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 one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Airports of Thailand expects 726,000 passengers in November, mostly domestic
The president of Airports of Thailand says the country’s airports can expect around 726,000 passengers this month, following Thailand’s re-opening. However, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says most of those will be domestic travellers, with around 270,529 expected from overseas. The Bangkok Post reports that 31 flights, carrying around 2,600 passengers, landed at Suvarnabhumi yesterday. Around 1,500 were international arrivals. Meanwhile, Anucha Nakasai…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,679 new cases and 56 deaths
7,679 new Covid-19 cases and 56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,482 recoveries. There are now 97,585 people in Thailand currently being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded…
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Disgraced cop Thitisan and 6 other officers charged in death-in-custody case
Disgraced police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon and 6 other officers have been charged in an investigation into the death of a man in custody. The victim, 24 year old Chiraphong Thanapat, died while under interrogation at a police station in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan in August. Video footage that showed Thitisan placing several plastic bags over the drug suspect’s…
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PM says Thailand will step up fight against climate change
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to step up Thailand’s focus on tackling climate change. He made this announcement yesterday in Glasgow at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as the COP26. This convention is a forum in which world leaders can meet and make plans to address relevant climate issues. Prayut…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 7,574 new cases; provincial totals
78 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,338 with 19,244 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,574 new Covid-19 cases and 8,279 recoveries. There are now 98,444 people in Thailand being…
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6,600+ arrive on first day of Thailand’s reopening
Thailand reopened yesterday with quarantine free international travel for vaccinated visitors, with more than 6,600 travellers entering the country. It’s a major step forward for the country after closing borders at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Fully vaccinated passengers from 63 countries can now enter without having to go through quarantine, with just a minimal isolation period…
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Thailand aviation sector optimistic following November 1 re-opening
Following Thailand’s re-opening yesterday to vaccinated tourists from 63 approved countries, the aviation sector is feeling positive. According to a TTR Weekly report, Thai carriers are hopeful that the re-opening will mean they can restore their schedules to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. The current situation is that Thai Air Asia is operating just 10 of its…
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No decline in Covid-19 infections across 10 Thai provinces
With no drop in Covid-19 infections in 10 provinces, the CCSA says the Public Health Ministry is monitoring the situation closely. Spokesperson Apisamai Srirungson says that while new cases in Thailand as a whole have now dropped below 10,000, the situation is proving concerning in Khon Kaen, Rayong, Chiang Mai, Tak, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, as well as Songkhla, Yala,…
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Thailand Pass workaround for API error
NOTE: The following article was published in November 2021 and the Thailand Pass website has since been updated. For all those struggling to get past the dreaded Error from API server message when registering for the Thailand Pass, we’ve got a ‘fix’ for you – just follow these steps: 1. Use Google Chrome You need to be using Google Chrome…
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Bangkok hospital director summoned for allegedly smuggling Favipiravir
The Bangkok hospital director who allegedly smuggled hundreds of boxes of Favipiravir antiviral pills, which are used to treat Covid-19, has been summoned by police. Last week, officers seized 390 boxes of Favipiravir and arrested nine people who were allegedly involved in selling the pills on social media at five times higher than the standard price. Officers from the Consumer…
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Bangkok officials push hospitality sector to get health and safety certificates
With the country reopening and Bangkok lifting restrictions, city officials are pushing for businesses in the hospitality industry to apply for Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certificates. The move, which is part of a project by tourism and health officials, is intended to boost safety confidence among tourists, according to the Bangkok Post. Another key detail… restaurants in Bangkok with…
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Killing off retirement opportunities in Thailand – OPINION
OPINION Quite clearly the Government has simply not thought through the impact of the insurance provisions imposed by the Thailand Pass on “budget tourists” and likewise on current and prospective retirees in Thailand. The sobering reality is that it is well nigh impossible for individuals, 70 years and above, to obtain health insurance other than at exorbitant rates. The insurance…
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Monday Covid Update: 8,165 new cases; provincial totals
55 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,260 with 19,166 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,165 new Covid-19 cases and 9,574 recoveries. There are now 99,227 people in Thailand being…
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Suspect in transnational sex trafficking case arrested in Samut Sakhon
A suspect in a transnational sex trafficking case was arrested on Friday in Samut Sakhon, a province just southwest of Bangkok. The suspect allegedly promised a number of Thai women well-paying jobs in massage parlours in Dubai, but once the women were in the UAE, their passports were seized by traffickers and they were said to be forced into sex…
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Protesters rally in Bangkok, call for lèse majesté law to be abolished
Pro-democracy activists gathered in Bangkok yesterday, demanding an end to Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The law, officially section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising, defaming, or otherwise insulting the monarchy. The authorities have used the law on numerous occasions to levy charges against anti-government protesters, many of whom are now behind bars. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday’s…
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Thailand renews crackdown on illegal migrants ahead of re-opening
Thailand is cracking down on illegal migrants and those who smuggle them into the country, as authorities try to prevent imported Covid-19 infections. The Defence Ministry says over 30,000 illegal migrants have been intercepted and deported since the beginning of the year. According to a Bangkok Post report, the number arrested continues to rise as the country prepares to re-open…
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Thailand re-opens: minimal quarantine for vaccinated tourists from 63 countries
From today, vaccinated tourists from 63 countries can enter Thailand (by air only) with minimal quarantine requirements. Fully inoculated tourists from approved countries only need to wait in their hotel room for the result of their PCR test and are then free to go where they like. The move has been welcomed by a tourism sector crushed by the Covid-19…
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Thailand Covid zones update: Alcohol, curfews, dining, schools, getting together
The CCSA has revised the colour-coded zones for Thailand ahead of today’s reopening. It reduces the dark red zone to just 7 remaining provinces, reinstates the yellow zone for provinces under observation but not restricted, and adding a tourist blue zone that appears less connected to actual Covid-19 stats than it is to economic potential to benefit the tourism sector.…
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Suan Dusit Poll: It’s time for an election and Prayut wouldn’t win
A new Suan Dusit Poll conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University revealed that the majority of Thai people are ready for a new general election and think early 2022 is the time for it. Over 70% of people surveyed felt that Thailand is ready now for new elections, while only just under 23% opposed the idea, with just under 7%…
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Consular Deparment FAQ on Thailand Pass entry November 1
A thorough infographic of the Thailand Pass process was released by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for people planning their travel after November 1. The white text on photo backgrounds might not be the easiest way to digest this complex process, so below is the transcribed text of the announcement with some key new information detailed.…
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17 more countries added to (almost) no quarantine list in Thailand
Late last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an amendment to the list of countries that can enter Thailand without quarantine starting tomorrow, adding 17 new countries to the list of 46 countries and territories. (But even fully vaccinated travellers will have to spend one night in an SHA+ or ASQ hotel as they wait for their test result).…
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New zone restrictions: Booze, curfew, dining, schools, gatherings updated
So the CCSA has radically revised the colour-coded zone scheme for Thailand ahead of the reopening, reducing the dark red zone to just 7 remaining provinces, reinstating the yellow zone for provinces under observation but not restricted, and adding a tourist blue zone that is less connected to Covid-19 stats than it is to economic stats of how it can…
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New ban on rallies enacted just before November 1 reopening
In yet another timing coincidence, the Royal Gazette published new rules yesterday placing a ban on rallies and protests just before Thailand reopens to international tourism. As always, the orders were ostensibly put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the country and to protect incoming tourists from any possible outbreak. The new ban on rallies and similar…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 88 deaths, provincial data, vaccination update
Today, the CCSA reported 9,224 new Covid-19 infections, up 256 since yesterday, and 88 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 24 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,874,292 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 8,305 recoveries, up 442 from…
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CCSA: Only 7 provinces in the Dark Red Zone, 5 zones used now
In their meeting yesterday, the CCSA has massively reduced the Dark Red Maximum and Strict Controlled Zone from 23 to just 7 provinces ahead of Monday’s reopening to international tourism. The remaining dark red zones are mainly the Covid-19 plagued Deep South, with Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Yala remaining dark red. Tak on Thailand’s western border and…
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Thailand deemed too wealthy to produce generic Molnupiravir
Thailand has been deemed to be too rich to produce a generic version of the anti-viral drug Molnupiravir that reduces the negative effects of Covid-19 infections. Merck, the producer of the drug, had made an agreement to license the virus-fighting drug to production companies in poor countries to help in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. But the World Bank has…
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PM says cooperation needed as Thailand prepares for reopening
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has stressed the importance of public and business cooperation ahead of next week’s reopening of Thailand’s borders and the relaxing of quarantine requirements for international visitors. The Bangkok Post has reported Prayut has asked for strict compliance with disease controls, and that protesters do not damage the national image, paving the way for a successful reopening. Prayut,…
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Koh Chang on track for November 11 reopening with sandbox scheme
Koh Chang is poised to welcome back foreign visitors amid plans to get a sandbox scheme underway from November 11. The island, in the eastern province of Trat, is gearing up for reopening under the “Koh Chang Sandbox” scheme, with Trat governor Chamnanwit Taerat ordering preparations be made in seeking to breathe life back into the local tourism sector. As…
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DDC forecasts potential Covid-19 scenarios amid tourism restart
Ahead of next week’s reopening of Thailand’s international borders and the relaxing of quarantine requirements, the Department of Disease Control has provided a rundown of 3 potential Covid-19 scenarios facing the nation. The scenarios – categorised as “green”, “orange” and “grey” – respectively outline the risk of the virus spreading locally against the backdrop of the tourism restart, according to…
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Tourism Minister: “Maybe we should’ve confirmed Lisa first”
In a rare apology from the government, Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan says they announced that Blackpink megastar Lisa would play a New Year’s event without considering any details (like if she was available or interested). After the bold announcement of a massive countdown party to call global attention to Thailand reopening to tourism, multiple government agencies and…
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