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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Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Police allegedly selling dodgy ‘special tickets’ allowing Burmese to stay in Thailand
Four police officers from the main city Samut Sakhon Police Station, south west of central Bangkok, were dismissed from their positions after being reported for allegedly selling “special tickets” to trafficked Burmese migrants. The tickets required Burmese migrant workers to pay a monthly fee of 500 baht and carry the tickets everywhere to avoid arrest. On April 19, Thai media…
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Donated Covavax doses to be offered to the unvaccinated, people with allergies
Donated supplies of the Covavax protein sub-unit vaccine will be offered to the unvaccinated, as well as people who are allergic to other vaccine types. Opart Karnkawinpong from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says the doses, which were donated by India and partner countries in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, have already been sent to the Medical Sciences Department to be…
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“Don’t wait, get checked”: Free lung cancer X-rays in Bangkok until Sunday
You can get a free lung X-ray scan on the first floor at CentralWorld in Bangkok until Sunday. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Thailand, so one hospital is running a campaign called “Don’t Wait, Get Checked” to try to detect lung cancer in its early stages. With the help of AI technology, you can…
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CCSA meets today to consider further easing of Covid entry restrictions
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to consider the further easing of Thailand’s entry restrictions. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will also discuss the possible re-opening of all land border checkpoints, as well as reviewing the colour-coding of provinces based on their infection rates. Nation Thailand reports that Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says officials will consider a…
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Koh Phang Ngan looking beyond Full Moon parties to more sustainable tourism
The Koh Phang Ngan Hotel and Tourism Association says the island is looking beyond its legendary full moon parties and aiming for more sustainable tourism. The association’s president, Chantana Limsuwan, says the island hopes to welcome 100,000 visitors this year, following the easing of travel restrictions. The Bangkok Post reports that the Full Moon Party on April 16, coupled with…
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Thailand receives 200,000 Covavax doses donated by India, partners
Thailand’s health ministry has taken delivery of 200,000 protein-based Covid-19 vaccine doses and will distribute them to government hospitals around the country. The donated doses of the Covovax vaccine will be offered to the unvaccinated. According to a Bangkok Post report, the doses were donated by the Indian Embassy in Thailand, under an initiative by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. This…
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Members of Thailand’s Move Forward Party banned from renewing passports
A member of Thailand’s Move Forward Party told the press today that she and two other party members had been banned from renewing their passports on suspicion that they have committed treason. MFP member Pannika Wanich made the announcement after meeting with Phaya Thai police today, who she said made the order for the ban. The Department of Consular Affairs…
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Pandemic economic impact hits Phuket hotels as 73% of new projects put on hold
Island’s transaction market heats up as owners face liquidity issues, while broad tourism sentiment wanes PHUKET, THAILAND: Thailand’s battered hotel sector is showing increased signs of fatigue as the global pandemic enters its third year. Nowhere is this more apparent than the resort island of Phuket, where over 73% per cent of new hotel developments either lay dormant or have…
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Instant noodles replace flowers at unusual Thai funeral
Bouquets of instant noodles replaced flowers at an unusual funeral today at a temple in Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand. In a magnificent display, hundreds of sachets of Mama noodles and other dried foods were arranged like flowers around the coffin. Prabhali Konghoon, who died peacefully at age 68, had unique wishes for his funeral which his relatives carried out for…
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Southern Thailand province gets a wave of income from Full Moon Party, Songkran
Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani saw a wave of tourism income generated during the Songkran holiday. Many tourists came to the province for the famous Full Moon Party on Kho Pha Ngan, among other tourist attractions. Tourism officials said the province gathered up a total of 895.7 million baht from 83,000 visitors between April 13-17. The income is up…
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Village chief kills thief who stole his chickens
A village headman shot and killed a thief who allegedly stole his chickens at around 6am this morning in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The shooter said the man was threatening him with a machete so he shot him three times in the chest out of self-defence. Police are speaking with eyewitnesses to determine what happened. When police arrived at the…
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Police seize 100 fake visa documents and work permits offered for Thais to work aboard
The Immigration Bureau reports that they raided a Bangkok company that allegedly offered fake documents and visas for Thai people who wanted to work aboard. The officers say they found counterfeit documents for submitting to the embassy and fake work permits for applying for work with more than 60 companies in foreign countries. Yesterday, the immigration police reported that their…
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Half a million travellers passed through Suvarnabhumi Airport during Songkran
During the Songkran holiday, the number of travellers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) more than doubled. Between April 9 to 18, the main airport saw 585,100 people, a 119% increase compared to 2021 (when there was very little international travel). Some million passengers were expected to pass through the country’s 6 Airports and Thailand airport turnstiles during Songkran. The numbers…
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200,000 Covovax vaccines from India expected to arrive in Thailand today
The Ministry of Public Health reports that Thailand will receive 200,000 Covovax vaccines from India today. Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, will be on call to receive the vaccine delivery personally. The Director-General of the Disease Control Department, Dr. Opas Kankawinpong says that the Covovax vaccines were donated by the QUAD, or the countries that agreed on Quadrilateral Security Dialogue…
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Thursday Covid Update: 21,931 new cases; provincial totals
129 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,392 with 5,694 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,931 new Covid-19 cases and 24,619 recoveries. There are now 188,926 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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New west-side Bangkok hospital rail lines delayed
Thailand’s transport ministry announced yesterday that two new Bangkok rail lines have been delayed. The lines are the SRT’s Light Red Line, and the MRTA’s Orange Line, both of which will connect with Siriraj Hospital. The ministry’s permanent secretary said the two transit lines have not yet been built as the ministry is still working on a feasibility study. He…
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Death penalty for Thai man who killed high school student
A Thai man has been sentenced to death over the murder of a high school student in Trang province, southern Thailand, in 2018. The man shot and killed a 16 year old boy and shot and wounded another man who was the only witness to the murder. The victims’ families are satisfied with the Supreme Court’s ruling after fighting for…
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Thai PM endorses India travel bubble in bid to boost international tourism
A travel bubble arrangement between Thailand and India has received the backing of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, as officials look to revive foreign tourism in the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the travel pact between the 2 countries has also been endorsed by Thailand’s public and private sectors. In the pre-Covid days, Thailand welcomed nearly…
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Thai activist writes about his sex life behind bars, gets put back in prison
A Thai activist is facing one year behind bars for writing about his sexual experiences in prison on his Facebook account. Ekachai Hongkangwan was sentenced to one year in prison without parole yesterday. The activist’s relatives have applied to get him out on bail and are awaiting the Supreme Court’s final decision, which is expected to take two to three…
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Daughter searches for her family after they went missing 10 days ago in central Thailand
A 19 year old daughter is searching for her missing family. Her parents and two siblings disappeared from their house in the central province of Sukhothai ten days ago, since April 10. Thai netizens and Facebook pages from various rescue teams are spreading the story of the 19 year old teenager around to try and re-unite her with her missing family.…
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10 more women accuse embattled politician Prinn of sexual abuse in Bangkok
Ten more women have come forth to accuse former Democrat Party deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi of sexual abuse, as the sex scandal involving a senior politician continues to grow. The latest accuser, who has been described as a “well-known” 30 year old woman, alleged that Prinn had sexually assaulted her 14 years ago, about four months after they first met.…
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Hua Hin Jazz Festival returns next month
Sunshine and the sound of saxophones is expected to draw tourists to Hua Hin next month for the return of the city’s annual jazz festival. The International Jazz & Blues Festival 2022 will take place on May 9 at the True Arena, a two to three hour drive south of Bangkok. The festival will feature a 90-minute performance from Jazz…
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Bangkok to celebrate 240th anniversary with cultural activities
Starting today, 20 locations around Bangkok will transform into cultural learning centres to celebrate the city’s 240th anniversary. Attendees are invited to learn more about Thailand’s unique history and culture through activities and performances held from April 20 – 24 around the city. The events are intended to demonstrate the kingdom’s “soft power,” promote cultural tourism and instil pride among…
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Royal Thai Police issue their own report card – solving more than 600 cases this year
The Royal Thai Police have announced that they have successfully solved 631 crime cases and other ‘issues’ for residents this year. 147 more cases are still waiting to be solved or ‘fixed’. Some of the outstanding cases would be transferred to the relevant departments as they were beyond the police’s abilities and responsibilities. Yesterday, the Assistant Commission General, Prachuap Wongsook,…
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PM spokesperson praises Lisa, BamBam and Milli for promoting Thai government’s ‘soft power’
The PM’s spokesperson has praised Lisa and Bambam from K-Pop brands Blackpink and Got7, together with a young Thai rapper Mill, for helping the government promote Thailand’s ‘soft power’. The spokesperson said those artists revealed Thailand’s soft power to the international eyes according to the government measure. Last year, Lisa from Blackpink joined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 20,455 new cases; provincial totals
128 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,263 with 5,565 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 20,455 new Covid-19 cases and 25,933 recoveries. There are now 191,743 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Python in central Thailand feasts on 10 chickens
It wasn’t very difficult for rescue workers to catch a greedy python yesterday in Ang Thong province, central Thailand, after it ate ten chickens and couldn’t move. Staff from Ang Thong Provincial Rescue Association received a request yesterday to remove a large python which was asleep inside a chicken cage at a house in Pho Thong District. Police Lt. Col.…
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Thailand’s Prayut to hold public forum on economy
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced yesterday at a cabinet meeting that the government will hold a public forum on the economy. The date for the forum has not yet been announced. PM Prayut said the government is trying to ensure better welfare for elderly citizens and vulnerable groups in Thailand. He said it wants to introduce measures to help medium-sized…
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