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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Sponsored How to choose the perfect family-friendly property in Phuket
Phuket has long attracted visitors from around the globe with its golden beach and lush green hills. Many come for a holiday and leave captivated, often deciding they want a piece of the island for themselves. That’s why, despite fluctuations...
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Thai massage shops may reopen soon, from the waist down only
The Thai Government is debating whether to allow massage shops to reopen soon, provided treatment is limited to the lower body. Coconuts reports that the director of the Health Service Support department, Thares Karassanairawiwong, says upper body massage, including the back, shoulders and neck, will not be permitted for now as it may involve a higher risk of Covid-19 infection.…
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Criticism over bad English lesson in Thai online class
Thai schools are pushing for online learning to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but a recent English lesson posted online is just proof that basic English levels remain poor in the country. The video of a Thai teacher with poor pronunciation spread across the internet, with some saying she should be a student rather than a teacher. The teacher…
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Thai virus expert says careful consideration needed before reopening schools
Thailand’s chief virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan, from the Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, says reopening the country’s schools should not be a political decision. Instead, he says it should be based on science, with consideration given to the risks involved, and adequate safety measures put in place. Thai PBS World reports that Dr Yong says that while most…
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Thai Airways’ credit rating downgraded
The credit rating for Thai Airways will be downgraded before bankruptcy restructuring takes place. Tris Rating (Thai Rating and Information Services) has downgraded the company rating for Thai Airways and its rating for Thai Airway’s senior unsecured debentures from “BBB” to “C” while maintaining a negative Credit Alert. Following the government’s resolution yesterday it seems that the national carrier has…
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Most of Thailand placed on storm alert
As Thailand continues to feel the effects of cyclone Amphan, officials in Bangkok and 62 of Thailand’s 76 provinces have been ordered to monitor for possibilities of flash flooding and other impacts until tomorrow, according to director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Authorities say 223 households in Nan, Lampang, Kalasin, Surin, Amnat Charoen, and Uthai Thani have already…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, May 19
Thailand’s new Covid-19 cases – May 19 Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reported 2 additional cases of Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases in Thailand to 3,033. No further deaths have been confirmed today, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. The 2 new cases were the daughter and son in law of a previously confirmed Covid-19 patient…
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Phase 4 of relaxations may come sooner according to CCSA
The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported today that pubs, bars and entertainment facilities would be permitted to reopen in the coming weeks if the regular count of new Covid-19 cases remains in single digits. Dr Taweesilp has confirmed that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve and has dropped to single digits for the past 22 days.…
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Competition Commission warns food delivery companies over unfair practices
The Office of Trade Competition Commission says it’s keeping an eye on the practices of food delivery companies to ensure restaurants that are currently unable to serve food on their premises are not being ripped off. Nation Thailand reports that the OTCC says operators who hike up their commission will face hefty fines of up to 10% of their annual revenue.…
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Thailand’s new Covid-19 cases – May 19
Today Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reported 2 additional cases of Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases in Thailand to 3,033. No further deaths have been confirmed today, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. No additional patients were discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours, leaving the number of recovered patients at 2,857 cases. The…
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e-learning leaves many students locked out of new school term
Many Thai children, with no smartphone or internet to access online classes, find themselves unable to begin their new school term and participate in the online learning. The issue has become a hot topic among netizens after cases emerged in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province of children unable to join online classes. One 54 year old woman there says that…
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Push for chemical castration punishment for Thailand’s convicted sex offenders
What’s the proper punishment for those convicted of rape? Some Thai officials say prison time is not enough and are pushing for chemical castration of convicted offenders. The House committee tackling the country’s rape problem made more calls for a chemical castration law. Back in December, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said he supported the proposed law. “The issue of sexual abuse…
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Thai GDP drops nearly 2% in first quarter
The Thai economy’s slumped by nearly 2% year-on-year during Q1, 2020. In it’s full-year forecast, the National Economic and Social Development Council forecasts that the Thai GDP would drop 5-6% for the year. As a comparison, the economy tanked 7.6% during the 1997 financial crisis. The Gross Domestic Product in Q1 dropped by 1.8%, compared to a rise of 1.5% in the…
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Thai company steps up to ease condom shortage
A shortage of condoms is one thing. A shortage of condoms while people around the world are stuck at home is another. Since a top condom manufacturer in Malaysia halted production due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Thai company is now stepping up to fill the gap. Thai Nippon Rubber Industry, the country’s biggest condom manufacturer, is increasing production by…
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Thai Airways files for bankruptcy protection
Despite Thai Airways issuing a press statement and taking to social media to deny rumours it intends to file for bankruptcy, various media reports appear to confirm the struggling carrier will file for Chapter 3/1 of the Corporate Reorganisation section of the Bankruptcy Act. This is the Thai equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. TTR Weekly reports that…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, May 18
Click here to watch….. https://youtu.be/5NnXB4l03Cs Thailand’s Covid-19 numbers, 2 from Bangkok, one in Phuket 3 new cases of the coronavirus have been announced in Thailand today, bringing the total cases to 3,031. No additional deaths were recorded, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. Of the 3 new cases reported, two were a man and a woman in Nonthaburi province (north…
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Tesco addressing migrant worker abuse at Thailand distribution centres
Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Thailand are being abused, according to an annual modern slavery statement from the UK-based company. Out of 187 migrant workers interviewed in Thailand, many had issues with unexplained and illegal wage reductions, excessive overtime hours, indebtedness through recruitment fees. Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Malaysia had similar problems. Last year, Tesco reported migrant workers…
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250 Thai citizens repatriating from UK and Ireland today
The Royal Thai Embassy in London has confirmed that 250 Thai nationals are to be repatriated from the UK and Ireland today. The UK has recorded Europe’s highest number of deaths from the Covid-19 virus, currently standing at 34,636. Nation Thailand reports that once the returning citizens arrive in Bangkok, they will be required to enter a 14 day mandatory quarantine…
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Survey shows Thai citizens facing crippling hardship due to Covid-19
A new poll carried out by a team from Bangkok’s Suan Dusit Rajabhat University proves what most already know: Thai people are facing unprecedented financial hardship as a result of the lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 virus. A quarter of respondents say they have fallen into debt. The Bangkok Post reports that people are struggling due to a combination of…
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Hot in the north, wet in the south, cyclone in the Bay of Bengal
Hot conditions, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds, are the feature of weather in the north east and eastern regions over the next few days. There will also be some additional wet weather for southern provinces on the west coast, due to the extensive storm system, which has now been named Cyclone Amphan, in the north part of the Bay…
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Thai Airways ponders bankruptcy as it enters rehab
Thai Airways, which turns 60 years old this month, recorded a net loss of US$66 million in 2017, US$361 million in 2018 and US$374 million last year. As the airline contemplates getting its grounded planes back in the air, it’s now confronted with a PR disaster at home as the government ponders a bailout valued around 60 billion baht, around US$1.8…
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Bangkok City Hall allows 10 more types of business to reopen
The Bangkok Municipal Administration, aka. City Hall confirms that more businesses in the city will be allowed to reopen today, including most shops at malls, in keeping with the second phase of the nationwide relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. A BMA spokesman says its communicable disease control committee had eased restrictions on 10 business types. The businesses allowed to reopen are……
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PM looks for an exit from the Emergency Decree
Deputy PM Wissanu Kreangam says that PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha is ordering an in-depth comparison of the legal measures that can be used to control Covid-19 if the government revokes the state of emergency. The Emergency Decree, issued back on March 24, gave the PM and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration extraordinary powers – implementing curfews, travel restrictions, restricting provincial governors…
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Thai PM thanks the 20 billionaires for their support during crisis
The Thai PM has offered his “heartfelt thanks” to a list of Thai billionaires he wrote to a month ago seeking their guidance and ideas at the height of the Thai outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. He thanked them in a Facebook post and commented on their willingness to “offer a helping hand”. “All of them had responded energetically to my…
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Ban on international travel into Thailand extended until June 30
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has today announced an extension of their current ban on international travel another month, until at least the end of June, 2020. The current ban on scheduled international flights was extended last month to cover May, up to May 31. But now the CAAT have announced the extension for at least another month. There…
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Thai public balks at Thai Airways’ 60 billion bail out
A big decision is on the horizon for Thai Airways, the beleaguered national carrier. Crucial decisions are now being discussed which will define the airlines’ future. The airline was still haemorrhaging cash well before the coronavirus crisis started grounding planes from the start of February this year. Thai Airways’ fortunes have been in a death spiral for the past decade,…
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Covid-19 update: 0 new cases, 0 new deaths (May 16)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced that there no new reported cases of Covid-19 this morning at its daily press briefing, the second time in a week. The national total remains at 3,025 cases reported since the beginning of the outbreak. No new deaths were reported either, leaving the toll at 56. The southern island province of Phuket, which…
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Government urged to investigate forced unemployment claims
A Thai labour rights group is urging the government to investigate whether some employers are abusing labour laws to avoid paying their workers during the Covid-19 crisis. The call was made during an online seminar on unemployment related to the outbreak. Some businesses are allegedly requiring their employees to seek unemployment compensation from the Social Security Fund, when they should…
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Shopping centres, department stores prepare to reopen tomorrow
Department stores, shopping centres and larger restaurants, as well as other businesses across the nation, will begin gradually reopening tomorrow after nearly 2 months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the national state of emergency declared to fight it. The decision to go ahead with Phase 2 of the easing of restrictions was announced yesterday, but has yet…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, May 15
Maison Saigon7 new cases, all imported, no new deaths 7 new cases of Covid-19 this morning at the daily press briefing. The new cases bring the national total to 3,025 since the beginning of the outbreak. But today’s new infections are all among Thais returning from Pakistan, 6 men and a woman, aged 17-31. All are now in state quarantine.…
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‘Thai Chana’ app to help track ‘safe’ retailers in a Covid era
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society revealed the details of “Thai Chana”, (Thailand Wins) a smartphone application to facilitate safety for both customers and establishments during the Covid-19 era. The businesses must register for the QR code and place it in front of the shop on the website. Customers will log in by scanning their QR code. This can…
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