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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Even Thailand’s monkeys don’t have monkeypox
Thai officials have now run tens of thousands of tests for monkeypox on monkeys throughout Thailand (we’re not quite sure why). There have so far been 25,000 tests, out of 50,000 monkeys in 222 locations across the country. Yesterday, a veterinarian at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Phattarapol Mee-on, announced that all the tests have turned…
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Thailand exempts entry visa for Saudi tourists allowing 30-day stay
Thailand yesterday moved a step further to its future relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia when it announced a 30-day visa exemption will be available to all Saudi citizens. Saudis can now enter Thailand and stay for 30 days without applying for a visa before departure. The move comes as both nations step up to restore diplomatic relations which…
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New Civil Partnership Bill in Thailand passed by the cabinet
Now the Bill needs to survive its first reading in the lower house of the Thai parliament. Out of nowhere, but perhaps inspired, or prompted by the Pride Month activities around Bangkok, the Thai cabinet has approved what is considered the next step towards same sex marriage in Thailand, a Civil Partnership Bill. This bill will allow same-sex couples to…
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French Thai kickboxer makes a dick of himself
French Muay Thai Kickboxer, Jimmy Vienot, unintentionally made a bit of an idiot of himself after his recent triumph over Petchmorakot Petchyindee at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. The Frenchman, who defeated Petchmorakot on May 20, wanted, มวยไทย, meaning Muay Thai, inked on his arm, but the result came back not just wrong, but terribly wrong. Instead, a communication…
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What makes Supalai Icon Sathorn the ideal property choice
Sponsored Article Looking for your ideal high-class luxury property in Bangkok? If yes then we’d like to introduce you to Supalai Icon Sathorn, a high-rise luxury condominium located in the heart of Bangkok. This property was awarded the winner of the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2020-2021 prize for mixed-use development in Thailand. The development consists of both commercial buildings as…
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UPDATE: GT200 bomb detectors only good enough to be used as a ‘cat poop scoop’
UPDATE Royal Thai Army spokesperson, Santipong Thammapiya, yesterday announced that the investigation into GT200 bomb detectors has officially ended. Santipong says the NSTD had completed its examination of 320 devices, and the budget spent investigating it, and concluded that the Royal Thai Army would have to return around 3 million baht from the 7.5 million baht budget allocated to the…
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“Beware, shakedowns in Thailand’s property market” I Lawyers, Guns and Money
There are great opportunities in Thailand’s real estate and property markets. Plenty of people buy, live in and sell, sometimes for a profit. Some live in their properties and some purchase them for investment. But there are well-publicised problems and even scams that have blunted the image of Thailand’s property industry, particularly the tourist magnets where beaches and a…
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Sexy makeover of Thai wealth goddess ‘Nang Kwak’ goes viral
A tattoo artist’s controversial sexy makeover of a Thai goddess on his Facebook page has gone viral. Tattoo artist Ajarn Joe changed the traditional costume on a Thai wealth goddess, ‘Nang Kwak,’ to a sexy dress and it lit the blue touch paper on social media. The response to the post has been mixed, with some passionately defending the makeover…
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Cannabis penalties to be quashed from Thursday
Thailand’s Courts of Justice announced that suspects and prisoners on charges related to cannabis use and possession would be freed after cannabis and hemp are removed from the Public Health Ministry’s Category 5 drug list. But as we slowly learn the details of cannabis in Thailand, post June 9, we are learning that it’s not all clear and plain sailing…
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Another tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day
Thailand’s tourism authorities seem to announce a new goal every day. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for Saudi and Australian tourists in Phuket, TAT has also announced a goal last week for Thailand as a whole: 3,000 Indian tourists a day. The TAT is aiming to meet its goal through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives.…
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Suspected monkeypox infections in Thailand turn out negative
Thailand’s DDC has announced that the country still has no confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Friday. Six suspected infections in the country ended up with negative lab test results on the same day. Even though there are no confirmed cases, a DDC spokesperson said health officials are now monitoring arrivals from countries where monkeypox has been detected. The latest…
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BKK Governor to Discuss Easing of Mask Requirements | Weekend Update
Today is Bangkok’s pride parade, Cabaret shows in Pattaya are back, All suspected monkey pox cases in Thailand test negative, Phuket officials on their toes as night life re-opens and the governor of Phuket asks people to remark. All this and more on todays weekend update.
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“Cases could reach 10,000 a day again”. Thai Public Health Minister.
Thailand’s party-pooper-in-chief, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has made another spurious claim to Thailand’s media. He’s predicted that Thailand’s Covid infections could soar to 10,000, a day, now that Thailand’s nightlife has ‘officially’ reopened. He said that the numbers of new coronavirus cases could “soar” within 3-5 days after the country’s entertainment venues were given the official nod on June…
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Who will be Thailand’s PM by the end of 2022?
There are clear and present challenges ahead for the current Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. His hands on the levers controlling the hearts and minds of Thais, and south east Asia’s second largest economy, is in peril. The next general election in Thailand has to be called before March next year. It’s the prerogative of the sitting PM to call…
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How Thailand is shifting to aged care in the home
Thailand’s ageing society is growing rapidly, with a quarter of Thais who are 60 years and older forecasted to account for one-third of the population by 2040. Despite expectations that the country would see a rapid escalation of assisted living and nursing homes being developed, COVID-19 became a game-changer. While traditionally many Thais have lived and grown up in multigenerational…
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An Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation in Thailand for Foreigners
Have you ever wanted to visit a temple in Thailand and learn more about Thai buddhism and meditation in English? No matter who you are or what you have been through, iMONASTRY teaches you about the benefits of meditation and provides you with an opportunity to be ordained as a monk, with a possibility of an ongoing visa. …
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Ancient gold Buddha artifact comes home
Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome hailed the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security after a 500 years’ old antique gold crown was returned to Thailand from the US. The 48 year old minister revealed the department was set up by the government around five years ago to track artefacts, which have been smuggled out of the kingdom, and thanked the…
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Budget bill boost to government
PM Prayut Chan o cha’s government received a boost today when Parliament passed the first reading of an almost 3.2 trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting October 1. After a 3-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions. Pm Prayut says the bill will help the nation restore…
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Government under fire on military spending plans
The government yesterday was criticized over the Defence Ministry’s weapons procurement plans. Shots were fired by deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yuttapong Charasathien who says a number of procurement projects lack transparency and spending is too high. Yuttapong criticized the navy’s request of almost 41 million baht for a number of weapons systems, but in particular its decision to buy…
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Student association at Mahidol University decides to end “sexist” beauty pageant
The Mahidol University Student Association has decided to put an end to an in-house beauty pageant that judges contestants solely on their looks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the human rights activist Wasan Paileeklee supports the decision, saying students can now focus on organising competitions that reward intellectual ability, provided these meet with public approval. “The beauty contests may…
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Outdoor mask rules eased in Phuket, new Bangkok governor says capital may follow
UPDATE: Since this story was published, the Phuket Governor has cancelled orders to reduce the mask wearing requirements in Phuket. Read about that HERE. ORIGINAL STORY: Phuket has eased some of its mask-wearing requirements for people not at risk of serious illness as a result of Covid-19. People no longer need to wear face masks while outdoors in open-air spaces,…
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Decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand: Can I get high or not?
As “Ganja Day” approaches on June 9, Thailand’s Ministry of Health wants to be clear about one thing: Smoking cannabis recreationally in public is a criminal offence punishable by three months imprisonment and a fine of up to 25,000 baht. However, smoking cannabis in private is a different story. Cannabis smoke has been written into new legislation as a “public…
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Government official expects Thailand’s first monkeypox case to happen at Pride Parade
A government official expects Thailand to record its first monkeypox case on Sunday at the nation’s first official Pride Parade in Bangkok. The Bangkok Naruemit Pride Parade, which will traverse the length of Silom Road, starts at Maha Uma Devi Temple on Pan Road, at 4pm. The parade plans to bring together the LGBTQ community, activists and allies, and help further…
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Thai authorities say 12 people who were in contact with monkeypox are low-risk
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says 12 people who came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient earlier this week are low-risk, since they don’t have symptoms. A passenger with monkeypox was in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport for 2 hours before he caught a flight to Australia, where he was confirmed to have the virus. The DDC said today that there…
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Thai AirAsia X launches cheap flights between Bangkok and Seoul, South Korea
Thailand’s airline Thai AirAsia X has launched flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The route will take place 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The first flight on the new route landed in Seoul yesterday, June 1. To celebrate the launch, the airline is offering return flights from Bangkok to…
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Thai police and organisations award people money for videos of traffic violators
As part of a road safety campaign, Royal Thai Police collaborated with several organisations and companies to award people with cash for video clips of traffic violations. During the “7 Dangerous Days” of Thailand’s Songkran holiday, when the number of road deaths usually spikes, drivers took dashboard videos of other drivers violating traffic laws. The winners earned prize money from…
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Woman feared prison if she took photos of burglary due to new PDPA law
A Thai woman witnessed thieves break into a neighbour’s house but didn’t take any pictures of the burglars for fear of going to prison under the new Personal Data Protection Act. The 23 year old admitted she was too scared to take photos of the criminals’ faces because she was afraid of being sued under the new PDPA law which…
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Foreign tourist breaks into bank, goes on rampage in northern Thailand
A foreign tourist broke into a Bangkok Bank branch in Pai in the northern province of Mae Hong Son yesterday evening. He smashed his way through several glass doors with rocks and proceeded to cause significant damage to the bank’s property. Police detained him and discovered he was illegally residing in the kingdom. A foreigner named Kent Douglas Meades –…
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After Middle East, Thailand’s TAT brings tourism road show to Europe
After the Tourism Authority of Thailand travelled to Saudi Arabia in a roadshow last month, the TAT has now brought its tourism campaign to Europe. From May 23-25, the TAT travelled to 3 European countries to promote its campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters”. The campaign promotes medical tourism, beaches, and shopping in Thailand. In the European roadshow,…
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Government asked to postpone PDPA law
The government has been asked to postpone the Personal Data Protection Act because some of the laws remain unclear. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking yesterday asked the government to delay the bill as some of the PDPA laws remain vague and need to be clarified. They also insist clear directions must be issued and 20 organic…
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