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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Thai Covid-19 experimental vaccine to proceed to human testing from April 2021
A Thai start-up developing an experimental Covid-19 vaccine is said to be making good progress, with the candidate passing testing on laboratory animals. Baiya Phytopharm, a Thai firm developing a vaccine from plant leaves, is to sign an agreement to begin production for use in human trials. Thewin Wongwanich, from the State Enterprise Development Planning Subcommittee, says the firm is…
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No “drink voting” – Alcohol ban on Saturday and Sunday during elections
CORRECTION: Dates for the alcohol ban were incorrect in an earlier report. The correct dates are Saturday, December 19 to Sunday, December, 20. Possibly in an effort to make sure no one stumbles to the voting polls and casts their ballots drunk, alcohol will be banned from 6pm Saturday until 6pm Sunday during Thailand’s municipal council elections across the country.…
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Thailand News Today | Bangkok air pollution, 28 Covid cases, Lao dam protest | December 14
Bangkok starts the new week with ‘unhealthy’ air quality Waking up in Bangkok today you would have been surprised that the sun had disappeared to be replaced by a grey sky and views across the city limited to less than a kilometre. Across the city the air quality readings for most of the day have been aver the 150 mark…
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Covid-19 cases could lead to a drop in revenue for New Years, economist says
A rise in local Covid-19 infections could discourage many people from travelling and going out for New Years celebrations, costing Thailand’s tourism industry 14 billion baht to more than 16 billion baht, according to economist Anusorn Tamajai. Recently, 17 Thais tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from the Myanmar border town Tachileik, crossing the border illegally and dodging the mandatory…
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Thai man could get $4.2 million USD for whale vomit known as “floating gold”
NOTE: Readers with a sensitive stomach are advised not to eat while reading this article. Floating gold… sounds mystical. Actually, it’s just hardened whale vomit known as the more elegant name “ambergris.” It’s a rare find that can cost thousands of US dollars. Recently, a man in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat found what might be the world’s largest…
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Geminids meteor shower visible tonight from 8pm
Tonight you may want to step outside from 8pm onwards as one of the most abundant meteor showers will grace the sky. The Geminids can be viewed nationwide tonight starting at 8 and will last until the early hours of tomorrow. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says about 120 bright meteor showers per hour will be visible with…
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Majority says school uniforms should remain mandatory – NIDA Poll
According to a new poll, a majority of Thai people think the student uniforms should remain mandatory in Thai schools, while others say casual outfits should also be allowed some days of the week. The latter opinion, which was part of the recently conducted National Institute of Development Administration Poll, was reportedly due to keeping the peace and easing tensions…
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Thai man strikes it rich after finding whale vomit
A Thai man in Nakhon Si Thammarat is striking it rich after finding whale vomit on the local beach. Narit Suwansang thought his discovery was just a large rock, but had an inkling that it could be something more. US$4.2 million more, that is! The whale vomit, also known as ambergris, usually looks like a rock, with yellow-beige colouring. After…
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Poll finds most Thais have no plans to travel during long weekends
Most Thai people plan to spend long weekends at home and have no travel plans, according to a Bangkok Poll survey. Nation Thailand reports that the survey carried out by Bangkok University shows that 54% of respondents have not made any travel plans for December. In terms of those who do plan to travel, Chiang Mai has proved the most…
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Pro-democracy activists to beef up security with professionally trained personnel
Protest leader Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, says activists will no longer rely on volunteer security officers, but will instead bring in trained professionals. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit took to Facebook to announce that the People’s Movement has disbanded its team of volunteer security guards. He says the group will now seek professionally trained personnel, to ensure their safety…
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Senators, MPs, voice support for Thailand’s lèse majesté law
Politicians have come out in support of the Kingdom’s lèse majesté law, amid calls from pro-democracy activists to have it abolished. The law, officially Section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising, defaming, or insulting the Thai Monarchy. At least 12 political activists have recently been charged with lèse majesté offences for their role in various anti-government rallies. On Thursday,…
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Thailand News Today | 45 day tourist visa, Cher campaign for gorilla, Pattani arrests | Dec 11
Last day of the week and the middle of the long of a 4 day long weekend for Thailand. Be safe on the roads and we’ll see you on Monday. All the latest news will continue on thethaiger.com. 45 day tourist visa exemption proposal to be presented to Cabinet After the prime minister told officials to hurry up and relax…
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Man arrested after police find 8 crocodiles in a Pathum Thani apartment
After getting a call about a man screaming and acting out at an apartment in Pathum Thani, a province just outside Bangkok, police entered the room and found 8 small crocodiles. The man had moved to the apartment just a month ago and trashed the place. Messages in Thai were written all over the walls. It also appeared that the…
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to US Senators’ support for pro-democracy movement
After a number of US senators introduced a resolution in support of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hit back, accusing them of not understanding the situation. In its statement, the MFA says Thailand has always respected the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It goes on to claim the US resolution, introduced by Thai-American…
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Thai Airways delays resumption of domestic flights due to local Covid-19 cases
Thai Airways flights to Phuket and Chiang Mai were supposed to start back up on Christmas day, but the recent Covid-19 local transmissions have led the airline to push the relaunch date back. Now the flights from Bangkok will take off on January 1, but if the virus continues to spread, the airline might decide to delay the flights indefinitely.…
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Comments, feedback, fact-checking and banning – the joys of the modern news editor
The news ‘business’ has become a 2-way flow of information and engagement. Whilst this democratisation of news is welcome in many cases, it’s also causing news and information providers like Thaiger plenty of new headaches. The Thaiger website is now receiving around 300 – 500 genuine comments a day (plus a lot of spam). All this engagement is causing fresh…
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Renowned social activist says PM should learn from Black May aftermath and resign
A leading academic and social critic says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha should take a leaf out former PM Suchinda Kraprayoon’s book and resign. Sulak Sivaraksa was referring to the aftermath of the bloody Black May crackdown on protesters, which led to Suchinda’s resignation. Sulak was speaking at a ceremony in Santiporn Park in Bangkok, where a monument to those who died…
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Today is Constitution Day in Thailand. What does the day commemorate?
Today is Constitution Day in Thailand, bang in the middle of calls for a rewrite of the document and demands for the role of the Thai monarch to be codified in a new Thai Constitution. The day commemorates 20 different Thai Charters that have been scrapped and re-written since the Siamese Revolution in 1932. It’s a public holiday around Thailand.…
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PM says fight against corruption to remain a top priority
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised improved anti-corruption measures, saying the fight against graft will remain on the agenda as Thailand’s level of transparency improves. He was speaking via video conference to mark International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday. The PM says all sectors and organisations should be thanked for working to tackle corruption and has called on Thai nationals to put society’s…
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Video of foreigner’s road rage in Pathum Thani gets mixed reaction from Thais
A video of a foreigner lashing out after a motorbike accident, yelling and hitting a Thai motorbike driver for pulling out in front of him and causing him to crash, has gotten a mixed reaction from Thais (you MUST watch it… below). The incident also caught media attention and Thairath made a post on Facebook pairing the clip from the…
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Thailand News Today | Everyone welcome, Golf quarantine approved, 775M for Pattaya | December 9
All countries welcome – Thailand open for business Come one, come all. You’re all welcome back. In response to the dismally low take-up of the Special Tourist Visa, the Thai government has U-turned on a stipulation that only those from “low-risk” countries can apply to re-enter the Kingdom. The special tourist visa is now available to all, regardless of the…
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Around 3.11 million travellers expected to spend 12.6 billion baht during long weekend
Around 3.11 million Thai people are expected to travel during the 4-day weekend which starts tomorrow. The travellers are expected to spend 12.6 billion baht and boost the hotel occupancy rate up by 40%, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. Although, less people are expected to travel to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, with many cancelling…
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Thai senators warn United States politicians not to interfere with Thai affairs
Thai senators are warning United States senators not to meddle in Thai politics and affairs. The warning comes at a time of ongoing pro-democracy protests with calls for monarchy reformation, a taboo and controversial subject in Thai society. They say interference in Thai affairs will hurt Thai-US relations which date back around 200 years. The warning follows a resolution introduced…
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Grab driver fired for photo holding a gun, threatening to social media users
A now-fired Grab driver might face criminal charges after he made posts on social media with threatening messages and a photo of himself holding a gun while wearing the company’s jacket. Grab Thailand says they’ve suspended the driver’s account on the ride-sharing and food delivery mobile application for violating the company’s security and safety protocols. Grab says the driver used…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s legal team to review new activist movement
A new movement, at least their “branding”, by the pro-democracy activist group Free Youth has caught the attention of many after it posted a new logo that resembles the Communist party’s hammer and sickle symbol, either by design or co-incidence. It has also caught PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s attention who says he’s asked his legal team to look into the new campaign…
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Thai government urged to support foreign property buyers with additional incentives
The Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on the government to support foreign property investors, by allowing them to bid for residential units. Nonarit Bisonyabut from the TDRI says the measure would be aimed at off-setting a shortfall in local demand. With foreigners usually having higher purchasing power than Thais, he adds that the number of units offered for bidding…
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Shaken but not stirred – Miss Thailand contestants get an unplanned swim | VIDEO
Luckily no one was hurt but these Miss Thailand beauty queens ended up with an unscheduled dunking whilst parading for the cameras in Chiang Mai. A video captures the face-masked girls, all dressed up in the day’s casual uniform, posing for the cameras and the the moment a bridge snaps, plunging the 30 smiling, but bemused, Miss Thailand contestants into…
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Health minister blasts illegal returnees, downplays epidemic rumours
The Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has slammed a group of Thai nationals who crossed the border from Myanmar illegally, bypassing health checks and quarantine. At least 10 Thai women employed at a hotel and entertainment complex in Myanmar have tested positive for Covid-19 since their illegal return to the Kingdom. Thailand now has a total of 39 cases linked…
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Thailand News Today | Cannabis tourism, Covid in Chiang Rai, PM visits south | Dec 8
Passengers from Chiang Rai-Bangkok flights considered “low-risk” The passengers from 4 flights between Chiang Rai and Bangkok are considered at “low risk” of contracting Covid-19, according to a statement from the Public Health Ministry. But the ministry, through an abundance of caution, is asking all passengers to self-monitor for the next 14 days, and report any symptoms such as fever,…
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4 health care workers in Bangkok test positive for Covid-19
4 health care workers tested positive for Covid-19 after working at alternative state quarantine facilities and hospitals in Bangkok. The medical personnel, ages 25 to 40, tested positive on December 4 and 5 after reporting symptoms of a fever and headache. Public health officials are investigating the cases to see if there were any slip-ups in quarantine protocols. Medical personnel…
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