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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    Travel vs international health insurance: Which coverage do you need overseas?

    The Thaiger key takeaways Travel insurance is ideal for short-term trips, covering emergencies, cancellations, and lost luggage, but not routine care. International health insurance suits expats and long-term residents, offering full medical coverage, including checkups, maternity, and chronic care. Choosing...

  • Khon Kaen restaurant busted for allegedly serving alcohol | Thaiger

    Khon Kaen restaurant busted for allegedly serving alcohol

    Another venue, this time in northeastern Thailand’s Khon Kaen province, has been busted for allegedly selling customers alcohol. The restaurant tried to hide the fact that they were serving alcohol but proved no match for the officials that raided the eatery, yesterday. The unnamed restaurant, which is somewhere close to the Khon Kaen University, was raided by police and soldiers.…

  • 14 Burmese migrant workers arrested for allegedly illegally crossing the border | Thaiger

    14 Burmese migrant workers arrested for allegedly illegally crossing the border

    14 Burmese migrant workers were arrested in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province this morning. The Bangkok Post says they were found hiding in the forest by army patrol and police. The group was mostly men, and none had travel documents on them. When the workers were questioned, they told officials that they had been walking on natural trails from Dawei, a…

  • Cyclist unable to take steep hill plunges to his death in Chiang Mai ravine | Thaiger

    Cyclist unable to take steep hill plunges to his death in Chiang Mai ravine

    A cyclist riding in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai province, was unable to steer his bike down a downhill road yesterday morning and plummeted about 30 metres down a ravine to his death. Police learned of the incident, which occurred on a steep section of the Mae Rim-Mae Sai tourist road in front of the Pongyang Jungle Coaster & Zipline…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 13,256 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Thursday Covid Update: 13,256 new cases; provincial totals

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 131 coronavirus-related deaths and 13,256 new Covid-19 cases today. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,829 recoveries. There are now 128,367 patients being treated for Covid-19. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,524,613 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 15,884 coronavirus-related fatalities. The…

  • Decision on Hua Hin Hospital “dual pricing” case set for next week | Thaiger

    Decision on Hua Hin Hospital “dual pricing” case set for next week

    Next week, Thai authorities will announce the outcome of the highly anticipated “dual pricing” case where a Dutch expat claims he was overcharged for his cancer treatment at Hua Hin Hospital. Erwin Buse, who filed the anti-discrimination suit two years ago, told ASEAN Now that the case was officially handed over to judges this week and a decision on the case…

  • Lawyer and shaman duo demand police investigate Kanchanaburi temple rehab that allegedly tortured patients | Thaiger

    Lawyer and shaman duo demand police investigate Kanchanaburi temple rehab that allegedly tortured patients

    Following yesterday’s news that a temple in Kanchanaburi, a western Thai province, that served as drug rehab and was allegedly abusing patients, including feeding them usually only once a day, forcing them to live in squalid conditions and torturing them; a lawyer and a shaman have requested the Crime Suppression Division police investigate and prosecute those responsible for the alleged…

  • Amended communicable disease law includes powers to retain curfew, order lockdowns | Thaiger

    Amended communicable disease law includes powers to retain curfew, order lockdowns

    As the government prepares to debate the future of the emergency decree, set to expire next Thursday, a new legal amendment means some of its powers could remain. The Bangkok Post reports that the amended Communicable Disease Act gives officials the power to retain the current curfew and to impose new lockdowns. The government says the law will be used…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 131 deaths and 13,256 new cases | Thaiger

    Thursday Covid Update: 131 deaths and 13,256 new cases

    Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation reported 13,256 new Covid-19 cases and 131 deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 1,495,750 Covid-19 infections. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,829 recoveries. There are now 128,367 patients being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases,…

  • 5 Pattani men arrested for allegedly posing as police officers to extort locals | Thaiger

    5 Pattani men arrested for allegedly posing as police officers to extort locals

    5 men who were posing as police officers in southern Thailand’s Pattani province were arrested yesterday. The suspects allegedly extorted drug-taking residents or teenagers out of money or property. The Yaring police were alerted that men were portraying themselves as members of the Yaring police at a village in the Laem Pho Subdistrict. The Nation Thailand says the men dressed…

  • HOMA is now offering fully-serviced, affordable lifestyle apartments in Phuket Town. | Thaiger

    HOMA is now offering fully-serviced, affordable lifestyle apartments in Phuket Town.

    Sponsored Phuket is Thailand’s most iconic tourist destination as it offers stunning beaches and surrounding islands. Thus, it is also known to feature a large expat community as many have decided to make it their home. The island is located among the crystal-clear waters of the Andaman Sea, where outdoor enthusiasts thrive. Moreover, Phuket offers some amazing shopping malls, world-famous…

  • Thai woman tricked into human trafficking in Dubai brought home safely | Thaiger

    Thai woman tricked into human trafficking in Dubai brought home safely

    A Thai woman who had been tricked into being a sex worker in Dubai, a city on the Persian Gulf Coast of the United Arab Emirates, returned safely to Thailand, today. The woman was able to send a video message through Facebook on Sunday where she pleaded for help. She says she had been deceived by an advertisement looking for…

  • Alleged cable thief busted in Phuket, accomplice possibly still at large | Thaiger

    Alleged cable thief busted in Phuket, accomplice possibly still at large

    A Phuket man was arrested recently after he allegedly stole telephone and communications cables throughout the island. The man allegedly sold the cables for scrap near his house in Phang Nga. Wichit police and members of the Crime Suppression Region 5 and officials from the TOT company showed up at Chaturong Bhumlamnao’s house to arrest him. The TOT had previously…

  • Kanchanaburi temple that served as a rehab closes amidst shocking abuse allegations | Thaiger

    Kanchanaburi temple that served as a rehab closes amidst shocking abuse allegations

    A Thai temple in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, “Wat Tha Phu Rat Bamrung” also known as “Wat Tha Phu”, which also serves as drug rehab, has been ordered closed following allegations of ransom, torture, and the abuse of human rights. Due to the startling allegations, the temple is being investigated by the Narcotics Control Board and the Public Health Ministry.…

  • Post-Covid condition MIS-C afflicted 30 to 40 children, 1 death | Thaiger

    Post-Covid condition MIS-C afflicted 30 to 40 children, 1 death

    A post-Covid-19 condition called MIS-C has affected 30 to 40 Thai children and may have caused the death of one youth. The condition, multiple-system inflammatory syndrome in children, can affect children and teens who had been affected and then recovered from Covid-19. The president of the Royal College of Paediatricians of Thailand explained that the condition is fairly rare but…

  • Manhunt underway for foreigner who allegedly prepared bread using his feet | Thaiger

    Manhunt underway for foreigner who allegedly prepared bread using his feet

    A manhunt is underway by the Immigration Bureau after a video surfaced of a man, believed to be a foreigner, who allegedly used his feet to prepare bread for packaging. The video was supplied to the IB and they responded that they will search for the suspect. It was not clear what charges the man may face for his foot…

  • Army provides food for the Rawai Sea gypsy community | Thaiger

    Army provides food for the Rawai Sea gypsy community

    The Royal Thai Army has set up a food kitchen for the Rawai sea gypsies as the community has been in lockdown since September 15. The lockdown will remain in place until September 28. The Royal Field Kitchen Car has been cooking and handing out food for almost 2 weeks now. They have travelled all over the island to bring…

  • Former deputy attorney-general to be investigated over serious wrongdoings in Red Bull hit-and-run case | Thaiger

    Former deputy attorney-general to be investigated over serious wrongdoings in Red Bull hit-and-run case

    An investigation is to take place into alleged serious transgressions by a former deputy attorney-general involved in the 2012 hit-and-run case against Vorayuth Yoovidhya. Nate Naksuk is to be investigated over his decision to drop the charges against the Red Bull heir, who is accused of killing a Bangkok policeman in the hit-and-run incident. The Bangkok Post reports that the…

  • Esports officially recognised as professional sport, new opportunities follow | Thaiger

    Esports officially recognised as professional sport, new opportunities follow

    The Thai professional sports committee has agreed to welcome Esports, also known as electronic sports, into the fold of professional sports in Thailand. The announcement was made official in the Royal Gazette. Esports represents video game-based sports that can be enjoyed alone in a room or with teams. The games include first-person shooter games, such as the assortment of Call…

  • 5 provinces may delay reopening until November, Chiang Mai cautious | Thaiger

    5 provinces may delay reopening until November, Chiang Mai cautious

    Despite some local leaders pushing hard and claiming readiness to reopen on October 1, several or all of the 5 provinces scheduled to reopen may be delayed until November 1, with Chiang Mai especially cautious about reopening. The deputy director for communications and marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand pointed out that the reopening plan can only go ahead in provinces…

  • Industry body says Thai government must borrow another 1 trillion baht | Thaiger

    Industry body says Thai government must borrow another 1 trillion baht

    The chairman of The Federation of Thai Industries is calling on the government to borrow another 1 trillion baht to kick-start the economy in 2022. Supant Mongkolsuthree says the extra funds are desperately needed to boost an economy devastated by the fallout from the pandemic. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says the government’s borrowing of 500 billion baht…

  • FDA passes on using Sinopharm vaccine for children over 3 years old | Thaiger

    FDA passes on using Sinopharm vaccine for children over 3 years old

    Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has denied Sinopharm’s request to administer Covid vaccinations to children over 3 years old. The FDA cited a lack of data on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Dr Paisan Dankhum, the Deputy Secretary General of the FDA, says the FDA committee and experts across many agencies had discussed the safety and effectiveness of…

  • Communicable disease law may be amended to replace emergency decree | Thaiger

    Communicable disease law may be amended to replace emergency decree

    Thailand’s Communicable Disease law is likely to replace the emergency decree from the end of September, after Cabinet approved a draft amendment to the 2015 Act. The emergency decree was enacted in March 2020 and granted the government sweeping powers to control the spread of Covid-19 through the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The decree is due to expire at…

  • Travel data to Thailand for 106 million people unprotected online | Thaiger

    Travel data to Thailand for 106 million people unprotected online

    106 million visitors to Thailand over the last 10 years were discovered to have had their personal information unsecured online. Comparitech, a cyber security firm that discovered the database, revealed that the data has been unprotected online without any password protection possibly for the last decade. The unprotected data included people’s full names, passport numbers, gender, residency status, date they…

  • Soldier allegedly assaults neighbours following horn honking | Thaiger

    Soldier allegedly assaults neighbours following horn honking

    A soldier in Nonthaburi, a central Thai province, allegedly assaulted his neighbours at their home because one of the victims had honked his motorbike’s horn to let his wife know he was home. The victims, 39 year old Piamsuk Bunruang and 42 year old Alisa Choksinsombun filed a police report yesterday following the attack. Thai Residents says the soldier punched…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 10,919 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 10,919 new cases; provincial totals

    143 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, 15,612 people infected with Covid-19 have died with 15,518 of those fatalities during the country’s latest wave of the virus, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 10,919 new…

  • Officials clarify Korat police van stopped at the beach after collecting murder suspect | Thaiger

    Officials clarify Korat police van stopped at the beach after collecting murder suspect

    Cops in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima, AKA Korat, recently came under fire, figuratively, for allegedly using an official police van to take a trip to the beach. Police launched a fact-finding committee to investigate after pictures and videos surfaced of the police van arriving at a beach in Phetchaburi, a central Thai province, and people getting out…

  • OnlyFans content creators arrested by Thai police on pornography charges | Thaiger

    OnlyFans content creators arrested by Thai police on pornography charges

    Two OnlyFans content creators have been arrested by Thai police on pornography charges. The Thai government is warning people who live in Thailand and post sexually explicit content on OnlyFans, they are breaking Thai law and they could face hefty fines, even jail time. OnlyFans is an online subscription service where content creators can make money off of those who…

  • Update: government official that allegedly stole from fund meant for the disabled spent all the money on gambling | Thaiger

    Update: government official that allegedly stole from fund meant for the disabled spent all the money on gambling

    In an update to yesterday’s story, Pisal Sukjaitham, the government official who was arrested for allegedly embezzling 13 million baht from a fund meant for the disabled, allegedly confessed, after being interrogated, that he spent all the money he stole on gambling. In another development in the story, INN says that officials are now saying 45 million baht was stolen…

  • Strapped for cash, Thai Airways puts 3 more aircraft up for sale | Thaiger

    Strapped for cash, Thai Airways puts 3 more aircraft up for sale

    The beleaguered national carrier, Thai Airways International, is to sell 3 more aircraft in a bid to raise some much-needed funds. Also up for grabs is a flight simulator, as the airline continues with its rehabilitation plan and attempts to modernise its fleet. The Bangkok Post reports that the airline is selling 3 of its Airbus A330-300s, all of which…

  • Tuesday Covid Update: 143 deaths and 10,919 new cases | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 143 deaths and 10,919 new cases

    Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 10,919 new Covid-19 cases and 143 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in Thailand’s most severe wave of the virus, 1,471,242 people have tested positive for Covid-19. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 11,694 recoveries. There are now 131,655 people currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. Out of…