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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With World Kindness Day just two days away on November 13, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how empathy and care can make a real impact, not just in our relationships but in our health, too. This day is...
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Restaurant operators accept rules for re-opening dine-in services
Restaurant operators are happy to accept new rules for re-opening as laid out by the Public Health Ministry, if it means they can get back to business. The measures are strict and include the need for all customers to show proof of full vaccination. According to a Bangkok Post report, the re-opening of dine-in services would be done under a…
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Manhunt launched for ex-cop who allegedly killed suspect in custody
Thai police are out to catch one of their own, with a manhunt launched for former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon, who is on the run. The ex-cop, previously chief of police in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan, is accused of causing the death by suffocation of a drug suspect in custody. The dead man has been named as 24-year-old…
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Thursday Covid Update: 18,501 new cases and 229 deaths
18,501 new Covid-19 cases and 229 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. There have been 20,606 recoveries recorded over the past 24 hours. Thailand now has 186,934 active cases. Since April 1, the CCSA has reported 1,092,006 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 139 were found in correctional facilities. More than 40,000 inmates at…
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Apply for a business visa in Thailand easily
Are you looking to attain a business visa in Thailand? Don’t worry as The Thaiger’s partner Tadoo is here to help. The business visa is great for those who are looking to enter Thailand for business meetings and/or conferences. Moreover, if you already have a job and are needing to relocate to Thailand with that company, then the business visa…
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Covid delays construction of 3 train lines
The construction of 3 electric train lines has been postponed due to Covid, says the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas, today. The lines are the Orange Line, the Pink Line, and the Yellow Line. Pakapong says the lines were already 4% to 5% ahead of schedule. Now, the project is 2% to 3% slower than scheduled.…
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Purchase of 8.5 million Chinese antigen test kits paused again
Like many things regarding Covid-19, or Thai policy in general, the saga of importing controversial antigen test kits has reversed directions yet again. Following an order last week to proceed with the purchase of 8.5 million Chinese-made antigen test kits, the cabinet has now withdrawn the purchase approval. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha supported the cabinet decision to withdraw the deal to…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 18,417 new cases; provincial totals
18,417 new Covid-19 cases and 297 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,102,368 Covid-19 cases. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,073,505 of those cases. 10,085…
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7 arrest warrants approved for police suspects in Nakhon Sawan torture killing case
A Thai court has approved 7 arrest warrants for police officers in Nakhon Sawan, the northern Thai province. The 7 officers are suspects in the alleged torture and subsequent killing of a suspect. A shocking video allegedly showed the police covering the suspect’s head with a plastic bag until he suffocated to death. The 7 police suspects are: Thitisan…
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Man was burned to death after a fire broke out in his room in Pathum Thani
A 38 year old man was killed in a fire that broke out in his home in Pathum Thani, just outside Bangkok. Firefighters responded to the fire after midnight yesterday morning. It took around 30 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the flames. Udon Pulatabtang’s body was found in front of his room at around 2:30am. Firefighters from the Suan Phrik…
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Horny sea snakes may be confusing divers with female snakes, says new study
A new study says highly venomous olive sea snakes might “attack” scuba divers as part of the snakes’ courtship ritual. The news clears up some of the confusion for divers who have reported interactions with the snakes, which can grow over 2 metres long. The interactions include the snakes chasing and biting the divers. The study, published in Scientific Reports,…
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Covid-19 controls ramped up at Thailand’s wet markets amid rise in infections
Thailand’s Health Department is ramping up screening measures and Covid-19 controls at wet markets across the country amid a rise in infections linked to the venues. Thai PBS World reports that 14,678 infections have been detected at 132 markets across 23 provinces between April 1 and August 10 this year. As a result, officials are using antigen test kits to…
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Health Ministry to propose re-opening dine-in services to vaccinated customers
Thailand’s Health Ministry is to propose allowing restaurants in dark red zones to re-open for in-house dining from September. Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the proposal is based on declining case numbers in recent days. “The Covid-19 situation appears to be improving. Certain restrictions should therefore be lifted.” The Bangkok Post reports that the Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has met with representatives…
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Video of alleged police killing during extortion attempt shared on social media
A video of the alleged police killing during an extortion attempt was shared on social media today by a well-known Thai lawyer. The footage shows officers putting a plastic bag over a man’s head and beating him. Reports say the man died from suffocation, but the district chief allegedly ordered his subordinates to write the death off as drug overdose.…
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80 year old Australian man kicked to the ground in Chiang Mai road altercation
An 80 year old Australian man was assaulted after he smacked a car that almost ran him over. The driver of the car got out of his vehicle and kicked the octogenarian in the back following the older man’s car smacking. Dashcam footage captured the incident that happened in Chiang Mai, the northern Thai province which is hoping to launch…
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Vaccine update: Pfizer available to American veterans, foreigners in Pattaya
The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is now available to American veterans living in Thailand as well as foreign residents in Pattaya who are in the “at risk” groups, according to Democrats Abroad Thailand. The vaccine doses were donated to Thailand from the United States. Two doses of the vaccine are free under the Thai government’s mass immunisation campaign. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya…
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4 year old boy’s body found in Bangkok well
A missing 4 year old boy’s body has been found in a Bangkok well used to mix cement. The boy had been missing since last week and his mother had previously told the Mirror Foundation, a humanitarian organisation, that her son had vanished while she was washing dishes. An investigation was launched following the boy’s disappearance. Eventually, the officials decided…
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Pattaya’s infectious waste continues to accumulate
Pattaya is facing a new problem besides its growing number of Covid cases. The city by the Gulf of Thailand is amassing a vast amount of infectious waste, which has increased the garbage disposal problems the city is encountering. Manoj Nongyai, the deputy mayor who also oversees the city’s environment office, said today that prior to the Covid pandemic, Pattaya…
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Rural Doctor Society praises antigen test kits, says they must be accurate
The frequently vocal Rural Doctor Society has raised a new concern. The society’s chairperson, Dr Supat Hasuwankit, wrote an open letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday to remind the PM that the 8.5 million rapid antigen tests kits that are being obtained by the National Health Security Office by way of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, needs to meet standards that…
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Probe into alleged mishandling of Red Bull heir fatal hit-and-run case is underway
The investigation into the alleged mishandling of the 2012 fatal hit-and-run case where the Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya allegedly sped through Thong Lor, running over a police officer with his Ferrari, is underway and is expected to be closed in 16 months. Boss managed to evade justice and has since fled the country. Now, 15 senior police officers,…
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TAT plans to launch Chiang Mai tourism plan in October
Chiang Mai is getting ready to launch a “Bubble and Sealed” tourism plan where visitors can travel to 4 districts in Chiang Mai, the northern Thai province. The plan comes by way of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The 4 districts are the Mueang District, the Mae Rim district, the Mae Taeng district, and the Doi Tao district. The opening…
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Don’t spray ethyl alcohol on your food, warns FDA
Thailand’s FDA is cautioning people against spraying ethyl alcohol onto their food, under the misguided belief that this will get rid of Covid. While used in the making of sanitiser gel and other products, ethyl alcohol is not supposed to be eaten as it is toxic. The TFDA says there are different grades of alcohol, such as food-grade alcohol, which…
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Red Shirts to lead anti-government “car mob” protest on Sunday
An anti-government protest planned for Bangkok on Sunday will be led by 2 prominent Red Shirt activists, ahead of a no-confidence debate in parliament. The Bangkok Post reports that Sombat Boonngamanong and Nattawut Saikuar will lead the “car mob” rally, which will take place at 2pm in front of the Thai PBS office on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. Posting on Facebook,…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 17,165 new cases and 226 deaths
17,165 new Covid-19 cases and 226 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Another 20,059 patients were marked as “recovered” in the 24-hour period since the last count. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,055,088 Covid-19 cases.…
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Covid-19 task force to debate partial re-opening of Thailand in line with PM’s pledge
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is expected to debate a plan to re-open the country before the end of the year, in line with the PM’s pledge last June. Back then, Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed to re-open the country within 120 days, but Covid-19 infections have risen significantly since those words were uttered. Despite this, the Bangkok Post reports that…
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Thousands of Covid relief bags handed out, funded by donated salaries from PM and other ministers
Thousands of Covid-19 relief bags are being handed out to those in vulnerable groups. The bags were funded by donated salaries from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, other cabinet ministers, and the Government Spokesperson’s team, as well as by donations from the private and public sectors. Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri says the care packages are being distributed to 6,800 people in vulnerable…
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Monday Covid Update: 17,491 new cases; provincial totals
17,491 new Covid-19 cases and 242 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 22,134 recoveries from Covid-19 have been reported. There are now 195,454 people being treated for the coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 1,066,786 Covid-19 infections. The latest and most…
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UPDATE: Gunman holds two people hostage on Bangkok bus
UPDATE: The man who allegedly hit a bus conductor in the head with a gun and held two people hostage at gunpoint told police he was stressed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Coconuts Bangkok. The suspect, Pheeranat Saengchan, who is around 23 or 24 years old, also tested positive for drugs. He was charged with drug use and coercion…
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Police arrest 35 protesters after clash at Bangkok’s Din Daeng intersection
In another clash with riot police at Bangkok’s Din Dang intersection, where numerous protests against the government have taken place, at least 35 protesters were arrested yesterday. A report from the Bangkok Post says a group of young activists on motorcycles called “Mob Thalugaz,” which means “mob that goes through tear gas,” drove to the intersection at around 5pm and…
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Man holds 2 people hostage on Bangkok Bus, driver allegedly dips out early to do paperwork
A 24 year old man commandeered a Bangkok bus with a gun holding the conductor and a passenger hostage last night. The gunman surrendered early this morning after a standoff that took hours to resolve with Lat Phrao police. The negotiations reportedly sped up when the man’s mother talked him into surrendering. Police were notified at 9:30 last night that…
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Monday Covid Update: 17,491 new cases and 242 deaths
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 17,491 new Covid-19 cases today and 242 coronavirus-related deaths. A total of 1,037,923 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since April 1, the start of the latest and most severe wave of the coronavirus in Thailand. There are now 195,454 people being treated for Covid-19. The number of active cases has been on…
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