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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Covid UPDATE: 1,919 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals
1,919 new Covid-19 cases and 31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 29,435 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 86,924 infections and 452 Covid-related deaths. At today’s CCSA briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun said…
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Travel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control
Once the Covid-19 outbreak is under control, Thailand will pick back up on travel bubble discussions with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia. Travel bubbles could start as soon as October if the daily Covid-19 count significantly decreases by the end of the month. The country’s Covid-19 immunisation plan needs to be accelerated and the daily Covid-19 count…
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Americans in Thailand urge US to provide Covid-19 vaccines to citizens overseas
Thai officials say expats living in Thailand will be included in the government’s mass Covid-19 vaccination plan, but exactly when that will be is still up in the air. With foreign embassies in Thailand clearly stating that they will not assist with providing citizens living overseas with vaccines, expats are relying on the Thai government. A number of Americans are…
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Chinese study confirms Sinovac vaccine safe for over 60s
Health officials in Thailand say there is no need for concern about use of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine the over 60s, after a Chinese study confirmed it is safe. Sophon Mekhton from the Public Health Ministry says the independent study should reassure everyone about the vaccine’s safety in the older age group. According to the Bangkok Post, the study also…
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Entry ban extended to non-Thais arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
Non-Thai nationals arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are now included in an entry ban aimed at preventing the spread of the so-called Indian variant of Covid-19. The ban was first introduced for arrivals from India late last month, amid the escalating crisis in that country. It has now been extended to 3 other South Asian nations as the government…
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Health officials race to vaccinate 70% of Khlong Toey slum residents
Health officials are racing to vaccinate 70% of residents in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey neighbourhood, the largest slum in the city where hundreds have tested positive for Covid-19 since April. With people living in crowded conditions and many unable to take off work to self-isolate, Thai authorities have been rolling out proactive Covid-19 testing and a mass vaccination campaign in an…
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ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in Phuket are close to a “critical” low
Covid-19 patients in severe condition may have to been transferred from a government hospital in Phuket to a private hospital as the number of available hospital beds at public intensive care units in Phuket is close to a “critical” low, according to Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Chalermpong Sukontapol. There are 9 ICU rooms at the Vachira Phuket Hospital. 5 are…
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Thailand News Today | Thai government throws TG under bus, new police uniforms | May 10
Forum Moderator Application… HERE In today’s Thailand News Today we look at… State Enterprise Policy Office says the government will not bank-roll a billion-baht cash injection for Thai Airways, Public buses, cars, and motorbike taxis now need to comply with tougher Covid-19 measures, After a 3-day search, a body of a missing fisherman was found off the coast of Lin…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,630 new cases and 22 deaths, provincial totals
1,630 new Covid-19 cases and 22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 29,376 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 85,005 Covid-19 cases and 421 Covid-related deaths. Out of the 22 deaths, most of the patients had chronic illnesses. Many contracted…
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Royal Thai police say new uniforms will help in pursuit of criminals
The Royal Thai Police say new uniforms will help them be more “agile” in their pursuits of criminals. The uniform’s prototype is still under trials and has yet to be launched. The move to change uniforms has been attempted in the past, with tourist police once seeing their usual long-sleeved khaki shirt with shoulder pads and metal badges morph to…
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From BIB to Boys in 2-tone khaki – Thailand’s new police uniform on trial
Elastic waistband and fitted baseball caps – the new height of Thai constabulary haute couture to grace the streets of Thailand. Some law-enforcing super models are currently strutting the streets parading some of the ‘nouveau’ look police uniforms. The boys in brown are morphing into the boys in 2-tone khaki with black accessories and utility accents. 10 officers from 3…
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Tests confirm Sinovac, AstraZeneca effective at stimulating immune response
Tests at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University have confirmed the efficacy of both the Sinovac and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines. Renowned virologist, Yong Poovorawan, says both vaccines proved successful at stimulating an immune response against Covid-19. The tests were carried out as part of a study done by the university’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology. Yong says that people given the first…
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Third wave of Covid: CCSA blames patients for not speaking up
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is blaming the latest virus wave on those patients who failed to speak up about their symptoms. The latest round of the virus has seen a total of 512 health workers in 57 provinces infected, with authorities saying the main cause of the spread was due to patients lying about their health conditions. The…
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Over 400 workers quarantined as 115 Covid infections confirmed at pineapple factory
Officials in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan have reported 115 new Covid-19 infections at a pineapple factory. 402 workers are now in quarantine, with a dedicated isolation facility set up within the factory, while the 115 patients are receiving medical treatment. Deputy provincial governor, Kittipong Sukpakun, says the quarantine facility will be in use for 14 days. According…
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Government will not re-capitalise struggling Thai Airways
The State Enterprise Policy Office says the government will not back a billion-baht cash injection for Thai Airways. The national airline is currently been dragged through bankruptcy proceedings. Pantip Sripimol from the SEPO says the Thai Finance Ministry will not re-capitalise the carrier, although it remains its largest shareholder. The Bangkok Post reports that there are concerns Thai Airways could…
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Buses and motorbike taxis to face tougher disease prevention measures
Public buses, cars, and motorbike taxis now need to comply with tougher Covid-19 measures, following an announcement from the Department of Land Transport. Jirut Wisarnjit from the DLT, says the stricter rules are effective immediately and are in addition to measures already in place, such as mandatory mask-wearing, hand-washing, and use of contact-tracing apps. According to a Pattaya News report,…
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Illegal border crossings bringing in new Covid-19 infections
Authorities are worried about illegal border crossings into Thailand bringing in the Coronavirus after 5 recent Covid-19 infections from such crossings. Bypassing all health and security checkpoints along the border, 5 Thai nationals were identified today as being positive for Covid-19 after they snuck into the country, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Authorities nabbed 2 after border…
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Thailand Consumer Confidence Index hits record low
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has reported that the Consumer Confidence Index has hit another new record low of 46.0 in April. The Covid-19 global pandemic has had a devastating effect on the economy and consumer confidence has fallen frequently to the lowest points that it has seen since 1998. The president of the UTTC believes that…
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Thailand searches for cow vaccine for lumpy skin disease
Move over Covid-19 there’s a new disease sweeping the country as Thailand’s cow population is afflicted with a lumpy skin disease. The Department of Livestock Development is now working on procuring vaccines from overseas manufacturers to import and treat the cattle population in Thailand. The lumpy skin is caused by pustules that are the most visible symptom, perhaps more detectable…
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Covid-19 third wave cuts Thai domestic flights predictions by 38%
The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand is predicting a 38% drop in travel by domestic flights due to the effect of the third wave of Covid-19. Aerothai is a department under the Ministry of Transport that provides aeronautical communication and air traffic control in Thailand. With Covid-19 experiencing a rapid spread beginning in April and not yet under control, infections across…
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Sunday Covid UPDATE: 17 more deaths, 2,101 covid infections, provincial totals
For Sunday, the numbers for new infections and Covid-related deaths from Bangkok and the Thai provinces over the past 24 hours were announced early this morning. There has been 17 deaths and 2,101 new cases announced by the CCSA. Thailand has now reached 83,375 total cases since January 2020 and 399 deaths. Out of the 17 deaths, 8 were male and 9…
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Thailand ploughs ahead with plans for re-opening tourist areas
The Thai government says they’re pressing ahead with plans to waive the current mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Bangkok and and 5 other major tourist destinations from October this year as an effort to reboot the country’s battered tourism industry. Dr. Traisulee Traisoranakul from the CCSA says the new measures will provide easier access to the main tourist locations…
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Private Moderna vaccine price set at under 3000 baht
Officials announced that private hospitals will offer the two shots of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for a maximum of 3000 baht total. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation expect to order Moderna first in the process of importing vaccines for paid usage, according to the Private Hospital Association. The GPO will act as the middleman because manufacturers generally only work with governments.…
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Sunday Covid UPDATE: 17 more deaths and 2,101 covid-related infections
For Sunday, the numbers are out tallying the new infections and Covid-related deaths from Bangkok and the Thai provinces over the past 24 hours. There has been 17 deaths and 2,101 new cases. Thailand has now reached 83,375 total cases since January 2020 and 399 deaths. • Meanwhile, Thai restauranteurs are pleading with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to ease the Covid-19…
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Covid-19: Thailand struggles with South and Southeast Asia
In 2020, Thailand was hailed worldwide for its iron-fisted lockdown that curbed Covid-19 spread almost completely. Thailand was the second country in the world after China to identify a Covid-19 infection in January of last year but managed to keep its numbers impressively low, at least until December’s second wave of outbreaks. That wave drove the numbers up to nearly…
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American arrested for alleged murder in Chiang Mai has past record of abuse in Colorado
The American man who was recently arrested for allegedly murdering his pregnant Thai wife in Chiang Mai had been sentenced to 2 years of probation back in 2019 on assault charges after his gun went off while he was threatening a woman in Colorado. A report from the Associated Press says it appears to be the same woman. Jason Matthew…
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Thailand to remain on US Trade watch list over online piracy and intellectual property violations
Thailand is to remain on the US Trade Representative’s watch list as it tackles intellectual property violations and online piracy. Director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, Vuttikrai Leewiraphan, says the USTR made the announcement in its annual report that was released April 30. The report includes findings for more than 100 trading partners after engaging with stakeholders and further research.…
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Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine now approved in Thailand for those over 60
The Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is now approved in Thailand for adults over 60 years old. Doctors had initially advised that the vaccine to only be for adults 18 to 60 due to limited research on the elderly. The recommendation from doctors led Thailand’s 67 year old prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, to wait and take the AstraZeneca vaccine. After Prayut…
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Stimulus package gives more back the more you spend
A new stimulus package targeting middle and high-income people aims at increasing spending by offering more e-voucher the more you spend. Ying Chai Ying Dai, which translates to “the more you spend the more you get”, will reward those who spend between 46,000 and 70,000 baht with a 7,000 baht e-voucher. This part of the government’s 225 billion baht stimulus…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,044 new cases and 27 deaths, provincial totals
2,044 new Covid-19 cases and 27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 29,320 active Covid-19 cases. 1,170 Covid patients are in critical condition including 367 on ventilators. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 78,855 Covid-19 infections and 363 virus-related deaths.…
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