News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Sponsored Blazing opportunity: Four Twenty Thailand offers franchise programme
Did you know that Four Twenty, Thailand’s premier cannabis brand, has a franchise programme? That’s right, you can now join their efforts to bring high-quality cannabis products and a vibrant community experience to more locations across Thailand. Four Twenty has...
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Phuket residents to receive “survival bags”
Over 35,000 households throughout Phuket will receive “survival bags” to help residents cope with the financial burdens of Covid-19. The bags will contain “essential household supplies”. The bags are to contain: 2 x 5 kilogram packs of rice 1 x bottle of cooking oil 12 cans of canned fish 12 packs of instant noodles The bags are estimated to cost…
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Siam Bioscience declares AstraZeneca vaccine ready to deliver
Much anticipated news came from Siam Bioscience yesterday, as the company announced that they are ready to begin deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the Thai government. The company was scheduled to provide over 60 million vaccines over the course of the year. The welcomed announcement came amidst frequent reporting of problems and delays in the production of the Covid-19…
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Phuket market linked to woman’s death
A popular Phuket market has been ordered to close until next Wednesday after Covid-19 tracing connected the market to an 86 year old woman’s death. Health officials have confirmed the unidentified octogenarian’s caretaker has also been infected. 5 more Burmese workers that lived in the same camp as the caretaker have also tested positive. After the woman’s death and the…
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Emirates and Etihad announce July Phuket flights
Joining in support of reopening Phuket, Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways have both announced flights resuming in July. Etihad Airways will start back up flights from the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi on July 1, while Emirates Airlines will resume flights from Dubai on July 2. Qatar Airways had announced yesterday that they will be resuming flights to…
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Motorcycle club donates 40,000 face masks, hand sanitiser to Pattaya prison
Yesterday, the Mini Siam Motorcycle Club Pattaya donated 40,000 face masks and 40 bottles of hand sanitiser to the Pattaya Remand Prison. The donation was led by Mr Thada Boonpan. “There are many confirmed cases of Covid-19 at prisons in Bangkok and other provinces, although Pattaya Remand has so far been spared. We want it to stay that way. We…
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11 million Sinovac doses to arrive in Thailand over the next 3 months
Over the next 3 months, Thailand will import 11 million doses of China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. The locally-produced AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is the primary vaccine planned for Thailand’s mass coronavirus immunisation campaign. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the additional Sinovac doses will help reach the goal of obtaining 100 million doses. So far, Thailand has received 5.5 million doses…
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Phuket bust nabs 2 men with drugs valued at 5.3 million baht
2 men in Phuket town were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly possessing methamphetamines and crystal valued at around 5.3 million baht. The men allegedly had 14,000 methamphetamine pills (also known as yaba, which roughly translates to “crazy drug”) and about 3 kilograms of crystal meth (also known as ice, tina, or speed). The news of their arrest was announced at…
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American expats to US government: give us vaccines!
With the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman, a collection of high-profile American expats living in Thailand released an open letter asking for Covid-19 vaccines. The letter pled with the US government to include arrangements to guarantee vaccines to all US expats in the kingdom. “Don’t abandon us! The US continues to have a growing vaccine…
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Police seize clouded leopard rug after it was posted for sale on Facebook
Police seized a rug made from wildcat fur last week after it was posted for sale on Facebook for 7,500 baht. The rug appears to be from a clouded leopard and investigators now suspect it may have come from one of the two clouded leopards recorded on hidden camera in a rare sighting last December at the Erawan National Park in…
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Lat Phrao shopping centres insist they are not the source of new Covid clusters
Central Plaza Lat Phrao, Imperial World, and Union Mall located (mostly) in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district, deny they are the shopping centres the CCSA was referring to on Wednesday when the CCSA said there was a “Covid cluster from a mall”. The confusion stems from the fact that the CCSA did not specify which mall was responsible for the cluster.…
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Patong Thieves cite unemployment for theft
Yesterday morning in Patong, a town in Phuket, 2 men, 42 year old Samran Luiprasert and 34 year old Amphon Boonchuaynamphon, were arrested by Patong police for stealing a coffee machine and 2 televisions from a restaurant. The men said they needed money to survive. In the police report, it was said the alleged criminals were found after the owner…
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Fire in Rayong kills 1, injures 6
Yesterday morning in Rayong, a province on the Gulf of Thailand, a fire broke out in an entertainment venue that was under renovation. 1 worker was killed and 6 workers were reportedly injured. Around 8 am yesterday morning the Rayong fire department showed up at the scene, after being alerted to the fire. The fire department discovered a large one…
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PM moved vaccine funds from Health Ministry to Central Fund in case of “urgent need”
The PM has been re-jigging the government coffers, saying he transferred funding for Covid-19 vaccines from the Health Ministry to the Central Fund – in case of urgent need. Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing MPs yesterday, the last day of a 3-day debate on the 3.1-trillion-baht national budget for 2022. In particular, the PM was responding to criticism from the coalition’s…
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Over 80% of massage shops in Pattaya closed “permanently”
The Eastern Spa and Wellness Associations says 80% of massage shops in Pattaya have closed forever, with fewer than 100 still able to operate. Speaking to the Pattaya News, the association’s president, Chairat Ratananophas, says the remaining businesses need financial support and clarity on when they can re-open. Currently, Covid-19 restrictions in the eastern province of Chon Buri mean massage…
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American suspect in Bangkok kidnap for ransom case arrested at airport
Police arrested an American man, another suspect in the kidnap for ransom case in Bangkok, at the Suvarnabhumi Airport just as he was preparing to leave the country. 38 year old Matthew Wilson is the tenth suspect to be arrested for alleged involvement in the abduction of a Taiwanese businessman after a failed business deal. Other suspects include 2 other American…
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Thailand’s quarantine hotels consider move to hybrid model
Hotels currently operating as alternative state quarantine facilities are considering moving to a hybrid model, as bookings drop ahead of Phuket’s re-opening. ASQ hotels say reduced demand means they may adopt a model whereby they accept both quarantining guests and regular guests from the second half of the year. Prin Pathanatham from the ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand says bookings have started…
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Thursday Covid Update: 3,886 new cases and 39 deaths
3,886 new Covid-19 cases and 39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 140,485 Covid-19 infections with more than 40,000 of those infections in Bangkok. Out of the new cases, 1,230 were detected in correctional facilities. Over the past month, thousands of…
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Another 700 7-Eleven stores to open across Thailand
The operator of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores has confirmed it will open another 700 shops in the Kingdom this year. According to a Bangkok Post report this morning, CP All plans to spend between 11.5 and 12 billion baht on expansion in 2021. The company has opened 155 new 7-Eleven stores so far this year, meaning there were…
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Courts order ISPs block 8 users from web, social media
Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn confirmed today court orders instructing internet service providers to block or remove 8 users the government says used social media or their own websites to post fake news. The ISPs met with the ministry to receive the court order to block the users. The court ordered the ISPs to either remove or block…
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Nong Chompoo uncle surrenders to police on murder charges
In an update to the report published this morning when a warrant was issued for his arrest, the uncle of Nong Chompoo has surrendered to the police and is facing murder charges. Chaiphol Wipha, the uncle of a 3 year old girl found dead in Mukdahan last year, turned himself in to the Royal Thai police late this morning. He…
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Qatar Airways will fly 4 times weekly to Phuket starting July 1
Qatar Airways is going all-in on the Phuket sandbox plan to reopen the tourist island to international travellers on July 1. The airline has confirmed that they will run flights 4 times per week between the Qatari capital city of Doha and Phuket. This new route is in addition to the airline’s current 12 flights a week to Bangkok. The…
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Vietnam Ministry of Labour cracks down on illegal workers
In the struggles facing Vietnam with a new Covid-19 outbreak, the country has announced a crackdown on illegal foreign workers. The Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs has requested tightening on the rules and enforcement of expats working in Vietnam in an official announcement. They urged provincial and municipal officials to get strict on foreign workers and consider…
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ASEAN delegation to visit Myanmar to help find a solution to ongoing crisis
To help find a solution to the ongoing situation in Myanmar following the military coup, an ASEAN delegation will visit Myanmar tomorrow to meet with the leaders of the junta’s State Administrative Council, which has taken the place of the elected civilian government led by the National League of Democracy. Since the February military takeover, an estimated more than 800…
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Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority details international flight rules
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has announced some specific flight rules on the procedure for international travellers flying into Phuket after July 1. This comes just after the Tourism Authority of Thailand laid out more general rules for travel within Thailand for international tourists. Tourism officials from TAT and the island have been steadfastly determined to reopen under its…
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ONCB to investigate transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand
Following the news of the Thai national arrested in South Korea for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into the country, Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board is now investigating transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand. Thailand’s Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin ordered for the investigation, advising authorities to investigate to see if drug traffickers in Thailand have been involved in operations…
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KLM to introduce Amsterdam – Phuket flights from October
KLM has announced an expansion to its network from this coming winter, including flights from Amsterdam to Phuket, with a touchdown in Kuala Lumpur. The southern Thai island is one of 6 new destinations being introduced, the others being Mombasa in Kenya, Orlando in the US, Cancun in Mexico, Bridgetown in Barbados, and Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.…
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Arrest warrant issued for murder suspect who became a minor celebrity during the investigation
A murder suspect, who became famous in Thailand during the investigation, now has a warrant for his arrest over the death of his 3 year old niece. With the continuous and overdramatised media coverage on the case, the 44 year old suspect Chaiphol Wipha became a minor celebrity and gained a fan base, some who have raised donations to help…
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Philippines confirms delay in imports of AstraZeneca doses from Thailand
The Philippines has announced that the arrival of a first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines being imported from Thailand has been delayed. The delivery of the vaccines, manufactured in Thailand and ordered by the Philippines, has now been pushed back by several weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the development gives rise to questions about Thailand’s distribution plans for Southeast…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 3,440 new cases and 38 deaths
3,440 new Covid-19 cases and 38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded a total of 136,599. Out of the new cases, 1,087 were detected in correctional facilities. Thousands of inmates at more than a dozen Thai prisons have contracted the…
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Thai Navy stands by decision to purchase 3 Chinese tanks
A spokesman yesterday defended the Royal Thai Navy’s decision to buy 3 Chinese tanks, while the country struggles to purchase an adequate supply of Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Bangkok Post report, Navy spokesman Chettha Chaipiam says the purchase was agreed prior to the arrival of the pandemic. He points out that, the 398-million-baht agreement was signed during the 2020…
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