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.
-
Sponsored
Where is the best place in Thailand for digital nomads?
Thailand is a popular place for digital nomads because it is affordable, culturally rich, and convenient for remote work. With friendly locals, great weather, and delicious food, it offers a high quality of life. Cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and...
-
As Covid-19 spreads, more hotels in Phuket close
Phuket tourism and hospitality business are hit again by the current Covid-19 outbreak with more hotels closing down. Many hotels are starting to close again due to a significant number of bookings cancellations. Most of them can’t handle the costs to stay open and some are expected to permanently shut down. Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks.com says that the latest outbreak is…
-
Questions raised about when Covid-19 vaccine will be available to expats
Expats in Thailand might be in somewhat of a grey area when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines with Thai citizens likely to be the first priority during the rollout of vaccines. For Americans, the US Embassy in Bangkok says the US government does not plan to provide vaccines for “private” Americans living overseas. A representative from Thailand’s Disease Control Department…
-
BTS Skytrain headquarters employee tests positive for Covid-19
A BTS Skytrain staff member tested positive for Covid-19, the Bangkok mass transit company announced on their Facebook page. The employee worked at the BTS head office in the Chatuchak district and didn’t work at the BTS stations. Staff that came in close contact with the infected employee will undergo a Covid-19 swab test and are told to self-quarantine for…
-
Man arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death at Pattaya Beach
A man was arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death on Pattaya Beach. More than a dozen people at the beach yesterday morning saw a man stab a woman multiple times with a pocket knife, according to Pattaya City Police. Witnesses told police the man and woman had a verbal argument before the altercation became physical. The witnesses gave…
-
Royal Thai Army’s Children’s Day activities go online due to Covid-19
Due to the new outbreak of Covid-19, the armed forces is suspending the upcoming national Children’s Day events to be held at Royal Thai Army units across the country tomorrow and will go online instead. All regular activities will broadcast on social media and online platforms including Facebook Live and YouTube, while additional interactive quizzes and prizes for children are…
-
Boeing fined $2.5 billion USD following charges linked to 737 Max crashes
Boeing is facing a US$2.5 billion fine following criminal charges pressed by the US Justice Department for defrauding regulators. The department says Boeing concealed information about the 737 Max jet’s automated flight control system, MCAS, that was a major factor in the passenger flight crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. In October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed…
-
7-Eleven stores investigated over allegations of face mask price hikes
Thailand’s Internal Trade department has investigated the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores over allegations that face masks are being sold at inflated prices. However, the department says the masks in question do not fall under the 2.50 baht cap imposed by the government. Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the department, says the face masks in question are ordinary masks, not the…
-
CCSA spokesman apologises for jail threat over non-use of Mor Chana app
Yet another misunderstanding… The spokesman for the government’s Covid-19 task force has apologised for threatening those who don’t install the Mor Chana app with jail time. Taweesin Visanuyothin, from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has clarified on his personal Facebook page that the risk of imprisonment only applies to those in the 28 provinces currently colour-coded red for “high…
-
Chiang Mai records 4 new Covid cases linked to same venue
The northern city of Chiang Mai has confirmed 4 new cases of coronavirus, all of which are linked to the Warm Up cafĂ© in the Muang district. The province of Chiang Mai now has 11 active cases and has recorded 57 cases in total, according to deputy governor, Weerapan Dee-on. “The 54th patient in Chiang Mai is a Thai man…
-
Leaders of German Embassy rally meet with police, prosecutors
13 political activists who led thousands of protesters to the German Embassy in Bangkok last October have met with police and prosecutors in the capital. They face charges of violating section 112 of the Criminal Code for the October 26 rally at the embassy. The aim of the gathering was to submit a petition calling on the German government to…
-
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha calls bluff on claims that he benefits from illegal gambling
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling bluff on claims that he is benefiting from illegal gambling and is ordering a crackdown on gambling after a cluster of Covid-19 infections were said to be linked to a den in Rayong. The outbreak linked to unlawful activities became a headache for health officials who have been trying to track down elusive gamblers to…
-
Thai Air Asia says new Covid outbreak has destroyed business
The executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai Air Asia, says the Covid-19 resurgence has “destroyed the low-cost carrier”. Tassapon Bijleveld says that, even without a national lockdown, bookings have plummeted. “Travel sentiment has plunged lower than last year. This is different this time because people are voluntarily skipping their travel plans even without a nationwide lockdown…
-
Thai Airways delays take off in 2021 | VIDEO
Due to the current outbreak of Covid-19, Thai Airways, Thailand’s flagship airline, is reducing its international flight schedule until at least March 27. A limited schedule of domestic flights are still operating as normal under the airline’s domestic carrier Thai Smile. Thai Airways will reduce international flights to the following destinations: Asia •Hong Kong: One daily return flight – TG638/TG639…
-
Thailand News Today | 305 infections, No happy ending for massages, Phuket quarantine mooted | Jan 7
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says his recent claim that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok was all a misunderstanding. The nation’s favourite watch collector was forced to backtrack after the public scoffed at his claims. The Minister of Misunderstandings said… “I didn’t mean that gambling dens do not exist. We all know that there are gambling dens, but…
-
Men arrested for dumping dead body on the side of a Bangkok road
Bangkok police arrested 2 men who allegedly dumped a dead man’s body on the side of the road in the Nong Khaem district. The suspects allegedly told police that they had invited 33 year old Chalit Nensap to a party, but he then overdosed on methamphetamine and died. To avoid potential drug charges from police, the men decided to get…
-
Bangkok Airways delays new flights, changes flight schedule due to Covid-19 outbreak
Due to the ongoing spread of Covid-19, Bangkok Airways has made changes to its flight schedule over the next 2 months and has delayed the introduction (or the re-introduction) of new flight routes. All passenger lounges are also closed until the end of the month. Changes set from now until the end of February include flight reductions and route suspensions……
-
Toll booths in Samut Prakan shut down after supervisor tests positive
Toll booths in Samut Prakan are temporarily shut down after a supervisor tested positive for Covid-19. The entrances and exits to the Theparak 4 toll booths Kanchanapisek Bang Phli-Suksawat Expressway, just south of Bangkok, are closed off for cleaning and disinfection for the next day or so, according to the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT. Toll booth employees who…
-
Struggling massage parlours petition government for financial assistance
Representatives of Thailand’s spa and massage parlour industry are pleading with the government to provide some form of tailored financial aid to offset the impact of Covid-19. Yesterday, the Charawi Association for the Conservation of Thai Massage submitted a letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who also chairs the government’s Covid-19 task force. In it, they call on his administration to…
-
Protesters call rally in Bangkok to support activists charged over German Embassy petition
Pro-democracy activists have called a protest at Thung Mahamek police station in Bangkok, in a show of solidarity with 13 protesters arrested for delivering a petition to the German Embassy. Last October, members of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group led a march of thousands of people to the German Embassy on Sathorn Road. The protesters’ plan was to submit a petition…
-
Phuket government plans to require quarantine for “red zone” arrivals
People travelling to Phuket from a province classified as a “red zone” for a high risk of Covid-19 will face a 14 day quarantine, either at a facility or at a resident’s home, according to Phuket governor Narong Woonciew. A provincial order has not been issued yet and people can still enter Phuket without a required quarantine. Travellers coming from…
-
Deputy PM Prawit backtracks after denying existence of Bangkok gambling dens
Whoops. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says his recent claim that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok was all a misunderstanding. The nation’s favourite watch collector and Minister of Misunderstanding was forced to backtrack after the public scoffed and mocked his claims. “I didn’t mean that gambling dens do not exist. We all know that there are gambling dens,…
-
U-Tapao airport halts commercial flights due to Covid-19 outbreak
Commercial flights in and out of U-Tapao International Airport are suspended for the rest of the month due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Rayong and Chon Buri, which are classified as “red zone” provinces under maximum control. The domestic flights, which include flights to the popular destinations Phuket and Chiang Mai, could be suspended longer if the coronavirus situation in…
-
Construction of new Bangkok rail links set for completion this year
Bangkok residents will see construction of a number of rail projects finally completed this year, with hopes this will do something to alleviate traffic problems in the capital, as well as improving air quality. The Bangkok Post reports on 4 electric rail routes it’s hoped will be up and running later this year. The Pink Line This 34.5 kilometre track…
-
Violent pro-Trump mob invades US Capitol building during debate
A violent insurgent mob, loyal to US President Trump, stormed the US Capitol building late Wednesday, Washington DC time, forcing House and Senate members to scramble into safe spaces within secret locations in the building. It was an astonishing bit to overturn America’s presidential election and circumventing the US democratic process. Elected representatives crouched under desks, even putting on supplied…
-
Pro-Trump rioters storm the US Capitol building, stopping the count of Electoral College votes
The heart of United States democracy, the US Capitol Building, was stormed by a mob of unruly pro-Trump protesters. Inside, the House of Representatives and the Senate were in the early stages of an unprecedented debate to certify the Electoral College votes that named Joe Biden as the winner of the Presidential vote held on November 3, 2020. The protesters…
-
Thailand News Today | 10,000 schools closed, 900 new migrant infections, Gambling crackdown | January 6
• The nationwide Emergency Decree has been extended until the end of February. The decree gives the Thai government the ability to set policies and procedures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 such as restricting travel and setting up road checkpoints. The emergency decree was first declared in April last year and has been extended, month by month, ever since.…
-
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to form committee to investigate illegal gambling
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the Thai government to form an investigation committee to crackdown on illegal gambling in response to the outbreak at a Rayong gambling venue. The spike in cases linked to illegal activity has caused problems for health officials who have been trying to track down elusive gamblers to contain the spread of the virus. The prime…
-
Thai Airways cuts down international flight schedule
Due to the ongoing spread of Covid-19, Thai Airways is reducing its international flight schedule from now until March 27. Domestic flights will still operate as normal under the airline’s sister carrier Thai Smile. Thai Airways will reduce international flights to the following destinations:  Asia Hong Kong: One daily return flight – TG638/TG639 Manila: One weekly return flight – TG624/TG625…
-
No travel ban on British arrivals, quarantine facilities tighten rules
While there’s no ban on travellers from the United Kingdom, quarantine facilities are tightening disease control measures for British arrivals after a new, faster-spreading Covid-19 variant was reported in the European country. British arrivals must now stay in their room for the majority of the stay under new measures set by the Department of Disease Control. The department ordered ASQ…
-
Restaurants in Bangkok that violate the measures will be shut
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is to close restaurants that don’t comply with the Covid-19 restrictions for 14 days. Restaurant owners must follow the disease control measures strictly if they don’t want to worsen their business further. The Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says that, in all food shops in Bangkok, alcoholic drinks are banned from being served. “All districts must ensure that restaurants comply strictly with the Covid-19 steps of the BMA, such as socially distanced seating plans and the use of the Thai Chana application.” A restaurant owner told the Bangkok Post that the restaurant will be happy to…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.