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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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Thai high-speed rail has 3 new contracts, projects estimated at 27.4 billion baht
A high-speed rail line between Bangkok and Nong Khai just got a boost with the signing of 3 civil engineering contracts yesterday. The total value of the 3 projects is estimated at 27.4 billion baht, with the projects being valued at 9.4 billion, 11.5 billion, and 6.5 billion respectively. The State Railway of Thailand inked the deal with private firms…
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Girl in a coma after being struck by skyrocket launched from temple
A 10 year old girl is in a coma and in critical condition after a piece of a wooden skyrocket struck the girl in the head. The firework was launched during a cremation ceremony at a temple in the Pak Thong Chai district of the Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima. The girl was waiting to be picked up at the nearby…
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Phuket sets questionable goal of vaccinating 50,000 in 7 days
Phuket is hoping to inoculate 50,000 people within 7 days of the vaccine’s delivery to the island. The governor of the island, Narong Woonciew is asking for residents to register for the vaccine to get the ball rolling as soon as possible to help make the island ready for a possible July reopening. “We will certainly receive 100,000 doses of vaccines…
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“Satan Shoes” with human blood faces lawsuit for stepping on Nike trademark
Trouble is afoot for a collaboration between rapper Lil Nas X and New York art collective MSCHF who now face a lawsuit from Nike over their “Satan Shoes,” which have each contain a drop of human blood in their soles. The Satan Shoes were made using modified Nike Air Max 97s. The black shoes are jeweled with a pentagram and feature…
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Some Pattaya businesses oppose quick reopening to foreign tourists
While Pattaya tourist businesses are desperate for borders to reopen to foreign tourists, many local business owners oppose the rush to reopen Thailand. Boonanan Phattanasin, The president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, which serves many businesses throughout Pattaya, points out that while international tourism benefits the local economy, domestic tourism is booming and businesses that cater to Thai…
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Phuket expects tourist from China in July, Europe end of year
Phuket is reopening to foreign tourists starting July 1 with the quarantine period waived for vaccinated travellers, but it’s likely that most of the tourists will be from China. Chartered flights are scheduled to begin in July from China, while European visitors are expected to start returning in winter. Phuket expects about 2 million visitors, mostly from China and Europe,…
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21 year old accused of defrauding more 100 people in surfskate board scam
A 21 year old Thai man is accused of cashing in on the new surfskate trend by allegedly scamming more than 100 people with damages valued at more than 2.7 million baht. Apparently, he advertised preorders for surfskate boards on Facebook and victims of the scam say they paid in full for the boards, but never received their orders. Surfskating,…
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Thailand jobs listings rise in February, labour force recovering from pandemic
After a pandemic-fueled unemployment freefall over the last year, costing 3 million people their jobs, February saw a big jump in employment demand for Thailand. Most job listings on the search platform JobsDV are for positions in the sales and customer service fields, followed by positions in the information technology field. Employment demand rose nearly 25% from the lowest periods…
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Tourism officials push to add Bangkok to “sandbox” travel scheme
Tourism officials are calling for Bangkok to be included in the new “sandbox” travel scheme which will allow foreign visitors who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific tourist destinations that have reached herd immunity. Phuket and Koh Samui are set to reopen under the model in July. Tourism officials are now pushing for Bangkok to reopen under the…
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WHO along with 23 nations support international treaty for future pandemics
The World Health Organisation, along with 23 nations are supporting the idea of an international treaty to prepare the world for future pandemics. The idea, which was introduced last November by the chairman of European Union leaders Charles Michel at a G20 summit, would ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for pandemics. Today, that idea has…
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Woman warns of paying cash on delivery after being scammed
A woman is warning internet users to beware of accepting parcels by paying cash on delivery after being allegedly scammed. According to Thai Residents, the woman says she accepted a package without knowing she didn’t order it, paying 590 baht in cash. Once she opened the package, she saw a pink t-shirt with a note that said, “I am sorry,…
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Indonesia to introduce new GeNose Covid-19 test for foreign visitors to Bali
The Indonesian government says that from next month, it will allow the use of the GeNose Covid-19 detector for foreign visitors to the island of Bali. This will replace the previous requirement for a negative PCR test or antigen rapid test obtained within 2 days of arrival. From April 1, foreign visitors will be able to take the GeNose Covid-19…
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Phuket officials plan to vaccinate 100,000 people next month
Officials on the southern island of Phuket are aiming to vaccinate 100,000 residents as a first step in meeting the deadline for a July 1 re-opening. Under the approved “Sandbox” model, foreign tourists can enter Phuket from that date without having to undergo mandatory quarantine, provided 70% of the island’s population has been vaccinated. A tall order… Nation Thailand reports…
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Suez Canal: Container ship freed, traffic moving again
World shipping is now playing catch up after the Suez Canal traffic started moving again. The huge Ever Given container ship has been dislodged and is now heading to a shipyard for inspections. The container ship was stuck, sideways, in the Suez Canal for nearly a week with over 300 ships waiting at either end of the canal to get…
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Thai government denies Burmese refugees are being pushed back over the border
The Thai government has denied media reports that Burmese refugees fleeing the conflict in Myanmar are being pushed back over the border. Tanee Sangrat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists that news reports claiming some Karen villagers who arrived in Thailand had been forced to return to Myanmar are false. “Those reports cite information solely from non-official sources without…
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Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump-start sandbox scheme
Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump – start its sandbox scheme which will let vaccinated international visitors enter the Andaman island without undergoing quarantine as of July 1. The targetting of Chinese visitors comes after data revealed that they contributed to 1/5 of the pre-Covid economy. The move to allow tourists to enter without undergoing quarantine is important as officials…
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Thai government denies backing Myanmar’s junta
Thailand’s government leaders are now denying backing Myanmar’s junta government 2 days after its military shot and killed over 100 Burmese citizens. PM Prayut made the announcement to the media yesterday at the Government House. “In what ways do we support Myanmar troops? Nobody supports use of violence against the people.” But recently, PM Prayut was accused of supplying rice…
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Thai Chamber of Commerce calls for vaccine delivery to be speeded up
The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says officials hope to reinvigorate the economy within 99 days, through a “Connect the Dots” policy. Sanan Angubolkul adds that the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines must be speeded up if the economy is to recover in that timeframe. “Thailand is slow in distributing vaccines. This will result in a slow economic recovery.”…
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Child shoots and kills 5 year old with gun he thought was fake
A 5 years old Burmese boy in Chon Buri was shot and killed while playing him and 2 other children were playing with a gun. The children found the gun, a long, Thai-made .22 rifle, at their house. They thought the gun was fake and started playing with it. Then, a 11 year old boy pulled the trigger, shooting his 5…
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Thailand News Today | Thai gov won’t evacuate citizens from Myanmar, Suez Canal latest | March 29
On today’s program, the Thai government say they’ll help any companies affected by the blockage of the Suez Canal, the Thai Government says they’re not going to evacuate Thai citizens from Myanmar at this time, and random drink drive testing is going to start rolling out around Bangkok from this Wednesday. But we start off today with a shout out…
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Suicide bombers attack Indonesia cathedral, at least 20 injured
At least 20 people were injured in an explosion at a cathedral in Indonesia believed to have been cause by 2 suspected suicide bombers involved in an Islamist militant network. The blast went off at 10:30am, just after the Palm Sunday Mass had just finished at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassa, a major port city in South…
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Phuket unemployment rates rise, average monthly income drops
With the lack of foreign tourists visiting Phuket, many tourism-dependent businesses have suffered. Officials have reported a spike in unemployment in Phuket and say average monthly income has dropped down to 1,900 baht. Government officials are now discussing potential measures for economic rehabilitation on the island province as well as the so-called “sandbox” travel scheme, which is expected to help…
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CCSA Update: 39 new Covid-19 cases
39 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 1,366 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,773 coronavirus infections and 94 deaths. Out of the 39 new cases, 16 were local transmissions linked to high risk areas including Bangkok, Samut Sakhon,…
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1,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Koh Samui in July
Koh Samui may have 1,000 foreign visitors arrive on the island in July. As part of the “sandbox” tourism scheme, also set to launch in Phuket on July 1, allows tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific destinations in Thailand that have reached herd immunity. Thailand just launched its vaccination campaign a month ago. Now, both Koh…
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Thai government says no need to evacuate citizens from Myanmar for now
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the deteriorating situation in Myanmar is not serious enough to require the evacuation of Thai citizens. Thani Saengrat from the MFA says the situation is being assessed on a daily basis and the ministry is working with the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon to prepare an evacuation plan should such a step become necessary.…
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Crackdown on drink driving in Bangkok starting April 1
With bars and nightclubs now back open, Bangkok police plan to crackdown on drink driving. DUI checkpoints will be set up around the city starting on April 1, according to Thai media. Bangkok is still classified as an “orange zone” by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In orange zones, bars and nightclubs are ordered to close at 11pm while…
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Government ready to assist Thai businesses affected by Suez Canal blockage
The Thai government says it’s ready to help businesses affected by the blockage of the Ever Given cargo ship in Egypt’s Suez Canal. The 400-metre container ship was blown off course and got stuck sideways in the canal last Tuesday, leading to chaos in world shipping. The blockage in one of the world’s most significant trading routes has caused a…
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Thailand to improve safety for ziplining and adventure tourism
Looking ahead to the return of foreign tourists, Thailand tourism officials are planning to improve safety standards for adventure activities like ziplining in an effort to prevent accidents from happening and to gain tourist confidence. In 2019, a Canadian man died in a zipline incident in Chiang Mai. He was attached to the harness, ready for the 5 kilometre Flight…
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We took a poll in Phuket… re-opening the island in July
The Thaiger put up a poll on our YouTube channel yesterday. Completely unscientific, but trying to guage some of the viewers opinions about the latest plan, Phuket Sandbox, to open up Phuket, in July this year, as a pilot for future re-openings around Thailand for travellers, without quarantine. With the government claiming that the plan won’t go ahead unless 70%…
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Thousands of displaced Burmese flee to Thailand following military air strikes
As the situation escalates in Myanmar, and fears grow that civil war is about to break out, around 3,000 displaced Burmese villagers have fled to Thailand. The Bangkok Post reports that on Saturday, the Burmese army launched an air offensive on a village controlled by an armed ethnic group. The village in the southeastern Karen state is close to the…
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