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 8 Pneumonia prevention tips for expat families in Thailand
With World Pneumonia Day on November 9, it’s the perfect time to consider how you can protect your family from this serious illness, especially in Thailand, where unique climate and seasonal factors come into play. Pneumonia can be especially dangerous...
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Thailand News Today | Prayut acquitted, Chinese probe, Speed limit 120 kph | December 2
The Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha has been acquitted by the Constitutional Court. Full story HERE. Thai Airways to resume flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket After nearly 9 months on the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with problems balancing their accounts, Thai Airways will resume flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Bangkok…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat hit by floods, more rain expected in the South
Flooding in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat has affected thousands of residents with some evacuating their homes due to the rising water level. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected to continue in the South and the Thai Meteorological Department is warning residents in the lower southern provinces to beware of severe conditions that may cause flash floods and…
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Chinese probe collects rock samples from surface of the Moon
The Chinese, like the rest of us, are mostly prohibited from travelling at the moment, but it hasn’t stopped them travelling to the Moon. A Chinese space probe has landed on the surface of the Moon to bring back the first lunar samples in nearly 5 decades. Since the US dropped its Apollo missions to the Moon in 1972, the…
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Thai Airways to resume flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket
After nearly 9 months on the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with problems balancing their accounts, Thai Airways will resume flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Bangkok and Phuket later this month. The flights will start back up on Christmas day. Flights from Bangkok to the 2 key tourist provinces have been grounded since April…
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Speed limit on Thailand’s highways to be increased to 120 kilometres an hour
The government has approved an official increase in the upper speed limit on Thailand’s national and rural highways, with the aim of improving traffic flow. The new maximum speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour has been confirmed by spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul, after the Cabinet approved a draft regulation proposed by the Transport Ministry. If you’ve ever driven on a…
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6 million baht lottery winner chose ticket number after a dream
A grand prize Thai government lottery winner, taking home 6 million baht, says she chose the ticket number after a dream she had. 56 year old Ratri Kadnok, the Krabuangnoi village chief in Nakhon Rachasima, had a dream that she was driving her motorbike and the key broke. When she woke up, she told her son to find a ticket…
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Labour Ministry calls on employers to end discriminatory HIV testing
The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has announced that around 30% of HIV-positive workers have experienced discrimination from bosses because of their status, both during the hiring process and while in employment. The Labour Ministry has responded by calling on employers to end the policy of testing job applicants for the HIV virus, calling the practice discriminatory. According to…
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“ASQ… Paradise?” TAT launches search website to find hotels for a “happy quarantine”
“Quarantine paradise” sounds like an oxymoron, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand put the two contradictory words together for the new project “ASQ Paradise.” Under the project, a website was launched allowing users to search for alternative state quarantine hotels in Thailand for a “happy quarantine.” TAT partnered with the Thailand-based company Locanation for the website which features 107 ASQ…
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Thailand News Today | No ‘tourism’ until Q2, Tiger smuggling, Win drivers jailed | Dec 1
Thailand will remain closed to general tourism until at least the 2nd quarter of 2021 Kiss any resemblance of general tourism to Thailand goodbye, at least until march next year, at the earliest. That’s the outlook for Thailand’s beleaguered tourism industry from the usually optimistic Minster for Sports and Tourism. So, apart from the STV and the modified 60 day…
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Ferry operators offer discounted trips to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao
Tourist boat operators, Seatran Ferry and Lomprayah High Speed Ferries, are offering discounted trips for groups travelling on the weekdays to the Surat Thani islands Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. From now until December 31, groups of at least 4 people can purchase discounted tickets for inbound trips from Sunday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. 30 baht…
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Doctors warn against internet claims that popular herb cures cancer
Medics from the National Cancer Institute are urging Thai netizens not to fall for internet claims that a herb known as Khao Thong can cure cancer. The herb, with the scientific classification, Houttuynia cordata, is also known as fish leaf or heart leaf, but Jida Rojanamethin from the National Cancer Institute, says social media users shouldn’t believe unsubstantiated claims about…
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Election Commission to investigate charges that Progressive Movement is run as a political party
Political activist Srisuwan Janya is accusing the Progressive Movement of being run like a political party, with its leaders campaigning for members in local elections, in violation of the Political Party Act. The claim has prompted the Election Commission to launch an investigation into the movement. The movement was formed by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich, after their…
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Thailand News Today | Digital Travel Pass, Chiang Mai outbreak, Alcohol ban | November 30
Monday’s edition of Thailand News Today. An international Digital Travel Pass could be the magic bullet to restart global tourism A new international Travel Pass, a sort of digital health certificate, may be the way forward for countries to re-open their borders and international airlines to get their planes back into the air. The International Air Transport Association says the…
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Children injured on Hua Hin carnival ride, no safety certification submitted
3 children were injured when a carnival ride malfunctioned at the Hua Hin Red Cross Festival in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The required safety certification was not submitted and local officials are investigating, according to Mayor Nopphon Wutthikul. Carnival rides now are closed for the duration of the festival. “Preliminary inspection revealed that they had yet to submit safety certification signed…
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Activists say reform is needed to end sexual abuse in Thai schools
Her mouth taped shut. Red marks around her neck. Dressed in a schoolgirl uniform, a woman held a sign saying “A teacher committed sexual abuse against me. Schools are not safe.” The photo from a recent pro-democracy protest quickly spread online, drawing criticism from some while others say reform is needed to end sexual abuse and harassment in Thai schools.…
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Twitter suspends Thai royalist linked account which spread pro-government propaganda
A Thai royalist-linked account was suspended on Twitter following a review by Reuters reporters that found the account spread posts in favour of His Majesty the King and the monarchy in what appeared to be a tactic to sway the public opinion. While ongoing protests are calling on monarchy reform with statements considered unprecedented and taboo in Thai society, Reuters…
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Thai netizens say pro-government royalists carried out Wednesday’s protest shootings
Thailand’s netizens are refuting police’s claims that pro-democracy protesters carried out Wednesday’s rally shootings. The shootings occurred at the rally site near Bangkok’s Siam Commerical Bank head office, where the rally site was originally planned but was then moved after protesters tried to avoid a clash with pro-government royalists. However, shots were fired, with police arresting a suspect on charges…
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Thai protests to continue in full force into December in line with symbolic calendar events
The pro-democracy protests are set to continue well into December, according to Thai security officials. Officials have been preparing to cope with a rise in anti-government activities as symbolic calendar events are coming up. Today the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group says a protest will take place outside the 1st Infantry Battalion on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Phaya…
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Pro-democracy rally leaders questioned over usage of donated funds after injuries
Pro-democracy rally leaders are being questioned by followers over the usage of donation funds after a volunteer protest guard was shot and injured. Netizens took to social media to ask what “fairy godmother” Inthira “Sine” Charoenpura and Pakorn “Hia Bung” Pornchewangkurn were buying with the donation money, prompting them to make an announcement on Thursday. The announcement came after the…
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No vaccine, no entry – the next Covid challenge
OPINION UPDATE: Australia’s national airline Qantas has already said it will impose “proof of vaccine” on all inbound and outbound international flights, a situation that IATA says they will follow. Read more HERE. ORIGINAL POST: The approval of a reliable Covid-19 vaccine will be a game-changer. Over the past 2 weeks there has been several announcements, and a few bumps,…
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Protesters suing Thai PM, police and officials over State of Emergency in October
Protesters and human rights lawyers are officially suing the Thai PM, a deputy PM and other members of the government and police for 3.5 million baht in damages. The lawsuits cover the declaration of a state of emergency that was imposed for a week during October following a major protest where a royal motorcade drove into the path of a…
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“Bad Students” protest group urges pupils to ditch their uniforms
School students are being urged to ditch their uniforms and wear their own clothes from the start of the new term next week. The “Bad Students” protest group has posted an appeal on Twitter, calling on students to wear what they want. “Finally, we can discard the obsolete uniforms and have the freedom to wear personal clothes. To all students,…
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Health Ministry teams up with Agoda to offer quarantine hotel packages
Anyone planning a visit or a return to Thailand can now book their quarantine stay through Agoda, following a deal between the Public Health Ministry and the hotel booking platform. Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha announced the agreement yesterday, at a launch event at the Mövenpick Hotel BDMS Wellness Resort in Bangkok, in the company of Tares Krassanairawiwong from…
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Thousands gather in Bangkok for “anti-coup” protest picnic
Around 5,000 pro-democracy activists gathered at the Lat Phrao intersection in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok last night, to oppose any potential coup, a situation continually denied by the current PM. Last night’s gathering took the form of a picnic, at which mainly north-eastern dishes were served. Protesters described it as a rehearsal against military intervention, with one 18 year…
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9 arrested for allegedly embezzling more than 2.8 billion baht from Railway Club Cooperative funds
Police arrested 9 people involved in the Railway Club Cooperative, including the former chief, on collusion charges for allegedly approving loans behind closed doors to embezzle a total of 2.8 billion baht from members’ funds. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau have been investigating since June 30 of last year. Investigators say the suspects approved loans without calling meetings for…
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Protected hornbill dies from gunshot wound, 2 suspects in police custody
A protected great hornbill died after 5 days of medical treatment for a severe gunshot wound. 2 suspects are now in police custody and officers have seized a .22 calibre rifle, according to Thai PBS. A tourist found the injured bird near the Khiriphet waterfall on Koh Chang. The hornbill, known in Thai as a nok nguek, was treated at…
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Phuket workshop helps residents cope with high stress brought on by the economic crisis
Hundreds of residents in Phuket’s Wichit subdistrict attended a workshop focused on reducing stress from to the pandemic-induced economic crisis. A psychologist was even on site to help those who had extreme mental stress and a Buddhist monk taught meditation techniques to reduce physiological effects of stress. The event was planned in response to an online survey conducted by the…
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International travel in 2021 is unpredictable – Tourism Authority of Thailand
The future of Thailand’s travel industry is “opaque”, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. For once the usually over-optimistic TAT has made a completely honest assessment of the current situation. “There are unpredictable factors that come into play when trying to determine how 2021 will pan out, like the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine, the number of…
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Thai government to sign vaccine contract with Oxford University, AstraZeneca, today
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has confirmed that Thailand will today sign a contract with Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, for the procurement of their Covid-19 vaccine. The PM says the agreement will mean Thais can access the vaccine once it goes into production. This contract is in addition to the agreement signed for the transfer of vaccine technology…
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Thailand’s English level drops for the third year – English Proficiency Index
English skills in Thailand have dropped for the third year in a row with an English language proficiency score considered to be “very low.” In the past year, Thailand’s ranking dropped from 74 out of 100 countries to 89, according to the 2020 English Proficiency Index by EF Education First. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million…
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