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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Immigration overhaul – TM6 disappearing and TM30 App being launched
“We made the decision last Friday. Within two to three months, life will be much easier for foreign tourists and expats.” In what appears to be a major overhaul of immigration procedures, dare we say ‘modernisation’, foreign visitors will soon no longer have to fill out the “TM6” arrival forms. The white and blue form has been a source of…
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Voice TV report paints grim picture of Thailand’s tourism problems
Natthapong La-orwong of the Sofitel group claims that Thai tourism is suffering, and the lack of European visitors is part of the problem. The comments were made in a Voice TV report that paints a grim picture of the Thai tourism outlook in 2019, according to ThaiVisa. Voice TV is unpopular withThai authorities with its forthright assessments and has been taken off…
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Thai Minister Manunya a lone voice to have 3 herbicides banned
PHOTO: The Thaiger Deputy Agriculture Minister Manunya Thaiseth (the OTHER deputy, not the embattled Thannamat Prompeo) is complaining that she appears to be a lone voice amongst the bureaucrats and politicians to have three toxic agricultural chemicals – paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos – banned within this year, as promised. She says that she’s not receiving any cooperation from the Agricultural…
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Damp in the south, drier in the north – Thailand’s fickle weather
There is a reasonably high chance of rain in many of the country’s busiest locations, over the next five days (forecasts below). According to the TMD (Thai Meteorological Department), there will be an increased chance of rain in the south but less in the north and north-east, where many areas are still recovering from extensive flooding. “The monsoon trough lies…
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More industry groups line up calling for TM30 abolishment
More industry and NGO groups are lining up with criticism or calls for abolishment of the embattled TM30 and TM28 immigration forms. Most of the criticisms focus on the draconian nature of the forms, confusion around interpretation and the problems with inconsistent implementation. Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand…
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Thammanat Prompao misses cabinet meeting today, calls in sick
Controversy-prone deputy agriculture minister for the Prayut government, Thammanat Prompao, isn’t feeling well today and has called in sick. He’s even provided a photo of himself in bed as proof of his need for a day off. After weathering a week of questions about his dodgy degrees and heroin-trafficking days back in Sydney in the 90s, he’s now succumbed to…
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No impact on PTT’s imports from Saudi oil refinery attack: Thai minister
Thai energy minister Sontirat Sontijirawong claims that last Saturday’s attacks on two major oil-processing facilities run by the Saudi-owned company Aramco will not affect oil imports of the Thai petro-chemical giant PTT group. He added that he had learnt from Aramco and related parties that the situation there was under control and the damage was being assessed. The incident would…
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Wissanu admits Thammanat Prompeo’s educational credentials were not checked
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngarm admits that the Office of the Secretary-General of the Cabinet had not vetted the educational background of Captain Thammanat Prompao, before he was appointed deputy agriculture minister, because the vetting process might have delayed the appointment of the cabinet. But he says the embattled deputy agriculture minister might be replaced “if there is an ethics problem”.…
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Industry group calls for further cut in Thai policy interest rate
“Thai private sector, recently adjusted downward the export growth projection for this year to 2.9 – 3%.” The Federation of Thai Industries have their hopes set on the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Thailand making another cut in the policy interest rate, currently set at 1.5%. With the US Fed looking to drop its interest rate this week,…
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Biometrics identify 8 fake passports in 3 days
PHOTO: Workpoint News Thai Immigration Police have been lauding the success using their new Biometrics System at the airports. In 3 days, 8 foreigners have been nabbed using fake passports. In the case of these 8 cases, all the passports were purchased from an Iranian Agent. Immigration Police reported the arrest of the foreigners on September 13 who were using…
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Warnings out for bad weather in central and southern provinces
PHOTO: The Nation The Thai Meteorological Department says people in the lower Northeast, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South (Andaman coast) should brace for more heavy rains and dangers from accumulated rainfalls today. The warning comes as five northeastern provinces remain submerged and 42 rural roads remain impassable due to floods. The department…
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“The fake university degree is irrelevant if Thammanat has a genuine BA degree” – Wissanu
PHOTO: Thai PBS World “Wissanu refused to give a direct answer to a reporter’s question about whether Thammanat would still be considered qualified if the higher-level degrees were proven to be fake.” Key leaders of the coalition continue to back the embattled deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao despite a week were his drug past has been revealed in a Sydney…
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Large Thai business feeling the effects of US-China trade war, rise of the baht
So what do Thailand’s big banks say? The ongoing US-China trade war and the appreciation of the Thai baht against other currencies is now starting to impact larger corporates in Thailand. Wasin Saiyawan, senior executive vice president and chief of wholesale banking at Siam Commercial Bank says, that although large businesses are resilient to any impact and their ability to…
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Why the Chinese are more important than Western tourists to Thailand
OPINION by Dan Cheeseman – Dan About Thailand We need to wake up and smell the roses, us Westerners are no longer an important group for the Thailand tourism industry – in fact, we are what you would call ‘niche’ – and with good reason. The Chinese are here in numbers and not only will this continue to grow but…
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Historic discovery of earliest sound films shot in Thailand
PHOTO: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation / University of South Carolina “Film historian Dome Sukhawong discovered the films in 2018, in the University of South Carolina archives.” Four films made nearly 100 years ago are believed to be the first sound films recorded in Thailand. The films were screened at the Thai Film Archive for the first time on Monday. Film…
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Embattled Thammanat Prompao considers 100 defamation lawsuits against accusers
PHOTO: Reuters The high-profile deputy Agriculture Minister, and government ‘fixer’, Thammanat Prompao says he will file about 100 defamation lawsuits against individuals and organisations who have dug up his criminal past, including his reported heroin-trafficking past in Australia, including a four year jail term, and people questioning his educational credentials. He claims they are all a plot to discredit him.…
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Pope Francis confirms his ‘pilgrim of peace’ visit to Thailand in November
PHOTO: Father Joseph Anucha Chaiyadej, director of the Catholic Social Communications of Thailand, along with deputy secretary-general Monsignor Dr Vissanu Thanya-anan and Dr Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, counsellor for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, speak to the media yesterday – The Nation It’s official, the Pope is coming to Thailand. Rumoured earlier but now officially announced. His Excellency Paul Tschang In-Nam,…
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Seri Ruam leader says he told Sydney Morning Herald to investigate Thammanat Prompao
PHOTO: Seri Ruam Thai party leader Gen Seripisut Temiyavet “The Seri Ruam Thai party leader said that he was not afraid that he might be sued for providing information to the Australian media.” Seri Ruam Thai party leader Gen Seripisut Temiyavet claims that he was the source who tipped off the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in Australia to investigate the…
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Government loses another MP as member heads to prison
Another blow to the ruling Palang Pracharath party and coalition after the MP for Kamphaeng Phet province, Pol Lt-Col Waipote Arpornrat, lost his Member of Parliament status after the Supreme Court upheld the 4 year prison sentence handed down by the Appeals Court for his involvement in the disruption of the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya back in 2009. As the…
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MP formally breaks away from the coalition over Thammanat Prompao remarks
PHOTO: “Hello?! Did someone ask me something? Mr. Pichet Sathirachavan, leader of Prachatham Thai party, has formally announced they have decided to break away from the governing coalition to join the independent opposition camp with the New Civilized party. Yesterday PM Prayut Chan-o-cha covered one of his ears with his hand as he pretended not to hear one of many…
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Thai-Australian singer “Pookie”’ to testify at September 17 hearing into alleged drug trafficking
PHOTO: YouTube.com Former singer Prissana or Priscilla “Pookie” Gemelli will testify at a hearing into alleged drug trafficking offences on September 17, along with four accomplices, one of whom is her husband, Cholawit Keetatrakul. A judge at Ratchadapisek Criminal Court postponed the hearing yesterday to ensure all defendants would be present. The 40 year old singer and her 49 year…
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Uptick in Thai tourism – August arrivals up 5.6%
Foreign tourists arrivals in Thailand rose 5.6% last month compared to a year earlier, with Chinese visitor numbers rebounding strongly, according to audited numbers published by the tourism and sports ministry. (Percentages rounded up to the nearest .1) Revenue from the 3.41 million foreign arrivals in August was 170 billion baht, up 7.1% year-on-year. The number of Chinese tourists, Thailand’s largest…
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Thailand urged to do more on suicide prevention
PHOTO: Amansquest.com In Thailand, World Suicide Prevention Day was marked yesterday by the Director General of the Mental Health Department calling on the country to do more to address the issue of suicide. Kiattipoom Wongrajit was speaking to the Thai language daily Thai Rath yesterday. According to his department, around 11 people commit suicide every day in Thailand, with the…
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UN director says more needs to be done to fight corruption in Thailand
The chief of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Renaud Meyer, is calling on Thailand’s lawmakers to do more to fight corruption. While acknowledging the country’s efforts so far, he says certain influential figures and groups are a stumbling block to creating a less corrupt society. He was speaking at a conference jointly organised by the UNDP, along with the…
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Opposition says Thammanat should not have been appointed minister
PHOTO: Bangkok Post “It is old stuff from the opposing political group. I know all of them. Don’t pay any attention to them. I do not give them any importance.” A government opposition spokesman, Adisorn Piangkate, says he would not have appointed Captain Thammanat Prompow as deputy agriculture minister if he were the PM due to the minister’s “tainted record”. He…
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Thai Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce call for overhaul of TM30 laws
PHOTO: Stanley Kang, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand, spoke to the Bangkok Post about their concerns over the TM30 debacle Speaking to the Bangkok Post, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce Stanley Kang, says the government needs to review the enforcement of the draconian TM30 (and TM28) immigration reporting regulations The TM30, and…
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Thailand’s War on Sugar, taxes double
The Excise Department says that taxes on sugary drinks will double from October 1, with drinks containing 10 to 14 grams of sugar being taxed at 1 baht per 100 millilitres instead of 0.5 baht per 100 millilitre. But he promises this higher tax won’t be passed on to consumers. Nattakorn Utensut, the department’s deputy spokesman, says most producers of…
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Government not tackling Thailand’s economic woes – poll
Most people regard the government of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as lacking the capacity to tackle economic woes – this, the latest results from yesterday’s NIDA poll. The NIDA Poll, prepared by the National Institute of Development Administration, asked 1,260 respondents nationwide about their opinions on the current state of political play. The Nida Poll found that 46.7%t of the…
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What goes up must come down – the battle of the baht
Newton’s law looms over the Thai baht. Meanwhile, the Thai baht continues to be the best performing currency in Asia. The Thai currency is riding a 6-year high against the USD and, this year, has surged 8% against the US currency. But the strong baht is causing knock-on effects to the rest of the Thai economy, battering exports and stifling tourist…
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Ride-sharing services to be legal in Thailand by 2020
PHOTO: Grab Thailand’s Transport Minister says that regulatory guidelines have been drafted to pave the way for legalising ride-hailing services by March next year. Ride-hailing organisations currently operate in “legal limbo”, often finding themselves stopped and fined for not being properly registered. New guidelines will require drivers to have a public driver’s licence, vehicles to be registered and equipped with…
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