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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Healthcare in Thailand is much cheaper than in Western countries, making it a great choice for expatriates looking for affordable medical care. Both public and private healthcare options offer high-quality services, with savings of up to 80% on procedures like...
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Thailand still a top destination for Chinese ivory buyers
PHOTO: Thai Embassy A survey by The World Wide Fund for Nature reveals that Thailand remains a top destination for illegal ivory sales. The survey also indicates, perhaps surprisingly, that a majority of Chinese tourists, traditionally the biggest ivory buyers, have no desire to buy ivory. WWF Thailand polled 214 tourists from China at five prime retail locations across Bangkok, in…
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Future Forward’s Thanathorn says he’ll “bring people to the streets”
It’s the biggest political rally since the general election in March, probably the largest rally in five years since before the military coup in 2014. Thousands of supporters chanted “Prayut get out” at an anti-military demonstration called by former MP, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit. Thanathorn told demonstrators that last evening’s rally on the skywalk linking the National Stadium…
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Justice minister says he’ll speed up kratom decriminalisation
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin says he will speed up the decriminalisation of kratom, after researchers registered patents for kratom-based medicines in Japan and the US. Kratom is a local plant, related to coffee, whose leaves are still classified as a narcotic in Thailand. Somsak said his ministry has formed a committee to consider legalising kratom-based medicines. Kratom leaves are a mild…
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“This is just the beginning” – Thanathorn warns the government
PHOTOS: Thousands gathered in the first large anti-government rally in over five years – Khaosod English He tried to do it legitimately by running for office in the March election. His party performed above expectations, garnering the third highest number of votes after less than 12 months of existence. And Thanathorn was just votes away from being elected Thailand’s Prime Minister.…
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The fourth Chim Shop Chai stimulus rolls out for New Year
PHOTO: Thai PBS World The state-run Krung Thai Bank is rolling out another economic stimulus program for New Year. It will include an 800,000 baht Toyota sedan and gold necklaces for subscribers to the latest Chip Shop Chai (Eat-Spend-Shop) scheme who Thais spend through their g-wallet accounts. Lawan Saengsanit, the Fiscal Policy Office director and spokesman for the Finance Ministry,…
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Forecasts are in negative territory for south east and wider Asia
PHOTO: asiahouse.org The Asian Development Bank has trimmed its forecasts for economic growth in developing Asia this year and next as growth in the People’s Republic of China and India are weighed down by both external and domestic factors. Closer to home, south east Asia’s growth projections have also been revised down slightly to 4.4% for 2019. Economic woes of…
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Thailand’s health chief issues hydrogen balloon warning
PHOTO: City Pass Guide The chief of the Department of Health says people must exercise caution around hydrogen balloons, warning that they can be dangerous, even fatal. The warning comes from Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn after a balloon exploded in Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, earlier this month. “Explosion of balloons are reported frequently, since most of balloons contain hydrogen, which is inflammable,…
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Illegal Thai workers in South Korea get offer of amnesty
PHOTO: tacticalinvestor.com The Office of Thai Labour in Seoul, South Korea, says Thai citizens who are working illegally in the country, can apply for an amnesty scheme launched this week. It will run until June 30, 2020. It is estimated that there are between 120,000 and 140,000 illegal Thai workers in South Korea. The Nation reports that the scheme will…
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Academic calls on Thai government to help migrant children
PHOTO: South China Morning Post “Premjai says many migrant children face daily health and safety risks as they are forced to work in jobs they’re too young for.” A researcher from Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University is calling on the government to provide assistance for vulnerable migrant children, many of whom are falling through the cracks in the welfare system. Premjai Vungsiripisal, from…
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Government plans to lure Chinese tourists back by easing visa procedures
PHOTO: India Post “The scheme is due to run from New Year until Chinese New Year on January 25, into early February.” The Thai Sports and Tourism Minister says the government is planning a range of stimulus measures to increase Chinese visitor numbers and boost Thailand’s currently sluggish tourism sector. Though there hasn’t been any radical drop in numbers, the…
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Will the Constitutional Court dissolve Future Forward Party?
“The party’s 80 elected MPs would be then be free to join other parties.” The Election Commission is poised to approach the Constitutional Court to disband the Future Forward Party, saying party executives accepted donations from an illegitimate source. It’s the latest move to officially discredit the party that made surprise inroads in its first outing at last March’s election.…
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Thai police seize another 743 million in Ponzi scheme assets
PHOTO: newtv.co.th “About 3000 victims have reported losses to the DSI, which expects to wrap up its investigation by the end of the year.” Police have seized assets valued around 743 million baht from suspects in the Forex-3D Ponzi scheme. Confiscated were a Maserati SUV, a Porsche Boxster, a Ferrari Spider, three Ford Mustangs and a Toyota Vellfire passenger van, with…
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Ride-hailing service Grab to be legalised in Thailand
PHOTO: Investvine Grab Car and Grab Bike, the ride and taxi hailing apps, are likely to become legal in Thailand after the head of the Land Transport Department said public consultation was mostly positive. The DLT received around 1000 supportive comments and observations in a consultation, according to Thai news agency Sanook. The department will submit its findings to the Transport…
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Tesco to sell assets in Thailand and Malaysia
Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket chain, has announced it may sell off its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia. A statement says that “following inbound interest, it has commenced a review of the strategic options for its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia, including an evaluation of a possible sale of these businesses.” In other words, they want to sell. “The evaluation of strategic…
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Hotel association wants rules on short-term rentals, home sharing
PHOTO: Airbnb and other accommodation-share businesses, plus a glut of newly opened hotels rooms across the country, is putting pressure on the traditional hotel model The Thai Hotels Association has again asked for a meeting with the Minister of the Interior to discuss the impact of short-term rentals and home sharing services like Airbnb on the domestic hotel business. The…
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You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.” – Taiwan
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.” It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to…
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Bad report card for PM Prayut after 6 months in office
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scored poorly in an opinion poll by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA, after his first six months in office. The poll ran from November 29-December 3 and included 1,278 adults from across Thailand with varying occupations and education levels. The purpose of the survey was to gauge satisfaction with the Thai PM’s…
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BTS is Thailand’s most-streamed act on Spotify for 2019
…and the most streamed K-Pop act in the world. Another year of music is about to play its final chords. Streaming services, a mere curiosity a decade ago, are now the main source of revenue for many artists. In 2019, Streaming music will account for 80% of industry revenues, nearly US$9 billion this year. Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known around the world…
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Thai beauty takes Miss Supranational crown
PHOTO: PAGEANTCircle A Thai contestant, Anntonia Porsild, has been crowned Miss Supranational 2019, beating out contestants from 77 countries. She is the first Thai to receive the honour. Miss Supranational is a privately organised beauty pageant organised by a Polish TV network. Yana Haenisch from Namibia, Jesica Fitriana from Indonesia, Janick Maceta del Castillo from Peru, and Gabriela De La…
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Speaker demands to know how renegade MP could attend House vote
PHOTO: House Speaker Chuan Leekpai. “Please explain”. Parliamentary House Speaker Chuan Leekpai is demanding an investigation into why parliamentary security didn’t arrest fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat when he attended a House meeting on Wednesday. Opposition MPs have voiced suspicion over the presence of Waipote, a member of the Palang Pracharat party, in the House chamber for a crucial vote over…
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Increase agreed for Thailand’s minimum wage
PHOTO: Chiang Mai Citylife Thailand’s minimum daily wage is going up. But not by much. The National Wage Committee has singled out nine provinces for a 6 baht increase in the minimum daily wage, while the rest of the country gets an increase of 5 baht. The Permanent Secretary of Labour, Suthi Sukosol, confirms the nine provinces are Chonburi in eastern…
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Thai government looks to revive Pak Bara and Songkhla deep-sea port projects
The government is looking at reviving deep sea-port projects in the south of Thailand. They were shelved two years ago as the government bowed to public opposition at the time. The Transport Ministry is considering reviving the Pak Bara, Satun, and Songkhla deep-sea port projects. Both projects are in the south of the country. The projects have been shelved at…
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Government hoping to turbo-charge Thai new car sales
A number of proposals are being looked at by The Excise Department in a bid to convince Thai citizens to purchase new vehicles rather than going down the used car route. The Nation reports that some cost-reducing incentives are being considered, with the aim of cutting the number of polluting vehicles on Thailand’s roads, with The Excise Department planning talks…
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Cooler weekend on the way across Thailand
PHOTO: rove.me It’s winter, but not in the smow/sleet/icy roads sort of way. Winter in Thailand means clear blue skies in the south and cooler temperatures in the central and northern regions. (Five day forecasts below) Most parts of Thailand are forecast to experience cooler weather this weekend, when temperatures in the north and north-east are forecast to drop to…
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Thailand delays introduction of new visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists
…and other proposed nationalities as well. Thailand has decided to postpone the requirement for Taiwanese travellers to present financial statements when applying online for a visa. The Taiwan News is reporting that the new requirements are being delayed until at least March, 2020. The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei has announced that online Taiwanese applicants for travel to…
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Less rain for the south, colder weather for the central and north
PHOTO: Get out the coats and warm underwear if you’re in the north The Thailand Meteorological Department today forecasts cooler weather for central and northern parts of the country, as a result of a strong high-pressure system over southern China that is causing temperatures to drop by 1 to 3 °C in some areas. The north and north-east is now…
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Thai Navy rush to contain oil slick in the Gulf – three rescued off sunken vessel
The Royal Thai Navy has sent two ships to prevent a 4 kilometre-long oil slick from advancing toward Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast. The vessels are equipped with skimmers, oil booms and oil dispersants contain the spill. The oil slick came from a sunken tanker, the Golden Bridge 2, that capsized and sank in high seas on December 3. It was about…
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Wanted MP sneaks into Thai parliament for crucial vote
WANTED: Pol Lt-Gen Waipote Arpornrat Renegade fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat escaped the notice of parliamentary police, and government MPs, when he managed to stroll in the Lower House parliamentary chamber undetected during Wednesday’s sitting. Arpornrat is a member of Palang Pracharat, the most prominent party of the ruling government coalition after jumping ship from the Pheu Thai party, He was stripped…
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Government extends time for payouts to storm victims
People affected by tropical storms ‘Podul’ or ‘Kajiki’ are now eligible to receive compensation up to March 31 next year, an extension from the original deadline of November 25. Deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek says households in 32 provinces are entitled to receive 5,000 baht each, from an overall budget of 2.09 billion baht. Tropical storm Kajiki was a full on…
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More foreign English teachers needed to improve Thais’ English skills
PHOTO: OnTESOL It’s reported that more teaching jobs will become available for foreign English teachers from next year, as efforts are made to boost English language skills in schools across Thailand. A Daily News report says students in their final year of high school need to improve their English language knowledge from “basic” to “independent user” level, which is considered…
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