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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Friday Covid Update: 23,834 new cases; provincial totals
54 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,124 with 1,426 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,834 new Covid-19 cases and 19,351 recoveries. There are now 227,843 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Positive results from antigen test reach record high in Thailand
The number of positive results from rapid antigen test kits reached a record high. Yesterday, the Thai health officials reported 42,138 positive results from the ATKs which need to be confirmed with an RT-PCR test to be included in the government’s official Covid-19 count. It’s unclear what the actual number might be as many people who test positive in a…
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Bangkok criminal court won’t let activist study on scholarship in Germany
A student activist facing lèse majesté charges won’t be allowed to study in Germany with a scholarship for a post-graduate program. Ravisara, nicknamed Dear, was charged when she read a statement in German in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok in 2020. When Dear applied to leave the country for a prestigious scholarship program, The Bangkok South Criminal Court…
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Thai tourist rescued after going into cardiac arrest while diving near Koh Lipe
A Thai man was rescued after he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest while diving at a spot by Koh Yang, an island near the popular tourist destination Koh Lipe in the southern province Satun. The 62 year old man was unconscious when he was pulled to the surface of the water. He was later sent by helicopter to…
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Woman allegedly stabs husband’s penis with a harpoon after heated argument
A woman allegedly stabbed her husband’s penis with a harpoon after a heated argument. Thai media reports that the woman stabbed him in his genitals and twisted the spear, just like “catching a fish.” The man drove a motorbike to his mother’s house and went to the hospital the next day where he got more than 17 stitches. Thai reporters…
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Local government under fire again for shady street lamp purchases
An anti-corruption watchdog group is once again calling out a local government organisation for another purchase of expensive street lamps in Thailand. Many have accused a local administrative organisation in Samut Prakan, the next province just south east of Bangkok, of overpaying for the solar-powered lamps adorned with kinnaree figures of a mythical half-bird, half-woman, painted gold. Hundreds of the…
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Court acquits final 3 accused in zero-dollar tourism case, citing insufficient evidence
The final 3 defendants in a zero-dollar tourism scam exposed in 2016 were acquitted by the Thai Supreme Court yesterday. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove the case against the 3. The zero-dollar tourism scam involved cheap package tours for Chinese tourists, who would be accommodated in cheap hotels, and taken to certain restaurants and on…
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Thai health officials predict daily case count of 40,000 – 50,000 by mid-April
The Department of Disease Control says Thailand’s daily new Covid cases could reach between 40,000 and 50,000 by the middle of next month. Health officials warn that infections could even rise to 100,000 if current restrictions are eased. According to a Thai PBS World report, officials have called for strict adherence to Level 4 restrictions, particularly in restaurants, bars, and…
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US and Thai authorities search for body of missing WWII pilot
Thai and US authorities joined the mission to search for an American pilot who went missing more than 70 years ago during World War II. The pilot was flying a P-38 Lightning, a single-seated fighter aircraft, and officials suspect he went down in the northern province Lampang. Thailand promised to support the US mission to bring every soldier back home.…
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Monks who got lost found in Northern Thai national park
Five monks who got lost in a national park two weeks ago were found in the same park in Northern Thailand last night. The monks didn’t show any signs of illness, but only exhaustion from eating very little food. They had been on a forest retreat, and got lost while walking along paths. The monks told park officials they had…
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Hungry monkeys overrun Isaan town, raiding homes and roaming in roads
Hungry monkeys have been causing problems for residents in the northeastern province Amnat Charoen. Not hundreds, but thousands of monkeys have moved from a nearby forest to the residential area in search of food, many raiding houses and roaming into the roads, some getting hit by oncoming cars. Residents in the Pana district shared with Thai media that around 2,000…
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“Neo Pattaya” projects move forward to enhance the coastal city
“Neo Pattaya” projects are in the works to develop key areas and enhancing the coastal city with the goal to promote it as a top tourist destination. The “Old Town Na Klua” project will makeover the fishing community while the “Neo Koh Larn” project includes improvements to utilities, piers, waste, water consumption and treatment systems. Developments to the Pattaya City…
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TAT launches “Holideals” travel promotions with digital tokens as payment
In a new marketing campaign by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, people will be able to use digital tokens to buy travel packages and vouchers. The “Thailand Holideals” offers packages and vouchers for hotels, restaurants, spas, and for recreational activities. This is the first time the Thai travel industry has allowed travellers pay using digital tokens. The Deputy Manager of…
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Sandwich seller in Isaan arrested for smuggling amphetamine from Laos
The sandwich seller in northeastern province Roi Et was arrested for allegedly smuggling illicit drugs. Police found more than 70,000 amphetamine pills at her home. The 47 year old woman allegedly admitted to the charges, saying selling sandwiches couldn’t cover her family’s expenses and she needed the additional income. Officers from Mueng Roi Et Police Station received a tip that…
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Thursday Covid Update: 23,618 new cases; provincial totals
49 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,070 with 1,372 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,618 new Covid-19 cases and 18,939 recoveries. There are now 223,414 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Elephant carcass missing ivory tusks found at Songkhla national park
The remains of an elephant missing its ivory tusks were found by national park authorities at a mountain in the southern province Songkhla. Officials suspect the elephant was killed by those involved in the illegal ivory trade. Locals found the bones of the elephant on a mountain in the Pa Kabang Reserved Forest in the province’s Sabayoi district. National park…
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Thai government promises to eradicate forced prison labour following exposé
The Thai government has vowed to end forced labour in the country’s prisons, following an exposé by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The foundation’s investigation revealed shocking abuses in the Thai prison system, with inmates forced to make fishing nets for private companies for as little as 30 baht a month. Some said they did not get paid at all. Prisoners…
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Former Thai airman signs up to fight Russian forces in Ukraine
A former member of the Royal Thai Air Force is volunteering to fight alongside the Ukrainians defending their country against a Russian invasion. According to a Coconuts report, the former airman, who gives his name only as Chanapong, turned up at the Ukrainian embassy in Bangkok yesterday, saying he was there to enlist. “I want the Ukrainian people to know…
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Thick smog in Mae Hong Son causes pilot carrying acting US ambassador to detour
Due to poor visibility caused by haze above Mae Hong Son airport in nothern Thailand, a private plane flying the acting US ambassador this morning cancelled a landing and returned to Chiang Mai International Airport. Smog has been a longstanding problem in northern Thailand and kicks up every year during burning season from February to April. Today, the local air…
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Tangmo: Top Thai crime investigator debunks witness claims, calls for truth
A former top police crime investigator has come out of retirement to dismiss the story of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong’s death, as put forth by her so-called friends, and call for the truth to come out. In a video interview with Nation Thailand, Kamronwit Toopkrajang, former Lt-General and Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, is seen sitting on a boat analyzing…
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One of north India’s most wanted gangsters found in Thailand, entered on fake passport
A gangster wanted in India on multiple murder charges was arrested in Delhi after he was detained and deported from Thailand on Tuesday. Indian media say the man was a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jathedi syndicate and was known as one of the most wanted criminals in north India. 28 year old Virender Partap, also known as Kala…
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3 metre long snakes found while clearing land in Bangkok
Not one, but three pythons, each around three metres long, were found in an unoccupied plot of land in Bangkok. A worker was using a backhoe to clear the area when he stumbled across the large snakes. Rescuers also found another python and a green viper. They suspect at least 10 more snakes are in the area. The area in in…
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Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,197 new cases; provincial totals
45 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,021 with 1,323 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,197 new Covid-19 cases and 19,093 recoveries. There are now 218,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thai couple arrested for allegedly running fake travel agency advertising trips in Krabi
A couple was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a fake travel agency advertising tour packages in the southern province Krabi off the Andaman coast. Reports say the couple had been doing the scam for seven years, scamming tourists out of a total of 100 million baht. Tour packages with accommodation included were advertised on Facebook for costing 2,500 baht…
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Autopsy report shows TV actress Tangmo drowned
An autopsy report indicates that TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong drowned. Forensic examiners also noted that there the large cut on her leg was likely caused by the speedboat’s propeller. (Bangkok Post and Thai PBS have published differing facts about which leg was cut) The other people on the speedboat last Thursday night when Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
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Spokesperson says Covid-19 treatment budget adjustment will not affect quality of care
Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, a spokesperson explained the decision to decrease the budget covering Covid-19 treatment costs, saying the price of some medical supplies have gone down. He told reporters that the budget adjustment will not affect the quality of care for Covid-19 patients. Thai media reports do not mention how much the budget is, but say medical centres and…
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Thais can now work in Saudi Arabia
As of yesterday, Thai workers can now work in Saudi Arabia, and will be protected by Saudi laws. Thailand’s cabinet approved two draft agreements about this yesterday, which will last for five years. They will be extended for another five years unless one or both parties decide against it. Both countries will cooperate to make sure recruitment and employment is…
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