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 How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Thai-language teacher suspended for throwing books at her students
A Thai-language teacher was suspended after she was caught on video throwing textbooks at her students and even hitting a teenage student in the head with a book. Khun Sudawan, a teacher at the Manchasuksa State Secondary School in the Isaan province Khon Kaen, had been checking over class assignments and noticed many students had not finished. As Sudawan started…
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Pro-democracy leaders denied bail for 5th time
A group of pro-democracy protest leaders are being denied bail again for the 5th time by Thailand’s Criminal Court. The 4 leaders, known by their nicknames, as Penguin, Rung, Pai Dao Din, and Toto, were joined in court by attorneys and professors from Bangkok’s Mahidol and Thammasat University to request bail on the grounds that the leaders were still students…
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Thailand’s private hospitals planning to profit off Covid-19 vaccine
Thailand’s private hospitals are planning to profit off of offering Covid-19 vaccines for paying customers. The hospitals have allegedly been procuring doses of vaccines after negotiating with different manufacturers. The news comes after Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has stopped the rollout of the AstrasZeneca vaccine after some countries in the EU banned its use over blood clot concerns. The hospitals…
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American has false negative Covid-19 test result in Thailand, positive result after returning to the US
An American, who recently travelled to Phuket and Bangkok, tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to the United States. The man was tested prior to leaving Thailand and Thai health officials now say that result was a false negative. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences reviewed the man’s Covid-19 test that was taken right before leaving Thailand and now say the…
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Be a private island castaway on Koh Munnork, Thailand | VIDEO
Stranded on your very own private island in Thailand. Well, not quite stranded. Chris takes us on a tour of the relatively tiny Koh Munnork (Munnork Island), off the coast of Rayong in east Thailand. The prices for a stay on the private island vary and usually start around 10,000 baht a night but there’s always promotions on and, depending…
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Attorney, university professors seek bail for leaders of pro-democracy Ratsadon group
An attorney, along with university professors, are seeking the release of pro-democracy leaders from jail by requesting bail at Thailand’s Criminal Court. The attorney from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Kritsadang Nutcharas, joined with professors from Bangkok’s Thammasat and Mahidol universities to request the release of 3 of the Ratsadon group’s core members. Kritsadang says the families of Rung, Penguin,…
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CCSA Update: 81 new Covid-19 cases
81 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 538 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the CCSA has reported a total of 26,679 coronavirus infections and 85 deaths. Out of the 81 new cases, 30 were transmitted at high risk areas in Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Bangkok,…
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Isaan families earn tens of thousands of baht selling dried tokay geckos
Hundreds of households in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom are making tens of thousands of baht by selling dried tokay geckos, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s dry season in the Northeast region and a good time to catch geckos. While many businesses have been struggling throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the gecko trade seems to be booming. A…
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Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine delayed in Thailand after blood clot concerns
The Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine rollout in Thailand is being delayed due to concerns over blood clots after several EU countries suspended their programmes. PM Prayut was supposed to mark the start of using the vaccines in Thailand today, but now his jab has been put off until more information is collected about the vaccine’s safety. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, a Covid-19 vaccine…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha postpones AstraZeneca jab after some European countries suspended the vaccine
Thailand’s prime minister cancelled plans to get injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today after reports that some European countries suspended the jab due to the possibility that the vaccine could be linked to an increased risk of blood clots. Some people developed blood clots after receiving the vaccine. In a case in Denmark, a person died. After some European…
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The end is in sight: CCSA hints at October for lifting restrictions, re-opening Thailand
The Thai government’s Covid-19 task force says that, provided people continue to cooperate with efforts to keep the virus suppressed, the country will re-open fully by October and all restrictions will be lifted. The announcement brings a ray of hope to many, not least everyone in the tourism sector. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration acknowledges that…
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Thailand News Today | Quarantine times reduced, foreign students CAN attend protests | March11
Hints of a possible return of the former Immigration Bureau poster boy Surachet Hakparn, a rise in the official speed limit for Thai highways, foreigners told they CAN take part in protests and some rumours about an impending opening of Maya Bay. But first to a survey we posted this morning about what we might be able to do in…
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CCSA Update: 58 new Covid-19 cases
58 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 513 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 26,598 coronavirus infections and 85 deaths. Out of the 58 in cases, 17 were exposed to the virus while visiting high risk areas…
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This year Thailand gets 6 days to celebrate Songkran holiday
The Thai new year of Songkran is being extended to 6 days of water fights according to the Cabinet after approving the holiday to run from April 10 to 15. Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome says details of the holiday will be sent to the Centre For Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval as he says Songkran participants will probably be allowed…
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Phuket aims for mass Covid-19 immunisation by October
The Phuket government is pushing for more Covid-19 vaccines with the hopes to hit mass immunisation by October. So far, just under 2,000 people on the island province have been injected with China’s Sinovac vaccine. The local officials say they will file a request to get enough doses to vaccinate roughly 78% of the population by October. With the Phuket…
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Thai government considers expanding Bangkok prisons due to many visitors supporting political prisoners
With a number of people facing charges related to their involvement in political protests, the Thai government is looking into expanding prisons to help reduce overcrowding, particularly for visits. Thailand’s justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters that Bangkok Remand Prison and Klong Prem Central Prison are becoming congested with families and other people who visit the prisons to support the…
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Speed limit on Thailand’s highways increased to 120 kilometres an hour
It’s official – the maximum speed limit on 4-lane highways in Thailand has been increased to 120 kilometres per hour, with the new regulation published in the Royal Gazette yesterday. Previously 90 kilometres per hour, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the increase in the maximum speed limit is aimed at improving the flow of traffic in line with conditions, while…
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Thailand News Today | Polishing the Area Quarantine, protesters moved to prison | March10
Ministers are meeting in Phuket today to discuss the details of the new area quarantine, the Thai PM anoints the media scrum by spraying hand sanitiser at them…. or something, and the north and north east of Thailand today are facing very poor air quality, Chiang Mai getting the award for having the worst air quality in the world today…
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CCSA Update: 39 new Covid-19 cases, Samut Sakhon lifts “factory quarantine”
After months of strict disease control measures to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the epicentre of the recent wave of infections, Samut Sakhon, is lifting its so-called “bubble and seal” measures which quarantined migrant workers at factories where they worked. Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration deputy spokesperson Apisamai Srirangsan says the measures are being lifted today. 39 new Covid-19 cases were…
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Foreign students can take part in political gatherings as long as they follow the law
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is clarifying that foreign students can, indeed, take part in political gatherings provided they follow the law. The news comes after The Asian Institute of Technology sent an email to its students saying it respected freedom of expression but was conveying a request from Thai immigration for foreign students not to join protests. The email also allegedly…
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Thai woman faces charges for involvement in “massive scheme” to defraud the US Navy
In what the United States Department of Justice calls a “massive scheme” to defraud the US Navy, a Thai woman who oversaw the foreign defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia office in Thailand is facing charges for involvement in submitting false price quotes, claims and invoices to the US Navy which added up to more than $5 million USD. She…
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Anti-government activists moved to Bangkok’s Thon Buri prison
Officials say 3 protest leaders have been transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to Thon Buri Prison, in the Bang Bon district of the capital, to avoid overcrowding. Panupong Jadnok (“Mike”), Piyarat Chongthep (“Toto’’) and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa (“Pai Dao Din’’) underwent processing and health checks in the reception area of Thon Buri prison before entering 14-day quarantine. The Bangkok Post reports…
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Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha sprays hand sanitiser at reporters – VIDEO
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha sprayed hand sanitiser at reporters yesterday, avoiding a question about the cabinet reshuffle and walking out of his press conference followed by a mist of alcohol . The prime minister had been asked about a list of candidates for cabinet positions that opened up after 3 ministers were detained on insurrection charges for their involvement in…
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Thai tiger park faces permanent closure amid wildlife smuggling allegations
The threat of permanent closure hangs over a tiger park in the north-eastern province of Mukdahan, due to the alleged illegal smuggling of tiger cubs. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has brought charges against Mukda Tiger Park & Farm, also known as Mukda Suan Sua, and ordered the facility to close for 30 days. The DNP…
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Thailand News Today | ASQ quarantine update, lights out on Koh Samui | March 9
In today’s news, the government is looking to cut the quarantine time in half, more news on Thailand’s vaccine roll out, and the Thai Navy accidentally cuts off Koh Samui’s electricity supply. We’ve also got the latest information on the country’s air quality woes later in this edition. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin has announced that everyone who receives both…
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Koh Samui lights back up, underwater electricity cable repaired
Electricity is back on Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan after an underwater cable supplying electricity to the islands was damaged. Yesterday, blackouts swept over both islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast. Earlier reports say the cable was damaged by a Thai navy ship’s anchor, but now Provincial Electricity Authority district manager Jakkrit Meedet says…
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Officials mull over new guidelines for this year’s Songkran water festival
With Thailand’s massive water festival, Songkran, set to go on next month, officials are now mulling over potential guidelines to help reduce the risk of Covid-19. The culture minister says there is talk of setting up so-called “water play” areas that allow the water fights and splashes with a Covid-19 check-in at the entrance. Pattaya News says face shields, goggles…
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Woman’s charred remains found near northern Thailand rubber plantation
The charred remains of a 19 year old woman was found near a rubber plantation in Phitsanulok, a province in northern Thailand. Police say the woman’s 18 year old boyfriend, a murder suspect, turned himself in. Jularat Kongkaew was reported missing on February 27. She had left her home the previous afternoon with her boyfriend, a Mathayom 6 student (equivalent…
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Travellers undergoing yacht quarantine to wear wristbands to track location and monitor health
Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand by yacht and undergoing the mandatory quarantine period onboard the vessel will be asked to wear a smart wristband to monitor their health and track their location. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency teamed up with Advanced Info Service, known as AIS, and Phuket tourism operators to launch the so-called “Digital Yacht Quarantine” programme. Apparently, tourist…
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Thailand government promotes cannabis as a cash crop at Buriram festival
Thailand’s government is pushing for cannabis use in all kinds of foods and products, as long as the plant’s psychoactive component, which causes the “high,” isn’t used. Over the weekend, people flocked to the Cannabis 360 festival held by the government in the Isaan province Buriram. Those at the festival could get a cone of hemp soft serve ice cream…
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