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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    Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained

    Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...

  • OIC gives give New Year’s gift: 100,000 baht insurance for 10 baht

    OIC gives give New Year’s gift: 100,000 baht insurance for 10 baht

    Usually, it’s a disappointment to get a holiday gift that you never intend to use, but the government is offering a special gift you’ll hope to never have to use: insurance. The special one-month policy is being offered by the government as a New Year’s gift for an extremely discounted special price of 10 baht. The gift policy is being…

  • POLL: No good leader for PM, most support no political party

    POLL: No good leader for PM, most support no political party

    37% of people support no political party and believe there is no suitable leader for the role of prime minister, according to a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration. The NIDA poll showed that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha led the pack of potential candidates, but only 16% of people supported him as their choice for the next…

  • COVID-19 SUNDAY UPDATE: 22 deaths, 2,532 infections

    COVID-19 SUNDAY UPDATE: 22 deaths, 2,532 infections

    Today, the CCSA reported 2,532 new Covid-19 infections, down 234 since yesterday, and 22 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 8 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,181,097 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported.     In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 3,771 recoveries, up…

  • Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron

    Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron

    As tourism has been gaining traction until the Omicron variant threw a wrench into the works, the CCSA has warned that the chances of catching Covid-19 on flights have increased because of the more transmissible new variant. The warning has been repeated out to Thai people after a statement made by the International Air Transport Association, the global influential organization…

  • Credit card payment coming next year for Bangkok transport

    Credit card payment coming next year for Bangkok transport

    One thing that expats often find different from home when they move to Thailand is how cash-based so much of the country is when so many Western countries use credit cards and digital payments almost exclusively. But soon people won’t get caught fumbling for change to catch a bus or train, as the Ministry of Transport announced that credit and…

  • New Year’s events are not banned, Phetchabun to host 2

    New Year’s events are not banned, Phetchabun to host 2

    Authorities have cancelled state-sponsored New Year’s Eve parties – though the Tourism Authority of Thailand vowed to forge ahead with theirs – but a government spokesperson assures that the private sector is still allowed to host New Year’s countdown celebrations as long as Covid-19 safety regulations are strictly followed. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang cancelled only 2 events that were state-sponsored…

  • Top 7 Christmas trees to check out in Bangkok

    Top 7 Christmas trees to check out in Bangkok

    Celebrating Christmas in Bangkok? Many shopping centres on lights and decorations reminding you that the best time of the year is here. Here are the most popular spots to get into the Christmas spirit in Bangkok. 1. CentralWorld CentralWorld’s holiday display is one of the biggest in Bangkok and will be up into the new year, ending around 5 January.…

  • NCDC recommends Pfizer for kids 5-11, 4th vaccine for some

    NCDC recommends Pfizer for kids 5-11, 4th vaccine for some

    Giving the Pfizer vaccine has been recommended by the National Communicable Disease Committee for children aged 5 to 11 to protect against Covid-19 infections. In the face of the spreading Omicron variant, the NCDC also recommended a fourth booster vaccine for frontline workers, healthcare professionals, and people with certain medical needs. The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be effective…

  • Thai vaccination now accepted in the EU Digital Covid Certificate

    Thai vaccination now accepted in the EU Digital Covid Certificate

    In a move that will help expats and travellers who have weathered the Covid-19 pandemic in Thailand, the European Union is now accepting Covid-19 vaccination certificates and passports issued in Thailand as part of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The announcement was made on a Twitter account belonging to the deputy chief of mission for the EU delegation to Thailand.…

  • The Thaiger Christmas Special feat. Adrian and Roykhien

    The Thaiger Christmas Special feat. Adrian and Roykhien

    In this time of festivities and celebrations. We invited our friends Adrian and Roykhien to come play some Christmas tunes for our viewers. From all of us here at The Thaiger, we wish you all good health and a very merry Christmas.

  • 8 Christmas gifts to bring back with you after travelling Thailand

    8 Christmas gifts to bring back with you after travelling Thailand

    If you are spending Christmas in Thailand, you may be wondering what to gift to your friends and family, especially as Thailand is a Buddhist nation. Although Christmas festivities and decor are on the rise in the country, it can still be tricky to find a Christmas gift for someone from your travels. Here, we have a list of some…

  • The best reasons to celebrate Christmas in The Land of Smiles

    The best reasons to celebrate Christmas in The Land of Smiles

    Whether you live here, or you’re a tourist who fancies spending Christmas away from home for once, there are countless reasons to celebrate the holiday season in Thailand. Now that the country has re-opened to vaccinated foreign tourists, we round up the best reasons to visit the Land of Smiles at Christmas time. The Weather For many, this will be…

  • Christmas in Thailand… Santa travels by motorbike and elephants give gifts

    Christmas in Thailand… Santa travels by motorbike and elephants give gifts

    Christmas is a little different in Thailand. In some provinces, Santa Claus is known to travel by motorbike with gifts loaded on – Thai style – going from Rayong to northern provinces handing out gifts to children. In Central Thailand’s Ayutthaya, elephants hand out gifts to children at a local school. And in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey slum, another version of…

  • Friday Covid Update: 2,671 new cases; provincial totals

    Friday Covid Update: 2,671 new cases; provincial totals

    27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,528 with 21,434 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,671 new Covid-19 cases and 2,766 recoveries. There are now 38,192 people in Thailand being…

  • Eating Only Red and Green Thai Food Challenge – Thaiger Christmas Special

    Eating Only Red and Green Thai Food Challenge – Thaiger Christmas Special

    For 24hrs Natty will attempt to eat only red and green colour food in light of the festive season and the Christmas spirit. Join her for this Christmas special and learn some more of the wonders Thai food has to offer.

  • Omicron Covid-19 cases double, now 205 confirmed in Thailand

    Omicron Covid-19 cases double, now 205 confirmed in Thailand

    Just 2 days after Covid-19 infections with the Omicron variant passed 100 in Thailand, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul has announced that the total has doubled and there are 205 confirmed cases in the country. Several clusters have been identified, with one originating in Kalasin being the cause for most concern. That cluster started when a husband and wife…

  • Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape

    Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape

    The recent case of an Israeli tourist who fled his hotel before he’d received the results of his PCR test can be blamed on faulty tracking apps. So says Angkana Tanetvisetkul from Phuket’s Kata Karon Hotel Association. According to a Bangkok Post report, she believes the current entry requirements involve too many apps that don’t work together – sometimes they…

  • Luxury Selfridges chain bought by Central Group and Austrian property firm

    Luxury Selfridges chain bought by Central Group and Austrian property firm

    Thailand’s Central Group has bought the luxury British retail chain Selfridges in partnership with Signa, an Austrian property firm. According to a Reuters report, the deal is worth around UK£4 billion (180 billion baht). Central Group is owned by Thailand’s billionaire Chirathivat family, while the Signa group is owned by Rene Benko, an Austrian investor. Between them, they already own…

  • Minister of Finance: too soon to know Omicron variant effect on economy

    Minister of Finance: too soon to know Omicron variant effect on economy

    Will the new and rapidly spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 have a strong effect on the economy of Thailand? According to the Ministry of Finance, the answer is a solid maybe. Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says it’s just too soon to know if and how Thailand’s economy will be affected by the Omicron variant. The Ministry of Finance is…

  • Plan to land Thai cannabis on UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

    Plan to land Thai cannabis on UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

    [Intangible: adj. Incapable of being perceived by the senses.] While some would call the effects of marijuana anything but intangible, the Ministry of Culture is planning to get Thai ganja on the UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” list. The ministry claims that Thai cannabis has been used in all regions of the country as a herb, while locally grown weed has…

  • Escaped Israeli officially cleared of Covid-19, now faces prosecution

    Escaped Israeli officially cleared of Covid-19, now faces prosecution

    The good news is: you don’t have Covid-19. The bad news: you’re being sent to police custody. In the most recent twist to the case of an Israeli tourist who entered Thailand on Friday and snuck off before receiving his Covid-19 test only to be diagnosed with Omicron as a nationwide manhunt ensued, the man has now been determined to…

  • Government-hosted New Year’s events in Bangkok cancelled

    Government-hosted New Year’s events in Bangkok cancelled

    Government-hosted New Year’s countdown events and holiday celebrations in Bangkok will be cancelled, the vice governor, Kriangyos Sudlabha, announced today, adding that the decision is due to the emergence of the Omicron variant and follows the World Health Organisation’s recommendations. The countdown event in front of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Office will be canceled as well as other events organised by…

  • TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned

    TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned

    While Thailand is tightening its borders and restrictions in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which has now infected over 100 people in the country, the New Year’s holiday is just over one week away. As authorities are torn between to need to protect against Covid-19 and the desperate need of the tourism and entertainment sectors to create…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 2,940 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Thursday Covid Update: 2,940 new cases; provincial totals

    30 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,501 with 21,407 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,940 new Covid-19 cases and 2,798 recoveries. There are now 38,314 people in Thailand being…

  • Will legalising prostitution benefit Thailand? | Lawyers, Guns & Money

    Will legalising prostitution benefit Thailand? | Lawyers, Guns & Money

    What is the law regarding prostitution in Thailand? What gets a person in trouble with the law? How do the police deal with prostitution in Thailand? Would it be more beneficial for Thailand to have legal prostitution? Find out more in todays episode where Tim sits down with Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal to talk about Prostitution in Thailand.

  • Test & Go registration suspended – Here’s what we know about entry to Thailand

    Test & Go registration suspended – Here’s what we know about entry to Thailand

    This story was updated on Monday, December 27. Just 7 weeks after introducing (almost) quarantine-free re-entry into Thailand, the Thai government announced it is suspending registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme as well as the “Sandbox” scheme, with the exception of the Phuket Sandbox. Those who have registered, and been approved, under the Thailand Pass system can…

  • Top 5 places to spend New Year’s Day in Phuket 2022

    Top 5 places to spend New Year’s Day in Phuket 2022

    We are all looking forward to 2022 because it will provide another chance for a fresh start and a celebration of new beginnings. On January 1st, start the year off perfectly with a delicious New Year’s Day brunch. Enjoy an international buffet with live seafood stations and a selection of house drinks. Create fruitful memories this new year with a…

  • Farmer allegedly electrocuted a seven-tonne elephant to death in Chanthaburi

    Farmer allegedly electrocuted a seven-tonne elephant to death in Chanthaburi

    A fruit farmer in Chanthaburi’s Khao Soi Dao allegedly killed an 18 year old elephant weighing more than seven tonnes yesterday and is set to face prosecution for violating the Wildlife Act. A poor elephant was identified as “See Dor Daeng”, which was not only one of Asia’s largest mammals but also one of the smartest of his herd as…

  • Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok 2021

    Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok 2021

    New Year is one of the most exciting events. Whether you are looking to end the year with a glass of champagne, countdown party or an intimate dinner, you have come to the right place. Nothing can be more special than celebrating New Year with your loved ones amidst a fancy setting, so if you haven’t planned anything yet, we…

  • Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    A notice from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has been issued to airlines to advise them of the new conditions for entering the kingdom. The move follows the suspension of the Test & Go system and all sandbox schemes with the exception of Phuket’s. The government took the decision to suspend the schemes as a result of the recently emerged Omicron…