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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Thailand News Today | Emergency Decree, Parliamentary protest, Dark days for hotels | September 25
Daily TV news about Thailand, delivered fresh, and free, to you. Hosted by Tim Newton. Catch the latest updates and Thai News. Charter vote delayed, committee formed and Senators escape Parliament by boat Thailand’s MPs and Senators have kicked the constitutional can down the road at least a month after the parliament failed to agree on charter amendments yesterday. A…
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Deputy PM says 2 years until Thailand’s economy is back to normal
It’s going to be another 2 years until Thailand’s economy is back on track, according to Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow. At least that’s the amount of time he expects it will take to get the economy back to “normal levels” from before the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus crisis crippled economies across the globe. The Covid-19 pandemic is already the worst…
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Thailand’s first cancer medicine factory expected to cut drug costs in half
The government just sealed the deal to build Thailand’s first factory to produce cancer-treating medicine and chemicals, a move that is expected to cut treatment drug costs in half. Buying imported cancer-treating drugs is expensive. Thailand spends about 21 billion baht per year on imported cancer medicine, according to Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The local factory is intended…
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The future of Thailand’s hotels, tough times ahead – VIDEO
Thailand’s hotels are facing a very dark time with the Thai borders still largely closed and many of them remaining closed for business. Whilst some local domestic stimulus has provided a bit of a minor reboot for the battered industry, there is still more than 90% of the rooms in the country remaining unoccupied with staff unemployed, debts and leases…
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Charter vote delayed, committee formed and Senators escape Parliament by boat – VIDEO
Thailand’s MPs and Senators have kicked the constitutional can down the road at least a month after the parliament failed to agree on charter amendments. A panel will be sent up to examine 6 motions that were proposed and debated over the past 2 days. Meanwhile, up to 2,000 protesters were gathered outside the unfinished parliamentary buildings as an act…
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Covid task force calls for extension to Thailand’s emergency decree
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force is advising the government to extend the country’s state of emergency by a further month… again. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration plans to discuss the matter next Tuesday and put it to Cabinet for consideration on Wednesday. The state of emergency, or emergency decree, which has been extended several times since its introduction in March,…
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Quarantine could be reduced to 7 days from November, if border re-opening succeeds
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says the mandatory quarantine period for those arriving from overseas could be reduced to 7 days if there is no spike in Covid-19 infections after the border re-opens to limited arrivals from October. For the minister’s part, the 7 day quarantine is merely speculation at this stage. Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says more details on the…
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Facebook, Twitter may face charges for allegedly allowing lèse majesté content
Facebook and Twitter could face charges for failing to block so called lèse majesté posts that allegedly violate Thailand’s Computer Crime Act. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society says the social media platforms were warned about Thailand’s laws regarding content that insults the Thai Monarchy or threatens national security and peace, but failed to remove all the illegal posts.…
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982 lèse majesté social media posts cited in police complaint
Nearly 1,000 so called lèse majesté posts on social media have been cited in a police complaint for allegedly violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, some allegedly criticising and insulting the Thai Monarchy. The complaints were filed by Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta. The police report says the social media posts were shared during the pro-democracy protest over the…
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Armed men allegedly steal more than 100,000 baht from Ayutthaya monk
Police are searching for men who allegedly robbed a monk at an Ayutthaya temple, taking off with more than 100,000 baht in cash. Thai media reports that 2 of the men have been arrested and police are still searching for the other 2 men. The monk was in his room at the Dokmai Buddhist Temple when he heard dogs barking.…
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Raja salvage operation resumes, garbage truck, pick-up raised from seabed
An operation to raise the sunken Raja 4 ferry and its cargo of vehicles from the seabed off Koh Samui has resumed, after being delayed due to bad weather. The ferry sank on the night of August 1 as it was transporting several garbage trucks from Samui to the mainland. The ferry had set sail in bad weather and capsized…
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But it was my idea! Thai producer loses battle for Ultraman superhero copyright
A Thai producer says he came up with the superhero “Ultraman,” but he recently lost a battle with a Japanese special effects studio over the copyright. The Thailand Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the owner of the Thai Chaiyo Productions Company Limited who tried to claim copyright for the superhero films which date back to the 1960s. Owner of the…
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New army chief declares he’ll protect Thailand’s monarchy and restore peace
At a time of mass pro-democracy protests, with some activists facing charges for criticising the role of the Thai head of state, the new army chief says he pledges to restore peace and protect the country’s monarchy. In a ceremony formerly saying farewell to retiring generals, incoming army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae said he would restore peace and be loyal to the Thai Monarchy.…
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Bangkok officials issue advice to motorists to avoid parliament area due to protest
Bangkok motorists would do well to avoid the roads around the Sappaya-Sapasathan building later today, with a political rally set to take place there this afternoon. That’s the word from officials, who have issued guidance to motorists ahead of the protest in front of the new parliament building, expected to kick off at 2pm and continue late into the evening.…
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Ministry of Labour, CP Foods to hire 8,000 graduates to help reduce unemployment
To help reduce unemployment and boost the economy after the pandemic, 8,000 graduates will be hired by the company Charoen Pokphand Foods, known as CP Foods. Thailand’s Ministry of Labour recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the company. 4,000 of those jobs will be in Bangkok and metropolitan areas while the other 4,000 more in the upcountry. The job…
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Empire strikes back: Thai royalists oppose constitution changes
Just after proposed constitutional amendments, backed by pro-democracy supporters, were submitted to the Thai parliament, the Thai Pakdee royalist group filed a petition with 130,000 signatures saying they are against making changes to the constitution. Pro-democracy activists have been demanding a rewrite of the Thai constitution at protests over the past few months. The nonprofit organisation Internet Law Reform Dialogue,…
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Woman allegedly shot husband until gun ran out of bullets
A woman allegedly shot her husband multiple times until her gun ran out of bullets, killing him. When police arrived, 33 year old Julalak Longlalerng had a gun in her hand and was holding her 11 month old child. She told police the baby was not near the shooting. The husband’s body was found outside the house in Trang. Police say…
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Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chachoengsao join UNESCO’s learning cities
3 cities in Thailand recently joined UNESCO’s membership of so called “learning cities” which are said to promote “lifelong learning” and sustainable development. Chachoengsao, Chiang Mai and Phuket joined the UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities. Altogether, 55 cities from 27 countries, adding up to 230 cities in 64 countries around the world, according to UNESCO. “These cities are outstanding examples…
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Loose electrical wire causes passing motorbike to burst into flames – VIDEO
A hanging electrical wire caused a passing motorbike to burst into flames, injuring a 25 year old and a 15 year old. Pathum Thani locals had put 2 chairs out in the road as a warning for the hanging wire. But the chairs weren’t enough to signal the motorbike driver to change lanes. The 25 year old teacher drove straight into…
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Former immigration chief, “Big Joke” suing Thai PM over transfer
The former head of Thai Immigration, Surachet Hakparn, is taking legal action against Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, after the PM had him unceremoniously transferred to an inactive post last year. Surachet, commonly known by the nickname “Big Joke”, (a nickname given to him by Thai media) accuses the PM of transferring him without just cause and has been petitioning for…
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Online entrepreneurs cash in on “People’s Plaque”
After the removal of a commemorative plaque hours after it was installed by anti-government protesters, pro-democracy messaging has found a new home, now appearing on a range of merchandise. Products that bear the plaque’s wording, alongside a graphic of the 3-fingered salute adopted by protesters, are now being sold online by canny entrepreneurs. Those who support the pro-democracy movement can…
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4 Thai banks to be investigated for “suspicious transfers” after FinCEN files report
4 Thai banks are being investigated after an international money laundering report said the Thai banks had “suspicious financial transactions.” The report found 92 “suspicious” transactions in and out of Thailand totalling to $9,558,752 USD received in Thailand and $31,750,000 USD sent out. Files were allegedly leaked from the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, and journalists from…
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Nude Panda: naked food delivery man hit with 500 baht fine
Nude Panda? Rude Panda? Or NoodPanda? A man working as a food delivery driver in the southern province of Songkhla, has been filmed riding his motorbike while naked. 24 year old Botsin Dueanchamroon later handed himself in to police, explaining that he’d taken his clothes off due to “a personal problem”. The nature of the problem is not known, and…
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Thai sex workers push for prostitution decriminalisation
“The Royal Thai Police says just last year more than 24,000 people were arrested.” Prostitution could become further decriminalised in Thailand. A petition is being passed around calling on the government to stop arresting and fining sex workers. The Empower Foundation, which supports sex worker, is trying to collect 10,000 signatures before they send it to parliament. ‘EMPOWER’, aka. the…
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Thai hotels concerned extra holidays may not benefit all
As the Cabinet confirms two additional long weekends in November and December, the country’s hotels are concerned that not all operators will benefit. The extra holidays, running from November 19 to 22, and from December 10-13, are being introduced to further boost domestic tourism. Although they have been given a cautious welcome by hotel operators, the Thai Hotels Association points…
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Isaan woman finds her husband and 2 sons dead in well
A woman found the bodies of her husband and 2 sons in the bottom of a well in the Isaan province Chaiyaphum. The father and his sons reportedly went to repair the family farm’s well, but did not return. 56 year old Thong-in says her husband and sons went to repair the well in the morning. They didn’t come back…
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Thailand News Today | Protesters face arrest | Phuket “in a coma”| September 22
Thailand News Today with Tim Newton. Daily news from around Thailand. Struggling airlines to get reprieve through small loans, extension to fuel tax cut Airlines in Thailand are being offered a financial lifeline, as the Government Savings Bank announces soft loans for carriers left struggling as a result of the current Covid-19 ‘disruption’. The GSB is offering the loans over…
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PM orders Thai police to collaborate with Interpol to bring Boss back to Thailand
The Thai PM is ordering Thai police to work with Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organisation, to find Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya and bring him back to Thailand for prosecution. The Red Bull heir has been on the run since 2017 and faces charges reckless driving causing death and using cocaine, charges which date back to the incident in 2012 in…
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Struggling airlines to get reprieve through small loans, extension to fuel tax cut
Airlines in Thailand are being offered a financial lifeline, as the Government Savings Bank announces soft loans for carriers left struggling as a result of the current Covid-19 ‘disruption’. Nation Thailand reports that the GSB is offering the loans over a 60 month period, with an annual interest rate of 2%. Chairman Patchara Anuntasilpa says the proposal will shortly be…
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Navy divers find captain’s body after boat sank in weekend storm
The body of a fishing boat captain trapped in sunken wreckage was found by Royal Thai Navy divers. The man’s boat sank during a weekend storm at the Surin Islands National Park, an archipelago of 5 islands in the Andaman Sea around 55 kilometres from the Phang Nga province coast. The “Chan Udome Sombat 8” fishing boat reportedly sank around…
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