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 How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)
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Tuesday Covid Update: 10,398 new cases; provincial totals
17 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,320 with 622 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 10,398 new Covid-19 cases and 8,922 recoveries. There are now 94,243 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Officers seize monitor lizards, monkeys from farm suspected of exporting to restaurants
A farm owner was arrested for allegedly raising and exporting water monitor lizards and macaque monkeys in the northern province of Phichit. Officers say they suspect the farm was exporting the animals to Cambodia, and then to Vietnam and China to be sold to restaurants, according to the commander of the National Resources and Environmental Crime Division. When officials arrived…
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Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital performs knee joint surgery using robotic-arm technology
Robotic surgeries have been around for a while, but at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, doctors announced that for the first time, they replaced an entire knee joint on an elderly patient using the Stryker’s Mako robotic arm. The robotic-arm assisted surgery was developed for knee replacements. It does a CT scan of the patient, creating a 3D image and helping surgeons…
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Anutin says no to easing restrictions, praises Thailand’s handling of pandemic
Thailand’s Health Minister has ruled out any further easing of Covid-19 restrictions, despite reports yesterday that the CCSA is considering such a move. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul has also praised the country’s handling of the pandemic, including the vaccine rollout. Yesterday, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control was reported as saying Thailand would need…
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Tourism revenue hits record low across all 77 provinces in Thailand
Tourism revenue has plummeted across each of the 77 provinces, according to data from Thailand’s tourism ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that income from both foreign and local tourism reached an historic low in 2021, dropping by nearly 70%. Meanwhile, the revenue gap between Bangkok and other major provinces remains wide. In 2021, Bangkok posted the highest revenue at 62.7…
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PayPal suspension to affect small businesses, consumers, freelancers
PayPal has confirmed its services in Thailand will be suspended from March 7 as it reviews its agreements in order to comply with Thai regulations. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, a spokesperson said consumers, sole proprietors, and freelancers will be affected by the move for a time. “We have already opened account registration for registered businesses and continue the process…
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German man’s body found hanging, his Kanchanaburi house on fire
The body of a 63 year old German man was found hanging on a wrought iron fence and his house was on fire. Police suspect the incident is a suicide, but are still investigating. The firefighters were summoned to Kanchanaburi Villa Housing Estate in the Tha Makham subdistrict of Muang this morning. Ten fire engines from the municipalities of Muang,…
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Bangkok officials to shut down more than 20 illegal landfills in the capital
The Thai government is launching a project to get rid of illegal landfills in Bangkok. The “SHUT DOWN!” project is led by Bangkok’s Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, also known as Greencrop. So far, two of the more than 20 illegal landfills were raided in the operation. A report in Thai media says the dumps were in Bangkok’s Latkrabang district…
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Police arrest man for allegedly stealing 4,900 euros from tourists in Phuket
Police arrested a man who allegedly stole 4,900 euros from a Greek family travelling in Phuket. The family had left nearly their cash in their car, thinking it would be more secure than their hotel room where there was no safe to lock anything away while the maid cleaned. The suspect allegedly told police he spent most of the money…
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Monday Covid Update: 10,470 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,303 with 605 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 10,470 new Covid-19 cases and 8,711 recoveries. There are now 92,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Fire breaks out by Phuket viewpoint, 16 Thai and foreign visitors rescued
Around 16 locals and Thais were evacuated from a forest in Phuket after a fire broke out and spread quickly by the Laem Krating viewpoint by the Krating Cape. The flames blocked the exit and authorities had to send a boat to pick the tourists and others up at the bottom of the hill in Phuket’s Rawai district. Phuket authorities…
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China proposes to donate two used submarines to Thai Navy after problems in purchase deal
The Royal Thai Navy is reportedly in talks with China about receiving two decommissioned military submarines. But apparently, the offer is on the table because there was a problem with ordering parts for the submarine currently being assembled by China for Thailand, according to the Bangkok Post. The used submarines would be used for training while Thailand waits for its…
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Say goodbye to your PayPal account from March 7, services to relaunch in Thailand
Got a PayPal account? Withdraw your remaining balance into your bank account. PayPal is relaunching its services in Thailand. Starting next month, customers in the country will not be able to use their PayPal wallets to shop online. They will also not be able to make a new account until further notice. Casual sellers and entrepreneurs of non-registered businesses will…
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Calls for campaign to teach drivers to stop at red lights (yes, really)
The secretary-general of the Medical Council of Thailand has called for a campaign to educate Thai drivers about the need to stop at red lights and pedestrian crossings. In a post on his Facebook page, Ittaporn Kanacharoen says drivers need to be taught about the rights of pedestrians and the need to give way at zebra crossings and red traffic…
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Fear of back taxes preventing some businesses from participating in government co-payment scheme
Signs are popping up outside restaurants and shops across Thailand, advising customers that they don’t accept payment via the government’s 50/50 stimulus scheme. Thai PBS World reports that a number of businesses are refusing to participate in the Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves) subsidy scheme, fearful that the government will come along and claim back taxes further down the…
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Health ministry to propose easing Covid restrictions, in line with other countries
Thailand’s health officials plan to propose the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions in a bid to move away from imposing lockdowns when outbreaks are reported. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says other countries are relaxing some curbs and Thailand is ready to follow suit. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, he did not specify what restrictions…
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Man flies out of speeding car in Phuket, 3 injured
Three people in a speeding car in Phuket were injured early this morning, and one man even flew out of the car when it crashed into a guardrail. The man’s head hit a potted plant on the pavement, and the car kept spinning until it hit a power pole. The man who flew out of the car, a passenger, was…
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In Bangkok, almost 90% of cars, motorbikes, public vehicles still don’t stop at zebra crossings
A health organisation and a road safety organisation teamed up to study how many cars, motorbikes, and public vehicles stop for pedestrians at 12 zebra crossings in Bangkok. They found that altogether, 89% wouldn’t stop. For motorcycles, the rate was 92% of 6,449 motorcycles that wouldn’t stop. For cars, the rate was 86% of 7,619. For public vehicles it was…
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Do you legally have to wear masks in Thailand?
With the Covid 19 pandemic came the wearing of masks as the new normal in Thailand, and many other countries around the world. Some people are fine with wearing masks whilst other remain strongly opposed to it, for a variety of reasons. Whether you like it or not it is “strongly encouraged” to wear a mask in Thailand. But do…
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Ex-deputy attorney general from Red Bull case applies join NACC
The controversial ex-deputy attorney who chose not to indict the Red Bull heir who killed a policeman in a hit-and-run accident in 2012 applied for a seat on Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Thursday. The former attorney general, Nate Naksuk, told Thai PBS in an interview that he wants to prove his innocence, and spend the rest of his…
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Police crack down on gambling in Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani
Police found a gambling network in an unregistered house in Pathum Thani last night. They seized 112,700 baht in assets and gambling equipment, and arrested forty-two people. They then raided a house in Samut Prakan, and seized 49,300 baht in cash and betting slips. They also seized a security camera system and gambling equipment. In total, 85 people were arrested,…
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Deported Canadian gangster shot and killed in Phuket
UPDATED STORY HERE Two gunmen jumped out from bushes and shot and killed a Canadian man at The Beachfront Hotel Phuket in Rawai, a seaside resort town in the far south of Phuket, last night. Chalong police arrived on the scene at 6.30am this morning and found the victim lying face-down in a pool of blood next to a red…
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Sri Racha’s hemp-marijuana festival starts February 9
Festival organisers will host an event promoting marijuana for health benefits, even though they note that recreational smoking is still illegal in Thailand. The festival is called “Hemp-Marijuana, King of Herbs,” and will last from February 9-14 at the Pacific Park Shopping Mall in Sri Racha. The festival will have concerts, 24 booths that will teach people how to grow…
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Prayut tells Bangkok vocational students to stop violence
After police found more than 32 knives, and gun ammunition at one Bangkok university on Thursday, PM Prayut has called on students and alumni to end to the violence. Police searched the school grounds of the Uthenthawai campus of Rajamangala University of Technology after a video of students firing guns into the air went viral on Wednesday. Uthenthawai is one…
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Thailand wins “most popular destination” and other awards from Chinese travel magazines
Many Chinese travel magazines are calling Thailand a top tourist destination, even if it’s very difficult for the Chinese to travel at this time. The Travel Weekly China Award called Thailand “The most anticipated destination- short haul.” WITrip Magazine called it “2021 most popular overseas travel destination.” Online Travel Agent Thong Cheng called it “the most popular destination.” The Tourism…
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Mother of eye doctor killed at Bangkok zebra crossing calls for justice
Justice is being called on Thailand’s traffic laws system by the mother of the doctor who was fatally hit by a police officer’s Ducati while walking on a zebra crossing in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai area 2 weeks ago. A petition was sent to a parliamentary law committee yesterday. The appeal was addressed to the House law committee by the mother of…
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Calls for investigation into Bangkok governor candidate’s “unusual wealth”
The candidate running for Bangkok governor, who drew attention when he claimed to have studied engineering under Albert Einstein’s grandson, is now in the spotlight for his “unusual wealth,” according to Thai media reports. An anonymous person leaked information showing that the candidate’s assets increased to 245 million baht within one year. The House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee, led by…
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Suvarnabhumi airport warns people travelling out of Thailand, don’t bring over 30 masks
After the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services announced on January 25 that face masks were on its list of controlled products, Suvarnabhumi International Airport announced yesterday that people flying out of Thailand can’t bring over 30 face masks with them unless they have a doctor’s note. If they have a doctor’s note, they may bring up to…
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NFTs explained – What is it and how does it work
NFTs has been gaining popularity over the past two years. From art and music to Jack Dorsey’s first tweet and toilet paper, these digital assets are selling for up to millions of dollars. In December 2021, an anonymous artist Pak sold 266,445 shares of his NFT Merge for $91.8 million on Nifty Gateway. He is now known as the most…
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Thailand’s DDC director says Covid may enter post-pandemic phase this year
As Thailand has seen a downswing of daily new Covid-19 infections, which have remained below 10,000 since the beginning of January, the country’s Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong says the widespread virus may enter the post-pandemic stage this year. The global outbreak has three stages: pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic, the director says, adding that the world may…
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