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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Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
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“Mega rich” Bangkok father and daughter arrested in Bahrain trafficking case
Two members of a wealthy Bangkok family were arrested on warrants for human trafficking earlier this week. The father and daughter, 54 year old Wiraya and 37 year old Wachi, allegedly started recruiting women to work in Bahrain in 2015, saying they would give traditional Thai massages. Instead, the women were forced into sex slavery. Some of the women escaped,…
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Slow loris dies from electric shock in southern Thailand
A slow loris climbed up a broken communication cable and died from electric shock this morning in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, southern Thailand. Residents say it is the third slow loris to climb up the cable and die from electric shock. Locals say a fire caused some of the electric wire to become exposed, presenting a risk to animals…
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Thailand to borrow 20 billion baht to maintain fuel subsidies
The Office of Fuel Fund plans to borrow 20 billion baht to top up the country’s oil price subsidies as residents and different departments are being increasingly affected by the rising oil price. The fund is seeking inbound loans from the Government Saving Bank and Krungthai Bank. The details are expected to be clear at the end of this month.…
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Governor to drain the swamp with Bangkok’s criminal fraternity
Chadchart Sittipunt made over 200 pledges prior to his landslide election victory last Sunday with the economy, environment, and health, high on his list of priorities. And when the Bangkok governor-elect vowed to clean up the metropolis, he wasn’t kidding. The 56 year old’s four-year term as governor began in earnest this week and, his agreement to use criminals to…
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Health officials call for more elderly Thais to get their Covid-19 boosters
According to the Department of Disease Control, around 6 million elderly Thais have yet to receive a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. Taweesap Siraprapasiri says the reason for this is that people are either worried about potential side-effects or they feel they don’t need a booster. However, he adds that 43% of elderly people have received 3 doses,…
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Driver cheats death after flying object smashes through windscreen
A 43 year old man driving in Chon Buri has escaped with his life after a steel bar crashed through his car windscreen. Motorist Tatsana Panon was knocked out unconscious after being struck in the head by a flying piece of steel approximately 50 centimetres before crashing his Nissan Navara on the Chon Buri bypass in Nong Maidang subdistrict of…
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Thailand’s authorities launch donation campaign to feed rescued animals
Thailand’s wildlife department has launched a campaign called “Foster Parents” for people to donate money to feed rescued wild animals. This news comes as the department is having a tough time feeding thousands of wild animals on a tight budget. While the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation used to receive 80 million baht each year to care…
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Thailand prepares for monkeypox outbreak, asks WHO for smallpox vaccine supply
Thailand’s health minister has asked the World Health Organisation for help securing supplies of the smallpox vaccine, according to a Bangkok Post report. It’s understood the country wants to be prepared in the event of an outbreak of monkeypox. Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the request while in talks with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus at the recent 75th World…
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Tourism officials ramp up marketing campaigns to target short-haul markets
Tourism officials are looking to short-haul markets to attract holidaymakers during the off-peak season, with a number of marketing events planned. Thanet Phetsuwan from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says places like India, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia are the target markets. “This strategic push for short-haul markets aims to create a quick win, attracting both repeat and first-time visitors all…
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Thailand’s monkeys are starving due to fear of monkeypox
Monkeys in Lopburi, central Thailand, are starving because tourists have stopped feeding them in fear of the “monkeypox epidemic,” despite no cases being recorded so far in the kingdom. The atmosphere of Lopburi city, famous for its monkey population, has been significantly disrupted since the monkeypox epidemic began, despite the epidemic being centred in Europe, the USA and Australia. Usually,…
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Thai PM suggest people only drive for “essential journeys”
Amidst the global surge in fuel prices impacting Thailand, a spokesman for PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is giving drivers some advice. The spokesman, Thanakorn Wangbunkhongchana, said yesterday that Prayut wants to keep prices as low as possible to help people avoid economic hardship. He said Prayut suggests people only use their private vehicles for “essential journeys” since the price of petrol…
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UPDATE: Thai political activists left to rot in jail
UPDATE Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon was granted bail by a Thai court today to get hospital treatment after falling seriously ill. The 20 year old activist was immediately rushed to hospital for treatment after the Criminal Court gave permission at 1:30pm for her to be released from custody and placed under house arrest as she awaits trial on charges that she insulted…
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Thailand will not starve, says Commerce Minister
Deputy PM, and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, yesterday moved to ease fears of food shortages in Thailand on the back of recent protectionism measures introduced by neighbouring countries, export bans, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict threatening to worsen world food supplies. Jurin declared Thailand has an “abundance of food” produce and there will be no shortages despite the recent embargos.…
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Thai Parliament app launched to remind forgetful MPs
To cope with meetings failing because of absence and lack of quorums, the Secretariat of The House of Representatives has developed the ‘TH Parliament’ mobile app to notify the MPs of upcoming meetings. The ‘innovation’ presumes that MPs have failed to turn up because they simply forgot… that’s usually not the case. Yesterday, Nattakarn Chochana, announced that the Information Technology…
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Prepare for rain and floods in Thailand (again)
Thailand’s wet season is still alive and well. From tomorrow, May 27, until May 31 (Tuesday), expect heavy to very heavy rains in the country’s northeast, central, east, and southern regions. The current Monsoon in Thailand’s southwest is expected to get stronger. As has been the case in Thailand for the past month, expect strong winds and high waves in…
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Teenage girl, ‘client’ arrested as Police rescue 2 minors in sex trafficking swoop
Undercover police yesterday swooped to arrest a teenage girl and her customer for procurement and engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor at a short-time hotel, in Muang district of Kanchanaburi, western Thailand. Police also rescued a teenage old girl held against her will as part of the investigation, who was allegedly forced to take illicit drugs and engage in…
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Family moves out after 14 cobras invade house in southern Thailand
A family in Songkhla province in southern Thailand moved out of their house on Monday after they discovered 14 cobras living inside with them. The family kept discovering more and more cobras over a period of four days until they had enough, and decided to leave for good. The 43 year old renter of the house, Erawan, said he found…
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Health ministry clarifies lifting of mask mandate in “designated areas only”
Not so fast, says the Public Health Ministry, responding to news that Thailand’s mask mandate could be lifted next month. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit has issued a clarification that this could apply in certain areas only. According to Kiattiphum, Thailand’s Covid-19 situation has improved quicker than expected and officials believe the virus can be downgraded to endemic as planned. At that…
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Thailand raises monkeypox alert level to “requiring close surveillance”
The Public Health Ministry has raised its alert level for the monkeypox virus, classifying it as a communicable disease requiring close surveillance. This is despite no cases of the virus having been reported in the country to date. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Chakrarat Pittayawonganon from the Department of Disease Control says the virus is far less…
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American cruise company looking for 1,000 Thai service staff
All aboard! The American cruise company that owns the Princess Cruise, Holland America Line, has visited Thailand’s Department of Employment seeking Thai staff to work onboard. The company says they have more than 1,000 positions available for Thai people saying that the famous Thai smile is perfect for the hospitality industry. The Director-General of the Employment Department, Pirot Choticsathian, welcomed…
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Tires of Royal Thai Air Force plane burst during landing in northeast Thailand
A Royal Thai Air Force aircraft is stuck on the runway of Ubon Ratchathani International Airport after both rear tires of the plane burst during landing at 11:30am this morning. The normal brake system failed to work so the pilot used the emergency brakes to prevent the plane skidding off the runway, causing the rear tires to burst, making it…
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Thailand Covid insurance for Thailand Pass
Press Release One of the most important requirements for visitors to Thailand now that the old rules have been lifted is the COVID-19 insurance plan for foreigners, which covers at least $10,000. In addition to meeting all the other requirements, the traveller must also have a valid visa and a Thailand Pass. This health insurance is an extra safety measure to…
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Endangered black panther spotted on road in central Thailand
Tourists on their way to Kaeng Krachan National Park in the central province of Phetchaburi spotted an endangered black panther on the road as they neared their campsite yesterday morning. National park officials have advised tourists to drive with caution and stick to the speed limit in case they encounter black panthers or other wild animals on the road. Yesterday,…
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Former Thai PM issues death penalty warning to coup-makers
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last night fired a warning to the nation’s coup-makers that they could still face the death sentence in the future. Thaksin, who also turned his ire on current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha labelling him “a dictator” and someone “increasingly disconnected from reality,” says he hopes he will receive justice for the wrongs against him and punishment…
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As fuel prices climb, Thailand’s delivery workers struggle
As Thailand’s fuel prices climb, some delivery drivers are saying the country’s attempts at subsidies aren’t helping them much. One motorcycle taxi driver told Thai PBS World that, even though the government offers a 250 baht discount per month on benzene or gasohol, it’s not worth it when he has to travel a long distance for it. The driver added that…
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Teacher filmed cutting bald patches into 10 students’ hair in northeast Thailand
A secondary school student from Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, secretly filmed a teacher cutting bald patches into the hair of 10 male students and posted the video on social media. Netizens have criticised the teacher’s actions as inappropriate and a violation of children’s rights. The director of Suranee Wittaya 2 school in Mueang district said the teacher has since…
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Disability rights activist jailed for shaming a motorist parked in a disabled bay
A disability rights activist was jailed after posting a picture of a motorist occupying a parking spot reserved for disabled drivers and now faces up to two years in prison for libeling the man. Manit Intharapim uploaded a picture on his Facebook page of a Toyota Hilux Revo of what he thought was someone illegally occupying a disabled parking space…
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Ranong reports 41 cases of monkey-to-human “Nousai” malaria
Authorities in Ranong, southern Thailand, have reported 41 cases of Nousai malaria in the province. Ranong’s Provincial Public Health office reported that most patients infected with Nousai malaria have a history of going deep into the forest. Nousai malaria, caused by the plasmodium knowlesi parasite, is passed from monkeys to humans through female Anopheles mosquito bites. Yesterday, the eastern province…
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Government says PM listening to concerns over draft law on public gatherings, NGO funding
The Thai PM is paying attention to, and welcomes, the opinions of those opposed to a draft law on NGO funding and public gatherings. So says deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, according to a report in the Bangkok Post today. Wissanu says Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the Social Development and Human Security Ministry to compile a list of objections to the…
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Tesla registers as a company in Thailand
Tesla Company (Thailand) Ltd is now a registered company in Thailand, according to information found on the Department of Business Development’s website. The company registered today, on May 25, with an initial registration capital of 3 million baht. The primary purpose of Tesla in Thailand is to sell electric vehicles, or EVs. The company will also install and sell energy…
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