News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Sponsored 10 biggest challenges retirees face in Thailand (and how to overcome them)
Retiring in Thailand comes with many benefits, like warm weather, affordable living, and a rich culture. However, it also brings challenges. Retirees must deal with visa rules, healthcare costs, language barriers, and cultural differences. Rising medical expenses, required insurance, and...
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Kashmir lockdowns put houseboats’ survival at risk
Traditional houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar draw tourists from around the world. But environmental degradation and the pandemic are keeping this heritage from staying afloat. SOURCE: DW News
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Bangkok Bang Sue scam under investigation, 7 volunteers and counting to be questioned
7 Bangkok Bang Sue Grand Station volunteers are currently under investigation for a suspected scam. However, Amnat Traipot, the commander of the railway police said today that even more people are suspected of being involved with the scam. The Bang Sue scam was reported to the police yesterday by officials from the Department of Medical Services. Reportedly, the volunteers would…
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Empowerment through livestock breeding
Breeding livestock is an ancestral practice for women in the Zinder region of southeast Niger. It’s an important source of income for the women. Livestock breeding is the second most important economic activity in Niger after agriculture. The women either inherit their cows from their parents or buy them through anti-poverty programs. They check on their animals daily, feeding and…
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Spray guns ineffective and dangerous, says TFDA
Thailand’s FDA is cautioning the public against using alcohol spray guns, stating the tiny droplets the gun emits are ineffective against disinfecting surfaces, also, the spraying might cause pathogens to spread faster. Instead, the TFDA is saying to use alcohol gel to wipe down surfaces, rather than spray guns. The Deputy Secretary General of the TFDA, Dr Supatra Boonserm says…
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Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 new cases; provincial totals
Record highs of both new Covid-19 infections and coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 17,669 new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, including 3,963 in Bangkok, the epicentre of the latest and most severe wave of infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 561,030 confirmed Covid-19…
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Experience Phuket’s Islands with 5 Star Marine
Phuket and Krabi’s seascapes are famous for a reason. Boasting serene white beaches and untouched limestone karats, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. With 5 Star Marine, its surrounding islands are easier to explore than ever. In the comfort of your own VIP speedboat, take in hidden bays, caves and lagoons, or visit deserted beaches off the beaten track. Luxury and…
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Phuket governor eyes construction camps for stricter Covid measures
Yesterday, Phuket’s governor Narong Woonciew inspected workers’ construction camps throughout the island. His inspections concerned the disease control measures that were put in effect after 13 workers at a Patong camped tested positive for Covid, which led to officials claiming the camp down in a month of “Bubble and Seal” quarantine. Kathu District Chief, Trithip Sakulpradit, and officers from the…
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Health Minister says Bang Sue not crowded, blames “camera angles”
Health minister, and TikTok star hopeful, Anutin Charnvirakul wants to reassure the public that images of crowds of people packing into Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station might be deceptive. Anutin says that viewers might be deceived by “camera angles or whatever” that give the viewer the false impression that there are large crowds at the station. Yesterday, Anutin said he…
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Surge in new Covid infections on Koh Samui
Koh Samui has recorded its highest 1-day jump in Covid-19 infections since the southern island re-opened to international tourism. According to a Bangkok Post report, officials have confirmed 20 new cases but insist the development will not affect the island’s Samui Plus re-opening programme. 16 of the new infections are a cluster linked to a cashier at a local gym.…
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Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 cases and 165 deaths
A new record high of 17,669 new Covid-19 cases and 165 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 cases, the CCSA has reported a total of 532,167 Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. The number of daily new cases hit a new…
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Phetchabun sugar factory closes with Covid-19 cluster
After a cluster of 90 workers was discovered to be infected with Covid-19, a factory in Phetchabun producing sugar has been instructed by government officials to close down for a week. The Thai Roong Ruang Industry Co in the Si Thep district received the orders yesterday to close from now until August 2. The provincial communicable disease committee made the…
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Patrolling Lithuania’s border with Belarus
Carefully, Justas moves through the undergrowth, using his flashlight to illuminate the dark forest. He’s pulled a brown balaclava over his face. The 22-year-old officer and his colleague Vitautas have been on patrol at Lithuania’s border with Belarus for hours. “Three days ago, a hole was cut into the fence to make crossing the border easier,” Justas tells me. Justas…
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Ghana: Anti-gay bill seeks long jail terms for LGBTQ people
Ghana’s laws already criminalize gay sex by forbidding “unnatural carnal knowledge”. Now West African country wants to go a step further in its efforts to outlaw the LGBTQ community. If the bill is passed, people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could be fined or jailed for between three to five years. The law would also make…
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Driver blames GPS for durian truck wedged under overpass
We’ve all had GPS mishaps, either we followed and it leads us astray or we misunderstood and messed up a turn. If you haven’t, you’ve probably never driven in Bangkok. But one durian delivery truck driver is finding herself at the centre of ridicule after blaming her GPS for her truck getting wedged in an impressive wheelie under an overpass…
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Africa’s shea trees are under threat
As the number of shea trees in West and East Africa rapidly declines, one group is trying to preserve shea parklands for generations to come. SOURCE: DW News
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Despite low riders, Covid-19 train to continue
Despite a rocky start, the special train service the Transport Ministry arranged with the State Railway of Thailand to help bring Covid-19 infected patients in Bangkok to their hometowns for treatment will continue. The train, dubbed the “Covid Express”, will schedule more trips from Bangkok to the North and Northeast provinces even though the first train ended up with less…
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Thailand: Is royal reform a far-fetched dream?
The youth-led, pro-democracy movement in Thailand began coalescing in mid-2020 and at its peak saw hundreds of thousands of protesters calling for the government’s resignation and a more transparent and accountable monarchy. The demonstrators — who in recent months have focused their complaints on Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s handling of the pandemic as Thailand struggles with surging COVID-19 cases —…
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Thailand to apply for Guinness World Record for longest petrified log
Thailand is trying to break a Guinness World Record. Officials believe the longest petrified log in the world is in Thailand’s Tak province near the Myanmar border. Apparently, the 120,000 year old log at Doi Soi Malai National Park stretches 72.2 metres, the same height as a 20 storey building. China’s Qitai, Xinjiang currently holds the title of the world’s…
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Coronavirus lambda variant spreads across Latin America
Classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 17, the lambda, or C.37, variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in some US states and at least 29 nations — many of them in Latin America. In Peru, where it was identified in August 2020, the lambda variant accounted for more than 80%…
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Koh Samui bar and club finds 16 Covid-19 infections
The Thaiger recently reported that some bars and clubs in Koh Samui continue to operate seemingly indifferent to Covid-19 restrictions in place without any masks or social distancing and during periods that nightlife was shut down nationally. Now the freedom from regulation on the island has come back to bite as 16 Covid-19 infections were found traced to one of…
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Thousands of inmates granted royal pardon on HM the King’s birthday
On his 69th birthday, HM the King granted a royal pardon to more than 200,000 prison inmates and convicts on house arrest. 35,000 of them from 143 prisons will be released on parole while prison sentences for the others will be reduced. Under the 2021 Royal Pardon Royal Decree imposed today, pardons will be granted within the next 120 days,…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 16,533 new cases; provincial totals
A record high of 16,533 new Covid-19 cases, including 3,997 in Bangkok, was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of infections in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 514,498 Covid-19 cases. The latest wave accounts up for the majority of Thailand’s total case count of 543,361…
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Girls infected with Covid after mother dies at home; public criticises healthcare system
The story of the two Thai girls who woke up to find their 44 year old mother dead in their bedroom, possibly due to Covid-19, grabbed public attention and shed light on the death toll of the current wave of cases where more than 4,000 people infected with the virus have died. Medical examiners have not declared the Apaporn Suntarachon’s…
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Wednesday Covid Update: Record high of 16,533 new cases
A record high of 16,533 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of infections in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 514,498 Covid-19 cases. Today, the CCSA also recorded another 133 coronavirus-related deaths. Out of the new cases, 202 were found in correctional…
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Tunisia: A political crisis fueled by economic woes
Tunisian President Kais Saied had barely announced his decision to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and freeze parliament for 30 days when he began justifying it on Sunday evening, arguing that he had acted in accordance with the constitution. The president, a lawyer, said he based his decision on Article 80 of the Tunisian constitution, which grants the president the…
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Afghanistan: What does NATO withdrawal mean for India?
The final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, coupled with the Taliban’s sweeping offensive, have forced regional stakeholders to recalibrate their position in the war-torn country. One of those stakeholders is India — the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. India has long supported the civilian government in Kabul, heavily investing in the country over the past…
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More Pattaya people arrested drinking alcohol, violating Covid measures
There’s no glitch in the Matrix, it’s just regular Déjà vu as 12 people were arrested last night at an underground room as part of a Pattaya bar raid. The 12 suspects were allegedly drinking alcohol, which Pattaya police remind people is a violation of the current emergency decree. The police also say that the dozen suspects were also violating…
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“Phuket Sandbox” still on, provincial restrictions set after uptick in Covid-19
The “Phuket Sandbox” is still on, but the uptick in coronavirus infections pose a threat to the tourism experiment. Before the July 1 reopening, the government said it would reconsider the travel scheme if cases exceeded 90 Covid-19 infections. Over the past week, the island reported 125 new infections. With the weekly case count exceeding the government’s threshold, new restrictions…
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Couple “drops off” Covid infected 80 year old father at Korat temple, drive off
A husband and wife dropped off an 80 year old man they referred to as father, at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima/Korat in northeastern Thailand. After they dropped off their patriarch with nothing but a cloth bag, they drove off. The man was later found to have Covid. One Facebook user who claims to be a medical worker at the…
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Phuket officials add new layers of restrictions, Central closed for 7 days
It’s starting to get real in Phuket. New measures have been announced to further restrict the gathering places for people. Meanwhile, for now, the Sandbox continues unabated. The new restrictions are effective until at least August 2. The province has already surpassed its threshold of 90 cases in a week, earlier cited as the upper limit before the government would…
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