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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Tokyo Olympics still threatened by Covid-19 100 days out
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are 100 days away, but with Covid-19 surges, there are still many hurdles to jump. With Coronavirus infections on the rise in many places around the world, and even in Japan, there are debates on if the Olympics can carry on – or even if they should. Japan has seen outbreaks forcing them to retighten recently…
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Covid UPDATE: Wednesday’s new infections rise to 1,335 people, 36 people in “serious condition”
Thailand’s CCSA has announced 1,335 new infections today, after a slight dip in the 10 day surge yesterday. 1,326 of those new infections are local, not imported, and mostly from Bangkok. Today’s tally takes the national total to 35,910 since January 2020 when the first case outside China was detected in Thailand on January 13. The new infections have mostly…
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Thailand approves 8 vaccines for foreign travellers seeking shortened quarantine
Thailand has approved a total of 8 Covid-19 jabs for vaccinated tourists hoping to avail of reduced quarantine on arrival in the Kingdom. Despite a third wave of infections gripping the country, officials are pinning their hopes on the return of international visitors in order to revive the decimated tourism sector. In 2019, approximately 40 million foreign visitors to Thailand…
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Songkran holiday eerily quiet after Covid mutes celebrations
Thailand rang in another Lunar New Year, or Songkran, without its normal festivities, highlighting the impact that the Covid pandemic has had on the world. For the 2nd year, the biggest Thai holiday was subdued without water-splashing, parties, and concerts. Instead, the predominantly Buddhist nation turned to its more muted, traditional activities of making merit to observe the 3 day…
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Thailand News Today | Tour bus disaster, Covid infections drop slightly | April 13
A sad start to Songkran day after 5 people have perished, including 2 children, and another 12 seriously injured after a double-decker interprovincial bus caught fire near Khon Kaen. It was heading to Bangkok. The bus erupted into flames just after midnight on the Mitrapap highway. There were 33 passengers on board. The bus driver was also injured. 965 people…
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Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority announces health and safety regulations
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says airlines must continue to follow health and safety regulations as the country has seen a 3rd wave of the Covid-19 virus. Its the third time the CAAT have introduced restrictions on in-flight services since airlines were grounded in April last year. The authority says new guidelines to take effect today include… • Maintaining…
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Thailand looks at proposal to make it easier for expats and long-termers
Thailand is looking to make it easier for expats and long-term visa holders to stay in the country. The Immigration Bureau is hoping to boost investments and the economy once the pandemic is over. The proposed changes could do away with 90 day reporting requirements which have been well-received by expats. Recently, the online website to report 90 day check-ins…
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Covid UPDATE: Daily infection number drops slightly on Tuesday
965 people have been detected as infected with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. The daily total is the first drop in daily numbers for 13 days. 28,288 people have fully recovered. The total deaths remains at 97 people since the start of the pandemic in Thailand. 6,190 people remain under hospital care or are being monitored. 654 of today’s…
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Off to a field hospital? Here’s what to pack
A Thai netizen has posted a useful list of “must pack” items for anyone being admitted to a field hospital for Covid-19 treatment. As concerns rise that the rapid rise in infections may lead to a shortage of hospital beds, officials are planning a number of field hospitals, some of which have already opened. A total of 10 field hospitals…
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Thailand News Today | Covid surge continues, possible changes to 90 day reporting | April 12, 2021
Thailand’s CCSA has announced 985 new Covid-19 infections today – a rise in new case numbers but not as drastic as in the past week when there has been a steady climb. In the past 4 days there has been an increase of more than 100 new infections. Out of the 980 local infections announced today, most were in the…
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28,000 daily Covid-19 infections possible without “decisive action”
Without swift and decisive action, Covid-19 infections could surge to 28,000 people per day within the next month . This according to expert warnings and computer predictive modelling. The Department of Disease Control warns that the current spike is more infectious and deadly than the previous 2 waves and extreme action is needed. 967 new infections were reported by the…
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Songkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths
On the second day of the Songkran road safety campaign, officials report 30 deaths, 374 injuries and 357 road accidents, up slightly from yesterday. The week of Songkran is infamous for increased traffic incidents and is often referred to as “7 dangerous days”, prompting government officials to push a campaign to raise awareness and safety this holiday. This year the…
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Covid UPDATE: 985 new infections in Thailand, a small rise since yesterday
The CCSA has announced 985 new Covid-19 infections today – a rise in new case numbers but not as drastic as in the past week when there has been a steady climb… April 12 – 6 new infections April 2 – 58 new infections April 3 – 84 new infections April 4 – 96 new infections April 5 – 194…
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Understanding Covid-19 UK variant as it hits Thailand
The so-called UK variant of Covid-19, a strain that is 1.7 times more contagious and deadly, has arrived in Thailand, present in the cluster in Bangkok’s upscale Thong Lor area that has spawned the pandemic third wave. Here’s why you should care. Referred to as the B117 variant, it first emerged in the UK county of Kent, though new research…
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Officials say no plan to change mandatory hospitalisation for Covid patients
Health officials insist that, despite rising infection rates, there is no plan to allow people who test positive for Covid-19 to self-isolate at home. Currently, everyone found to be infected is admitted for hospital treatment, even if asymptomatic. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the policy limits the number of patients who go on to transmit the…
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Top virologist warns of vaccine limitations against South African, Brazilian variants
A prominent Thai virologist says Thailand must prevent the arrival of the South African (also known as 20H/501Y.V2, B.1.351 lineage) or Brazilian Covid-19 (B.1.1.248) variants, warning that vaccines are not fully effective against those strains, or at least there is not enough conclusive information about their efficacy against the new variants at this stage. Yong Poovorawan from Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University…
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Thai businesses frustrated over limited choice of vaccines, slow pace of rollout
Business and tourism representatives are expressing growing anger over the slow pace of Thailand’s vaccine rollout and the limited number of vaccines on offer. Their frustration comes as other countries around the world begin to see encouraging results from their vaccination efforts. And, while the latest rise in Covid-19 infections can be partly attributed to the presence of the so-called…
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1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths
The Songkran road safety campaign is off to a moderate start with a reported 25 deaths and 356 injuries across Thailand on Saturday. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general reports that there were 348 road accidents in the country on the first day of the campaign. Though the figures don’t sound like an achievement, they are actually a fair…
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Thailand road accidents cost 500 billion baht per year
Thailand is notorious for its road and driving conditions, and a disproportionate number of driving accidents. The World Health Organisation now reports that road accidents cost an estimated 500 billion baht in 2019 alone. The WHO report placed Thailand as the number one country in ASEAN with a 32.7 per cent death rate, the highest in Southeast Asia. The Road…
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Songkran activities cancelled in Ayutthaya due to Covid-19
After the recent outbreak of Covid-19 across Thailand, in a large part due to entertainment activities, Thailand’s former capital city of Ayutthaya has now officially cancelled all Songkran festival activities for the upcoming holiday. All events previously planned to mark the Thai New Year’s holiday between April 13 and 15 have now been called off. An urgent declaration by the…
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Many Thais ‘skipping’ Songkran due to the recent clusters
It’s Songkran, but not as we know it. This weekend Thais start to head back home for this year’s extended national holiday. Last year the celebrations were cancelled altogether, amid Thailand’s initial lockdowns. So this year, partly aided by the mid week dates of Songkran, the government added extra days, that are topped and tailed by weekends. So, many Thais…
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Thailand’s King and PM send condolences to Queen Elizabeth | PHOTOS
Thailand’s King HM Maha Vajiralongkorn has sent a message of condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following the death of her consort and husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. “We all in Thailand join the people of Great Britain in mourning this great loss, a sense of loss being shared by peoples aroundthe world, whose…
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7 Thai dogs find a new home in California
7 stray dogs from Thailand have immigrated to the United States as one California woman attempts to rescue as many Thai dogs as possible. Melissa Bacelar is the owner of The Wagmor Luxury Pet Hotel and Spa, along with its offshoot pet adoption service, Wagmore Pets. Located in Studio City, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles bordering Hollywood, the pet hotel…
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Nightlife continues to play a major role in Thailand’s Covid-19 third wave
The current surge in Covid-19 infections now looks to be spread in large part by Thailand’s colourful nightlife, with more than 500 people contracting the more contagious UK variant (B117) of the Coronavirus. The government responded by closing all bars and entertainment venues in 41 provinces, but it may be too late to prevent a third wave of the pandemic.…
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Big Covid-19 numbers today: 789 new infections, 1 death
789 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death were reported today by the CCSA. The death, a 68 year old Thai man from Nakhon Pathom, had died April 4 but was yesterday confirmed as dying from complications from Coronavirus. Only 8 infections were international arrivals, with 522 local infections and 259 diagnosed today through contact tracing. The international infections were Thai…
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Thai Airways cuts another 4,250 staff, offering them early retirement
4,250 Thai Airways employees have been pushed into an early retirement after failing a screening process for remaining employees. The process was a necessary result of the national airlines’ dire financial situation and current debt restructuring program. Remaining staff are being forced into new, leaner contacts. The 13,554 remaining Thai Airways staff went through the screening program. 9,304 passed, according…
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Privatising Covid vaccines – Thai government gives private hospitals the go-ahead to buy vaccines
“About 10,000 people are being vaccinated around Thailand, on average, with 14,000 people being vaccinated each day in Phuket.” Private hospitals and institutions have been given the official go-ahead to purchase up to 10 million doses of approved Covid-19 vaccines. The purchases will be in addition to what the Thai government is also doing. The major sticking point, despite the…
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Thailand News Today | Bars closed for 2 weeks start tonight, monitor lizard in 7-11 | April 9, 2021
559 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death have were reported yesterday in the CCSA daily briefing. Many cases were related to bar hopping and partying focussed around clusters in Bangkok’s Thong Lor and Ekkamai nightlife district. The clusters have now spread to many provinces outside of Bangkok. The majority of the new infections today are mostly young adults who…
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CCSA Update: 559 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death. FULL CHART.
559 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Many cases are related to bar hopping and partying and the outbreak, concentrated in Bangkok’s Thong Lor nightlife district, has spread to many provinces. There are now 2,645 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. There are several clusters of infections throughout Thailand,…
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Transport Ministry: refunds to cancel travel for Covid-19
The Transport Ministry is launching plans to deal with forced cancellations of travel plans due to the most recent Covid-19 outbreak. With recent restrictions on entertainment venues, Songkran festivities, and some areas implementing quarantines for domestic travel, many holiday travellers will likely have no choice but to cancel their plans. The Transport Ministry has declared that all passengers by bus…
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