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 What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Heavy rains, thundershowers predicted nationwide
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says the southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and Thailand is getting stronger today, while the low pressure area covers upper Vietnam. Isolated heavy rains are likely in the North, the Northeast, the Central region including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South. People should prepare for severe conditions. Here is the forecast for the…
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Private daycares and nurseries desperately want to reopen
Parents are returning to work, but daycares are still shut down to prevent any potential spread of the coronavirus. Private daycares are telling the government they want to reopen, warning that many parents may place their children in unauthorised daycare centres. Private daycare centres say its crucial that they open soon, but their call to open in the third phase…
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No date for resumption of international arrivals: PM
In an apparent effort to quell rumours and undue optimism, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is downplaying the notion that international tourists will be allowed to return to Thailand in July. The government had set a tentative deadline of 1 July for lifting all restrictions put in place under the Emergency Decree to combat the spread of Covid-19. Last week it was…
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PM distancing himself from party room clashes
PM Prayut Chan-o-Cha appeared to distance himself from party politics, and internal strife within the ruling Palang Pracharat party, after 18 members resigned en masse to pave the way for the election of a new executive committee, party leader and secretary-general. He repeatedly deflected questions from reporters about speculation that the resignations were intended to replace party leader Finance Minister…
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Powering up tuk tuks for a new era in Bangkok
Electric tuk-tuks have been in use in cities around Thailand for some time, but now the Thai Electric Vehicle Association has launched a new post-Covid-19 electric tricycle as an alternative form of public transportation in the “new normal” era, and supports the vehicle to promote Thai tourism after the national lockdown is fully lifted. EVAT sees the three-wheeled transport as…
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Covid-19 update: 1 new imported case (June 3)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced a single new imported case of Covid-19 at this morning’s daily press briefing. The patient is a 26 year old student who recently returned from Saudi Arabia and was sent directly to a state quarantine facility. The new case raises Thailand’s total 3,084 since the start of the outbreak in January, with 2,968…
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Sergeant says he’ll go to court to fight army corruption
After accusing the Thai army of corruption, a sergeant says he’ll now go to court to hash it out and strip his rank to get justice. Sgt. Narongchai Intharakawi, a clerk for the Army Ordnance Department, is accused of deserting his post amid a complaint he made against the army regarding alleged fraud. A video of the a superior officer…
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Guns used in majority of Thai crimes, criminologist calls for stricter laws
The country’s rise in firearm violence has the Bangkok Post describing the problem as “Thailand’s other pandemic.” More than half of crimes in Thailand involve firearms according to statistics. In many reports, people lose their temper, even over petty comments, and turn to a gun to solve the problem. Last week, a man shot and killed 3 of his coworkers…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, June 2, 2020
A slightly different Thailand News Today with some basic information for people wanting to return to Thailand during this current period. The documentation you will need and where to get help. We also have most of the up-to-date information about the daily updates and information about borders and bans here at thethaiger.com This article has a bit more information. The…
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100,000 More Covid-19 tests to be conducted by the end of June
Today, Thailand News revealed that the Department of Medical Sciences is planning to accelerate its plan to conduct 100,000 more Covid-19 tests across the country by the end of June. In laboratory analysis, sample tests will be divided into three groups: Suspected cases Close contact with Covid-19 infected persons Proactive inspection for Covid-19 infection Provincial communicable disease control committees will…
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Thai netizens in stitches over 158,000 baht Gucci “Granny” dress
A 158,000 baht dress, described by the fashion house Gucci as, “a ready-to-wear silk taffeta dress with a detachable cape” is being mocked by Thai fashionistas who point out the similarity to traditional outfits worn by older Thai women. In Thailand, “women of a certain age” will often don traditional silk clothing to make merit at the temple or during…
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National Covid-19 figures with 1 additional death (June 2)
Today the Centre of Covid-19 Administration reported 1 new Covi-19 case and 1 addition death in Thailand. This takes the total number of infections to 3,085 and the accumulated death toll to 58. The additional fatality was an 80 year old Thai man living in Narathiwat and the latest patient was a 32 year old male student who had recently…
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Thailand’s Central Bank will act to restrain soaring baht
The rapidly strengthening Thai baht is proving a worry for Thailand’s Central Bank, which has said it’s ready to act to limit its rise, given the already damaged economy. The baht’s climb, strengthening nearly 2% against the dollar in the past month alone, makes it one of the highest climbing currencies in Asia. Its recent rise is being attributed to…
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Prawit tipped to become leader of ruling Palang Pracharat party executive
Whilst the attention of the country has been on the CCSA, with the PM at the helm, and their handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, there has been ongoing dissent inside the ruling Palang Pracharat party which boiled over yesterday with the resignation of 18 members of the party’s executive committee. There’s been building conflict within the party whilst the PM…
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Thailand may hold a July Songkran event if Covid-19 situation remains stable
Thai citizens are being dangled a carrot – the chance to celebrate Songkran in July. Usually the annual water festival, traditionally the end of the dry season and the start of the wet season, is held on April 13. The event has become a big tourist magnet over the past decade as it’s morphed from traditional Buddhist festival into organised…
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Another family kept apart by Thai red tape and quarantine confusion
Sometimes you cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s and it’s still not enough to satisfy the paper-pushers, especially at this disruptive time in Thailand, and everywhere else. One Australian father has ended up separated from his family – he’s in Australia and his wife and 2 children are in Thailand being shuffled around Phuket and Bangkok in…
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Government outlines new rules as massage parlours reopen for business
From today, you can once more enjoy a Thai massage, but there are strict conditions attached to the reopening of massage facilities. Suffice to say, it won’t be the same as the massage you had in the past. As the country enters phase 3 of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, massage parlours are required to register on the Department of…
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11 dead, 14,000 ill as rainy season worsens dengue fever outbreak in northeast
The onset of Thailand’s rainy season has worsened a nationwide outbreak of dengue fever, which has already killed 11 people and sickened some 14,000, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control announced today. “From January 1 to May 25 there have been 14,126 cases of dengue fever in Thailand, or 21.28 patients per 100,000 population, and 11 deaths. The…
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Returnees from UK found with high fever, hospitalised
Of the 251 Thais who repatriated from the United Kingdom yesterday 20 were found to have high fevers and rushed to hospital, according Suvarnabhumi Airport’s deputy director. “The 251 Thais departed from London on Thai Airways International Flight TG917 and arrived at the airport at 2.20pm. Preliminary screening found that 20 passengers had high fever and they were rushed to…
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Opposition criticises Government for unnecessary borrowing
The Pheu Thai opposition party is calling on the government to look to existing funds first before attempting to borrow a trillion baht from as-yet-unnamed sources. Opposition chief whip Suthin Klangsaeng was participating in the last day of the debate on three government decrees concerning the country’s finances. A Thai PBS World report says the government is under fire for…
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Monarchy satire Facebook group under government scrutiny
Police are investigating a popular Facebook group that posts satirical commentary about the Thai royal family. One man was even detained and questioned about his posts on the satire group page, Thai media reports. There was also talk about a few other members questioned, but that has not been confirmed. The group dubbed “Royalist Marketplace” (in Thai) is run by Pavin…
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Gyms, fitness centres to reopen tomorrow nationwide
As tomorrow marks the beginning of Phase 3 of the easing of Covid-19 lockdown measures, many catgories of businesses will be allowed to fully reopen, though health and social distancing restrictions will remain in place. Fitness centres, including in malls, are included in that list. The reopening will include many new rules and regulations designed to stop the potential spread…
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Netizens in uproar after man saves deer from python in Chon Buri – VIDEO
Social media are ablaze with debate over the appropriateness of the actions of a man who helped a deer escape near-certain death in the clutches of a python. The video, recorded yesterday in Khao Kheow Open Zoo, in Chon Buri province’s Sri Racha district, shows a python trying to crush a spotted deer before devouring it. Before the giant snake could…
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13 return from South Korea with high fever, rushed to quarantine
A Korean Airlines flight arrived at 9:25pm yesterday at Suvarnabhumi Airport bringing 194 Thais from South Korea. Screening officers found 13 of the passengers with high fever and immediately sent them to hospital. Most of the rest took a bus to a 14 day state quarantine area according to state measures, while 18 went to “alternative state quarantine” at a designated…
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Parents wary about school preparations for return to class on July 1
Schools are set to re-open on July but parents, whilst keen to see their children back at school again, are rightly concerned about efforts being taken to keep them safe from Covid-19 infection. Although children worldwide have, generally, been spared the ravages of Covid-19, they are still able to become infected and pass it on to older members of their…
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Tourist and environment groups share concerns for new access piers for Maya Bay
The Chairman of Krabi Tourism Industry Council has shared his concerns about new piers and landing facilities on Koh Phi Phi Ley after being made aware that the Department of National Parks had the initiative to build a pier so tourist can travel by foot to Loh Samah Bay area behind Maya Bay, Ao Nang Subdistrict, Muang District, Krabi. Maya…
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New rules for Thai cinemas to re-open in Phase 3
As part of Phase 3 of the easing of Emergency Decree restrictions enacted to fight the spread of Covid-19, cinemas will be allowed to reopen on June 1 (though many operators are unlikely to do so as food and drink are their main revenue source and the movie companies say there are currently no new movies to release…) The Centre…
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6 guidelines issued for schools to re-open in July
The government is considering allowing schools in Covid-19 infection-free areas to open in July, and the Public Health Ministry has issued 6 guidelines to schools nationwide on how to guard against the spread of virus among students and faculty once they reopen. The Department of Health’s director-general made the announcement yesterday. “The first point that must be emphasised is preventing…
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National figures for Covid-19 cases in Thailand (May 30)
Today the spokeswomen from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Dr Panprapa Yongtrakul announced just 1 new Covid-19 case. She revealed that the single confirmed case was an imported case from Saudi Arabia – a male Thai student who is now in state quarantine. This raises the national total to 3,077. No additional death reported today leaving the accumulated toll at…
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Panthongtae Shinawatra is a free man after AG decides not to appeal acquittal
Panthongtae “Oak” Shinawatra, son of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is a free man, after Thailand’s Attorney General decided to not appeal against his acquittal for alleged money laundering. He was charged by the Department of Special Investigations after 10 million baht was deposited into his bank account by an executive of the Krisdamahanakorn Group of real estate companies, which was…
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