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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Kanchanaburi gunman robs more than 7,000 baht from 7-Eleven
A gunman in Kanchanaburi robbed over 7,000 baht from a 7-Eleven early this morning. The two store employees who were working at the store when it happened said the gunman looks 30 to 40 years old, and about 170 centimetres tall. They added that he was barefoot, and wore a white and grey shirt with brown trousers. He had a…
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Central Festival Samui opens Covid test centre for Test & Go, Sandbox tourists
A Covid-19 testing centre has opened on Koh Samui to travellers entering under either the Sandbox or Test & Go travel schemes. Koh Samui Hospital and Bangkok Hospital Samui have teamed up with Central Festival Samui to open the “Samui Swab Centre” to offer convenient Covid-19 RT-PCT tests for tourists who are required to take two tests after entering Thailand.…
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Phuket conservationists butt heads with locals on coral reef
Conservationists are fighting to stop a bay being dredged in Ao Kung in Pa Khlok, on Phuket’s east coast, as they say it will damage nearby coral reefs. A former village headman says the bay needs to be dredged because fishing boats have a hard time getting to the port at low tide. At a meeting with representatives of local…
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Thursday Covid Update: 14,822 new cases; provincial totals
20 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,364 with 666 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,822 new Covid-19 cases and 8,503 recoveries. There are now 105,129 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Criminals pretend to be police, scam Swiss man in Phuket
Scammers went after a Swiss national living in Phuket when they pretended to be police, and told him he had to pay a fine for receiving funds through illegal activities. The “police” contacted the man, Alain, saying a FedEx package couldn’t be delivered. Since Alain was expecting a FedEx package, he listened. The story then changed to say Bangkok police…
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28 year old woman’s body parts found in canals off Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River
Human body parts, including a head, were found in canals connecting to Bangkok’s Cha Phraya River yesterday. Investigating officers say the body is believed to be a 28 year old woman who went missing on Monday. Officers initially launched a murder investigation, but have since said the death was suicide after reviewing CCTV footage which showed a woman jumping off…
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Insurance companies “hesitate” to give Covid-19 insurance to foreign tourists
After facing losses from Covid-19 claims from local cases, many Thai insurance companies are indicating that they are hesitant to provide Covid-19 insurance for foreign tourists entering Thailand under the current regulations. The deputy governor of marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said only a few companies are now interested in joining the Test & Go programme, the…
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Thailand’s retail giant Central plans 100 billion baht investment by 2026
Over the next 5 years, Southeast Asia’s largest retailer plans to invest 100 billion baht to grow its business even more. The Thailand-based Central Retail Corporation Pcl, which has more than 20 department stores and shopping centres across Thailand as well as two outlets in Indonesia, says the investment, which is around US$3.03 billion, is aimed at increasing revenue and…
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Activist ousted from protest movement amid sexual misconduct allegations
A student activist has been stripped of his membership of the Dome Revolution Party, a movement he led, over sexual misconduct allegations. Sirichai Nathuang, a 21-year-old Thammasat University student, has also lost his seat on the Thammasat University Student Council, according to a Bangkok Post report. Sirichai has been come in for fierce criticism on Twitter after a fellow student…
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Pattaya drunks steal road signs to pay for more booze
Three drunk men in Pattaya cut up several road signs and planned to sell the parts for money to buy more booze. Police saw the three men with hardware tools, stealing signs on main roads in the Pattaya and Banglamung area. Police arrested one man, 27, and he’s now being charged for theft. The other two men fled the scene.…
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Thailand Pass hotlines, emails for assistance with registration process
Thailand Pass hotlines were launched to assist travellers with registering for the various programs to enter the country at the moment. We know aspects of it are a pain in the arse, but for people wanting, or needing, to get back into Thailand at the moment, the Thailand Pass is not that difficult to navigate. And The Thaiger has some…
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Songkran to be cancelled if daily Covid numbers hit 30,000 – DDC
Thailand’s famous water festival Songkran might be cancelled for another year if the daily Covid-19 cases reach 30,000 cases per day, the Department of Disease Control says. The massive water gun fight, celebrating the Thai New Year, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. The DDC warns that Songkran, which is April 13 to 15 this year,…
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Government cracks down hard on pork hoarders
After Songkhla authorities accused one food company of hoarding 200 tonnes of pork in January, the government is on a mission to crack down on pork hoarding. Authorities have gotten more strict about storage and receiving procedures, and inspected 24.48 million kilograms of pork. They then seized 1.07 million kilograms of it that was hoarded. Pork prices are finally lowering…
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Too much monkey business in Petchaburi, now they’re getting sterilised
In Petchaburi, a central province, monkeys are breeding like rabbits. They might look cute at first, but the booming number of monkeys might threaten tourism since the monkeys often steal peoples’ belongings. Right now there are 1,000-1,500 per district, and this number is rising to 3,000 in Muang district. An adviser to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said…
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Travellers can register for the Thailand Pass no less than 24 hours before their trip
For those planning a trip to Thailand, travellers will need to register for the required Thailand Pass QR code no less than 24 hours before a trip, but the Thai government is highly recommending that travellers register and plan a trip at least seven days in advance as the processing time before approval can take three to seven days. For…
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Siam Piwat aims to generate over 500 million baht to revive the economy and tourism industry
Press Release Siam Piwat emphasizes its vision “The Visionary ICON” with the strategy of “Creating Shared Values” by pursuing the mission to stand by Thais’ side in many crises and support Thailand to get through the hardship together. The company aims to boost the tourism industry that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by generating over 500 million baht…
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Get a Covid test before sex, Thailand’s DDC recommends ahead of Valentine’s Day
Before getting intimate on Valentine’s Day, get tested for Covid-19. That’s the recommendation from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control. Authorities are advising couples to undergo a rapid antigen Covid-19 test before having sex. The DDC director-general Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai expressed his concerns today that there might be an uptick in Covid-19 cases following Valentine’s Day. While couples are out on dates…
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Tinder Thailand launches Valentine’s campaign at Bangkok shrine of love
If the god of love is too busy to fulfil love wishes, Tinder might be able to help. The dating application Tinder Thailand is collaborating with CentralWorld in Bangkok to launch the Valentine’s Day campaign LOVE destiNATION right in front of a popular shrine where many go to pray for love. In front of the Trimurti Shrine by the shopping…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 13,182 new cases; provincial totals
24 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,344 with 646 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,182 new Covid-19 cases and 8,571 recoveries. There are now 98,830 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Democrat politician jumps ship to join Move Forward Party
A prominent MP, formerly part of the Democrat Party, has resigned and joined the opposition Move Forward Party. The MP, Tawil Praisont, said he had been considering leaving the Democrat Party for quite some time because it didn’t want to decentralise local administrative organisations, especially after Thailand’s 2019 general elections. Tawil said he started to regularly meet with a Move…
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Park officials make changes after overcrowding at Naga Cave
Park officials at the popular destination for Thai tourists, Naga Cave, are stepping up to limit the number of visitors after the site was so crowded with visitors that hundreds were stuck on the mountain waiting to get down. Following the incident, Phu Lanka National Park officials set stricter measures and made changes to staffing. Yesterday, the Ministry of Natural…
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Government will focus daily Covid-19 reports on serious cases, wants to reduce anxiety
After Thailand’s number of Covid-19 infections per day went above 10,000 this weekend, the government plans to change how it does daily Covid-19 reports. In a two-day a week test, the government reports will only focus on deaths and serious cases where people needed to be hospitalised with ventilators, or had pneumonia. The Ministry of Public Health says that even…
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Thai police track down, arrest suspect in bank robbery case
Police arrested a man suspected of robbing a bank in the central province Saraburi and running off with around 210,000 baht in cash. In an expedited investigation, with local police promising to find the suspect within the week, officers tracked down and arrested 33 year old Weerachai Auttaparp at his house about 10 kilometres from the bank. Videos from the…
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Female boxer fights back after man pours beer over her for refusing to drink with him
A Bangkok man got more than he bargained for when he poured beer over a woman who turned out to be a Muay Thai boxer. A video of the incident, in which 24 year old Pareploy Saeaia can be seen kicking and shoving the perpetrator, has since gone viral. In the clip, Pareploy can be seen in a wet dress…
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Thailand’s famous noodle dish, Pad Thai, included in Oxford online dictionary
Thailand’s iconic noodle dish, Pad Thai, has made it into the Oxford online dictionary, according to a Thai PBS World report. The dictionary defines Pad Thai as, “a dish from Thailand made with a type of noodles made from rice, spices, egg, vegetables and sometimes meat or seafood.” Pad Thai, a stir-fried noodle dish which is usually made with chicken,…
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Health officials advise public to guard against mosquito bites, dengue fever
Health officials in Thailand are urging the public to take precautions against mosquito bites, with dengue fever likely to become more prevalent this year. Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the number of dengue infections decreased in the last 2 years, primarily as a result of people staying home during the pandemic. However, the mosquito-borne illness…
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Minimum daily wage in Thailand looks set to increase to 492 baht
The Labour Ministry is expected to approve a rise in Thailand’s daily minimum wage from 336 baht to a flat rate of 492, according to a Nation Thailand report. The sharp increase comes just 2 years after a previous hike and is expected to mainly favour labourers. It’s understood that 2 agencies representing workers in the Tripartite Wage Committee have…
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Official vows to protect Kanchanaburi locals against tiger attacks
After a Karen man was seriously injured after three tigers attacked him in a Kanchanaburi forest in January, the director of Protected Area Regional Office 3 says patrols from two national parks will guard locals against attacks. The man managed to climb up a tree to escape, but the tigers killed two of his dogs. He was taken to a…
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Health Minister signs document removing cannabis with low-THC from narcotics list
The Public Health Minister Autin Charnvirakul signed a document to remove cannabis from the ministry’s list of Category 5 narcotics. It will be in effect within 120 days after the announcement from the Royal Gazette. Cannabis with a concentration of the psychoactive component THC exceeding 0.2% is still illegal. The minister says getting high off cannabis is still illegal, with heavy…
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Police seize 16 kilograms of methamphetamine in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A drug suppression squad in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat seized 16 kilograms of methamphetamine in a sting operation. The undercover operation was led by the provincial governor in Phrom Khiri district and included police and officials from the Internal Security Operations Command. An undercover cop arranged an appointment with a suspect who is identified as 32 year…
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