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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Thailand Consumer Confidence Index hits record low
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has reported that the Consumer Confidence Index has hit another new record low of 46.0 in April. The Covid-19 global pandemic has had a devastating effect on the economy and consumer confidence has fallen frequently to the lowest points that it has seen since 1998. The president of the UTTC believes that…
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Thailand searches for cow vaccine for lumpy skin disease
Move over Covid-19 there’s a new disease sweeping the country as Thailand’s cow population is afflicted with a lumpy skin disease. The Department of Livestock Development is now working on procuring vaccines from overseas manufacturers to import and treat the cattle population in Thailand. The lumpy skin is caused by pustules that are the most visible symptom, perhaps more detectable…
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Covid-19 third wave cuts Thai domestic flights predictions by 38%
The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand is predicting a 38% drop in travel by domestic flights due to the effect of the third wave of Covid-19. Aerothai is a department under the Ministry of Transport that provides aeronautical communication and air traffic control in Thailand. With Covid-19 experiencing a rapid spread beginning in April and not yet under control, infections across…
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Thailand now plans on 150 million Covid-19 vaccines
Thailand upped its target from 100 to 150 million vaccines in an announcement on social media by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. This expanded goal would be enough to cover the necessary 2 jabs for every person in the country, and possibly all the foreign residents that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is again reassuring will get vaccines. The original plan…
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Thailand ploughs ahead with plans for re-opening tourist areas
The Thai government says they’re pressing ahead with plans to waive the current mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Bangkok and and 5 other major tourist destinations from October this year as an effort to reboot the country’s battered tourism industry. Dr. Traisulee Traisoranakul from the CCSA says the new measures will provide easier access to the main tourist locations…
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Private Moderna vaccine price set at under 3000 baht
Officials announced that private hospitals will offer the two shots of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for a maximum of 3000 baht total. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation expect to order Moderna first in the process of importing vaccines for paid usage, according to the Private Hospital Association. The GPO will act as the middleman because manufacturers generally only work with governments.…
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Murder of Thai wife may have been 2nd attempt by US man
The American man accused of the murder of his Thai wife in Chiang Mai has now confessed to the brutal crime. And it may not have been the first time he tried to kill her. The 32 year old man, who was a computer programmer in the United States, admitted that he killed his wife while she was 3-months pregnant.…
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UPDATE: Chinese rocket debris plunges into Indian Ocean
UPDATE: 10.30am (Thai Time) Trackers have confirmed that the debris has splashed down somewhere west of The Maldives in the Indian Ocean. 9.30am (Thai Time) The Chinese Long March 5B carrier rocket should land in this area… 72.47°E longitude and 2.65°N latitude, just west of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. That’s according to China’s National Space Agency. “Most of…
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Today’s Chinese rocket debris not expected to hit land
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has assured the public that the debris from a large rocket re-entering the atmosphere today is not likely to do any harm. They said the majority of the Chinese rocket will mostly be burned up on re-entry. The Long March 5B rocket left the Earth on April 29th, launching from Hainan island in China. This…
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For travellers to Phuket, testing is out, quarantine is in
The on-again-off-again plans for testing people for Covid-19 as they arrive in Phuket will be replaced by quarantine after May 15, according to Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong’s latest announcement. In an online video broadcast last night, the vice governor confirmed the new scheme after Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew first mentioned it in an executive meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday.…
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Saturday Covid UPDATE: 2,419 new infections and 19 deaths, provincial totals
The tally for Covid-related infections and deaths reported over the past 24 hours reports 19 new deaths and 2,419 cases. There have been 52,411 confirmed Covid-19 infections in the recent outbreak with more than 16,000 cases in Bangkok, the epicentre of infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has reported a total…
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Like Songkran, Sri Lanka New Year’s brings Covid-19 wave
Sri Lanka has seen a huge wave of new Covid-19 infections in part due to large New Year’s celebrations in mid-April at the same time as Thailand’s Songkran Festival. From the beginning of April until now, the island nation has experienced a fivefold increase in daily cases, with 1,895 infections reported yesterday. February had previously been the worst month in…
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Covid-19 reaches new heights in Nepal with Mt Everest infections
Nepal, India’s neighbour to the north, is facing a similar Covid-19 crisis with a 1200% increase in new infections, triggering hospital shortages. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the government had said that 44% of Covid-19 tests administered in Nepal had come back positive last weekend. The country is reporting about 20 new cases…
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Once Covid-19 free, Cambodia eases lockdown amidst surge
After remaining relatively unscathed during the global pandemic in 2020, Cambodia, like other countries in the region, is in the midst of a massive Covid-19 surge. As recently as late February, the country had only seen about 500 cases in their population of 16 million. But just two days ago, 650 new cases and 4 fatalities were recorded nationally. Cambodia…
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Covid-19 Indonesia: Indian variant, reused swabs, holiday travel ban
Indonesia is experiencing an average of 5,000 new Covid-19 cases each day over the past week, and the Indian variant has now arrived as well. The Health Ministry confirmed this week that 2 patients had been infected by what has been identified as the B.1.617 variant of the Coronavirus, commonly known as the more contagious Indian strain. Indonesia is often…
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Covid-19: Thailand struggles with South and Southeast Asia
In 2020, Thailand was hailed worldwide for its iron-fisted lockdown that curbed Covid-19 spread almost completely. Thailand was the second country in the world after China to identify a Covid-19 infection in January of last year but managed to keep its numbers impressively low, at least until December’s second wave of outbreaks. That wave drove the numbers up to nearly…
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Southeast and South Asia struggling with rapid Covid-19 spread
With outbreaks in many countries throughout the region, and India in a Covid-19 crisis, the World Health Organisation and other health bodies are urging action in South and Southeast Asia. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have joined the call to action to aid the Earth’s most populous region, and the pandemic now ravaging it. The…
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American arrested for alleged murder in Chiang Mai has past record of abuse in Colorado
The American man who was recently arrested for allegedly murdering his pregnant Thai wife in Chiang Mai had been sentenced to 2 years of probation back in 2019 on assault charges after his gun went off while he was threatening a woman in Colorado. A report from the Associated Press says it appears to be the same woman. Jason Matthew…
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Thai woman admits to stealing lottery tickets from blind ticket seller in Bangkok
A 57 year old Thai woman is admitting to stealing lottery tickets from a blind seller in Bangkok. The woman, Sumali Muangpluem, is now under arrest for allegedly stealing from the disabled seller in the underground Sutthisan Station train between November 25-27 of last year. Sutthisan police say they collected evidence of the same type of theft in many districts,…
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Thailand to remain on US Trade watch list over online piracy and intellectual property violations
Thailand is to remain on the US Trade Representative’s watch list as it tackles intellectual property violations and online piracy. Director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, Vuttikrai Leewiraphan, says the USTR made the announcement in its annual report that was released April 30. The report includes findings for more than 100 trading partners after engaging with stakeholders and further research.…
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Chon Buri sees slight drop in new, daily infections today – Saturday, 72
Chon Buri province, which includes Pattaya, is reporting 72 new, daily infections of Covid-19 this morning and 1 new death, a 19% drop from yesterday’s 89 infections. Today’s reported number of infections is the lowest since April 9. This makes a total of 3,202 cases and 8 deaths in the current wave of infections that begin in early April. 1,520…
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Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine now approved in Thailand for those over 60
The Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is now approved in Thailand for adults over 60 years old. Doctors had initially advised that the vaccine to only be for adults 18 to 60 due to limited research on the elderly. The recommendation from doctors led Thailand’s 67 year old prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, to wait and take the AstraZeneca vaccine. After Prayut…
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Chiang Mai sees 2 elderly deaths from UK Covid variant including French woman
Chiang Mai province is reporting the deaths of 2 elderly women from the UK Covid-19 variant, including a French woman. The provinces death toll is now 9 according to the governor. The 81 year old French woman was suffering from high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. She fell down on April 22 and received treatment at a hospital. After coming…
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Bangkok governor extends closure order due to high Covid-19 count
Bangkok’s temporary closure order will be extended until May 17 to slow the spread of Covid-19. Since April, more than 16,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in the capital. Surrounding provinces Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, and Nonthaburi have also reported high numbers of cases. The temporary closure order, signed by Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang, was initially set to be in…
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Thailand News Today | Pfizer vaccines on the way, Phuket’s July re-opening | May 7
Disease Control Department back-peddled saying that that foreigners living in Thailand WILL also be vaccinated, governor of Chiang Mai is calling for the ban on dining in at restaurants in the northern city to be lifted and for eateries to be allowed to serve food on-site until 9pm, Tourism and Sports Minister insists the southern island of Phuket must record…
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We’re looking for a Video Editor/Production Assistant in Phuket
The Thaiger is seeking a full time video editor and production assistant for a new project based in Phuket. The role is open to a Thai national but with great English skills as well. You will need to be able to work to deadlines with a crazy bunch of stressed out news hosts, guests and the rest of The Thaiger…
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Phuket red zone list adds Krabi, Trang, Ranong, Phatthalung
Visitors to Phuket from Krabi, Trang, Ranong, and Phatthalung will now have to prove they’re vaccinated or have a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arrival, as they’ve been added to the red zone province list. People entering without those qualifications will have to take a rapid antigen test on the spot before being allowed into Phuket. The 4…
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Stimulus package gives more back the more you spend
A new stimulus package targeting middle and high-income people aims at increasing spending by offering more e-voucher the more you spend. Ying Chai Ying Dai, which translates to “the more you spend the more you get”, will reward those who spend between 46,000 and 70,000 baht with a 7,000 baht e-voucher. This part of the government’s 225 billion baht stimulus…
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Deputy PM declares Thammanat Prompow controversy finished
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam says that the debate is over regarding Thammanat Prompow, the controversial Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives and influential Palang Pracharath Party ‘fixer’. The Constitutional court has already ruled that he is qualified to hold office under Thai law and will keep his position, though a huge backlash followed the ruling, and the public wondered how…
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BMA admits Covid virus spreading fast in Bangkok, speeds up testing and jabs
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says it is speeding up mass Covid-19 testing and inoculations in communities hit strongly by the virus, after admitting the virus is spreading fast in Thailand’s capital. The city clerk says the administration, along with the Public Health Ministry and other agencies, are speeding up the collection of nasal swabs for Covid-19 tests, with a plan…
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