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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  • Protected hornbill dies from gunshot wound, 2 suspects in police custody

    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…

  • Phuket workshop helps residents cope with high stress brought on by the economic crisis

    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…

  • International travel in 2021 is unpredictable – Tourism Authority of Thailand

    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…

  • Deputy PM refutes claim that using lèse majesté law damages Monarchy

    Deputy PM refutes claim that using lèse majesté law damages Monarchy

    Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam has dismissed claims that invoking Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law is damaging to the Monarchy. He insists the law has been in use for years and can be applied in the case of current protesters who violate it through their public speeches. Wissanu was responding to a claim from renowned academic Sulak Sivaraksa, who has slammed…

  • Thailand’s English level drops for the third year – English Proficiency Index

    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…

  • Former WTO director cautions against re-opening Thailand too quickly

    Former WTO director cautions against re-opening Thailand too quickly

    The former director general of the World Trade Organisation has issued a caution against Thailand throwing open its borders too early. Supachai Panitchpakdi says Covid-19 is still very much a threat, pointing to other countries that appear trapped in a cycle of easing restrictions, followed by renewed lockdowns. His comments come as England emerges from a national lockdown, only for…

  • Thailand News Today | Shots fired, the yellow ducks, “no coup” promise | November 26

    Thailand News Today | Shots fired, the yellow ducks, “no coup” promise | November 26

    Today’s news includes some live footage of the explosion and chaos at last night’s rally outside the Siam Commercial Bank building. Here we go with today’s Thailand news. An explosion and gunshots fired at last night’s protest outside the Siam Commercial Bank HQ There were reports of shootings and the throwing of an explosive device, caught on video at last…

  • Royal Thai Army denies claims about Twitter campaign to spread pro-government propaganda

    Royal Thai Army denies claims about Twitter campaign to spread pro-government propaganda

    Following a shutdown of 926 Twitter accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, documents were leaked of what appears to be a contract between the Army and a private company supposedly hired to spread pro-government propaganda. Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae denies the claims and says the Army never hired a company to spread pro-government propaganda through the Twitter accounts. Last…

  • Whale skeleton around 3,000-5,000 years old found in Samut Sakhon

    Whale skeleton around 3,000-5,000 years old found in Samut Sakhon

    A whale skeleton estimated to be around 3,000 to 5,000 years old was found in Samut Sakhon, just west of Bangkok, about 12 kilometres inland from the coastline. The bones will be carbon dated to determine a more precise age. The Natural Resources and Environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa says the bones resemble the Bryde’s whale. About 50 Bryde’s whales live…

  • 10 passengers injured after Bangkok-Chiang Khong bus crashes into tree

    10 passengers injured after Bangkok-Chiang Khong bus crashes into tree

    10 people were injured and sent to the hospital after a bus driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree early this morning. The double-decker passenger bus on the Bangkok-Chiang Khong route was passing through the Phitsanulok province in Central Thailand when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree on the side of the road.…

  • Thai virologist says vaccinating 40 million Thais next year will be a challenge

    Thai virologist says vaccinating 40 million Thais next year will be a challenge

    A prominent Thai virologist has admitted that vaccinating 60% of the population against Covid-19 next year will not be easy. Dr Yong Pooworavan says this is because 40 million people receiving 2 doses each means the country needs access to 80 million doses. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine…

  • Cannabis with very low THC content to be allowed in cosmetics and herbal products

    Cannabis with very low THC content to be allowed in cosmetics and herbal products

    The Food and Drug Administration is drafting a new regulation to allow cannabis and hemp to be used in cosmetics and food products… just not the parts of the plant like the buds that are known to cause euphoric effects. The move is intended to allow cannabis and hemp to be used for production of textiles, garments, medicines and herbal…

  • Ex-Thai Airways official gets fat prison sentence for failing to pay excess baggage fees

    Ex-Thai Airways official gets fat prison sentence for failing to pay excess baggage fees

    You’ll never complain about excess baggage charges after reading this… The former chairperson for Thai Airways has been sentenced to 2 years in jail because he didn’t pay for 300 kilograms of excess baggage back in 2009. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases says Wallop Bhukkanasut abused his authority as chairperson by ordering airline staff to change…

  • Thai PM insists martial law will not be used against protesters

    Thai PM insists martial law will not be used against protesters

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he has no intention of resorting to martial law to put an end to the current political unrest, adding that existing laws provide enough scope for dealing with those who take matters into their own hand. The Bangkok Post reports that he was responding to reporters following a US-ASEAN Business Council meeting at the Ministry…

  • Thailand News Today | No vaccine, no flight, protest latest, smoking ban | November 25

    Thailand News Today | No vaccine, no flight, protest latest, smoking ban | November 25

    The latest on today’s protests and the background as to why the protesters moved from the Crown Property Bureau. All on Wednesday’s Thailand News Today. Protesters flip the location of today’s protest. Counter protests planned. Protesters moved the location of today’s protests to the the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank in Bangkok. When protesters heard about a counter rally to…

  • Health officials call for smoking to be banned in residential buildings in Thailand

    Health officials call for smoking to be banned in residential buildings in Thailand

    Thai health officials are calling for a ban on smoking in residential buildings, such as condominiums, hotels, and dormitories. Those campaigning for a change in the law say it’s needed to protect the health of residents, and children in particular. Paisan Limsathit, from the Health Laws and Ethics Centre at Thamassat University, says residential buildings should be smoke-free in order…

  • Department of Land Transport threatens hefty fines for customised vehicle headlights, taillights

    Department of Land Transport threatens hefty fines for customised vehicle headlights, taillights

    The Department of Land Transport is warning motorists that they may face significant fines if they modify their vehicle’s headlights or taillights. Jantira Buruspat from the DLT says that customising a vehicle’s lights in a manner that contravenes either the Vehicle Act or the Land Transport Act can incur a fine of up to 50,000 baht. He says the reminder…

  • BBC names Thai protest leader Panusaya in global list of 100 most inspiring women

    BBC names Thai protest leader Panusaya in global list of 100 most inspiring women

    The BBC has named prominent Thai pro-democracy activist, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, as one of the world’s 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2020. The BBC’s “100 Women of 2020” list singles out women around the world who are driving change in challenging times. Panusaya is one of 3 Thai women to be listed. As the leader of protest…

  • Thailand eyes first half of 2021 for production of AstraZeneca vaccine

    Thailand eyes first half of 2021 for production of AstraZeneca vaccine

    Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine during the first 6 months of 2021. As part of a technology-transfer agreement signed by the Thai government, Siam Bioscience will be provided with the information for vaccine production. It then hopes to register the vaccine with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration within the next 6 months. The pharmaceutical…

  • Thailand News Today | Holiday road toll, protests tomorrow, GDP recovery | November 24

    Thailand News Today | Holiday road toll, protests tomorrow, GDP recovery | November 24

    There’s been some heavy downpours around sections of Bangkok over the past few days. We start with some video of the flooded streets. Then, into the news… 139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that hundreds of road traffic accidents have taken place over Thailand’s 4 day holiday…

  • 5 month old Indian baby among 2 new imported cases of Covid

    5 month old Indian baby among 2 new imported cases of Covid

    Today, Thailand’s CCSA reports 2 new imported cases of Covid, 1 of which is a 5 month old Indian baby girl, bringing the total number of cases to 3,922 with 0 new deaths. The Centre for Covid Situation Administration reported that the girl arrived on November 11 on the same flight as 2 previously confirmed cases. The baby tested positive…

  • Bad Student protesters highlight patriarchal society where victims are blamed

    Bad Student protesters highlight patriarchal society where victims are blamed

    After Saturday’s rally featuring the Bad Student group, some members have also began highlighting the patriarchal society of Thailand where obedience and submission runs rampant in educational institutions. 20 year old Nalinrat Tuthubthim bravely demonstrated the need for an open dialogue as she adorned an old school uniform while taping her mouth and holding a sign. “A teacher sexually assaulted…

  • 139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents

    139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents

    The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that hundreds of road traffic accidents have taken place over Thailand’s holiday weekend. 139 people have died and 653 have been injured in the course of the 4-day holiday, which was introduced to boost domestic tourism. The Pattaya News report that 455 car accidents have been recorded, with nearly 79% of them being caused…

  • Protester slammed for dressing as schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools

    Protester slammed for dressing as schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools

    2 government MPs have criticised a member of the “Bad Students” protest movement after she dressed as a schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools. In an online protest, the activist donned a school uniform and held up a sign condemning sexual harassment in the Thai education system. Nation Thailand reports that while her actions have generally been supported…

  • UPDATE: Coming to Thailand? Check your insurance and ASQ fine print.

    UPDATE: Coming to Thailand? Check your insurance and ASQ fine print.

    A concerned reader sent us this information, based on his experiences in the ASQ when he arrived in Thailand. We publish them with good faith but would urge everyone to check their insurance situation, whether they’re currently in ASQ or might be in the near future, to check your individual circumstances. AXA has also responded to the comment, we provide…

  • 2 Thai Covid-19 vaccines to proceed to human testing

    2 Thai Covid-19 vaccines to proceed to human testing

    Out of Thailand’s 7 potential Covid-19 vaccines, 2 have successfully completed the animal testing stage and will proceed to human testing. Dr Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the 2 vaccines are the mRNA vaccine from the Chula Vaccine Research Centre and BioNet-Asia’s DNA vaccine. The Chula VRC candidate vaccine is expected to begin human trials in April…

  • Thailand News Today | Dinosaurs in BKK, BOT tackles Baht, Special K isn’t special | November 23

    Thailand News Today | Dinosaurs in BKK, BOT tackles Baht, Special K isn’t special | November 23

    Start of the week, a busy day of news around Thailand with Tim Newton. Bank of Thailand takes action to curb Thai baht’s strength The Bank of Thailand is moving forward measures, originally meant to begin early 2021, but most of which will now take effect from end of this month. The end result is that the new rules will…

  • “Bad Medical Student” group takes to Twitter to discuss downfalls of medical industry in Thailand

    “Bad Medical Student” group takes to Twitter to discuss downfalls of medical industry in Thailand

    A new group, inspired by the Bad Student protesters, has taken to naming itself Bad Medical Students, as it stormed Twitter to reveal the downfalls of studying medicine in Thailand. The hashtag #นักศึกษาแพทย์เลว (Bad Medical Student), has now gained over 86,000 Tweets after the Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai university encouraged the group to voice…

  • 7 new imported cases of Covid in Thailand today, 0 new deaths

    7 new imported cases of Covid in Thailand today, 0 new deaths

    Today, the government is reporting 7 new imported cases of Covid, bringing the total to 3,920 in Thailand with no new deaths. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says all 6 cases were asymptomatic Thai returnees, with the other being a man from Syria. The Thai cases include a woman who returned from Germany on November 7, and tested positive…

  • Covid tourism standstill gives Thailand’s southern sea gypsies a break

    Covid tourism standstill gives Thailand’s southern sea gypsies a break

    Phuket’s sea gypsy communities are getting a much needed break after the Covid tourism standstill have their traditions a break from the tourism onslaught. 42 year old Sanan Changham says now there is an abundance of fish and shellfish to eat. Tourist boats have been docked at the quay, making fishing easier for the Chao Lay, or “people of the…