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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What’s not covered by health insurance in Thailand?
Health insurance in Thailand has important limits that everyone should know. Many policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, motorcycle accidents, extreme sports, or specific treatments. These gaps can lead to unexpected costs during emergencies. Coverage for outpatient care and hospital...
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Northern Thailand’s air pollution reaches hazardous levels
Air quality in the north of Thailand is actually ‘hazardous’ today, as bushfires in Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep-Pui National Park have caused air quality to become nearly 20 times higher than Thailand’s already lax “safe” limit of ’50’. PM2.5, (dust particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 microns or lower), rose to 925 micrograms per cubic metre in some locations yesterday.…
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“Hot to very hot” in the North and Northeast, thundershowers predicted
A thermal low still covers upper Thailand, while southerly and southeasterly winds prevail over the Northeast and the East regions. Thailand is now in the ‘shoulder’ season, between the dry season and wet season, which is set to kick in sometime in April. (Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai 5 day forecasts below) Chiang Mai is poised for another week of…
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African horse virus believed responsible for dozens of horse deaths in Northeast
The sudden deaths of dozens of racehorses in Thailand’s Northeast are now believed to be tied to an African horse virus. All of the dead animals, whose count now stands at 42, were found during an inspection of barns in Pak Chong district in Nakhon Ratchasima, north eastern Thailand. Doctors from Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development suspect the deaths are…
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British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid-19
The British PM has tested positive for the coronavirus. Boris Johnson says he developed “mild symptoms over the past 24 hours”, including a cough and temperature. Mr Johnson was last seen last night, UK time, as he clapped outside his home as part of a nationwide gesture thanking National Health Service staff. 55 year old Mr Johnson maintains he is now…
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30 horses die in one day in Thailand’s Northeast
30 horses have mysteriously died in Thailand’s Northeast yesterday. The Thailand Equestrian Federation is urging horse fanciers not to transport any animals until a cause can be identified. It’s unlikely the situation has anything to do with the Covid-19 outbreak. 10 of the horses had sudden severe seizures before dying and the other 20 repeatedly bucked and jumped before collapsing,…
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Singaporeans face jail, fines if they don’t observe social distancing
Singapore authorities have announced tough new measures to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, saying that those found guilty of intentionally standing or sitting too near to others could be jailed for up to six months. The city-state has already closed bars and cinemas, as well as banning large events. While Singapore isn’t under lockdown or a state of…
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Chon Buri crane collapse injures 3, damages homes – VIDEO
A crane collapse in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district this morning has severely injured three and damaged six adjacent buildings. Authorities rushed to the scene after they were notified at 10:30am of the incident in the Naklua subdistrict, near Soi Sukhumwit Pattaya and Soi Esso. Officers, emergency responders and reporters arrived find the collapsed crane which had fallen and badly damaged six buildings,…
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Jungceylon Phuket commences food ordering and deliveries
Jungceylon shopping mall, in Patong Phuket has established a ‘food ordering & pick up’ service point for all its restaurants and fast food outlets to increase convenience and safety for local residents in the Patong district. The mall is offering the service in partnership with 30 restaurants and chains, including… AKA Japanese Restaurant, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin ‘Donuts, Four Seasons Restaurant, Fuji…
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Potential catastrophe facing Thailand’s elephant camps
Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, along with many other camps in Thailand, have been forced to close their doors due to the current Coronavirus situation in Thailand. Apart from resulting in hardship for the elephants, it will seriously hurt Thailand’s tourism industry in the future if no support is forthcoming soon. And whilst we’re hunkering down in our homes…
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Thailand News Today – Thursday, March 26
New cases in Thailand – 111, pushes total over 1,000 Thursday’s total for new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus is out as announced today by the Public Health Department. The number of newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Thailand is now over 1,000. 111 new cases were announced to the media today by spokesperson from the Ministry of Public Health. At…
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20,000 expected to apply for unemployment in Chiang Mai
With thousands of businesses shuttered and public spaces closed to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coroavirus, Chiang Mai’s social security office expects some 20,000 laid-off workers to register for unemployment benefits. “People started registering on Tuesday and we’re getting at least 1,000 a day on average. And they’re not just Chiang Mai people, but also from other provinces.” Registration…
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“Comply or I’ll tear it down myself” Pattaya mayor tells encroaching resort
Pattaya’s mayor Sontaya Khunpluem yesterday ordered his staff to post notices at Ban Sukhawadee, or “Sukhawadee House” as it’s known in English, a luxury beachfront property and tourist attraction on a total of 80 rai in the Bang Lamung district, that encompasses Pattaya. The company that runs the resort, HealthFood International, has two weeks to comply with a judgment relating…
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BOT predicts 5.3% contraction in Thai economy for 2020
Even the Thai economy, which was still maintaining respectable growth before January, is now spluttering under the siege of the Covid-19 virus. Now the Bank of Thailand has crunched some numbers and believes the Thai economy will sharply contract by 5.3% this year as the virus continues to weigh on global financial markets, the local economy and people. GDP growth…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, March 25
107 new coronavirus cases confirmed (Wednesday) Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Disease Control announced 107 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 Coronavirus in their daily press briefing this morning. This makes the total number of cases found in Thailand since the outbreak began in January 934, with 4 total deaths. Yesterday 106 confirmed cases were announced.…
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Hot with showers in the North, cloudy in the South
Thailand’s Meteorological Department said today is a “hot to a very hot day for the North and the Northeast” as a thermal low covers upper Thailand. A combination of southerly and southeasterly winds prevails over the Northeast, the East, the Central and the lower North regions. Thundershowers with gusty winds are forecast in some areas of the upper country (hey,…
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The almighty baht set to fall further despite rate cuts, stimulus
A lot has changed for the baht. It was only months ago that The Bank of Thailand considered drastic measures to rein in the rambunctious baht, whose massive gains in currency markets made it the darling of speculators. In December Kasikorn Bank released a report outlining reasons the baht “will remain strong into 2020.” The bank’s research arm forecast the…
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Riot fears reopen ‘closed’ Thai border checkpoints as migrant workers flee
“We must go home, or we will starve to death in Bangkok.” Some of Thailand’s recently closed border checkpoints were forced to reopen today as thousands of migrant workers, now unemployed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, flee Thailand for their homes in Myanmar and Cambodia. Their numbers and their desperation sparked fears of rioting. In Chiang Rai, the border…
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Opportunities for 2020 export growth in Thailand
Despite the whirlwind of shutdowns, lockdowns and craziness descending on Thailand at the moment, the departments are still churning out numbers and trying to forecast the way ahead. They say that, due to the Thai baht weakening and massive government interventions around the world for both monetary and fiscal policies, there is still a chance that Thailand could reduce the…
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Cabinet will look at proposal to help with home internet
Cabinet today will look at a proposal to help people working from home with 10 Gb free internet for their smartphones, along with other subsidies. The Thai National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will ask for cabinet approval providing mobile users with 10 free gigabytes of data usage per subscriber, per month up to June 30. The NBTS say they recognise…
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Chon Buri closes more businesses, asks public to avoid beaches
Yep, this means Pattaya as well. The governor of Chon Buri province today signed an order for the closure of additional businesses “until the situation improves,” to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in and around the major party town of Pattaya. The order includes the closure of following: Water parks and public swimming pools (Privately owned pools…
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All time high – Thai drug smuggling in Thailand
2019 was Thailand’s worst year to date for smuggling of MDMA, commonly known as “ecstasy,” mainly from Germany, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Slovenia. Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) says that since October, many seizures were of ecstasy pills originating from drug syndicates in the Netherlands, indicating attempts to broaden markets in Thailand. The drug gangs are now attempting…
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Hot days for the North, possible thundershowers in the South
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says today that a low pressure system covers upper Thailand and will make for hot, dry days in the north of Thailand. Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket five day forecasts below. “A westerly trough covers the upper Northeast, while southerly and southeasterly winds blow humidity from the South China Sea into the Northeast, the East, the Central…
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Soldiers injured in Narathiwat bomb attack
A bomb attack in the southern province of Narathiwat has injured two army rangers. Narathiwat along with neighbouring provinces Pattani and Yala, and also known as the three Southern Border Provinces, are home to Thailand’s Southern Insurgency. The attack occured on Friday night. Eight rangers were returning to their base when the roadside bomb went off. They had been helping…
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Former Thai minister sentenced for forgery, faces murder, kidnapping charges
A former deputy commerce minister, police colonel and Member of Parliament has been sentenced to eight years in prison for forgery. The Bangkok South Criminal Court yesterday sentenced Banyin Tangpakorn for forging documents to transfer 263 million baht worth of shares to himself through two associates. The ruling concludes the case believed to be behind Banyin’s alleged decision to kidnap…
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Natcha from Phuket crowned Miss Hooters Thailand 2020
Meanwhile, somewhere in Phuket… Beauty Pageant was recently held at Hooters Pattaya, for the fifth year running. This is event is one of Hooters biggest events that attracts audiences from across the world. Khun Ekasit Ngampichet, President of Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, came to give an opening speech and wished Hooters Asia for every success in helping together to…
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Thailand News Today – Thursday, March 19, 2020
60 new cases identified in Thailand today The director-general of the Department of Disease Control, has announced 60 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection. 43 were linked to boxing stadiums, entertainment venues, and religious ceremonies. The latest cases, the most in 24 hours, bring the total number of confirmed infections in Thailand to 272. Each day this week there have…
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7 swim to Koh Samui to raise marine ecosystem awareness
7 swimmers, including actor and singer Phakhin Khamwilaisak, also know as “Tono”, have begun an 82 kilometre ocean swim for over 18 days to increase public awareness of the environment and the need to reserve Thailand’s marine ecosystem. They are also raising money to buy equipment for hospitals treating rare marine animals. The campaign hopes to raise the profile of…
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Bouncer allegedly kills 1, wounds 2 in Koh Samui
A security guard at a pub in Koh Samui has allegedly opened fire on guests yesterday, killing one and injuring two. The shooting was the result of an argument over a group of men who were allegedly bringing in drinks from outside. 42 year old Kongkiatkorn, also called “Yant”, died at the scene. He had been shot in the head…
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Hot to very hot in the North, possible thundershowers in the South
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says today that a thermal low is covering upper Thailand, while the southerly and southeasterly winds are bringing humidity to the Northeast, the East and the Central region. Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen forecasts below. Basically, it’s HOT. The South is currently getting an easterly airflow across the Gulf of Thailand. In upper Thailand, hot to very…
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One soldier dead, two injured in southern gunfight
A Thai soldier is dead and two others have been wounded in a gunfight between an army patrol and insurgents in the southern province of Pattani. The clash occurred about noon near Pattani Dam, near the border with Yala, yesterday. A spokesman for the Internal Security Operation Command says the patrol was part of a combined government force operating in…
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