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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More oil found on different beaches in Rayong
Following the report on another leak found in the underwater pipeline yesterday, the Rayong governor said that – for a third time – oil had seeped out of the pipes and slicks had rented up on various beaches, including Laem Mae Pim and Laem Charoen Beaches. Local fishers say oil slicks were found at around five nautical miles from the…
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Thai Deputy PM says foreigners should be encouraged to say “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”
Thailand’s capital can still be called “Bangkok,” but one of Thailand’s deputy prime minister says foreigners should be encouraged to say the formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”. In a recent, what the Office of the Royal Society calls a “clarification,” the capital’s official name was documented as “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok).” Many reports say this is a change…
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Thai officials say to “look out for” illegal migrant workers amidst Covid-19 surge
This morning, a government spokesman said people in border provinces have been told to “look out for” illegal migrant workers as governors prepare for an increase in Covid-19 infections. He also said people should report “suspicious looking strangers” to authorities. He said police and labour officials have been told to check and make sure factories aren’t hiring illegal migrants, and…
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Firefighters rescue woman from burning coffee shop in Phuket
Firefighters rescued a terrified woman from a burning coffee shop in Phuket yesterday afternoon. The woman couldn’t move because she was frozen in shock. Even though about 70% of the building was damaged, no one was injured. The firefighters took almost an hour to stop the fire, and police and firefighters both are now investigating what started it. The coffee…
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Public Health Ministry opens sexual health centre in Bang Rak, Bangkok
In the midst of a rise in STD infections, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry held an opening ceremony yesterday for a new sexual health centre in Bang Rak district in Bangkok. The centre, called Bang Rak Medical Centre Building, is part of Bang Rak Hospital complex on Sathorn road. Some of the centre’s services will include test-and-go services for STIs, and…
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More than 100 monkeys tied in bags, trapped in cages rescued from home
More than 100 baby macaque monkeys were found at an abandoned home in Saraburi, some tied up in bags. One was dead. Some locked in plastic carriers were weak from hunger and thirst. Police suspect the home was being for storage by a wildlife smuggling gang preparing to transport and sell the monkeys across the border where the animals would…
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Move Forward MP accuses government of hiding spread of African Swine Fever
A Move Forward MP accused the government of covering up the spread of African Swine Fever in a parliamentary debate yesterday. The MP, Padipat Suntiphada, said ASF spread across the country in 2020 as a direct result of the government covering it up when it first hit in 2019. When the disease was first discovered, 300,000 pigs died either from…
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Anutin says government needs to balance public health needs with economic recovery
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says the country needs to balance economic recovery with the need to protect public health. Anutin Charnvirakul was addressing a Bangkok Post conference yesterday when he said striking the right balance is a priority for the government. Covid-19 infection numbers are currently soaring as a result of the highly-contagious Omicron variant, but Anutin expects the infection…
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Thailand’s hotel operators call for PCR testing on arrival to be dropped
The Thai Hotels Association says the government must drop the PCR testing requirement for foreign visitors if there’s going to be any hope of salvaging the country’s tourism industry. THA president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi says demand for the revamped Test & Go scheme is lower now than when it was first launched in November, due to high season coming to…
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Man rescued after hanging from cliff overnight, held up by shirt tied to trees
A man was rescued after he hanged from a high cliff in Phattalung for almost two days, using his shirt to tie himself to the vines, stems, and roots. He was spotted by tourists by the Khao Hua Chang Reservoir and more than 50 people teamed up for the hours-long rescue effort. On Tuesday, 47 year old Amnuay Rattanachotiyo decided…
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Thai Cabinet “okays” 5 year plan to lower tobacco consumption
Thailand is going a step further than the graphic (and disturbing) photos on packs of cigarettes to discourage the public from smoking. The Thai Cabinet has approved a five-year road map focusing on lowering tobacco consumption to help improve overall public health. The plan, with a 498 million baht budget, will start this year and end in 2027. The plan to…
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Another leak found in underwater oil pipeline off the Rayong coast
Another oil leak in the pipeline off the coast of Rayong has been reported by the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company, which has sent a letter to the Map Ta Phut Provincial Police Station asking permission to repair the pipe and prevent further environmental damage. Since late January, oil leaking from the pipes have polluted Rayong’s Mae Ramphueng Beach, with…
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Thursday Covid Update: 17,349 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,538 with 840 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 17,349 new Covid-19 cases and 11,561 recoveries. There are now 144,061 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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3 workers killed in structure collapse at One Bangkok construction site
Three workers were killed and four others injured when a structure collapsed at a construction site for the luxury complex One Bangkok, which is said to be the biggest real estate project in Thailand with a budget of more than 120 billion baht. The massive project has paused construction following orders from the Bangkok Labor Protection and Welfare Office and the…
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Tourist questioned by police, Phuket taxi drivers said he was driving a “service vehicle”
A Russian tourist was taken to a police station in Phuket for questioning after local taxi drivers reported that the man was driving throughout the island province, claiming he was picking up passengers. The tourist was just driving his family members, but the car he rented ended up being registered as a service vehicle. Both the owner of the vehicle…
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Phuket governor attends Makha Bucha Day ceremony
The governor of Phuket went to a temple ceremony for Makha Bucha Day yesterday. The governor and other Phuket officials dressed in white and listened to a monk give a sermon about how to apply the principles of Buddhism to their everyday lives. Buddhists often call these principles Dhamma. Attendees later paraded around the ordination hall three times as an…
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Thai respiratory specialist calls for total overhaul of how government handles Covid
A highly-respected specialist in respiratory illnesses says the Thai government needs to completely change tack in the way it’s dealing with Covid-19. Posting on his Facebook page, Dr Manoon Leechawengongs from Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital has called for an overhaul in how new infections are dealt with and wants expensive PCR tests ditched altogether. The prominent medic says that as it…
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Pattaya tourism officials pin hopes on proposed travel bubble with India
Pattaya is looking to India to salvage what’s left of tourism during the forthcoming low season, as Thailand plans a travel bubble with the South Asian nation. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is preparing a marketing plan targeting would-be visitors from India. The country is one of the few short-haul markets that doesn’t require…
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Bangkok officials set up another 1,000 isolation beds amid surge in infections
As Covid-19 infection numbers surge in Bangkok, officials have set up another 1,000 beds in isolation facilities across the capital. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has instructed all 50 district offices to create more community isolation facilities. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the additional isolation facilities will help ease the burden on hospitals and the…
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Despite Covid-19, tourism authorities still optimistic about this coming year
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is keeping its chin up, and has high hopes for tourism income this year. The TAT governor told the Bangkok Post today he hopes to target wealthy travellers, skilled professionals, and remote workers. The target age groups include millenials and retirees alike. He says the goal for tourism this year is to earn the country…
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3 men arrested after allegedly selling tiger, leopard skins to undercover police
Three men were arrested yesterday after they were allegedly caught selling clouded leopard and tiger hides to an undercover officer. Along with three live leopard kittens, tiger and leopard hides valued at two million baht were seized by national park officers and police at a resort in Kanchanaburi, which borders Myanmar. Officers had received a tip that illegal wildlife traders…
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Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws explained
Thailand’s recent changes to the laws around cannabis have sparked confusion across the country, with many questioning, “Is weed legal now?” Well.. not the weed that will cause a high. There’s a limit on the plant’s psychoactive component, known as THC, so you won’t get stoned when you order a cannabis-infused tea or dish topped with a pot leaf. Those…
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Bangkok to be officially named “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”
The official for Thailand’s capital is in the process of being changed to its more formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,” but its common name “Bangkok” will still be recognised. The Thai Cabinet approved the name change in principle, but the order still needs to be vetted by government officials. Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, or “Krung Thep” as most Thais…
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Former street food vendor making more money from homemade dog food business
A former street food vendor in the western province of Kanchanaburi has launched a new business venture selling homemade dog food. According to a Nation Thailand report, Surachet Kangsri now makes more money from his dog food business and has stopped selling human food. Surachet says he came up with the idea when he realised customers who were buying his…
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Omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for 18% of Covid-19 infections in Thailand
The Department of Medical Sciences says the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 makes up 18.5% of Covid-19 cases in Thailand. However, department boss Supakit Sirilak says that while BA.2 appears to be faster spreading, there is no indication it results in more severe illness or is more likely to evade vaccines. According to a Bangkok Post report, the DMS examined…
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Interpol Red Notices issued for 2 Canadians wanted for Phuket hit job
Interpol has issued Red Notices for both suspects wanted in the targeted killing of an Indian national in Phuket. Alleged gang member Jimi “Slice” Sandhu was gunned down in the car park of his villa near Rawai beach on the evening of February 4. Police are searching for 2 ex-servicemen from Canada in relation to the killing, believed to be…
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Makha Bucha Day 2022: All about the public holiday in Thailand
For Thai Buddhists, Makha Bucha, also written Māgha Pūjā, is a day of abstinence, reflection and visits to the local temple, which culminate in picturesque candle-lit ceremonies in the evening. For those who don’t follow the Buddhist traditions, it’s a day of no alcohol sales. In fact, there is always a 24 hour alcohol ban imposed on the day, from…
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Thai woman’s OnlyFans content stolen, officers say she could face pornography charges
A Thai woman who posts sexually explicit photos and videos on her OnlyFans account says her content, which was intended only for those who pay for a subscription to her page, was taken without permission and spread for free on a gambling website. She reported the incident to the Thai police, but officers have now put the 25 year old…
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Travel Guide: Top places to retire in Asia 2022
Retiring in Asia is a dream for many, with fond memories of short or longer travel to some of the humid and exotic countries in the region. All that exquisite cuisine, diverse sceneries, fascinating histories, intriguing temples, tropical adventures, colourful nightlife, and markets and malls for shopping. Lots of shopping. So it’s easy to become enamoured with all things “Asia.”…
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Bangkok’s crazy cables and wires to go underground, project starts this year
Bangkok’s cables and wires, looped haphazardly above the city’s streets, is known not only to be an eye-sore, but also an electrician’s nightmare. Now, the capital’s officials are planning to get around 1,400 kilometres of electrical cables and communication lines underground within the next three years. Work for the project will start this year. This year, 450 kilometres of communication…
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