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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Covid-19 drug likely to arrive December as procurement agreement in final stages
The world’s first oral treatment for Covid-19 could be available in Thailand from December, as a draft agreement nears completion. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Medical Services chief says the draft procurement deal is awaiting legal approval from the government. Somsak Akksilp says his department is in talks with the Thai subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck,…
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UK ditches “non-essential travel” alert for 32 countries, Thailand remains on red list
The British government has amended its advice to avoid non-essential travel to 32 countries. The Bangkok Post reports that the move comes as countries around the world continue to make progress in fighting the pandemic. However, according to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Thailand remains on the red list, along with South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. “The Foreign,…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicks off, poles raised to call spirits down from the heavens
The famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicked off yesterday, with its traditional ceremony to welcome spirits to descend from the heavens, but under Covid-19 restrictions. Go Teng poles were raised at participating shrines as a call for the Jade Emperor and Nine Emperor Gods to come down to earth. During the festival, some will practice self-mutilation, such as tongue slicing or…
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Travel Around Thailand & Abroad with Tadoo’s New Travel Insurance Packages
Tadoo, Thailand’s rising comparison platform, has announced the launch of a new line of travel insurance products in collaboration with recent partner AXA. Following the success of earlier online products such as Thailand Entry Insurance, Cancer and Tropical Disease Insurance, the company has decided to expand its online offerings. With more and more goods being produced at a rapid pace,…
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A synopsis of Thailand’s educational system
Many expats who decide to settle in Thailand are curious about the public schools’ status. As Thailand is a popular destination for many worldwide, those with kids may be looking to immerse their children in the culture. So, enrolling them into the country’s government-sponsored schools may be an option. However, further research into this reveals that the quality of education…
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Its likely too late for herd immunity, but vaccines still vital.
With Thailand finally on track to reach its vaccination goals having now administered 56 million vaccines across the nation, scientists are warning that it may be too little too late for the possibility of herd immunity. Virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan at the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University believe that herd immunity may never be achieved at…
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New star-shaped flower found at national park in southern Thailand’s Ranong
A new flower was reportedly discovered at a national park in the southern province of Ranong. The white star-shaped flower with six to seven points was named the “Cute Star Flower,” or “Dara Pilas” in Thai. The flower was found at the Ngao Waterfall National Park. Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced on its Facebook page…
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Thailand to finalise procurement contract for new Covid-19 drug within 2 weeks
The Health Ministry says a contract to purchase supplies of the first oral Covid-19 treatment will be completed in the next 2 weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the first batch of pills could arrive as soon as November. Somsak Akkasilp from the Department of Medical Services says the government has ordered enough to treat 200,000 people, adding that…
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Government considering legalising e-cigarettes amid outcry from health groups
The government is looking at ways e-cigarettes could be legalised, in order to offer a less harmful alternative to smoking regular cigarettes. The Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, says he believes vaping is safer for people trying to quit smoking, but his comments have been met with fierce opposition from health campaigners, according to a Bangkok Post report.…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 9,886 new cases and 102 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 9,866 new Covid-19 cases and 102 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 1,638,234 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,115 recoveries. There are now 108,022 people being treated for Covid-19 in Thailand. Out of the new cases reported…
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Activists petition to stop emergency decree being used to curtail freedom of speech
A human rights NGO has petitioned the Civil Court to abolish the government’s use of the emergency decree to quash freedom of expression. The Internet Law Reform Dialogue group filed the petition against the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and the relevant authorities. According to a Bangkok Post report, iLaw manager Yingcheep Atchanond, feminist activist Chutima Tangkliang, and Atthapol Buapat from the…
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Flood warning issued for Bangkok
Despite officials hoping for a reduction in the heavy rainfall and flooding affecting many parts of Thailand, it seems the situation is not easing yet. Residents in Bangkok, along the capital’s Chao Phraya River, have been put on high alert over potential flooding. The Bangkok Post reports that the warning comes as 3,000 cubic metres of water per second flows…
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Police rescue more than 40 wild monkeys reportedly being smuggled to restaurants
More than 40 monkeys being smuggled to local restaurants were rescued on Friday by officers from Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division. Nation Thailand reports that officers had received a tip the alleged smugglers were using Highway 359 in the eastern province Sa Kaeo, which borders Cambodia, as a route to smuggle the wild monkeys to restaurants where the…
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Phuket bar owner arrested for allegedly serving booze after 10pm
The owner of a bar in Phuket was arrested for allegedly selling alcohol after 10pm, a violation of the provincial order limiting alcohol sales in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 through socialising. Phuket News reports that the 29 year old who ran the bar was arrested after midnight yesterday at the City Bar on the outskirts of…
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Several political parties name candidates for PM, ruling party reportedly supports Prayut
In the heat of calls and protests pushing for PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign or be removed from office, political parties are now starting to name prime ministerial candidates for the next election, which will be in 2023. Prayut and his government also faced a no-confidence hearing last month. Although the vote ruled in Prayut’s favour, many issues were raised…
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Phuket “Sandbox” slow start for tourism; Philippines police investigated over “war on drugs” | Thailand Top Stories | October 5
Phuket “Sandbox” slow start for tourism; Philippines police investigated over “war on drugs” | Thailand Top Stories | October 5 |Caitlin gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Phuket Sandbox slowly reviving the tourism industry, Police seek court approval to extend detention for American rape suspect, …
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Former cop accused of torture and murder was involved in seizure of over 400 luxury cars
A man accused of murder and fired from his role as police chief in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan was involved in the confiscation of over 400 luxury cars. According to deputy national police chief, Suchart Thiraswasdi, disgraced former cop Thitisan Utthanaphol was involved in the seizure of 410 high-end vehicles that had been smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia…
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Our take on the new GWM Haval H6 ULTRA
The recent launch of Great Wall Motor’s 2021 Haval H6 ULTRA Hybrid SUV in Thailand, has definitely set car lovers’ tongues wagging. Around 3 months ago, GWM announced it would be introducing the new H6 Haval ULTRA (the top model for the Thai range) with an accompanying theme of ‘It’s Time to CHANGE.’ The SUV is a true hybrid, including…
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Widespread flooding easing across affected provinces
Officials say the widespread flooding that has affected Bangkok and several other provinces is showing signs of easing. However, there are already forecasts of another storm that could affect Thailand from next week. AP News reports that so far, 8 people have been killed by the floods, with 1 woman still missing. Thousands of homes have been affected, across 32…
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Monday Covid Update: 9,930 new cases; provincial totals
97 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 17,111 with 17,017 of those fatalities during the country’s latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 9,930 new Covid-19 cases and 12,336 recoveries were reported. Thailand now has 109,748 active cases. Since the…
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Swiss man arrested for allegedly beating a man to death, claiming self-defence
A 63 year old Swiss man was arrested for allegedly beating a Thai man to death. Police say the Swiss national, identified as Rudolf, told officers that the man had come to his home, pointed a gun at his head, and demanded money. Officers say Rudolf confessed to beating the man, but did not intend to kill him, adding that…
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Vaccination drive accelerated in Pattaya to prepare for November reopening
The rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations is being accelerated in Pattaya to prepare for reopening in November. The city’s mayor Sonthaya Kunplome says he expects more than 80% of the population in Pattaya to be fully vaccinated by October 15. Pattaya City Hospital is being used as the main vaccination centre with up to 2,600 doses of AstraZeneca and Sinopharm being…
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Thai AirAsia operating 20 domestic routes from this month
From this month, Thai AirAsia is resuming a number of domestic routes, as well as introducing new ones. TTR Weekly reports that the low-cost carrier is now operating flights from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Phitsanulok, Nan, Loei, Sakon Nakhon, Surat Thani, Krabi, and Trang. It will also launch a new route from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin from October…
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All countries now eligible for Thailand’s sandbox programme
The Thai government has got rid of its list of “approved countries”, opening up the sandbox tourism programme to fully vaccinated visitors from anywhere in the world. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has welcomed the move, which means Indonesian and Malaysian tourists can now visit the kingdom. Prior to Covid-19, Malaysia was Thailand’s second…
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Thailand to charge foreign arrivals 500 baht “tourism fee” from next year
Despite Thailand struggling to reboot its decimated tourism sector, the government is pushing ahead with a proposed tourism fee – and has increased it by 200 baht. The National Tourism Policy Committee originally approved a fee of 300 baht at the start of this year, which would be used to develop tourism destinations and provide tourists with insurance benefits. According…
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Vaccination of over 5 million school students gets underway
The vaccination of Thai school students gets underway today, with over 5 million students expected to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccination drive is in preparation for the new school term in November. According to a Bangkok Post report, students between the ages of 12 and 18 will be vaccinated with the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, starting with those in dark…
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Army to cut spending on foreign weapons, buy domestic instead
The army is recognising that, with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, they shouldn’t be spending massive money to obtain weapons from abroad. Instead, they will look for domestic sourcing for the weapons they purchase and spend on maintaining what they have already. The chief of staff for the army acknowledged that the Thai military is reconsidering its spending since much…
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Sunday Afternoon Covid-19 Update: Provincial totals
Today, the CCSA reported 10,814 new Covid-19 infections and Coronavirus-related deaths remained below 100 for the second day in a row with 77 deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,608,569 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 11,894 recoveries, 1,233 less than yesterday.…
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Sunday Covid-19: Deaths below 100 for the 2nd day, 10,814 infections
Today, the CCSA reported 10,814 new Covid-19 infections and Coronavirus-related deaths remained below 100 for the second day in a row with 77 deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,608,569 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 11,894…
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3.68 million students registered to receive Pfizer vaccines
Pfizer vaccines are ready to be administered beginning Monday to young people at schools and universities with 3.68 million students registered so far. The Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Education are working together the vaccinate 70% of high school and vocational school students by the end of October ahead of classroom learning recommencing in November. The ministries are…
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