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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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
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LGBTQ troops and vets go to war with homophobia in Ukraine
The silence inside a makeshift cinema in the heart of Kyiv was shattered with the crash of a windowpane. Fireworks flashed. Homophobic attackers were attempting to besiege the screening of a film about the lives of LGBTQ people. The assailants threw tear gas and pyrotechnics. A member of the audience jumped up onto the windowsill and began throwing the projectiles…
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Gunshots on Jomtien Beach road, no injuries.
Gunshots rang out in the normally peaceful streets running along Jomtien Beach, frightening people in the neighbourhood but not injuring anybody. The incident took place early yesterday morning when an as-yet-unidentified man fired several shots in public along the beach road. The man is said to have fired off several rounds of gunshots from inside his car around 2:30 am…
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Dept of Medical Sciences warns against antibody testing kits
The National Department of Medical Sciences is speaking out against a growing trend of people trying to self-test regarding Covid-19. They are warning people against using home antibody testing kits in order to test the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine after they have received their inoculations. The Department warns that not only could test results be inaccurate, but a misunderstanding…
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Wife wins case against police husband’s mistress, awarded 200,000 baht
She has been shamed by the whole country all throughout the media. This is worth more than the money that she must pay. A woman in the Central province of Chai Nat, has won a case against her husband’s mistress with Juvenile and Family Court ordering ordering the mistress to pay 200,000 baht in damages to the “rightful wife”. 33…
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Cuba’s COVID vaccine rivals BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna
In a measure of its ambitious efforts to be vaccine self-reliant, Cuba has named one of its homegrown jabs Abdala, after a famous dramatic verse by independence hero and national icon Jose Marti. In the verse, the young hero, Abdala, heads to war to defend his fatherland, full of patriotic fervor no matter how strong and powerful the enemy. From…
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What’s that wind smell like to you? Myanmar authorities blaze drugs valued at $670 mil US dollars
Yesterday, Myanmar authorities set an assortment of drugs on fire throughout the country. The drugs were valued, collectively, at $670 million US dollars, or about 20,100,000,000 baht. The Myanmar authorities blazed opium, heroin, and methamphetamine. Their narcotics suppression experts say drug syndicates have used ingenuity to get around Covid-19 travel restrictions and are still very much open for business. There…
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Poll: Majority of Thai people against 120 day reopening plan
Who isn’t excited about the 120 day reopening plan announced by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha last week? Turns out nearly 74% of people in Thailand, that’s who. In a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration, the majority of people surveyed were against the reopening in less than 4 months (the PM made his 12 day call last Tuesday).…
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Former military conscript arrested for Child pornography in Tak
Police in the northern Thai province of Tak have arrested a child pornography distributor. They seized thousands of digital files that included both underage girls and “underage women”. Cyber crime police and local police raided a house. They arrested a 28 year old person identified as “Mr Olarn”. They seized a computer, a mobile phone and a bank passbook. The…
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Laos gets in on high speed rail project
Laos is entering a monthly meeting that was previously just Thailand and China. They will go over progress updates on plans to join Thailand to China with a high speed rail system in Thailand with Vientiane. The agreement was decided at no later than the 29th meeting of the joint committee last Friday. A proposal was suggested by the Thai…
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Activist group seeks to dissolve ruling Palang Pracharath Party, PM’s resignation
An activist group that goes by the name Prachachon Khonthai (People Of Thailand, or POT), say they are filing a petition to dissolve the ruling Palang Pracharath Party next week. The 30 members strong group had come together yesterday on Phitsanulok Road, Bangkok. They gathered surrounded by 300 nearby police officers. The leader, Nititorn Lamlua, who was previously a People’s…
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As Phuket opens, Bangkok, 9 provinces face new restrictions
Things are changing next week in the level of severity of the rules and restrictions for Covid-19 safety and control. No, we’re not talking about loosening all the restrictions in the Phuket Sandbox reopening, we’re referring to partial lockdowns in Bangkok and 9 other provinces around Thailand to battle rising Covid-19 infections. The Royal Gazette published today the new restrictions…
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Military, police deployed to seal off nearly 600 construction worker camps
As Thailand polishes up the immigration desks to welcome back international travellers from this Thursday, the military and police are being deployed to seal off nearly 600 construction worker camps in the Bangkok and inner provincial area to ensure the inhabitants don’t leave before their camps are sealed off as a prevention measure against the latest Covid outbreaks. The Thai…
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Chiang Rai police looking for robbers who grabbed gold valued over 3 million baht | VIDEO
Police in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai are searching for 2 suspects who allegedly robbed gold chains valued over 3 million baht from a gold shop. The suspects reportedly fled the scene on a motorbike. The robbery happened yesterday afternoon. Around 2:30, the robbers fired multiple shots from a handgun to intimidate the Yaowarat Sinthawee gold shop staff.…
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Welcome back home: Phuket’s message to the world, echoes its X-Factor, its people
“As the countdown to the Sandbox hits seven days, resort island pays tribute to its real-life tourism attraction.” OPINION by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Tourism eyes around the world are focused on a resort island in Thailand this week for the reopening of international, vaccinated travel to the Phuket Sandbox. A key emerging storyline from the island’s frenzied runaway to July…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths
For Sunday the public health department have announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s. The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital, adjoining provinces, and provinces directly to…
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Multiple business associations oppose lack of Bangkok lockdown
After the government announced yesterday a one-month closure of construction camps, the Federation of Thai Industries and many other business associations complained that the action was too weak. The FTI and other business groups believe that a full lockdown is necessary to control Covid-19 outbreaks in Bangkok and half-measures like this are ineffective at best. The federation is one of…
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14 Burmese arrested in Kanchanaburi after illegal border crossing
Last night, 14 Burmese people where are arrested in Kanchanaburi after an illegal crossing at the Thai-Burmese border. Border patrol security forces near Huai Nam Khao village in Muang district discovered a suspicious pickup truck driving yesterday evening around 8 pm. Local police officers and soldiers patrolling the border region pulled over the truck and discovered 14 Burmese Nationals inside.…
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Malaysian businessman found dead in his parked car
The body of a missing Malaysian businessman was found dead in his car parked near a fish pond in Samut Prakan an apparent suicide. The 43 year old man was found dead in the car with the engine still running, and with a still-warm charcoal stove in the passenger seat beside him. Wong Chen Hoe, a Malaysian national, was discovered…
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121 arrested in raid of “restaurant” clubs violating Covid-19 rules
A raid around Pattaya at the earliest hours of this morning brought over a hundred arrests for violating Covid-19 measures, drinking, gathering, and smoking shisha. The raid of 2 venues that attempted to skirt the national bar and club closure laws by operating as an alleged restaurant took place between midnight and 2 am. The so-called restaurants had been operating…
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Covid UPDATE: 4,161 new infections, 51 deaths, provincial totals
Today the public health department announced 51 deaths and 4,161 new infections of Covid-19. Only 72 were related to detections in Thai prisons, a further drop in prisoners testing positive for the coronavirus. Here is Saturday’s announcement of Provincial cases announced in the past 24 hours. Notably Chon Buri added a whopping 320 new infections to today’s total. Phuket, ready…
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Covid-19 patient dies after waiting 1 week for ICU bed
As Bangkok faces a health crisis of bed shortages for Covid-19 patients, one woman died after waiting a week to be assigned an ICU bed. The woman was 38 years old from Laos and lived in Ban Krua Nuea in Bangkok. She suspected that she caught Covid-19 at her work selling clothes around Pratunam Market. After developing a cough she…
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Senator tests positive for Covid-19 after Parliament sessions
After a week of important meetings with most of Parliament in attendance, Senator Lieutenant General Lertrit Wechsawan has tested positive for Covid-19. The 74 year old member of parliament was in attendance for the parliamentary proceedings regarding government referendum voting and later confirmed the diagnosis. It is hoped that exposure and close proximity was limited with the senator, and it…
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Full text of Phuket Sandbox order released in English
Today, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew signed Phuket Province Order No. 3491/2564 officially detailing the rules of the Sandbox reopening. While most provisions have been widely discussed – fully vaccinated travellers coming from at least 3 weeks in a low- to medium-risk country, negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours, US $100,000 Covid-19 insurance, 14 days in an SHA+ hotel, tests on…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 4,161 new infections, 51 deaths
For Saturday, the trend of new infections, and deaths, from Covid-related disease, remains on the rise. Today the public health department announced 51 deaths and 4,161 new infections of Covid-19. Only 72 were related to detections in Thai prisons, a further drop in prisoners testing positive for the coronavirus. As the Thai government is faced with its worst week of…
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1 month closure of Bangkok, southern work camps ordered
While Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul claimed the situation in Bangkok hospitals was not critical, senior doctors at many hospitals are proposing a 1-week full lockdown of the capital city. Perhaps meeting in the middle, late this afternoon PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the 1-month closure of all construction work camps in Bangkok as well as 4…
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Protest groups vow continued demonstrations this weekend
Protest groups Prachachon Khon Thai and Thai Mai Thon, who led large protests against threats of legal action yesterday, have vowed to continue the protests tomorrow. A third prominent anti-establishment group, Ratsadon, were demonstrating yesterday at the Democracy Monument but have not committed to a protest event tomorrow. Despite police declaring they would prosecute leaders and protesters at yesterday’s events…
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India: Do calls for reforms to respect LGBTQ rights go far enough?
Manoj (name changed) from the southern Indian state of Karnataka was forced to undergo the “gay conversion therapy” as a teenager. Now an adult, he lives and works in Delhi, and hasn’t spoken to his family in years. “I was made to believe there was something wrong with me. I was given shock treatment among other methods. I escaped home…
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Man wanted for attempted murder arrested on train
A man who slashed a relative for not helping with car payments has been caught on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. An arrest warrant had been out for Kitiphong since November of last year for attempted murder. Kitiphon was arrested on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He allegedly confessed to the slashing. According to the police, Kitiphon was…
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Rare, giant barking deer makes appearance in Cambodia
A rare deer, known as a “giant barking deer” was seen in Cambodia, says Cambodian officials today. The muntjac (AKA barking deer), an endangered species, was seen, and photographed via hidden Camera in Cambodia’s Virachey National Park in the Ratanakiri province, in northeast Cambodia says environmental spokesperson Neth Pheaktra. The barking deer mainly live in the hill ranges of Lao…
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Anutin says health system won’t collapse despite shortages
After senior doctors said the Covid-19 outbreak situation was critical and suggesting a one-week lockdown in Bangkok, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reassured people that the health system will not collapse. With a rise in new Covid-19 infections, available hospital beds are getting scarce and there are shortages of medical staff, despite the reassurances of Anutin.…
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