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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Hotel association wants rules on short-term rentals, home sharing
PHOTO: Airbnb and other accommodation-share businesses, plus a glut of newly opened hotels rooms across the country, is putting pressure on the traditional hotel model The Thai Hotels Association has again asked for a meeting with the Minister of the Interior to discuss the impact of short-term rentals and home sharing services like Airbnb on the domestic hotel business. The…
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You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.” – Taiwan
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.” It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to…
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Thai army takes delivery of Chinese battle tanks
Thailand’s Army has taken delivery of Chinese tanks and armoured personnel carriers, just three months after receiving armoured infantry vehicles from the US. The army received 10 shiny new tanks and 38 armoured personnel carriers from China. All the hardware was taken to the Adisorn Cavalry Centre in Saraburi province for inspection. The government hasn’t officially acknowledged its Chinese acquisitions…
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Bad report card for PM Prayut after 6 months in office
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scored poorly in an opinion poll by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA, after his first six months in office. The poll ran from November 29-December 3 and included 1,278 adults from across Thailand with varying occupations and education levels. The purpose of the survey was to gauge satisfaction with the Thai PM’s…
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Thai beauty takes Miss Supranational crown
PHOTO: PAGEANTCircle A Thai contestant, Anntonia Porsild, has been crowned Miss Supranational 2019, beating out contestants from 77 countries. She is the first Thai to receive the honour. Miss Supranational is a privately organised beauty pageant organised by a Polish TV network. Yana Haenisch from Namibia, Jesica Fitriana from Indonesia, Janick Maceta del Castillo from Peru, and Gabriela De La…
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Speaker demands to know how renegade MP could attend House vote
PHOTO: House Speaker Chuan Leekpai. “Please explain”. Parliamentary House Speaker Chuan Leekpai is demanding an investigation into why parliamentary security didn’t arrest fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat when he attended a House meeting on Wednesday. Opposition MPs have voiced suspicion over the presence of Waipote, a member of the Palang Pracharat party, in the House chamber for a crucial vote over…
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Leading anti-drug enforcer warns Thailand is becoming an emerging hub
PHOTO: A small meth lab raided in the Shan State, one of many thousands of undetected facilities, hidden under the jungle canopy – Daily News Thailand is becoming a major conduit for drug cartels, according to Niyom Termsrisuk, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. The growth of meth labs has exploded in the lawless Shan State of…
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Increase agreed for Thailand’s minimum wage
PHOTO: Chiang Mai Citylife Thailand’s minimum daily wage is going up. But not by much. The National Wage Committee has singled out nine provinces for a 6 baht increase in the minimum daily wage, while the rest of the country gets an increase of 5 baht. The Permanent Secretary of Labour, Suthi Sukosol, confirms the nine provinces are Chonburi in eastern…
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Government hoping to turbo-charge Thai new car sales
A number of proposals are being looked at by The Excise Department in a bid to convince Thai citizens to purchase new vehicles rather than going down the used car route. The Nation reports that some cost-reducing incentives are being considered, with the aim of cutting the number of polluting vehicles on Thailand’s roads, with The Excise Department planning talks…
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Cooler weekend on the way across Thailand
PHOTO: rove.me It’s winter, but not in the smow/sleet/icy roads sort of way. Winter in Thailand means clear blue skies in the south and cooler temperatures in the central and northern regions. (Five day forecasts below) Most parts of Thailand are forecast to experience cooler weather this weekend, when temperatures in the north and north-east are forecast to drop to…
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Number of foreign companies investing in Thailand up over 100%
Foreign investment in Thailand has grown by 106% according to the National News Bureau of Thailand, with officials rolling out a number of measures to make foreign investment less complicated. The latest increase is despite a fall in the number of foreign companies approved to carry out business in the Kingdom – down 23% from last year. Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, deputy…
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Thailand delays introduction of new visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists
…and other proposed nationalities as well. Thailand has decided to postpone the requirement for Taiwanese travellers to present financial statements when applying online for a visa. The Taiwan News is reporting that the new requirements are being delayed until at least March, 2020. The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei has announced that online Taiwanese applicants for travel to…
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Thai Navy rush to contain oil slick in the Gulf – three rescued off sunken vessel
The Royal Thai Navy has sent two ships to prevent a 4 kilometre-long oil slick from advancing toward Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast. The vessels are equipped with skimmers, oil booms and oil dispersants contain the spill. The oil slick came from a sunken tanker, the Golden Bridge 2, that capsized and sank in high seas on December 3. It was about…
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Wanted MP sneaks into Thai parliament for crucial vote
WANTED: Pol Lt-Gen Waipote Arpornrat Renegade fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat escaped the notice of parliamentary police, and government MPs, when he managed to stroll in the Lower House parliamentary chamber undetected during Wednesday’s sitting. Arpornrat is a member of Palang Pracharat, the most prominent party of the ruling government coalition after jumping ship from the Pheu Thai party, He was stripped…
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Thai central bank calms businesses concerns over strong baht
The Bank of Thailand is attempting to quell business concerns over the strong baht, saying the currency will eventually reverse its upward trend and that more two-way movement in relation to the US dollar is expected in 2020. The central bank’s deputy governor Mathee Supapongse says that investors now see the baht as overvalued, given the kingdoms sluggish economic forecast…
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Government extends time for payouts to storm victims
People affected by tropical storms ‘Podul’ or ‘Kajiki’ are now eligible to receive compensation up to March 31 next year, an extension from the original deadline of November 25. Deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek says households in 32 provinces are entitled to receive 5,000 baht each, from an overall budget of 2.09 billion baht. Tropical storm Kajiki was a full on…
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No tax on Chim Shop Chai stimulus package perks
The government will waive personal income tax on the financial privileges given to consumers under the Chim Shop Chai (Eat Shop Spend) economic stimulus programs that have been run over the past two months. This means the 1000 baht handout and the ‘cash-back’ rebate amounts won’t be subject to tax. The government spent 19 billion baht on the three phases…
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Civic groups threaten legal action over U-turn on farm-chemical ban
686 civic groups threaten to sue Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit over the U-turn on banning three agri-chemicals. Thai PBS World reports that the groups are all in favour of the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, which the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) recently agreed to ban. And then it changed its mind. They say they are working with a group…
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Thai victims’ group warns of mass protests against ‘military’ government
PHOTO: Adul Khiewboriboon, chairman of the Committee of Relatives of the Black May 1992 Victims A support group for families of victims of Thailand’s 1992 political unrest says the kingdom’s deteriorating political and economic environment could turn into violent street protests like those in Hong Kong. Adul Khiewboriboon, chairman of the Committee of Relatives of the Black May 1992 Victims, says…
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Thais still strongly support national army conscription – Super Poll
PHOTO: Aljazeera.com Thais say they still support the current conscription laws to fill up the ranks of the Thai army. 82% of respondents to a Super Poll say that there is no better alternative to conscription when ensuring “national security” and that assistance is available to Thai people in cases of a natural disaster or civil unrest. (Numbers rounded off…
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Temperatures dropping across Thailand
Well, it is winter afterall. The Thai Meteorological Department is predicting cool mornings with light fog in upper Thailand, with clear skies and sunny weather during the day. A moderate high-pressure system still covers much of the north of Thailand. The north and the northeast will have temperatures as low as 16-22 degrees in the plains, with 6-12 degrees in…
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Taiwanese will have to provide financial statements to get a visa to Thailand
Taiwanese visiting Thailand will be required to give financial details in order to obtain a visitor’s visa starting next month, according to local news reports. Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders will now be required to apply for a visa online and will have to schedule an appointment to submit their passports in person, according to the Taipei Times. They…
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