Thailand News
Discover the most recent and relevant news from across Thailand on The Thaiger’s National News page. Covering a wide range of topics, including politics, business, crime, and lifestyle, our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
Stay informed about the latest developments in Thai society, economy, and culture, as well as updates on travel, tourism, and expat life. With The Thaiger, you’ll never miss out on the essential news that matters to you.
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Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Thailand’s Miss Tiffany transgender pageant finalist denied entry into Dubai due to gender
A first-runner up for Thailand’s Miss Tiffany beauty pageant for transgender women was denied entry to Dubai when immigration at the airport questioned her about her gender. Her passport says she is male. Apparently, she had to wait hours at the airport and talk to various authorities about her gender and surgery. Rachaya “Mick” Noppakaroon was the 2014 Miss Tiffany’s…
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Swedish woman who hid child in Thailand sentenced to prison
A Swedish woman who was arrested by Thai police in January has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison in Sweden for hiding her child in Thailand for over a year. The woman lost her custody battle with the child’s father but disappeared with the child in December 2019 before the court’s decision was enforced. The woman…
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Mask up! PM Prayut says Thailand’s mask mandate is still in effect
Mask up! Although Thailand is on track to declare Covid-19 as endemic in the next few months, for the time being, the nationwide mask mandate is still in effect. In a press briefing today, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said the mask mandate is not being lifted and there has been no meeting on the subject yet. There have been reports on…
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Friday Covid Update: 27,071 new cases; provincial totals
80 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,075 with 2,377 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 27,071 new Covid-19 cases and 21,522 recoveries. There are now 230,603 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Phuket man posts photos of teen girls in underwear on Facebook
A man in Phuket posted photos of teenage girls in underwear on an unnamed “popular Phuket Facebook page”. The girls allegedly ranged from early to mid teens. One girl wore shorts and a training bra, and another wore a bra and unbuttoned jeans. Online viewers accused the man of “deceiving” the girls into taking off their clothes, according to The…
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Man arrested for allegedly blackmailing student who later committed suicide
A 26 year old was arrested for allegedly blackmailing high school students which is believed to have led to the student’s suicide. The man allegedly made a fake account online, identifying himself as a teenage girl and luring students into sending sexually explicit videos, then demanding money, threatening to release the videos. Police say they believe the man was targeting…
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Public Health Minister “suggests” Thais focus on family, not booze, during Songkran
As Thais wait for officials to announce today whether Songkran water festivals will happen in April, Public Health Minister Anutin suggests they completely skip the alcohol. At a press conference yesterday, Anutin confirmed Thais will be allowed to travel and visit family. He said Thais should focus on family and “traditional religious activities”, according to The Pattaya News. Anutin “asked”…
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Alcohol lobby groups call for 2pm – 5pm booze sales ban to be lifted
As Thai laws go, it’s one of the more confusing ones, as evidenced by the sight of frowning tourists scratching their heads as they stand in front of a 7 Eleven fridge at the wrong time of day. In Thailand, alcoholic drinks can be sold from 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to midnight. If you fancy a couple of…
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CCSA to discuss Songkran splashing rules today
To splash or not the splash? That’s one of the questions Thai government officials will be mulling today as they consider how to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 infections during next month’s Songkran festivities. This year Thailand will take a 5-day break from April 13 to 1 in celebration of Songkran, or the Thai New Year, for the first time…
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Medical expert calls for transition from favipiravir to more effective molnupiravir
A leading health professional says Thailand should phase out the use of favipiravir, saying molnupiravir is a more effective Covid-19 treatment. Dr Opass Putcharoen, from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Centre, says this will be essential as the country moves to declaring Covid-19 endemic. He added that the cost of molnupiravir produced in India is somewhere between 600…
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FTI wants Test & Go dropped, all entry restrictions lifted for vaccinated arrivals
The Federation of Thai Industries is urging the government to ditch the Test & Go scheme and to lift all entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, the industry body is calling for an end to quarantine and PCR testing in a bid to restore the country’s shattered tourism sector. Chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree says he will…
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Thailand committee meeting with North Korean diplomats draws criticism
A meeting between Thailand’s committee on computer coding and North Korean ambassadors yesterday drew criticism from Thais. The vice president of the committee made a post about the meeting on her Facebook page, saying the committee met with the diplomats at the Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Bangkok to discuss working together on coding projects. The…
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Thailand’s power will be more expensive in May
From May until August, Thailand’s electricity price will rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, going up by 0.23-1.3 baht per unit. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission is raising fuel tariffs following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. An ERC spokesman said another reason for the price surge is the declining supply of natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand. Russia’s…
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Spicy som tam vendor in Thailand brings in 10,000 baht a day after posing in lingerie
It’s all about the som tam. One spicy som tam vendor in Buriram is bringing in 10,000 per day in sales… but how? Her unique marketing campaign. She posts photos of herself wearing a bikini top and lingerie while making the spicy papaya salad and posing by her shop. Her sign for her shop is even a cartoon of a curvy…
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Club Med Phuket reopens after over 2 years
After closing its doors for over two years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Club Med Phuket is now back in business. The resort reopened yesterday following efforts to clean up the area and bring back tourists. The island province’s Vice Governor Pichet, who attended the reopening, said the reopening should help Phuket’s disheveled tourism economy. “Club Med is known around…
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Health officials to give Molnupiravir and Paxlovid to Covid-19 patients in Thailand
Two anti-viral medications will be added to the Covid-19 treatment plan in Thailand. The Department of Medical Services shared that the Molnupiravir and Paxlovid medicines have been approved for treating Covid-19 patients. Molnupiravir is intended to treat high-risk groups like elders and patients with chronic diseases. Relevant departments will discuss the use of Paxlovid. The primary Covid-19 medication, the anti-viral…
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Young homeless man in Bangkok reunited with family after TikTok video goes viral
A young homeless man in Bangkok was reunited with his family after a motorbike taxi driver shared a video of the man on social media. The driver said the homeless man in the capital’s Asoke area was “handsome, just like a Chinese leading actor.” The video went viral on Thai social media, reaching the man’s family. His father travelled to…
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Thursday Covid Update: 25,456 new cases; provincial totals
77 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,995 with 2,297 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 25,456 new Covid-19 cases and 22,217 recoveries. There are now 225,134 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Police crack down on alleged network selling forged documents, fake Covid test results
Thai police cracked down on the sales and production of fake PCR Covid-19 test results as well education certificates and other documents needed for jobs overseas. Three people, who police suspect are part of a large network, were arrested for allegedly posing as medical practitioners selling the forged documents. The Department of Health Service Support received complaints about the sales…
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Tangmo: Panel to verify 2nd autopsy details, includes ‘punk rock auntie’ Pornthip
A panel of forensic experts is set to review the details of a second autopsy for the Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharavirapong. The panel, which includes “punk rock auntie” Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, has been assembled by the Ministry of Justice for a fresh examination of Tanmo’s remains taking place to day, as the investigation into her death marks three weeks.…
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Man accidentally kills wife with backhoe at railway construction site
A man accidentally killed his wife when he ran over her with a backhoe in a tragic incident at a railway construction site in Ratchaburi in central Thailand on Monday, according to a report in Thai media. 45 year old Kaikaew Thongkham worked as a team with his 40 year old wife Amphon Pima at the double-railway construction site. Kaikaew…
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Park officials ordered to detain dangerous elephant after it killed a villager, damaged farms
A dangerous wild elephant that killed a woman and damaged farms is being tracked down in the central province of Prachin Buri. The 25 year old elephant has caused so much damage and disruption that an order has been issued for park officials to immediately find and detain the elephant. They’ve also been advised to take extreme care for their…
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Official assigned to “investigate” anyone who shares Lisa Blackpink’s whisky ads
The director of Thailand’s Office of the Alcohol Control Committee has been assigned to investigate anyone who shares photos of a famous Thai celebrity promoting a whisky brand. He was assigned by the Department of Disease Control, according to reporters. The celebrity, Lisa from Blackpink, is a brand ambassador for the Scotch whisky company Chivas. In Thailand, it’s illegal to…
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Government considers lifting Thailand’s mask mandate, starting with public parks
The Public Health Ministry hopes to lift the mask mandate in Thailand’s public parks, as the government takes its first tentative steps to declaring Covid-19 endemic. Dr. Kiattibhoom Vongrachit says officials hope to confer endemic status on the virus within 4 months’ time, although they will seek the input of the World Health Organisation on this. Kiattibhoom adds that people…
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1,000 Thais register to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia
Thai and Saudi officials say labour relations between their countries are strengthening following renewed relations. Thailand’s labour minister said over 1,000 people have registered online with the Department of Employment to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia. He claimed the final remaining step is signing a bilateral labour agreement, which is expected to occur soon. The agreement will allow Thailand…
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Nightlife operators hope to be given green light at CCSA meeting tomorrow
The owners of entertainment venues across Thailand have reacted with cautious optimism to reports they could soon be allowed to re-open. According to a Bangkok Post report, the resumption of the country’s nightlife is thought to be on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of the government’s Covid-19 task force. Wirawit Kruasombat from the Patong Entertainment Business Owners Club in Phuket…
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CCSA meets tomorrow to decide fate of pre-departure PCR test
The requirement for overseas arrivals to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure from their home country could soon be scrapped. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA will discuss dropping the requirement when it meets tomorrow. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says international arrivals would still be required to take a PCR test…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry to propose scrapping pre-departure PCR for Test & Go
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is set to make a proposal to scrap the pre-departure PCR for Test & Go travellers, making entering the country more convenient and cost-efficient. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, which will have its general meeting this Friday and is expected to discuss a number of topics, including…
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Market vendor runs stray dog programme, colour-coded collars to indicate friendliness
Stray dog populations have been a longstanding issue in Thailand, but a flower seller at a market in the central province Samut Songkram saw a way to make the dogs part of the community and created a project to help take care of the dogs in the area. Now each dog has a name and is marked with a collar…
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Phuket police on the hunt for alleged shoplifting foreigner
A foreign man reportedly stole snacks from a Phuket shop on two separate occasions. The shopkeeper alleges the foreigner first stole snacks back in January, after he came to the store with a Thai woman. The woman paid for her items, while the man allegedly stole 228 baht worth of snacks. The man reported the alleged theft to Phuket City…
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