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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  • Thai actress missing after falling off a Chao Phraya speedboat

    Thai actress missing after falling off a Chao Phraya speedboat

    A Thai actress, who goes by the name Tangmo (water melon), fell from a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII Bridge last night. Authorities are still searching for her body. The speedboat had five others who were travelling with her. She fell in at around 10 pm, in Nonthaburi’s Muang district, just north of Bangkok. She was…

  • Public health secretary says “drugs are not snacks, no Favipiravir given if not necessary”

    Public health secretary says “drugs are not snacks, no Favipiravir given if not necessary”

    Previously, the Public Health Ministry had decided to provide the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to more groups of Covid-19 patients, including patients who had only mild symptoms or no symptoms. However, the ministry secretary told Thai media yesterday that the direction has changed, and Favipiravir will be given to Covid-19 patients “only if necessary”. The authorities also warned of side effects…

  • Friday Covid Update: 24,932 new cases; provincial totals

    Friday Covid Update: 24,932 new cases; provincial totals

    41 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,809 with 1,111 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,932 new Covid-19 cases and 15,774 recoveries. There are now 190,110 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder

    Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder

    An Indian mafia member was arrested in Pattaya after a red Interpol notice. He was allegedly involved in robbery, murder, human trafficking, ransom and money laundering in India. But Thai police have already confirmed that there is no links between the arrested man and the ‘hit job’ on Indian citizen Jimi “Slice” Sandhu on February 4. The Pattaya suspect reportedly…

  • Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams

    Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams

    Pro-democracy protest leader, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, has been freed on 3 months’ bail after proving to the Bangkok South Criminal Court that he needs to sit final university exams. The court had refused to grant bail until the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University issued Parit with a certificate to prove his status. Thai PBS World reports that bail…

  • Thailand’s health ministry wants to declare Covid-19 endemic within 4 months

    Thailand’s health ministry wants to declare Covid-19 endemic within 4 months

    Thailand’s health ministry wants to declare Covid 19 as endemic in the next 4 months, according to a Bangkok Post report. Senior ministry official Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Omicron variant has resulted in a much lower fatality rate than in previous waves and while lung infections are increasing, cases of severe illness are still lower than earlier waves of the…

  • Covid-19 cases rising among children in Thailand ages 5 and under

    Covid-19 cases rising among children in Thailand ages 5 and under

    Covid-19 infections are on the rise among young children in Thailand, with more than 100,000 children ages five and under affected since the pandemic began. Last month, around 1,000 children under six years old tested positive for Covid-19. But that number spiked last week to 6,000 children in that age group infected, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of…

  • Pattaya Music Festival postponed due to a rise in Covid-19 cases

    Pattaya Music Festival postponed due to a rise in Covid-19 cases

    Next month’s Pattaya Music Festival 2022 is being postponed due to the surge in Covid-19 cases which hit 1,250 new infections in Chon Buri today. With the recent decision to hold off the music festival, some are worried authorities may also yet again cancel April’s Songkran festival, the massive water fight celebrating the Thai New Year. Pattaya Music Festival was…

  • 7 men arrested for allegedly posing as monks, asking for cash donations

    7 men arrested for allegedly posing as monks, asking for cash donations

    Seven men are accused of posing as monks to scam residents in the eastern province Rayong by asking for cash donations. Reports say police found the men carrying fake monk identification cards. The seven “monks” were seen as unconventional as they refused to accept food and other offerings, and only accepted money. A local monk then reported them to the…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 23,557 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 23,557 new cases; provincial totals

    38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,768 with 1,070 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,557 new Covid-19 cases and 16,131 recoveries. There are now 180,993 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Cabinet approves the use of chemical castration on repeat sex offenders

    Cabinet approves the use of chemical castration on repeat sex offenders

    The Thai Cabinet approved a bill aimed at preventing repeated sexual offense cases, which includes chemically castrating sexual predators, if at least two medical professionals agree with the procedure and the offender gives consent. MP and spokesperson from the Palang Pracharath Party, Pacharin Sumsiripon, and Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin had proposed the so-called “Sex Act” to prevent repeated sexual offense…

  • Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients

    Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients

    A teenager staying in a community isolation centre while recovering from Covid-19 says she was sexually assaulted by a young man staying in the same room, adding that there were no authorities monitoring the patients. Many of Thailand’s field hospitals and isolation centres have numerous beds made from cardboard boxes all in one large room, like a gymnasium. The 15…

  • Bangkok court rejects bail applications of prominent pro-democracy activists

    Bangkok court rejects bail applications of prominent pro-democracy activists

    Bail applications from anti-government activists Anon Nampa and Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak have been rejected by the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The decision follows an earlier ruling by the Criminal Court that granted bail of 2,079,000 baht in relation to other charges. The pro-democracy Ratsadon group did not have sufficient funds to pay the requested amount and launched an online crowdfunding…

  • Pending bill could help families of disappeared Thai activists take legal action

    Pending bill could help families of disappeared Thai activists take legal action

    A bill awaiting senate approval that criminalises torture and forced disappearances could help parents and partners of missing Thai activists take legal action. Those convicted of political disappearances and torture cases involving death could be imprisoned between 15 and 30 years. After it had been delayed for decades, lawmakers in the house of representatives unanimously passed draft laws on Wednesday.…

  • Thailand working on 4 Covid-19 vaccines that could be ready by 2023

    Thailand working on 4 Covid-19 vaccines that could be ready by 2023

    Thailand is currently developing 4 different Covid-19 vaccines, which could be ready for public use next year. According to a Nation Thailand report, the CCSA was briefed on the progress of each vaccine at its meeting yesterday. Chula-Cov19 is an mRNA vaccine being developed by a team at Chulalongkorn University and has received over 2.7 billion baht in funding from…

  • Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs

    Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs

    Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to lower the insurance coverage required of overseas arrivals, the health minister says the new figure is enough to cover Covid treatment. The mandatory insurance coverage required to enter Thailand will be reduced from US$50,000 to US$20,000 from March 1. Anutin Charnvirakul says the amount was lowered in order to reduce the costs of travelling…

  • Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test

    Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test

    From the start of March, the requirement for the 2nd pre-paid PCR test on Day 5 after your arrival in Thailand will be dropped. But it will instead be replaced with a rapid antigen test you can take yourself (freely and cheaply available at any convenience store). In addition, the required ‘Covid’ insurance will be reduced from $50,000 to $20,000.…

  • Wednesday Covid Update: 21,232 new infections, provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 21,232 new infections, provincial totals

    39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,730 with 1,032 of those fatalities since the start of this year, mostly related to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,232 new Covid infections and 16,662 recoveries. There are now…

  • BREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    BREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    Day 5 PCR test for the Test and Go Program has been scrapped and the mandatory Covid insurance has also been reduced. Tim Newton goes live with the breaking news and answers your questions regarding the Thailand Pass.

  • Covid-19 patients found on Bangkok streets waiting for treatment after cases spike

    Covid-19 patients found on Bangkok streets waiting for treatment after cases spike

    Today, Thailand’s CCSA reported new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours have reached 21,232 with 39 Covid-related deaths. Thai media and volunteer groups are also reporting that the availability of beds is “at a crisis point”. Photos of patients being left to wait for treatment on the street or on temple grounds are also being shared around social media.…

  • Thailand’s businesses appeal to government to lower labour import cost

    Thailand’s businesses appeal to government to lower labour import cost

    Thai businesses say they need more workers, and have appealed to the Labour Ministry to reduce costs of importing migrant workers from surrounding countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. Labour ministers said business operators are concerned that if not enough workers are brought in on time, their businesses won’t be able to meet orders and will have to pay fines. PM…

  • Officials to review Test & Go requirements at CCSA meeting today

    Officials to review Test & Go requirements at CCSA meeting today

    The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to review the country’s entry requirements, with a decision expected on whether to ditch the day 5 PCR test. Under Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme, overseas arrivals are required to take 2 PCR tests, despite already having a negative test result prior to departure from their home country. The first test is…

  • Removal of Covid-19 from universal coverage scheme to be delayed indefinitely

    Removal of Covid-19 from universal coverage scheme to be delayed indefinitely

    A controversial decision to remove Covid-19 from the treatments covered under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme is set to be delayed indefinitely. The delay comes as Covid infections continue to rise nationwide. According to a Bangkok Post report, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed the delay after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. “The government and Public Health Ministry want to…

  • Tourism businesses respond angrily to Covid alert being increased to Level 4

    Tourism businesses respond angrily to Covid alert being increased to Level 4

    Thailand’s tourism operators have slammed the government’s decision to raise the Covid-19 alert to Level 4, accusing officials of damaging domestic travel sentiment. They say people should be allowed to move to “living with the virus” instead of being discouraged from travel and taking a backward step in Thailand’s recovery. Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand says the…

  • Overpriced mangosteens in Phuket go viral on Tiktok – how much per kilo!?

    Overpriced mangosteens in Phuket go viral on Tiktok – how much per kilo!?

    A Thai TikToker has shared a video of a street vendor in Phuket selling mangosteens at the rather steep price of 500 baht per kilogram, considered too expensive for Thai people (or anyone for that matter). The Tiktoker said she didn’t mean to offend the seller by claiming that the price was ridiculously high, but merely sought out other people’s…

  • Monks host funeral for scarecrow named ‘Covid’ to ward off disease

    Monks host funeral for scarecrow named ‘Covid’ to ward off disease

    Well, anything is worth a try at this stage! Monks at a temple in the central Thai province of Suphan Buri have hosted the funeral for a scarecrow, which was named “Mr. Covid Omicron”. Thai locals believed this ceremony could help ward off evil, which is Covid-19 in this case. Residents were scared and worried about the spread of Covid-19…

  • Police arrest key suspect in Nakhon Nayok murders

    Police arrest key suspect in Nakhon Nayok murders

    Standing shirtless in the sun on the roadside, a local man in Nakhom Nayok had a rude awakening this morning when police arrested him as a key suspect in the murder of two men and the wounding of another earlier this month. The man was arrested this morning when around 300 local and provincial officers searched the Bang Somboon area…

  • Top 5 pool villas in Phuket recommended by CBRE

    Top 5 pool villas in Phuket recommended by CBRE

    Sponsored Article Whether you’re looking at Phuket for a permanent home, a vacation villa, or an investment opportunity, we have a range of properties that tick all the boxes necessary for enjoying a luxury lifestyle on the island. In addition to being visually stunning, these pool villas are situated within compounds with solid security, as well as being close to…

  • Star Petroleum vows to seal underwater pipeline and “clean up” oil slicks in Rayong

    Star Petroleum vows to seal underwater pipeline and “clean up” oil slicks in Rayong

    Star Petroleum Refining, the petrochemical company behind 3 separate oil leaks about 20 kilometres off the Rayong coastline, has now been approved by Map Ta Phut Provincial police and Marine Department to seal leaks in their underwater pipeline. The company says that works have begun today, starting with clearing the most recent oil leak of around 12,000 spare metres that…

  • PM Prayut insists former police investigator into human trafficking in Thailand can return from exile

    PM Prayut insists former police investigator into human trafficking in Thailand can return from exile

    Following the human trafficking of Rohingya people at the border of Thailand and Malaysia reported yesterday, PM Prayut declared that Thailand “was serious about human trafficking”, and the situation was “improving”. He also said that the former Thai policeman in exile in Australia, who shared the story about the case back in 2015, left the country “by himself “and insisted…