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 is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Pent-up demand for outbound Thai travel sparks new travel bubble talks
Travel bubbles are back on the table as countries in the region battle to find some safe solution to their tourist shortfall. Thailand, in particular, earns such a high proportion of its GDP from travel and tourism, that it is seeing a major financial shortfall after closing its borders. This, in the context of no new Special Tourist Visa applications…
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Financial hardship spiking Thailand’s suicide rate
Thailand’s police and health workers continue to work with online influencers such as Drama Addict, Mam Po Dum and More Lab Panda, to help identify, and if necessary intervene, in people sharing distressing messages over their battles in the current Covid era. Police have also been recruited specialist to help to prevent suicides and provide counselling. Thailand’s Department of Mental…
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Thailand News Today | Shorter quarantine, STV update, THAI jets for sale | November 6
Last day of the week and a day full of news about the STV, Chinese travel bubbles and the PM saying he’ll step aside if there’s someone better to take his job. Thailand News Today, with Tim Newton. Retired Thai official with Covid-19 dies after returning to Thailand A 66 year old retired Thai official, diagnosed with Covid-19, died yesterday…
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Taiwan rejects ChaTraMue Thai tea shipment due to insecticide levels
Taiwan sent back a 5-tonne shipment of Thai tea mix after the country’s Food and Drug Administration found traces of insecticide that exceed the limit. The ChaTraMue mix for the orange-coloured milk tea is widely available in Thailand. The company Cha Thai International says the products are safe and the level of pesticide residue is within safe limits, in line…
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10 day quarantine proposal passes first stage of approval
A health sub-committee of the government’s Covid-19 task force has approved a reduction in quarantine from 14 days to 10, for visitors arriving from “safe” countries. They would be those that are at a similar risk level to Thailand, or slightly higher. Those arriving from countries considered “high risk” will still need to carry out 14 days’ quarantine. The proposal…
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Thai Airways to auction off 34 used passenger aircrafts
Anyone want to buy an airplane? In the midst of tackling bankruptcy, Thai Airways is auctioning off 34 old passenger aircrafts. The aircrafts are around 12 to nearly 30 years old and are sold on an “as-is, where is” condition. The airline has been strapped for cash. As part of a debt rehabilitation plan, nearly 5,000 employees – a fourth…
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PM says he’d be happy to step aside if someone better comes along
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says he’d have no problem stepping down if someone better could take over, adding that he’s tired of all the power now. “If in the future, there is a person who is better, more capable and more honest than me, similarly honest, (he or she) would continue the work and be in charge of the…
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Thailand considering no-quarantine travel bubble with China
With no new Special Tourist Visa applications for November, the Thai government is considering a no-quarantine travel bubble plan with China. Officials hope that if approved, the scheme could be put into operation in time for Chinese New Year in February. China currently has 22 low-risk provinces, as they have not recorded a Covid-19 case in over 150 days. The…
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Thailand News Today | Political homes, Adult site bans, Nok Air rehab | November 5
Thailand News Today, the most-watched English-speaking Thai TV news service in the world. Short, sharp, to the point. Make it a part of your day. Young Thais say political divide has caused conflict with their parents The ongoing political protests have led to a new, raw divide in Thailand with a split between a younger generation demanding democracy and an…
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Digital Minister defends decision to ban Pornhub
Following backlash on the move to block PornHub and other websites considered “offensive,” the Minister of Digital Economy and Society Buddhipongse Punnakanta says he is standing by his decision, adding that the pornography violates children’s and women’s rights. Pornography is illegal in Thailand. Buddhipongse says the explicit videos gave access to users of any age. He says Pornhub not only…
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First group of Special Tourist Visa travellers complete quarantine
The first group of foreign tourists to enter Thailand after a 7 month ban due to the pandemic have completed the mandatory 14 day quarantine and are ready to travel the country. Some of them will be visiting beaches, but Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yutthasak Supasorn says their exact whereabouts are confidential. Thai PBS reports 33 tourists, who arrived…
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Lottery winning monk leaves temple because so many people asked for money
The monk who recently won 18 million baht in the lottery and decided to give the winnings away apparently had to leave his temple because people kept coming by asking him for money. He’s now at a temple at another province, but he’s keeping the location a secret. A monk at Wat Thinnakorn Nimit in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok, says…
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3 stores investigated for potential fraud in government co-payment scheme
Officials are investigating 3 businesses for possibly de-frauding the government under the “Let’s Go Halves” stimulus scheme introduced last month. The co-payment plan launched on October 16 in an effort to boost domestic spending. Under the scheme, 10 million citizens can avail of discounts on purchases at participating stores of up to 150 baht a day, capped at 3,000 baht…
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Human rights activists file defamation lawsuit against PM and army
A civil defamation lawsuit has been filed by Thai human rights activists against the Office of the Prime Minister for allegedly publishing distorted information on a blog website. The government’s Information Operation allegedly ran a website called puliny.blogspot.com, which is now offline. It published news stories about southern Thailand, but also allegedly shot down claims of human rights violations. The…
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Anti-government activists reject idea of a “reconciliation committee”
Thailand’s pro-democracy activists have rejected the government’s suggestion of a reconciliation committee, saying it is merely aimed at keeping PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in power. The Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Movement) group say the ongoing political conflict cannot be resolved as long as the current PM remains in power. They claim his position is illegitimate and has been from the start,…
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CIA cannot grant asylum to Thai activists, US Embassy says conspiracy theories are false
Some claim pro-democracy leaders have applied for political asylum in the United States and the CIA is helping them out, but the US Embassy in Bangkok says it’s not true and the claim isn’t even in line with the process for asylum in America. Bangkok Post spoke with a US Embassy representative on the phone who says the claims about…
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Monk wins 18 million baht in lottery, donates money to temple
A monk won 18 million baht in the recent lottery and decided to donate the winnings. 67 year old Montri Samajjo, known as Monk Piak, says he didn’t buy the tickets with the hopes of winning. He bought them because a lottery ticket seller came by temple asking for help. The monk gave 1 million baht to each of his…
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Thailand News Today | Cheap flights continue, local tourism surge, fake notes | November 4
The latest news, published every weekday, here on Thailand News Today. Thai cabinet approves extension of jet fuel levy holiday Good news for flyers, at least the ones here in Thailand. Whilst the current cheapest domestic air fares have been around the same prices they were before local airlines were grounded, there is a possibility of some more drops in…
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6 sentenced to 20-50 years in prison for Eagle Gates investment scam
The Thai Criminal Court sentenced 6 people to prison for money laundering and investment fraud. The 6 defendants were involved with the Eagle Gates Group, a company which was found to be a front for transnational crime, according to the Department of Special Investigation. The first defendant was sentenced to 50 years in prison while the other 5 were each…
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Could there be another coup in Thailand? VIDEO
Our analysis about the likelihood of another coup in Thailand, along with a list of 12 previous coups and their consequences. Please watch the video and subscribe to our YouTube Thaiger channel. Last Thursday was another day of political cat and mouse, protesters staging three more rallies around Bangkok whilst officials again huffed and puffed, not really sure exactly how…
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Surin merchants report fake 100 baht bills
Fake 100 baht bank notes are reportedly being exchanged in the Isaan province Surin. 2 local merchants say they were each handed what appears to be a counterfeit bill from a customer. A noodle vendor at the Surin Municipal Market says she noticed a 100 baht bill she got from a customer felt strange, more like photocopy paper, she said.…
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Police allegedly caught taking a bribe, officers told to “behave appropriately”
An officer was caught on camera allegedly taking a bribe at a checkpoint in Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district. The clip shared on Facebook shows a driver of a 10-wheel truck handing 100 baht to a police officer. Provincial police chief Chayut Marayat has ordered the Thanyaburi police chief to investigate and determine if the officer was bribed. If the cop…
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Thais protest PornHub ban, digital minister says ban will promote “good values”
After the popular free porn website “PornHub” was blocked, a group of people protested the ban outside the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society office at the Government Complex in Bangkok’s Chaengwattana district. The ministry recently blocked access to PornHub and 190 URL addresses linked to porn. Porn is illegal in Thailand and digital minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta says the move…
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Maya Bay may re-open next year, under strict conditions
The government is considering re-opening Maya Bay in 2021, although things are not expected to return to how they once were, with the famous beach overrun by out-of-control tourist numbers each day. Nation Thailand reports that a panel of environmental experts will be consulted on a possible re-opening of the bay, made famous in 2000 with the release of the…
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Tourism Minister optimistic high season will see 10 million domestic trips a month
The Tourism and Sports Minister is aiming to see domestic tourists undertake 10 million trips a month during the forthcoming high season. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is hopeful the stimulus measures approved by Cabinet will boost tourism numbers and help off-set some of the economic devastation caused by the closure of Thailand’s borders. Domestic tourism first began to pick up in May,…
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Thai cabinet approves extension of jet fuel levy holiday
Whilst the current cheapest domestic air fares have been around the same prices they were before local airlines were grounded, there is a possibility of some more drops in your seat prices. Thailand’s budget carriers could be offering lower seat prices after the cabinet yesterday approved an extension of the jet fuel tax holiday. Thailand’s low-cost carriers have been slowly…
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Committee forms to investigate fatal shooting by police officer
Following outrage from locals over the killing of drug suspect by police, an investigation panel has been set up to look into the fatal shooting. 10 police officers, acting on an arrest warrant, surrounded 31 year old Charoensak Rachpumad at a rubber plantation in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Ron Phibun district. Witnesses say Charoensak, who only had a small knife, was…
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Thailand News Today | Shootout in Pattaya, Exports down 7%, Hotels eschew ASQ | November 3
Thailand News Today, covering all the main stories from around Thailand. Please comment below or on the YouTube channel. Pattaya journalist injured as foreigner steals gun, fires at police, then kills himself An armed man has killed himself after a stand-off with police in Pattaya that lasted several hours, during which a journalist was shot. It’s understood the man, a…
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Expat says he was almost deported over Facebook posts
With the ongoing pro-democracy protests, some have raised question: What could happen to foreigners who get involved or speak out against Thai politics? Or post their thoughts on social media? Well, they could possibly get deported. Expat Yan Marchal says he almost got kicked out of the country for posts he made on Facebook. Many of Yan’s recent Facebook posts…
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4 political activists, including human rights lawyer Anon, released from custody
Human rights lawyer and protest leader, Anon Nampa, has been released from custody, alongside 3 other pro-democracy activists. Thai PBS World reports that Aekkachai Hongkangwan, Somyot Prueksakasemsook, and Suranart Paenprasert left Bangkok Remand Prison with Anon, just after midnight last night. Their release comes after the Criminal Court rejected a bid by police to retain the 4 in custody. Anon…
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