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 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Booster for those with 2 Sinovac vaccines coming by October
Those already vaccinated in Thailand may be getting a shot in the arm by next month or even sooner, as Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared that booster shot administering will begin imminently for those who received 2 Sinovac vaccines already. He stressed that the actual timing will be up to the Disease Control Department but predicted it will be…
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Samut Prakan man allegedly extorts residents for their registration plates
A man has allegedly been extorting people in the central Thai province of Samut Prakan to get their car registration plates back. The alleged criminal entrepreneur was exposed when a young woman posted on Facebook to say that a man had forced her boyfriend to hand over 100 baht to get his plate back after it came loose in floodwaters.…
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Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting
The deputy inspector on a case that is investigating police officers involved in smuggling illegal bootleg alcohol into Bangkok is remaining curtly tight-lipped regarding the case. When asked about the recent investigation, he refused to comment, telling reporters they should ask the main inspector directly. He said the inspector could provide more information and commentary and making remarks to the…
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Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain
A 40-ish year old construction worker was killed in Phuket yesterday after he got stuck under a section of a storm drain; he eventually downed after rescue efforts failed. The man had been working at a construction site for a flood protection project near the Patong Hospital. He has been identified only as “Mr Mahana” and the Pattaya news says…
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Daily Covid Update | Wednesday, September 15 |
Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand.
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Thai man’s body found during search for missing expat on Koh Phi Phi
During the search for a well-known expat on Koh Phi Phi who has been missing since Saturday, the body of a Thai man was found, according to the Thai-language news outlet Thairath. The report says officials suspect the Thai man died several days ago, around the same time 56 year old Florian Hallermann went missing. Florian is from Austria and…
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Department of Airports to lose 3 facilities to Airports of Thailand
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has confirmed that 3 airports under Department of Airports management are to be transferred to Airports of Thailand in a bid to boost tourism. Udon Thani, Krabi, and Buriram airports will all be managed by AoT in the hope that they can be transformed into hubs that can handle higher tourist numbers. According to a Bangkok…
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Up to 20% of Thais report suffering from lingering Covid effects, says Department of Medical Services
The Department of Medical Services has announced that 10% to 20% of Thai Covid patients suffer from lingering Covid effects, a post-syndrome that is also known as “long Covid”, but the department adds that multiple terms have been used to characterise the syndrome. Long Covid can persist for weeks, and sometimes months after a patient has recovered from the virus. Dr…
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Tourists from Middle East put off Thailand due to bureaucracy, costs of Covid tests
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the high cost of Covid-19 tests, coupled with Certificate of Entry bureaucracy, is proving a deterrent for tourists from the Middle East. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chaiwat Tamthai from the TAT’s Dubai office says would-be tourists from the Middle East are in favour of the Phuket sandbox concept, but put off by…
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Covid or no Covid, October 1 re-opening going ahead – Tourism Minister
There will be no rowing back on the planned October 1 re-opening of Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Chiang Mai, despite the Covid-19 crisis. So says Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, confirming that the government is sticking to the re-opening date previously announced by the PM. According to a Bangkok Post report, the minister has also…
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Red Cross to get 946 million baht to purchase 1 million doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine
The cabinet has decided to allocate around 946.3 million baht from the Central Fund to the Thai Red Cross Society so they can buy 1 million doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine, which will be used to vaccinate specific target groups, for free. Zuellig Pharma Company, the representative for Moderna in Thailand has offered to sell the US produced vaccine…
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Cabinet approves measure to entice “high potential” foreigners to Thailand
The cabinet has approved a measure to entice “high potential” foreigners, such as wealthy retirees and specialists, to spend a prolonged period in Thailand. The measure is a bid to promote foreign investment and to improve the struggling economy. The 4 groups that the government hopes to attract to Thailand are high income earners, foreign retirees, experts in different fields,…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 11,786 new cases; provincial totals
Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 1,406,542 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,377,679 of those cases. …
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Thailand to overhaul reopening plans for pilot areas, one system policy to be adopted
Thailand is overhauling their reopening plans to simplify and unify current protocols. The new idea is to adopt a “One SOP, One System policy, with SOP standing for standard operating procedure. The new plan will toss out mandatory quarantine and sealed routes for pilot areas sometime this year. They will also slash Covid tests costs in half, in some instances.…
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Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew
Bangkok police continue to wield the merciless hammer of law and order. They brought it down last night on a 12 year old, arresting the child for allegedly violating curfew at the Din Daeng intersection. The minor was riding his bike to observe a protest, says a group of lawyers and activists. At least 11 other people were also arrested.…
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Japan plans to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses to several Asian countries, 300,000 heading to Thailand
Japan is planning to donate 1.3 million AstraZeneca vaccines to several Asian countries, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. The newest donation from Japan should go out as soon as possible and includes 400,000 doses for Vietnam, 300,000 for Thailand, and 100,00 doses for Brunei. With 500,000 doses heading to Taiwan, Japan’s total donation to the island will be just shy…
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Teen allegedly robs gold shop after losing money in investment scam
A 17 year old girl was arrested for allegedly robbing a gold shop and threatening the manager with a kitchen knife after she lost money in an apparent scam. The teenager reportedly told officers that she had gotten involved in what appeared to be an online investment website. She had seen an advertisement on Instagram and decided to invest the…
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Japanese expats warned about terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia
Japanese citizens living in Thailand reportedly got an email warning about potential terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia. The alert advises Japanese expats in six nations to stay away from religious facilities and crowds, according to the Associated Press. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AP reporters that the warning was due to “increased risks such as of suicide bombings.” Thailand’s…
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On-site learning to resume in November, subject to students being vaccinated
The Education Minister says schools can re-open for in-classroom learning from November 1, provided enough students are vaccinated. Addressing a press conference, Treenuch Thienthong confirmed the plan to re-open schools following consultation with health officials and the interior ministries. According to the minister, the re-opening hinges on the rollout of Pfizer vaccine doses, which will be offered to students between…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 136 deaths and 11,786 new cases
136 coronavirus-related deaths and 11,786 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,738 recoveries. There are now 129,025 people being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA…
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Message from Foodpanda driver telling customer to wear a bra sparks outrage
A woman has shared a screenshot of a message she received from a Foodpanda driver telling her she should wear a bra. The post has since gone viral, sparking outrage among Facebook users. “Customer when you come out to pick up your stuff, please wear a bra. I don’t feel comfortable (if you don’t wear one).” According to a Bangkok…
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Quarantine, sealed routes may be ditched as government revises re-opening plan
Mandatory quarantine and sealed routes could be scrapped as officials reconsider the rules for re-opening the country. The adoption of the “One SOP, One System” model for the re-opening of Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Cha-am, and Bangkok from October 1 is being submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next week and also includes a proposal to halve…
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CCIB fights virtual crimes and celebrates a year of crime solving
Virtual crimes are on the rise, growing stronger in form and frequency, which has resulted in the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau expanding its crime stopping responsibilities as they celebrate their first anniversary. The newish CCIB has provided the Royal Thai Police with formidable crime prevention weaponry with the bureau forever on the lookout for cyber crimes. They aim to catch…
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Monday Covid Update: 12,583 new cases; provincial totals
132 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, a total of 14,485 people infected with Covid-19 have died, according to the CCSA. 14,391 of those fatalities were during the country’s latest and most severe wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last…
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NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor
The National Anti-Corruption Commission is nearing a conclusion in their case of police planes being allegedly used to smuggle liquor out of Hat Yai, a southern Thai province, to Bangkok, says deputy secretary general of the commission, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol. Niwatchai’s comments are in response to a post on the Facebook page “@Watchdog.ACT”, which brought up the investigation into the case.…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province
Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, is proving worrisome for the Crime Suppression police as they have named the area the country’s most murderous province since the start of 2021. Police suspect the abundance of households that possess guns is partially to blame for the high murder rate. The Crime Suppression police have expressed their alarm at the number…
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CCSA monitoring developments in next 2 weeks to decide next steps
An advisor to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says what happens in the next 2 weeks is crucial to determining any further easing of restrictions. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Udom Kachintorn says there is unlikely to be any further relaxing of measures until officials are sure the situation is under control. Udom says the easing of…
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The Thaiger Digital Summit – Seven Thai Tech Start-Ups Speak Out
Disrupt or Die. Tune in to a full-tilt, one-hour online event led by The Thaiger’s Co-Founder and leading digital entrepreneur Michael Kenner. On the virtual stage will be fast-paced conversations with seven amazing start-up disruptors who are set to change Thailand’s online space. From super apps, the sharing economy, big data, to taking business off the sois and onto digital…
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Thai PM calls on state agencies to disburse allocated funds quickly to revive economy
The Thai PM is calling on state agencies to inject funds into the economy for the new fiscal year in October, in order to help its recovery. According to a Bangkok Post report, deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul says budget spending is vital to the revival of an economy decimated by Covid-19. “In light of the pandemic, the state budget…
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Return of 2-ballot voting system could prove a threat to PM’s future
The future of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and that of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party is in question due to the return of the 2-ballot voting system. The Bangkok Post reports that Parliament has approved a charter amendment bill that proposed a return to the system. According to the report, the voting system could prove an advantage to the Pheu Thai…
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