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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Thailand’s headline inflation surged over 1% in March
“The SCB Economics Intelligent Centre has revised down its forecast for average headline inflation in 2019 to 0.9% year on year, a slight decline from the previous forecast of 1.0%year on year.” Thailand’s headline inflation surged to 1.24%, year on year, during March. This is up from 0.73%, year on year, in the previous month. Food and energy prices are the…
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Facebook removes accounts and pages because of “inauthentic behaviour”
“Facebook says the reason for the removal of the posts and accounts was because of their “behaviour” not the content they posted.” Facebook has erased over 1,800 accounts and pages from Thailand, Russia, Ukraine and Honduras in a move to counter abuses of its service and “deceptive political propaganda”. Facebook has shared examples of Thailand-based Facebook accounts, posts and pages it…
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Fights on offer as Pheu Thai MP and senator bicker in Parliament
PHOTO: @tanawatofficial It only took two days before the fingers started pointing and the first offer of a fist fight was made. Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha, who challenged Pheu Thai MP Yutthapong Charassathien in parliament to a fist-fight yesterday, admitted he lost his patience because of Yutthapong’s continual bad-mouthing of other MPs. The Senators have all been hand-picked by the NCPO…
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Former police chief, turned MP, rails against the PM
PHOTO: Thai PBS Seri Ruam Thai party leader Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet, former Police Chief appointed by the NCPO, is taking the fight right up to the PM and the coalition, hinted to the media before parliament resumed todaythat he still has enough ammunition to fire at the government and, particularly, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. During his time as the Junta’s…
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400 baht minimum daily wage worries Thai business chamber
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is raising concerns over the government’s proposal to raise the minimum daily wage to 400 baht. They say it will severely hit the country’s small to medium businesses. Chamber chairman Kalin Sarasin says they have been discussing the proposal with Chamber members and business operators discussions with many business operators. They found that most of…
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Accusations, working off-script and walk-outs. Day one in the new Thai parliament
PHOTO: The Nation One day down, another today. Thailand’s PM had his first day in a parliamentary setting and, despite taunts and barbs being thrown at him in true Parliamentary style, he stood firm. Sometimes working off-script and at other times visibly annoyed, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha barrelled through the formalities with a few “settle downs” coming from his right-hand man,…
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80 opposition MPs ready to go to battle with ‘newbie’ Thai PM
He’s never spoken in a Thai parliament. He’s never been leader of an elected government. He’s never had to do much debating or political negotiations. But he’s the Prime Minster of Thailand and he faces up to the new parliament tomorrow and Friday for the first two days of debate. All eyes will be in the PM to see how…
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House speaker warns MPs to behave when new Thai parliament sits tomorrow
PHOTO: “Behave!” – House Speaker Chuan Leekpai – Thai PBS The first sitting of the new parliament will be tomorrow (Thursday) when the coalition government, led by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, will lay out the policies of the government. And MPs are being warned to behave ahead of time. Members of parliament are being warned by the speaker of the house…
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Thai workers killed in van crash in South Korea
PHOTO: Thaikuknews Two Thai citizens have been killed in South Korea after their passenger van carrying 16 people skidded off a mountain road heading to a farm. The Korean Times reports that the two Thais, the van driver and another passenger were seriously injured after the van crashed through a guard rail. Nine other people, of mixed nationalities, were in the…
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Thai Government to focus on EEC projects to propel economy
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will unveil his new government’s policy statement in Parliament when it sits formally on Thursday. Leaks to the media indicate his 12 ‘urgent’ and 12 ‘long-term’ policies will help Thailand step up to “developed-nation status” with many of the policies focussing on the Eastern Economic Corridor project. Among the urgent policies, the sixth calls for a “future-proof”…
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International credit rating agency gives Thailand a BBB+ economic report card
Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook on Thailand’s Long-Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating to “positive” from “stable” and upgraded the rating to BBB+. The revision reflects increasing international economic confidence that lingering political risks are unlikely to derail “sound macroeconomic management”, according to the international credit rating agency, Fitch. “This is demonstrated by the sustained strength of external and…
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The price of opposition in Thailand
“They create an atmosphere of fear by attacking us, even in broad daylight in the streets.” Sirawith Seritiwat, aka. ‘Ja New’, is not new to politically motivated violence. As the metal bars beat him again and again in broad daylight in a Bangkok street last month, he wondered if this time the attackers were going to kill him. Suddenly others…
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Airbnb welcomes new Thai Tourism Minister support of ‘short term’ accommodation
Airbnb welcomes the new Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan’s and his commitment to grow tourism and support short-term accommodation in Thailand. Speaking to local media on his first day in office, Minister Ratchakitprakan identified short-term accommodation reform and growing tourism in secondary cities as a priority area for the Tourism and Sports Ministry. Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for…
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TMB – strong baht hits foreign investment funds
TMB Bank are reporting that the strong baht has cut the value of the foreign investment fund under fund management, falling by 27 billion baht from 1.2 trillion baht at the start of the year. TMB said the drop reduced the fund’s return by 0.47%. The least impacted funds are those covering oil investment, gold, and property funds, at 0.53%,…
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Government unveils 12 policies – BKK street food return and a higher minimum wage
One of the new parliament’s first debates, when it sits on July 25 and 26, is over a formal policy listing 12 living standard priorities. The list laid out in a briefing paper lists surprisingly progressive policies for the new coalition. The government says it wants to reduce obstacles blocking people from earning a decent living and would utilise digital…
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Pope scheduled to visit Thailand this November
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Thailand and Japan this November, according to reports in Catholic websites in Rome. sanook.com reported the news yesterday. His visit will coincide with the 350th year anniversary of the presence of the Roman Catholic Church in Thailand. As of 2018, there are 379,975 Catholics in Thailand, a figure that represents 0.46% of the total…
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Thailand’s tourism copes with surging baht headache
PHOTO: Thailand’s new tourism & sports minister, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, hoping the finance ministry will listen to his pleas about the high baht Thailand’s new tourism & sports minister, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, is blaming the surge of the baht for sucking the life out of tourist arrivals into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Piphat yesterday said he’ll discuss with the Bank of Thailand…
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New Thai Tourism & Sports Minister has a wish-list to improve tourism
PHOTO: Tourism and Sports Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakan – mots.go.th The new Thai Tourism and Sports Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, has set out a shortlist of priorities in his new role. He says setting and maintaining better safety standards are vital to regain the confidence of foreign tourists. The minister says he would also discuss the high baht with the Finance Ministry and…
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TMD issues a new weather warning for tropical storm Danas
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued another warning about tropical storm Danas since saying it’s on the move, from the Philippines’ Luzon, north and north-eastward into the East China Sea. The storm appears headed for Taiwan and likely to dump plenty of heavy rain on the way. The storm is ‘sucking’ in moisture from the Indian Ocean across southern Thailand,…
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Residential projects launched in June up, but sale 15% lower than May
As many as 47 new residential projects were launched in Bangkok and its suburbs last month (June), 16 more than in May. This from the Agency for Real-Estate Affairs. The projects combine 13,943 units worth a total of 57.25 billion baht, with per-unit prices averaging at 4.1 million baht, the survey added. The sale of new projects launched in June…
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Weerasak paints a rosy tourism picture as he steps down from Ministry
Weerasak Kowsurat, outgoing Tourism and Sports Minister In a final spin at the microphone as Sports and Tourism Minister, Weerasak Kowsurat made statements about Thailand’s tourism numbers and the Thai baht that differed from other published numbers and local anecdotal reports. Weerasak claimed, despite the appreciation of the baht, that Thailand has attracted as many as 21.08 million tourists in the…
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“Thailand shouldn’t have water problems” – a personal view
OPINION Post from a concerned Phuket resident who is worried about the future of the island’s most precious resource, fresh water. Despite being surrounded by water, potable water supplies are in peril for the forthcoming high season with lower-than-usual rainfall and the dams still at historically-low levels at the time of publishing this story. The person has asked to be anonymous……
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Future Forward’s Thanathorn on European and US lecture tour – VIDEO
The Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit spoke with American NBC’s Andrea Mitchell about his hopes and aspirations for Thailand’s future. He also addresses his own current situation in regards to charges he is facing over alleged media shareholdings. Thanathorn is currently suspended from participating in the new Thai parliament as an MP as he awaits the Constitutional Court to hear…
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Thailand keeping track of foreigners – the TM30 reporting form
The TM30 reporting procedure is a Thai immigration requirement. The form is designed to assist keeping track of foreigners – tourists and expats – whilst in Thailand. It must be completed by the owner or landlord to report the stay of guests within 24 hours of their arrival. As with many things in Thailand the enforcement will not be uniformly applied…
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Thai Airways close to sale of used planes to US company
PHOTO: Thai Airways Airbus A340, Airplane Pictures Thai Airways International President Sumeth Damrongchaitham reports that the national airline expects to sign an agreement this month with a US logistics firm on the sale of eight used A340 aircraft worth between 4-4.5 billion baht. The company is in the process of examining the contract before closing the sale deal of Thai Airways…
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HM The King swears in new Prayut Cabinet
The new Palang Pracharat government, led by Prayut Chan-o-cha has been sworn in tonight by His Majesty The King. The ceremony heralding the return of civilian rule in Thailand after five years of military government. The ceremony took place at 6pm in the Amphorn Satharn Throne Hall with all 36 ministers were present. The historic occasion marked the first time…
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Military relinquish power as the new Thai cabinet prepares to be sworn in today
“Thailand is now fully a democratic country with a constitutional monarchy, with a parliament whose members are elected.” Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha has formally stepped down as the head of the NCPO military junta saying Thailand will now function as a normal democracy after five years of army rule. Prayut’s “normal democracy” includes a loaded upper house of Senators all appointed…
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Alcohol ban across Thailand Tuesday and Wednesday for Buddhist holidays
There will be a ban on alcohol sales for two days this week – Tuesday and Wednesday – around Thailand. The ban starts at midnight tonight (Monday). The holidays are Asarnha Bucha Day (Tuesday, July 16) and Khao Phansa Day (Wednesday, July 17). Asarnha Bucha commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon to his five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500…
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Thaksin Shinawatra starting new party called Pheu Dharma
Despite his self-imposed exile in 2008 and living overseas ever since, Thaksin Shinawatra’s shadow still looms large over Thai politics. And now sources claim he’s planning a comeback with a new party, all being engineered offshore, just as the fragile new Thai government starts to run the country. Fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra is rumoured to be forming a new…
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Bank of Thailand sends a ‘warning shot’, but little impact
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “The Bank of Thailand’s move to curb the rising baht is simply a “warning shot” and will have little impact on the currency’s value or on the bond and stock markets.” This is the response from Thai economists following Friday’s BOT tweaking of the economic dials. On Friday the BOT adjusted down the amount of baht…
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