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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139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents
The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that hundreds of road traffic accidents have taken place over Thailand’s holiday weekend. 139 people have died and 653 have been injured in the course of the 4-day holiday, which was introduced to boost domestic tourism. The Pattaya News report that 455 car accidents have been recorded, with nearly 79% of them being caused…
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Protester slammed for dressing as schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools
2 government MPs have criticised a member of the “Bad Students” protest movement after she dressed as a schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools. In an online protest, the activist donned a school uniform and held up a sign condemning sexual harassment in the Thai education system. Nation Thailand reports that while her actions have generally been supported…
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Finance Minister says Thailand’s GDP will take 2 years to recover
Thailand’s finance minister says the countrys GDP will take 2 years to recover the 9% it has lost since the Covid pandemic ravaged the economy. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, the Finance Minister, says the economy would have expanded by 3% this year if it weren’t for the pandemic. “The pandemic crisis will make the economy contract by around 6% in 2020, therefore…
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UPDATE: Coming to Thailand? Check your insurance and ASQ fine print.
A concerned reader sent us this information, based on his experiences in the ASQ when he arrived in Thailand. We publish them with good faith but would urge everyone to check their insurance situation, whether they’re currently in ASQ or might be in the near future, to check your individual circumstances. AXA has also responded to the comment, we provide…
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Thailand News Today | Dinosaurs in BKK, BOT tackles Baht, Special K isn’t special | November 23
Start of the week, a busy day of news around Thailand with Tim Newton. Bank of Thailand takes action to curb Thai baht’s strength The Bank of Thailand is moving forward measures, originally meant to begin early 2021, but most of which will now take effect from end of this month. The end result is that the new rules will…
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“Bad Medical Student” group takes to Twitter to discuss downfalls of medical industry in Thailand
A new group, inspired by the Bad Student protesters, has taken to naming itself Bad Medical Students, as it stormed Twitter to reveal the downfalls of studying medicine in Thailand. The hashtag #นักศึกษาแพทย์เลว (Bad Medical Student), has now gained over 86,000 Tweets after the Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai university encouraged the group to voice…
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Tour guide opens aiyu jelly tea shop in Bangkok after losing job
A tour guide is redirecting his career towards making tea in Bangkok after losing his job when Covid hit. In order to stand out from the usual Boba tea sellers, he decided to take a turn at offering an alternative to the popular drinks. 38 year old Auttapol Saejong, has introduced an aiyu jelly drink to the streets of Thailand…
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7 new imported cases of Covid in Thailand today, 0 new deaths
Today, the government is reporting 7 new imported cases of Covid, bringing the total to 3,920 in Thailand with no new deaths. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says all 6 cases were asymptomatic Thai returnees, with the other being a man from Syria. The Thai cases include a woman who returned from Germany on November 7, and tested positive…
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German parliament clarifies its stance on HM the King’s stays in Bavaria
PHOTO: Their Majesties the King and Queen greet well-wishers in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok after presiding over a ceremony to change the Emerald Buddha statue’s winter costume at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on November 1, The Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament, has announced that Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn could be expelled from Germany if he continues to conduct…
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Bank of Thailand takes action to curb Thai baht’s strength
The Bank of Thailand has moved forward measures, originally meant to begin early 2021, but most of which will now take effect from end of this month. The end result is that the new rules will make it easier for Thais to shuffle money overseas and invest in foreign assets. It will also make is easier for Thai citizens to…
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Mother travels to Pattaya to desperately search for her missing daughter
50 year old Chanapa Yuthiya has travelled from Chaiyaphum province to Pattaya, over 400 kilometres, to desperately search for her missing daughter. The grandmother has taken her 7 month old granddaughter along, after she says her daughter has been out of touch and unable to be reached since November 17. Chanapa filed a complaint to Pattaya City police last Thursday…
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Chief ASEAN economist says protests not helping Thailand’s weak economy recover
Chief ASEAN economist of Nomura, Euben Paracuelles, says Thailand’s current protests are not helping Thailand’s weak economy recover. In fact, Pracuelles says Thailand’s economy is the weakest and slowest in the region, noting that it is in “pretty bad shape”. He further says that the last thing the kingdom needs is something to weaken its recovery and that the current…
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Personal data of 13 million online users leaked in data breach
The Digital Economy and Society Minister is calling in the experts after revelations that a data breach means the personal data of over 13 million online users has been compromised. The details of the accounts have been found up for sale on an underground website, according to a Thai PBS World report. The news has sparked condemnation of Thailand’s cybersecurity.…
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Police confirm over 30 protesters from both sides face criminal charges
The deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed that charges will be brought against 31 people from both pro and anti-establishment groups, following protests in Bangkok earlier this week. Piya Tawichai says 14 people face charges for offences committed in the area of the Parliament building last Tuesday, while a further 17 are being charged for crimes committed…
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PM won’t rule out lèse majesté charges for protesters
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has implied in a media address that anti-government protesters may face lèse majesté charges. He has previously threatened to use the full force of the law against pro-democracy activists and was responding to questions from reporters about whether this included the section on lèse majesté. “It is among all those laws. Do you understand the term all…
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The Thai tourism new normal, learning to live with the pandemic
OPINION by Julian Spindler Thailand’s world-class tourism industry, one of the twin drivers of our economy, is in a deep, coronavirus-induced coma, close to death. No life support is currently available. Pandemic paranoia has gripped the nation, freezing our bio-security risk management in full containment mode, meaning zero tolerance for local Covid-19 transmission. The socio-economic, and some might add political, impacts…
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Over 5 million escape Bangkok by car and public transport as holiday begins
The Transport Ministry says just under 5.3 million Bangkok residents have left the capital as the long holiday gets underway. Anon Luangboriboon says the exodus began on Wednesday, a day before the holiday period began. The Bangkok Post reports that the figures include those travelling by car and public transport, with 2.25 million leaving by bus and van. Anon says…
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Ministry of Finance proposes extension to shopping stimulus scheme
The Ministry of Finance is proposing to get Thais to shop the country out of recession. They’ve proposed an extension to the shopping co-payment scheme, Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves), first introduced last month. The scheme aims to encourage spending by offering Thai shoppers discounts of up to 150 baht a day at participating stores, to a maximum of…
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TAT aiming for 70 million domestic trips by year end, planning more incentives for 2021
The glass is half-full for the Tourism Authority of Thailand as it predicts domestic tourism during the last 2 months of the year will result in 70 million trips undertaken in 2020. Kritsana Kaewthamrong, deputy governor for domestic marketing, says additional public holidays, coupled with discounts on flights and hotels, should mean travel figures will exceed those of preceding months.…
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PM threatens protesters with full force of the law if unrest continues to escalate
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned pro-democracy protesters that they face the full force of the law if ongoing political rallies continue to escalate. On Tuesday, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered outside the Parliament building, where MPs and senators were voting on draft amendments to the constitution. A draft submitted by human rights group iLaw, with the backing of 100,000…
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Police violence against democracy demonstrators – letter from Human Rights Watch
OPINION In response to Tuesday’s protests outside the Thai Parliament, and the police response, Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, responds. Published in full… Unnecessary Use of Water Cannons, Teargas; 55 Reported Injured Thai police unnecessarily used water cannons and teargas against peaceful democracy demonstrators outside the parliament in Bangkok on November 17, 2020, in violation of international…
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Thailand News Today | Protests to escalate, Domestic violence, Tourist visa exemptions? | Nov 19
Just a reminder that it is still safe to travel to Thailand. The protests are in very small pockets around Bangkok and well publicised in advance. If you can, and are prepared to go through all the hoops and paperwork, it’s still a great place to visit. Bangkok police blame insufficient manpower for failure to control Parliament road clashes Police…
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5 injured in Chiang Mai collision after driver falls asleep at the wheel – VIDEO
5 passengers in a public transport vehicle have been injured after a pickup driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into them. Nation Thailand reports that the collision occurred on San Kampaeng Road in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Rescue workers had to use specialist equipment to free the passengers, who were trapped in the bus. They managed…
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Red shirt leader says self-serving government has no interest in protecting the Monarchy
A leading government critic from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship has slammed what he calls the government’s insincere claims of protecting the Monarchy. Red-shirt Jatuporn Prompan says the administration of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is only out to protect itself and cling onto power. He says yesterday’s rejection in Parliament of the draft charter amendment submitted by rights group…
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Some Thai embassies dropping 500,000 baht requirement for 60 day tourist visa
Reports are circulating on social media that some Thai embassies are no longer insisting on proof of funds of 500,000 baht for a 60 day tourist visa (not to be confused with the Special Tourist Visa). According to a report in the Pattaya News, posts in various social media groups dedicated to the 60 day tourist visa, would indicate that…
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Domestic violence on the rise amid falling incomes and rising alcohol consumption
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation says the Covid-19 pandemic may be causing a spike in domestic violence, as incomes fall, debt rises, and more people turn to alcohol. The foundation claims incidents of domestic abuse have risen by 66% since March, when Covid restrictions were introduced. The Bangkok Post reports that the biggest rise is in the south of the…
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Police threaten protesters with legal action following Tuesday’s Parliament rally
The Metropolitan Police Bureau is threatening to charge activists involved in Tuesday’s rally outside the Parliament building in Bangkok. At least 55 people were injured when violence broke out between rival protest groups and police. Piya Tawichai, from the MPB, says that, of the 4 groups outside the building, only 3 had applied for permission to hold a rally, including…
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Anti-government activists condemn rejection of iLaw draft, vow to fight on
Protests are set to continue following Parliament’s decision yesterday to reject a draft charter amendment submitted by human rights non-profit group iLaw, with the backing of over 100,000 signatures. Protest leader Jatupat Boonpattarasaksa says the rejection, which happened after the first reading of the bill, has left activists with no choice other than to continue the protests. He added that…
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Thailand News Today | Emergency Decree, Protesters shot, Baht boost temporary | Nov 18
There’s a link to the final story underneath the video on YouTube. Here we go for Thai PM extends emergency decree to January next year. The government will extend a nationwide emergency decree until at least January 15 next year. The PM has cited the need to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections during the peak New Year’s travel period.…
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Thai PM extends Emergency Decree to January next year
The government will extend a nationwide emergency decree until at least January 15 next year. The PM has cited the need to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections during the peak New Year’s travel period. The impasse with protesters was not brought up as a reason to extend the current Emergency Decree. The CCSA chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has…
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