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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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Royal Thai Police to investigate 29 officers for suspected ties to labour trafficking
At least 29 police officers are being investigated for suspected involvement in labour trafficking. The Royal Thai Police Headquarters has appointed a committee to investigate the officers, a source told Nation Thailand. The national police deputy chief will oversee the investigation. Border patrol has reportedly been heightened over the past year due concerns that migrants who are entering Thailand illegally,…
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2 markets in central Thailand report hundreds of new infections
A Bangkok market and another in the central province of Pathum Thani have recorded hundreds of new Covid-19 infections. The Bangkok Post reports that over 860 new cases have been detected at Pathum Thani’s Simummuang Market, while officials in the Bang Kapi district of Bangkok have confirmed the 3-day closure of Bang Kapi Market following a spike in infections there.…
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Tourism officials focus on safety to differentiate Phuket from rest of Thailand
As the clock ticks down to the much-anticipated re-opening of Phuket on July 1, tourism officials are anxious to separate the southern island from parts of the country currently experiencing higher Covid-19 infection rates. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is emphasising the safety element of Phuket and the other areas that will follow the “sandbox” model of re-opening. In a…
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Covid UPDATE Thursday: 2,636 new infections and 25 deaths
Today the public health department has reported 2,636 new cases and 25 new Covid-related deaths. 671 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons. The average daily case report remains consistent. • The Transport Minister has advised that the planned walk-in Covid vaccination service at new Bang Sue Central Station in Bangkok was still “under discussion” after the PM scotched the…
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Thailand News Today | Walk-in vaccinations scuttled, rain for the next few days | May 19
Walk-in registration may not be happening, Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again today, Koh Larn, just off the coast of Pattaya, has extended its closure until at least the end of May, Australian arrested on suspicion of international criminal activity, a tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination and Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the…
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Pattaya Remand Prison maintains zero Covid-19 infections
With Thailand’s prison system in the spotlight after massive outbreaks at jails around the country, Pattaya Remand Prison has reported that they have no Covid-19 infections after testing all their inmates. In a statement released yesterday, the prison confirmed that not a single covid-19 infection has been found inside the prison. They credited their success to carefully following all the…
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Thai company interested in Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine for animals
Thailand might soon start importing the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccine for animals, according to the Russian news agency TASS. Representatives from a top pharmaceutical manufacturer in Thailand held a video conference with the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, to discuss the Carnivac-Cov Covid-19 vaccine for animals. Tests show that the Carnivac-Cov vaccine is effective at generating…
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Thai Airways restructuring plan approved by creditors
The restructuring plan to tackle Thai Airways International’s more than 300 billion baht debt, one of Thailand’s most high profile bankruptcy cases, was approved by the airline’s creditors, its legal advisor told Reuters reporters this afternoon. The plan was approved by 90% of the creditors. It will be reviewed by the Central Bankruptcy Court on May 28. In a previous report,…
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British man with a machete in Chiang Mai temple arrested
A British man was arrested in Chiang Mai after brandishing a machete at Wat Eranthawan, a temple in the south of the northern city. Clive George Davidson was arrested by police after a stand-off while taking him into custody and is being charged with multiple crimes. CCTV footage shows 50 year old Davidson getting out of his car and pacing…
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Restroom turnstile linked to hundreds of Covid infections at Pathum Thani market
The turnstile at a public restroom is said to be linked to hundreds of Covid-19 infections at a Pathum Thani produce market, just north of Bangkok. Health officials tested 10,480 vendors and workers at the Simmummuang fruit and vegetable market and say 867 tested positive with many believed to have contracted the virus by inserting coins in the slot and…
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Covid-19 delivers another brutal quarter for airlines
As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, airlines experienced another terrible quarter, with less passengers and less revenue year-on-year. The president of Bangkok Airways reported dismal numbers saying that the airline is adjusting its flight plans to try to match the depressed market. Only 151,900 travellers flew on Bangkok Airways in the first quarter of 2021, an 88.5% drop over last…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,394 new infections, provincial totals
3,394 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing, raising the culumative count since the start of the pandemic last year to 116,948 confirmed infections and the death toll to 678. Out of the 3,394 new cases, 1,498 were detected in prisons. Thousands of inmates in at least 12…
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Phuket reopens mass-vaccination campaign with goal of 14,000 jabs a day
Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again, with the goal of administering 14,000 shots a day to see 70% of the province’s population vaccinated by July 1. The Vachira Phuket Hospital Director says 85,000 of the 200,000 Sinovac vaccine doses for May have already arrived, with 115,000 doses more scheduled to arrive today. Up to last weekend only…
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Monks, police, health dept help Chon Buri Covid-19 success
Covid-19 infections have decreased significantly in Chon Buri province which was recently downgraded from the highest Covid-19 restriction zone, but what was the key to their success? Law enforcement and public health officials each have their own opinion, but a group of Buddhist monks that hosted a massive prayer session believe that they successfully prayed away the Coronavirus. After receiving…
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Chon Buri to start mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign tomorrow
A mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign is set to start in Chon Buri this week. Local health officials will administer 45,000 doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to residents in the province tomorrow and Friday. Two doses are needed for the vaccine to be effective. Pattaya News notes that expats cannot yet register for a vaccine through the Chon Buri Health…
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Despite a better performance in first quarter, Thailand’s GDP may not impress in second
Despite performing better than predicted in the first quarter, Thailand’s gross domestic product may not be as impressive in the second quarter. As the first quarter saw a contraction of 2.6% year on year, analysts say the contraction was better than predicted. Now, an Oxford Economics report says the recent third wave in Covid-19 may prevent the GDP from seeing…
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More wet weather on the way, heavy showers forecast for the South
Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the north-east, the south, and the east, are in for more rain from today. The Thai Meteorological Department says some areas will experience heavy rainfall as a result of the prevailing strong south-westerly monsoon. Areas on the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand can expect heavy showers, while in the north of…
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Bangkok planning to open 25 Covid-19 vaccination centres by end of May
Bangkok authorities say they are teaming with private entities to open 25 vaccination centres by the end of May, with a goal of opening up vaccinations to the general public by June. The announcement comes as Thailand’s capital has seen new Covid-19 clusters, prompting updated goals of inoculating 5 million residents by the end of July. Now, health officials say…
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Koh Larn extends closure to end of May
Koh Larn, a popular tourist destination in the eastern province of Chon Buri, has extended its closure order until the end of May. The island is currently closed to non-residents, but this order was set to expire tomorrow. According to the Pattaya News, local officials have confirmed the extended closing on social media. While the Covid-19 situation is showing signs…
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Closure order in Bangkok set until May 31, restaurants can now offer dine-in services
To control the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok, where more than 28,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the latest wave of infections, the closure order in the capital has been extended a second time, now set to be in place until May 31. While many entertainment and recreation businesses and venues are ordered to remain closed, some…
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Australian arrested in southern Thailand on suspicion of international criminal activity
Officers from the Royal Thai Armed Forces have arrested an Australian national in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on suspicion of international criminal activity. 47 year old Samuel James Norton Cook was arrested when his Toyota car was stopped in the Nai Muang sub-district on Monday night. Security force officers cooperating with immigration officials and the local police…
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Thai government expects to open vaccine registration to foreigners by August
A Health Ministry spokesperson has confirmed that foreigners living in Thailand should be able to register for Covid-19 vaccination by August. Ratchada Thanadirek says the government is working on a dedicated registration platform for foreign nationals living in the Kingdom, which it’s hoped will be ready in 3 months’ time. Meanwhile, Thai Visa News reports that vaccine registration for Thais…
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Some Covid-19 restrictions relaxed across Thailand, fewer “dark red” provinces
The Thai government has relaxed some Covid-19 restrictions across the country, while downgrading the risk level of a number of provinces. The number of provinces designated as “strictly controlled” areas, or “dark red” zones, has been reduced from 6 to 4. They are Bangkok and the central provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. So, what, if anything, has…
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Covid UPDATE Wednesday: 3,394 new infections and 29 deaths
Today the public health department has reported 3,394 new cases and 29 new Covid-related deaths. 1,498 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons (more below). Taking the shameful inmate toll out of the equation and the trend is still steady with around 2,000 – 2,500 new cases each day over the past 3 weeks across Thailand. Around the world the…
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20 people arrested at Pattaya restaurant for allegedly violating alcohol ban
Police in Pattaya arrested 20 people last night at a local restaurant where alcohol was reportedly being sold. While Chon Buri recently eased disease control restrictions, now allowing restaurants in the province to offer dine-in services again, alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants are still prohibited. Saewana restaurant was raided at around 11pm last night by officers from Pattaya and…
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Thailand News Today | Releasing 50,000 prisoners, Covid sniffer dogs, bungled kidnap | May 18
Following an abortive attempt at a kidnap for ransom at the end of March, 3 people are currently under arrest, National vaccine rollout could finally get underway next week, pecially trained sniffer dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection, Koh Samet reopening to visitors after being closed for 3 weeks…
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Active Covid-19 clusters reported in 16 Bangkok districts
Bangkok residents living in any of the 16 districts in the capital with active Covid-19 clusters are being advised to strictly follow disease control measures. Spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin made the warning during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing. In the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, more than 28,000 cases have been reported in Bangkok. Taweeslip says there have been…
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Public Health Minister says no need for lockdown in Bangkok
While Bangkok remains the epicentre of the latest wave of Covid-19, with more than 28,000 coronavirus cases in the capital since April 1, Thailand’s public health minister says there’s no need to impose a lockdown. Restrictions are already tight in Bangkok, which is classified as a “dark red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Public Health…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,473 new infections and 35 deaths, provincial totals
2,473 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. The majority of the new cases are local transmissions, primarily in Bangkok. 680 of the new cases were detected in prisons. Thailand now has 42,988 active Covid-19 cases, a record high for the country. Out of those cases, more than…
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Education Ministry launches online platform as schools’ reopening plans delayed
Thailand’s Education Ministry is launching an online platform for public school students who are, once again, being forced to learn at home due to restrictions and limitations imposed by the government. The third wave of the virus has prompted authorities to postpone the reopening of government schools from May 17 (yesterday) to June 1. However, as daily infections keep rising, that…
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