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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Loophole closed – more unemployed to receive payments from Thai government
The loophole for employees whose businesses were not ordered to close, but are still affected by Covid 19 pandemic, has finally been addressed. The Thai Ministry of Labor secretary Sutthi Sukosol says that compensation will be similar to what employees whose businesses were ordered to close are paid, which is 62% of daily wage based on a maximum monthly salary…
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2.7 billion in “cash gifts” for officials working to fight Covid-19
Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul announced the Thai Cabinet has approved “cash gifts” for government officials working to fighting the Covid 19 outbreak. “The move to disburse cash gifts from the 2.7 billion baht budget was proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.” Those who work in fields directly affected by the outbreak – doctors, nurses and other essential…
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Thai Government pharmaceutical organisation boosts production of key medicines
Dr Mukdavan Prakobvaitayakit, the deputy managing director of The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says “the GPO has been increasing the amount of production for chronic disease medication by 50%. ” This unexpected Covid-19 pandemic has hit the stockpile of 5 – 6 key medicines, which are being used in the treatment of Covid-19. In normal circumstances, GPO usually purchases raw materials…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, April 15
30 new Covid-19 cases (Wednesday), 2 more deaths Thai health officials today confirmed 30 new Covid-19 cases, taking the national total to 2,643. New cases – 30 Total cases – 2,643 Death toll – 43 2 new deaths raise the national tally to 43. Today’s result follows the general trend of fewer new cases each day. But a spokesman for…
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Thai Covid 19 “Super Spreader” song goes… VIRAL
“Don’t just think of fun, or you’ll suffer from Covid If you can’t recover, you could die!” After witnessing the successful Vietnamese public service song and #EndCov campaigns educating the Vietnamese population to wash their hands and take action in the battle against the Coronavirus, the Thai government has doubled down and weaponised the power of Issan music to create…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 14
Thailand Covid-19 cases rise to 34 (Tuesday), 1 more death Health officials today confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases from around the country, bringing the total to 2,613. There was one additional death, a Bangkok bus driver, raising the country’s death toll to 41. Today’s number is higher than the 28 recorded yesterday, and comes after five straight days of declines…
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Thailand facing double whammy – Covid-19 and worsening seasonal drought
The Office of the National Water Resources says up to 6,255 villages in 24 provinces have already been declared as drought-affected areas, while national dams and reservoirs are only at an average of 49% capacity (only 26% of that water is usable.) It has been predicted that the drought could last until at least July. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says…
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AoT, already struggling, deny investing in faltering Thai Airways
“We’ve got enough problems of our own.” Airports of Thailand is denying claims that it is interested in acquiring a stake in the financially floundering flag carrier Thai Airways, saying that they too are struggling with the sharp drop in revenue after airlines and airport shutdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thai Airways, once considered one of Asia’s most luxurious…
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Up to 100,000 Thais at risk from alcohol-related ‘withdrawals’ during national ban
Yesterday experts announced that up to 100,000 Thais who have become seriously dependent on alcohol are at risk during the nationwide booze ban. The ban on alcohol sales was imposed in order to minimise large gatherings and also to curb coronavirus related infection risks, especially during the traditional Songkran celebrations. According to the director of Centre for Alcohol Studies at…
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Drunken man incinerates ATM after running out of alcohol
Last night around 10pm a drunk man, apparently desperate to get more alcohol, became angry and aggressive, whereupon he decided to incinerate an ATM machine hoping that it was going to explode and rain cash, or alcohol, in Rayong, south east of Bangkok. General Montree Yimyam along with officials from the Rotong Police Station, arrested the man, later revealed as…
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Up to 10 million Thais out of work in next three months – CCSA
As many as 10 million Thais could be out of work in the next few months if the current Covid-19 epidemic drags on. Supant Mongkolsuthee, the president of the Federation of Thai IndustriesGovernment, says the Thai government needs to provide timely support for businesses. As head of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s working committee, tasked with overseeing small and…
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Bodies of two teen girls found in Kwae Noy river, Kanchanaburi
The bodies of two teen girls who went missing in the Kwae Noy river last Friday in the western province of Kanchanaburi, were discovered yesterday morning. Friday, three teenage students from Ban Kao Withaya School in Kanchanaburi went for a swim in the Kwae Noy river. The girls were quickly overpowered by the strong current and washed downriver. An onlooker…
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Education minister does U-turn on ‘tablets for students’ plan
The government has done a swift U-turn on last week’s plans to purchase tablets (iPads and the like, not medicines) for Thailand’s students for home learning during the Covid-19 crisis. The Thai Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan says his ministry will now focus on maximising existing resources and “not invest money buying new equipment unnecessarily”. “We will ask for digital TV…
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PM urges Thailand to observe Songkran at home on April 13
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on all citizens and residents to refrain from celebrating Songkran, cancel their trips home and avoid all gatherings during the 3 day festival, which kicks off on Monday. The government announced last month that the Songkran holidays would be postponed to later, unspecified dates, in line with efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19…
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Chon Buri struggles with severe drought
As Thailand faces its worst drought in 40 years, officials in Chon Buri met yesterday to discuss a solution regarding lack of water and low water pressure in the province’s Sattahip district, south of Pattaya, also the home to a naval base. Responding to many recent complaints, Sathira Pueakprapan, a member of the council in Chonburi, told reporters that Sattahip…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, April 10
50 new coronavirus cases nationwide (Friday), 1 death 50 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases were confirmed around Thailand, a slight drop from yesterday’s 54. There was also one new death. The total number of infections since the outbreak began now stands at 2,473. 33 patients have died. The cases span 68 of Thailand’s 76 provinces. 1,013 people have completely recovered and…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, April 8
111 new Thai coronavirus cases. 3 more deaths, all foreigners 111 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been announced today. Of the 111 cases announced today, 69 got the virus from contact other infected people, while 42 were those returning from a religious festival in Indonesia. Phuket is the province with the highest percentage of active Covid-19 cases,…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 7
New coronavirus cases in Thailand fall to 38, 1 more death In another dramatic drop in new case numbers, Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported only 38 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, and one additional death. The cumulative death toll for Thailand now stands at 27. The 38 new infections appears to show a declining…
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World body bans Thai weightlifters from Tokyo Olympics
Thai and Malaysian weightlifters will be barred from the Tokyo Olympic Games, whenever they’re held, over their high numbers of doping cases. The sport’s governing body, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said in a statement that the two countries’ lifters can’t compete at the Tokyo Games, regardless of the change of date. Previously there had been some hope in Thailand…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, April 3
hosted by Tim Newton 103 new virus Covid-19 coronavirus cases confirmed, 4 more deaths Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Thailand rose to 1,978 with 103 cases confirmed since yesterday, and another 4 patients dying. Today’s number continues a the trend of new cases in Thailand levelling out. 104 new cases were reported yesterday, 120 on Wednesday, 127 on Tuesday. Nationwide curfew…
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Thailand News Today – April 1, 2020
Thailand coronavirus cases rise to 1771, two more deaths Thailand’s now has 1,771 Covid-19 coronavirus cases, with 120 new cases confirmed over the last 24 hours and 2 more patients succumbing to the disease. As of today 1,429 patients are under treatment, 23 are in critical condition. 342 have recovered and been discharged. There has now been a total of…
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Thailand’s reservoirs and dams reaching critically low levels
The start of the annual wet season isn’t far away, maybe this month, but Thailand’s water sources are running on empty. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported today, that Thailand has seen a large drop of useable water in dams and reservoirs by an average of 30% of their capacity, due to the lack of rain in the…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, March 31
“Far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region – WHO update The World Health Organisation says that the coronavirus pandemic is “far from over” in the Asia-Pacific region. Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the WHO, Takeshi Kasai, says “Let me be clear. This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot let down our guard, we need…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, March 30
136 more virus cases confirmed in Thailand as outbreak spreads out of Bangkok A spokesman for the country’s newly formed Covid-19 Situation Administration Thailand confirmed 136 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases today. This raises the total number of infections to 1,524. Deaths in the Kingdom remain at 7. As of yesterday, 54% of Covid-19 infections were found outside Bangkok with a…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, March 27
91 new coronavirus cases, 1 more death in Thailand Thailand’s Department of Disease Control has confirmed a 91 new cases of the the Covid19 coronavirus at their daily press briefing this morning. There was also an additional death reported. The new numbers bring the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1136 and deaths to 5. Of the…
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Thailand News Today – Thursday, March 26
New cases in Thailand – 111, pushes total over 1,000 Thursday’s total for new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus is out as announced today by the Public Health Department. The number of newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Thailand is now over 1,000. 111 new cases were announced to the media today by spokesperson from the Ministry of Public Health. At…
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BOT predicts 5.3% contraction in Thai economy for 2020
Even the Thai economy, which was still maintaining respectable growth before January, is now spluttering under the siege of the Covid-19 virus. Now the Bank of Thailand has crunched some numbers and believes the Thai economy will sharply contract by 5.3% this year as the virus continues to weigh on global financial markets, the local economy and people. GDP growth…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, March 25
107 new coronavirus cases confirmed (Wednesday) Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Disease Control announced 107 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 Coronavirus in their daily press briefing this morning. This makes the total number of cases found in Thailand since the outbreak began in January 934, with 4 total deaths. Yesterday 106 confirmed cases were announced.…
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The almighty baht set to fall further despite rate cuts, stimulus
A lot has changed for the baht. It was only months ago that The Bank of Thailand considered drastic measures to rein in the rambunctious baht, whose massive gains in currency markets made it the darling of speculators. In December Kasikorn Bank released a report outlining reasons the baht “will remain strong into 2020.” The bank’s research arm forecast the…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, March 24
Thailand under a State of emergency – Prime Minister Thai PM Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha told a news conference today that Thailand will be under emergency decree from this Thursday (March 26) until the end of April to deal with Covid-19. The decree means the PM will have the executive power to declare further measures to contain the virus, including…
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