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.
-
Sponsored
Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
-
Private sector countdown events to go ahead in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve
New Year countdown events organised by the private sector in Bangkok can still go ahead, provided they adhere to strict disease control guidelines, according to a Bangkok Post report. The CCSA is giving the go-ahead despite the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cancelling government-organised events in the capital over concerns about the Omicron variant. Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says private sector…
-
Escaped Israeli officially cleared of Covid-19, now faces prosecution
The good news is: you don’t have Covid-19. The bad news: you’re being sent to police custody. In the most recent twist to the case of an Israeli tourist who entered Thailand on Friday and snuck off before receiving his Covid-19 test only to be diagnosed with Omicron as a nationwide manhunt ensued, the man has now been determined to…
-
Government-hosted New Year’s events in Bangkok cancelled
Government-hosted New Year’s countdown events and holiday celebrations in Bangkok will be cancelled, the vice governor, Kriangyos Sudlabha, announced today, adding that the decision is due to the emergence of the Omicron variant and follows the World Health Organisation’s recommendations. The countdown event in front of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Office will be canceled as well as other events organised by…
-
TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned
While Thailand is tightening its borders and restrictions in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which has now infected over 100 people in the country, the New Year’s holiday is just over one week away. As authorities are torn between to need to protect against Covid-19 and the desperate need of the tourism and entertainment sectors to create…
-
Thai Civilised Party requests committee for legalising prostitution
One party in Thailand’s government has set its sights on legalising prostitution. The Thai Civilised Party has requested to create a House committee to examine and analyse the prospect of prostitution being legalised in Thailand. The push to decriminalise is at least in part an effort to cut down on corruption as if sex for money was legal, government officials…
-
Will legalising prostitution benefit Thailand? | Lawyers, Guns & Money
What is the law regarding prostitution in Thailand? What gets a person in trouble with the law? How do the police deal with prostitution in Thailand? Would it be more beneficial for Thailand to have legal prostitution? Find out more in todays episode where Tim sits down with Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal to talk about Prostitution in Thailand.
-
Test & Go registration suspended – Here’s what we know about entry to Thailand
This story was updated on Monday, December 27. Just 7 weeks after introducing (almost) quarantine-free re-entry into Thailand, the Thai government announced it is suspending registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme as well as the “Sandbox” scheme, with the exception of the Phuket Sandbox. Those who have registered, and been approved, under the Thailand Pass system can…
-
Top 5 places to spend New Year’s Day in Phuket 2022
We are all looking forward to 2022 because it will provide another chance for a fresh start and a celebration of new beginnings. On January 1st, start the year off perfectly with a delicious New Year’s Day brunch. Enjoy an international buffet with live seafood stations and a selection of house drinks. Create fruitful memories this new year with a…
-
EU now accepts Thailand Covid-19 vaccination certificates
Thailand’s Covid-19 certification is now linked to the EU’s digital certification system, according to Deputy Head of Delegation European Union Giuseppe Busini, who tweeted the announcement. He wrote that Thailand’s Covid-19 certifications will be accepted in the European Union, while Thailand will recognise the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The European Commission approved certifications given by Thailand, Montenegro, Taiwan, Tunisia, and…
-
Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok 2021
New Year is one of the most exciting events. Whether you are looking to end the year with a glass of champagne, countdown party or an intimate dinner, you have come to the right place. Nothing can be more special than celebrating New Year with your loved ones amidst a fancy setting, so if you haven’t planned anything yet, we…
-
Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand
A notice from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has been issued to airlines to advise them of the new conditions for entering the kingdom. The move follows the suspension of the Test & Go system and all sandbox schemes with the exception of Phuket’s. The government took the decision to suspend the schemes as a result of the recently emerged Omicron…
-
Nightlife workers protest at Government House, call for financial assistance
Thailand’s nightlife workers have rallied in Bangkok, protesting outside Government House as they demand government assistance. The workers, known as the “high heel mob” are calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to offer state aid to industry workers adversely affected by Covid-19 closure orders. According to a Bangkok Post report, the workers were led by the Empower Foundation. Employees say their…
-
Thai Omicron cases surpass 100, world tightens restrictions
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has now been detected in 95 countries and Thailand has not escaped unscathed. 104 Omicron variant infections have now been uncovered in Thailand according to the CCSA with the first local transmission recently discovered. Most of the cases of the new variant are currently receiving treatment though some have recovered already, according to the Department…
-
Koh Samui tourism officials, businesses call on government to open Sandbox registration
The Phuket Sandbox is now the only quarantine substitution programme open for registration, but those on the Gulf of Thailand island Koh Samui are calling on the government to allow the Samui Sandbox scheme to continue as usual. Since the government’s announcement yesterday on closing registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme and the Sandbox scheme, with the…
-
Health Ministry: test for Omicron variant before the holidays
Headache? Coughing? Fatigue? Better get tested! The Ministry of Public Health is encouraging the people of Thailand to get tested for Covid-19 before the upcoming holiday period to try to detect, contain, and prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. The ministry asked everyone to check themselves and to be aware of the many symptoms that could possibly be attributed…
-
Wednesday Covid Update: 2,532 cases; provincial totals
31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,471 with 21,377 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 2,532 new Covid-19 cases and 3,191 recoveries. There are now 38,202 people in Thailand being…
-
How To Make Your Own Christmas Card
Using natural and bio degradable ingredients, make a D.I.Y home made Christmas card for this festive season with the help of Tim and Natty.
-
Thailand considers digital lottery to beat overpriced vendors
With the biggest e-Commerce market in Southeast Asia, Thailand is planning to launch a new online platform to sell printed national lottery tickets in digital format to combat the high prices of some physical vendors. According to a member and spokesman for the Government Lottery Office, Thanawat Polvichai, the alternative digital lottery will be among the options offered to the…
-
UPDATE: Tourist who left quarantine, tested positive for Covid-19, turns himself in
UPDATE: Thai media reports that the traveller who tested positive for Covid-19 and left his quarantine hotel without permission has contacted the Embassy of Israel in Thailand to turn himself in to police in Koh Samui. The Royal Thai Police deputy spokesperson for told Thai media the travellers could face criminal charges for violating the Emergency Decree. Officials are still looking…
-
Soi Dog Foundation warns of dangers of sheltering amid distemper outbreak on Koh Kood
The following is a press release from the Soi Dog Foundation. Soi Dog Foundation is warning against the unmanaged sheltering of stray dogs following an outbreak of canine distemper virus at a government-run facility on the island of Koh Kood in Trat province. Transmitted through direct contact and airborne exposure – namely sneezing, coughing and sharing food and water bowls…
-
25 Thais returning from Mecca pilgrimage infected with Omicron variant
25 of 31 Thai pilgrims recently returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca have tested positive for the Omicron variant. The Bangkok Post reports that the group landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport from Saudi Arabia on December 15. According to the report, most of the passengers are from central Thailand, with 14 from Nonthaburi, 4 are from Pathum Thani, 4 from…
-
OPINION: Test and Go, up and gone, where to from here Thailand?
OPINION A crazy day in The Thaiger office as we pushed out all the latest Test & Go Thailand Pass info as fast as we could, translated and checked. I forgot a number of important meetings as we knew people wanted to know what was happening with the Thailand Pass. We wanted to know too as we are also directly…
-
UPDATE: Registration closes for Test & Go and Sandbox, except Phuket
Registration is closing today for travellers wishing to enter Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption programme and the Sandbox entry scheme, with the exception of Phuket. In an urgent meeting this afternoon, chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration decided to stop accepting new tourists under the entry schemes starting at midnight. The government…
-
Five year old girl shot dead while playing with her cousins in Kanchanaburi
A five year old girl was shot and killed while she was playing with her cousins at the village chief’s house in Kanchanaburi. The girl was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood and a gun was nearby. Police are still investigating to determine who shot the child. The bullet had hit the girl’s left leg above the knee…
-
Bangkok Covid-19 vaccination centre to close for 7 days during New Year holiday
One of Bangkok’s vaccination centres will be closed for a week during the New Year holiday from December 29 to January 4. Thais and foreign residents can still get vaccinated during those days at one of the six health clinics or 11 recognised hospitals, according to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Health Department’s director. The Thai-Japanese Youth Centre will reopen on January…
-
Drinking water plant forced to suspend operations after fish found in sealed jug
A drinking water plant in Thailand’s Isaan region has been forced to temporarily close after a Siamese fighting fish was found swimming in a sealed 10-litre container. The Ubon Ratchathani plant must suspend its operations until it obtains a license from the Thai Food and Drug Administration. A customer in a nearby village discovered the small fish swimming in a…
-
Health Minister to propose cancelling Test & Go entry at Cabinet meeting today
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will propose the cancellation of the Test & Go quarantine exemption programme to the Cabinet during the meeting today, according to reports in Thai media. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, and an official order will need to be published in the Royal Gazette before the scheme…
-
Sex workers mail high heels to government, continue to call for financial support
Earlier this year, sex workers and others in Thailand’s nightlife industry lined high heels up in front of the parliament building in Bangkok. Each pair of heels had a note calling for the government to compensate redlight district workers who are out of work due to the pandemic. Six months later, with bars and nightclubs still ordered to remain closed,…
-
Ready and willing: Anutin says he’s prepared to be next PM and lead Thailand
Thailand’s somewhat controversial health minister, Anutin Charvirakul, says he’s ready to lead the country and become the next PM. According to an ASEAN NOW report, Anutin was addressing a gathering of his Bhumjaithai Party in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. His comments have been picked up by the Thai media, with Sanook posting a photo…
-
Thailand expected to review list of countries eligible for “Test & Go” scheme
The Thai government is expected to review the list of countries eligible for the Test & Go entry scheme, as concerns over the Omicron variant mount. Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says Covid-19 screening will be intensified and the list of eligible countries will be revised. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA is expected to identify a number…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.