Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Two foreign travellers wanted by Phuket authorities, Covid-positive and left hotel quarantine
Two French travellers are wanted by Phuket authorities leaving their hotel quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19. Thai media used a word meaning “escape” and posted mugshots of the man and woman like suspects on a wanted criminal poster. Authorities have asked those who have seen the travellers, who are both around 35 years old, to contact the Patong Police…
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More than 100 soldiers test positive for Covid-19 at Isaan camp
More than 100 soldiers at a camp in the Isaan province Khon Kaen have tested positive for Covid-19 after trips during the New Year holiday. A doctor from the provincial public health office says there are now isolation areas set up at the camp to house the infected soldiers. Reports in Thai media say 124 soldiers at the camp tested…
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Thai industry body confident government will curb spread of Omicron variant
The Federation of Thai Industries says it believes the government can slow the rate of Covid-19 infection, despite the alert level being raised yesterday. The level moved from 3 to 4, with officials asking people to work from home if possible and to avoid all non-essential travel. However, Kriengkrai Thiennukul from the FTI is confident Thailand will cope. “The FTI…
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Restaurant alcohol sales, tightening quarantine on CCSA agenda today
It’s an all-too familiar scenario at this stage, and one that will have restaurateurs and others in the hospitality and tourism sectors putting their heads in their hands. While we must emphasise that nothing is confirmed yet, the CCSA meets today to consider a number of tough curbs proposed by the Public Health Ministry. Based on Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s…
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6.2 billion baht earmarked by Exim Bank for bailout for airlines
Local airlines are getting a cash injection as the Export-Import Bank of Thailand has given over 6.2 billion baht to keep them afloat and planes in the sky. The financial assistance is aimed to increase liquidity and restructure airline debt to stay solvent through the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Exim Bank president. The bank is starting out by…
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Bodies of Thai model and unidentified woman found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River
The bodies of a Thai model and an unidentified woman were found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River by two of the capital’s most popular shopping centres. The model’s body was found by the Asiatique: The Riverfront Pier while the woman’s body was found by the ICONSIAM Pier. Thai model Kendo Kullapat was reported missing on Tuesday. Some Thai designers and…
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Norwegian man in Thailand guilty for scamming Norway’s Covid-19 compensation scheme
A Norwegian man living in Thailand was found guilty by the Oslo District Court for scamming the Norwegian government’s Economic Covid-19 Compensation scheme by claiming lost revenue for fake companies. The court sentenced the man to three years and nine months in jail. Reports to do not identify the man, but say he is in his 50s carried out the scam…
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3.7 million Moderna vaccines arriving in January, 1.3 million today
Jabby New Year’s! The start of 2022 will see a total of 3.7 million Moderna vaccines arriving in Thailand to continue to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, with the first 1.3 million doses arriving today. Zuellig Pharma Therapeutics, the distributers of the Moderna vaccine will be delivering the 3.7 million vaccines in 3 shipments to the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and private…
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Public Health Ministry pushes for January 15 cutoff for Test & Go
Thailand’s Health Public Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is proposing the cutoff date for those travelling under the Test & Go scheme be set to January 15. The government had previously discussed setting January 10 as the last day for approved travellers to enter under the quarantine exemption programme, but no date has been finalised. The Centre for Covid-19…
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Dr Yong: Omicron spike imminent, get booster to end pandemic
Dr Yong Poovorawan, the chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University and Thailand’s top virologist authority, advised the people of Thailand to expect a dramatic increase in Covid-19 in Thailand, especially of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. His view is similar to that of Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul,…
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Anutin: rise in Covid-19 infections is from careless New Year’s
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul says that the surge in new Covid-19 infections is to be expected after the New Year’s holiday, but the fact that the number of daily deaths has not risen significantly is it good sign following current scientific data that reveals that the Omicron variant is more transmissible but less severe than the currently dominant…
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Pattaya prepares “hospitel” beds, reviews home isolation measures after Covid spike
With a surge of cases in Chon Buri, Pattaya officials are planning to open up more hotel isolation centres, known as hospitels, and are reviewing measures for home isolation for those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms to help curb the spike in cases. In Chon Buri today, health officials report nearly 800 Covid-19 cases with more than 4,000…
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333 lives lost on Thailand’s roads over end-of-year holiday period
While the government frets over the Omicron variant, 333 people died in road traffic accidents during Thailand’s so-called “7 dangerous days” during the end-of-year holiday. The official figures, reported by Nation Thailand, were released by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The department says there were 2,707 road traffic accidents reported between December 29 and January 4, with 2,672…
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HIRING: The Thaiger is looking for a writer to join our English-language news team
The Thaiger is looking for a writer to join our diverse team covering breaking and general news in Thailand. As a full-time news writer, you will work closely with our English-language news team at our office in Bangkok’s Asoke area. Requirements… Native English speakers are preferred, but those with strong English-language skills are welcome to apply Journalism background or an…
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Government considers new restrictions as Omicron infections rise across Thailand
The Thai government fears a surge of “tens of thousands” of new Covid-19 infections, according to a Reuters report. The report says officials are considering implementing new disease prevention measures such as a ban on alcohol sales in restaurants and limiting large gatherings. Yesterday, Thailand reported 3,899 new Covid-19 cases, with data showing Omicron infections have tripled compared to last…
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Investigation finds no evidence PM paid MPs for votes
A House Secretariat investigation says it’s found no evidence that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha paid MPs to vote for him. The probe was in response to an accusation from an opposition politician in September. Wisarn Techathirawat, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, accused the PM of paying 5 million baht to a number of MPs in return for votes of…
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Thailand sees 32,627 travellers in 2022, Russians top the list
As the future of the Thailand reopening hangs in the balance, travellers rushed to get into the country before the doors are pulled shut any further. Russia led the entries into the Kingdom with a few surprising countries making the top 10 list. 32,627 people have entered the country this year, from January 1 to January 4, bringing with them…
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Virologist explains reduced potency of Omicron infections
A leading virologist and health expert in Thailand has laid out his beliefs on Omicron’s lack of potency and why it’s a step in the right direction. Dr Yong Poovorawan is the chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University. He has served as a top advisor on Covid-19 in Thailand…
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Half-Half subsidy programme 4th phase starting in March
The very popular Covid-19 financial relief programme Half-Half or 50:50 will be continued, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance. The spokesperson said the ministry is preparing the fourth phase of the programme, expected to launch in March. The plan that launched last year simultaneously aided people in need with meals and stimulated the small business economy by…
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Thailand’s traditional “Nora” dancers call for ban on performances to be lifted
Dancers of Southern Thailand’s traditional folk dance are asking the governor of Trang, a coastal province along the Andaman Sea, to allow them to perform. Due to disease control measures in place over the past eight months, Nora dancers have not been allowed to perform and now say they are struggling financially. Dressed in their colourful Nora costumes, the dancers…
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Despite social media rumours, PM Prayut denies having Covid-19
Don’t believe the hype! A government spokesperson responded to rumours by denying that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has become infected with Covid-19. The rumours have been swirling around on Thai social media that the prime minister has the Coronavirus. The spokesperson for the government emphatically denied the online claims and confirmed that the PM Prayut is in perfect health with no…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 3,899 new cases; provincial totals
19 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,769 with 21,675 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,899 new Covid-19 cases and 2,508 recoveries. There are now 34,877 people in Thailand being…
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What to do if you test positive for Covid-19 in Thailand
Taking at-home Covid-19 tests on a regular basis as become the “norm” this week after many people travelled and met with friends and family during the New Year holiday. Officials are anticipating an uptick in Covid-19 cases, and some areas, like Bangkok and Phuket, have even prepared facilities to house patients. Here’s what to do if you test positive for…
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Suspension of Test & Go entry scheme will “definitely” continue, spokesperson says
Suspension of the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme will “definitely” continue, a spokesperson said during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration press briefing. More details and a possible cutoff date for approved travellers will be discussed and finalised on Friday at the general CCSA meeting, which is usually chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Registration closed for both the Test…
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Indian tourists who left Chon Buri before receiving positive test result found in Bangkok
Like wanted criminals, the mugshots of two Indian travellers were posted on a graphic released by the Chon Buri Health Department. Why? Because they tested positive for Covid-19. And after a search highly publicised in Thai media, the 30 year old and 32 year old were found in Bangkok. The two travellers entered Thailand through the Test & Go quarantine…
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Covid cluster linked to bar puts pressure on Isaan healthcare system
CORRECTION: An earlier report incorrectly gave the location of the bar, Ekkamai487. The bar is in Ubon Ratchathani. A recent Covid-19 cluster from a local bar is putting pressure on the healthcare system in the Isaan province Ubon Ratchathani. Out of the 315 new cases reported today in the northeastern province, 48 are linked to the local gastropub Ekkamai487. Under…
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Omicron Update: 2,062 infections in 54 Thailand provinces
Thailand and hope to avoid an outbreak of Omicron for as long as possible, but the highly transmissible variance spread was unavoidable. Now there are over 2,000 cases of Omicron infections across 54 provinces in Thailand according to the Department of Medical Science. DMS Director-General Dr Supakit Sirilak discussed the spread of Omicron and detailed the provinces with the most…
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Officials postpone activities for National Children’s Day as Omicron spreads
The Education Ministry has decided to postpone all official activities planned to mark National Children’s Day this Saturday. According to a Thai PBS World report, the decision was taken as a result of the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong says the activities are not being cancelled permanently and will go ahead at a later…
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Health minister calls for re-opening of bars, nightclubs to be pushed back
Thailand’s Health Minister says the re-opening of nightlife venues should be postponed given the number of businesses that failed to implement disease prevention measures. Anutin Charnvirakul’s suggestion comes as a number of clusters of the Omicron variant have led to major outbreaks and can be traced back to bars and restaurants in a number of provinces. Anutin says there is…
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No confirmed date for resumption of Test & Go as Omicron infections spread
The government currently has no plans to resume the Test & Go scheme, which allows vaccinated travellers from approved countries to enter Thailand with minimal quarantine. Travellers who have already been approved for the Thailand Pass through Test & Go must enter the country by January 10. After that, the only way in will be through the sandbox scheme, currently…
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