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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Monks gather for a special ceremony in Pattaya to pray Covid-19 away
Hands placed together in the “wai” position and seated in chairs placed a safe “social distance” apart, monks in Pattaya gathered together at a local temple for a special ceremony to pray Covid-19 away. The Wat Chai by the Pattaya Walking Street was given special permission to hold the event where dozens of monks from other temples in the area…
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Lampang province sets example for vaccine registration
Vaccine hesitancy is proving to be a big problem in the quest to reach herd immunity and reopen Thailand, but Lampang province has outdone all the others in jab registration. In the northern province with just 740,000 people, nearly 224,000 have already registered for their Covid-19 vaccine, a number only topped by Bangkok’s 7 million residents registering just over 500,000…
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Protest leader tests positive for Covid-19 a week after being released from jail
A pro-democracy movement leader has tested positive for Covid-19 after she spent 8 weeks in jail awaiting a trial on lese majeste charges which prohibit statements that insult or defame the Thai Monarchy. 2 other protest leaders facing similar charges have tested positive for Covid-19 while in court detention. After being released from the Central Women’s Correctional Institution on May…
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Covid-19 infections cast doubt on plan to reopen Phuket July 1
With surging Covid-19 infections, the original plan for Phuket to reopen the international border to tourism on July 1st without quarantine may be unlikely. The governor warned today that the plan may be in jeopardy if they don’t reach the proposed May 15 goal of reducing infections to less than 10 each day. Governor Narong Woonciew called on everyone to…
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Bangkok’s Union Mall will close until May 27, casualty of Covid-19
In another sign of Thailand’s Covid-19 battered economy, the Union Mall in Bangkok has announced that it will close temporarily, purportedly for Covid-19 safety but likely because of a lack of customers during the pandemic. The mall, in Ladprao opposite the Central Ladprao shopping mall, took to Facebook this week to announce that they were closing. Mall management made an exception…
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More than 15,000 foreigners arrested since January for illegal border crossings
Thousands of foreign nationals have been arrested this year for illegally crossing land borders into Thailand. Due to fears that those entering Thailand illegally and evading the mandatory 14-day quarantine could possibly lead to the spread of Covid-19, particularly more contagious variants of the virus, Thai authorities say they will take tough legal action on illegal migrants and labour traffickers.…
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Fear over Covid in India has some washing themselves with cow dung
Fears over Covid-19 has some people in India, bathing themselves in cow feces. Doctors, however, warn that there is no evidence that cow dung is effective at curing the novel coronavirus and even warn of other diseases that can be acquired from the bacteria and germs in the feces. The pandemic has brought widespread devastation to India, with 22.66 million…
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Pineapple defamation case finally dismissed for activist Andy Hall
After fighting multiple defamation charges for nearly 10 years, British activist Andy Hall has been finally cleared of the last pending charge. Hall had lived for 12 years in Thailand before leaving in 2016 after fighting charges brought by the pineapple company Natural Fruit in Prachuap Khiri Khan when he had reported on their poor work conditions. In 2012, Hall…
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Health officials aim to vaccinate 5 million Bangkok residents in 2 months
To combat the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok, infecting more than 20,000 people in the capital since April, health officials plan to vaccinate 5 million Bangkok residents within the next 2 months in an effort to reach herd immunity. So far, only 5% of Bangkok residents have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Public Health Ministry has set a goal to…
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Covid-19 daily death toll reaches new high today at 34 fatalities
Today, Thailand’s daily Covid-19 related death toll has reached a new high with 34 fatalities reported. Over the past 24 hours, the government is reporting 1,983 new infections, raising the overall total to 88,907 since the pandemic began. The death toll is now at 486 in the Kingdom since the start of the pandemic. Over the past day, 2,006 cases…
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Pattaya sandwich maker gives out food and face masks to needy in Banglamung
A Pattaya sandwich maker is giving back to the community by donating more than 500 sets of food and face masks to the needy in Banglamung district. The business operator prioritised giving the packages to medical staffers first, then to migrant communities and others in need. 29 year old Kanjana Wongsin and her friends handed out juice, food, and face…
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Beaches closed in Vietnam following rise in Covid-19 infections
Several beaches have been closed in Vietnam as the country battles a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus. Officials in Hai Phong City have closed Do Son and Cat Co beaches following news that 47 new infections had been reported in the country’s capital, Hanoi. In Quang Ninh province, which is 150 kilometres east of the capital, Tuan Chau, Quan Lan,…
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Over 190,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine touch down in the Philippines
The Covid-19 vaccine rollout in the Philippines just got a significant boost, thanks to the arrival of at least 193,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. The much-needed supply was donated by Covax, a global initiative set up to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. Thailand declined to join Covax when given the opportunity, preferring to strike deals with manufacturers directly.…
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44 countries report cases of Covid-19 variant first found in India – WHO
So far, 44 countries have now reported the cases of the mutated Covid-19 variant that was first detected in India and is linked to the country’s massive outbreak, where active Covid-19 infections in India have now surpassed 3.7 million. The drastic spike in cases linked to the new variant has led to severe shortages of hospital beds and oxygen to…
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Nong Pong, a new lagoon park nearing completion in Pattaya
Project developers have announced that they are nearly finished building Nong Pong, a large new public park on Jomtien Second Road in the Pattaya area. The park began construction last May with an original completion date of August which the construction crew says should be met without a problem. The Pattaya park features a large lagoon creating beautiful scenery and…
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Health officials point to Thailand’s porous borders as biggest “Indian variant” threat
Thailand’s health officials say the Kingdom’s porous borders pose the greatest risk in terms of the so-called Indian variant of Covid-19 being imported. Prasit Watanapa from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital says there is a distinct possibility the highly contagious variant, currently wreaking havoc with India’s healthcare system, could be imported by migrants slipping into the country illegally.…
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Krabi tourism operators call for vaccination ramp up, clarity on national park rules
With Krabi eyeing October 1 for a re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists, operators in the region are calling for greater clarity and for vaccination to be ramped up. Ekawit Pinyotamanotai from the Krabi Tourism Association says tourism workers need to be prioritised for vaccination and there is a need for clarity on regulations governing national parks. The Krabi sandbox model…
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Pfizer vaccine OK for US children 12-15, critics urge better use
While drug regulators authorised Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 in the US, critics are saying that the jabs would be more useful if sent to poor countries. The American Food and Drug Administration cleared the vaccine on Monday, saying that it was safe for children over the age of 12, and the US Centres for Disease Control…
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Thai Airways’ creditors to vote on rehab plan today
Today is D-Day for Thai Airways, with 13,000 creditors voting on whether or not to accept the struggling airline’s rehabilitation plan. According to a Bangkok Post report, a source at the airline has warned that should creditors reject the plan, the carrier will be declared bankrupt and they would only receive 12.9% of what they’re owed. In the event of…
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Jailed activists Penguin and Ammy finally granted bail
Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, the high-profile student activist leader that has been jailed for months, has finally been granted bail after 10 requests. Another student protester champion, singer Chaiamorn “Ammy the Bottom Blues” Kaewwiboonpan, was also released yesterday. Both activists were being held without bail in Bangkok Remand Prison, charged under Thailand’s strict lèse majesté laws that prohibit anyone from speaking…
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PM Prayut pushes vaccine priority for the national agenda
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha asked the Thai cabinet to make the Covid-19 vaccine part of the national agenda in order to make it Thailand’s top priority. He urged Thai people through a Facebook post to get vaccinated and not hesitate. The PM reminded people that getting everyone vaccinated to the point of herd immunity is the only way to end the…
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Airlines can face penalties for failure to check passengers’ Certificate of Entry – CAAT
Airlines with routes to Thailand are told to check passengers’ Certificate of Entry, a required document to travel to Thailand, prior to departure. Airlines will face penalties if they allow passengers who don’t have the required documentation to land in Thailand, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand warns. If passengers do not have their COE prior to boarding the aircraft,…
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Thai government looks into “humanitarian solution” for detained reporters from Myanmar
Following the arrest of 3 journalists from a Myanmar news agency and 2 activists, who all face deportation and charges for entering Thailand illegally, the Thai government says they’re looking for a “humanitarian solution.” Following the February military coup, the junta attempted to silence the media by revoking licenses allowing outlets to report and arresting journalists. The editor and director…
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Thailand News Today | More bubbles?, Burmese journalists arrested, Malaysian lockdown | May 11
Thailand will travel travel bubble discussions with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia. Travel bubbles could start as soon as October, Police in Northern Thailand arrested 3 senior journalists who had fled Myanmar, Thai officials say expats living in Thailand will be included in the government’s mass Covid-19 vaccination plan, but exactly when that will be is still…
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Suspected insurgent killed in gunfire exchange with rangers in Thailand’s deep south
A suspected insurgent was shot and killed in a gunfire exchange with Thai rangers in Narathawit, a province in Thailand’s deep south by the Malaysian border plagued with violence from the religious separatist insurgency. 2 other men were arrested after the clash with rangers in the Bacho district this morning. Another suspected insurgent is on the run. Rangers got a…
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Thailand signs trade agreement with EU, same tax rates as before Brexit
Under a new agreement with the European Union, Thailand can export to the trade bloc under the same tax rates and trade privileges from before Brexit. After the UK left the trade bloc on January 1, the tariff rate quota deal between Thailand and the EU was renegotiated. The agreement goes into effect next month. The recent agreement only covers…
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University student carves “112” into chest after being charged with violating lèse-majesté law
A Chiang Mai University student now has the numbers of “112” carved across his chest after using a razor blade on himself in defiance of the Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lèse-majesté law. The student took to cutting himself after arriving at the police station to face charges of violating the law. He was also…
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British citizens fined 6,000 baht each for illegal ‘party’ in Phuket
An unedited video circulating, showing Phuket police raiding an illegal gathering in Cherngtalay, ended up with 2 UK citizens, working in Phuket, being fined 6,000 baht each. The Cherngtalay police are also calling on another 4 foreigners attending the party to present themselves to the police station to be charged as well. Cherngtalay Police descended on the property around 5pm…
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American leaves hospital after being denied Covid treatment in same room as Thai wife
An American man, who tested positive for Covid-19, is back in the hospital after fleeing when he was denied a shared room with this Thai wife-who was also undergoing Covid treatment. The 51 year old man left the northeastern Amnat Charoen province Chanuman hospital on May 9th after doctors declined to move his bed to that of his wife’s room.…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,919 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals
1,919 new Covid-19 cases and 31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 29,435 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 86,924 infections and 452 Covid-related deaths. At today’s CCSA briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun said…
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