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 The real cost of being a digital nomad in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for digital nomads, known for its affordable living, lively culture, and modern facilities. With its warm climate, great food, and friendly communities, it's an ideal place for remote workers to balance work and travel. However,...
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“Sandbox” entry scheme to remain at 7 days, CCSA reverses move to cut down stay
The period of stay under the “sandbox” entry scheme will continue to be seven days. The CCSA approved to cut the period down to five days but tightened measures after the emergence of the Omicron variant. Under the entry scheme, travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter and roam freely in a designated province or area, such as…
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Public Health Ministry reports a total of 8 confirmed Omicron cases in Thailand
Thailand has recorded eight Omicron cases since the country reported the first Omicron infection on December 1. While it’s not a lot, the emergence of the variant has led the Thai government to tighten travel restrictions and disease control measures for entry to prevent Omicron from being imported into the country. According to the Public Health Ministry, all Omicron cases…
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Covid control zoning revised: No more “red” zones, Chon Buri now “blue” reopening area
With Covid-19 infection rates on a downward trend and active cases at the lowest it’s been since late-June, the CCSA revised it’s colour-coded zoning scale for managing the outbreak and now no provinces are classified as “red” zones under maximum control. Under the revised zoning, there are now 39 provinces classified as “orange” controlled zones and 30 provinces classified as…
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Monday Covid Update: 3,398 new cases; provincial totals
23 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,194 with 21,100 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 3,398 new Covid-19 cases and 5,467 recoveries. There are now 49,524 people in Thailand being…
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Indian actress almost denied entry at Bangkok airport for not having a printed document
A famous Indian actress says she was almost denied entry to Thailand for apparently not having a document printed out. Travellers are required to obtain a Thailand Pass QR code to present at the airport upon arrival, but the actress, Vanitha Vijayakumar, says she needed to have a document printed out for her Visa on Arrival. The 41 year old…
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Cheers! Alcohol sales at approved venues allowed until 1am during New Year holiday
Those in Thailand will be able to ring in 2022 with a drink in hand. Alcohol sales at restaurants and venues certified as “Covid Free Settings” will be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks until 1am on New Year’s. During its general meeting today, the CCSA decided to allow alcohol consumption during the holiday, but only at open air venues under…
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Thailand looks to loosen laws on cannabis with low THC content
As Thailand gets more cannabis friendly, with a boom in products stamped with a pot leaf logo, cafes selling cannabinol tea, even Pizza Company is selling a “Crazy Happy Pizza,” the government looking to loosen laws even more on the once criminalised plant. Parts of the plant with low traves of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol, like the leaves and stem,…
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Thai government happy with results of economic stimulus measures
A spokesman says officials are pleased with the results of 4 economic stimulus measures introduced by the government. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says over 41.3 million citizens have spent over 223.82 billion baht, thanks to the 4 schemes, describing the results as satisfactory. The stimulus campaigns were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic in an attempt to boost the economy and help those…
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Wildlife academics welcome Supreme Court verdict in Premchai case
Academics have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a lower court’s sentencing of the former boss of Italian-Thai Development. Premchai Karnasuta and 3 of his staff have been sentenced for the killing of protected wildlife in a Thai national park. According to a Bangkok Post report, the construction boss and his team were given permission to enter the Thungyai…
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What vaccines and mixing is accepted to enter Thailand now?
The Ministry of Interior has laid out the most current rules for what Covid-19 vaccines and infection recoveries qualify people to enter Thailand. They included the most up-to-date list of which brands of vaccines are excepted and what stipulations Thailand has for international travellers to enter the kingdom, current as of December 11. With the exception of the Janssen vaccine…
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NIDA Poll: majority oppose legalising gambling and casinos
The National Institute of Development Administration released a poll recently that showed that the majority of Thai people are opposed to the legalisation of casinos and gambling. The NIDA poll showed that most people think that online gambling and video games with betting should also remain illegal. 1,318 people were surveyed by telephone between December 6 and December 8 for…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: Positive numbers all around, lowest deaths since third wave
Today was a great day for Covid-19 news as the numbers have improved from yesterday for every single metric except for infections brought in from abroad which jumped from 16 yesterday to 24 today. Daily infections and deaths are down, with deaths hitting the lowest number since the third wave of Covid-19 began in April. The total number of hospitalisations…
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Holiday travel: Poll finds most don’t have New Year’s plans
A new survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University finds that most people do not have plans to travel over the New Year’s holiday, citing costs and worries of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as the main reason to stay put. The Suan Dusit Poll was conducted from December 6 to December 9 and interviewed 1,304 people across all locations, ages,…
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2023 healthcare budget of 207 billion baht proposed including Covid-19
In order to add Covid-19 testing and treatment to the benefits of universal healthcare in Thailand for 2023, the National Health Security Office is requesting a 207 billion baht budget. Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting on Thursday of the NHSO which came up with the figure to request to include funding for Covid-19. The budget for…
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Family pleas for help repatriating British man who died in Thailand
After a 44 year old British man died suddenly shortly after arriving in Thailand, his devastated family is trying to raise cash to pay his hospital bills and bring him home. Daniel Skipper came to Thailand with friends from his home town of Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge in Lancashire, England and only a few days later he suffered a heart…
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Monday’s CCSA meeting to announce further easing of restrictions
New Year is looming and Thailand still plods along under a long list of restrictions, both for daily life in the Kingdom but also for travellers trying to enter Thailand. Tomorrow the CCSA will meet to debate an easing of guidelines at a time when the number of new Covid infections and deaths continue to drop, not swiftly but certainly…
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Thai officials watching bird flu after a woman’s death in China
While Covid-19 and Omicron are on everyone’s mind, the Department of Livestock Development has gone on high alert after a woman died from the bird flu last month. The woman died in China of the H5N6 strain of avian influenza and officials in Thailand are focused on making sure the virus doesn’t make it across the border and into the…
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Army denies photo with masturbation caption joke that went viral
While it was probably a press release they never expected to have to make, the army has put out a statement saying they do not force their soldiers to masturbate. The strange accusation comes after a photo and story went viral on the internet suggesting that army soldiers were ordered to masturbate before showering. The army has emphatically denied any…
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500 cannabis clinics successful, Health Ministry plans to expand
The Ministry of Public Health has opened more than 500 cannabis clinics throughout Thailand since the first one opened its doors in August of 2019. 60% of public hospitals now have cannabis clinics in 878 districts, and can be found in every single province in Thailand. More than 40,000 patients have now been treated with the use of cannabis. The…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 4,079 infections, 39 deaths, provincial totals
Today, the CCSA reported 4,079 new Covid-19 infections, down 114 since yesterday, and 39 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 11 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,135,986 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 7,302 recoveries, up 561…
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Thailand: 1st in Asia, 5th worldwide in Global Health Security Index
Out of 195 countries, Thailand was ranked fifth in the world – and first in Asia – on the Global Health Security Index this year. The list is compiled by John Hopkins Centre for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and other health experts worldwide. The index evaluates the health security of countries by analysing…
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Plant-based Baiya vaccine can be adjusted for Omicron variant
Baiya Phytopharm says that the plant-based Covid-19 vaccine they have been developing in Thailand can be adjusted to be effective against the Omicron variant. The vaccine is currently in the middle of the human trials phase of testing and the Chief Technology Officer says the vaccine formula can be modified to fight Omicron. Baiya has developed a genetically engineered tobacco…
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China makes a donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines
China has made many donations of Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand throughout the year as the kingdom battled the pandemic and rolled out its vaccination programmes. Now, the Chinese Embassy announced that their government has made another donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok made the announcement yesterday and the first of the shipments of the 200,000 vaccines…
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Key info for those planning to retire in Thailand
If you are planning to retire in the beautiful and tropical country of Thailand, there are many places which will suit your interests. From up north in Chiang Mai where the air is cooler (during winter), to a tropical oasis in the southern islands, Thailand has it all. Of course, with all things, you will need to get sorted before…
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International flights into Thailand up 24% from last month
While the tourism industry is still a long way from recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the high season is getting underway, and international flights to Thailand have increased more than 20%. Airports of Thailand reported the increase last night. AoT reported 9,483 of the flights scheduled in landing slots into Thailand were originating from international cities this month, which is…
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Siam Piwat unveils the “ONESIAM SuperApp” – a smart platform that delivers extraordinary experiences
Press Release Joining forces with partners across 13 industries to create a world of digital business through a world-class ecosystem of success. Siam Piwat is launching a groundbreaking premium world-class business ecosystem that homes in on over 7 million affluent customers in Thailand and reaches powerful customer bases around the globe. Advancing its Co-creation initiatives, Siam Piwat is joining forces…
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Anti-Corruption Commission says Vorayuth hit-and-run case “completed in 14 months”
The hit-and-run case against Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya is expected to be wrapped up within 14 months. Nation Thailand reports that the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission says the case should be complete by the end of next year. The incident is now 9 years old and many Thais wonder why it’s taking so long to prosecute the…
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Constitution Day is today – Here’s what the public holiday commemorates
Today’s public holiday in Thailand is Constitution Day. It commemorates the charters that have been written since the 1932 Siamese Revolution when Thailand ended 800 years of absolute monarchy and transitioned to a constitutional monarchy. Since then there have been 20 different charters with the most recent was drafted by the military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order,…
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Thailand participates in exercise simulating cyber-attack on global financial system
Thailand is one of 10 countries to participate in a simulation exercise that mimicked a cyber-attack on the global financial system. According to a Reuters report, the exercise was led by Israel, with the intention of building on cooperation between countries to mitigate potential damage to global markets and financial institutions. The exercise was named, “Collective Strength” and included officials…
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Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada opens in a new location under new name
Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada is now returns with a new location and new name, but still with the same vendors with a wide variety of stalls including street food, clothes and accessories, furniture, vintage items, handcrafts. The market, now called JODD Fairs, isnear CentralPlaza Grand Rama 9. The new spacious area has open-air bars to hang out and more…
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