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 12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
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Private hospitals must test and treat Covid-19 patients free
In an effort to increase Covid-19 testing and care, the National Health Security Office confirmed private hospitals should not be charging patients for Covid-19 treatment. Hospitals were instructed to consider Covid-19 infections as emergency patients, and in Thailand, hospitals are obligated to administer emergency services without charging patients, as the NHSO will reimburse costs. Recently some private hospitals were criticised…
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Americans arrested over Bangkok kidnap attempt released on bail
Edited on June 10 Thai police arrested an alleged former US Marines*, along with an American and 2 Thai men, including a senior police officer, for allegedly kidnapping a foreign businessman at a Bangkok restaurant in Thong Lor and then demanding a US$3 million ransom. The men allegedly abducted 60 year old Wen Yu Chung, from Taiwan, over a failed…
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Some inmates to be released on parole following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons
With thousands of inmates infected with Covid-19 at several Thailand prisons, the Department of Corrections is now tackling its longstanding problem at prisons… overcrowding. There’s now talk within the department of possibly granting some prisoners parole, or at least reducing their sentences as a short-term measure to reduce the overcrowding. Others in court detention, while awaiting trial, might be released…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,636 new cases, provincial totals
2,636 new Covid-19 cases, including 671 in prisons, were reported today in the CCSA’s daily briefing. Another 25 coronavirus-related deaths were logged today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 703. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 119,585 Covid-19 infections. Thailand now has 49,210 active Covid-19 cases. Bangkok remains the…
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70% of people to have first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by September – Health Minister
By September, 70% of the population in Thailand is expected to have received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. An accelerated rollout of vaccines is expected to takeoff next month when the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine is ready for public use. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the government will focus on administering the first shot…
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Police in western Thailand discover 19 Burmese migrants hidden in truck
Police in the western province of Kanchanaburi have found 19 Burmese migrants concealed in a small truck in the district of Thong Paphum. The discovery comes as officers are ordered to crack down on migrant workers crossing illegally into Thailand. Thai Residents reports that local police officers were acting on a tip-off that Burmese migrants were being smuggled across the…
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Royal Thai Police to investigate 29 officers for suspected ties to labour trafficking
At least 29 police officers are being investigated for suspected involvement in labour trafficking. The Royal Thai Police Headquarters has appointed a committee to investigate the officers, a source told Nation Thailand. The national police deputy chief will oversee the investigation. Border patrol has reportedly been heightened over the past year due concerns that migrants who are entering Thailand illegally,…
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Covid UPDATE Thursday: 2,636 new infections and 25 deaths
Today the public health department has reported 2,636 new cases and 25 new Covid-related deaths. 671 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons. The average daily case report remains consistent. • The Transport Minister has advised that the planned walk-in Covid vaccination service at new Bang Sue Central Station in Bangkok was still “under discussion” after the PM scotched the…
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Thailand News Today | Walk-in vaccinations scuttled, rain for the next few days | May 19
Walk-in registration may not be happening, Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again today, Koh Larn, just off the coast of Pattaya, has extended its closure until at least the end of May, Australian arrested on suspicion of international criminal activity, a tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination and Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the…
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Thai company interested in Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine for animals
Thailand might soon start importing the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccine for animals, according to the Russian news agency TASS. Representatives from a top pharmaceutical manufacturer in Thailand held a video conference with the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, to discuss the Carnivac-Cov Covid-19 vaccine for animals. Tests show that the Carnivac-Cov vaccine is effective at generating…
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Thai Airways restructuring plan approved by creditors
The restructuring plan to tackle Thai Airways International’s more than 300 billion baht debt, one of Thailand’s most high profile bankruptcy cases, was approved by the airline’s creditors, its legal advisor told Reuters reporters this afternoon. The plan was approved by 90% of the creditors. It will be reviewed by the Central Bankruptcy Court on May 28. In a previous report,…
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Restroom turnstile linked to hundreds of Covid infections at Pathum Thani market
The turnstile at a public restroom is said to be linked to hundreds of Covid-19 infections at a Pathum Thani produce market, just north of Bangkok. Health officials tested 10,480 vendors and workers at the Simmummuang fruit and vegetable market and say 867 tested positive with many believed to have contracted the virus by inserting coins in the slot and…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,394 new infections, provincial totals
3,394 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing, raising the culumative count since the start of the pandemic last year to 116,948 confirmed infections and the death toll to 678. Out of the 3,394 new cases, 1,498 were detected in prisons. Thousands of inmates in at least 12…
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Thai company offers travel packages to the US with Covid-19 vaccine included
With the recent wave of Covid-19 hitting record highs and increasing the demand for vaccines, some Thais are looking to get inoculated overseas. There are now tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination. The company Unithai Trip is now advertising trips from Thailand to the United States that include a Covid-19 vaccine. Starting at $2,300 USD, travellers can go on…
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Despite a better performance in first quarter, Thailand’s GDP may not impress in second
Despite performing better than predicted in the first quarter, Thailand’s gross domestic product may not be as impressive in the second quarter. As the first quarter saw a contraction of 2.6% year on year, analysts say the contraction was better than predicted. Now, an Oxford Economics report says the recent third wave in Covid-19 may prevent the GDP from seeing…
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Thailand reports youngest death from Covid-19: 2 month old baby
Thailand has seen its youngest death relating to the Covid-19 virus, with a 2 month old baby succumbing to complications with the infection. Doctors say the baby had a heart condition, which could have contributed to its death. Another baby, however, beat the virus recently as a pediatrician says the 1 month old was incredibly lucky. Infectious disease doctor Suchada Ruenglerdpong…
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Closure order in Bangkok set until May 31, restaurants can now offer dine-in services
To control the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok, where more than 28,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the latest wave of infections, the closure order in the capital has been extended a second time, now set to be in place until May 31. While many entertainment and recreation businesses and venues are ordered to remain closed, some…
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Thai tourism minister re-iterates Phuket’s re-opening on July 1
The Thai government has again reiterated its plan to reopen Thailand, specifically Phuket, to foreign tourists and travellers. The southern island province, under the so-called “sandbox” plan, is Thailand’s pilot program for re-opening the country to general travel by July 1… just 6 weeks away. The government has consistently said that the island’s residents will have to be 70% vaccinated by the…
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Thai government expects to open vaccine registration to foreigners by August
A Health Ministry spokesperson has confirmed that foreigners living in Thailand should be able to register for Covid-19 vaccination by August. Ratchada Thanadirek says the government is working on a dedicated registration platform for foreign nationals living in the Kingdom, which it’s hoped will be ready in 3 months’ time. Meanwhile, Thai Visa News reports that vaccine registration for Thais…
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Some Covid-19 restrictions relaxed across Thailand, fewer “dark red” provinces
The Thai government has relaxed some Covid-19 restrictions across the country, while downgrading the risk level of a number of provinces. The number of provinces designated as “strictly controlled” areas, or “dark red” zones, has been reduced from 6 to 4. They are Bangkok and the central provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. So, what, if anything, has…
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20 people arrested at Pattaya restaurant for allegedly violating alcohol ban
Police in Pattaya arrested 20 people last night at a local restaurant where alcohol was reportedly being sold. While Chon Buri recently eased disease control restrictions, now allowing restaurants in the province to offer dine-in services again, alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants are still prohibited. Saewana restaurant was raided at around 11pm last night by officers from Pattaya and…
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Thailand News Today | Releasing 50,000 prisoners, Covid sniffer dogs, bungled kidnap | May 18
Following an abortive attempt at a kidnap for ransom at the end of March, 3 people are currently under arrest, National vaccine rollout could finally get underway next week, pecially trained sniffer dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection, Koh Samet reopening to visitors after being closed for 3 weeks…
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Active Covid-19 clusters reported in 16 Bangkok districts
Bangkok residents living in any of the 16 districts in the capital with active Covid-19 clusters are being advised to strictly follow disease control measures. Spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin made the warning during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing. In the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, more than 28,000 cases have been reported in Bangkok. Taweeslip says there have been…
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Public Health Minister says no need for lockdown in Bangkok
While Bangkok remains the epicentre of the latest wave of Covid-19, with more than 28,000 coronavirus cases in the capital since April 1, Thailand’s public health minister says there’s no need to impose a lockdown. Restrictions are already tight in Bangkok, which is classified as a “dark red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Public Health…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,473 new infections and 35 deaths, provincial totals
2,473 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. The majority of the new cases are local transmissions, primarily in Bangkok. 680 of the new cases were detected in prisons. Thailand now has 42,988 active Covid-19 cases, a record high for the country. Out of those cases, more than…
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Education Ministry launches online platform as schools’ reopening plans delayed
Thailand’s Education Ministry is launching an online platform for public school students who are, once again, being forced to learn at home due to restrictions and limitations imposed by the government. The third wave of the virus has prompted authorities to postpone the reopening of government schools from May 17 (yesterday) to June 1. However, as daily infections keep rising, that…
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Thai students to get free unlimited internet to help with online learning
Thai government school students are set to get free unlimited internet to help students move their studies online after the third wave of Covid-19 has forced schools’ reopening date to be postponed to June 1 from May 17. Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn, in along with the Education Ministry, said the internet packages will be powered by Thailand’s…
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Koh Samet reopens after being closed for 3 weeks due to Covid-19
Koh Samet off the coast of Rayong has reopened to visitors after being closed for 3 weeks. The Gulf of Thailand island is safe to visit and disease control measures are being enforced, according to the Koh Samet tourism association chairperson told the Bangkok Post. On April 27, the Rayong governor ordered for Koh Samet to be closed to visitors…
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Those under 60 years old can make vaccine appointments at end of month
Those residents between 18 and 59 years old can now plan on registering for a Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the month. The deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, made the announcement, giving the date of May 31 as the opening day for those in that age group to register through the Mor Prom app, Line chat, or at hospitals.…
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Sniffer dogs trained to detect Covid-19 in Bangkok communities
Specially trained dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection. Led by volunteers, the dogs will screen communities in the capital in the latest initiative to fight the resurgence of the virus. Nation Thailand reports that the project is being run by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.…
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