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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Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws explained
Thailand’s recent changes to the laws around cannabis have sparked confusion across the country, with many questioning, “Is weed legal now?” Well.. not the weed that will cause a high. There’s a limit on the plant’s psychoactive component, known as THC, so you won’t get stoned when you order a cannabis-infused tea or dish topped with a pot leaf. Those…
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Bangkok to be officially named “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”
The official for Thailand’s capital is in the process of being changed to its more formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,” but its common name “Bangkok” will still be recognised. The Thai Cabinet approved the name change in principle, but the order still needs to be vetted by government officials. Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, or “Krung Thep” as most Thais…
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Former street food vendor making more money from homemade dog food business
A former street food vendor in the western province of Kanchanaburi has launched a new business venture selling homemade dog food. According to a Nation Thailand report, Surachet Kangsri now makes more money from his dog food business and has stopped selling human food. Surachet says he came up with the idea when he realised customers who were buying his…
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Amnesty faces being kicked out of Thailand for not meeting “legal requirements”
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, risks being expelled from Thailand, with the government accusing it of failing to comply with legal requirements. According to a Bangkok Post report, Boonchob Suthamanaswong from the Labour Ministry says officials are considering whether to renew the organisation’s operating licence. He says Amnesty’s request will be reviewed by a panel whose remit is to…
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Interpol Red Notices issued for 2 Canadians wanted for Phuket hit job
Interpol has issued Red Notices for both suspects wanted in the targeted killing of an Indian national in Phuket. Alleged gang member Jimi “Slice” Sandhu was gunned down in the car park of his villa near Rawai beach on the evening of February 4. Police are searching for 2 ex-servicemen from Canada in relation to the killing, believed to be…
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Makha Bucha Day 2022: All about the public holiday in Thailand
For Thai Buddhists, Makha Bucha, also written Māgha Pūjā, is a day of abstinence, reflection and visits to the local temple, which culminate in picturesque candle-lit ceremonies in the evening. For those who don’t follow the Buddhist traditions, it’s a day of no alcohol sales. In fact, there is always a 24 hour alcohol ban imposed on the day, from…
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Thai woman’s OnlyFans content stolen, officers say she could face pornography charges
A Thai woman who posts sexually explicit photos and videos on her OnlyFans account says her content, which was intended only for those who pay for a subscription to her page, was taken without permission and spread for free on a gambling website. She reported the incident to the Thai police, but officers have now put the 25 year old…
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Six police officers investigated for allegedly demanding bribes, not reporting drug seizure
Six Thai police officers were transferred from their positions and now face disciplinary action after they allegedly demanded a bribe and for not reporting their drug seizure with the department. The officers in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom allegedly demanded a bribe from a man running a delivery service for the release of two of his employees who had been…
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Bangkok’s crazy cables and wires to go underground, project starts this year
Bangkok’s cables and wires, looped haphazardly above the city’s streets, is known not only to be an eye-sore, but also an electrician’s nightmare. Now, the capital’s officials are planning to get around 1,400 kilometres of electrical cables and communication lines underground within the next three years. Work for the project will start this year. This year, 450 kilometres of communication…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 14,373 new cases; provincial totals
27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,489 with 791 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,373 new Covid-19 cases and 11,551 recoveries. There are now 132,728 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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How cross-border payments fintechs like DeeMoney are empowering the gig economy
Press Release Even before COVID-19 changed the world of work forever, there was a trend towards a greater reliance on freelancers. In fact, they now make up 35 per cent of the global workforce – that’s about 1.1 billion people. Unsurprisingly, that number has been skyrocketing during the pandemic, with a growth of 24% recorded in just a single quarter…
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Top paediatrician says 2 doses of mRNA vaccine enough to protect children
One of Thailand’s top paediatricians says there’s no need to give children a cocktail of an inactivated vaccine dose and an mRNA dose. Instead, Somsak Lolekha from the Paediatric Society of Thailand says 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine are enough to protect children from becoming severely ill with Covid-19. He adds that booster doses are not necessary for most…
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Anutin says removal of Covid-19 from emergency treatment list to go ahead
Despite calls to delay removing Covid-19 treatment from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme, Thailand’s health minister is pushing ahead. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin Charnvirakul says the move will go ahead as planned as it’s part of the government’s policy to downgrade the virus. He was responding to calls from a number of quarters, including his…
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Mother in Sa Kaeo allegedly drives a motorbike drunk, drops 4 month old baby
A four month old baby was found in the middle of a road in the eastern province Sa Kaeo, which borders Cambodia. Reports say the mother was drunk and accidentally dropped her baby while on a motorbike, but didn’t realise until she had driven home. Locals found the baby lying in the middle of the Suwannasorn Road at around 9pm…
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Covid-19 infections will soon begin to level off and drop for most of the country – CCSA
The government’s Covid-19 task force expects overall case numbers to level off and start dropping soon, but 10 provinces could still see rising numbers. Yesterday, Thailand reported 14,900 new infections and 26 Covid deaths, compared to 15,882 cases and 25 deaths the day before. Bangkok reported 2,892 and 10 deaths, with daily infections doubling during the first 6 weeks of…
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Domestic travel demand weakened by rising Covid infections, high prices
A spike in daily new infections, coupled with high prices for goods and services, has stymied the recovery of domestic tourism. La-Iad Bungsrithong from the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association says this is despite government schemes such as We Travel Together and other incentives designed to attract visitors, such as local events. “Bookings from the fourth phase of…
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Thailand is revising surrogacy laws to allow foreigners to hire Thais to bear children
Thailand is revising surrogacy laws to allow foreigners to hire Thai surrogate mothers without requiring one partner to be Thai. Under the proposed changes, foreigners will also be allowed to bring the eggs and sperm out of Thailand for surrogacy overseas. Revisions to the law are aimed at promoting Thailand as a medical hub, gaining more income for the country.…
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Monday Covid Update: 14,900 new cases; provincial totals
26 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,462 with 764 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,900 new Covid-19 cases and 9,810 recoveries. There are now 129,933 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand’s boat show saga – aches and pains for Phuket’s yachting industry
“The country’s leisure yachting businesses may face yet another round of ‘too many boat shows’ once the Covid disruptor has passed into relative insignificance.” It’s hard to imagine something as straightforward as a boat show causing endless controversy – but that has been the case almost since Thailand’s first show, Phuket International Marine Expo (PIMEX), held in 2003 at the…
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Love is in the air… and the beer… and the Prosecco
Origins of Valentine’s Day, with a Thai twist, by Barry Daniel Saint Valentine’s Day is traditionally a time for romance, flowers, candle-lit dinners and the whispering of sweet nothings into the shell-like ear of the object of your affections. But in Phuket there can be other distractions! History is unclear on whether any of The Beatles had journeyed to Thailand…
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Thailand’s tiger and elephant attractions call for support after two years of losses
After a two-year hit on tourism, elephant and tiger attractions in Thailand have run low on money and are asking the government for financial assistance. Zoo operators met with the Tourism Commission yesterday at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, citing their struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic. The daily income for Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, as well as the location…
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Two people hit, one killed by motorbikes driving through zebra crossings in Bangkok
CORRECTION: Previous reports said that two people died. Only one person died, the other was hospitalised. Thai police are reporting two more crosswalk accidents in Bangkok amidst a nationwide effort to improve pedestrian safety initiated after the deadly crosswalk accident where an eye doctor was hit by a police officer who sped his Ducati motorcycle through a zebra crossing. Over…
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Perfect your Valentine’s dining at Siam Paragon
Sponsored Article The season of love is approaching and it’s time to treat your special someone for lunch or dinner on Valentine’s day. Siam Paragon, a shopping centre located in the heart of Bangkok is known for its world-class food destination. This shopping centre offers a variety of classic restaurants where you can celebrate your sweet momentous occasion. Lovebirds can also…
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Health Minister urged to extend Covid treatment coverage to April
The government is being urged to reconsider its decision to end coverage for Covid-19 treatment under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had previously announced that Covid treatment would be excluded from the UCEP scheme from March 1. However, his deputy, Sathit Pitutecha, argues now is not the time, given that infections are on…
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Recent crimes in Phuket are damaging its reputation
Just when Phuket thought it was about to revive its crippled tourism economy, the recent murders, thefts, and taxi ripoffs on the Island province are scarring its public image. The most high profile recent event is the murder by two hitmen of deported Canadian gangster Jimi Sandhu at a villa in Rawai, on the southern coast of the island. The…
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Thailands new long term 10 year visa for wealthy foreigners & Digital nomads
Thailand is offering new long term 10 year visa for wealthy foreigners and digital nomads. What are the specifics and regulations regarding this visa? Is it going to be similar to the smart visa plan? Where do the digital nomads fit in all of this? Tim sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find out more.
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Robbers shoot and kill customer in Northern Thailand gold shop
Three robbers fired bullets through a glass door of a gold shop yesterday in Tak, in Northern Thailand, killing one customer. The customer was a 30 year old man. He died after being rushed to the hospital. The robbers smashed another glass door of the shop with a hammer. They then smashed the showcases where the gold was being displayed.…
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Test and Go report card and arrivals – First 10 days of February
The CCSA has had their first report card for Thailand’s Covid situation following the reopening of the Test & Go program on February 1. After a doubling of daily infections over the past 2 weeks, there were fears that the CCSA may tighten restrictions. But, in the end, nothing was changed at the bi-weekly meeting. Even the provincial zonings remain…
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Fisheries Department will temporarily halt gulf fishing for marine breeding season
The deputy director-general of the Fisheries Department announced yesterday that in coming months, four areas of the gulf will be closed to fishermen for marine breeding season. From February 15 to May 15, waters near the coasts of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, and Surat Thani will close. From May 16 to June 14, the foot of Khao Ta Mong Lai…
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Thai Health Department warns that trendy “squid shots” can cause food poisoning
Live squid dumped in a shot glass with a spicy Thai sauce, and then consumed while the squid is still squirming, has been a new food trend in Thailand, with many sharing the phenomenon on TikTok and other social media outlets. But the director of the country’s Department of Health is warning people that the so-called “squid shots” could be…
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