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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Preparations for the emergency session of the Thai Parliament
The Thai Parliament is getting ready for an extraordinary session called by the Lower House Speaker to debate the current impasse between the protester’s demands and the PM and government. The session will be held on Monday and Tuesday. But even before the emergency session begins, government and opposition parliamentarians cannot decide on the terms of the debate. Parliament president…
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Bangkok hostels offer free beds to struggling protesters
Some Bangkok hostels are opening their doors, and offering beds and accommodation to demonstrators, providing them free refuge, or at very low prices. Young protesters have travelled to Bangkok to be a part of the growing protest movement that is putting pressure on the PM and government to listen to, and accede, to their demands. More information about their demands…
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Thailand News Today | State of Emergency lifted, Quarantine latest, Phuket Light Rail | October 22
Today’s latest news and information about Thailand. Like and subscribe to our YouTube channel too. Go on, right now 🙂 You can also LIKE our Facebook page https://facebook.com/thethaigernews to get even more information about Thailand. Government lifts Bangkok’s State of Emergency Bangkok’s State of Emergency has been lifted, according to a statement published in the Royal Gazette, making it official.…
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Foreign yachts allowed to dock in Thailand, tourists to quarantine onboard
Overseas yachts are now allowed to dock in Thailand, but foreign tourists and crew members still need to adhere to strict health measures, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Tourists will need to quarantine onboard the yacht for 14 days and be tested for Covid-19 tests 3 times before entering Thailand, according to the CCSA spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin.…
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1 killed, 20 injured in gas pipe explosion in Samut Prakan
A gas pipe explosion at a Samut Prakan industrial site killed 1 and injured 20 others. Flames burst in the air and those at homes in the province’s Bang Bo district fled the area. At this time, there’s been 1 confirmed death, an elderly bedridden woman, but Thai media reports there could be another death. Around 40 to 50 fire…
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Floods across Thailand kill 3, affect thousands of households
Floods from the wet season’s heavy rainfall over the past 2 weeks have killed 3 people and affected 63,672 homes across Thailand, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. 33 provinces have been impacted by floods since October 7, the department says. While conditions have improved in 14 of the provinces, the flood levels in other 17 provinces…
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Government lifts Bangkok’s State of Emergency
Bangkok’s State of Emergency has been lifted, according to a statement published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The order, banning large public gatherings, and censoring critical media commentary, was imposed last Thursday morning by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, leading to the breaking up a protest and the arrests of a number of activists. “The current violent situation that led…
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AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial volunteer dies
A volunteer for a Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial in Brazil has died. But he never actually received the experimental vaccine, although he was involved in the trial groups. He did, however, die of Covid-19. But trials on the vaccine, being developed by Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, are set to continue. The university says “there have been no…
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Pattaya residents accuse Greek expat of throwing sewage, threatening neighbours, and damaging property
Residents of a housing estate in the district of Banglamung in Pattaya, have filed a police report against an expat they accuse of threatening and damaging behaviour. According to The Pattaya News, neighbours say the Greek national has threatened them, as well as “throwing sewage” at their homes, and damaging their fences. They add that, despite filing a police report…
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Burmese worker killed, 11 injured, in Chon Buri truck collision
A pick-up truck carrying migrant workers has collided with another truck in the eastern province of Chon Buri, killing 1 and injuring 11. The victims are all thought to be Burmese nationals. The Pattaya News reports that the accident occurred in the sub-district of Nong Kangkok, with the dead man named as 35 year old Mr. Juan. The 11 injured…
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Activists agree to step back, while telling PM to resign by Sunday
Following a televised address to the nation by the Thai PM at 7pm last night, amid rising political tension, anti-government protesters have agreed to take a step back. However, they are still insisting the Thai leader must resign by Sunday and calling for all charges against arrested activists to be dropped. While speaking to the nation via a televised broadcast…
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PM considers lifting State of Emergency, parliament to meet for special session
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha addressed the nation in a televised speech last night, saying he’ll lift the State of Emergency order in Bangkok “if there is no violence” and asks that protesters “turn down the volume on hateful or divisive talk.” Later that night, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Government House, calling on his resignation. They even had…
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Health Minister says quarantine could be reduced to 10 days, maybe eventually zero
Health officials are ready to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for foreign tourists, provided other relevant bodies agree. The current quarantine period is set at 14 days, but the Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says this could be reduced to 10. He adds that if the reduction is successful, quarantine could be further reduced, eventually reaching a point where quarantine…
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UPDATE: Bangkok protesters mass at the front of Government House, earlier PM addresses nation
UPDATE: The protesters announced that the rally would end and disperse peacefully at 9.35pm. They wrapped up the gathering after delivering a symbolic letter of demand for the prime minister’s resignation at the front of Government House. Apart from some earlier scuffles with police around 7pm, there were no major incidents this evening. EARLIER: Happening at Bangkok’s Government House around…
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Samut Prakan woman bitten by snake while using the toilet
A python has bitten a woman on her backside and finger while using the toilet at a home in Samut Prakan, southeast of Bangkok. Rescue volunteers were called to her home, and said there was a lot of blood at the scene. The woman was later taken to the hospital. The incident may sound shocking to some, but in Thailand,…
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One more person faces possible life sentence for alleged acts during royal motorcade
Police have issued an additional arrest warrant for a protester who allegedly attempted to “harm the HM the Queen’s liberty” during a royal motorcade last week. The motorcade happened to be on the same day and same route as a pro-democracy protest in Bangkok. So far, 3 protesters face charges for an alleged “act of violence against the HM the…
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Criminal Court reverses decision to close down some Thai media
Today was a win for Thai media companies after some authorities had attempted to close them down amid the current pro-democracy protests. The court initially ruled to suspend Voice TV for allegedly violating State of Emergency orders, but today the court reversed the ruling, saying Thailand’s Constitution does not give the court power to shutdown the media platforms. Along with…
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Royalists gather in Chon Buri to support the Thai Monarchy amid anti-government protests
While pro-democracy protesters have been gathering nationwide over the past week, especially in their cat-and-mouse “pop up” protests around the capital, calling on an end to the military-run government and pushing the Thai PM to resign, royal supporters gathered at Chon Buri’s Banglamung District Office to show their support for Thailand and the Thai Monarchy. They say they welcome discussion…
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Large “chunk” breaks off Krabi island, damaging coral reef at popular dive site
A large chunk of an island near Koh Phi Phi in southern Thailand has broken off and collapsed on top of a coral reef at a popular dive site. No one was around when the cliffsides sheered off and collapsed into the sea, but national park officers on a routine patrol noticed a section of the island had broken off…
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“Protests could affect the economy” – Bank of Thailand
The ongoing political protests could have a negative impact on Thailand’s already crippled economy by weakening domestic consumption and tourism even more, according to the Bank of Thailand. The bank’s newly appointed governor Settaput Suthiwart-Narueput, who started this month, says they need to keep a close watch on the situation. “Basically, the political factor is one of the uncertainties… It…
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Letter calling for Thai PM’s resignation signed by over 1,000 academics
A petition calling for the resignation of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been signed by up to 1,118 academics and delivered to Government House. The petition was created by the Thai Academic Network for Civil Rights. Nation Thailand reports that a group of university lecturers and students have marched to Government House to deliver the letter. They include Anusorn Unno,…
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Khao San Road evolving, all ages daytime event planned for Halloween
Bangkok’s iconic Khao San Road now looks very different as Thailand emerges from the local coronavirus outbreak. Not only are the backpackers gone from the “backpacker mecca,” but the road in Bangkok’s Banglamphu neighbourhood has gone through a make-over. Now, Bangkok officials plan to hold events for “all ages” during the daytime during Halloween. Chaos can still be expected at…
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Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…
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Thai police accuse anonymous social media users of inciting looting during protests
A spokesman for the Thai police says the Digital Economy and Society Ministry has asked for action to be taken against 58 social media accounts accused of “encouraging looting” at anti-government protests. Siriwat Deepor says the anonymous Twitter accounts are pointing to political demonstrations in other countries where looting occurs and property is destroyed. “Chats in Twitter are claiming this…
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2 Thai protest leaders immediately re-arrested after being released on bail
Authorities have re-arrested 2 of the leaders at the centre of anti-government protests right after they were granted temporary release on bail. Panasaya Sitthijirawattanakul, known as “Rung”, and Parit Chivarak, aka “Penguin”, were released yesterday from Patum Thani prison, north of Bangkok. They were being held on charges of violating the emergency decree and released alongside fellow protester Nutchanon Pairote,…
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Complete Thailand Travel Guide (October 2020)
Latest update – October 21. If you are overseas and wish to come to Thailand your FIRST port of call must be the Royal Thai Embassy in your country before you make any bookings. Thailand Longstay is also a valuable resource of information at this time. First ‘tourists’ arrive in Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa In 2019, almost 40 million tourists…
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From 40 million visitors to 41: first STV tourists arrive
In 2019, almost 40 million tourists arrived in Thailand. Yesterday, it was 41. As the Thais say, cha cha… Thailand is slowly, slowly, re-opening its borders after the Covid-19 pandemic forced a total shutdown in March. Yesterday, the Kingdom welcomed its first tourists in 7 months, with the arrival of 41 Chinese tourists from Shanghai. The group landed at Bangkok’s…
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Anti-Corruption Commission official sentenced for pointing loaded gun at taxi driver
A National Anti-Corruption Commission senior official was sentenced by the Criminal Court to 1 year in jail with a 2 year suspension for pointing a loaded .38 Colt pistol, threatening a Bangkok taxi driver back in 2018. Nation Thailand called it a “very lenient” sentence. The assistant secretary general of the commission, 54 year old Piset Nakapan, must also pay a…
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Thailand News Today | Media censorship, Thai parliament to meet, STV flight arrives | October 20
Thaiger News, posted daily around 5pm, Thai time, with all the latest updates, news and information. Court orders suspension of Thai TV news channel during political protests The Criminal Court has agreed to suspend the Thai media company Voice TV for allegedly violating the State of Emergency orders which prohibit media content “considered to be a threat to national security”.…
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10 international airlines now offer flights to Thailand
With Covid-19 travel restrictions – slowly – easing up, 10 international airlines have started selling flights to Thailand, the Ministry of Transport announced. The airlines include: Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Swissair, Austrian Airlines, Eva Air and KLM. Don’t get too excited. It’s still not easy to get into Thailand. All international arrivals must go through a…
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