (name changed) from the southern Indian state of Karnataka was forced to undergo the “gay conversion therapy” as a teenager. Now an adult, he lives and works in Delhi, and hasn’t spoken to his family in years. “I was made to believe there was something wrong with me. I was given shock treatment among other methods. I escaped home…
-
Man wanted for attempted murder arrested on train
A man who slashed a relative for not helping with car payments has been caught on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. An arrest warrant had been out for Kitiphong since November of last year for attempted murder. Kitiphon was arrested on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He allegedly confessed to the slashing. According to the police, Kitiphon was…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.