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.
-
Sponsored
See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
-
Medical researchers look into combining vaccines to beat Delta variant
Researchers at the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University are investigating if combining vaccine doses from different brands can boost immunity against the Delta variant. The move comes as Sinovac, the vaccine widely administered in the government’s rollout, shows declining efficacy against the highly contagious mutation first reported in India. Prominent virologist Yong Poovorawan says researchers…
-
Wednesday Covid Update: 3,174 new cases and 51 deaths
3,174 new Covid-19 cases and an uptick of 51 coronavirus-related deaths recorded by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today. In the recent and most severe wave of infections, the CCSA has reported 199,626 Covid-19 infections since April 1. Out of the new cases recorded today, 36 were found in correctional facilities, a downward trend after more than 30,000 inmates…
-
Restrictions eased in yellow zones
The government has confirmed that some Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed in “yellow zone” provinces, although provincial governors are still free to introduce their own, stricter measures if necessary. Schools and educational facilities can re-open fully and shopping malls and department stores can return to normal hours. Convenience stores and supermarkets can also revert to normal operating hours. Restaurants can…
-
It’s happening: Phuket sandbox approved by Cabinet
It’s been talked about until the buffalo came home – and then some. It was on, it was off, it was delayed, then it wasn’t. Finally, it’s been confirmed. After being closed to foreign tourists for over a year, the southern island of Phuket is set to re-open on July 1. Yesterday, the sandbox scheme, which will see the island…
-
Chiang Mai eases restrictions, alcohol now allowed at restaurants
Alcohol is now allowed to be served in Chiang Mai restaurants. Provincial officials loosened disease control restrictions today, including lifting the alcohol ban at eateries, although bars and other nightlife venues must still remain closed. Restrictions eased nationwide this week and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration revised its colour-code zoning based on the Covid-19 situation in each province. Local…
-
Angry ex allegedly sets motorcycle on fire in school parking garage
Yesterday afternoon, Thong Lor police and firefighters were called to a school’s parking garage after a woman allegedly set her ex-husband’s motorcycle on fire. Firefighters went to the 3rd floor of Srinakharinwirot University Prasarnmit Demonstration School’s parking lot to find a copious amount of smoke and a fire blazing. It took the firefighters an estimated 10 minutes to put the…
-
Tuesday Covid Update: 4,059 new cases; provincial totals
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration logged 4,059 new cases today in 59 of the country’s 77 provinces. The active case count is now at 35,836, a slight increase as new cases reported are twice as many as the number of new recoveries. Over the past few weeks, the number of active cases has been on a downward trend after…
-
Power outages coming to Kathu
Electricity will be temporarily cut in parts of Kathu, Phuket tomorrow, announced the Provincial Electricity Authority. Further work is being done to install high voltage cables. The power will only be shut off from 9 am to 4:30 pm in the Kathua area on the Wichit Songkram Road, and between the Kathu Wittaya School to the intersection with the Kathu-Koh…
-
Fruit buyer arrested for allegedly using counterfeit certificates to export durian
The proprietor of a fruit company in Chanthaburi, an eastern Thai province, has been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices certificates to export Vietnamese Durians to China, passing them off as Thai Durians. Alongkorn Polabutr adviser to the agriculture and cooperatives minister, says they investigated the fruit-buying company named ‘lung Tu Odd, which is…
-
Airports of Thailand president says tourism won’t pick back up until October
While Phuket’s “Sandbox” travel scheme is poised to reopen the island to foreign tourists on July 1, Airports of Thailand doesn’t expect arrivals to really pick up until October, which is the start of Thailand’s “high season” for tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects 600,000 tourists to arrive between July and September, but AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says the…
-
Mobile sterilisation/vaccination truck helps Pattaya’s cats and dogs
Yesterday, a mobile sterilisation/vaccination truck was used in Pattaya to treat cats and dogs. The program was held at the Krating Lai Temple and was led by Pattaya City Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai. Manot says the project started 2 years ago with the goal of cutting down the number of stray cats and dog in Pattaya. “This service is free…
-
Ministry of Defence orders another Airbus C295 for the Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army is adding another defence aircraft to its fleet. An order for an additional Airbus C295 airlifter for an undisclosed amount was recently made by Thailand’s Ministry of Defence. It will be be the country’s third C295 in its defence fleet. The tactical transport aircraft will be delivered to Thailand in 2023. The aircraft can be used…
-
Bangkok police prepare for pro-democracy rallies on Thursday
The deputy commissioner of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau says the force is ready to handle pro-democracy rallies planned for Thursday. Piya Tawichai says 4 groups are expected to stage rallies to commemorate a revolution carried out by Khana Ratsadon (The People’s Party) on June 24, 1932. The authorities are expecting rallies from 4 pro-democracy groups commemorating the 89th anniversary of…
-
Restrictions loosen in Phuket, alcohol allowed in restaurants
Restrictions in Phuket have loosened, allowing restaurants to resume selling alcohol and certain venues to open under normal hours. The Phuket Governor signed the provincial order allowing restrictions to be lifted as preparation for reopening the island province under the “Phuket Sandbox” travel model, which will allow travellers from overseas, who are vaccinated against Covid-19, to enter without undergoing a…
-
TAT thinking up ways quarantine might be relaxed for tourists returning from Thailand
The ever-inventive Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking at ways quarantine might be eased for tourists visiting Thailand, both on arrival here and on their return home. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says “city bubbles” and activity-based travel arrangements in sandbox destinations could be the way forward. The arrangement would be between low-risk cities and would mean tourists could visit destinations…
-
Tuesday Covid Update: 4,059 new cases and 35 deaths
4,059 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported this morning by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the recent and most severe wave of the coronavirus in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 196,502 infections since April 1, making up the vast majority of Thailand’s total count since the start of the pandemic last year. The new wave…
-
AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to be donated to Thailand from Japan
As Thailand’s vaccine supply runs short due to production delays, the Japanese government has offered to donate doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, according to Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul. An agreement is set to be signed this week and vaccine doses would be delivered next month. Anutin only gave a brief statement and did not say how many doses…
-
Bangkok police warn that protests planned for Thursday break the Emergency Decree
Bangkok police are warning pro-democracy activists that they may face legal again if they hold a rally. Several Bangkok-based groups backing the movement pushing for monarchy and government reform are planning to hold a rally on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the 1932 Siam Revolution. On July 24, 1932, the Khana Ratsadon political party, which means “Peoples’ Party,” led…
-
Pattaya residents complain of sinkholes in road, couple sustains injuries
I sustained a minor injury while my boyfriend suffered serious injuries. People in the Pattaya area are reporting that they have suffered injuries from sinkholes in the road. Others are complaining about the faulty infrastructure on social media. The sinkholes are due to recent heavy flooding in the area. Also, work done by a public works company, allege locals. 26…
-
Army raids a house, arrests 53 as part of alleged gambling operation
This morning, the Thai army raided a house in the northern province of Mae Hong Son. As part of the raid, they arrested 40 Chinese nationals, 12 Burmese, and 1 Filipino that were allegedly running an online gambling operation. The house was in a resort located in the Mok Cham Pae of the Muang district that borders Myanmar. Thai media…
-
Bangkok police are “ready” for Thursday’s protests
Police in Bangkok are readying themselves for rallies that are planned for Thursday, which makes the 89th anniversary of the June 24, 1932 revolution by the Khana Ratsadon. The revolution made Thailand go from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one. The Metropolitan Police Bureau’s commissioner, Piya Tawichai said today that he anticipates 4 groups to demonstrate in 3 days.…
-
Parachutist dies after being smashed into cliff face, falling into forest
A 53 year old sublieutenant went base jumping over the weekend and died when a gust of wind propelled the chute toward a mountain’s cliff. The man smashed into the cliff but appeared conscious. Then he plummeted into the thick forest below. The incident took place in central Thailand’s Lopburi Province. The unidentified parachutist had gone base jumping with 5…
-
Covid cluster spreads from Yala to other southern provinces
A Covid cluster in Thailand’s southern province Yala has widened to 190 infections in multiple provinces, says the Disease Control Department. The cluster started at a madrasa, an Islamic boarding school. The majority of the infections (69) were discovered in Yala. Some of the infections by province are as follows: Satun: 37 Songkhla: 17 Pattani: 14 Krabi:14 Narathiwat: 13 Surat…
-
Proposed start date now July 15 for “Samui Plus” reopening
The proposed reopening date for the “Samui Plus” travel scheme is now July 15. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast, are planned to reopen to travellers from overseas who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Initially called the “Samui Sealed Route,” the proposed travel scheme will allow those who are…
-
Hotel association survey shows average occupancy at around 6%
A survey carried out by the Thai Hotels Association shows that average occupancy for June is not expected to increase from the 6% seen in May. In a further blow to the hotel industry, TTR Weekly reports that occupancy in alternative state quarantine facilities is predicted to fall to 10%, down from 13% last month. THA president, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi,…
-
Another doctor urges caution over hasty reopening plans
Another doctor has stressed the need for caution over hastily reopening Thailand. However, where the last doctor cautioned against removing the 14 day quarantine, this doctor is emphasising that vaccinating 50 million Thais should not be the only priority. Dr Nithipat Jiankul, chief of the respiratory disease and tuberculosis department, says that the mass vaccination campaign to achieve here immunity…
-
Wild elephant breaks into home and raids kitchen in Hua Hin – VIDEO
A wild elephant busted into a home in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district yesterday, breaking through the wall and poking its head into the home’s kitchen. The elephant’s trunk reached into a shelf, knocking over kitchen supplies and grabbing what appeared to be a bag, then stuffing it into its mouth. The homeowner posted photos and a video on…
-
Monday Covid Update: 3,175 new cases and 29 deaths
3,175 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the recent and most severe wave of infections, the CCSA has recorded a total of 192,443 Covid-19 cases including more than 30,000 at Thailand’s overcrowded prisons. Out of the new cases reported by the CCSA today, 140 infections were…
-
Restaurant operators repeat calls for financial aid
Thailand’s restaurant owners are pleading for state relief as they struggle to stay afloat amid tight Covid-19 prevention measures. Taniwan Koonmongkon from the Thai Restaurant Association says the PM’s aim of re-opening the country fully by October provides some hope but for now, restaurants are struggling. “Restaurant operators feel hopeful after the premier on Wednesday set a goal of fully…
-
PM Prayut asks everyone to work together towards reopening
Now that it’s been a half week since PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that Thailand will be reopening in 120 days, mid-October, multitudes of plans are underway to get the country ready. In a statement online tonight, the prime minister asked for unity, requesting people and government offices to work together to achieve this massive undertaking. PM Prayut reiterated his declaration…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.