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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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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One Night in Bangkok: Top 5 hotels to wine and dine your dinner date for Valentine’s Day 2022
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, choosing the perfect place to celebrate with your current or soon-to-be significant other can be quite the challenge. Fortunately, for those living in the Big Mango, there are numerous hotels offering a delectable array of luxurious menus and memorable views — at unforgettable (i.e. exorbitant) prices. So here’s a shortlist of our Top…
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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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Changes in Covid-19 laws impact house plant sales
Changes in Covid-19 have impacted house plant sales, and plant growers bear the brunt of this across the country. Growers say now that lockdown rules have lifted, people don’t have time to care for plants anymore, and their sales have gone down. One plant company owner told Thai PBS in an interview that his sales have dropped between 20-30% since…
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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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Police officer in northern Thailand arrested for assaulting restaurant staff, damaging property
An off-duty police officer was caught on CCTV cameras assaulting a man in the northern province of Lamphun and then going back after the fight to damage a car. Reports in Thai media say the officer refused to leave the restaurant after a night of drinking and also sexually assaulted a female staff. The officer works under the Crowds Control…
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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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Truck drivers threaten to camp in front of Energy Ministry because of diesel price
Angry truck drivers say they will protest and camp out in front of if Thailand’s energy ministry if the minister doesn’t lower diesel prices in seven days. The chairman of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT) also said the federation would join protests with other groups hurt by Thailand’s rising cost of living, like farmers affected by low crop…
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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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Phuket police have CCTV footage of fatal gangster shooting
Police investigating the murder of an Indian gangster shot dead in Phuket on Friday night say they have security camera footage of the incident. According to a Bangkok Post report, officers are reviewing CCTV footage of the moment 32-year-old Jimi Sandhu was gunned down outside his villa in Rawai, in the south of the island. His body was found in…
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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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Cat sits on sports car, owner demands 100,000 baht to pay for scratches
The owner of a luxury sports car has reportedly filed a lawsuit against their neighbour claiming 100,000 baht in damages after a cat climbed and sat on top of their black and yellow Lotus sports car, causing some scratches. The story was widely shared in Thailand and the latest reports say the owner has since apologised, adding that he doesn’t…
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Police search for bank robber who stole more than 200,000 baht in cash
Police are searching for a man who robbed a bank in the central province of Saraburi and ran off with 210,000 baht in cash. Officers say they want to make an arrest within the next seven days and have offered a 10,000 baht reward to anyone who has information that leads to an arrest. Thai media says the man was…
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Food delivery driver attacks pedestrian on sidewalk in Bangkok
A food delivery driver riding his motorbike on the sidewalk nearly hit a man walking out of a shop. The pedestrian says he yelled and the driver then got off his bike and attacked the man on the sidewalk, video footage shows. Thai media identified the man as Boonrit, or “Tao Titan Face” for his face tattoos that resemble a…
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Maharaj Tunnel opens in Bangkok, pedestrian underpass to the Grand Palace
A new pedestrian underpass in Bangkok officially opened yesterday, with a small exhibition along the underground route to the Grand Palace. In addition to easing traffic problems in the heart of the city, the Maharaj Tunnel offers an exhibition showcasing the history of Bangkok as well as Thai architecture. It also provides clean toilets for those walking throughout the city.…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 10,398 new cases; provincial totals
17 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,320 with 622 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 10,398 new Covid-19 cases and 8,922 recoveries. There are now 94,243 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Officers seize monitor lizards, monkeys from farm suspected of exporting to restaurants
A farm owner was arrested for allegedly raising and exporting water monitor lizards and macaque monkeys in the northern province of Phichit. Officers say they suspect the farm was exporting the animals to Cambodia, and then to Vietnam and China to be sold to restaurants, according to the commander of the National Resources and Environmental Crime Division. When officials arrived…
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Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital performs knee joint surgery using robotic-arm technology
Robotic surgeries have been around for a while, but at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, doctors announced that for the first time, they replaced an entire knee joint on an elderly patient using the Stryker’s Mako robotic arm. The robotic-arm assisted surgery was developed for knee replacements. It does a CT scan of the patient, creating a 3D image and helping surgeons…
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Foreign ministry confirms Saudi leader will visit Thailand, most likely this year
The controversial Saudi leader, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, is likely to visit Thailand at some stage this year. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai says the visit will happen once a roadmap for restoring bilateral ties has been agreed. The roadmap will focus on cooperation in areas such as energy and labour, according to the minister. After decades of…
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Tourism revenue hits record low across all 77 provinces in Thailand
Tourism revenue has plummeted across each of the 77 provinces, according to data from Thailand’s tourism ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that income from both foreign and local tourism reached an historic low in 2021, dropping by nearly 70%. Meanwhile, the revenue gap between Bangkok and other major provinces remains wide. In 2021, Bangkok posted the highest revenue at 62.7…
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