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 Where to travel in Thailand in July [2025]
This month, I want to invite you to wander through art spaces, misty hills, and garden paths, where the only thing on the itinerary is to linger. Let’s take a slower route, one for the dreamers, the journal keepers, and...
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One new Covid-19 case for Thailand today, a returnee from Japan
According to the CCSA, there is one new Covid-19 case in Thailand today. The man, currently in state quarantine, is a 38 year old Japanese film producer who travelled to Thailand from Japan on September 4. He has been serving his quarantine in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on September 7, but…
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Rumours of another coup are false, PM says
Coup? What coup? Rumours have been floating around about an impending coup d’etat by the army. When asked about a possible coup, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed it, calling the rumour nonsense and groundless. He then abruptly called the press meeting to an end. Some have been saying the army is preparing for the coup by moving its forces and equipment.…
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No more beer and wine delivery, Thailand to ban online alcohol sales
There’s going to be a new ban on alcohol sales, but apparently just on so-called “electronic channels.” (We think this means purchasing through social media outlets and websites) For those who order craft beer that can’t be found at local stores, you might be out of luck. An announcement on the Royal Gazette says no more online alcohol sales. The…
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Bangkok police prepare for mass university protest on September 19
Police in Bangkok say they’re gearing up for a large-scale student protest, set to take place at the Tha Prachan campus of Thammasat University on September 19. Pakkapong Pongpetra, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, says officials are not sure how many days the rally will go on for, or if those taking part plan to move from the campus to other parts…
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Boy dies after 100 squat punishment, school apologises to the family
A student died sometime after being forced to do jump squats as punishment for not doing his homework. The school has ‘apologised’ to the family and said they take responsibility for the death. The 13 year old boy was sick for about a week and was even checked in to the hospital before going back to school last Thursday, according…
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Holiday weekend boosts tourism, brings in 8.8 billion baht
The extended 4 day holiday weekend circulated 8.8 billion baht in revenue after months of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic… the upbeat report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The drop in international tourism has crippled local economies dependent on the industry. The holiday weekend was a major boost. The Friday and Monday public holidays were announced as…
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Trials and tribulations of returning to Thailand in the Covid era – a personal view
A series of articles by David Jackson Sunday morning and I am sitting inside my viewless window in a Bangkok Hotel waiting in anticipation for a trip down to reception where, after five lonely days, I get to experience my first brief contact with a human – a nurse who will presumably force a swab up my nose. Welcome to…
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Activist vows university rally will take place, with or without permission
The political activist Parit Chiwarak, aka. “Penguin”, says a rally planned for September 19 at Thammasat University will go ahead, even if permission is refused from the University’s management. The gathering is set to take place at the university’s Tha Phra Chan campus in Bangkok, with Parit saying he expects around 50,000 people to attend. Khaosod English reports that the…
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Foreign Ministry refutes Amnesty allegation that Thai government is gagging protesters
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has hit back at an Amnesty International statement that accuses the Thai government of violating citizens’ rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. The statement, sent to Amnesty’s 8 million members worldwide, calls on followers to petition Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop all charges against 31 leaders of anti-government protests. Amnesty is also calling on…
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Splitting atoms in the Big Bang – a day in the Big Mango
OPINION by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite the global pandemic, Bangkok’s rapid-fire megacity growth trajectory has remained largely in place. While life in Covid-19 times is a bit like sparring with wild gangs of chaos monkeys in a dead-end ally, thankfully one of the singular guilty pleasures of these strange times is the ability to at least travel domestically. Last…
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Rise of food delivery apps in Thailand exposes rights disparity
The owners of the highly popular food-delivery apps are facing growing calls to improve welfare rights for their workers, as more people opt to take on a full or part-time job as a “rider”. Speaking at the online seminar, “When Riders Strike Back”, Akkanut Wantanasombut from Chulalongkorn University says employment law needs to be expanded to cover new roles such…
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Bringing Thai nationals home is a team effort
As the world ground to a crawl thanks to Covid-19, things began ramping up at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with staff working tirelessly to help Thai citizens abroad get back home. MFA staff are based both in Thailand and overseas and are tasked with assisting Thai nationals during emergencies such as natural disasters or indeed, a pandemic, wherever they…
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Returning happiness back to the Thai people. So how’s that going?
OPINION “The flames are rising. Let us be the ones who step in, before it is too late.” Lyrics from the Prayut-penned ditty which was written to help “heal” Thais after the May 2014 coup. The event, some 6 and a half years ago now, brought then-General Prayut Chan-o-cha to the helm of the good-ship Thailand. Following the writing of a…
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Students gather at Education Ministry, issue ultimatum
“Thai education has made us puppets. We are not robots of the system; we are the youth and have the right to express ourselves.” The Education Ministry in Bangkok has been chosen as the stage for another student rally, with around 300 young people, from 50 schools, gathering there yesterday afternoon. The students have been repeating their 3 key demands,…
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National parks may close annually to recover wildlife
Environmentalist think Thailand’s national parks need to take a break. They’re considering closing the parks once a year to give wildlife time to rehabilitate. Since many parks have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, wildlife has returned to areas, according to Environment and Natural resources Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. By closing the parks for a 2 to 4 months out of…
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Thousands head to Koh Chang, 3 hour wait for island ferry
Cars full of tourists headed to Koh Chang waited for hours in a 2 kilometre long line to get on the ferry to the island. More than 10,000 people are expected to visit the island for the 4-day weekend. Many have Friday and Monday off work as substitute holiday time for Songkran which was cancelled in April due to coronavirus…
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Covid-19 case: 600 people facing quarantine
Hundreds may need to go into quarantine after they came in contact with a Bangkok DJ who recently tested positive for Covid-19. Health officials say around 600 people have been in close contact with the man and 78 people have been classified as “high risk” of being infected. Thailand went 100 days without a local transmission of the coronavirus. The…
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Immigration to deport men after alleged eco-vandalism in Koh Phangan
Immigration officials say they will deport the Hungarian and the Dutch man who were photographed handing sea creatures whilst diving in Gulf of Thailand off Koh Phangan. The men were arrested earlier this week and charged with “intruding in an area designated for environmental protection.” Attila Ott and Francesco Simonetti have been so-called “long-stayers” in Koh Phangan. Ott is a…
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UPDATE: Local DJ Covid case, 3 pubs closed down for cleaning
UPDATE: 4 more Covid-19 cases today. 3 were new patients – Thais returning from overseas. The other 1 included in today’s tally is a prison inmate from Bangkok – his positive test has rattled the CCSA who had just spent most of Wednesday crowing about their achievement of reaching 100 days without any locally-based infections. His positive test has led…
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Police arrest 7 for alleged face mask scam
Police arrested 7 people allegedly involved in a multi-million baht scam selling face masks online and not delivering them. The Royal Thai Police teamed up with police in Seoul and Hong Kong for the investigation. Police say 3 Thai women and 4 Cameroon nationals were arrested on fraud charges. The transnational investigation started when complaints were filed by people in…
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Tourism officials look to end dual pricing for expats
“The key factor is we have to treat expats like locals, without discrimination or a negative attitude towards foreigners.” Admission fees at national parks and tourist attractions are often drastically higher for expats than they are for Thai nationals. Foreigners sometimes even pay 10 times more than Thais. Tourism officials say they might put an end to dual pricing for…
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Holiday plans cancelled at border district, Koh Samui expects tourist boom
People are cancelling their trips to a Kanchanaburi district for the 4-day weekend after a coronavirus scare at a local school. Koh Samui is expecting the opposite. The southern province Surat Thani is expecting such a large influx in tourists that some airlines and ferries have doubled their services for the holiday. In Thong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi’s border district, the…
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Mandatory Covid insurance of up to 3 million baht for foreign visitors to Thailand
A spokesman for Thailand’s State Insurance Commission says all foreign arrivals into the Kingdom will need to have insurance cover for Covid-19. Suthipol Taweechaikarn says the insurance will need to cover people for the duration of their visit and that various packages are being made available for online purchase. Coconuts reports that travellers coming from countries considered low-risk for Covid-19…
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Thai Airways announces extra repatriation flights for European and Asian cities
The executive vice president of Thai Airways, Wiwat Piyawiroj, says the national carrier is introducing 18 repatriation flights to cities in Asia and Europe. The flights will permit additional foreign nationals in Thailand to return to their home countries, while also allowing repatriating Thais or eligible foreigners to return to the Kingdom on the return flights. The flights are aimed…
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PM’s daughters sue 100 people for defamation
Rumours spreading over social media about the Thai PM’s twin daughters are so far from the truth that the twins have filed a lawsuit against more than 100 people for defamation. Lawyer Apiwat Khanthong, representing twins Thanya and Nittha Chan-o-cha, says more than 100 social media accounts are facing libel charges under Thailand’s Computer Crime Act and the Criminal Code.…
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Foreigners arrested over eco-vandalism off Koh Phangan
A Hungarian and Dutch man have been arrested for picking up sea animals and taking photos with them whilst diving off Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. They then posted them on social media, probably oblivious to their potentially criminal act. Police described the two as “long-stayers on Koh Phangan”. Their selfies sparked plenty of outrage from Thai netizens…
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Don Mueang falling below passenger goal
Despite the return to the skies by many of Thailand’s domestic airlines – Thai Air Asia, Thai Lion Air, Thai VietJet, Nok Air Thai Smile, Bangkok Air – Don Mueang Airport has been quiet with only a third of the passengers they’re used to. The Bangkok airport, mostly serving the budget airlines, is even falling below the conservative goals they…
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Expats arrested after posing for selfies while handling protected sea creatures
A Dutch man and a Hungarian national are in custody after picking up protected sea creatures while diving off Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. Nation Thailand reports that the Hungarian man, named as Attila Ott, is a scuba diving instructor, who owns the Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club on the island. The Dutch man has…
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Evidence of Thai Airways’ corruption, mismanagement, sent to Finance Ministry
The Finance Ministry has received 18 documents that show evidence of corruption and mismanagement at Thai Airways. The evidence was submitted by a Transport Ministry panel on corruption, pending a full investigation into “shady dealings” at the battered national carrier. The airline is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process, having filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. It’s understood the former…
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A glimmer of hope for expats unable to satisfy minimum income requirements
September 26 looms as a dark day for many foreigners who have been unable to sort out a way to either leave the country or stay in Thailand. But at least one Thai immigration office appears to be discussing some leniency in this crazy time. Phuket Immigration has specifically addressed the issue for foreigners on a non-immigrant B (Business) visa…
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