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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New Covid-19 response teams to be dispatched to 69 Bangkok communities
In an effort to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok where the highly transmissible Delta variant, said to now be the dominant strain, 69 response teams have been set up to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests in high-risk communities to quickly detect infections and contain the virus. Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the so-call “Comprehensive Covid-19 Response Teams,” or CCRTs, which are…
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Man tries to bluff his way through Phuket checkpoint, police unravel ruse
Early yesterday morning, a man tried to bluff his way through a Phuket checkpoint by using his friend’s vaccination certificate to gain entry to the island and hopeful tourist paradigm. However, the bigger problem wasn’t that man tried to gain entry into Phuket. The bigger problem was that man already had gained entry into Phuket using this bluff. Multiple times. The…
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Travellers from “dark red” and “red” zones must be vaccinated to enter Phuket
Those who aren’t vaccinated against Covid-19, and are travelling from a “dark red” or “red” province, won’t be allowed to enter Phuket… at least for the next couple of weeks. With the rise of coronavirus infections amid the island’s reopening to foreign tourists under the “Sandbox” model, Phuket authorities are tightening restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. From…
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Bangkok Book Festival returns, online
The “Bangkok Book Festival” is returning this Friday, after making prior appearances in 2015 and 2016. The theme will be “The magic of Paper” as the 3rd non-annual festival seems to invoke a mood of wonder and “knowledge” of paper. The intention is to inspire readers and promote reading through 6 activities. Activities such as talks and books for sale.…
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Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 98 deaths; 9,186 new cases
A record daily high of 98 coronavirus-related deaths was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The CCSA also logged 9,186 new Covid-19 infections, continuing on the trend of daily infections hitting the 8,000s and 9,000s. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, there have been 343,352 confirmed…
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Thailand to purchase another 120 million vaccine doses for next year
Thailand’s National Vaccine Committee has approved the purchase of an additional 120 million vaccine doses for 2022. However, it has yet to approve a draft announcement on the export of AstraZeneca doses manufactured in Thailand, due to concerns over insufficient doses for Thai citizens. Thai PBS World reports that Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the extra 120…
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1 million additional vaccine doses being purchased for Bangkok residents
The Thai government has pledged to purchase an additional 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for Bangkok residents in the coming 2 weeks. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the plan is to vaccinate 70% of the capital’s residents, but to date only 43.6% have been vaccinated. The Bangkok Post reports that the Disease Control Department will…
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Government forging ahead with mixed vaccines, amid doubts and confusion
The Thai government plans to go ahead with a proposal to combine vaccines from different manufacturers, in an effort to boost immunity against the Delta variant. The move comes after a World Health Organisation scientist warned against the practice, raising concerns among the Thai public. Following reports that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was questioning the decision, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri has…
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Thai government mulls over regulations for locally-made AstraZeneca exports
The Thai government is looking into regulations for exporting the locally-made AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, possibly limiting the volume shipped overseas. The consideration comes as Thailand battles its most severe wave of Covid-19 and the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant. The number of active cases continues to hit record highs. With a limited supply of vaccines, health officials have…
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No foreign tourists to arrive tomorrow, the first day of “Samui Plus” reopening
No tourists will arrive in Koh Samui tomorrow, the first day of the island’s reopening under the “Samui Plus” travel scheme, similar to the “Phuket Sandbox.” Only 4 foreign tourists are expected on Friday. Tourism officials say it will be a slow start and they expect that an influx of travellers to the trio of islands in the Gulf of…
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Market vendor goes to police station, reports a spirit is harassing her
A Thai woman in northern province Phrae went to the local police station to report that a spirit was harassing her. The 39 year old market vendor who sells boiled corn told police the spirit was trying to possess her body and causing her heart and abdominal pain, according to the Thai media outlet Thairath. She tried taking medicine, but…
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Police warn to be careful about adding friends online, some aren’t real friends
Royal Thai Police are warning social media uses to be cautious when adding “friends” online. The police say sometimes these “friends” are not real friends after all. The police say to be especially wary of people posing as foreigners online as they can be sources of danger. Reportedly, the word of caution comes from deputy RTP spokesperson Deephor Siriwat. Thai…
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Confusion and cancelled appointments over new vaccine mix-and-match policy
With contradicting statements over the mixing of Covid-19 vaccine brands, many in Thailand’s medical field have been confused, and some even cancelled appointments today. This week, the AstraZeneca vaccine was approved to be used as a third “booster” shot and as a second dose for those who received a Sinovac shot. But just as Thailand announced the approval, a chief…
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Prachin Buri clinic raided for allegedly selling fake Moderna vaccines
A proprietor of a clinic in the central Thailand province of Prachin Buri has been taken in for questioning after patients allege, he was selling them fake doses of the Moderna vaccine. The owner is set to be questioned today, says Pattanachai Pamornpibul of the Wangg Takian Police. Yesterday, police raided his business, the Kularb Clinic. Clients had reported the…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 9,317 new cases; provincial totals
9,317 new Covid-19 cases and 87 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Out of the total of 363,029 Covid-19 cases reported by the CCSA since the start of the pandemic last year, the latest and most severe wave, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 334,166 of the infections. The 87 new coronavirus-related fatalities…
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For Covid-19, officials want you to stop talking… on trains anyway
British trains are known for being silent, with nobody disturbing others with chatting. Now British expats can get a taste of home as Thailand’s train authorities add to their Covid-19 safety precautions the request of no talking on trains to avoid the spread of the virus. The Department of Rail Transport has already implemented health and safety regulations to attempt…
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Thailand tries to catch up in the space race, draft Space Affairs Act gets Cabinet approval
Thailand is far behind in the space race, but they’re still in and trying to catch up. A draft Space Affairs Act intended to help Thailand get up to speed with space-related technology was approved yesterday by the Thai Cabinet. The Space Affairs Act will be sent to the Council of State and then passed to Parliament. Thailand’s first satellite…
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Phuket finds another visitor has Covid, total now stands at 7
Yesterday, another visitor to Phuket was discovered to be infected with Covid. The discovery brings Phuket’s total infected visitors to 7, says provincial public health chief Kusak Kukiatikoon, today. Dr Kusak revealed that case number 7 comes from a South African woman who is a friend of the South African man who health officials had previously determined to be infected…
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Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
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Government extends emergency decree for the 13th time
The Thai Cabinet has approved an extension to the emergency decree until at least the end of September, meaning it has now been extended 13 times. According to a Pattaya News report, the extension comes into effect on August 1 and means the government will retain extraordinary powers, including the ability of the courts to hand down heavy penalties to…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 9,317 new infections and 87 deaths
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration logged another 9,317 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 87 coronavirus-related deaths. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, the CCSA has recorded 334,166 Covid-19 cases since April 1. The virus is still spreading in Thailand’s overcrowded prisons and health officials have been rolling out active testing to identify infections, even asymptomatic, and…
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Concerns raised as Health Ministry appears to ignore WHO warning on mixing vaccines
The public is questioning the Thai government’s proposal to combine Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers despite a warning from the World Health Organisation. The WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, has warned against the practice, saying there is not enough information on the potential risks. However, the Pattaya News reports that Thailand’s National Communicable Disease Committee has just approved the proposal…
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42-billion-baht aid package to cushion the financial impact of Covid restrictions
The government will provide a 42-billion-baht aid package for businesses and individuals affected by the latest Covid-19 restrictions in the 10 “dark red” provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that 30 billion baht of the relief package will come from the government’s loan decree, while the other 12 billion will come from the national budget. The provinces of Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom,…
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DSI asked to step in and investigate multimillion baht street lamp project
Following the ongoing controversy of hundreds of millions of baht spent by local officials on expensive street lamps, the Department of Special Investigation has been asked to step in and investigate the projects in the Racha Thewa subdistrict of Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is also establishing 5 panels to investigate the lamp project, a probe…
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Thailand monitoring Myanmar situation, will work to end conflict
Since the February 1 military coup in Myanmar, the Thai government has been relatively quiet on the situation in the neighbouring country, with a few statements urging for peace and an end to the violence after more than 700 people were killed by Burmese security forces. Some clashes between the military and ethnic troops have been along the Thai border,…
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First night of curfew: 299 arrested
From last night to this morning, police arrested 299 people across 10 provinces. The suspects were allegedly not adhering to the new curfew, says police spokesperson Yingyot Thepjamnong. The breakdown of arrested is as follows: 57 arrested in Bangkok 187 arrested throughout: Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani 7 arrested in Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon 48 arrested in Songkhla,…
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Public warned about immigration police impersonators asking for bribes
The Thai Immigration Bureau is warning foreign residents and the general public to be careful of people who are impersonating as immigration police officers and asking for bribes or other payments. Apparently, the people posing as immigration officers are approaching individual foreigners and are inspecting establishments like factories, which tend to employ migrant workers. If approached by someone claiming to…
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More than 1,000 people file damage complaints related to Samut Prakan chemical fire
More than 1,000 residents in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phili district have filed damage complaints relating to the Ming Dih Chemical Company explosion and massive fire last week which took more than 24 hours to control. Helicopters were deployed to spray fire retardant foam. Residents within a 5 kilometre radius were told to evacuate. Toxic black smoke billowing from the chemical…
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Thai authorities crackdown on Covid-19 “fake news,” posters could face jail time
Thai authorities are cracking down on fake news, particularly false claims about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre reported more than 50 cases of fake news posted since last month, most involving Covid-19 or vaccines. Police are now investigating the cases. Those who posted or shared misleading information found to threaten national…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 8,685 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on a sharp upward trend in the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, Thailand now has 95,410 active coronavirus cases. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 8,685 new Covid-19 cases today, raising the total case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 353,712. The latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April…
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