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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  • Songkran holiday eerily quiet after Covid mutes celebrations

    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…

  • Thailand stocking up on Covid-19 drugs, private jabs may arrive later this year

    Thailand stocking up on Covid-19 drugs, private jabs may arrive later this year

    Thailand is stockpiling Covid-19 treatment, including the antiviral medication, Favipiravir, as a third wave of Covid-19 spreads across the country. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says is it is distributing supplies of Favipiravir to hospitals and placing more orders for the drug. It currently has 411,200 tablets in stock and has ordered another half a million. More than 4,000 people have…

  • Thailand News Today | Tour bus disaster, Covid infections drop slightly | April 13

    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…

  • Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority announces health and safety regulations

    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…

  • Covid UPDATE: Daily infection number drops slightly on Tuesday

    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…

  • Burmese students to hold Bangkok cultural event to support Civil Disobedience Movement

    Burmese students to hold Bangkok cultural event to support Civil Disobedience Movement

    Burmese students in Thailand are holding an art and culture concert to raise awareness and funds for the Civil Disobedience Movement. The concert, called “Myanmar Spring,” will be held on April 24 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The event will help fund the movement, which has staged protests over the February 1 coup in Myanmar by the military.…

  • Off to a field hospital? Here’s what to pack

    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…

  • Thailand News Today | Covid surge continues, possible changes to 90 day reporting | April 12, 2021

    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…

  • Songkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths

    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…

  • The Thaiger joins forces with Masii to bring you hassle-free Thailand re-entry packages and much more

    The Thaiger joins forces with Masii to bring you hassle-free Thailand re-entry packages and much more

    PRESS RELEASE The Thiager and its sister company Tadoo, have announced they will enter a strategic partnership with the Bangkok-based fintech company, Masii. Having joined forces with Masii, The Thaiger aims to provide its 6 million-plus monthly users with exclusive deals and packages such as the Thailand re-entry package, comprising of the Certificate of Entry (COE), Covid-19 Travel Insurance and…

  • Covid UPDATE: 985 new infections in Thailand, a small rise since yesterday

    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…

  • Understanding Covid-19 UK variant as it hits Thailand

    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…

  • Top virologist warns of vaccine limitations against South African, Brazilian variants

    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…

  • Health officials outline estimated daily infections based on 5 different scenarios

    Health officials outline estimated daily infections based on 5 different scenarios

    Health officials are using 5 different scenarios, with varying degrees of restrictions, to predict average daily Covid infection numbers in the Thailand, based on the latest rises in new infections over the past month. The Department of Disease Control and International Health Policy Program agency have based their estimates on 4 main measures in 5 different situations, based on predictive…

  • Thai businesses frustrated over limited choice of vaccines, slow pace of rollout

    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…

  • 1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths

    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…

  • Songkran activities cancelled in Ayutthaya due to Covid-19

    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…

  • Thailand Covid UPDATE: 967 new infections announced Sunday

    Thailand Covid UPDATE: 967 new infections announced Sunday

    Thailand’s CCSA have announced 967 new Covid-19 infections today during their daily briefings. The number is another day of gradual increases that has grown. Thailand’s national total has now reached 32,625 total infections, of which 28,214 people have fully recovered. 4,314 people are currently under hospital supervision in Thailand following positive Covid tests. 9 new cases were revealed in Phuket…

  • Many Thais ‘skipping’ Songkran due to the recent clusters

    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…

  • Thailand’s King and PM send condolences to Queen Elizabeth | PHOTOS

    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…

  • Nightlife continues to play a major role in Thailand’s Covid-19 third wave

    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.…

  • Elephants walking from Pattaya to Surin get a lift

    Elephants walking from Pattaya to Surin get a lift

    The families and their 5 elephants that have been walking from Pattaya to Surin have now received some help, and are travelling by truck thanks to an anonymous donor. As previously reported, after more than a year of waiting for borders to reopen from the Covid-19 pandemic and tourism to begin to return, the families were forced to give up…

  • Big Covid-19 numbers today: 789 new infections, 1 death

    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…

  • Thai Airways cuts another 4,250 staff, offering them early retirement

    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…

  • Thailand News Today | Bars closed for 2 weeks start tonight, monitor lizard in 7-11 | April 9, 2021

    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…

  • Private hospitals in Thailand to get 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses

    Private hospitals in Thailand to get 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses

    In addition to the 70 million Covid-19 vaccine doses reserved by the government, private hospitals in Thailand can acquire another 10 million doses. The additional vaccines are needed to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. Both the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, currently used for the government’s vaccination campaign, require 2 doses to be effective. The 70 million doses procured by…

  • CCSA Update: 559 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death. FULL CHART.

    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,…

  • Transport Ministry: refunds to cancel travel for Covid-19

    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…

  • MP claims 2 Cabinet ministers visited Covid-cluster venue in Thong Lor

    MP claims 2 Cabinet ministers visited Covid-cluster venue in Thong Lor

    With a third of the Thai Cabinet in isolation after coming in close contact with Covid-19, a MP claims 2 Cabinet ministers went to a nightlife venue in Bangkok’s Thong Lor where a cluster of Covid-19 infections have been reported. The chair of the House committee on legal affairs, justice and human rights, Sira Jenjaka, says he has photo evidence…

  • Government helps direct refunds for cancelled holiday trips

    Government helps direct refunds for cancelled holiday trips

    For those who are cancelling their holiday trips due to Thailand’s recent Covid-19 outbreak, the government is issuing measures to help with refunds. The Transport Ministry says people who have booked bus and rail-services between the April 9-18 Songkran holiday, can claim full refunds if they want to cancel their trips. But the ministry says people should give at least…