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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Bangkok Red Line launches August 2 free rides for 3 months
If you’ve ever spent time in Bangkok, you know it’s easy to be taken for a ride. But for once, this is a good thing, as the Thailand Transport Ministry announced today they are giving free rides to many commuters to launch their new service line. Bangkok’s Red Line rail route is ready for its soft launch next month and…
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British man arrested in Pattaya after firing shotgun in home
Pattaya police arrested a British man last night after he was alleged to have fired off several shotgun rounds and then barricaded himself in his home. The events took place around 7 pm last night at a luxury home at Palm Oasis Village in Pattaya, and resulted in a swarm of police and a standoff lasting several hours. The incident…
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Despite struggles, Phuket tourists are happy to be here
One thing many forget when they’re considering the condition of Phuket for the returning international tourists is that, while we are comparing it to the pre-Covid-19 glory days of Phuket, those travelling in the first days of the Sandbox are comparing it to their life at home now. While Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the Thai economy and tourists are…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 6,230 new infections, news briefs
(Provincial totals will be published after lunchtime) This morning the public health department reported 6,230 few infections and 41 Covid-deaths. 294 of today’s total were from the Thai prison system. The average number of deaths each day, over the past 5 days, has been 50 people. Yesterday, there were 6,087 new cases reported as the week displayed a steady growth…
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As Lebanon nears collapse, EU debates sanctions
Lebanon continues to unravel as its economic and political crisis worsens. The country has not had a government for almost a year now and its economy is in the process of collapsing after decades of mismanagement and corruption. Over the past month, there have been stories both absurd and horrifying coming out of the small Mediterranean nation. For instance, at…
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AstraZeneca cuts monthly vaccine deliveries from 10 to 5 million
A senior health official has announced today that the previously declared 10 million AstraZeneca vaccines per month expected to be distributed in Thailand will now be lowered, and perhaps cut in half. The drop of 40 – 50% delivery comes as Thailand’s domestic facilities at Siam Bioscience say they are unable to meet production needs for domestic distribution and promised…
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Last-minute announcement: Colourful Phuket month-long festival
Never one for last-minute planning, the Thai government has announced just this afternoon plans for a month-long Colourful Phuket Festival launching tomorrow to welcome tourists back in the Phuket Sandbox that has been planned for months. Perhaps they sensed that international tourists who return to Phuket may be disappointed with the lack of activities while all bar and nightlife venues…
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Myanmar trapped in a vicious cycle of violence
Since the military coup in Myanmar and the army’s violent suppression of pro-democracy protests, new armed resistance groups and conflict regions have been emerging in the Southeast Asian country. While a kind of urban guerilla has begun in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay, the ousted democratically elected government has been trying to form a federal army underground, the…
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Eying upgrade, Thailand downgraded in human trafficking report
Against Thailand’s expectations, the country has just been downgraded in the United States’ report on human trafficking. the US Trafficking in Persons Report has downgraded Thailand’s status from Tier 2 to Tier 2 Watchlist, contrary to the Thai government expected to be upgraded to Tier 1. Citing worries about forced labour in Thailand the decision was made to lower the…
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Migrant workers ask Thai government for assistance during the pandemic
With Covid-19 affecting many migrant communities in Thailand, Cambodian workers are now asking the Thai government for help. A petition calling for assistance during the pandemic to help with providing food, financial support and medical services was submitted this week to the Thai Ministry of Labour and Parliament. Thousands of Cambodian migrant workers signed the petition, which was submitted by…
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Harmful chemicals used on protesters at last year’s rallies – Amnesty International
Harmful chemicals were shot from high-pressure water cannons to break up crowds of protests at Bangkok’s pro-democracy rallies in late-2020, according to Amnesty International Thailand. The organisation’s recent report “My face burned as if on fire,” outlines what they call “excessive and unlawful use of force against largely peaceful protesters.” At the time police strenuously denied the use of any…
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Father commits suicide after daughter dies of Covid
An octogenarian father jumped off his condominium in Bangkok not long after his daughter had died of Covid. He jumped either last night or early this morning. Early this morning, police discovered 84 year old Peng Ki’s body in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district after he jumped to his death. His daughter’s body, 57 year old Pranee was found in a bed…
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CCSA says no new restrictions are needed to fight Covid-19
With Covid-19 infections surging and spreading throughout the country, and daily infection numbers rising along with an increasing death toll, officials have decided what additional measures need to be taken to cope with the situation: none. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced that the rules and restrictions in place now are adequate in the fight against the increasing…
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Doctor documents people camping out for Covid treatment
A doctor is documenting the struggle of people hoping for a hospital bed for Covid treatment. His pictures capture winding lines of people sitting on the ground, sleeping in the backs of cars. He provided the images last night of the scene outside the Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok Thiravat Hemachudha whos is a neurologist and director of the Health Science…
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Vietjet urges testing after Phuket passenger gets Covid-19
Budget airline operator Vietjet Air put out a statement addressing an incident involving one of their passengers being diagnosed with Covid-19. The passenger travelled last week, and 2 days ago the airline put out a call for those seated near the infected passenger to come forward and seek testing and treatment. The flight in question was Vietjet Air flight VZ314…
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Thailand still plans to fully reopen on October 15, despite Covid-19 uptick
Despite the recent and most severe wave of Covid-19 infections still peaking, Thailand is on track to reopen on October 15 to those travelling from overseas who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The “Phuket Sandbox” model, which launched yesterday, will serve as a pilot project for the nationwide reopening plan. The “Samui Plus” travel model next on the list,…
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Phuket Sandbox: European flights have 400 people arriving Saturday
As flights roll into Phuket International Airport today, the Sandbox scheme is slowly coming alive. Tomorrow (July 3) should see the arrival of the first European flights into the Phuket Sandbox reopening as Thai Airways welcomes 3 arriving flights. Overnight flights from Copenhagen and Frankfurt departing now should arrive in the early hours of the morning followed an hour later…
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Phuket Sandbox trickle: Friday’s arriving international flights
The Phuket Sandbox scheme is off the ground and the desperately needed foreign travellers have begun to trickle back onto the Thai island. The earlier predictions of 1,500 people on the first day were met with just over 20% of that amount actually arriving on the first 4 flights to land internationally in Phuket. But slow and steady wins the…
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Friday Covid Update: 6,087 new cases and 61 deaths; provincial totals
An uptick of 6,087 new Covid-19 cases and a record high of 61 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 270,921 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 2,141 fatalities. The recent and most severe wave of infections has accounted for the majority…
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NACC to establish 5 panels looking into pricey lamp controversy
The saga of the pricey lamps continues with the news that Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission is establishing 5 panels to investigate the matter in Samut Prakan. The NACC Deputy Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongko realized the TAO’s budgetary spending for the fiscal years 2013 and 2014, then 2018-2021 for the lamp posts fell out of the scope of the Interior Ministry’s regulations…
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Khon Kaen schools closed until July 16 as Covid continues to spread
Khon Kaen, a northeastern province and part of the Isan region, is closing its schools closed until July 16 as Covid continues to spread throughout the province and nearby areas. Further, students that attend boarding schools have been closed off and parents are not allowed to visit until July 16. In the Khon Kaen province, there have been 667 reported…
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Construction workers blamed for Covid outbreaks
Health officials are pointing fingers at Thai workers who left their Bangkok/nearby dormitories for the Covid outbreaks throughout the nation. Thai media says “many” construction workers left their home provinces prior to Monday’s new lockdown. Health officials say many of the new Covid infections seen in over 30 provinces are connected to people coming from Bangkok (and close by provinces).…
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Emergency restrictions to be imposed in Indonesia as Covid infections surge
The Indonesian government is introducing emergency measures aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 as infection rates rise steeply. President Joko Widodo says the restrictions are aimed at reducing new daily cases to below 10,000 and avoiding a collapse of the country’s healthcare system. “This situation has forced us to take stricter steps. I have decided to impose emergency restrictions.”…
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Police warn of Covid-19 vaccine booking scam by fake insurance company
Police are warning people about a Covid-19 vaccine booking scam after 20 people in the Isaan province Udon Thani were defrauded by a fake life insurance company promising Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines. A spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police says the fraudulent group claimed they could obtain the Chinese-made vaccines from the Federation of Thai Industries, which had ordered the doses…
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Volcano eruption in the Philippines, thousands evacuated
The public is reminded that the entire volcano island is a Permanent Danger Zone One of the world’s smallest active volcanoes, the Taal Volcano in the Philippines, is forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate after it started blasting out a kilometre high plume of gas and steam yesterday. The alert went out that that the volcano, which is…
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ICU beds full at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital
The head of the respiratory disease and tuberculosis division at Siriraj Hospital says the facility has run out of beds in its intensive care unit. Dr. Nithiphat Chiarakun says at least 5 Covid-19 patients have been left waiting for an ICU bed as healthcare workers try to juggle what’s available. The Bangkok Post reports that one Covid patient whose symptoms…
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Friday Covid Update: Another record high, 61 deaths and 6,087 new cases
Another record high in Covid-related deaths and an uptick in new coronavirus cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The CCSA recorded 61 more deaths involving Covid-19 patients, the highest daily death count in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year. 6,087 new Covid-19 cases were also reported, an uptick in cases over the…
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Pro-democracy activists to march in support of restaurant operators
The pro-democracy Ratsadon group is planning another march today, calling once again for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Activists are also organising a flea market to shows its opposition to the current ban on dining-in at restaurants in Bangkok and a number of other provinces. The controversial restrictions were introduced at short notice on Monday, taking restaurant operators by…
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Belarus tells Germany’s Goethe Institute, DAAD to shut down
On Thursday, Germany’s cultural Goethe Institute issued a short press statement announcing that it had been asked to cease its Belarus activities. It was clear that they were taken by surprise. “This is an unprecedented step for the Goethe Institute, which can freely work in its 157 institutes across the world,” the organization’s secretary-general, Johannes Ebert, said on Thursday. He…
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Department of Land Transport tackles motorbike delivery boxes
With all of Thailand laser-focused on Covid-19 outbreaks, vaccine availability, and apparently Phuket has got some sort of brouhaha over some foreigners showing up, it’s easy to lose track of the important daily tribulations of keeping a country functioning. But never fear, there are those that don’t get distracted by the glitzy headlines and are doing the thankless work to…
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