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.
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Thai woman faces charges over fake job posts for masseuse positions in Japan
A woman in Thailand’s Isaan region is being accused of posing as a job broker by using Facebook to make fake recruitment posts for masseuse positions in Japan. According to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, 37 year old Pawinee Yomseedum was arrested and charged with fraud at her house after using to advertise the recruitment service on social media and…
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Evacuation drills run for students in Thailand’s border region as violence in Myanmar escalates
With clashes just across the border between the Myanmar state military and the ethnic army troops so close that bullets are landing on Thai soil, students in Mae Hong Son are being trained on how to escape if the gunfire reaches the school grounds. Soldiers and teachers ran drills over the weekend for students at the Baan Ta Fang school.…
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Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed
Rising Omicron infections, together with poor winter weather, are wreaking havoc on US airlines with nearly 1,000 flights affected yesterday – some cancelled, other postponed. The chaos is also hitting other parts of the world as tens of thousands of Christmas/new year travellers try to keep up with the dynamic situation. Yesterday’s cancellations and postponements mark a fourth day of travel…
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700 inmates fight at Isaan prison, 3 seriously injured
A fight involving around 700 inmates broke out at a prison in the Isaan province Sisaket over the weekend, seriously injuring three of the prisoners. Ten other inmates were also injured. At around 9am on Sunday, as they were finishing breakfast, more than 700 prisoners divided into two sides and started fighting, some using toothbrushes they had sharpened as a…
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Phuket prepares to welcome Andrea Bocelli, attendees need negative Covid test
The southern island of Phuket is getting ready to welcome renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will help to ring in 2022 at the Saphan Hin public park. According to a Bangkok Post report, tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the island’s New Year countdown event will go ahead under strict disease prevention measures. All attendees will need to show proof…
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New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant
The normally optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling slightly more downbeat amid concerns about a potential Omicron outbreak. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak is affecting travel sentiment. According to a Bangkok Post report, he expects New Year travel to generate just 8.04 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. “Concerns over a possible outbreak…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry outlines plan to tackle potential Omicron outbreak
Thailand is preparing for a potential outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, with plans to revive the home isolation programme. Dr Somsak Akksilp from the Public Health Ministry’s Medical Services Department says home isolation can be used for most infected people, along with community isolation facilities in Bangkok. According to a Thai PBS World report, Somsak is confident that home…
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No cutoff date for those approved to enter Thailand under Test & Go, Sandbox
There is no travel cutoff date (for now) for those approved to enter Thailand under the Test & Go or Sandbox entry schemes. Following the decision to close Thailand Pass registration for the two schemes, the government announced the last group of approved travellers would arrive on January 10. That date was never posted in the Royal Gazette, and a spokesperson…
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Monday Covid Update: 2,437 new cases; provincial totals
18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,598 with 21,504 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,437 new Covid-19 cases and 3,845 recoveries. There are now 34,436 people in Thailand being…
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Vaccination required for foreign workers as Singapore tightens restrictions
Foreigners who intend to work, study, or relocate long-term in Singapore will be required to be vaccinated starting February 1, as the country tightens restrictions in response to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, according to the Ministry of Health. Children under the age of 12 and those who are medically ineligible for the vaccinations will be exempt from…
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Discover MontAzure, Asia’s Ultimate Beachfront Community
Sponsored Article Nestled against the soft sands of Kamala Beach, on Phuket’s pristine west coast, MontAzure is the ultimate destination for those seeking a privileged lifestyle or an attractive investment opportunity. Exuding elegance and exclusivity, with international amenities and a timeless sense of style, this breathtaking residential development has elevated the standard of tropical living in Southeast Asia. Spanning 72…
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Singapore lifts travel ban for 10 African countries
Singapore eased restrictions for 10 African countries which were initially considered to be high risk for the Omicron variant and travellers from those nations, or who have been to those countries 14 days before travelling can now enter or transit through the Republic. Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are now classified by the…
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Camps set up in Tak for more than 5,000 refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar
The governor of the Tak province, bordering Myanmar, set four temporary camps supporting victims who escaped the escalating violence between the Myanmar military and the armed wing of the Karen National Union. The camps are all located in Maesot Districts of Tak spreading to four sub-districts including Mae Tao, Mae Ku, Mahawan, and Phop Phra. Around 5,358 refugees who fled…
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Christmas and New Year travel woes continue around the world
Worldwide, the travel misery lingers with Christmas in the rear view mirror but the new year holiday ahead. Another 1,300+ flights have been cancelled for Monday – Chinese and US destinations are the worst affected, according to FlightAware. The majority of the flights cancelled in China include 366 flights by China Eastern and another 127 from Air China. The most…
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Local mosque leader shot and killed in Pattani
Police are investigating the murder of a local mosque’s leader who was shot and killed while driving his motorcycle in Sai Buri in Southern Thailand’s Pattani province on Sunday night. The religious leader was shot twice, in the head and in the abdomen. The gunman is still at large. Police say a gunman shot Abdulloh Walor, a member of the mosque’s…
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17 year old drowns on Christmas while swimming at Southern Thailand beach
On Christmas Day, a 17 year old drowned while swimming at a beach in southern Thailand. His body was found yesterday about 500 to 600 metres from shore. The teenager went to the Nai Pret beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Khanom district with two of his friends. The current was strong on Saturday and were around two to three metres…
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Thai medic says most Omicron cases mild or asymptomatic, expects jump in numbers
The head of the Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis at Siriraj Hospital says most of Thailand’s Omicron infections are mild or asymptomatic. However, Dr Nithipat Jearakul has warned of a surge in case numbers, according to a Nation Thailand report. To date, around 200 Omicron infections have been confirmed in the kingdom, but Nithipat says we will soon see…
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UN urges authorities in Myanmar to investigate Christmas Eve massacre
A high-ranking United Nations official is urging authorities in Myanmar to investigate the massacre in Kayah State, where local sources report that the Myanmar military killed at least 35 civilians, including at least one child, on Christmas Eve. Two staff from the non-profit organisation Save the Children also went missing in the attack by the Myanmar military soldiers, according to…
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Best places in Phuket to countdown for New Year 2022
Say goodbye to 2021 and say hi to 2022! Let your countdown begin at one of the most beautiful venues on the island! The following hotels in Phuket are offering exclusive New Year packages for you to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. So, we have compiled a list of the best 5 venues in Phuket to celebrate…
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China reports highest-daily rise in new Covid-19 infections since pandemic began
An outbreak of Covid-19 infections in the south-western city of Xian has led to a 21-month high in China’s daily case numbers. According to a Reuters report, the city has become the country’s latest hotspot in the pandemic. Its 13 million residents are now entering day 5 of lockdown, with 155 new cases of community transmission. Xian reported 485 symptomatic…
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Health ministry to outline 3 best and worst-case scenarios as more infections reported
Following the discovery of more cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Public Health Ministry says it will outline worst-case scenarios in a statement expected tomorrow. On Sunday, 2 probable Omicron infections were reported in Chiang Mai, with 1 infection in the north-eastern province of Loei and another in the southern province of Songkhla. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
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South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid champion, dies aged 90
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the anti-apartheid icon who championed human rights in his native South Africa has died at the age of 90. Announcing his death, President Cyril Ramaphosa described Tutu as a patriot without equal, according to an AFP report. “Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight…
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Department of Corrections denies Reuters forced labour story
The Department of Corrections is striking back after a story by Reuters last week painted a brutal portrait of forced labour, violence, and coercion in Thailand’s prison system. The department denied things like threatening and physically assaulting inmates existed and that prisoners aren’t forced to work as mentioned in the Reuters article. The article painted a picture of inmates in…
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Ministry of Tourism survey shows tourists enjoy Thailand in 2021
Many expats might get complacent with all that Thailand has to offer, and be cynical about whether it’s worth the risk and complexity of coming to Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic. But a survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed that foreign tourists have an overall positive view of travelling in Thailand. In fact, the average ratings…
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OIC gives give New Year’s gift: 100,000 baht insurance for 10 baht
Usually, it’s a disappointment to get a holiday gift that you never intend to use, but the government is offering a special gift you’ll hope to never have to use: insurance. The special one-month policy is being offered by the government as a New Year’s gift for an extremely discounted special price of 10 baht. The gift policy is being…
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64 Omicron infections in Kalasin yesterday, rapid spread predicted
A doctor at Siriraj Hospital believes half of all new Covid-19 infections in January could be the Omicron variant. In Kalasin province, 64 new Omicron infections were found on Christmas Day as a pub and restaurant has seen the rapid spread of the new strain of the virus. A married couple visited on December 12, unaware that they had the…
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Thailand – the 17th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami
A powerful underwater earthquake rumbled off the coast of northern coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, at 7:59am local time, setting off a series of underwater shockwaves that would eventually be felt right around the rim of the Indian Ocean. It was the Boxing Day Tsunami (or Indian Ocean Tsunami, or Asian Tsunami) and it started affecting the shorelines around the Indian…
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POLL: No good leader for PM, most support no political party
37% of people support no political party and believe there is no suitable leader for the role of prime minister, according to a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration. The NIDA poll showed that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha led the pack of potential candidates, but only 16% of people supported him as their choice for the next…
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Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron
As tourism has been gaining traction until the Omicron variant threw a wrench into the works, the CCSA has warned that the chances of catching Covid-19 on flights have increased because of the more transmissible new variant. The warning has been repeated out to Thai people after a statement made by the International Air Transport Association, the global influential organization…
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Thailand celebrates its 100 millionth vaccine, focuses on boosters
Health officials in Thailand celebrated the announcement that they have now administered its 100 millionth Covid-19 vaccine in the country. With the rise of the Omicron variant, more people are choosing to get the protection of a vaccine, and officials are working to rapidly increase the number of third dose booster shots administered within Thailand as many brands have now…
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