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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Not so fast: Thai epidemiologist questions plans to declare Covid-19 endemic by July
A leading epidemiologist has questioned Thailand’s rush to declare Covid-19 endemic as infections and deaths surge and the country remains under Level 4 alert. Dr Chakrarat Pittayawonganon, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology, is suggesting officials slow down a bit, as he cast doubt on the wisdom of trying to declare the virus endemic by July 1. Despite placing the…
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Award winning Thai author and journalist dies
An award winning Thai author who fled Thailand in 2014 has passed away in France due to health reasons, according to his daughter. The author, Wat Wallayangkoon, wrote the novel Transitor Love Story, which was adapted into a film in 2001. The story is about a rural man who dreams of becoming a singer. Wat won a prestigious Thai award in…
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Health minister urges over 2 million elderly to come forward for vaccination
As the government plans to administer booster vaccines to 70% of the elderly population before Songkran, Thailand’s health minister is urging them to come forward. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin Charnvirakul is telling 2.1 million elderly people to make sure they’re protected before the Thai New Year holiday next month. The Department of Disease Control is liaising with…
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10.8 million baht found in dead abbot’s quarters, dean of monks says family has no right to the money
After 50 days of merit-making, Luang Phor Yen Satchitto’s minimalist hut was opened on Sunday by relatives who found over 10.6 million baht in cash under the bed. Relatives and locals estimate the figure should be nearer to 40 million and suspect a burglary has taken place, but forensic officers think otherwise. The cash was deposited into a joint account…
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Non-profit Watchdog Thailand saves over 20 cats locked in house, 5 found dead
Over 20 cats were found starving inside a locked house yesterday in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok. Activists from the non-profit organisation Watchdog Thailand saved 17 of the cats while four escaped and a total of five dead cats were found inside the house. The cats are now being cared for at Watchdog’s shelter. Villagers contacted Watchdog Foundation…
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Couple having sex in car allegedly attempt to run over security guard after confrontation
A security guard narrowly dodged getting run over after asking a couple who were having sex in a parked car at a Bangkok market to move along. When the head of security approached the car in the early hours of Sunday morning, the driver attempted to run him over and fled the scene. No one was injured. 20 year old…
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Wildlife rangers capture aggressive elephant that killed a villager
An aggressive elephant wanted for killing an elderly woman and raiding plantations in Prachin Buri has been caught and taken back to a sanctuary after an effort involving around 150 forestry and wildlife rangers as well as volunteers. The 25 year old hot-tempered elephant had been causing extensive damage to orchards and farms for months, and stomped a 73 year…
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Tourism officials push for all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers to be lifted by June 1
Thailand’s tourism officials want an end to all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers by June 1. That means no quarantine, no Test & Go rules, no Sandbox zones, no Covid-19 tests. A plan to gradually lift restrictions over the next few months, leading up to the removal of all restrictions by June 1, has been drafted by the Tourism and…
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Police order shutdown of 3 go-go bars, nightclubs in Bangkok’s Thonburi
Police are shutting down three bars for five years in the Thonburi area of Bangkok without much explanation. The three “satan borikan,” or “service places” (a Thai genteelism for prostitution venues) have been closed down for committing offences that violate Thailand’s “Entertainment Act” of 1966 and a government order from 2015. New Jazz, Lan-Lao and Poseidon Pub in Thonburi committed…
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Ranger wanted for murder found dead in Thailand forest after week-long search
After a week-long search involving around 100 officers, the body of a forest ranger wanted for murder was found hanging from a tree in Buriram. The senior ranger was wanted for firing shots at his ex-wife’s home, killing the woman’s 20 year old son. 45 year old Phitphirun Phiraphop was a senior forest protection ranger at Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.…
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Isaan tradition of scattering ashes banned at local river after 7 villages complain of debris
The tradition of scattering a loved one’s ashes into a river in the Isaan province has been banned in a popular area for the ritual after locals reported that a service was arranging boat trips for families to dump not only the cremated remains into the river, but also ritual items and personal possessions of the deceased. Sometimes even mattresses…
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Virologist says blood tests can detect percentage of Thai population infected
A prominent Thai virologist says blood tests should be used to determine the percentage of the population that has been infected with Covid-19. According to a Nation Thailand report, Dr Yong Poovorawan says a blood test can even detect Covid-19 in asymptomatic patients. The head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology made the statement in a post on…
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CBRE recommends top 5 luxury condominiums in Phuket with fantastic locations
Luxury condominiums in Phuket are an appealing alternative to villas or houses because you can purchase them on freehold, which means that the condos are 100% in your name. It is just like owning a property in your own country. Luxury condos also typically feature their own private pools, as well as a broader range of onsite amenities and 24-hours…
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Government aims to administer boosters to 70% of elderly before Songkran holiday
Health officials plan to administer booster vaccine doses to 70% of Thailand’s elderly population ahead of the Songkran holiday in April. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says it doesn’t want to see a repeat of last year, when infections and deaths rose significantly after the Thai New Year holiday, due to the limited availability…
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Daughter of former PM Thaksin moves up in political career, closer to PM candidacy
Thailand’s main opposition party is leaning closer to choosing their candidate for prime minister and reports say the daughter of the former leader Thaksin Shinawatra might run as the party’s candidate. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, was announced as the project leader for a Pheu Thai party campaign to draw in new members, but when asked about becoming a candidate for prime minister,…
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Man caught with endangered tortoise faces charges for hunting in Thailand wildlife sanctuary
Thai authorities caught a man with an endangered tortoise he reportedly caught in a wildlife sanctuary and planned to cook up and eat. The man was found in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan province with firearms and a yellow elongated tortoise which he claimed he was cooking. The man faces charges relating to illegally entering a wildlife sanctuary, hunting…
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Crayfish alien species found at Phetchabun waterfall, Thais discuss potential effects to ecosystem
After a non-native species of crayfish was found at a Northern Thailand waterfall, some are discussing the effects the species can have on the environment. A photo of a Redcraw crayfish, originating from Australia, at a waterfall in Phetchabun, sparked a debate about the potential damage this “freshwater lobster” can cause to the local ecosystem. Crayfish (also known as crawfish,…
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Thai woman dresses as bear to sell more Kratom
Now that kratom is legal in Thailand, one woman in the Isaan province Buriram is dressing up in a bear costume and standing on the side of the road to attract business. Apparently, it has worked and her roadside sales of kratom leaves have shot up to over 1,000 baht per day. 40 year old Monradee Mordham from Udon Thani has…
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Thai villagers put up sign told tell an aggressive elephant to go away
After attempts to lure a hot-tempered elephant back into a wildlife sanctuary failed, locals in the village where the elephant has wreaked havoc, destroying plantations and killing an elderly woman, have put up a sign – even though the elephant cannot read – telling the animal to go away. Park officials in eastern province Prachin Buri were ordered to detain…
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Flash flood warning in Phuket, southern Thailand
Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi are expected to face flash flooding following heavy rainfall today and tomorrow, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is expected to move northward resulting in a cyclone on the southern west coast of Thailand. Increased rainfall and heavy winds are also expected in…
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Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights
Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for business, but you might be hard-pressed to book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it needs an additional two to three months to promote the airport among domestic and foreign tourists before it can reopen the route. Last week, Nok Air cancelled its flights…
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200 crocodiles on sale in Trang, southern Thailand
A crocodile farmer in Trang has slashed his prices after accumulating 450 crocodiles which he has found hard to shift since the coronavirus pandemic began. Around 200 of the crocodiles are currently for sale for the cheap price of 3,500 baht to 6,000 baht each, depending on the size. Before the pandemic began, Sommart Srisuk sold the crocodiles for 8,000…
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Most of Thailand to be hit by heavy rainfall today and tomorrow
Get your umbrellas out, you’re going to need them in most parts of the country today and tomorrow. The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast “very heavy rain” for the north, central Thailand, and the east coast of the southern region. A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is the reason for the wet conditions, according to the TMD, with a…
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ADB reports Southeast Asian countries well-positioned to bounce back from COVID-19
Press Release The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic pushed 4.7 million people in Southeast Asia into extreme poverty in 2021, as 9.3 million jobs disappeared, compared with a baseline no-COVID scenario, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report presented at the Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS). The Omicron wave could cut the region’s economic growth by as much as…
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Health officials express concern over risk to elderly unvaccinated during Songkran
Health officials are urging the elderly population to come forward for vaccination or boosters ahead of next month’s Songkran holiday. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says new data shows an increase in severe illness and Covid-related deaths in the elderly. DDC boss Sopon Iamsirithaworn says those returning to their home provinces over Songkran risk…
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Hospitality sector, tourism operators call for entry restrictions to be dropped now
Businesses, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors, say July 1 – the date the government hopes to declare Covid-19 endemic – is too long to wait for restrictions to be lifted. As operators watch what’s happening in neighbouring countries, Thailand’s tourism sector is feeling anxious. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of…
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Samut Prakan woman kills son’s friend in bloody fight
A woman stabbed a man to death in Samut Prakan last night, claiming the man chased her son with a wooden stick. She said she first tried to stop the man from hurting her son, but then he hit her with the stick. The woman’s son, Vorakan, told police he been drinking with the man and a group of their…
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Top Bangkok virologist compares not getting vaccinated to “walking into traffic”
In a Facebook post yesterday, Thailand’s most renowned virologist compared remaining unvaccinated from Covid-19 to walking into speeding Bangkok traffic. He commented on how elderly Thais have had reservations about being vaccinated, even though they are a high-risk group. “… like inviting an accident by stepping off the pavement into the busy traffic on Silom Road.” The virologist, Yong Poovorawan,…
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Tangmo: Fresh autopsy of Thai actress dispels suspicions (preliminary findings)
A second autopsy of the body of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharavirapong was conducted Thursday afternoon by the Central Institute of Forensic Science at Thammasat University Hospital in Bangkok. The actress’ mother, Panida Sirayootyotin, requested the re-examination to confirm her daughter’s cause of death and to dispel any skepticism surrounding the high-profile investigation. READ: Tangmo: Panel to verify 2nd autopsy…
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Iconic Thai rockstar writes song “Let go of Covid”, calls to end Covid-19 restrictions
An iconic Thai rockstar released a song this week calling on Thailand’s government to lift all Covid-19 restrictions. The song is titled “Let go of Covid”. The singer, known to Thais as ‘Aed Carabao’, said in a post that he went to a football tournament in the UK, and was shocked by how much life had returned to normal compared…
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