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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Thai government opens fraud investigation over 112.5 billion baht glove purchase
The Thai government is opening an embezzlement investigation into an order placed with a local company for 112.5 billion baht worth of surgical gloves. The Public Warehouse Organisation’s administrative office director allegedly signed off on the order without approval. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the director of the organisation’s administrative office, Roongroj Phuthiyawat, to be transferred to an inactive post in…
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Inmate escapes prison wearing guard’s uniform – VIDEO
Police are searching for an inmate who escaped from a Phetchabun prison disguised in a guard’s uniform. He was also seen on security camera footage carrying documents and wearing a face mask and hat that hid his face. 35 year old Wutthichai Detchasithanawat, who had been incarcerated on theft charges, walked out of the prison unnoticed around 9:54am this morning.…
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Thailand News Today | Hotels wary, rain on the way | September 17, 2020
Despite new tourist visa, hoteliers remain skeptical about reopening As news comes of the cabinet approving a special long-term tourist visa scheme, hoteliers are remaining skeptical about reopening due to the lack of clarity in the recent announcement which will reportedly kick off next month. The president of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern chapter says more hoteliers will consider reopening…
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Divers believe they have found a 77 year old wrecked US Navy submarine by Phuket
Divers in the Strait of Malacca have reportedly found what they believe to be a 77 year old US Navy wrecked submarine in what is seemingly the concluding piece in a tale from World War II. The divers are currently awaiting confirmation of the finding from the United States Naval History and Heritage Command for verification after sending photos and…
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Disaster plan in place as Tropical Storm Noul puts agencies on high alert
Agencies are on high alert after Tropical Storm Noul is set to hit the country tomorrow through Sunday. The Agriculture Minister says a disaster plan is in place to help prepare for an emergency from the effects of the storm which strengthened from a tropical depression to a tropical storm on Tuesday. The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that the…
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Covid-19 mysteries still unsolved, health officials brush off risk of reopening borders
What’s the risk of spreading Covid-19 if borders are reopened? None apparently, just as long as tourists go through a 14 day quarantine when they enter the country, according to the Department of Disease Control. Long stay tourist visas were just approved by the Cabinet and the DDC deputy director general Tanarak Plipat says the move will not raise the…
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Budget airlines ask for lifeline, no answers from PM
No surprise that one of the biggest industries to suffer from the border closures and travel restrictions was the airlines. Whilst there has been a gradual reboot of domestic travel within Thailand, there is still a ‘fear’ factor and reticence to travel. And the carriers are restricted to the domestic routes and have lost an entire sector of their businesses…
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Thailand News Today | New visa update, Dengue spike | September 16, 2020
Daily news and updates on video, hosted by Tim Newton. New Special Tourist Visa approved The Thai cabinet has approved a plan to allow foreign tourists to return to Thailand but they’ll have to agree to mandatory 14 day quarantine and stay for at least 90 days. The cabinet is hoping the new extended tourist visa will be part of…
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Heavy rain across Thailand coming this weekend
The Thai Meteorological Department has announced this morning that heavy to very heavy rain is slated to grace the skies this weekend, September 18-20, all across the Kingdom (there goes the weekend!) . The forecast comes after a category 2 tropical depression over the middle of the South China Sea officially ‘strengthened’ around 1 am this morning to a category…
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Khao San Road to reopen for Halloween
The party is coming back to Khao San Road this Halloween. The once booming backpacker district went through a renovation during the lockdown period and now the Bangkok governor says they’re ready to reopen the street. Khao San Road has long been a district frequented by foreign backpackers. It’s known for it’s grungy and lively bar scene as well as…
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3 local government officials killed in head on collision
2 local village chiefs and a local secretary were killed in a head on collision in Ayutthaya last night when their car swerved across the road and collided with an oncoming 18 wheel lorry, police say. The local government officials were on their way home from a friend’s birthday party in the Nakhon Luang district. The 3 men served in…
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Protesters not “tough enough” – Thai security official
Thai security agencies are downplaying this weekend’s anti-government student rally, predicting that it will only attract 20,000 people and not the 50,000 predicted by the protest organisers. They’ve also said they’re confident it won’t become violent. The last big rally, early in this phase of opposition demonstrations, was on August 16 and was held at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. It attracted…
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Protesters continue their plans for weekend rally without anywhere to host it
Negotiations continue between officials at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus, police and organisers of this Saturday’s proposed anti-government protest rally. Last week the University denied permission for the students and other protest groups to hold the event on the grounds of the high-profile university. Today it was speculated that the rally could be moved to the nearby Sanam Luang park,…
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Twitter user faces charges from immigration police for false post
Make sure what you post on social media is true. Charges could be pressed for false information. A Twitter user is being sued by Immigration Police for a post allegedly claiming some foreigners could enter the country without a 14 day quarantine. The Twitter user made a post saying he was recently at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and he noticed that 80%…
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7 charged with libel, allegedly spread false information about PM’s daughters
7 people turned themselves into police following a defamation lawsuit filed a few weeks ago by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s twin daughters, Thanya and Nittha. The lawsuit was filed against more than 100 social media accounts for spreading false information about the women. 6 of the 7 who face charges were photographed at the police station, protesting their charges and holding…
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Ready for another holiday? Cabinet considers a long weekend to boost the economy
There might be another long weekend coming up soon. So much revenue was brought in from the recent 4 day holiday weekend earlier this month that some government officials think another couple days off could help give the slumped economy another shot in the arm. The 4 day weekend earlier this month (a Songkran replacement) circulated some 8.8 billion baht…
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Business closures up 38%, pandemic ‘scarring’ the economy
“The pandemic is scarring the economy, especially with the business closures and unemployment.” The coronavirus pandemic has led to a spike in business closures in Thailand, increasing nearly 40% since last year, and those numbers are expected to continue to go up. Many of those businesses were in the tourism industry, a sector that has been crippled by the halt…
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148 test negative for Covid-19 in football player case
So far, 148 people who came in contact with the infected Buriram United football player from Uzbekistan have tested negative for Covid-19 during the second round of testing. The test results from nearly 300 other people “at risk” are still pending. The 29 year old Buriram United football player tested positive for Covid-19, health officials announced last week. The football…
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Samut Prakan men arrested for counterfeit bills
Check your wallet. Fake 500 baht and 100 baht bills are being passed around. Samut Prakan police just arrested 2 brothers for possession of counterfeit banknotes after receiving numerous complaints over the past month. Apparently, the counterfeit money has been used to buy various merchandise. 49 year old Boonmee Kerddee and his brother 39 year old Veerawat were arrested in…
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Songkhla shootout, protester warnings | Thailand News Today | September 14
Today’s return of Thailand news Today with Tim Newton… Parliament to host a ‘safe zone’ forum for students’ demands on September 22 A parliamentary committee is responding to the demands from student and opposition protesters, who are calling for reform of the government, a new constitution, and even reform of the Thai Monarchy – the latter previously considered a ‘no…
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Body found floating by Khanom fishing pier
A man’s body was found floating by a Khanom fishing pier in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat today. Police say the man looked to be about 25 to 30 years old. They say the man was wearing pants, a black T-shirt and shoes. No identification was on the man and police are investigating. No wounds were reported on the…
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Parliament to host a ‘safe zone’ forum for students’ demands on September 22
A ‘dialogue’ is to be held in a Thai parliamentary setting on September 22. A parliamentary committee is responding to the demands from student and opposition protesters, who are calling for reform of the government, a new constitution, and even reform of the Thai Monarchy – the latter previously considered a ‘no go’ zone. The committee describes the upcoming forum as an…
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Global economics report expects Bangkok to have the highest tourist drop
International travel restrictions have crippled Thailand’s tourism industry so much that Bangkok might end up with the highest loss of tourists out of all the major cities in the world. A report from the global forecasting company Oxford Economics predicts Bangkok will lose about 14.5 million incoming foreign tourists by the end of the year. Cities across the world are…
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Silom Road tops as the most expensive area to buy land in Bangkok
Silom Road, Bangkok’s nightlife district, is the most expensive area to buy land in Bangkok, followed by Phloen Chit Road, according to data the Treasury Department gathered from 2016-2019. The pandemic may have fluctuated the prices, but no data on land value for 2020 has been reported by the department. They also say only asking prices were recorded, so it’s…
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How BTS became the biggest band in the world
Even if you’d been living under a rock you’ve probably heard someone mention the band BTS. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop – a Korean musical blood sport – since 2013. From very humble beginnings indeed, they’ve risen from pimply youngsters with a dream into a 7-member powerhouse in the world’s pop industry. How…
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Bangkok expo planned to fill 1 million job vacancies
Thailand has a lot of job opportunities. About a million. The Labour Ministry is hosting an expo to connect job seekers, especially recent university graduates, with companies. For recent graduates, a new government initiative co-payment system will take care of half the salary. Job Expo Thailand 2020 will run from September 26 to 28 at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre,…
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Tourists flock to Sichon temple, worship a spirit known for granting wishes
Thai tourists destinations have gone quiet due to the pandemic, but one southern Thailand temple is thriving. Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Wat Chedi is known for granting wishes, and apparently many come true (although people don’t tend to talk about the ones that don’t come true). It is packed with visitors not just on the weekends, but every day. Visitors worship Ai Khai, the…
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“Thai government refuses to acknowledge the red light economy”
OPINION Thanks to WB for sending us this response to earlier article. The views expressed by WB do not represent The Thaiger, its management or staff. Prostitution is not illegal in Thailand, although many activities associated with it are (brothels, pimping, causing a public nuisance, etc.). Nevertheless, it was estimated to be worth US$6.4 billion a year in revenue (2015),…
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Thai Kra Canal – numbers don’t stack up
OPINION The possibility of Thailand being sliced into 2, with a canal running east to west through the middle of the Isthmus of Kra (the Thai section of the Malay Peninsula), is back on the table. There’s a lot of heated response from readers, for and against the plans. Is there an economic model to support the new canal? How…
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Tourism chief appeals for patience, but admits things will “never be the same”
“The primary source markets would be Northeast Asia and the ASEAN countries, with a customer target of people in good health and high-purchasing power.” Patience is not only a virtue, but a necessity, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. The TAT chief is appealing to the Thai tourism industry to be “patient, united, and confident in…
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