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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6 million baht lottery winner chose ticket number after a dream
A grand prize Thai government lottery winner, taking home 6 million baht, says she chose the ticket number after a dream she had. 56 year old Ratri Kadnok, the Krabuangnoi village chief in Nakhon Rachasima, had a dream that she was driving her motorbike and the key broke. When she woke up, she told her son to find a ticket…
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Labour Ministry calls on employers to end discriminatory HIV testing
The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has announced that around 30% of HIV-positive workers have experienced discrimination from bosses because of their status, both during the hiring process and while in employment. The Labour Ministry has responded by calling on employers to end the policy of testing job applicants for the HIV virus, calling the practice discriminatory. According to…
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“ASQ… Paradise?” TAT launches search website to find hotels for a “happy quarantine”
“Quarantine paradise” sounds like an oxymoron, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand put the two contradictory words together for the new project “ASQ Paradise.” Under the project, a website was launched allowing users to search for alternative state quarantine hotels in Thailand for a “happy quarantine.” TAT partnered with the Thailand-based company Locanation for the website which features 107 ASQ…
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Health officials urge locals in Phichit to avoid eating raw pork after 4 deaths
Public health officials are urging locals in the Phichit province to avoid eating raw pork after 4 people died this year from a zoonotic disease originating from pigs while 22 residents were infected. The province, about 330 kilometres from Bangkok, has the highest number of deaths related to raw meat consumption. The province also has the second highest number of…
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Ferry operators offer discounted trips to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao
Tourist boat operators, Seatran Ferry and Lomprayah High Speed Ferries, are offering discounted trips for groups travelling on the weekdays to the Surat Thani islands Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. From now until December 31, groups of at least 4 people can purchase discounted tickets for inbound trips from Sunday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. 30 baht…
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Doctors warn against internet claims that popular herb cures cancer
Medics from the National Cancer Institute are urging Thai netizens not to fall for internet claims that a herb known as Khao Thong can cure cancer. The herb, with the scientific classification, Houttuynia cordata, is also known as fish leaf or heart leaf, but Jida Rojanamethin from the National Cancer Institute, says social media users shouldn’t believe unsubstantiated claims about…
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Election Commission to investigate charges that Progressive Movement is run as a political party
Political activist Srisuwan Janya is accusing the Progressive Movement of being run like a political party, with its leaders campaigning for members in local elections, in violation of the Political Party Act. The claim has prompted the Election Commission to launch an investigation into the movement. The movement was formed by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich, after their…
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Protest planned for courthouse tomorrow as verdict on PM’s residence expected
The Ratsadon (People’s Party) movement is planning a protest outside the Constitutional Court tomorrow as a verdict is handed down in relation to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s occupancy of a military residence, despite his retirement from the army. The ruling is expected at 3.00pm tomorrow and comes as a result of a petition lodged by opposition MPs in March, in which…
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Children injured on Hua Hin carnival ride, no safety certification submitted
3 children were injured when a carnival ride malfunctioned at the Hua Hin Red Cross Festival in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The required safety certification was not submitted and local officials are investigating, according to Mayor Nopphon Wutthikul. Carnival rides now are closed for the duration of the festival. “Preliminary inspection revealed that they had yet to submit safety certification signed…
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Activists say reform is needed to end sexual abuse in Thai schools
Her mouth taped shut. Red marks around her neck. Dressed in a schoolgirl uniform, a woman held a sign saying “A teacher committed sexual abuse against me. Schools are not safe.” The photo from a recent pro-democracy protest quickly spread online, drawing criticism from some while others say reform is needed to end sexual abuse and harassment in Thai schools.…
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Twitter suspends Thai royalist linked account which spread pro-government propaganda
A Thai royalist-linked account was suspended on Twitter following a review by Reuters reporters that found the account spread posts in favour of His Majesty the King and the monarchy in what appeared to be a tactic to sway the public opinion. While ongoing protests are calling on monarchy reform with statements considered unprecedented and taboo in Thai society, Reuters…
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Ban on sales and promotion of alcohol online starts December 7
From December 7 you’ll no longer, officially, be able to purchase alcohol online in Thailand, according to a posting in the Royal Gazette back in September, the Thai government will prohibit the sales and promotion of alcoholic drinks on every online platform from December 7. The ban includes direct sales, promotion and introduction of alcoholic products online, but will not…
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Thai protests to continue in full force into December in line with symbolic calendar events
The pro-democracy protests are set to continue well into December, according to Thai security officials. Officials have been preparing to cope with a rise in anti-government activities as symbolic calendar events are coming up. Today the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group says a protest will take place outside the 1st Infantry Battalion on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Phaya…
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Pro-democracy rally leaders questioned over usage of donated funds after injuries
Pro-democracy rally leaders are being questioned by followers over the usage of donation funds after a volunteer protest guard was shot and injured. Netizens took to social media to ask what “fairy godmother” Inthira “Sine” Charoenpura and Pakorn “Hia Bung” Pornchewangkurn were buying with the donation money, prompting them to make an announcement on Thursday. The announcement came after the…
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No vaccine, no entry – the next Covid challenge
OPINION UPDATE: Australia’s national airline Qantas has already said it will impose “proof of vaccine” on all inbound and outbound international flights, a situation that IATA says they will follow. Read more HERE. ORIGINAL POST: The approval of a reliable Covid-19 vaccine will be a game-changer. Over the past 2 weeks there has been several announcements, and a few bumps,…
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Re-opening Thailand to tourism will be vaccine dependent
Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com continues to follow the difficult journey of the Thai hospitality industry. Traditionally, now would be the start of the country’s highly profitable high season for the tourism industry. But not this year. Thai hotels find themselves in the middle of an existential crisis – either still closed, only partly open, or one of the few converted…
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“Bad Students” protest group urges pupils to ditch their uniforms
School students are being urged to ditch their uniforms and wear their own clothes from the start of the new term next week. The “Bad Students” protest group has posted an appeal on Twitter, calling on students to wear what they want. “Finally, we can discard the obsolete uniforms and have the freedom to wear personal clothes. To all students,…
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Health Ministry teams up with Agoda to offer quarantine hotel packages
Anyone planning a visit or a return to Thailand can now book their quarantine stay through Agoda, following a deal between the Public Health Ministry and the hotel booking platform. Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha announced the agreement yesterday, at a launch event at the Mövenpick Hotel BDMS Wellness Resort in Bangkok, in the company of Tares Krassanairawiwong from…
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Thousands gather in Bangkok for “anti-coup” protest picnic
Around 5,000 pro-democracy activists gathered at the Lat Phrao intersection in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok last night, to oppose any potential coup, a situation continually denied by the current PM. Last night’s gathering took the form of a picnic, at which mainly north-eastern dishes were served. Protesters described it as a rehearsal against military intervention, with one 18 year…
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Thailand News Today | Army deny Twitter spin, “Don’t Reopen”, English proficiency low | Nov 27
Last day of the week. Thought we’d go outside. Bad idea! Welcome to Friday’s Thailand News Today. Royal Thai Army denies claims about Twitter campaign to spread pro-government propaganda Following a shutdown of 926 Twitter accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, documents were leaked of what appears to be a contract between the Army and a private company supposedly…
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Protected hornbill dies from gunshot wound, 2 suspects in police custody
A protected great hornbill died after 5 days of medical treatment for a severe gunshot wound. 2 suspects are now in police custody and officers have seized a .22 calibre rifle, according to Thai PBS. A tourist found the injured bird near the Khiriphet waterfall on Koh Chang. The hornbill, known in Thai as a nok nguek, was treated at…
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Phuket workshop helps residents cope with high stress brought on by the economic crisis
Hundreds of residents in Phuket’s Wichit subdistrict attended a workshop focused on reducing stress from to the pandemic-induced economic crisis. A psychologist was even on site to help those who had extreme mental stress and a Buddhist monk taught meditation techniques to reduce physiological effects of stress. The event was planned in response to an online survey conducted by the…
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International travel in 2021 is unpredictable – Tourism Authority of Thailand
The future of Thailand’s travel industry is “opaque”, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. For once the usually over-optimistic TAT has made a completely honest assessment of the current situation. “There are unpredictable factors that come into play when trying to determine how 2021 will pan out, like the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine, the number of…
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Deputy PM refutes claim that using lèse majesté law damages Monarchy
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam has dismissed claims that invoking Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law is damaging to the Monarchy. He insists the law has been in use for years and can be applied in the case of current protesters who violate it through their public speeches. Wissanu was responding to a claim from renowned academic Sulak Sivaraksa, who has slammed…
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Thailand’s English level drops for the third year – English Proficiency Index
English skills in Thailand have dropped for the third year in a row with an English language proficiency score considered to be “very low.” In the past year, Thailand’s ranking dropped from 74 out of 100 countries to 89, according to the 2020 English Proficiency Index by EF Education First. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million…
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Former WTO director cautions against re-opening Thailand too quickly
The former director general of the World Trade Organisation has issued a caution against Thailand throwing open its borders too early. Supachai Panitchpakdi says Covid-19 is still very much a threat, pointing to other countries that appear trapped in a cycle of easing restrictions, followed by renewed lockdowns. His comments come as England emerges from a national lockdown, only for…
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Thailand News Today | Shots fired, the yellow ducks, “no coup” promise | November 26
Today’s news includes some live footage of the explosion and chaos at last night’s rally outside the Siam Commercial Bank building. Here we go with today’s Thailand news. An explosion and gunshots fired at last night’s protest outside the Siam Commercial Bank HQ There were reports of shootings and the throwing of an explosive device, caught on video at last…
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Royal Thai Army denies claims about Twitter campaign to spread pro-government propaganda
Following a shutdown of 926 Twitter accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, documents were leaked of what appears to be a contract between the Army and a private company supposedly hired to spread pro-government propaganda. Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae denies the claims and says the Army never hired a company to spread pro-government propaganda through the Twitter accounts. Last…
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Whale skeleton around 3,000-5,000 years old found in Samut Sakhon
A whale skeleton estimated to be around 3,000 to 5,000 years old was found in Samut Sakhon, just west of Bangkok, about 12 kilometres inland from the coastline. The bones will be carbon dated to determine a more precise age. The Natural Resources and Environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa says the bones resemble the Bryde’s whale. About 50 Bryde’s whales live…
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10 passengers injured after Bangkok-Chiang Khong bus crashes into tree
10 people were injured and sent to the hospital after a bus driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree early this morning. The double-decker passenger bus on the Bangkok-Chiang Khong route was passing through the Phitsanulok province in Central Thailand when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree on the side of the road.…
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