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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Britons arriving in Thailand test positive for Covid UK variant
Britons arriving in Thailand from England, have reportedly tested positive for the Covid-19 variant that was first identified in the UK. The family of 4 arrived from Kent, in southeast England, and are currently under quarantine at a private hospital after receiving the positive test results. Dr. Yong Pooworavan, chief of the Virology Centre of the Faculty of Medicine at…
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315 new Covid infections – 294 new, locally transmitted, 21 imported
Today, authorities at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, are reporting 294 new, locally transmitted infections of Covid-19 with 21 new imported cases, bringing the total to 7,694 cases since the pandemic began. 38 more have been discharged from the hospital, with the overall death toll remaining at 64. Currently, there are 3,293 Covid active patients in the hospital or…
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Majority of Thais think economy will get worse – NIDA Poll
A recent poll has indicated that a majority of Thai respondents think that the economy will get worse this year, along with a continued unrest surrounding the political landscape. The survey by the National Institute of Development Administration was conducted December 24-25 on 1,326 people, aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations nationwide by random sampling…
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Deputy PM says relying on tourism is “unacceptable”
Thailand’s deputy PM says that relying too much on tourism is “unacceptable.” In Supattanapong Punmeechaow’s speech, he said that the tourism industry will never be allowed to recover to its previous levels. For years, Amazing Thailand was the nation’s slogan, which brought in $56.2 billion in 2019 alone, but after Covid struck, it is clear that there has been a…
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216 new Covid cases in Thailand, 11 people in ICU
216 new confirmed infections of Covid-19 have been announced today at the daily media briefing in Bangkok. As usual, Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin fronted the announcements on behalf of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 1 more person has also died, a 47 year old Chon Buri woman in the Banglamung district with complications of diabetes. It’s been reported in Thai media…
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New Year holiday draws homegrown tourists to Phuket, Koh Samui
With the vast majority of foreign holidaymakers still steering clear of Thailand, or simply unable to get a visa at the moment, the country has become almost completely reliant on homegrown tourists. The New Year holiday has brought some slight relief to islands like Phuket and Koh Samui, as visitors from other parts of the country arrived to welcome in…
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Government confirms social security net for workers laid off due to virus restrictions
The Thai government has confirmed it will compensate employees forced out of work by Covid-19 restrictions, by paying 50% of their salary for up to 90 days. The country has found itself in the grip of a sudden resurgence in cases, with many provinces under strict restrictions in an attempt to control the spread. Read the latest on closures HERE.…
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Thailand looking to speed up Covid-19 vaccination timeline
Amid a new surge in Covid-19 cases, Thai officials are planning to increase the number of vaccines available and speed up the timeline for administration. Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has confirmed the plan, following complaints from the country’s tourism industry when an initial statement said vaccination might not begin until as late as June.…
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2020’s movers, shakers and influences (that weren’t Covid) | VIDEO
2020 The big events, the winners and the losers 2020 has been one of the most disruptive years in history, certainly for anyone that has lived since the great depression and the world wars. But although Covid-19 has been the big headline for the year, there has still been highlights and big news in all fields. Some of these big…
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Day 2 of the New Year road safety campaign – 74 people dead
Day 2 of the New Year holiday period (December 30) on Thailand’s roads ended up with 74 dead out of 586 road road accidents. 576 people were injured. It was the second day of the “New Normal, Safe Driving, No Accidents” campaign which was prepared to raise road safety awareness, but ended up buried under much of the Covid news…
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His Majesty presents televised end of year message
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn is appealing to Thai people to appreciate their rich culture, which exhibits virtue, beauty and progress… the foundation of life and mind. HM also asked all Thai people to conduct themselves “with virtue and reason in order” to overcome the Covid-19 crisis. His Majesty spoke in a televised end of year broadcast saying that cultural…
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Why Thailand celebrates the New Year not once, not twice, but 3 times
While the year just gone may be referred to as 2020 by most of us (with perhaps a few expletives thrown in, given the year it was), we are currently in the year 2563 in Thailand. As everyone who lives here knows, Thailand uses the Buddhist calendar, as well as the Western, or Gregorian, calendar, adding to our eternal confusion…
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Musical composition of His Majesty King Bhumibol the most popular New Year song in Thailand – VIDEO
A song written by His Majesty, the late King Bhumibol, and Prince Chakrapan Pensiri, in December 1951, is still the most popular New Year song among the people of Thailand today. Pohn Pee Mai, which translates as “New Year Blessing” can be heard on TV channels, radio stations, and at public gatherings, and has been a part of Thai culture…
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Inflight catering ban on domestic flights in Thailand amid Covid-19 surge
Damn. I was looking forward to another stale sandwich wrapped in 7 layers of plastic, unable to open it for fear of elbowing the lady next to me, on my flight today. Airlines flying domestic routes within Thailand have been instructed to not serve inflight meals or drinks from today. The ban has been introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority…
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The case for temporarily closing hotel and restaurant operations
OPINION by Bill Barnett As the final days of disruptive 2020 come screeching to an erratic end, hotel, and restaurant owners are peering into an unpredictable year ahead. Here in Thailand over the past week, the tourism industry has been shaken to its core over an uptick in Covid-19 cases and backroom speculation over fears of another round of lockdowns. (Restrictions,…
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PM says there will be no national lockdown, provincial measures up to local governors
Despite a rise in Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha insists there will be no nationwide lockdown. He says local governors are empowered to make the necessary decisions for their own provinces, should stricter measures be required to contain the spread of the virus. The PM was speaking while on a visit to the eastern province of…
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Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, declared Covid-19 controlled zone
Nonthaburi, the province directly north of Bangkok, is now declared a Covid-19 controlled zone. Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai central market has been placed under “maximum control”. The 7 floor Pink Condominium has been locked down until January 12, as the 2nd wave of coronavirus continues to spread in Thailand. Outside greater Bangkok, high risk areas have also been declared in Rayong…
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WOW what a year! Thailand’s top news stories for 2020 as voted by YOU.
TOP 10 (non Covid) THAIGER STORIES FOR 2020 The Thaiger started 2020, as we all did, with high hopes and few clues that we were heading into a profound disruption for almost the entire year. Even as we were tapping away at the keyboards on January 1, 2020, there were stories emerging in Wuhan, China about a mysterious new respiratory…
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Thailand’s top virologist self-quarantines after coming in contact with infected governor
Thailand’s top virologist from Chulalongkorn University is in self-quarantine after he attended a meeting and sat near the Samut Sakhon governor, who has since tested positive for Covid-19. The virologist, Yong Poovorawan, made a post on Facebook page saying he sat near the provincial governor Verasak Vichitsangsri at a meeting in Samut Sakhon where more than 1,000 people have tested…
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Thailand News Today | Pattaya restrictions, 2021’s extra holidays, Covid update | December 30
From everyone at The Thaiger, thank you SO much for all your support over 2020. It’s been a difficult year! And we will be back in 2021 with a lot more Thailand News Today as well as other videos about Thailand and the region. Pattaya and neighbouring Banglamung in Chon Buri province are now classified as “highly controlled” areas with…
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Cabinet adds 8 holidays to the 2021 calendar including an extra day for Songkran
Get ready for more long weekends. The Thai Cabinet added 8 holidays to the 2021 calendar, including an extra day for Songkran, the Thai New Year celebrated by massive water flights. Adding the extra holidays is an effort to promote domestic tourism and stimulate the economy which was battered by the pandemic. A government spokesperson confirmed the additional holidays with…
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Fewer travellers at Bangkok bus and rail stations as Covid worries take hold
It’s a lot quieter at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station and the Chatuchak bus terminal as Covid-19 restrictions take hold in the capital, leading some passengers to cancel their travel plans. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has already urged people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Public transport stations in Bangkok have implemented strict hygiene measures, including socially-distanced seating and the mandatory…
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Cabinet members eat seafood lunch to prove it’s not contaminated with Covid-19
After the Laos government banned seafood imports from Thailand due to the Covid-19 outbreak at a Samut Sakhon fishing hub, Thai officials are assuring the neighbouring country that Thai seafood is not contaminated with the coronavirus. In what seems like a publicity stunt, members of the Thai Cabinet ate 7 seafood dishes for lunch yesterday to prove that Covid-19 cannot…
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Multiple challenges to Thai PM’s leadership have failed
Some compare him to Teflon for his ability to survive all manner of allegations, because the legal challenges keep coming and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha keeps winning. The Thai PM has now survived 3 legal challenges to his leadership, not to mention the countless calls for his resignation that were a hallmark of the recent pro-democracy protests. It’s probably safe to…
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Thai PM urges people not to travel over New Year holiday
“Please stay home.” That’s the message from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is calling on people to avoid travel over the forthcoming New Year holiday. Thailand is currently experiencing a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus, after going months without a case of local transmission. Yesterday, the Kingdom reported 155 new cases, with over 2,100 active cases. Only 10 of yesterday’s new…
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Thailand News Today | Covid update, Bangkok restrictions, Gold rush | December 29
All the latest updates about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. 155 new Covid-19 infections were reported today in the daily briefing by the CCSA. The total count of confirmed cases in Thailand raised to 6,440 while the national death toll raised to 61 after a 45 year old man in Rayong, infected with Covid-19, died. Thailand currently has 2,195 active…
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Central Thailand restaurant offers free boxed meals to migrants
With some restaurants refusing to serve migrants due to fears that they might carry Covid-19, a restaurant in the Central Thailand province Nakhon Sawan is offering free food to migrant workers. Many migrants, particularly from Myanmar, have faced discrimination after the outbreak in Samut Sakhon which impacted a large community of migrant workers around the Mahachai area fishing hub. Owner…
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Gold sales go up as Thais sell jewelry to pay for routine expenses
With job losses and pay cuts brought on by the pandemic, many Thais are lining up to sell their gold to bring in some cash, like 22 year old Suvirat Namvicha, an office worker in Bangkok who had her overtime expenses cut. Survirat, who is also pregnant, says she needed to sell a gold necklace to pay for her medical bills.…
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COVID UPDATE: Bangkok bans, Anutin quarantined, another patient dies | VIDEO
A video summary of the current situation, today, as The Thaiger continues to keep you up to date with all the latest news about the current Covid-19 outbreak. The BMA’s order includes… bars with hostesses, horse racing tracks, cock-fighting arenas and massage parlours. But pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and…
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Government launches seasonal road safety campaign ahead of New Year holiday
It’s that time of year again… The Thai government has launched its road safety and accident reduction centre, part of its annual road safety campaign for the “7 days of danger” over the New Year holiday. The campaign will run from today until January 4, in an attempt to reduce the carnage as holidaymakers take to the roads. The numbers choosing…
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