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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Pattaya fishing boat capsized in storm, 2 crew rescued, 2 missing
2 members of a fishing boat crew are still missing after a strong storm that capsized their boat off the Pattaya coast. Yesterday morning 2 people on board the boat were rescued after it was flipped in the high waves but confirmed that 2 more crew were aboard the ship and have not been found. The accident took place off…
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Thailand to get 10 to 20 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Thailand will get 10 to 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The minister posted an announcement on his Facebook page along with a photo after a meeting with Pfizer representatives. Anutin says the Thai Food and Drug Administration will facilitate the registration process as soon as possible. The Pfizer vaccine is expected…
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American man arrested in Chiang Mai for allegedly killing pregnant Thai wife
An American man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his pregnant, Thai wife and hiding her body in a rubbish bin. Police say 32 year old Jason Matthew Balzer then dumped his deceased wife’s body in a field in northern Thailand. 32 year old Pitchaporn Kidchob’s mother became concerned for her daughter’s welfare after seeing Balzer flee their home on…
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Chon Buri sees slight increase in daily Covid infections- Friday, 89
Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is seeing a slight increase from yesterday in new, daily Covid-19 infections at 89 today. Yesterday saw 76 new infections. The new infections bring the total amount of infections in the province since the beginning of April to 3,130. 1,549 are listed as being released from medical care and fully recovered, with 115 being…
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Phuket to rollout rapid Covid-19 testing campaign for visitors
A rapid Covid-19 antigen testing campaign for visitors to Phuket is being rolled out to quickly detect cases in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. The island province is set to reopen to foreign tourists in July, that is if the virus is contained and if at least 70% of the population is vaccinated against the coronavirus.…
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It’s cicada season and America is preparing for billions to emerge after 17 years of hiding
Americans are preparing for billions of cicadas to emerge after spending 17 years underground. Some are thinking it’s their worst nightmare to see and hear the insects as they will undoubtedly swarm their yards and porches. Their semi-hard skin, that is shed, will also be a sight to see, if there are, indeed, billions coming out. In Thailand, and most…
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Thailand’s private sector to open 372 vaccination points nationwide
Thailand’s Chamber of Commerce has confirmed the private sector will open 372 vaccination centres in an effort to accelerate the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. Nation Thailand reports that 82 of the centres will be in Bangkok, which, along with neighbouring provinces, is currently bearing the brunt of the third wave. The private sector aims to support the government’s plans to vaccinate…
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Chiang Mai restaurants want dine-in ban revoked as infections drop
The governor of Chiang Mai has called for the ban on dining in at restaurants to be lifted and for eateries to be allowed to serve food on-site until 9pm. Charoenrit Sa-nguansat’s request follows a drop in Covid-19 infections in the northern province. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has colour-coded Chiang Mai “dark red”, making it a maximum control…
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Tourism Minister says Phuket must reach zero infections before July re-opening
The Tourism and Sports Minister insists the southern island of Phuket must record zero Covid-19 cases if a planned July re-opening is to go ahead. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn adds that, should new infections be reported once 70% of the island is vaccinated, the Tourism and Public Health Ministries will work together to decide what action to take. Tourism operators in Phuket…
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Foreigners can register for vaccination next month (next week for some on Phuket)
But when they will actually be vaccinated remains up in the air. While a Public Health Ministry spokesperson declared just days ago that Covid-19 vaccines were reserved for Thais, not expats, the government now says that statement was taken out of context. Yesterday, Opas Kankawinpong from the Disease Control Department confirmed that foreigners living in Thailand would also be vaccinated. “Anyone living…
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Friday Covid UPDATE: 27 more deaths, 2,044 new infections
The Friday report, compiling the regional totals from Thursday, indicates that has been 27 new Covid-related deaths and 2,044 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours. The numbers continue a statistically consistent rise in the number of Covid infections over the past 2 weeks. The CCSA yesterday declared that is is focusing on containing major Covid clusters in 3…
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Education program ends September, 1,964 teachers face layoffs
Nearly 2,000 maths and science teachers are calling upon the Education Ministry to help them avoid layoffs in September. The teachers were hired in 2018 under a special project by the Office of the Basic Education Commission to improve maths and science teaching standards in Thailand. Now 1,964 teachers may face unemployment if action is not taken. The OBEC had…
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Activist Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul granted bail
Jailed student activist leader Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul has been granted bail of 200,000 baht today after repeated denials of bail requests over the last 2 months. Rung was detained on charges using Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws that carry a 15-year maximum sentence for insulting the royal monarchy and has been held without bail since March 8. She joined her…
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Thailand increases durian exports to China by 14% this year
Thailand has exported 14% more durian to China in this year’s first quarter over the same period last year. The Trade Negotiations Department Director General says Thai durian auctions in the first quarter secured 186 million, making up 88% of the total amount of Thai durian exports to world markets. Last year, Thailand exported US1.5 billion worth of durian to…
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160 infected in Bangkok’s Bang Kae Covid-19 cluster
An outbreak of about 160 new Covid-19 infections was identified today in Bangkok’s Bang Kae district, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 1,413 people were tested by health workers in a Bang Kae department store on three dates – April 28, April 30, and May 1 – after 9 Cambodian employees in the store were confirmed to have…
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Thai Meteorological Dept. warns northern Thailand of severe storms through May 7
The Thailand Meteorological Department says severe storms, especially in the north, will be present through May 7. The announcement detailed the forecast with gusty winds and hail being included in the conditions due to a high pressure system from China. It also warned residents to stay away from big trees, unsecured buildings, large billboards, and outdoor places in general. Farmers…
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Thailand removed from New York Times graphic on Pfizer vaccine
The New York Times removed Thailand from their infographic of countries that have imported the Pfizer vaccine after initial reports could not be confirmed. Pfizer denied that Thailand had made a deal to acquire jabs of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The early rumours of the deal sparked controversy in Thailand, as they were listed as having the jab available only for…
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Covid-19 outbreak contributes to elephant population decline in Southern Thailand
The following was submitted by the Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation. There has been a significant decline in the elephant population of Southern Thailand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Phang Nga Province, which normally has more domesticated elephants than any other Southern Thailand province, the elephant population has dropped by a third of its normal number. This fall…
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Patent application for antiviral drug Favipiravir rejected by Thai officials
The patent application for the Japanese antiviral drug Favipiravir used to treat Covid-19 has been rejected in Thailand. With thousands of Covid-19 patients in hospitals and field hospitals, the Thai government made emergency orders for the drug, and sought permission for the right to produce the medicine locally. An application had been filed under the compulsory license system where the…
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Chiang Mai on track to reopen 2 districts to foreign tourists in October
Chiang Mai is still on track to reopen to foreign tourists under the sandbox model this October. The so-called sandbox model would allow foreign tourists, who are vaccinated against Covid-19, to travel to designated areas in Thailand without undergoing quarantine. In Chiang Mai, tourists will be able to travel in the area with tour guides on designated routes. Phuket is…
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Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, Phuket to start registration
Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, a spokesperson from the CCSA said today, clarifying recent reports that said Thais have priority in the first phase of inoculations. The spokesperson says comments were taken out of context and, in fact, foreigners have already been included in the first phase of vaccinations. We’d like to confirm that Thailand’s vaccination strategy is…
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Multi-day traditional Thai funerals shortened for Covid-19 safety
Traditional funerals in Thailand last several days with ceremonies and mourning before the eventual cremation of the lost loved one. But with the rising death toll of Covid-19, funeral ceremonies have needed to be revised and shortened for the safety of attendees. With infections in Thailand catapulting from 29,000 in early April to 74,900 as of yesterday, funerals have to…
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Activist lawyer contracts Covid-19 in prison
Arnon Nampa, an activist lawyer in jail without bail since February on lese majeste charges has been infected with Covid-19, according to his Facebook page. An anonymous source at the Corrections Department confirmed with Reuters that Arnon had tested positive yesterday and has been sent to the prison hospital for treatment. The department later released a press statement confirming the…
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COVID Update: 1,911 new infections, provincial totals
1,911 new Covid-19 infections and 18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 76,811 Covid-19 infections and 336 virus-related deaths. There are now 29,680 active cases. 1,073 patients are in critical condition including 356 on ventilators. The majority of the recent deaths were elderly…
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Vietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days
Just the thought of 14 days in isolation has driven away many prospective tourists. Imagine 21 days in quarantine. If you want to travel to Vietnam, you’ll now have to go through the 3 week quarantine upon entering the country, Vietnam’s Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long announced yesterday. The country of 96 million people has kept cases low at…
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Chon Buri sees drop in today’s daily Covid infections – Thursday, 76
Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is seeing a drop in the number of daily Covid-19 infections at 76 recorded today. Yesterday, the province saw 110 new infections. With today’s new infections, the province has seen a total of 3,041 infections since the latest wave of Covid-19 began in early April. 1,600 people are currently listed in medical care and…
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12 gamblers arrested in raid on restaurant in central Thailand
Police have arrested 12 people found eating, drinking, and gambling in a restaurant in the central province of Pathum Thani. Under disease prevention measures, there is currently a ban on in-restaurant dining in a number of provinces in Thailand. According to the Bangkok Post, the authorities raided the restaurant in the Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani late last…
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Thai hotels call for extension to domestic travel stimulus packages
The Thai Hotels Association is urging the government to extend the domestic travel stimulus schemes, set to end on September 30. THA president, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, says the stimulus packages, “We Travel Together”, which subsidises flights and hotel accommodation, and the Tour Teaw Thai co-payment scheme, must be continued until the current Covid-19 crisis is under control. She points out…
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Officials deny Pfizer vaccine already available in Thailand for “a certain group”
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has denied that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is already in Thailand and available for the exclusive use of some. The FDA was responding to a claim made by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who says the vaccine is available for emergency use to inoculate a certain group. Thaksin made the claim online using the Clubhouse app.…
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Thailand jumps on the electric bandwagon, aims to become EV production hub
The Thai government has ambitious plans to turn the Kingdom into a Southeast Asian hub for the manufacture of electric vehicles. Nikkei Asia reports that big companies in Thailand are preparing to invest substantially in the greener mode of transport, after the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee suggested a new manufacturing target could mean half of Thailand’s auto-production is made…
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