News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored
5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
-
Woman charged after abandoning cats at Wat Pho
A Bangkok woman has been fined after she tossed five bags, each containing a cat, over a wall and into Wat Pho on Sunday evening. Maybe she thought she was doing a good deed by dumping the cats off at the Bangkok temple, but she was dressed like a common thief working at night. Videos show her dressed in all…
-
UPDATE: ‘Bleach mum’ was the maternal mother of sick boy
Today local Thai media report the latest update about the women allegedly forcing her children to drink bleach. Her adopted daughter died due to ‘allergies’ back in December. But the latest case of her sick son now unveils a suspected malicious intent to cause illness in her children. Doctors at Thammasat Hospital in Bangkok confirm that a DNA identity test…
-
3 quarantined returnees confirmed with Covid-19 in Thailand (May 26)
Today, in the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily press conference, Dr. Taweesilp confirmed 3 new cases of coronavirus in Thailand, of which all were recorded as quarantined overseas repatriates. This brings Thailand ‘s total of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 3,045. The death toll remains at 57 fatalities with no additional deaths reported today. Dr. Taweesilp says from the new cases…
-
Critics say new security laws will infringe on Hong Kong’s autonomy
Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam has tried to reassure rattled residents and international investors that proposed national security laws won’t trample on the city’s rights and freedoms. She has joined the chorus of reassuring support for Beijing’s attempts to find better ways to control the destabilising protests that have disrupted the city for seven months over the past year.…
-
No role for Transport Ministry in Thai Airways rehab plan
After initially insisting on having a say in the management of the rehabilitation plan for the beleaguered Thai Airways, the Ministry of Transport has conceded that, with its holding in the airline reduced to less than 50%, it no longer has any jurisdiction over what is now a listed public company. Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam says the struggling carrier…
-
Evidence mounts against “bleach mum”
Officers of the Crime Suppression Division say text messages on the popular Line application show that a woman accused of forcing her two year old “son” to swallow bleach isn’t the boy’s biological mother. This evidence, together with DNA test results expected next week, may lead to human trafficking charges being pressed against the woman as well. A Line chat…
-
Deputy PM says politics not involved in Emergency Decree extension
“There is a week to go before entering the third phase of relaxation. Whether a further easing will occur depends on this week. I want to urge everyone to keep their guard up at all times.” With the second month of Thailand’s national state of emergency coming to a close, a deputy PM says fear of second wave of Covid-19…
-
Government warns Thai residents over fake contact-tracing sites
The Thai government has issued a warning after a number of complaints from people being sent incorrect links and annoying pop-ups when attempting to “check in” at various businesses. The country’s Covid-19 task force says the government’s official “Thai Chana” contact-tracing website does not do this and warned citizens to make sure they only follow legitimate links. Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin,…
-
Thai police deny using emergency decree as political tool
Following the arrest of two activists in Bangkok on Friday, police deny using the emergency decree to suppress political dissent. Both activists were arrested at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, where a small group was commemorating the 6th anniversary of the May 2014 military coup that swept PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to power, tossing out the elected government of Yingluck…
-
Millions of baht worth of cigarettes seized after smuggled over Burmese border
Illegal cigarettes, valued around 2.6 million baht, have been confiscated by police after they were smuggled in over the Burmese border and into the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thai media reports. Three men were caught by police shortly after they crossed the border, but one was able to run back into Myanmar. Although it was just cigarettes, smuggling of…
-
Two brothers shot dead after fight over pickup truck
Three brothers got into a fight over a pickup truck their deceased father left for one of the sons. It ended with two of them shot dead, Nation Thailand reports. A witness says that the pickup truck was left behind for 39 year old Sarayut Mustofadi, but his older brother, Seri, took the truck. Witnesses say Sarayut and his brother,…
-
12 curfew violators arrested in Pattaya after breaking through a checkpoint – VIDEO
12 curfew breakers were arrested in Pattaya City last night just before midnight after a black Hyundai van vehicle broke through a police curfew checkpoint. Reports suggest that the black Hyundai van ran through the checkpoint, causing Banglamung and Pattaya officers to give chase before eventually catching the suspects at an intersection in North Pattaya. 4 Thai nationals, all under the…
-
Thai food giant to provide a million meals priced at 20 baht
Thai food conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods says it plans to offer heavily discounted ready-to-eat meals for those facing financial difficulties as a result of the economic fallout of Covid-19. CEO Prasit Boondoungprasert says a million meals will be distributed to Fresh Mart shops around the country and will cost just 20 baht. There will be a choice of dishes on…
-
Thousands of people have been travelling between provinces
… but not quite as many as before, so far. The Director General of the Department of Land Transport says that more people have been using the inter-provincial buses services after the government recently easing Thailands’ lock down situation. He says… “Although some long distance services are still not in operation to comply with the night time curfew, many inter-provincial…
-
Students to wear mask, get temperature checked at school
Students will need to wear a face mask and have their temperature checked before entering school. The Public Health and Education ministries recently put restrictions in place for the start of school set for July 1, according to Nation Thailand. Schools are categorised as a high risk area for the potential spread of the coronavirus. In general, cold and flu…
-
Phuket chef hands out over 2,000 free meals
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many heartwarming outpourings of charity, with a lot of businesses, both Thai and foreign, handing out free meals and essential goods to those affected by the crisis. The southern province of Phuket is no exception, with many pubs and restaurants joining in. But people in the island’s Bang Tao district might be surprised to learn…
-
2 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Thailand with one additional death (May 25)
Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced 2 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Thailand with 1 additional death. The 2 new cases consist of 1 imported case, a Thai woman repatriated from Russia last Wednesday who is currently under state quarantine in Chon Buri province. The other is a 49 year old Chinese citizen, the wife of an…
-
Cross-border drug trafficking is a “leading concern”
Thousands of people have been arrested since October for drug trafficking in Northeast Thailand. Methamphetamine and cannabis cross the Laos and Cambodia borders into Thailand and make their way down to Bangkok other parts of Thailand. According to Bangkok Post, the issue has now become a leading concern for Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin. 18,360 people were arrested from 17,685 cases…
-
Street vendor on-selling community pantry donations
One vendor seems to be using the pop-up “pantries of sharing” to their advantage, taking the donated grocery products and then on-selling them at a market in Rangsit, outside Bangkok. In a photo shared on Twitter, the products, like soy milk and instant noodles, have a label showing that they are from the community pantry. The community pantries have been…
-
Gang raids virus screening checkpoint and empties community pantry
A coronavirus screening checkpoint in Northern Thailand has been ransacked yesterday morning. Police say around 3 men cleaned out and knocked over the community pantry, which was stationed at the checkpoint, and destroyed some of the plastic chairs. Around 1 am, the group stormed the checkpoint, a tent step-up used to check people travelling in and out of the village…
-
Curfew violators made to volunteer at temples
As Thailand’s already crowded prisons struggle to cope with an influx of a new type of criminal, the “curfew violator”, the Department of Probation has come up with a novel solution – send them to the temples. Thailand has had a national curfew in place since the establishment of the country’s emergency decree on March 26. Initially it was from…
-
Relatives claim British pensioner was mistreated and starved by Thai family
Relatives of an 86 year old British war veteran claim he endured starvation and mistreatment at the hands of his Thai family in Samut Sakhon, central Thailand. After receiving medical clearance, the man was flown home to the UK yesterday on an Eva Air flight. A report in Thai Visa says the man, named only as “Ron”, was rescued after…
-
Phuket’s lost summer – looking to 2021 for tourism recovery
In a solemn recognition of the reality of Phuket’s stalled tourist industry, a spokesperson for the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association is saying most of the west coast hotels are unlikely to reopen until the last quarter of this year. And that’s just the start of the problems for the popular island beach resort. For now, Phuket’s International…
-
Thai Fruit Golden Month festivals to be held in 8 Chinese cities
8 Chinese cities will host Thailand Fruit Golden Months Festivals as local governments there begin easing lockdown measures and travel restrictions. The director-general of the Department of International Trade Promotion made the announcement yesterday, saying the the festivals will promote Thai fruit exports around China. “The campaign aims to increase the export of durian, mangosteen, longan, mango, rose apple, coconut,…
-
Chon Buri, Pattaya pass coronavirus milestones
Chon Buri province passed a milestone today: 30 consecutive days without a new confirmed case of Covid-19. The Chonburi Communicable Disease Committee made the announcement this morning. Pattaya, which is part of the province, has reached 40 days. Not a single locally infected patient remains under treatment in the province. There is a state quarantine centre in the province (Sattahip)…
-
Thai-made vaccine could be available sometime next year
Human trials of a locally manufactured Covid-19 vaccine could begin as early as the end of the year, according to Thailand’s Minister of Higher Education. Thailand is currently testing several vaccines. This one involves the government, Chulalongkorn University’s Centre of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development, the National Vaccine Institute, the Department of Medical Sciences and the private sector. “If…
-
Thailand depending on Chinese travellers for tourist reboot
Thailand is looking to China to rebuild its battered travel industry. As the Covid-19 pandemic subsides in Asia, countries are discussing the idea of “travel bubbles,” in which reciprocal nations establish guidelines that enable their citizens to move freely across their borders. The wider tourism industry accounts for 18-20% of Thailand’s GDP and provides jobs for almost a tenth of…
-
Covid-19 update: 0 new cases, 0 deaths (May 23)
Thailand reported no new Covid-19 cases and no new deaths today, down from 3 yesterday, leaving totals at 3,040 confirmed cases and 56 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in January. Panprapa Yongtrakul, spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration made the announcement this morning. It’s the fourth day this month that there were no new confirmed cases.…
-
Pattaya hoteliers complain about alleged “quarantine kickbacks”
Hoteliers in Pattaya have made an official complaint about a group of people, claiming to be officials who can ensure their properties will be chosen as quarantine centres, are demanding kickbacks of up to 40%. They are urging the government to look into the issue, but officials have been quick to deny any involvement by legitimate authorities. Government spokesperson Narumon…
-
Pattaya Council mulls a mass transport monorail system
Nothing like the middle of a pandemic to announce a new monorail project. Undeterred, the Pattaya City council have announced a new 9 kilometre monorail as part of its Eastern Economic Corridor projects. They cite the need to ease traffic congestion caused by rapid urban growth in the seaside party town. They say the inner city area is in desperate…
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.