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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Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
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Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran
Travellers are flooding back into Thailand after the country scrapped its pre-flight Covid PCR testing requirement. Arrivals to Suvarnabhumi International Airport have almost doubled to around 12,000 passengers per day, arriving on a flurry of new inbound flights. On Sunday afternoon, international travellers teems throughout the airport, reaching near pre-pandemic levels. They were greeted by officials and hotels reps who…
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First case of ‘XE’ Covid variant in Thailand, nothing to fear
Don’t be alarmed, it’s not so bad. That’s the gist of the message from the Public health Ministry, which dismissed fears of the new XE variant’s appearance in Thailand, as experts say the symptoms aren’t as severe as previous strains of Covid-19. On Saturday, Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics, or CMG, revealed they’d diagnosed the first patient with the…
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How did the Phuket man, who won 18 million baht in the lottery, receive his winnings?
The Phuket man who won 18 million baht in the lottery on Friday has now been officially presented with his winnings. In cash! Lottery organisers arrived at the man’s house in a red Ferrari yesterday with his cash, and also a hard copy of his winning ticket, which is numbered 970618. The man’s friends and family were at his house…
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Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road kiss goodbye their Songkran plans
Businesses on Bangkok’s popular Khao San Road are axing their Songkran celebration plans, following news that they would have to abide by several restrictions. This would include an alcohol ban, having to provide free face masks to partiers if their masks got wet, and being held responsible if partiers took off their masks. The president of the Khao San Road…
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Spiking Songkran tourist demand on ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan
Ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are trying to meet an influx of tourist demands leading up to Songkran. Songkran will be between April 13 – 15 this year, followed up with a convenient weekend on April 16 and 17. A ferry port managing director at the Raja Ferry terminal at Don Sak told Nation Thailand that his…
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How Safe Are Roads In Thailand For Disabled People?
https://youtu.be/cEaf5oxOAWs Thailand road safety needs a lot of improvement and so do the side walks. In particular access for the people who need it the most, people with disabilities. We took this opportunity to highlight the issues and troubles people in wheelchair have to deal with on a daily basis when they want to travel and go around Bangkok. As…
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First case of new Omicron variant ‘XE’ detected in Thailand
Thailand now has its first case of a new variant of a new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Yesterday, the Centre for Medical Genomics Ramathibodi Hospital confirmed tests of Thailand’s first case of the new recombinant variant, a hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The World Health Organisation flagged concerns about the new variant last Tuesday, warning that XE could be the…
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Phuket introduces new seafood and gastronomy “Tastival” festival
Following Phuket’s Roi Rim Lay seafood festival last weekend, the island’s officials have come up with another seafood and gastronomy festival for the first time yesterday. The festival is called “Phuket Tastival Seafood and Gastronomy: Roi-Yok-Lo”. It will run until Monday, April 4. Phuket Deputy Governor Anupap and several other officials attended the opening at Saphan Hin, the huge public…
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Phuket man wins 18 million baht from lottery, plans to pay off debts
After praying at several temples with high hopes, one Phuket man’s dream of winning the lottery has come true! The man, who lives in Ratsada on Phuket’s east coast, won 18 million baht yesterday, which just happened to be April Fool’s day. The national Thai lottery is drawn twice a month. But the winning was no joke. The man, Panuwat,…
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Thailand’s finance ministry closes 2 insurance firms due to Covid-19 claims
After an overwhelming number of Covid-19 claims caused 2 of Thailand’s insurance providers to owe billions of baht in compensation, Thailand’s finance minister has revoked the providers’ business licenses. The decision was made effective yesterday. One provider, Southeast Insurance, owes 13 billion baht in compensation, while the other, Thai Insurance, owes 4.6 billion baht. The Secretary-General of the Office of…
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Thailand International Motor Expo 2022
A lot of shiny cars, a lot of shiny lights and a whole lot more pretties. Check out all the new car, bike, boat and beauty models out this new year! Tim Newton reports live from the Impact Challenger Arena as he takes a look around Thailand’s International Motor Expo 2022.
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American arrested in Bangkok for alleged 3 million baht fraud
Bangkok police arrested an American national in Klong Toey district of Bangkok yesterday (reported as Nana in some media). The man arrested allegedly lured investors into fraudulent contracts. Thailand’s Economic Crime Suppression Division says the victims lost over 3 million baht altogether. The man allegedly offered victims options in energy and precious metals as well as futures contracts through 60…
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Tangmo: 2nd autopsy report finds ’22 small wounds’ on legs
Forensics experts have found “22 small wounds” on the legs of drowned Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, according to the report from a second autopsy, which was conduct several weeks ago at the request of her mother. However, pathologists did not find any face or head wounds, broken teeth or fractured bones, as was earlier reported by an emergency responder.…
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Villagers pay homage to giant mango in central Thailand
Villagers offered incense to a giant mango in Uthai Thani province in central Thailand on Wednesday. Locals believe that the mango, weighing in at 1.8 kilograms, is sure to bring good luck. The average mango weighs in at a measly 150 grams in comparison. The owner of the mango, 47 year old Wirat Haewphet, is a farmer with many mango…
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90 year old woman in Thailand dies from wasp attack
A 90 year old woman from the northeast province of Chaiyaphum passed away after she was attacked by wasps near her home on Wednesday. The woman suffered hundreds of wasp stings all over her face and body and was rushed to hospital but later died. The woman’s son said his mother, Chutima Phongchaiyaphum, liked to eat mangoes and was possibly…
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9 of Thailand’s restaurants ranked on “Asia’s 50 Best” list, all in Bangkok
“Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” has included nine restaurants in Thailand on its 2022 list. The Thai restaurants featured on the list are located in Bangkok. While some of the restaurants serve traditional Thai cuisine, others serve international flavors, as well as fusion dishes. One restaurant, Le Du, serves Thai food with a French twist. Le Du ranks number 4 of…
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Test & Go travellers have trouble reporting Day 5 ATK result, here’s what to do
A number of travellers entering Thailand under the Test & Go scheme say they are having trouble reporting the results of their self-administered rapid antigen test, or ATK, which is required on Day 5. For those unable to report the results through the government’s Mor Chana application, the next best option is to take a photo of the test with…
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Officers from Thailand’s cybercrime police allegedly involved in kidnap for ransom plot
A woman claims officers from the cybercrime investigations department were involved in a kidnap for ransom plot after she had won 2 million baht in gambling. The woman is seeking help from a celebrity lawyer and claims that she, her husband, and her 11 year old child were kidnapped by a group of 15 people, including police officers, and were…
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Pantip admin seeks help from netizens, after scammers swindle bank account
After losing all of his money to a scam call centre, one unfortunate Pantip admin has sought help from the best source he knows: Thai netizens. The male admin — who goes by the alias “Latte” — recently shared his sorry story on Pantip’s official Facebook page, saying he had 0.00 baht left in his bank account after the scam…
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Man allegedly pours oil on neighbour and sets his body on fire
A man poured oil over his neighbour and then set his body on fire while the victim was relaxing on a chair at home. Witnesses saw the man engulfed in flames running out of the house. He survived but was severely burned. One witness says the two men would often fight about the victim’s roosters making too much noise. 35…
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Friday Covid Update: 28,379 new cases; provincial totals
92 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,222 with 3,524 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 28,379 new Covid-19 cases and 23,843 recoveries. There are now 251,214 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Police in Thailand warn that some April Fool’s Day jokes break the law
It’s no joke. April Fools jokes could land you in Thai jail. The Royal Thai Police is warning the public to be careful with their pranks today, saying that any jokes that cause danger or widely spread fake news can lead to jail time. The Deputy Spokesperson of The Royal Thai Police, Suwat Deepor, warned residents about the jokes and…
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Dengue fever outbreak in Thailand’s Isaan region
Four provinces in northeast Thailand have seen an outbreak in cases of dengue fever since January. So far, a total of 1,199 cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been recorded in Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram and Surin. The most commonly affected age group are 10 to 14 year old children. Symptoms of dengue include high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and…
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Thailand to host 2022 Global Summit of Women
30 March 2022: The Global Summit of Women 2022, the world’s major international business and economic forum for women leaders, is set to be held in Thailand in June, announced by the Summit President and the Thailand Host Committee in a press conference at ICONSIAM. Thailand is honoured to host the Summit in its 32nd year, which is an excellent opportunity…
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Tourist impaled in the neck by needlefish while swimming at Thailand beach
A needlefish impaled a tourist in the neck while he was swimming at a popular beach in Thailand on Thursday. Careful not to remove the needlefish from his neck, lifeguards gave the man first aid on Ao Tan Khu beach in the eastern province of Trat by Cambodia before taking him to a local hospital at around 1pm. Local officials…
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Expected computer shortage in Thailand, world
IT workers expect a shortage of computers for sale in Thailand to start between May and June due to Covid-19 impacting producers in China. The chief of sales and marketing at Advice, an IT distributor, told the Bangkok Post that if China’s lockdown continues, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, computer prices will likely rise. The chief of Advice said…
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Thailand doctors question ATK test accuracy, after alarming spike in positive cases
If you’ve ever questioned the accuracy of an antigen testing kit, aka ATK test, then you’re in good company. Thailand’s Rural Doctor Society, or RDS, has pointed out an alarming spike in ATK-detected cases of Covid-19 collected by the CCSA for it’s daily Covid count, raising questions about how accurate the nifty testing kits really are. In a post on their…
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Foreign investors sell 123 billion baht in bonds since Russia’s war in Ukraine
Foreign investors of Thai bonds are selling off their baht in favour of the US dollar. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Thai bond market has recorded net sales of some 123 billion baht in foreign capital. That’s according to the Thai Bond Market Associate, which reported the data for February 4 to March 28. Last month, about 100 billion…
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