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 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...
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First 10 days: 30,000 arrivals; 147,000 Thailand Pass applicants
The Tourism Authority of Thailand totalled up some data for the first 10 days of Thailand’s reopening, with over 30,000 arrivals so far and nearly 150,000 applications submitted for the Thailand Pass to gain entry to the country. The TAT’s report states that the combined total of international travellers arriving at all of Thailand’s international airports – both Bangkok airports,…
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Thitisan ‘Joe Ferrari’ and his officers now facing death penalty
The 7 police officers including Pol Col Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon, who were arrested after a video leaked of them suffocating a suspect to death during interrogation, will now face full charges as the Attorney-General has given the go-ahead to begin prosecution. The 7 will be tried for multiple charges including premeditated murder by means of torture, coercion, illegal detention,…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 55 deaths, 7,057 new infections
Today, the CCSA reported 7,057 new Covid-19 infections, down 248 since yesterday, and 55 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 4 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,982,458 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 7,393 recoveries, up 507 from…
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Public Health Minister barred entry to Switzerland over vaccine requirements
Switzerland barred entry to Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, reportedly for not meeting the country’s Covid-19 vaccination requirements, and Thai media reports that the minister missed a World Health Organisation meeting. Anutin was the first person in Thailand to be injected with a Covid-19 vaccine on February 28, kicking off the country’s mass immunisation campaign. He was injected with…
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Reopening of bars and nightclubs pushed to mid-January 2022
It’s going to be at least two months until you’ll be able to legally drink a beer at a bar in Thailand… The long-awaited reopening of bars and nightlife venues has been pushed to January 15, 2022. The CCSA held a general meeting chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha today and decided to push back the reopening date for entertainment venues.…
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RT-PCR Covid-19 tests still required for international arrivals – CCSA
After talk of whether to replace the mandatory RT-PCR Covid-19 test for international arrivals with the rapid antigen test kit method, the CCSA decided to continue to use RT-PCR tests to screen travellers upon arrival in Thailand. The antigen test kits, or ATKs, will be used for travellers on days 6 and 7, or if they develop coronavirus symptoms, according…
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List of provinces by the CCSA’s colour-coded zoning, in effect Tuesday
In its general meeting chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, the CCSA decided to approved the following zoning, starting next Tuesday, November 16. The “dark red” zones have been reduced from seven provinces to six, with Chanthaburi reclassified as a “red” zone under less stringent disease control measures. A spokesperson says the nightly curfew in “dark red” zones from 11pm to…
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Modern luxury cultivated in Thai tradition
Sponsored Article The Thailand International Boat Show is delighted to have the InterContinental Phuket Resort as one of its key exhibitors and sponsors. “It is quite an achievement for the island of Phuket to stage the Thailand International Boat Show 2022 in January as soon as tourism starts to assume normalcy,” says Bjorn Courage, the general manager of the Intercontinental…
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Dogs to help Thailand’s prisoners prepare for reintegration into society
Dogs are going to some of Thailand’s prisons as part of a new therapy programme by the Department of Corrections to help psychologically prepare inmates for reintegration into society after release and to improve the mental health of inmates by reducing anxiety and depression. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin also said some convicts will learn vocational skills that could potentially help…
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Businesses call on government to accelerate return of migrant workers
Businesses in Thailand are urging the government to speed up the process that will allow for the legal return of migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The Labour Ministry recently confirmed its intention to sign MoUs with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that would permit workers from those countries to enter Thailand from December. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s…
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Thailand will give fourth vaccine for those who need it for travel
Apart from the growing evident reality of global inequality of access to vaccines, across Thailand there is still a gap where some people are struggling to get access to their first vaccine while others have had their third booster shot already. Now Thailand is beginning a round of fourth Covid-19 vaccine injections for those who require one, mainly for international…
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Government warns pro-democracy activists to behave
The Thai government has warned pro-democracy activists to cease any activity they see as a threat to the monarchy. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam issued the warning in the wake of a Constitutional Court ruling that found 3 activists guilty of plotting to overthrow the monarchy. Anon Nampa, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul all deny the accusations, insisting they…
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CCSA meeting tomorrow to revise colour zones and restrictions
Tomorrow the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will hold a general meeting to consider possible colour zone adjustments and additional disease control measures for the country. The CCSA meeting will be chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and will discuss all areas of pandemic management. According to the Government House, the 3 primary topics of tomorrows meetings will be continuing and…
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Covid-19 medications are a boon, but don’t replace vaccines
The good news of several new anti-viral pills that have shown to be effective in greatly reducing Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths, coupled with statistically rare vaccine side effects or deaths that some people latch onto, may tempt many to skip getting vaccinated and rely solely on medication once they get infected. But a Thai expert on crisis communication with the…
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Thailand Pass problems? Support beefed up with 24-hour hotlines
The Thai government has been touting the success of the Thailand Pass programme while quietly acknowledging a cornucopia of shortcomings and problems users have encountered and publicly complained about. But, due to the high volume of complaints about problems in attempting to register on the Thailand Pass website, the Department of Consular Affairs has beefed up their helplines with a…
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Government panel created to defend consumers online from fraud
A new panel was established by The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which will be in place to protect online shoppers from fraud. As Thailand’s internet economy experiences massive growth, problems related to online transactions are rising, too. With this panel, the government aims to help protect consumers from these internet scams. Secretary general of the Thailand Consumer Council…
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Thursday Covid Update: 7,496 new cases; provincial totals
57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,883 with 19,789 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 7,496 new Covid-19 cases and 7,452 recoveries. There are now 96,450 people in Thailand being…
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Hackers seized Constitutional Court website after protester ruling
In response to the Constitutional Court making a controversial decision that pro-democracy demonstrations, and the speeches leaders gave at them, were considered an illegal attempt to overthrow the government and monarchy, computer hackers took over the Court’s website homepage and did some redecorating. The website was hacked and text was changed to display the phrase “kangaroo court” – a slang…
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Motorbike law breakers: report them and win up to 20,000 baht
In an effort to increase traffic safety, or perhaps the fines that come with it, police are enlisting a new weapon in enforcement: you. A new program would offer the chance to win prizes of up to 20,00 baht from the Thai National Police for citizens who record and report motorbike drivers breaking traffic laws. The new programme, announced by…
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Things to know about the Thailand Pass. And some rumours.
Ah, the Thailand Pass. Like it or hate it, it is what it is, and you’ll need to wade through it if you want to come to Thailand in the foreseeable future, both foreigners and Thais. For a start, here’s the link to the application page for the Thailand Pass. There’s a list of the 63 countries that are currently…
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Government defends lèse majesté law against UN criticism
Following criticism from a number of United Nations member states, the Thai government has defended the country’s controversial lèse majesté law. The law, or section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits insulting, defaming, or criticising the Thai monarchy and carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail. Reuters reports that yesterday, a number of UN member countries voiced…
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Thursday Covid Update: 7,496 new cases and 57 deaths
7,496 new Covid-19 cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 7,452 recoveries. There are now 96,450 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded 1,968,106 confirmed Covid-19…
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Court: activists’ speeches illegally advocated government overthrow
Today the Constitutional Court ruled that activists and the speeches of 3 activist leaders are advocating for the overthrow of the government and the monarchy. They ordered Arnon Nampa, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok, and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and all their followers to cease all action against the kingdom and state. According to the court, the demands in speeches by the 3…
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Thailand focuses tourism on first-time visitors and India
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has expanded its target demographic a bit in its plan to reinvigorate the tourist economy in the country. The new plan the TAT is embracing is to focus not just on the so-called “high quality” tourists, but also to chase first-time visitors to Thailand. Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn is confident and hopeful,…
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Palang Pracharath MP fights to keep seat on panel
An MP accused of committing a serious ethical violation said that she will fight to keep her committee seat, even if she’s asked to give it up. The lawyer for MP Pareena Kraikupt of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party told the Bangkok Post that if the National Anti-Corruption Commission tells Pareena to vacate her seat, she will seek an official ruling…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 6,978 new cases; provincial totals
62 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,826 with 19,732 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 6,978 new Covid-19 cases and 7,697 recoveries. There are now 96,463 people in Thailand being…
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Government wants 76 billion baht to support rice farmers
The Finance Ministry has announced a plan to use a 76 billion baht package to support Thai rice farmers. The ministry is working with the Budget Bureau to create a scheme that ensures a guaranteed income for the farmers, which would offer some cushion against the unpredictable issues that plague farming such as floods, droughts and pestilence. There is already…
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Opposition wants to look into ‘misuse of law’ to silence protesters
An opposition party is backing a motion to form a panel to looking misuses of laws they say are used to silence political dissent, including Thailand’s draconian lese majeste law, which carries an up to 15 year prison sentence for insulting the royal family. With the rise of the youth-led pro-democracy movement over the past year, where many have raised…
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British Foreign Secretary arrives in Thailand for talks with government officials
The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has arrived in Thailand, where she will meet with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and other government officials. Thailand is her second Southeast Asia stop, following a visit to Malaysia in which she met with PM Ismail Sabri and Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. The UK is seeking to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asia and other…
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Thai Cabinet gives the green light for procurement of Molnupiravir
The Thai Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the Public Health Ministry to purchase 50,000 treatment courses of the antiviral pill, Molnupiravir. The drug, from US manufacturer Merck, is the world’s first oral treatment for Covid-19 and has been shown to cut the risk of hospitalisation if administered within days of symptoms developing. According to a Bangkok Post report, Health…
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