Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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“Does Thailand plan to continue swinging between military coups and civilian rule?” Thanathorn
PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com “It is about time we make some noise and guide our society out of this cycle.” Appearing at the Thai Constitutional Court, in defence of his media shareholding case, Future Forward’s party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit used his written closing statement to ask judges if they were happy for Thailand to continue swinging back and forth between civilian rule…
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Now paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are banned, what do farmers use?
PHOTO: sugar-asia.com In just two weeks the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos kicks in – a total ban on the three controversial agri-chemicals. Now officials are ramping up efforts to find effective alternatives for the popular agricultural herbicides and pesticides, especially the two herbicides (maybe this would have been a good idea before they imposed the ban?). Thai PBS…
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Facebook hackers steal 34 million baht in online scam
PHOTO: INN News “…never set your password with your phone number or personal information that is easy to hack.” Thais Wuttiwat Chuenmanoh and Chawan Kornraknugpai have now been arrested after many victims filed complaints that the pair had been stealing their identities. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society’s Puttaphong Punnagun, and Police Colonel Ek Siriwat from the Technology Crime Suppression…
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Thai PM will sit down with rebel members of coalition
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is again being forced to sit for chats with leaders of the 20 coalition parties to patch up differences ahead of a no-confidence debate being brought against the fragile government. The no-confidence debate is likely to happen early next month. Given the close numbers between the multi-party government and the opposition, a full quorum for the…
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Police net haul of crystal meth and yaba valued at 360 million baht
PHOTOS: INN News Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Division of the Royal Thai police have carried out three separate busts across the country, confiscating over a tonne of crystal methamphetamine and 40,000 yaba pills. They say the haul is valued at 360 million baht. Thai Residents reports that the first arrests took place in Phichit province, central Thailand, where a…
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Future Forward calls for an end to compulsory military conscription
PHOTO: Thai Army Conscriptees are selected with a lottery system – Al Jazeera Pongsakorn Rodchomphu and several other members of the opposition Future Forward Party have submitted a formal draft revision to the Conscription Act that would make military conscription voluntary, except in emergency situations. The Nation reports that the proposal was put forward to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai yesterday.…
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Thailand ranks in top five economies for salary increases
PHOTO: iglu A report in Thailand Business News says Thailand is among the top five countries in the world for salary increases. The Annual Salary Trends Report, carried out by ECA (Employment Conditions Abroad) International, looked at salary trends for 60 countries and forecasts a 2020 salary increase of 4.1% for Thailand, up from 3.9% this year. In general, Asian nations…
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The curious tale of the second-hand BMW – Future Forward MP winds back the clock on events
PHOTO: For sale. One slightly used BMW Series 7 – SiamRath It won’t be the first time a dodgy second-hand car dealer has wound back the clock on a car. But this deal involved a sitting Future Forward MP as well, who is now trying to ‘wind back the clock’ on the series of events. A Swedish businessman has filed…
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Anti-corruption commission says government officials guilty of taking bribes in power plant agreement
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is accusing the Thai government of accepting bribes from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, the Japanese company awarded the contract to build a power plant in the southern Thai city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. NACC secretary-general, Worawit Sukboon, alleges that four government officials accepted a 20 million baht bribe from the Japanese firm in exchange for…
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School funding challenge for bilingual curriculum
The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Amnat Wichayanuwat, says plans to introduce a bilingual school curriculum at all grade levels have thrown up an obstacle for meeting funding requirements. The bilingual curriculum plans were announced by the Education Minister last week in an effort to improve English proficiency among the Thai population. It’s hoped to…
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University to allow transgender students to wear female uniforms
Chulalongkorn University has finally agreed to allow transgender students to the wear female uniforms. For Ince Jirapat, a transgender student, it was a dream come true. In November 2018, Jirapat, a student at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, was forbidden to wear a female uniform in class and was insulted by a lecturer. Jirapat turned to human rights activists, a…
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Utopia Music Festival: Dare to Dream!
On November 11, 2019, Utopia Corporation arranged the Utopia Music Festival at their condominiums in Nai Harn Beach, using a theme of superhero. The concept of ‘Dare to Dream’ showcases the outstanding and unique properties under Utopia Corporation. The music festival started with a speech from Utopia CEO Hachi Yin and Vice President Leo Li, who explained their various…
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Foreign criminals apprehended in Thailand in two separate arrests
Immigration police have made two more arrests, apprehending a Burmese man and a Chinese man, both of whom are wanted in their own countries. Thai Residents reports that Myanmar authorities issued an arrest warrant for Soe Htun, although it’s unclear on what grounds. He was subsequently found to be staying in Thailand illegally with Immigration police unable to find any record…
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Three die following court shooting in Chanthaburi, two more injured
PHOTOS: Twitter/happykaekamon and Nalinee_OPLE Three people are now dead after aa retired police officer opened fire inside a Chanthaburi courtroom on Monday/ The gunman died yesterday after being shot by a lawyer for the opposing counsel. Police are investigating how so many guns got inside the courtroom. Chantaburi is south east of Bangkok, neighbouring Rayong. Before the incident, both parties…
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A blueprint for better recycling of PET bottles in SE Asia
LONG READ As leaders from around the world gather in Bangkok for the inaugural “SEA of Solutions: Partnership Week for Marine Plastic Pollution Prevention”, GA Circular has launched a new report “Full Circle: Accelerating the circular economy for post-consumer PET bottles in Southeast Asia”. The report provides for the first time, systematic and comparable baseline collection rates for PET bottles…
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Drunk man reports car stolen
A 50 year old man in the northern province of Lampang told police his car was stolen from a local petrol station. As it turned out, he was so drunk he couldn’t remember how he got to the station. He finally realized that a friend had dropped him off. The incident was shared on national television. The man called police…
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Thailand’s road carnage is getting worse
The Thai government is reporting that deaths on Thailand’s roads are getting worse despite efforts to fix the issue. The secretary of the National Health Security Office gave horrifying statistics for victims of road accidents, but it’s widely believed that these are only a fraction of the actual numbers of those killed, maimed and injured on the Thailand’s roads. Thailand…
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Nakri weakens to a storm as it heads into Laos
Typhoon Nakri weakened as it crossed the Vietnam coast on Saturday night/Sunday morning. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, and now to a storm as it weakens and moves inland toward southern Laos. Despite a lot of rain and strong winds in central Vietnam, no bad damage or injuries have been reported at this stage. The storm will…
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A restart for resumption of Thai-EU trade talks scheduled
MONTAGE: The Thaiger Free trade talks between the EU and Thailand are about to start again after years in the wilderness following the 2014 military coup, and years of protracted negotiations before stretching back to 2005. The Thai Commerce Ministry is now preparing to resume free-trade talks with the European Union. The director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiations, Auramon…
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New eyesight for the Thaiger – modern lens exchange surgery in Thailand
Tim Newton is the lead writer and editor of The Thaiger English. Healthy, happy, busy and no feeling that I’m actually 61 years old. But there I was, about to undergo eye surgery that would rid me of my annoying reading glasses and give me an equivalent of the vision I had when I was a lot younger. Luckily there…
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Thai Airways management ‘asked’, staff ‘told’, to cut expenses
PHOTO: Both management and staff likely to lose some entitlements under new policy to reduce costs In a move that will likely contribute little to the airline’s rehabilitation, Thai Airways is trying to reduce expenditures on staff travel. Meanwhile the airlines’ management is being ‘asked’ to reduce some of their expenses. The moves are part of a range of new…
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From January 1, 46 shopping centres and convenience chains stop giving out single-use plastic bags
It’s slowly happening, but the out-cry over single-use plastics is gathering pace and some of the ‘big names’ are now changing their policies. Yesterday’s announcements are certainly a step in the right direction. From January 1, 2020, major shopping malls and convenience chain stores will discontinue providing single-use plastic bags to customers. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment…
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Thailand’s ‘economic condition index’ expected to decline in Q3
PHOTO: Culture Trip Thailand’s household economic condition index is likely to drop further due to the ongoing global economic slowdown. Another drop would make it the third this year, measured in quarters. The slowdown is impacting the domestic economy and employment, according to the Kasikorn Thai research centre. Thai PBS reports that the latest ECI report indicates that a survey…
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Thai deputy PM puts security agencies on alert for Loy Krathong
PHOTO: english-room.com The Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is instructing administrative state agencies, including police and Army, to work closely and provide security to people during Loy Krathong celebrations tomorrow, November 11, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt-General Kongcheep Tantravanich. Prawit is telling them to be well prepared to handle all possible exigencies due to accidents in water or criminal acts…
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More rain for the south, cooler in the north
PHOTO: TripSavvy The Thailand Meteorological Department says the north of the country is experiencing fog and scattered showers as a result of a high pressure system over the region. Temperatures are expected to drop by 1 – 3 degrees Celsius, leading to cooler mornings, especially in mountainous areas. Meanwhile, the south of the country can expect more rain, with heavy…
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Chinese and Indian nationals arrested for fake visas, entry stamps
PHOTO: Immigration.go.th Two Chinese nationals and an Indian couple have been detained by Thai Immigration police in two separate arrests at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai Residents reports that the Chinese nationals were attempting to check in for a Cathay Pacific flight from Bangkok to Canada using fake Canadian visas. When airline staff got suspicious over the visas’ appearance and contacted Immigration…
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Government’s economic stimulus package generates over 10 billion baht so far
PHOTO: Fodors Travel Guide The Thai government’s campaign to stimulate domestic tourism – the Chim Shop Chai campaign – has generated over 10 billion baht so far. The Nation reports that transactions carried out through the g-Wallet app have generated 225 million baht in the Yala province alone. The southern province now ranks 10th highest for spending during the campaign.…
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Thai baht dips after rate cut
The baht continued losses yesterday after the Thai central bank cut interest rates. Other Asian currencies dipped as markets assess the latest details of the US-China tariff talks. The Bank of Thailand cut rates for the second time this year, with the benchmark one day repurchase rate now at a record low, as the bank tries to manage inflation and…
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Alibaba promoting Thai products to Chinese buyers
PHOTO: Jingsourcing Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, is hosting a special section on its website dedicated to Thai products. The move has now confirmed by Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit following a meeting with the Alibaba group at the recent Shanghai Trade Exhibition. “It will be a portal for Thai makers of quality products to access the online markets…
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Thailand drops to #74 out of 100 countries rated for English language skills
PHOTO: Study International For the third year in a row, Thailand’s ranking on the English Proficiency Index has dropped and the country now ranks 74th out of a total of 100 countries. Thai PBS World reports that the index was prepared by Education First (EF), a Swiss organisation specialising in language training and educational travel. The company reports that in…
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