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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Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Thailand is a popular choice for retirees because of its beautiful landscapes, warm climate, and affordable living. Cities like Chiang Mai and coastal areas offer a relaxed lifestyle with friendly communities. The country also...
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PM orders 1,500 extra field hospital beds as infections surge in central Thailand
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has ordered an additional 1,500 beds for a field hospital in the central province of Nonthaburi. According to a Nation Thailand report, the beds are to accommodate patients in the red and yellow groups at the Bussarakham Field Hospital. Red group patients are those who have severe symptoms and are in need of respirators. Yellow…
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Government urged to provide booster shots in sandbox destinations
Tourism representatives are calling on the government to provide vaccine boosters for people who live in sandbox destinations. Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, says the country can’t wait for the virus to disappear completely and the only solution is for residents in sandbox areas to get maximum protection against new variants and outbreaks. “Herd immunity across…
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Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 57 deaths; 5,533 new infections
5,533 new Covid-19 cases and a record high of 57 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 235,971 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 44 were reported in correctional facilities, showing an improvement in the Covid…
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Officials defend dine-in ban amid fears of a fourth wave
The government’s Covid-19 task force has defended new restrictions that ban dining in at restaurants, saying the country is heading into a fourth wave of the virus. According to a Bangkok Post report, Natthapol Nakpanich from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the Delta variant is now spreading across the country. Acting on the advice of healthcare experts, the…
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Woman killed while trying to cross the road in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A woman was hit by a car while she was crossing the road in the Na Bon district of Nakhon Si Thammarat this morning, says police. Veerayuth Rakthai, a police chief investigator says the victim was a Myanmar national identified as 54 year old “Chan” and says she worked at a rubber plantation. According to Thai media, Chan was attempting…
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Bangkok airport police stop Chinese with babies, seize fake birth certificates
Police are investigating a suspected illegal surrogacy operation after 2 Chinese nationals were stopped at a Bangkok airport as they were attempting to leave the country with 2 baby boys. Police say they seized fake birth certificates. The Chinese nationals were at the Suvarnabhumi Airport with the 6 month old and 1 year old boys. Airport officers stopped and checked…
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Government urged to get mRNA vaccines over Sinovac
The Thai government is being urged to get mRNA vaccines in preference to the CoronaVac vaccines from Sinovac in China. The Infectious Disease Association of Thailand points to reported efficacy concerns of the Sinovac vaccine, especially toward new variants like the Delta one. Today, the IDAT sent a letter to Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha. They stated that Sinovac is a…
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Rayong governor orders nightly beach closures to curb the spread of Covid-19
Starting today, all beaches on the coastal province Rayong, near Pattaya, will be closed to the public during the night and early morning hours. The beach closures are an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 after the province reported an uptick in infections. Rayong governor Charnna Iamsaeng signed an order earlier this week to close the beaches from 8pm…
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Wednesday Covid-19 Update: 4,786 new cases; provincial totals
A record high of 53 Covid-related deaths was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 2,023. The vast majority of Covid patients died over the past 3 months with the daily fatality count in the 20s to 40s. 4,786 new Covid-19 cases were reported today, with most infections reported in…
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Phuket announces it had 5 new cases of Covid yesterday and 1 death
Yesterday, Phuket announced it had 5 new Covid infections and its 7th death, a 72 year old man. Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon the chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) corroborated the news that Phuket had 5 new Covid infections as well as the 7th death. Dr Kusak spoke in a live broadcast this morning where he was joined…
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Dutchman arrested for allegedly selling used cars with fake registration
Thai Immigration police arrested a 35 year old man from the Netherlands who ran a dodgy used car business where he allegedly faked the vehicle registrations. Police say he was also overstayed his visa by 10 years. Police identified the Dutchman as Stanley Richy. They say he ran a second-hand car business and had a business page on Facebook under…
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Man robs a gold shop with a kitchen knife
Last night in the central Thai province Pathum Thani, a man used a knife to rob a gold shop in the Lam Luk Ka district. He got away with 60 baht weight of gold necklaces. Pitch Suwatikul, a local police officer says the robbery happened about 7:20 pm at the Bangkok Gold shop on the 2nd floor of a Tesco…
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Vaccine walk-ins for 75 and up available today-July 18 at Bang Sue Grand Station
From today, until July 18, people 75 and older can get inoculated at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok. Reportedly, even without registration. The decision is an effort to drive up the number of elderly being vaccinated. The Department of Medical Sciences says that number is currently low. The inoculation campaign is intended to reach the elderly who may not…
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110 faulty bottles of Sinovac vaccine rejected by Thai FDA
The Food and Drug Administration says it has found 110 faulty bottles of the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac Biotech that contain lumps of gel. Surachok Tangwiwat from the FDA says CoronaVac vials need to be shaken prior to use but, in the case of the defective bottles, even shaking would not dissolve the gel. According to a Coconuts report, the…
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Krabi man allegedly fires gun at quarantine hotel, flees with wife and son
A man in Krabi was arrested after he allegedly fired a gun, shooting through a window of an alternative state quarantine, or ASQ, hotel and ran off with his wife and 9 year old son who were staying at the hotel after coming in close contact with those infected with Covid-19. 45 year old Somyos Khongsiri’s wife and son were…
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Top medic says cloth masks don’t protect against Covid-19
A prominent infectious disease specialist at Bangkok’s Phramongkutklao Hospital says cloth masks are ineffective against Covid-19 and people should wear surgical masks. Nation Thailand reports that Dr Thanaphan Phibunbannakit has called on the government to procure additional surgical masks as Thailand logs 4,786 new infections and a record high of 53 deaths. Thanaphan says people who are yet to receive…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 4,786 new cases, record high of 53 deaths
4,786 new cases and a record daily high of 53 Covid-related deaths were recorded today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The daily coronavirus death tally in Thailand has been in the 20s to 40s during the current and most severe wave of the virus, infecting 230,438 people since April 1. Out of the new cases recorded today, 127…
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American expats in Thailand continue to urge US to provide vaccines to citizens overseas
Some Americans in Thailand are still pushing the US government to supply Covid-19 vaccines to those living overseas. Democrats Abroad Thailand is now calling on American expats to contact senators and urge them to support the allocation of vaccines to citizens overseas. The expat group’s Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force is also set to hold a Zoom meeting tomorrow evening to…
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Private hospitals in Thailand to offer Moderna vaccine packages for 3,400 baht
Those in Thailand will be able to reserve a package of the 2-dose Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for 3,400 baht, according to the Private Hospital Association. Member hospitals agreed on the set price to cover both doses of the US-made Covid-19 vaccine as well as the service fee and insurance. Pre-paid bookings open up on Thursday while the vaccine deliveries are…
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Man gets marriage certificate tattooed on his forearm, ink presumably permanent
Yesterday, a Facebook post went viral after a man took his declaration of love one step further and had had his marriage certificate tattooed on his arm. On Monday, Om-Aim Daraployphan shared several pictures of her husband’s arm tat/proof of marriage on Facebook. The tattoo is bordered with green and pink flowers and takes up the majority of the man’s…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 4,662 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on an upward trend in Thailand’s most severe wave of Covid-19, 4,662 new infections were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 254,515 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Of that number, 225,652 were reported since April 1, the start of the recent and most extreme wave of…
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Sinovac vaccine 71% to 91% effective against Alpha variant, Thai study shows
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says 2 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine are 71% to 91% effective against the Alpha variant of the virus which was first detected in the UK. A study on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine, also known as Coronavac, was done by Thailand’s National Communicable Diseases Committee and the National Vaccine Committee. The study…
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Man in Pattaya arrested after allegedly stealing liquor, running across roofs
Police in Pattaya arrested a foreigner and budding ninja yesterday for allegedly grabbing 2 bottles of liquor from a local store and running off without paying. The shop clerk and nearby residents chased after the man, who apparently ran across the roofs of people’s homes to get away. Reports say he was caught after falling from a roof. Residents found…
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Suspect arrested in murder of noodle shop owner
A manhunt has concluded in the northern Thai province, Chiang Mai. Police were looking for a man who allegedly killed a 63 year old noodle seller. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the woman who had suffered stab wounds to her neck and back would later be pronounced dead. Police say they were called to a roadside noodle stand. Once…
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Chief medic says Delta variant will become dominant strain in Bangkok
The Department of Medical Sciences says it expects the Delta Covid-19 variant to become the prevalent strain in Bangkok within the coming months. The variant was first reported in Thailand in April, when it was detected in migrant workers in the Laksi district of the capital. The spread of the variant has sparked concern globally due to it being highly…
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Koh Larn to pilot Pattaya’s reopening to tourists
Koh Larn off the coast of Pattaya could be reopening to tourists in the near future. As Thailand prepares to reopen to foreign tourists by October, the Chon Buri island will serve as a pilot project for the area’s reopening. Pattaya Mayor Sontaya Khunpluem says the city is in favour of the Thai government’s 120-day reopening plan, a goal announced…
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Workers caught attempting to flee camps as new restrictions take effect
With PM Prayut Chan-o-cha imposing sudden and unexpected restrictions, including orders for factories at risk of a Covid-19 outbreak to use the so-called “bubble and seal” method, workers have been attempting to flee the camps to escape being stuck at the site for a month. Some were caught and forced to return as they were trying to leave the area.…
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Restrictions imposed in areas at risk of a “public health crisis,” spokesperson says
Disease control restrictions have tightened in Bangkok and surrounding provinces which are at risk of becoming a “public health crisis,” according to a Thai government spokesperson. The restrictions were published in the Royal Gazette over the weekend and went into effect today. Of the restrictions set for the next 30 days, restaurants in Bangkok and surrounding provinces are prohibited from…
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Covid-19 screening centre in Bangkok temporarily closed to migrant workers
After many migrant workers infected with Covid-19 were reportedly abandoned at the Public Health Ministry’s Pre-Admission Centre in Bangkok, it is now temporarily closed to migrant workers. The centre is used to screen people who are infected with the virus before sending them to a facility for treatment. Apparently, a number of workers have been dropped off at the centres.…
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Asymptomatic patients in Bangkok can self-isolate at home while waiting for hospital bed
Amid an ongoing shortage of hospital beds, the Medical Services Department has agreed that asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in the Bangkok area can self-isolate at home until a bed becomes available. According to a Thai PBS World report, department chief Somsak Akkasilp says each patient will be provided with a thermometer and oximeter, allowing them to monitor their symptoms. Patients considered…
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