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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Centara Hotels suffer data breach by hackers Desorden Group
Centara Hotels and Resorts, the luxury chain in Thailand, confirmed a data breach this month at the hands of the infamous hacker Desorden Group. The CEO, Thirayuth Chirathivat, said the hack was detected October 14 and an investigation confirmed that guest details had been compromised. Names and ID photos, booking information, email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses have all…
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November 1 re-opening of Thailand – The Fine Print
And now for some of the fine print, answering questions you may have had about re-entry to Thailand from next Monday, November 1. Who can travel to Thailand? Travellers will be categorised into 3 groups… • The first are fully vaccinated visitors from 46 countries (www.thaiembassy.com). They must stay one night in either a SHA+ certified hotel or an ASQ…
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PM orders clampdown on black market Favipiravir trade following arrests
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered a crackdown on the illegal trade of the Favipiravir antiviral drug, used to treat Covid-19, following the seizure of hundreds of boxes destined for the online black market earlier this week. Police arrested nine suspects on Tuesday, carrying out coordinated raids across Bangkok, Saraburi, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi, with a hospital manager alleged to have…
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Army conscript dies a day after receiving second Covid-19 vaccine shot
A 23 year old army conscript died earlier this week after receiving a second Covid-19 vaccine shot, according to the Bangkok Post. According to the report, Khanti Anantasiri, who had no underlying health conditions, died at home in Ratchaburi province on Tuesday afternoon, a day after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. He had earlier received the Sinovac vaccine. Khanti had complained…
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Indian community call for their country to be added to Thailand’s low-risk list
Indians are urging the Thai government to add India to the list of low-risk countries for Thailand’s November 1 re-opening. The Bangkok Post reports that the Indian community in Thailand have pointed out how much they can contribute to the economy. The plea comes as Thailand prepares to re-open with minimal quarantine for vaccinated visitors from 46 approved countries. While…
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Friday Covid Update: 8,968 new cases and 64 deaths
8,968 new Covid-19 cases and 64 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today. There are now 99,301 people in Thailand receiving medical treatment for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 1,865,078 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 190 were found in correctional facilities.…
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Thailand Pass: all systems go for Monday
The new Thailand Pass system launches on Monday when the country re-opens with minimal quarantine for vaccinated tourists from select countries. The Bangkok Post reports a government spokesman as saying the new system will replace the Certificate of Entry with a more streamlined process. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the online system will allow tourists, Thais, and foreign residents of Thailand to…
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Bangkok public transport back to normal capacity on Monday
Bangkok’s BTS, BRT and Gold Line public transport systems will resume normal operating hours from Monday alongside the government’s move to reopen Thailand’s international borders and lift the nightly curfew in the capital. According to Nation Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit System director Surapong Laoha-Unya said the resumption of regular services comes with all employees having been fully vaccinated and required…
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Reform urged for foreigners to invest or buy condos in Thailand
The vice-chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand is calling for amendments to the restrictions and processes for foreigners to buy condos and invest in the country. He said the process is unnecessarily complex, and steps need to be taken to improve procedures and conditions if Thailand’s plan to lure wealthy pensioners is to gain any traction. He called…
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Thursday Covid Update: 9,658 new cases; provincial totals
84 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,006 with 18,912 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,658 new Covid-19 cases and 8,526 recoveries. There are now 99,144 people in Thailand being…
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BlackPink’s Lisa says “no” to Phuket New Year countdown event
Grand plans by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to attract international acts for a New Year countdown concert in Phuket, has come crashing down today now that YG Entertainment in South Korea, the management for the K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, made an official statement saying she won’t be coming. The ‘BlackPink’ Thai-born star was a hot ticket for the…
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Truckers and tour bus drivers plan strike over diesel prices
Thai truckers are set to go on strike on Monday as part of a campaign to have diesel prices capped at 25 baht per litre for one year. As reported by Thai PBS World, the strike – which will coincide with Thailand’s reopening on November 1 – will span about 80,000 trucks, including some tour buses. The campaign, labelled “truck…
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“Test run” at Bangkok airport to prepare for next week’s reopening
Staff at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have been gearing up for Thailand’s much-anticipated reopening, conducting a test run of electronic screening measures rolled out ahead of the staged return of tourism to the country. Thailand is poised to open its doors to vaccinated visitors from eligible countries and territories from November 1, allowing quarantine-free entry subject to a number of conditions.…
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Chinese travel to Thailand may resume late next year
Chinese authorities may let their citizens travel to Thailand again in about one year, according to predictions from the Association of Thai Travel Agents. While China has made the elite list of 46 countries allowed to enter Thailand without quarantine in the Test & Go scheme starting November 1, harsh travel restrictions in China will prohibit Chinese tourists, an important…
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Thailand eyeing EV benefits, but consumer incentives remain unclear
The Thai government is reportedly looking to spark local interest in electric vehicles, with the Finance Ministry poised to approve a number of measures designed to promote their use. The Bangkok Post reports a source on the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee as stating the measures are expected to significantly bring down the prices of imported EVs. With the government…
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Bangkok kidnap for ransom case tied into used glove export investigation
An American suspect in the multimillion dollar kidnap for ransom case in Bangkok, which was said to be over a failed business deal on rubber gloves, allegedly tipped off CNN about used medical gloves shipped from Thailand to the US. CNN published an investigative report this week saying tens of millions of used medical gloves, some with blood stains, were…
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Tourism minister confident new Thailand Pass system will increase visitor numbers
The tourism minister is already praising the yet-to-be-launched Thailand Pass, saying it will lift tourist numbers significantly. Thailand Pass replaces the much-maligned Certificate of Entry from Monday and Pipat Ratchakitprakan is expecting to see visitor numbers rise. “Hotel bookings under the Phuket Sandbox scheme for November went up considerably after October 21, when the list of 46 low-risk countries from…
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Entry requirements for international arrivals starting November 1
The Thailand Pass is set to launch in 5 days, aiming to ease the process to get approval to enter Thailand. The entry requirements for international travellers still require some hoops, but the government hopes this streamlining will help welcome back much-needed tourism to the country. The website for the Thailand Pass has been created at tp.consular.go.th but it is…
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Thursday Covid Update: 9,658 new cases and 84 deaths
9,658 new Covid-19 cases and 84 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 8,526 recoveries. There are now 99,144 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 1,856,110 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Out…
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Tourism operators urge government to agree travel bubbles
Thailand’s tourism sector is urging the government to agree travel bubbles with other countries, to ensure quarantine-free travel in both directions. Suthiphong Pheunphiphop from the Thai Travel Agents Association would like to see reciprocal arrangements in place once Thailand re-opens to 46 countries from November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says such an agreement would mean Thai…
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Police seize Covid-19 antiviral drugs allegedly stolen by hospital manager
A number of arrests have been made following the seizure of antiviral drugs used to treat Covid-19, with hundreds of boxes of Favipiravir pills allegedly stolen by a hospital manager and destined for online sale. The Bangkok Post reports that nine suspects were arrested on Tuesday in coordinated raids in Bangkok, Saraburi, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi. In total, police recovered…
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Student dies after receiving second Covid-19 vaccine shot
A Phang Nga Community College student who developed blood clots after receiving her second Covid-19 vaccine shot has died of a haemorrhagic stroke following brain surgery. As reported by the Bangkok Post, the student, 20 year old Ketsiree Kongkaew, who had had her left leg amputated, died on Monday morning at Songklanagarind Hospital in Hat Yai. Having first received the…
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Foreign Ministry denies blocking Poland’s donation of vaccines
After Thammasat University was set to receive 3 million Moderna vaccines donated by Poland last Tuesday, the deal was suddenly stymied by the Thai government not completing the required paperwork. Then the university appealed to the Foreign Ministry for help, and was rejected, being told they should be going through official channels to import vaccines. Now the Foreign Ministry is…
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Travellers now exempt from quarantine advised to directly contact AQ hotels for refund
With changes to entry requirements for international arrivals starting Monday, travellers who are exempt from quarantine, but have already booked a stay in advance are advised to directly contact hotels where their reservation was made. Starting November 1, travellers who are fully vaccinated and from 46 countries and territories classified by the Thai government as a “low risk” for Covid-19…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 8,452 new cases; provincial totals
57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 18,922 with 18,828 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,452 new Covid-19 cases and 8,449 recoveries. There are now 98,096 people in Thailand being…
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Russell Crowe bids Bangkok goodbye after much-praised tweets
Hollywood movie star Russell Crowe has been causing a sensation among Thai social media, first visiting and praising the Phuket Sandbox, and later travelling around Bangkok. Now his much-celebrated trip is coming to an end as he posts a goodbye message to Bangkok on Twitter. Crowe first got attention as he arrived in Phuket on September 18 to do his…
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Thai government forms panel to probe the export of used medical gloves
The Thai government has formed a panel to investigate the export of millions of used medical gloves from Thailand to the US. The investigation follows a recent CNN report into the international trade of substandard medical equipment, with an underground industry having emerged in Southeast Asia, seeking to capitalise on Covid-fuelled global demand. Reporters found that tens of millions of…
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PM highlights Thailand example in urging Southeast Asian countries to reopen
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is stressing that Southeast Asian nations follow Thailand’s lead in reopening borders to get tourism back up and running in the wake of the Covid crisis. Prayut addressed the issue via teleconference at the annual ASEAN summit, which this year is taking place online, telling other members the region should be weighing up steps to allow for safe…
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Over 98% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand are Delta variant
Expert predictions about the Delta variant of Covid-19 becoming the dominant strain in Thailand by August came true several months ago, but testing shows that the Delta variant is now responsible for 98.6% of all new infections in Thailand. This data from the Department of Medical Science comes as the Delta Plus strain has been found in Thailand and may…
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CCSA in bid to reassure Thais that November 1 re-opening will be safe
CCSA spokesperson Dr Apisamai Srirangsan says Thai residents shouldn’t worry about the country’s imminent re-opening to select countries. From November 1, vaccinated tourists from a list of 46 low-risk countries can enter Thailand with minimal quarantine. They will be required to show evidence of being fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure from their…
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