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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Buffalo charges at motorbikes and cars stopped at intersection – VIDEO
A water buffalo ran into the middle of a traffic intersection yesterday afternoon, charging at cars and motorbikes stopped at a red light in the Deep South province Narathiwat near the Malaysian border. People quickly fled out of the buffalo’s path and some jumped off their motorbike. The buffalo knocked over a motorbike with its horns and charged at 2…
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Friday Covid Update: 14,575 new cases; provincial totals
A record high of 14,575 new Covid-19 cases was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 467,707. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 438,844 of those infections. Thailand now has 143,744…
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Former Phuket tour guide suspected of drowning in Phuket
A former Phuket tour guide, who was previously denied entry onto the island, is believed to have drowned after he slipped and fell into the water next to the Sarasin Bridge, yesterday. Police were called to the scene at half-past 2. Then, police and rescue workers attempted to save the former tour guide, 42 year old Sutep Sae Man. By…
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Pro-choice women struggle against spiritual detractors
Starting in February, women who sought an abortion could legally get one, in the first trimester. However, pro-choice activist Supecha Baotip says women still encounter discrimination in the form of spiritual objections. Supecha says that many nurses and doctors do not want to assist women who want help, despite the procedure’s legality. She says it’s “more than just a feeling.…
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“Sandboxers” can travel to specified islands and beaches after 7 days in Phuket
A new rule for the “Phuket Sandbox” was passed allowing visitors under the reopening scheme to travel to specified islands after spending 7 days in Phuket. The rule goes into effect on August 1. The islands include Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao, which are off the coast of Surat Thani in the Gulf of Thailand. The trio…
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Anonymous Thai artist creating works of satire from current events
An anonymous Thai artist is using the current crisis as inspiration for work that highlights what he sees as the government’s mismanagement of the pandemic. According to a Coconuts report, the artist, known only as Uninspired by Current Events, has produced images of lab rats being given random vaccines and armed police wearing panda masks and opening fire. A more…
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Friday Covid Update: 14,575 new cases and 114 deaths
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded another 14,575 new Covid-19 cases and 114 coronavirus-related deaths. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 438,844 confirmed infections. Over the past week, daily infections have exceeded 10,000. The uptick was expected by the CCSA due to the emergence…
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Tampons reclassified as cosmetics bringing regulation, tax
In a story that 50% of people may find insignificant while the other 50% find it infuriating, Thailand has officially reclassified tampons as cosmetics. The plan had been in the works since last month, with Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul signing the original plan June 29, but today’s publishing in the Royal Gazette makes the plan official. The move…
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Nonthaburi security guard commits suicide waiting for bed
A septuagenarian security guard hanged himself in his room in Nonthaburi, a province to the north of Bangkok. The Covid infected man was waiting for a hospital bed when he killed himself. The man’s body was found this morning. A public health volunteer, 51 year old Parisa Phuwanartsupakit, found 73 year old Chao Singtordead on his 4th floor balcony in…
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Vaccine Jai program aims to fight Covid-19 related suicide
A new campaign has been launched that puts a spotlight on the problem of people driven to suicide as a result of the devastating effects of Covid-19 on life in Thailand now. Vaccine Jai translates literally to a “vaccine for your heart” and is the name of a program created by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation to address Covid-19 related…
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Monkey sneaks into Lop Buri home and steals food from the refrigerator – VIDEO
A monkey was caught sneaking into a home in Thailand’s Lop Buri province and stealing food from the refrigerator. Earlier this week, 59 year old Phimonthip Rungphant walked into her kitchen and found the monkey walking around the room eating her food. She says she had been wondering why her food seemed to be disappearing. Lop Buri is known for…
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Woman with high blood pressure died after mixing vaccines
A woman with high blood pressure was found dead by her family in her home after the controversial practice of mixing vaccines, receiving one Sinovac vaccine and one AstraZeneca vaccine Monday. The woman from Prachuap Khiri Khan was a 39 year old private tutor before her untimely death. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.…
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Thursday Covid Update: 13,655 new cases and 87 deaths; provincial totals
Another record high of 13,655 new Covid-19 cases and 87 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 424,269 infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 453,132 Covid-19 infections…
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Suphan Buri car accident kills 2, injures 4; all had Covid, 3 knew
Yesterday, 2 people died and 4 more were injured in a car accident in the central Thai province of Suphan Buri. Thai media says the people were on their way home to receive Covid treatment. A pickup truck carried the 6 relatives on their journey from Bangkok. However, for reasons unknown, it veered off the road and hit a tree…
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315 inmates at Khon Kaen prison test positive for Covid-19
In a recent Covid-19 outbreak among prison inmates, 315 people detained at Khon Kaen Provincial Prison in the Isaan region tested positive for the virus. The latest and most severe wave spread to many of Thailand’s overcrowded prisons, infecting more than 40,000 inmates over the past several months. Local disease control officials tested inmates at the Khon Kaen prison after…
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2 people infected with Covid-19 rally in Bangkok to demand medical care
A small group of people, including 2 who claimed they were infected with Covid-19, held a rally outside the Government House in Bangkok yesterday evening, calling for the Thai government to provide proper medical treatment for coronavirus patients. 25 police officers dressed in personal protective equipment, or PPE suits, were called to monitor the rally. Just 7 people attended the…
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Study finds 2 doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca effective against Delta strain
A study published yesterday shows that 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine or 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are almost as effective against the rapid-spreading Delta variant as they are against the Alpha variant. In Thailand, the AstraZeneca vaccine is being produced locally and is the primary vaccine being used in the nationwide Covid-19 immunisation campaign. Thailand recently approved…
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3 bodies found in Bangkok streets, 2 positive for Covid-19, result pending for third
Netizens have slammed Bangkok police, claiming that the bodies of 3 men who died separately on the streets of the capital were left uncollected for hours. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has called for understanding, insisting that the claims on social media are untrue. According to a Bangkok Post report, spokesman Piya Tawichai says 2 of the 3 bodies have tested…
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Bangkok’s Bang Sue vaccination centre open to expats 60 and above
Expats ages 60 and above in Bangkok and surrounding provinces can now register from an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine appointment at the Bang Sue Grand Station Central Vaccination Centre. Walk-in services are offered to foreign residents who are 75 years old and older from 9am to 4pm. Foreign residents who are at least 60 years old must fill out a registration…
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Interprovincial transport suspended in “dark red” zones; bus services stop nationwide
All interprovincial public transport services have been suspended in the 13 “dark red” provinces under maximum control to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Department of Land Transport announced today. Domestic flights in and out of those provinces have also been suspended. The suspensions are in place at least until August 2. The public transportation company, known as BorKorSor,…
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CCSA recommends closure of 10 more places and venues in “dark red” zones
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is recommending the closure of 10 more places and venues in “dark red” zones as additional measures to combat the spread of Covid-19. Provincial authorities in each of the 13 “dark red” zones, including Bangkok, can decide whether to follow the CCSA’s recommendation. The measures in “dark red” zones currently in place include a…
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Wednesday Covid Update: Record high of 13,002 new cases; provincial totals
A record high of 13,002 new Covid-19 cases was reported today by the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand now has 131,411 active Covid-19 cases. Another 108 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 3,610. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 439,477 Covid-19 infections. The latest…
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Covid-19 “survival boxes” funded by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s donated salary
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha waived his salary for the next 3 months to support the public amid the most severe wave of Covid-19 infections. Some of the funds will be used for so-called “survival boxes” to distribute to those in “dark red” zones, according to government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri. Several cabinet members and other public officials announced they would temporarily forgo…
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Bus services in and out of Phuket suspended for the next 2 weeks
For the next 2 weeks, all interprovincial bus services entering and leaving Phuket will be suspended. The move is intended to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on the island province as it reopens to travellers from overseas under the “Phuket Sandbox.” The president of the national bus service company, known in Thai as “BorKorSor,” Sanlak Panyawatthanalikit, ordered for the “temporary…
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Private sector says lockdowns won’t work without vaccines, mass testing
Industry representatives in Thailand say Covid-19 lockdowns won’t work unless accompanied by mass screening and vaccination. Supant Mongkolsuthree from the Federation of Thai Industries has expressed scepticism that the proposed tightening of restrictions in 13 high-risk provinces will bring the virus under control. Instead, he says the proposal could cost the economy around 100 billion baht and will be ineffective…
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39 year old dies after AstraZeneca vaccine, a second dose following Sinovac
A 39 year old teacher died the day after she was injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, according to reports in Thai media. Her first dose was the Sinovac vaccine. She also had pre-existing health conditions. Under the Thai government’s new so-called “mix-and-match” Covid-19 vaccine policy, the AstraZeneca shot is being used as a second dose for those who had…
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FDA says don’t buy South Korean Covid home test kits
Thailand’s FDA is cautioning people against ordering the South Korean manufactured Covid home test kits sold online. The FDA says they have not approved them, yet. The seller, who is offering the Covid tests on their Facebook, says their kits have already been approved in South Korea. And by the World Health Organization! Also, the test kits can tell the…
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All domestic travellers entering Phuket need to be vaccinated against Covid-19
All domestic travellers entering Phuket must be vaccinated against Covid-19 and also test negative for the virus. The new rules imposed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew go into effect today and will be in place until at least August 2. The island province reopened to foreign tourists who are vaccinated against the coronavirus on July 1, amid the most severe…
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Police open murder investigation after worker’s body found underneath home
Police have opened a murder investigation after the remains of a 42 year old building contractor were found under a home he was doing construction on. The man’s face was severely injured and his skull cracked open, police say. The body had been stripped down to the underwear and wrapped in a curtain. The body was decaying and officers suspect…
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Motorbike taxis allegedly hiking up fares at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station
Yesterday, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, said motorcycle gangs have been offering people who are attempting to use Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grandstation’s parking lot rides at exorbitant prices. Damrongsak says the duplicitous drivers claimed the parking lot is full and then offered people rides at inflated rates. The commander says they have made multiple arrests pertaining to the…
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