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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Sponsored What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Thai Youtuber killed by train in Pattaya
Yesterday, the body of a Thai “Youtuber” was discovered after he was hit by a train in Pattaya. Local police were notified of the accident that took place near the intersection of Soi Siam Country club just after midnight Rescue workers and local media got to the scene to find the body of the Thai man identified as “Beer Apache”.…
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Opposition party suing government for Covid-19 failure
The Move Forward Party has announced that it is suing the government for its alleged mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic now ravaging Thailand. They plan on launching a class-action lawsuit in the coming week to demand compensation for the government’s failure to sufficiently address Covid-19 as the third wave causes record infections and deaths every day. The MFP is a…
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New poll suggests Thais get most of their news from social media or television
A recent Suan Dusit Poll suggests Thai people get most of their news about Covid from social media or television. The survey was conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. A total of 1,270 people were surveyed throughout the country from August 9 to August 12 to determine the public’s interest in “figures and statistics” associated with the Covid situation. On…
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Covid UPDATE: 21,882 new infections, provincial totals
The CCSA has confirmed 21,882 new infections of the Coronavirus and 209 Covid-related deaths around Thailand. 245 of today’s cases were detected in the Thai prison system. 21,106 patients have been released from hospitals and field hospitals. 210,943 patients are currently still under state care, 5,615 people are considered in a critical condition, and 1,172 patients are on artificial respiration…
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Phuket man dies while cleaning fish nets
Over the weekend, a man in Phuket was killed after he was caught in heavy-duty industrial machinery that primarily cleans fishing nets. The accident happened at the Aquaculture Research and Development Center in the Pa Khlok subdistrict. Thitiwat Asasing, from the Thalang Police Station, was alerted to the accident around 3 pm. Thitwat rushed to the scene, followed by rescue…
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CCSA meets today to extend Covid measures, or ease restrictions
Today’s meeting of Thailand’s peak Covid organisations will decide the continuation, or the juggling, of restrictions as the CCSA and government departments grapple with country’s steady, but worrisome, increases in both new infections and deaths over the past month. Currently, 29 provinces are Dark Red Zones, classified as the maximum and strict controlled area designation. The CCSA will meet today…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 21,882 new infections, 209 deaths, new briefs
Today the Thai public health department has announced 21,882 new infections of the Coronavirus and 209 Covid-related deaths. 245 were detected in the Thai prison system. 21,106 patients have been released from hospitals and field hospitals. 210,943 patients are currently still under state care, 5,615 people are considered in a critical condition, whilst 1,172 patients are on artificial respiration –…
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Doctor whose family died of Covid-19 urges private import of vaccines
Dr Sitthiphong Lapanich has lost a lot to Covid-19 and now he’s calling for others besides the government to import vaccines. The doctor has seen the effects of Covid-19, and the lack of effective vaccines, after losing both his parents and his sister to the virus, and is fighting to push the government to allow independent groups to directly import…
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Cancelling delay, GPO will buy 8.5 million Chinese antigen test kits
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has made 2 u-turns in as many days with plans to now go ahead and purchase 8.5 million antigen test kits from a Chinese manufacturer with questionable accuracy. The GPO had originally announced the plan to import Sars-CoV-2 Antigen and Leccurate Antibody Test products by Lepu Medical Technology before changing course and pausing the purchase after…
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Covid UPDATE: 22,086 new infections, provincial totals
The Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care. 60% of people who died in the past 24 hours were 60 years old plus. 18 of the total died at home. The median age…
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Widow of former Prime Minister dies of Covid-19
The widow of former Prime Minister Chatichai, Thanpuying Boonruen Choonhavan, has died early this morning of illness connected to Covid-19. Details around the death of the 101 year old widow are vague, but the announcement was made on Facebook today by her granddaughter. Thanpuying had one daughter who survived her, Vanee, and a son Kraisak who died last year in…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 217 Covid-related deaths, news briefs
This morning the Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care. Provincial totals will be announced early this afternoon. • According to the Ministry of Public Health, Covid-19 patients in Thailand are taking…
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Thai-made subunit Covid-19 vaccine gets ok for human trials
Approval was received to begin testing on human subjects in September for a Covid-19 subunit vaccine created in Thailand by the Vaccine Research Centre of Chulalongkorn University and Baiya Phytopharm Company. The vaccine is the second to be racing to clear testing phases and be used to fight Covid-19 in Thailand. The other, an mRNA vaccine, is being developed by…
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Man allegedly steal employer’s Mercedes in retaliation for mistreatment; family returns car later, Ayutthaya arrest still follows
Yesterday morning in central Thailand, Ayutthaya Railway Police arrested a young man for allegedly stealing his employer’s Mercedes-Benz and driving off to Hat Yai to have it pawned for 40,000 Baht. However, the man’s family had second thoughts about the alleged theft and returned the car a few months later. Around 10:15 am yesterday, Channarong Zainid, the Commander in Chief…
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Digital Sharing Economy Changing Face of Thai Real Estate
Sponsored The pandemic saw a rapid increase in the digitalisation of Thai real estate. As a result, developers have been urged to dig deeper into dynamic data; not only to pivot sales tactics, but to adapt to the tough market conditions in Bangkok’s property sector. Brennan Campbell, CEO of online retail group FazWaz, states; “big data is becoming essential tools for developers or…
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Red Shirt leader urges pro-democracy protesters not to resort to violence
Nattawut Saikuar, the Red Shirt leader, is cautioning young protesters that violent interactions with authority figures may play right into the authorities’ hands. Earlier today, Nattawut broadcasted live on Facebook to share his message of non-violence. He urged the protesters to think through their behaviour carefully. He also announced a car rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.…
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Covid UPDATE: New high of 23,418 infections, provincial totals
Thailand logged 147 new Covid-related deaths and a record high of 23,418 new infections over the past 24 hours. Today’s numbers include 375 prison inmates. Some good news…. 23,649 patients were discharged from hospitals and field hospitals. Today’s 147 new fatalities ranged from 23 years to 108 years of age, made up of 142 Thais and five Burmese nationals. 69% of the…
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Orphaned girls recover from Covid, enter Samut Prakan orphanage
Last month, the tragic story of the 2 young girls who lost their mother to Covid, and how before dying the mother said it was her hope the girls would go to an orphanage, rattled Thailand. Then came the news that the girls had contracted Covid. Now, it is being reported that both girls have made a full recovery and…
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Infestation of Mealybugs leads to China banning Thai longan
China has banned the Thai longan, a fruit that comes in small yellow orbs and when peeled resembles an eyeball, minus the iris or pupil thus its Cantonese name which translates to “dragon eye”, although it could also be argued the fruit looks like a skinless testicle. The anatomically questionable fruit has been banned because of an infestation of mealybugs.…
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Lost man reunited with family after going viral falling in well
They say all’s well that ends well, but sometimes all’s well that begins [in a] well. The bizarre story of a man missing for 15 years being found after going viral because he fell in a well now has come to a happy resolution as he was reunited with his long-lost family. 15 years ago Lamead Mueanmai was 40 years…
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Expert: Half of Thailand infected in 100 days without vaccines
Amid the growing outcry from the scientific community to reroute AstraZeneca vaccines set for export to urgently vaccinate people in Thailand, one expert warns of the harrowing possibility that half of Thailand’s 70 million people could get Covid-19 if we don’t vaccinate at least 40 million people within the next 100 days. Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a leading expert and specialist…
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Government delays purchase of antigen tests following quality concerns
The planned purchase by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization of 8.5 million antigen test kits, which cost 70 baht each, has been delayed as the quality of the tests has come into question. The permanent secretary for health and GPO chairperson, Dr Kiatiphum Wongrajit, said today that “an organisation” had mentioned concerns about the quality of the tests in the media.…
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Phuket man shot in leg and hit with baseball bat, police investigate
Phuket police are investigating an assault in Patong where a man was shot in the leg and smashed in the head with a baseball bat. The Patong Police learned of the assault through a 191 national police hotline just before 6 pm yesterday following a report from rescue workers where they took a wounded man to the Patong hospital The…
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Covid UPDATE: 147 deaths, 22,782 infections, provincial totals
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
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Possible charges for parents of vandals may be coming, police silent on use of rubber bullets/tear gas
Police are contemplating pursuing legal action against the parents of young protesters that allegedly vandalised public property while attending the recent pro-democracy protests in Bangkok. The police kept silent on their use of rubber bullets and tear gas. Piya Tavichai, the Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner, announced at a press briefing today that multiple suspected vandals are teenagers that have been…
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Bangkok mother and son arrested for fraud
Yesterday, a mother and son were arrested in Bangkok after the son allegedly pretended to sell discounted AirPods online while using his mother’s account for transferring funds. The unnamed 33 year old son had posted on Facebook that he had AirPods for sale at 5,500 baht a pop, a sale from their “normal” retail price of 8,900 baht. However, the…
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Ayutthaya ambulance driver tests positive for Covid…again
An ambulance driver from central Thailand’s Ayutthaya province has reportedly tested positive for Covid twice in a 1 month period. The 39 year old ambulance driver, “Wachira”, recently tested positive for Covid. This was a “surprise” for the Wachira as it wasn’t his first time testing positive. The man says he had previously tested positive when other medical officials also…
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Phuket murder suspect charged with attempted rape
Yesterday, Phuket police charged Teerawat Thothip, the 27 year old accused of killing a Swiss tourist, with attempted rape. The commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Kitrat Phanphet, says there is enough evidence to substantiate an attempted rape charge against Teerawat. Last Saturday, Teerawat was arrested following the police’s discovery of Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf’s body 2 days prior. Kitrat says the…
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Covid UPDATE Thursday: 147 Covid-related deaths, 22,782 infections
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat man arrested for allegedly possessing 2 illegal firearms
Today, a man in the Southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was arrested after police searched his dwelling and located 2 firearms. Serm Kwannimit, the deputy provincial police chief, says, officers were responding to information that military-grade weapons were being sold at 20 year old Teeradet “Bang Jack” Chuhai’s house. Police found an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm…
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