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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Passenger train bombed in Thailand’s Deep South, 3 injured
A passenger train carrying around 300 people was bombed in Thailand’s Deep South, injuring two train officials and one passenger. The Defense Ministry says insurgents detonated the explosive along a railway in Pattani, a province by the Malaysian border with ongoing violence and attacks related to the religious separatist insurgency. The Defence Ministry of Thailand chastised the insurgents for attacking…
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New Year’s events under “Covid Free” measures, attendees must be vaccinated
Get vaccinated if you want to party on New Year’s. The Thai government is loosening restrictions on alcohol and events, but just for New Year’s… and for those who have been vaccinated. In all provinces, New Year’s countdown events will be allowed to offer alcohol drinks until 1am on January 1, but venues need to abide by “Covid Free Setting”…
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Thailand to reopen Malaysian border crossings under Test & Go in mid-January
Thailand’s land crossings along the Malaysian border will reopen in mid-January under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme for fully vaccinated travellers. At its general meeting yesterday, the CCSA approved a measure to set up Test & Go checkpoints at the land crossings in the provinces bordering Malaysia including Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun. Under the Test & Go scheme,…
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The Christmas scene on shiny, sparkly Samui
Are you looking to celebrate Christmas in Koh Samui? The magical Gulf of Thailand island features an expat community that makes sure to bring a slice of home with them, especially during the holidays. Here, we have a list of venues that are offering Christmas celebrations that may include fine dining and Santa’s grotto for the little ones. At The…
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No confirmation on whether January 1 re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says it’s still waiting to hear from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister if the re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead. The hugely popular tourist draw was expected to re-open from January 1 and Damras Phoprasit from the DNP says he’s already reassured Minister Varawut Silpa-archa that the newly-constructed pier…
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Malaysia donates 283,400 AstraZenaca vaccine doses to Laos
Laos received a total of 283,400 AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, which were donated by Malaysia as a part of ongoing global efforts to end the pandemic. Laos is set to reopen to international tourists in 2022 and plans to vaccinate at least half of the adult population by the end of the year in order…
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Vietnam’s Hanoi Metro faces boycott, lacks of passengers
The Cát Linh-Ha Dong line of the Hanoi Metro, Vietnam’s first mass transit train service, which was launched on November 6 this year, is reportedly facing a public boycott for cooperating with China despite its initial excellent service and high expectations. It came to attention as local media reported last month that the service is lacking passengers, at around 12,000…
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Thai aviation sector calls for visa waiver for international travellers
Thailand’s aviation sector is calling on the government to introduce a visa waiver scheme for international arrivals to boost demand. The Airlines Association of Thailand says global competition for tourists is getting tough and the government needs to do more to attract international visitors. “We are in a fierce competition as every country needs tourists to cushion the economic impact.…
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COVID: Why is India’s largest vaccine maker cutting production?
India’s largest vaccine maker is reducing its production of the COVID-19 vaccine, as the country now has more doses than it needs to fully vaccinate the eligible population. As of Monday, nearly 816 million of the country’s eligible adult population had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 512 million were fully vaccinated, according to health ministry figures.…
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Suu Kyi imprisonment: Will the EU impose sanctions on Myanmar?
After the United States, Britain and Canada last Friday announced additional sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta, pressure is growing on the European Union to follow suit. The vice president of the European Parliament called earlier for additional measures against Myanmar’s junta and its associated businesses, which took power illegally in a coup on February 1. However, EU spokespersons contacted by…
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“Sandbox” entry scheme to remain at 7 days, CCSA reverses move to cut down stay
The period of stay under the “sandbox” entry scheme will continue to be seven days. The CCSA approved to cut the period down to five days but tightened measures after the emergence of the Omicron variant. Under the entry scheme, travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter and roam freely in a designated province or area, such as…
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Public Health Ministry reports a total of 8 confirmed Omicron cases in Thailand
Thailand has recorded eight Omicron cases since the country reported the first Omicron infection on December 1. While it’s not a lot, the emergence of the variant has led the Thai government to tighten travel restrictions and disease control measures for entry to prevent Omicron from being imported into the country. According to the Public Health Ministry, all Omicron cases…
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Cambodia PM orders to destroy, store US weapons following arms embargo ban
Cambodia PM Hun Sen is not quite happy following an arms embargo ban by the United States last week and asked the country’s military to examine any US-made weapons or equipment in its possession to be stored in warehouses or destroyed, although the country has never acquired arms from the States under the current administration. According to the Phnom Penh…
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Monday Covid Update: 3,398 new cases; provincial totals
23 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,194 with 21,100 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,398 new Covid-19 cases and 5,467 recoveries. There are now 49,524 people in Thailand being…
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57 migrants arrested in Kanchanaburi for allegedly crossing the border illegally
Thai authorities have arrested 57 Burmese nationals for allegedly entering Thailand illegally. The migrants were found in forest the border Kanchanaburi, which borders Myanmar, at around 11pm Saturday. Troops from Ranger Company 1404 and police from Border Patrol Company 136 found the 30 men and 27 women who reportedly sneaked into Sai Yok area through a natural border crossing while…
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Indian actress almost denied entry at Bangkok airport for not having a printed document
A famous Indian actress says she was almost denied entry to Thailand for apparently not having a document printed out. Travellers are required to obtain a Thailand Pass QR code to present at the airport upon arrival, but the actress, Vanitha Vijayakumar, says she needed to have a document printed out for her Visa on Arrival. The 41 year old…
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Cheers! Alcohol sales at approved venues allowed until 1am during New Year holiday
Those in Thailand will be able to ring in 2022 with a drink in hand. Alcohol sales at restaurants and venues certified as “Covid Free Settings” will be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks until 1am on New Year’s. During its general meeting today, the CCSA decided to allow alcohol consumption during the holiday, but only at open air venues under…
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Thailand looks to loosen laws on cannabis with low THC content
As Thailand gets more cannabis friendly, with a boom in products stamped with a pot leaf logo, cafes selling cannabinol tea, even Pizza Company is selling a “Crazy Happy Pizza,” the government looking to loosen laws even more on the once criminalised plant. Parts of the plant with low traves of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol, like the leaves and stem,…
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Thai government happy with results of economic stimulus measures
A spokesman says officials are pleased with the results of 4 economic stimulus measures introduced by the government. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says over 41.3 million citizens have spent over 223.82 billion baht, thanks to the 4 schemes, describing the results as satisfactory. The stimulus campaigns were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic in an attempt to boost the economy and help those…
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Methamphetamine, cannabis seized near Mekong River
Narcotics rangers seized smuggling convey of 104,000 methamphetamine tablets and 50 kilograms of what the Bangkok Post says was “premium-grade” dried cannabis (street name “brick weed”) from Laos across the Mekong River into Thailand’s Ban Phaeng area in Nakhon Phanom last Saturday night. The Ranger Company 2108 patrolling squads were on duty when the drugs were seized on Highway 212…
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Pro-democracy activists rally in Bangkok, call for lèse-majesté law to be abolished
An anti-establishment protest in Bangkok passed off without incident yesterday, as activists called for Thailand’s lèse-majesté law to be revoked. The law, also known as section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits defaming, criticising, or otherwise insulting the monarchy. Pro-democracy protesters gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection in the capital yesterday afternoon, with the protest organised by a group called the…
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Wildlife academics welcome Supreme Court verdict in Premchai case
Academics have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a lower court’s sentencing of the former boss of Italian-Thai Development. Premchai Karnasuta and 3 of his staff have been sentenced for the killing of protected wildlife in a Thai national park. According to a Bangkok Post report, the construction boss and his team were given permission to enter the Thungyai…
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Geminid meteor shower: 100s of shooting stars visible late Monday night
For those up late tomorrow night, the Geminid meteor shower will be visible in the night sky late on Monday night. The heavenly display happens each year, usually between December 4 and December 17 each year and is one of the best opportunities to see dozens of shooting stars with the naked eye. In a post on Facebook, the National…
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Pattaya restaurant busted operating after curfew as a nightclub
In a familiar scene lately as Thailand toes the line between Covid-19 safety and restarting the tourism economy by relaxing alcohol bans in select areas around the country, a restaurant essentially operating as a bar on South Pattaya Road was shut down last night for violating the Chon Buri Communicable Disease Control order. Dripoly restaurant in Pattaya was raided just…
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NIDA Poll: majority oppose legalising gambling and casinos
The National Institute of Development Administration released a poll recently that showed that the majority of Thai people are opposed to the legalisation of casinos and gambling. The NIDA poll showed that most people think that online gambling and video games with betting should also remain illegal. 1,318 people were surveyed by telephone between December 6 and December 8 for…
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Traffic expected as 4 separate protests planned tonight in Bangkok
Four different groups of demonstrators are planning protests in 4 different areas around Bangkok and the Metropolitan Police Bureau is warning that traffic around the city is likely to be affected. Police have already made preparations to deal with the hordes of protesters expected, and will be fully equipped to maintain law and order at each of the four rally…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: Positive numbers all around, lowest deaths since third wave
Today was a great day for Covid-19 news as the numbers have improved from yesterday for every single metric except for infections brought in from abroad which jumped from 16 yesterday to 24 today. Daily infections and deaths are down, with deaths hitting the lowest number since the third wave of Covid-19 began in April. The total number of hospitalisations…
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Restaurants reminded to follow Covid-19 safety for holidays
Though many people are not planning on travelling during the upcoming holiday season, the Department of Health has issued a reminder for restaurants the follow Covid-19 prevention regulations, especially with the increasing number of tourists for the holidays. The director-general of the department said with the upcoming long holiday weekends, more travellers can be expected to be patronizing restaurants, especially…
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2023 healthcare budget of 207 billion baht proposed including Covid-19
In order to add Covid-19 testing and treatment to the benefits of universal healthcare in Thailand for 2023, the National Health Security Office is requesting a 207 billion baht budget. Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting on Thursday of the NHSO which came up with the figure to request to include funding for Covid-19. The budget for…
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Family pleas for help repatriating British man who died in Thailand
After a 44 year old British man died suddenly shortly after arriving in Thailand, his devastated family is trying to raise cash to pay his hospital bills and bring him home. Daniel Skipper came to Thailand with friends from his home town of Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge in Lancashire, England and only a few days later he suffered a heart…
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