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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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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Myanmar’s representative to UN urges strong action against military after increasing violence against protesters
A representative to the UN for Myanmar is urging the “strongest action“ to be used against the military after it has used increasing amounts of violence against anti‐coup protesters. The latest round in violence occurred as riot police violently broke up peaceful protesters, arresting over 100 people in 3 major Myanmar cities. Kyaw Moe Tun made the appeal to the…
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PM Prayut postponing Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is postponing his inaugural Covid‐19 vaccination citing paperwork issues with the AstraZeneca vaccine shipment. According to Khaosod English, the vaccine shipment was sent to Thailand last Wednesday from South Korea, but was missing the additional required paperwork. Prayut was supposed to receive the vaccine tomorrow, but the highly‐publicised event will not be happening. According to Khaosod…
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Bangkok police raid house where model died after playing hostess
Bangkok police are investigating a model’s death after raiding a Chatuchak district house where the model died after being hired as a hostess. The model, Whitchayaporn ‘Wa’ Visessombut, was hired along with other women to serve drinks and entertain guests at a private residence last Monday. Then, the next day, she died of respiratory failure after being brought unconscious to…
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Phuket Monopoly game creators need your help with token designs
Phuket is set to get its own version of the popular game MONOPOLY and its creators want your help with ideas for the specialised tokens. ‘MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition’ was announced last month which will see the street art on the board game replaced with that of famous places around Thailand’s famous tourist destination. Such art will include beaches, hotels, shops,…
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Thailand News Today | Week In Review | February 26
Thailand News Today usually covers five days of the news week. This week only four days as today (Friday) is a public holiday. Now we have a weekend edition which goes over the biggest, or best stories, from the past week. Out every Saturday afternoon, catch up with Jett and Tim’s major Thai news stories. Welcome to the Thailand News…
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The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO
https://youtu.be/HKKIuWHw_t8 “The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.” India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take…
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Japan may stop assistance projects to Myanmar in response to coup
Japan may stop assistance projects to Myanmar in response to the military coup, which has received major international backlash. As a major donor to Myanmar, Japan joins other advanced nations in condemning the coup which has seen security forces using violence against peaceful protesters. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi was quoted as saying in a phone call that “Japan will strongly…
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Thailand’s most exclusive Beach Club | BaBa Beach Club Hua Hin | VIDEO
Nothing speaks more ‘private’ and ‘vacation’ than enjoying the beachfront view with a balcony pool and luxurious room. Follow Chris, as he (along with his family) takes you on a private get away in Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s most popular beach destinations on the Gulf of Thailand coast, for both tourists and locals. *our vlogger’s stay at the BaBa…
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45 new cases today, 37 local‐Covid‐19‐Update
Thailand reports 45 new cases of Covid-19 cases today, with 37 infections being locally-transmitted. 8 of those infections were imported, raising the total amount of infections since the pandemic began to 25,809. The Department of Disease Control reports that 32 cases were confirmed at hospitals with 5 confirmed through active case finding in communities. Samut Sakhon province, the 2nd wave…
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Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light
Phuket is rehearsing procedures to ready themselves for the Covid‐19 vaccine administration green light. A rehearsal at Vachira Hospital’s Lan Muang Khao open area was held late yesterday to iron out any kinks in the administration process. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong watched over the procedures along with other health officials. Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses…
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Australia sets worldwide precedent by passing pay‐to‐play legislation for social media giants
In a landmark decision, Australia is now requiring global digital giants, such as Facebook and Google, to pay for using local news content on their websites. The move sets a precedent that many global companies have been anticipating. The law passed yesterday after Facebook and Google reached an agreement to pay local Australian news organisations for using their stories on…
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Chon Buri zoo invites people to vote on baby hippo’s name – VIDEO
A zoo in the eastern province of Chon Buri is inviting people to vote on the name of a baby pygmy hippopotamus born last month. Anuphong Anont from Khao Kheow Open Zoo says the baby made its first public appearance yesterday. “The female baby hippo was born on January 14 to 6-year-old mother Kanya and 21-year-old father Tony. The baby…
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Long Buddhist holiday to see over 40 percent reduction in domestic tourism
The long Buddhist festival holiday, which starts today, is set to see over a 40% reduction in domestic tourism. The Tourism and Transport Authority of Thailand has made the estimation which tallies around 1.09 million domestic trips, a number that is down 44% from last year’s Makha Bucha Day. The 2nd wave of the Covid pandemic this year has made…
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Jailed former politicians await outcome of bail hearing
8 former politicians, now behind bars for their role in protests that toppled the Yingluck Shinawatra administration and led to the 2014 military coup, are waiting for the outcome of their bail hearing. The detainees, all former members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, are Suthep Thaugsuban, Issara Somchai, Chumpol Julsai, the Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam, Education Minister, Nataphol…
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Police investigate “offensive” posts on Facebook pages of jailed activists
The authorities are investigating the origin of content deemed offensive, which has appeared on the Facebook pages of 2 jailed activists, despite them having no access to phones or the internet. The Department of Corrections has asked the Technology Crime Suppression Division to investigate content posted on the pages of jailed protest leaders Parit Chiwarak and Anon Nampa. Both Parit…
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Lady Gaga offers US $500,000 reward for stolen bulldogs
Who knew that finding 2 french bulldogs would earn US $500,000? That is the case for the lucky person that finds Lady Gaga’s equally lucky stolen dogs. The dogs, Koji and Gustav, were stolen in Los Angeles, California while out on a walk with their dog walker. But that’s not all. The employee in charge of keeping the dogs healthy…
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Motorbike taxi attacked tourist in Pattaya because he was annoyed
A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is saying he was annoyed when he attacked a Chilean man out of nowhere early yesterday morning. Amorn “Jeab” Boonmee was arrested after confessing to allegedly slapping and kicking 24 year old Salvatore Andres Castromedina, breaking his nose. According Khaosod English, Amorn says he acted in a “blind moment of fury” because he was annoyed…
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Day trip to Bangkok’s closest island – Koh Si Chang | VIDEO
Ko Si Chang (or Koh Sichang) is a district of Chon Buri Province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Si Chang and its adjoining islands. Ko Si Chang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 kilometres off the shore of the Si Racha District coastline. It’s the closest island to Bangkok and a popular weekend away for Bangkokians.…
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Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand
Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand will need to download the Covid-19 contact tracking mobile application “ThailandPlus” before arriving in Thailand and use it throughout their stay. The app will notify travellers if they have been in close contact with any confirmed cases. Throughout their trip to Thailand, tourists will need to keep the app “on” and check in and out…
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Thailand News Today | Pollies in jail, Covid originated in Thailand? | Feb 25
Today on Thailand News Today, a number of government ministers have ended up in jail, the vaccines are about to roll out but experts say the injections are not the end of the pandemic, and A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is being accused of attacking a Chilean national. We’ve also get a special report on the channel about accusations that…
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Police officer arrested for allegedly stealing grenade launcher and other weapons
A police officer was arrested for allegedly stealing a M79 grenade launcher and other weapons from a police station armoury in Mae Hong Son, a province in Northern Thailand bordering Myanmar. Police say officer Santichai Luerat planned to sell the guns and ammunition to a buyer who would then sell the weapons to members of an ethnic minority across the…
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Did the Covid-19 virus actually originate in Thailand? | VIDEO
South East Asia was the source of Covid-19, not China. Even more specifically, it came from Thailand… from the famous Chatuchak market, or, as quoted correctly “a market LIKE Chatuchak”. That’s the claims of a Danish epidemiologist Thea Kolsen Fischer, who was on a recent World Health Organisation fact-finding mission to Wuhan to examine the origins of the latest coronavirus…
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Koh Samui to start Covid-19 vaccinations early next month
Covid-19 vaccinations on Koh Samui will start early next month with 2,500 doses planned to be given to 1,250 people on the island, according to Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto. Island authorities are also proposing that foreign visitors be allowed to quarantine on their yacht, at a villa hotel or at a wellness centre. The tourist island off the coast…
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Another Thai man claims to have found a rare Melo pearl, shell was sold at a Pattaya market
Another Thai man is claiming to have found a rare Melo pearl. The Pattaya chef says he bought a shell from a local market a decade ago and had no idea the object inside was a rare pearl. After hearing the news about the man in Nakhon Si Thammarat finding what he believes is a Melo pearl possibly worth millions…
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Civil rights activist contests new version of NGO bill
A civil rights activist is accusing Thailand’s cabinet of revising a law without gaining the public’s input. The new version of the bill, which is supposed to dictate transparency in the promotion and development of civil society organisations, includes the words “non‐profit,” while the original version does not. The bill is also supposed to provide oversight of NGOs who may…
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Indonesian and Thai foreign ministers meet with Myanmar counterpart, seek peace after coup
To seek a peaceful solution in Myanmar after the country’s military seized power, foreign ministers of Indonesia and Thailand met with the new, military-appointed foreign minister of Myanmar Wunna Maung Lwinat at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport for a brief, 20 minute discussion. Both the Indonesian and Thai counterparts say they want peace, but the Indonesian foreign minister says Thailand has…
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Thailand acknowledges wildlife markets could be dangerous to humans
The Thai Ministry of Public Health is being praised after seemingly doing an about face over whether Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market could be the source of Covid‐19. After health officials denied that the World Health Organisation was investigating the market, a recent Facebook live press conference saw the Ministry acknowledging that wildlife trades may endanger public health. The recent investigation…
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Top epidemiologist warns that vaccination is not a cue to re-open borders
A specialist in infectious diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says the arrival of vaccines does not mean it’s safe to re-open to foreign visitors. Thira Woratanarat says opening the borders too soon will only put Thailand in more danger, pointing to a lack of data on the efficacy of vaccines against transmission. Thira adds that…
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Police raids shut down online network of casinos across 7 provinces
Police have shut down a network of online casinos in raids that took place across 7 provinces, with 19 suspects arrested and cash and other goods seized. In total, 8 online casino networks in 7 provinces have been shut down, with police apprehending 19 out of a total 22 suspects. Thai PBS World reports that the raids took place in…
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Behind bars: government ministers among 29 jailed for Yingluck protests
A number of government ministers have been jailed for their part in protests against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra that crippled Bangkok and ultimately led to the 2014 military coup. Yesterday, the Criminal Court handed prison sentences to 29 former members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, some of whom were serving in the current administration. Former politician and former…
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