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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Palang Pracharath MP calls for probe into Pheu Thai MP who cut own arm in parliament
Opposition politicians are clashing over the actions of one MP who deliberately cut his arm in an act of self-harm to draw attention to the plight of anti-government protesters. Palang Pracharath MP, Sira Jenjaka, is threatening Wisarn Techathirawat, Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, with removal from office for what he’s calling a publicity stunt. On Tuesday, during a special joint…
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Government confirms re-opening for foreign tourists, yacht crew, under Special Tourist Visa
Thailand is preparing to re-open to more international tourists and foreign yacht crew, after Cabinet specified updated guidelines for the Special Tourist Visa scheme. Deputy government spokeswoman, Traisulee Traisoranakul, says the new regulations will be in force until September 30, 2021. The STV has been introduced in an effort to re-ignite international tourism in the Kingdom, which has been severely…
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Court bans Thailand’s first transgender MP over alleged media interests
An MP from the Move Forward Party, an opposition party that opposes the military’s influence in government, has been banned and could face jail time after the Constitutional Court found the MP guilty of violating a law prohibiting media shareholders from applying to become MPs. The court also looked into 57 other MPs over the same offence, but they were…
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Thieves arrested after stealing safe containing 10 million baht
Police in the central province of Saraburi have arrested 6 people suspected of stealing a safe containing over 10 million baht in cash. Thai Residents reports that officers found over 7 million baht in US dollars and Chinese yuan, and over 3 million baht in Indonesian rupiah. Saraburi police arrested the suspects on Monday, who have been named as, 34…
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France and Germany back in lockdown amid resurgence of Covid-19 in Europe
The leaders of France and Germany are once again having to introduce national lockdowns as the Covid-19 virus continues to surge across Europe. France is now recording over 36,000 (+36,437 yesterday) new cases a day, while Germany, which fared slightly better than other European countries during the first wave of the virus, is now seeing a dramatic rise in cases…
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Koh Phi Phi marine park dive site closed off for the next 2 years after karst island collapse
A popular dive site in the Koh Phi Phi National Park will be closed off for the next 2 years after 30,000 tonnes of rock broke off of a karst island, falling into sea and onto a coral reef. Koh Mae Urai is a karst formation between Koh Phi Phi and the Krabi mainland. A large chunk of the rock…
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Thailand News Today | Big Bike licenses, Parliament latest, Zombie saleswoman | October 28
Daily TV news from The Thaiger, the most watched English-language news service in the Land of Smiles, and hosted by Tim Newton. Thailand to introduce separate test for big bike riders from next year From next February, motorbike riders in Thailand will be required to pass a separate driving test and training session if they wish to receive a licence…
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Woman faces charges after allegedly slapping a student for not standing during national anthem
A woman is facing assault charges after she allegedly slapped a 15 year old student who didn’t stand up for the national anthem at a train station in Ayutthaya. The woman, a food vendor at the train station, allegedly approached the student when the anthem ended. In a video shared by thousands on Twitter, the woman said “Stand up. Come…
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2 shot outside Bangkok massage parlour
Police are investigating a shooting at a Bangkok massage parlour where a person was shot in the neck and another person shot in the backside. Police have not identified the shooter, but a post by a Facebook user accused an alleged “well known gambler” of shooting the 2 people. Police were called at 3am Wednesday to the Saree Sauna &…
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Thailand tourism officials to tap into Chinese market as they attract more visitors
Thailand has so far welcomed 2 flights with Chinese visitors on the new Special Tourist Visa, a first step after a 7 month ban on international tourists. Now, tourism officials are proposing to bring in more whilst tapping into the vast Chinese market to draw in more visitors. Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn says they’re planning on 7.45…
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Thai woman dressed as a zombie sells dead people’s clothes – VIDEO
A zombie saleswoman is selling dead people’s clothes online. 32 year old Kanittha Thongnak sells clothes of the deceased on a Facebook live stream while dressed as “the living dead”. She gives a story behind every pieces of clothing, explaining how each person died. Perhaps it would be a real business kill in most countries, but not in Thailand where…
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Thailand to introduce separate test for big bike riders from next year
From next February, motorbike riders in Thailand will be required to pass a separate driving test and training session if they wish to receive a licence for a “big bike”. The regulation has been announced in the Royal Gazette, after the government approved it last August, in a bid to cut road traffic accidents which are predominantly motorbikes (about 75%) and…
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PM refuses to resign, citing concerns over political divide, the economy, Covid-19
“I refuse to comply with the proposals that do not represent the needs of the majority of the people.” The Thai PM has made it clear he will not resign, saying he has no intention of “abandoning the country during a crisis”. Addressing Parliament yesterday, Prayut Chan-o-cha pointed to the current problems facing Thailand, including the political divide in society,…
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Opposition MP slashes his arm in protest at treatment of anti-government activists
An opposition party MP has slashed his arm in front of officials in Parliament, in protest at the treatment of political activists. Visan Techatirawat, a partY member of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, says the gesture was his own personal protest to oppose the government’s action against peaceful protesters at a rally in the capital on October 17. Police remain…
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Royalists crowd Bangkok’s Lumpini Park to support Thai Monarchy
Bangkok’s Lumpini Park was crowded with royalists yesterday afternoon after gathering to show their support and respect for the institution of the Thai Monarchy. The gathering is in response to a series of pro-democracy protests over the past 2 weeks, specifically, and the the last 3 months more generally, calling on government reform and questioning the role of His Majesty…
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Jailed activists request individual cells, access to books, ahead of exams
3 protest leaders currently behind bars have spoken with the Justice Minister to ask for a number of personal requests to be granted. Panupong Jadnok, Parit Chiwarak, and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, each met with Somsak Thepsutin, with Panupong calling for a separation between prisoners awaiting trial and those who’ve already been convicted. Both Panupong and Parit are being held at Bangkok…
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Thailand News Today | German Embassy, More STV tourists, Thanathorn in trouble | October 27
Today’s latest Thai news from The Thaiger, hosted by Tim Newton with full, echoey sound! Sorry about the minor audio issues! From Bangkok to Berlin – protesters deliver letter to German Embassy Protesting students last night submitted a letter to the German Embassy, to be passed on to the German Government. The protest started around 4pm when the rally gathered…
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Phuket told to prepare “response plan” in case of second Covid-19 outbreak
As Phuket awaits foreign tourists, city officials are told to prepare a “response plan” in case of a second wave of Covid-19. An official from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports held a workshop in Phuket today to discuss the risk of another outbreak as the country opens up to those on the Special Tourist Visa. The ministry’s permanent secretary…
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Man allegedly burns down house because his wife refused sex
A 33 year old man was arrested after he allegedly set a house on fire because his wife didn’t want to have sex with him. Narongchan Paksarom allegedly drove his motorcycle to a house in the Isaan province Buriram where his wife was living and approached the home wearing nothing but a towel, according to his wife Ratchaneekorn Yeeram. She…
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“Koh Samui is still safe”, Covid-19 measures in place – Health Minister
Koh Samui is safe to visit … apparently. Even though a woman on the island recently tested positive for Covid-19, the world’s favourite public health minister is assuring the Koh Samui public that health measures on the island are effective and it’s still a safe destination for tourists, presumably the few Thai tourists willing to pay extortionate airfares demanded by…
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Pattaya – fighting to survive its Covid crisis
Pattaya, like some of Thailand’s other former tourist hotspots, is facing some critical challenges. Hundreds of thousands of workers have left the city because there’s simply no work and up to 50% of the city’s shops are closed, some never to re-open. The Thaiger filmed most of this video on a long weekend at the end of October, the busiest…
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6 face extortion charges after allegedly posing Thai immigration police officers
Police have arrested 3 people and issued arrest warrants for 3 others on extortion charges after they allegedly posed immigration police officers in Rayong and visited business owners with migrant staff, asking them for money. Police say 6 men wearing immigration police uniforms visited business owners in Rayong on September 15. They allegedly asked for money from the businesses with…
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3 Chinese casino workers arrested with 8 million baht after illegal crossing from Myanmar
Officers from the Thai police and military have arrested 3 Chinese nationals after they crossed illegally into Thailand from the Burmese town of Myawaddy. Thai Residents reports that the 2 women and 1 man were workers at a casino in Myanmar and were arrested in possession of 8 million baht. Officers detained them as they were getting into 2 cars…
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Both rallies outside German Embassy broke the law – deputy police chief
Both of the rallies outside the German Embassy in Bangkok – the royalists and government supporters earlier yesterday afternoon and the pro-democracy protesters in the evening – are illegal, police say. Deputy Metropolitan Police Chief Piya Tawichai says both rallies held outside the embassy on Sathorn Road did not have the permit required to hold a gathering and demonstrators violated…
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Son of Sultan of Brunei dies at the age of 38
The son of the Sultan of Brunei has died at the age of 38, the government of Brunei has confirmed. Prince Azim, who was 4th in line to the throne, passed away on Saturday morning. While the cause of death has not been confirmed, his Wikipedia entry says he succumbed to a long illness. CNN reports that the prince had…
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Thanathorn, other former Future Forward Party officials, are facing criminal charges
16 people from the dissolved Future Forward Party, including the former leader Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit, could face criminal charges pressed by the Election Commission for a large donation that exceeds the maximum allowed under the Political Parties Act. The timing of the politically-charged legal action coincides with a peak of anti-government protest activity. The 191 million baht loan, which exceeds the…
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In, out, in: human rights lawyer Arnon arrested, released, then arrested again
The human rights lawyer and anti-government protest leader, Arnon Nampa, has been re-arrested in one case while on bail in another. Arnon was initially arrested on October 15 and flown to Chiang Mai to face charges of sedition after attending a rally in the northern city on August 9. He was then released on 200,000 baht bail, which it’s understood…
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Education ministry says curriculum revamp will promote analytical thinking over rote learning
As anti-government sentiment among Thailand’s student population shows no sign of abating, the Education Ministry says it plans to overhaul the Basic Education Core Curriculum to provide students with a better understanding of political developments in the Kingdom between 1932 and 1957. Supat Chumpathong says the new curriculum will also place more of a focus on analytical thinking, instead of…
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100+ test negative after Koh Samui Covid-19 case of the Thai/French woman
So far, more than 100 people have tested negative for Covid-19 after a 57 year old French/Thai woman tested positive for the virus in Koh Samui. Her case is the first on the island in 7 months and health officials are investigating to determine if she came in contact with the virus on the island, when travelling from France or…
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Thousands of protesters descend on the German Embassy in Bangkok awaiting to submit their petition
7.15pm and the protesters arrived out the front of the German Embassy. Thousands have blocked the way in Sathorn Road but protesters say they’re waiting for more to arrive. Estimates of the crowd say there are up to 10,000 anti government protesters already. Protesters say they’re waiting for an invitation by the German Ambassador for representatives to enter the embassy…
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