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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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....
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Forensic doctor denies ‘signs’ Thai TV actress Tangmo was hit in the head
A recent autopsy on the body of the Thai TV actress known as “Tangmo” shows that there was no sign she was hit in the head with a hard object before drowning in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok last month, says a forensic doctor who examined the body of the 37 year old celebrity. There were reportedly no broken…
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Government ramping up vaccination of the elderly ahead of Songkran holiday
Health authorities in Thailand are accelerating the Covid-19 vaccine rollout for the elderly population ahead of the Songkran holiday in April. Sumanee Wacharasin from the CCSA says the government wants to ensure people over the age of 60 receive a booster dose to maintain high immunity. The move comes as many people plan to return home, reuniting with elderly relatives…
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As Thailand’s fuel prices spike, stockpile raised
As Thailand’s fuel prices continue to spike, officials have announced that the government will extend fuel stockpiling. Thailand’s Deputy PM and Energy Minister said in a meeting yesterday that the government has instructed oil companies to extend stockpiling of oil reserves from 60 to 70 days to help defuse a pending crisis. He said Thailand will keep its policy of…
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End in sight for Thailand Pass once Covid-19 declared endemic – TAT
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says tourism numbers may need to be revised down due to the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which includes surging oil prices and rising inflation. Yuthasak Supasorn adds that entry restrictions will be relaxed in stages as officials move to declaring Covid-19 endemic. Cabinet has already approved a Public Health Ministry…
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Four fingernails from body of revered monk stolen, one has been returned
Four fingernails from the body of the revered monk Luang Phor Hong were stolen, and so far one fingernail has been returned. The corpse of the Isaan monk, who died at age 97 back in 2014, is kept in a glass coffin which is opened only once a year for an annual robe-changing ceremony at Wat Phetchaburi temple in Surin,…
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Bangkok women activists call on Prayut to amend Thailand’s maternity leave law
On Tuesday, International Women’s Day, networks of women’s rights groups in Bangkok called on PM Prayut to amend Thailand’s current maternity leave law. Under the current law, women are paid for 90 days of leave. Women’s rights activists want this changed to 98 days. The spokeswoman for the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare said the department will discuss the…
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Royal Thai Air Force says Thailand needs new fighter jets for national security
New fighter jets are needed to improve Thailand’s national security and replace the current aircraft that are due to be decommissioned, according to the Royal Thai Air Force. The air force started a 10-year plan to decommission fighter jets in 2021, cutting the fleet in half by 2032. Officers say new jets are needed for main air defence operations. The…
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Tangmo memorial services: livestream link and QR codes
Three days of Christian memorial services for Thai actress Nida Patcharaveerapong aka “Tangmo” (แตงโม) are scheduled to take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 11-13, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm each day, at Liberty Church Bangkok in Saphan Sung district, Bangkok. The services are open to family, fans, the general public and the media. The church building can accommodate 3,000…
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Thursday Covid Update: 22,984 new cases; provincial totals
74 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,512 with 1,814 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,984 new Covid-19 cases and 24,161 recoveries. There are now 220,334 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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SEADS 2022: New ADB study on ‘Southeast Asia rising from the pandemic’
Press Release KEY TAKEAWAYS SEADS 2022 will be headlined by experts in government, development, and the private sector to discuss novel approaches that can help countries build back better from the pandemic. #SEADS2022 will focus on actionable solutions supporting three lynchpins of the region’s recovery: addressing debilitating supply chain bottlenecks; rejuvenating the region’s once-flourishing tourism industry, and advancing digital transformation.…
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Hospital accidentally mistakes bedridden patients, sends body to the wrong family
A woman went to visit her father at a hospital, but when she came by, she found that the patient the hospital had identified as her father was not him. She found out later that the hospital accidentally switched the identification information for two Covid-19 patients. Her father had died back in January and his body may have been sent…
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Police strap on PPE gear after finding herbal drug for Covid at fatal road accident scene
Police stepped away from a man’s body who died in a road accident after they found the herbal medicine Fah Talai Jone, which is touted by many Thais to be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Those at the accident scene then dressed in personal protective gear as a preventative measure. An ATK test was later done on the body and…
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1 killed, 3 injured in oil tanker fire at Chao Phraya River pier in Samut Prakan
One person was killed and three were injured when an oil tanker caught fire following an explosion on the vessel. The tanker was docked at a pier on the Chao Phraya River in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok, when there was a sudden explosion. Three people were able to escape while another person was reported missing. Human remains were…
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Thai government to ease tax rules for investments in digital assets
The Thai government has approved the easing of tax rules for digital assets in order to promote and develop the industry. The move comes amid a surge in cryptocurrency trading in the kingdom, according to a Reuters report. Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says the relaxed rules means cryptocurrency traders can offset annual losses against gains in the case of taxes…
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Villagers in Pathum Thani flock to rice fields to dig for crabs after summer storm
Villagers picked up their spades today and took their children out to the rice fields to dig for crabs after a summer storm passed in Pathum Thani province, just northeast of Bangkok. Heavy rainfall brought crabs to the surface of the soil which made for a fun family activity while many children are out of school due to the Covid-19…
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Bang Sue offering walk-in vaccination, with choice of vaccine, for Thais and foreigners
Covid-19 vaccines are now available at Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand station, with no appointment necessary, regardless of which dose is required. The Central Vaccination Centre says inoculation is available to both Thais and foreigners, who can also choose which vaccine they want. The move is in response to a surge in infections, including a spike in those developing lung infections…
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Government health officials approve plan to make Covid endemic in Thailand by July
The Public Health Ministry’s plan to make Covid-19 endemic in Thailand by July 1 has been given the green light. The plan was approved yesterday by the National Communicable Disease Committee, giving Thailand under 4 months to downgrade the virus from pandemic status. According to health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand is adopting a policy of safeguarding the health of both…
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Tourism officials not bothered by US advice to citizens to avoid travel to Thailand
Tourism officials have shrugged off a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notice which advised citizens to avoid travel to Thailand. Earlier this week, the US CDC added Thailand to its list of Level 4 countries, due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation in the kingdom. However, Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says that won’t make much…
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Thai Navy helps bring crew of gas tanker back to shore after more than a year at sea
The Thai Navy helped five crew members on a gas tanker get to shore after one complained that they had been on board the vessel for 13 months without leave. The Schumi 7 liquefied petroleum gas tanker, en route for Bangladesh, was redirected to a boat pier at Ao Makham Bay in Phuket. Noppadol Boonmee, a crewman on the vessel, had…
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Number of calls increases, Thailand’s Covid hotline struggles to keep up
Since Covid-19 cases soared in recent weeks due to the highly infectious Omicron strain, the hotline has been getting around 40,000 and 70,000 calls each day, with inquiries requesting beds and medical treatment. Several people were unable to get through due to the huge volume of calls received each day and the lack of corresponding employees to meet the demands.…
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Health department warns pregnant women with Covid-19 “don’t take Favipiravir”
Thailand’s Department of Health advises pregnant women with Covid-19 not to take the anti-viral medication Favipiravir. The department’s director-general said especially during the first trimester, Favipiravir might affect fetuses. He said the drug is usually only given during the last quarter of pregnancy, on a case-by-case basis. The department advised pregnant women who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and…
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Phuket welcomes first group of Test & Go tourists travelling by sea
Phuket welcomed its first group of Test & Go travellers entering the island province by sea and tourism officials say more visitors travelling on cruise ships and yachts will be entering under the quarantine exemption scheme. On March 1, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration eased travel restrictions, allowing Test & Go travellers to enter Thailand by land and sea,…
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Koh Kut mayor says smoke detector didn’t work when villa caught fire
The luxury villa in Koh Kut that burned to the ground, with guests narrowly escaping the flames, was equipped with smoke detectors and alarms, but they weren’t working, according to the island’s mayor, Dechathorn Chanob. All guests escaped the fire at Soneva Kiri resort on Koh Kut, off the coast of the eastern province Trat, but many guests, including famous…
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SEADS provides sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery
Press Release The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is hosting the Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2022—Sustainable Solutions for Southeast Asia’s Recovery on the 16th and 17th of March. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming SEADS 2022 event. What is SEADS? The Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) is an annual flagship knowledge event organized by the Asian Development…
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Tangmo witness Robert admits he ‘lurched’ boat forward, sending actress overboard
One of the five boat buddies — i.e. “witnesses” — of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong has confessed to causing the vessel to “lurch,” tossing the celebrity actress overboard where she drowned in the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi on the night of February 24, the Bangkok Post reported police as saying Tuesday. Phaiboon “Robert” Trikanjananun, told investigators he had…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,073 new cases; provincial totals
69 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,438 with 1,740 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,073 new Covid-19 cases and 24,747 recoveries. There are now 221,585 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Call centre set up to help Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Phuket
With a number of Russian and Ukrainian expats and tourists in Phuket, a call centre has been set up in the island province to help those who may need assistance during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Those who need assistance can call 0939372086 or 0948191124. A local tourism official says the centre is prepared to help Ukrainians and…
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Pattaya business owners claim authorities issued fake, overpriced SHA+ certificates
A number of business owners in Pattaya say they were duped into buying fake documents to certify that they meet standards set by Thailand’s Safety and Health Administration. When authorities inspected their businesses, they discovered the SHA+ documents had been fabricated. Some say they even paid thousands of baht to have the certification process expedited. Around 20 business owners from…
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Fast-food chain A&W to close all branches in Thailand following huge Covid losses
The American fast-food giant A&W looks set to close all 26 branches in Thailand as the economic fallout of Covid-19 takes its toll. According to a Nation Thailand report, Global Consumer Plc, which owns the Thai franchise, is seeking board approval to close all branches in the kingdom. Global Consumer’s annual report shows that last year alone, A&W outlets in…
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Body of dead baby with children’s toys found in freezer at Chiang Mai home
The body of a baby has been found in a freezer at a home in Chiang Mai along with children’s toys. The baby was stillborn and a report from the Bangkok Post says police suspect the father put the body in the freezer more than a year ago. A man cleaning and renovating his 83 year old mother’s house found…
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