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 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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British Foreign Secretary arrives in Thailand for talks with government officials
The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has arrived in Thailand, where she will meet with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and other government officials. Thailand is her second Southeast Asia stop, following a visit to Malaysia in which she met with PM Ismail Sabri and Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. The UK is seeking to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asia and other…
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Thai Cabinet gives the green light for procurement of Molnupiravir
The Thai Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the Public Health Ministry to purchase 50,000 treatment courses of the antiviral pill, Molnupiravir. The drug, from US manufacturer Merck, is the world’s first oral treatment for Covid-19 and has been shown to cut the risk of hospitalisation if administered within days of symptoms developing. According to a Bangkok Post report, Health…
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Thai government defends sale of antigen test kits banned in the EU
They’ve been banned in the EU, but the Thai government says the cheap antigen test kits from NovaGen can be used here because they’ve been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration. Sirikul Methivirangsan from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says the reason they’re banned in the EU is due to the bloc requiring some additional paperwork. According to a…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 6,978 new cases and 62 deaths
6,978 new Covid-19 cases and 62 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 7,697 recoveries. There are now 96,463 people in Thailand receiving medical treatment for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 1,960,610…
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Bangkok authorities warn of more flooding along Chao Phraya during high tide
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration released more warnings on flooding as the Chao Praya river has been overflowing during high tides, with water waist-deep in some neighbourhoods. Residents in Bangkok and Samut Prakan who live along the river are being advised to watch the rising water level. The high tides will reach 1.31 metres above sea level at 11:26am, and 1.20…
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Phuket seafood festival and promotional event aimed at drawing in tourists
In another attempt to draw tourists back to Phuket, a seafood festival with live music is being held at the end of the month, which local tourism officials say will make the island’s attractions and activities more “colourful.” The Phuket tourism office is also holding a promotional event early next month focused on boosting tourist confidence with information on health…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 6,904 new cases and 61 deaths
6,904 new Covid-19 cases and 61 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 8,024 recoveries. There are now 97,244 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the the CCSA has reported a…
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Thai officials seize illegally imported medical goods worth around 5 million baht
The Food and Drug Administration and Thai police have confiscated a large quantity of illegally imported medical supplies, according to a Bangkok Post report. The seizure happened yesterday, during a raid on 2 warehouses in the Bang Kapi district of Bangkok. In total, the authorities seized products worth around 5 million baht, including Covid-19 test kits. Anan Nanasombat, chief of…
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Flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan along Chao Phraya river during high tide
Bangkok residents who live near the Chao Phraya river are being warned to watch out for rising water levels after the river overflowed in areas in Bangkok and the neighbouring province Samut Prakan. The water is expected to rise this evening and tomorrow morning. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang visited a road in Samphanthawong district today where there was heavy flooding…
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Public Health Minister says cannabis is a step closer to becoming a cash crop
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he wants to make cannabis a cash crop… just not the parts of the plant that get you high. Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, made a visit to a cannabis learning centre in the northeastern province Bueng Kan, which borders Laos, and posted photos on Facebook of himself walking through…
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Monday Covid Update: 7,592 new cases; provincial totals
39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,703 with 19,609 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 7,592 new Covid-19 cases and 7,495 recoveries. There are now 98,425 people in Thailand being…
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Taiwanese food chains show interest in Thai market
Taiwanese food and dessert chains see potential for growth in Thailand and the Bangkok Post reports that more than 20 different chains from the Asian country are looking into business opportunities in Thailand. This source from the Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion Taiwan, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Bangkok Post how conditions in Thailand are becoming increasingly…
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Thai reporter killed in wild elephant attack in Chanthaburi
A wild elephant stomped a Thai reporter to death in Chanthaburi on Friday. The reporter was on the scene taking photos of a mission to administer medical treatment to the animal which had been severely injured in a fight with other elephants. The wounded elephant panicked and charged after being shot with a dart filled with antibiotics, killing 46 year…
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Thailand to welcome British Foreign Secretary as part of Southeast Asia visit
The British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, will visit Thailand as part of a Southeast Asia trip that will also see her travel to Malaysia and Indonesia. According to a Reuters report, the purpose of the week-long trip is to strengthen the UK’s economic and security ties in the region. The UK is increasingly looking to countries beyond Europe as it…
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Village chief in Isaan calls police after mistaking mannequin for naked man
Police in the Isaan province Ubon Ratchathani received a call from the village chief Friday afternoon reporting that a naked man was standing by a resident’s home, but when officers went to approach the man, they discovered it was just a mannequin. According to The Pattaya News, the Bang Yang village headman Mongkolchai Phongsri called the Don Mod Daeng Police…
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Aide to Thai PM says repealing lèse majesté law would be “impossible”
A representative of the PM’s Secretariat Office has described Thailand’s controversial lèse majesté law as untouchable, amid calls for it to be repealed. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thipanan Sirichana says repealing the law, formally known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, would contravene the constitution. She says Thailand’s constitution dictates that the king’s position is one of…
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Monday Covid Update: 7,592 new cases and 39 deaths
7,592 new Covid-19 cases and 39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 7,495 recoveries. There are now 98,425 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded…
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Burmese, Cambodian jobseekers caught entering Thailand illegally
Unscrupulous people smugglers are taking advantage of Burmese and Cambodian workers who are desperate to find employment in Thailand. With the re-opening of the country to international tourism, migrant workers are paying illegal brokers to secure employment and transport into the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that yesterday, police in the western province of Kanchanaburi arrested 97 Burmese nationals who…
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New ferry route Chon Buri-Songkhla, new speedboat Chumphon-Samui
Several new ferry services are launching to connect Thailand, with a long-haul route from Chon Buri to Songkhla and a new boat service launching from Chumphon to the islands of Ko Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. The new routes will be run by Seahorse Ferries Company for the cross country route, and Marine Passion through the islands. CHON BURI…
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Thailand reopening: 20,000 total entered, 50,000 Passes approved
Following reports that 16,595 foreigners total have entered Thailand during the first 5 days of the grand reopening that began on November 1, here are the latest arrival stats for people coming to the Kingdom or at least attempting to come to the country: THAILAND PASS Many people have struggled to obtain their Thailand Pass to enter the country, but…
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Illegal border crossing on the rise along with tourism reopening
While Thailand is eager to see foreigners entering the country after Monday’s reopening, not all foreigners are as welcome as others. A crackdown on migrants crossing land borders illegally and entering the country without quarantine caught more than 3,000 people in this past week. A spokesperson for the Internal Security Operations Command correlated Thailand’s reopening to international tourism with the…
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Smart city programme to use digital technology to improve lives
In an effort to increase the standard of living for people through digital technology, 15 areas have been earmarked for the government to implement the development of smart cities. A meeting was held of the National Smart City Steering subcommittee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Meeting saw attendance from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Smart City…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: 53 deaths, 7,960 infections, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 7,960 new Covid-19 infections, down 507 since yesterday, and 53 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 16 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,939,126 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 6,950 recoveries, up 1,338 from…
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PM Prayut pushes for pre-ordering of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid
The Ministry of Public Health has been pushed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to pre-order Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, the anti-viral drugs that have proven effective in treating Covid-19. The drugs, produced by Merck and Pfizer respectively, have been shown in testing to reduce the severity of Covid-19 symptoms, hospitalisations and death due to the virus. Molnupiravir recently became the first approved…
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Vaccinated riders get 20% off on Transport Co interprovince buses
For those who have been fully vaccinated, Thailand’s state-run long-distance bus operator is offering a 20% discount on all fares until the end of November. The Transport Co operate the public buses that travel between provinces across the country, and they are offering the deal the boost ridership as tourism grows. The move is also hoped to counteract the losses…
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Department of Corrections fires 10 prison officials for misconduct
10 prison officials have been dismissed by the Department of Corrections after a variety of serious breaches of conduct have been investigated. The dismissals range from smuggling to gross negligence and misconduct relating to 5 murders, and authorities fear that the egregious misconduct has shaken people’s confidence in the Department and the prison system. The Director-General of the DoC detailed…
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Covid-19 SATURDAY UPDATE: Provincial totals
Today, the CCSA reported 8,467 new Covid-19 infections, up 317 since yesterday, and 69 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 11 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,931,166 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 8,288 recoveries, up 50 from…
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Thailand now equipped to perform 120,000 RT-PCR tests daily
The Department of Medical Sciences has been ramping up their testing capabilities and have declared it can now perform 120,000 RT-PCR Covid-19 tests per day. They say it can complete the tests and offer results within 24 hours at any of their 443 active labs that are certified to conduct the tests. Anyone travelling to Thailand is already required to…
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Thailand reopening sees 13,000 travellers, 10 Covid-19 infections
After the first 4 days of Thailand’s big reopening, over 13,000 people have arrived with just 10 of those travellers testing positive for Covid-19. According to the Director of Risk Communication and Health Behavior Development Bureau from the Ministry of Public Health Dr Sumanee Watcharasin, 13,229 people have entered Thailand in the last 4 days, and 10 international travellers –…
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Thailand Pass – The Full Guide
All you need to know about the Thailand Pass. Here’s the website for the Thailand Pass. tp.consular.go.th ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you need assistance with your Thailand Pass application you can enlist the services of AQ.in.th Team by using their Full Service Thailand Pass service (average approval time 12-48 hours).
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