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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Suphan Buri car accident kills 2, injures 4; all had Covid, 3 knew
Yesterday, 2 people died and 4 more were injured in a car accident in the central Thai province of Suphan Buri. Thai media says the people were on their way home to receive Covid treatment. A pickup truck carried the 6 relatives on their journey from Bangkok. However, for reasons unknown, it veered off the road and hit a tree…
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315 inmates at Khon Kaen prison test positive for Covid-19
In a recent Covid-19 outbreak among prison inmates, 315 people detained at Khon Kaen Provincial Prison in the Isaan region tested positive for the virus. The latest and most severe wave spread to many of Thailand’s overcrowded prisons, infecting more than 40,000 inmates over the past several months. Local disease control officials tested inmates at the Khon Kaen prison after…
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2 people infected with Covid-19 rally in Bangkok to demand medical care
A small group of people, including 2 who claimed they were infected with Covid-19, held a rally outside the Government House in Bangkok yesterday evening, calling for the Thai government to provide proper medical treatment for coronavirus patients. 25 police officers dressed in personal protective equipment, or PPE suits, were called to monitor the rally. Just 7 people attended the…
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Samut Sakhon man allegedly sold police badges on Facebook
Recently, police arrested a man for allegedly using Facebook to sell a police badge and a certificate for being a member of the commando police. Reportedly, both the badge and certificate were being sold for 7,000 baht. 35 year old Natchathorn Dechakunaporn was arrested in the central Thai province of Samut Sakhon after he allegedly posted on Facebook through the…
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3 bodies found in Bangkok streets, 2 positive for Covid-19, result pending for third
Netizens have slammed Bangkok police, claiming that the bodies of 3 men who died separately on the streets of the capital were left uncollected for hours. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has called for understanding, insisting that the claims on social media are untrue. According to a Bangkok Post report, spokesman Piya Tawichai says 2 of the 3 bodies have tested…
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Bangkok’s Bang Sue vaccination centre open to expats 60 and above
Expats ages 60 and above in Bangkok and surrounding provinces can now register from an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine appointment at the Bang Sue Grand Station Central Vaccination Centre. Walk-in services are offered to foreign residents who are 75 years old and older from 9am to 4pm. Foreign residents who are at least 60 years old must fill out a registration…
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Interprovincial transport suspended in “dark red” zones; bus services stop nationwide
All interprovincial public transport services have been suspended in the 13 “dark red” provinces under maximum control to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Department of Land Transport announced today. Domestic flights in and out of those provinces have also been suspended. The suspensions are in place at least until August 2. The public transportation company, known as BorKorSor,…
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Boat tours to nearby islands offered to Phuket “Sandbox” travellers
“Phuket Sandbox” tourists can travel to nearby islands on special “sealed” boat tours during their required 14-day stay in the province. Travellers must enable the tracing application “Mor Chana” and notify the Phuket Marine Office or the Phuket Sandbox Command Center at least 6 hours before the trip. Groups of tourists who wish to travel and participate in marine activities…
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Wednesday Covid Update: Record high of 13,002 new cases; provincial totals
A record high of 13,002 new Covid-19 cases was reported today by the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand now has 131,411 active Covid-19 cases. Another 108 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 3,610. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 439,477 Covid-19 infections. The latest…
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Covid-19 “survival boxes” funded by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s donated salary
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha waived his salary for the next 3 months to support the public amid the most severe wave of Covid-19 infections. Some of the funds will be used for so-called “survival boxes” to distribute to those in “dark red” zones, according to government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri. Several cabinet members and other public officials announced they would temporarily forgo…
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Bus services in and out of Phuket suspended for the next 2 weeks
For the next 2 weeks, all interprovincial bus services entering and leaving Phuket will be suspended. The move is intended to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on the island province as it reopens to travellers from overseas under the “Phuket Sandbox.” The president of the national bus service company, known in Thai as “BorKorSor,” Sanlak Panyawatthanalikit, ordered for the “temporary…
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Muay Thai recognised by International Olympic Committee
Muay Thai might soon be an Olympic sport. The International Olympic Committee has fully recognised the traditional martial art and its governing body, the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations, or IFMA, a committee member announced yesterday during the 138th IOC session in Tokyo. “This is the beginning of the possibility of Muay Thai to become an Olympic sport.” Thailand’s…
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39 year old dies after AstraZeneca vaccine, a second dose following Sinovac
A 39 year old teacher died the day after she was injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, according to reports in Thai media. Her first dose was the Sinovac vaccine. She also had pre-existing health conditions. Under the Thai government’s new so-called “mix-and-match” Covid-19 vaccine policy, the AstraZeneca shot is being used as a second dose for those who had…
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FDA says don’t buy South Korean Covid home test kits
Thailand’s FDA is cautioning people against ordering the South Korean manufactured Covid home test kits sold online. The FDA says they have not approved them, yet. The seller, who is offering the Covid tests on their Facebook, says their kits have already been approved in South Korea. And by the World Health Organization! Also, the test kits can tell the…
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All domestic travellers entering Phuket need to be vaccinated against Covid-19
All domestic travellers entering Phuket must be vaccinated against Covid-19 and also test negative for the virus. The new rules imposed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew go into effect today and will be in place until at least August 2. The island province reopened to foreign tourists who are vaccinated against the coronavirus on July 1, amid the most severe…
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Tak landslides blocks highway 105, army helps clear
Highway 105 in Northern Thailand’s Tak province was blocked by trees/landslides between the Mae Ramat and Tha Song Yang district due to result of heavy rains last night. The highway had to be closed at approximately the 81 kilometre marker in the Tha Song Yang district, also between Ban Samae and Mae Tuen. Tha Song Yang and Mae Ramat chiefs…
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Motorbike taxis allegedly hiking up fares at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station
Yesterday, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, said motorcycle gangs have been offering people who are attempting to use Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grandstation’s parking lot rides at exorbitant prices. Damrongsak says the duplicitous drivers claimed the parking lot is full and then offered people rides at inflated rates. The commander says they have made multiple arrests pertaining to the…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 11,305 new cases; provincial totals
11,305 new cases and 80 deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 397,612 infections. Out of the new cases recorded today, 595 were detected in correctional facilities. The latest wave of infections spread to…
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Police detain all 4 inmates who escaped from Phetchabun prison
Police detained all 4 inmates who broke out of the Phetchabun Provincial Prison early yesterday morning. The inmates, all facing drug charges, escaped from the prison in province north of Bangkok at around 2:30am yesterday. The escapees did not run off too far and were all found within the district later that day. Just hours later at around 6am, officers…
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Foodpanda rider arrested on lèse majesté charges
Recently, Foodpanda faced public backlash and calls to be boycotted after they said they planned to fire a rider who was branded a terrorist. Yesterday, the same rider was arrested in Pathum Thani, a central province near Bangkok, on lèse majesté charges, arson and violation of the Emergency Decree’s ban on gatherings. The rider has been identified as 25 year…
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Thailand’s airlines feeling the pinch with no government support
Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, says the latest partial lockdown threatens TAA’s financial status, with no government aid forthcoming. AA executive chairman Tassapon Bijleveld says the industry has been limping along without any help for over a year now and wants to know how the government expects to collect tax once large businesses collapse. In a Bangkok…
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Phuket officials concerned over “Sandboxers” who test positive for Covid on arrival
Out of the so-called “Sandboxers” who tested positive for Covid-19 since the Phuket reopening started on July 1, half of the infections were detected after the first test taken at the airport on arrival. The positive results conflict with the travellers’ negative results issued no more than 72 hours before departure, a requirement under the “Phuket Sandbox” model. Noticing a…
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Tight restrictions, curfews in 13 “dark red” provinces until August 2
Despite tight restrictions imposed last week in “dark red” zones, the Covid-19 situation has not improved. To combat the spread of the Delta variant, the government classified 3 more provinces as “dark red” zones and updated the disease control restrictions. An order was published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The new zoning and updates on restrictions will go…
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Calls mount to boycott Foodpanda following plans to fire rider/protester
Foodpanda is being excoriated today following the food delivery service’s announcement that it was going to fire an employee for attending a pro-democracy protest. Users and restaurants of the service say they will boycott the service. The boycott (or pandacott) come after the service said it planned to fire a rider who was photographed at a protest. The company says…
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Monday Covid Update: 122,097 active cases; provincial totals
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported a record high of 11,784 new Covid-19 cases and 81 coronavirus-related deaths. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 415,170 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 3,422 virus-related deaths. There are now 122,097 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. With the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant in…
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PM orders Thai Navy to postpone submarine purchases as pandemic rages
The Thai PM has instructed the Navy to postpone the planned purchase of 2 Chinese submarines, saying the funds must be diverted to fight Covid-19. The controversial 22.5 billion purchase was already postponed for a year last August. The Bangkok Post reports that Kongcheep Tantrawanich from the Defence Ministry says the PM has ordered a further postponement given the extent…
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4 inmates escape prison, 1 caught 3 at large
4 inmates escaped from a prison in northern Thailand’s Phetchabun Province early this morning. So far, 1 inmate has been caught, but 3 more inmates are still enjoying their freedom. The prison break was first reported around 3 am, says local police. Police and prison officials immediately set out to reincarcerate the escaped inmates. Local police stations were also notified…
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Monday Covid Update: Record high of 11,784 new cases and 81 deaths
A record high of 11,784 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The CCSA also recorded another 81 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 386,307 confirmed infections. The CCSA has said the expected uptick in cases is due to the emergence…
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June letter warned only 3 million AstraZeneca vaccines per month
AstraZeneca now looks like it will deliver far less than the original 10 million vaccines announced, but letters newly leaked show the Public Health Ministry was alerted at least a month ago that the actual amount of doses would be far less than that. In a letter dated June 25 to Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, AstraZeneca confirmed with…
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