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 Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Here’s your health checklist before the move
Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Thailand is a popular choice for retirees because of its beautiful landscapes, warm climate, and affordable living. Cities like Chiang Mai and coastal areas offer a relaxed lifestyle with friendly communities. The country also...
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Samut Sakhon governor to resign, cites poor health after Covid infection and transfer rejection
The governor of the central province of Samut Sakhon, Veerasak Vichitsangsri, who recovered from a severe Covid-19 infection earlier this year, has announced that he wishes to resign from his post to spend his time with his family in Ang Thong. The governor had initially requested a transfer, but it was rejected. The governor contracted Covid-19 in December, during the…
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OPINION: Why restaurants are so f**ked
Article by Guest Blogger Joelle Parenteau (This article contains some strong language that may offend some people) Covid 19 is about to kill restaurants by the thousands. This pandemic is the ultimate pressure test and restaurants are failing hard. Think about it: when we come out of this, your favourite food spots might not be there any more. Why are…
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Monk accused of dressing up as a woman to go out at night
A young monk in Northeastern Thailand has apparently been dressing up as a woman to go out at night. Photos of the monk dressed in his orange robes were posted along with photos of who appears to be the same person, but dressed up as a woman, were shared on Facebook. Complaints have been sent to the local Office of…
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Oxfam calls for workers in Thailand’s fishing industry to be given monthly wage
Employers in Thailand’s fishing industry are being urged to provide their workers with a monthly wage to improve their quality of life. The Bangkok Post reports that Oxfam in Thailand is calling on companies in the fishing sector to provide more help for their employees during the pandemic. Chakchai Comthongdee from Oxfam says most workers only receive a daily wage,…
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Violent scenes erupt in Bangkok at largest anti-government rally to date
Yesterday’s anti-government protest in Bangkok led to violent scenes as police and protesters clashed near the Din Daeng intersection of the capital. The Bangkok Post reports that violence broke out towards the end of what was the largest “car mob” rally to date. It’s understood that at around 5pm, some younger protesters moved away from the main protests and gathered…
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Monday Covid Update: 21,157 new cases and 182 deaths
21,157 new cases and 182 new coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, in the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 899,451 Covid-19 cases. There are currently 210,934 people in Thailand being treated for the coronavirus. Out of the new cases reported today, 658…
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Nida Poll shows half don’t agree with aggressive protests
While the pro-democracy movement had gained support, the recent escalating protests with clashes with violence and destruction may have done more harm than good, as a new poll shows that just over half the respondents disagree with the protest on August 7 and believe the Free Youth group have backers. The National Institute of Development Administration conducted the poll by…
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Thai Youtuber killed by train in Pattaya
Yesterday, the body of a Thai “Youtuber” was discovered after he was hit by a train in Pattaya. Local police were notified of the accident that took place near the intersection of Soi Siam Country club just after midnight Rescue workers and local media got to the scene to find the body of the Thai man identified as “Beer Apache”.…
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New poll suggests Thais get most of their news from social media or television
A recent Suan Dusit Poll suggests Thai people get most of their news about Covid from social media or television. The survey was conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. A total of 1,270 people were surveyed throughout the country from August 9 to August 12 to determine the public’s interest in “figures and statistics” associated with the Covid situation. On…
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Covid UPDATE: 21,882 new infections, provincial totals
The CCSA has confirmed 21,882 new infections of the Coronavirus and 209 Covid-related deaths around Thailand. 245 of today’s cases were detected in the Thai prison system. 21,106 patients have been released from hospitals and field hospitals. 210,943 patients are currently still under state care, 5,615 people are considered in a critical condition, and 1,172 patients are on artificial respiration…
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Today’s pro-democracy protests to interfere with traffic
Today’s pro-democracy rallies will likely result in traffic congestion at Ratchaprasong and Lat Prao intersections, 2 of the cities busiest junctions, says the Metropolitan Police Bureau. The police have expressed their concerns that the rallies might stop traffic in the region after rally organisers shared their “car park” protest plan. An armada of protesters’ cars are set to convene at…
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Phuket man dies while cleaning fish nets
Over the weekend, a man in Phuket was killed after he was caught in heavy-duty industrial machinery that primarily cleans fishing nets. The accident happened at the Aquaculture Research and Development Center in the Pa Khlok subdistrict. Thitiwat Asasing, from the Thalang Police Station, was alerted to the accident around 3 pm. Thitwat rushed to the scene, followed by rescue…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 21,882 new infections, 209 deaths, new briefs
Today the Thai public health department has announced 21,882 new infections of the Coronavirus and 209 Covid-related deaths. 245 were detected in the Thai prison system. 21,106 patients have been released from hospitals and field hospitals. 210,943 patients are currently still under state care, 5,615 people are considered in a critical condition, whilst 1,172 patients are on artificial respiration –…
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Doctor whose family died of Covid-19 urges private import of vaccines
Dr Sitthiphong Lapanich has lost a lot to Covid-19 and now he’s calling for others besides the government to import vaccines. The doctor has seen the effects of Covid-19, and the lack of effective vaccines, after losing both his parents and his sister to the virus, and is fighting to push the government to allow independent groups to directly import…
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Medics want ban on vaccine exports, legal experts warn against it
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on in Thailand with growing numbers of infections and deaths, more and more medical experts are pushing for the government to intervene to stop Siam Bioscience from exporting AstraZeneca vaccines as the country experiences a shortage of vaccines to fight Covid-19 domestically. But legal experts are warning that this is a bad idea. A member…
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Cancelling delay, GPO will buy 8.5 million Chinese antigen test kits
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has made 2 u-turns in as many days with plans to now go ahead and purchase 8.5 million antigen test kits from a Chinese manufacturer with questionable accuracy. The GPO had originally announced the plan to import Sars-CoV-2 Antigen and Leccurate Antibody Test products by Lepu Medical Technology before changing course and pausing the purchase after…
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Widow of former Prime Minister dies of Covid-19
The widow of former Prime Minister Chatichai, Thanpuying Boonruen Choonhavan, has died early this morning of illness connected to Covid-19. Details around the death of the 101 year old widow are vague, but the announcement was made on Facebook today by her granddaughter. Thanpuying had one daughter who survived her, Vanee, and a son Kraisak who died last year in…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 217 Covid-related deaths, news briefs
This morning the Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care. Provincial totals will be announced early this afternoon. • According to the Ministry of Public Health, Covid-19 patients in Thailand are taking…
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Almost 1 million Favipiravir pills are taken daily in Thailand
According to the Ministry of Public Health, Covid-19 patients in Thailand are taking almost a million Favipiravir pills each day as infection numbers surge around the country. The daily Covid-19 infection rates have now crossed over the 20,000 mark and with so many new cases, the demand for the antiviral tablets is skyrocketing. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has been called…
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Thai-made subunit Covid-19 vaccine gets ok for human trials
Approval was received to begin testing on human subjects in September for a Covid-19 subunit vaccine created in Thailand by the Vaccine Research Centre of Chulalongkorn University and Baiya Phytopharm Company. The vaccine is the second to be racing to clear testing phases and be used to fight Covid-19 in Thailand. The other, an mRNA vaccine, is being developed by…
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Digital Sharing Economy Changing Face of Thai Real Estate
Sponsored The pandemic saw a rapid increase in the digitalisation of Thai real estate. As a result, developers have been urged to dig deeper into dynamic data; not only to pivot sales tactics, but to adapt to the tough market conditions in Bangkok’s property sector. Brennan Campbell, CEO of online retail group FazWaz, states; “big data is becoming essential tools for developers or…
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Red Shirt leader urges pro-democracy protesters not to resort to violence
Nattawut Saikuar, the Red Shirt leader, is cautioning young protesters that violent interactions with authority figures may play right into the authorities’ hands. Earlier today, Nattawut broadcasted live on Facebook to share his message of non-violence. He urged the protesters to think through their behaviour carefully. He also announced a car rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.…
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Thai Hotels Association urges attention for domestic tourism
Doubting PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s pledge to reopen Thailand fully to international tourists by mid-October, the Thai Hotels Association is calling on the government to focus on plans to boost domestic tourism. The association says that the Thai government is laser-focused on international tourism and on achieving the reopening goal, but a backup plan is needed to encourage domestic tourism if…
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Covid UPDATE: New high of 23,418 infections, provincial totals
Thailand logged 147 new Covid-related deaths and a record high of 23,418 new infections over the past 24 hours. Today’s numbers include 375 prison inmates. Some good news…. 23,649 patients were discharged from hospitals and field hospitals. Today’s 147 new fatalities ranged from 23 years to 108 years of age, made up of 142 Thais and five Burmese nationals. 69% of the…
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Infestation of Mealybugs leads to China banning Thai longan
China has banned the Thai longan, a fruit that comes in small yellow orbs and when peeled resembles an eyeball, minus the iris or pupil thus its Cantonese name which translates to “dragon eye”, although it could also be argued the fruit looks like a skinless testicle. The anatomically questionable fruit has been banned because of an infestation of mealybugs.…
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Lost man reunited with family after going viral falling in well
They say all’s well that ends well, but sometimes all’s well that begins [in a] well. The bizarre story of a man missing for 15 years being found after going viral because he fell in a well now has come to a happy resolution as he was reunited with his long-lost family. 15 years ago Lamead Mueanmai was 40 years…
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GPO pauses antigen test kits deal after skimping accusations
After a scathing letter from the Rural Doctors Society accusing the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation of basing their decision solely on price with no concern for quality or accuracy, the GPO walked back their plan to buy 8.5 million antigen test kits from Lepu Medical Technology of China. The purchase will be delayed in order to test the quality of the…
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Expert: Half of Thailand infected in 100 days without vaccines
Amid the growing outcry from the scientific community to reroute AstraZeneca vaccines set for export to urgently vaccinate people in Thailand, one expert warns of the harrowing possibility that half of Thailand’s 70 million people could get Covid-19 if we don’t vaccinate at least 40 million people within the next 100 days. Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a leading expert and specialist…
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Phuket man shot in leg and hit with baseball bat, police investigate
Phuket police are investigating an assault in Patong where a man was shot in the leg and smashed in the head with a baseball bat. The Patong Police learned of the assault through a 191 national police hotline just before 6 pm yesterday following a report from rescue workers where they took a wounded man to the Patong hospital The…
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Covid UPDATE: 147 deaths, 22,782 infections, provincial totals
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
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