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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Thais poke fun at TAT’s “fly the kite” event, the phrase has another meaning in Thailand
Thais are having a laugh over the headline for a kite festival promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in the Isaan province Buriram. In Thai, the phrase “flying a kite” can mean two different things… One is literally flying a kite, while the other means male masturbation. TAT Buriram is promoting the event with the headline “ชักว่าว เคาน์ดาวน์ ปีใหม่…
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Red Cross Fair being held online again this year due to Covid-19
For the second year in a row, the national Red Cross Fair is being held online only due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. The fair takes place every year all over Thailand as a fundraiser to support the Red Cross and their programs, especially those to help the poor and people in need. The Red Cross often steps in…
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Japan donates used diesel trains, Thais criticise acquisition over transport costs
Japan has donated 17 second-hand diesel trains to Thailand which will be refurbished and ready to be in service in the Kingdom by 2023. The trains are the KiHa 183 series, which were constructed in the 1980s and late 1990s and were last used for UR Hokkaido limited express services. The State Railway of Thailand says the used trains can…
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Fisherman’s body found by Saphan Hin Beach in Phuket
Rescue teams and the Royal Thai Navy found the body of a 60 year old fisherman by Saphan Hin Beach in Phuket who had drowned after a fishing boat capsized over the weekend. The boat sank at around 8pm on Saturday. The captain and another fisherman were able to swim to safety after hours in the water and got to…
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Health officials warn of potential Omicron surge after New Year holiday
The Department of Medical Services says Thailand could end up dealing with a surge of Omicron infections after the end-of-year celebrations. Department chief Somsak Akksilp says the public must continue to comply with disease prevention measures to keep the highly contagious variant at bay. He adds that mild symptoms can be treated while patients self-isolate at home. According to a…
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How to bring your pet into Thailand
Those who travel to Thailand with pets, may have a few questions about the legalities surrounding the importation of your 4-legged friends. But, all worries aside, as long as you follow the rules and regulations set forth by the Thai consulate in your home country, it should be a fairly smooth process. Here, we have the current rules and procedures…
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“Gay Toilet”: Thai temple aims to be more welcoming, misses mark on gender neutral
One Thai temple trying to be a bit more progressive missed the mark when it comes to gender neutral restrooms. Instead, they designated restrooms for gay men and lesbian women. A picture of toilet sign saying ห้องน้ำตุ๊ด which means “Gay Toilet”’ and ห้องน้ำทอม which means “Tomboy Toilet” went viral among Thai netizens. The sign and toilet are located at Sarikaram…
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Health Ministry looks into fake vaccine certificates after social media post goes viral
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is looking into fake vaccine certification sales after a post advertising bogus certifications went viral on Facebook. A photo of what looks like a vaccine certificate issued by the Thai government with a caption saying “Get a vaccine certificate from us. No need to waste your time getting vaccinated.” Get a vaccine certificate from us. No…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 2,862 new cases; provincial totals
37 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,231 with 21,137 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 2,862 new Covid-19 cases and 4,818 recoveries. There are now 47,531 people in Thailand being…
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Two killed in a military helicopter crash in Nakhon Sawan
A flight instructor and an aviation student were killed in helicopter crash during a training session for Thai military. The helicopter from Army Aviation Centre in Lop Buri caught fire and crashed in the neighbouring province Nakhon Sawan. According to a military source, the helicopter, which was made in the United States by Enstrom Helicopter Corporation and was worth 74 million…
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New Year’s events under “Covid Free” measures, attendees must be vaccinated
Get vaccinated if you want to party on New Year’s. The Thai government is loosening restrictions on alcohol and events, but just for New Year’s… and for those who have been vaccinated. In all provinces, New Year’s countdown events will be allowed to offer alcohol drinks until 1am on January 1, but venues need to abide by “Covid Free Setting”…
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Thailand to reopen Malaysian border crossings under Test & Go in mid-January
Thailand’s land crossings along the Malaysian border will reopen in mid-January under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme for fully vaccinated travellers. At its general meeting yesterday, the CCSA approved a measure to set up Test & Go checkpoints at the land crossings in the provinces bordering Malaysia including Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun. Under the Test & Go scheme,…
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No confirmation on whether January 1 re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says it’s still waiting to hear from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister if the re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead. The hugely popular tourist draw was expected to re-open from January 1 and Damras Phoprasit from the DNP says he’s already reassured Minister Varawut Silpa-archa that the newly-constructed pier…
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Thai aviation sector calls for visa waiver for international travellers
Thailand’s aviation sector is calling on the government to introduce a visa waiver scheme for international arrivals to boost demand. The Airlines Association of Thailand says global competition for tourists is getting tough and the government needs to do more to attract international visitors. “We are in a fierce competition as every country needs tourists to cushion the economic impact.…
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“Sandbox” entry scheme to remain at 7 days, CCSA reverses move to cut down stay
The period of stay under the “sandbox” entry scheme will continue to be seven days. The CCSA approved to cut the period down to five days but tightened measures after the emergence of the Omicron variant. Under the entry scheme, travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter and roam freely in a designated province or area, such as…
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Public Health Ministry reports a total of 8 confirmed Omicron cases in Thailand
Thailand has recorded eight Omicron cases since the country reported the first Omicron infection on December 1. While it’s not a lot, the emergence of the variant has led the Thai government to tighten travel restrictions and disease control measures for entry to prevent Omicron from being imported into the country. According to the Public Health Ministry, all Omicron cases…
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Monday Covid Update: 3,398 new cases; provincial totals
23 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,194 with 21,100 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 3,398 new Covid-19 cases and 5,467 recoveries. There are now 49,524 people in Thailand being…
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57 migrants arrested in Kanchanaburi for allegedly crossing the border illegally
Thai authorities have arrested 57 Burmese nationals for allegedly entering Thailand illegally. The migrants were found in forest the border Kanchanaburi, which borders Myanmar, at around 11pm Saturday. Troops from Ranger Company 1404 and police from Border Patrol Company 136 found the 30 men and 27 women who reportedly sneaked into Sai Yok area through a natural border crossing while…
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Indian actress almost denied entry at Bangkok airport for not having a printed document
A famous Indian actress says she was almost denied entry to Thailand for apparently not having a document printed out. Travellers are required to obtain a Thailand Pass QR code to present at the airport upon arrival, but the actress, Vanitha Vijayakumar, says she needed to have a document printed out for her Visa on Arrival. The 41 year old…
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Cheers! Alcohol sales at approved venues allowed until 1am during New Year holiday
Those in Thailand will be able to ring in 2022 with a drink in hand. Alcohol sales at restaurants and venues certified as “Covid Free Settings” will be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks until 1am on New Year’s. During its general meeting today, the CCSA decided to allow alcohol consumption during the holiday, but only at open air venues under…
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Thai government happy with results of economic stimulus measures
A spokesman says officials are pleased with the results of 4 economic stimulus measures introduced by the government. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says over 41.3 million citizens have spent over 223.82 billion baht, thanks to the 4 schemes, describing the results as satisfactory. The stimulus campaigns were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic in an attempt to boost the economy and help those…
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CCSA meets today to decide if New Year countdown can go ahead
The fate of the main New Year’s Eve countdown event will be decided at a CCSA meeting today, according to government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. Thai PBS World reports that officials will also discuss the potential re-opening of the land border with Malaysia and whether or not that should be postponed. According to Thanakorn, officials will also decide if disease prevention…
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Wildlife academics welcome Supreme Court verdict in Premchai case
Academics have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a lower court’s sentencing of the former boss of Italian-Thai Development. Premchai Karnasuta and 3 of his staff have been sentenced for the killing of protected wildlife in a Thai national park. According to a Bangkok Post report, the construction boss and his team were given permission to enter the Thungyai…
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What vaccines and mixing is accepted to enter Thailand now?
The Ministry of Interior has laid out the most current rules for what Covid-19 vaccines and infection recoveries qualify people to enter Thailand. They included the most up-to-date list of which brands of vaccines are excepted and what stipulations Thailand has for international travellers to enter the kingdom, current as of December 11. With the exception of the Janssen vaccine…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: Positive numbers all around, lowest deaths since third wave
Today was a great day for Covid-19 news as the numbers have improved from yesterday for every single metric except for infections brought in from abroad which jumped from 16 yesterday to 24 today. Daily infections and deaths are down, with deaths hitting the lowest number since the third wave of Covid-19 began in April. The total number of hospitalisations…
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Restaurants reminded to follow Covid-19 safety for holidays
Though many people are not planning on travelling during the upcoming holiday season, the Department of Health has issued a reminder for restaurants the follow Covid-19 prevention regulations, especially with the increasing number of tourists for the holidays. The director-general of the department said with the upcoming long holiday weekends, more travellers can be expected to be patronizing restaurants, especially…
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Holiday travel: Poll finds most don’t have New Year’s plans
A new survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University finds that most people do not have plans to travel over the New Year’s holiday, citing costs and worries of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as the main reason to stay put. The Suan Dusit Poll was conducted from December 6 to December 9 and interviewed 1,304 people across all locations, ages,…
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2023 healthcare budget of 207 billion baht proposed including Covid-19
In order to add Covid-19 testing and treatment to the benefits of universal healthcare in Thailand for 2023, the National Health Security Office is requesting a 207 billion baht budget. Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting on Thursday of the NHSO which came up with the figure to request to include funding for Covid-19. The budget for…
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Monday’s CCSA meeting to announce further easing of restrictions
New Year is looming and Thailand still plods along under a long list of restrictions, both for daily life in the Kingdom but also for travellers trying to enter Thailand. Tomorrow the CCSA will meet to debate an easing of guidelines at a time when the number of new Covid infections and deaths continue to drop, not swiftly but certainly…
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“All Thais are equal but some are more equal than others”
OPINION “We decided to adopt this system, so we must have confidence in the democratic system.” Words from the Thai Parliamentary president Chuan Leekpai urging, or willing, the Thai voters not to “become disheartened with the current state of Thai politics” and to have “confidence in the democratic system”. The democratic system? Constitution Day was on Friday as Thais commemorate…
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