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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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5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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PM says there will be no national lockdown, provincial measures up to local governors
Despite a rise in Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha insists there will be no nationwide lockdown. He says local governors are empowered to make the necessary decisions for their own provinces, should stricter measures be required to contain the spread of the virus. The PM was speaking while on a visit to the eastern province of…
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Covid-19 resurgence, weak labour market, threats to economic recovery – Bank of Thailand
A director at the Bank of Thailand’s economic and policy department says the resurgence in Covid-19, coupled with a fragile labour market, poses a threat to the country’s economic recovery. Chayawadee Chai-Anant says the reintroduction of strict lockdowns in many other countries also poses a risk. She says the full impact will depend on the rate of new infections in…
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Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, declared Covid-19 controlled zone
Nonthaburi, the province directly north of Bangkok, is now declared a Covid-19 controlled zone. Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai central market has been placed under “maximum control”. The 7 floor Pink Condominium has been locked down until January 12, as the 2nd wave of coronavirus continues to spread in Thailand. Outside greater Bangkok, high risk areas have also been declared in Rayong…
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WOW what a year! Thailand’s top news stories for 2020 as voted by YOU.
TOP 10 (non Covid) THAIGER STORIES FOR 2020 The Thaiger started 2020, as we all did, with high hopes and few clues that we were heading into a profound disruption for almost the entire year. Even as we were tapping away at the keyboards on January 1, 2020, there were stories emerging in Wuhan, China about a mysterious new respiratory…
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Thailand News Today | Pattaya restrictions, 2021’s extra holidays, Covid update | December 30
From everyone at The Thaiger, thank you SO much for all your support over 2020. It’s been a difficult year! And we will be back in 2021 with a lot more Thailand News Today as well as other videos about Thailand and the region. Pattaya and neighbouring Banglamung in Chon Buri province are now classified as “highly controlled” areas with…
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500 kilograms of methamphetamine found hidden in phone booth call boxes
Police found 500 kilograms of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs hidden in 154 phone booth call boxes at a home in the Isaan province Khon Kaen. Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau raided the home yesterday and arrested 6 people who are suspected of being members of a major drug trafficking operation in the Northeast. Along with half a tonne…
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Government bans gatherings that “risk” Covid-19 transmission
Some may need to count down the year at home. The Thai government has banned gatherings in provinces with high numbers of Covid-19 cases. The gatherings banned are only those that pose “risk of disease transmission” in provinces classified as “red: maximum control zone” and “orange: control zone.” In Bangkok, New Year countdown events need to be approved by the…
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Pattaya and Banglamung “highly controlled,” non-essential businesses shutdown
Pattaya and Banglamung are now classified as “highly controlled” areas with an emergency order shutting down bars, parks, schools and non-essential businesses after rise in Covid-19 cases. The emergency order was just released this morning by Chon Buri governor Phakarathorn Tienchai. The order is in place until further notice. There are no set curfews, checkpoints or travel restrictions, but the…
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Fewer travellers at Bangkok bus and rail stations as Covid worries take hold
It’s a lot quieter at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station and the Chatuchak bus terminal as Covid-19 restrictions take hold in the capital, leading some passengers to cancel their travel plans. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has already urged people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Public transport stations in Bangkok have implemented strict hygiene measures, including socially-distanced seating and the mandatory…
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Cabinet members eat seafood lunch to prove it’s not contaminated with Covid-19
After the Laos government banned seafood imports from Thailand due to the Covid-19 outbreak at a Samut Sakhon fishing hub, Thai officials are assuring the neighbouring country that Thai seafood is not contaminated with the coronavirus. In what seems like a publicity stunt, members of the Thai Cabinet ate 7 seafood dishes for lunch yesterday to prove that Covid-19 cannot…
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Officials say strict containment measures will bring Samut Sakhon outbreak under control
Health officials in Thailand say a number of strict containment measures being implemented in the central province of Samut Sakhon, should bring the Covid-19 outbreak under control within the coming weeks. Permanent Secretary for Health, Kiatiphum Wongrajit, says around 4,000 migrant workers located at the epicentre of the outbreak are being detained for over 10 days to ensure they do…
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Multiple challenges to Thai PM’s leadership have failed
Some compare him to Teflon for his ability to survive all manner of allegations, because the legal challenges keep coming and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha keeps winning. The Thai PM has now survived 3 legal challenges to his leadership, not to mention the countless calls for his resignation that were a hallmark of the recent pro-democracy protests. It’s probably safe to…
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Cluster of 22 infections traced to 3 Bangkok restaurants
The Public Health Ministry has named 3 Bangkok eateries thought to be linked to 22 new cases of Covid-19 in the capital. Dr Wichan Pawan from the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention says several people who have tested positive for the virus can be traced to one of the restaurants. They are Saeb E-san Karaoke in Thewet, and…
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Thai PM urges people not to travel over New Year holiday
“Please stay home.” That’s the message from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is calling on people to avoid travel over the forthcoming New Year holiday. Thailand is currently experiencing a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus, after going months without a case of local transmission. Yesterday, the Kingdom reported 155 new cases, with over 2,100 active cases. Only 10 of yesterday’s new…
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Thailand News Today | Covid update, Bangkok restrictions, Gold rush | December 29
All the latest updates about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. 155 new Covid-19 infections were reported today in the daily briefing by the CCSA. The total count of confirmed cases in Thailand raised to 6,440 while the national death toll raised to 61 after a 45 year old man in Rayong, infected with Covid-19, died. Thailand currently has 2,195 active…
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Central Thailand restaurant offers free boxed meals to migrants
With some restaurants refusing to serve migrants due to fears that they might carry Covid-19, a restaurant in the Central Thailand province Nakhon Sawan is offering free food to migrant workers. Many migrants, particularly from Myanmar, have faced discrimination after the outbreak in Samut Sakhon which impacted a large community of migrant workers around the Mahachai area fishing hub. Owner…
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6 senior police transferred after Bangkok gambling raid
A Bangkok police chief and 5 senior officers have been transferred for alleged negligence of duty following a gambling den raid in Bangkok’s Laksi area. The Metropolitan Police Bureau will investigate to determine whether the officers had any involvement in the illegal gambling operation. Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau raided the venue in the Thung Song Hong area and arrested 94…
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Gold sales go up as Thais sell jewelry to pay for routine expenses
With job losses and pay cuts brought on by the pandemic, many Thais are lining up to sell their gold to bring in some cash, like 22 year old Suvirat Namvicha, an office worker in Bangkok who had her overtime expenses cut. Survirat, who is also pregnant, says she needed to sell a gold necklace to pay for her medical bills.…
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Education Ministry to reduce classroom time as part of “system upgrade”
Thailand’s Education Ministry says it plans to reduce the amount of time students have to spend in the classroom, in favour of more personal learning time. The initiative is part of a wider upgrade to the country’s education system and is expected to be implemented next year. 2020 has been a year of student-led protests, with Thailand’s youth railing against…
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COVID UPDATE: Bangkok bans, Anutin quarantined, another patient dies | VIDEO
A video summary of the current situation, today, as The Thaiger continues to keep you up to date with all the latest news about the current Covid-19 outbreak. The BMA’s order includes… bars with hostesses, horse racing tracks, cock-fighting arenas and massage parlours. But pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and…
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Government launches seasonal road safety campaign ahead of New Year holiday
It’s that time of year again… The Thai government has launched its road safety and accident reduction centre, part of its annual road safety campaign for the “7 days of danger” over the New Year holiday. The campaign will run from today until January 4, in an attempt to reduce the carnage as holidaymakers take to the roads. The numbers choosing…
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Police arrest 89 people in Bangkok gambling den raid
Police raided a Bangkok gambling den and arrested 89 people for allegedly gambling and violating the Emergency Decree which prohibits unauthorised gatherings in crowded spaces to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The bust follows a Covid-19 outbreak at a gambling den in Rayong, around 60 kilometres from Pattaya and around 180 kilometres from Bangkok. Yesterday, a 45 year old man…
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190 Bangkok clinics and hospitals accused of corruption
190 clinics and hospitals in Bangkok are accused of falsely billing the National Health Security Office, or NHSO, for medical treatment that never happened. Back in July, NHSO filed a complaint against 18 clinics in Bangkok for 72 million baht in fraudulent claims under the government’s “Gold Card” universal healthcare scheme. The NHSO found that clinics and hospitals falsely billed…
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Domestic tourism subsidy extended, 200,000 rooms booked in first 12 hours
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says an extension to the domestic tourism stimulus campaign has led to 200,000 hotel room bookings within the first 12 hours. TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, says average bookings before the extension were around 50,000 – 60,000 a day. Transactions under the scheme are now being closely monitored, following the discovery of fraudulent bookings during the…
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Man arrested for allegedly stealing from fatal car accident victims
A man was arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from victims of a fatal traffic accident where a 2 pickup trucks collided, killing 2 people and injuring 4. Police say the man pretended to help emergency responders during the rescue and stole valuables from both the deceased and the injured victims. The accident occurred around 11:50am this morning on Mitrapap highway…
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Thailand News Today | Rayong cluster, Samut Sakhon Gov Covid+, flights ‘quiet’ | Dec 28
The CCSA has reported 144 new Covid-19 infections today – 115 local infections, 14 migrant workers and 15 quarantined arrivals. The total number of cases in Thailand, since February is 6,285. 2,045 people are currently receiving medical treatment in Thailand for the coronavirus. The local infections are all linked to the cluster in Samut Sakhon 10 days ago. The current…
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Police raid factory, arrest man and detain 11 migrant workers
After announcing a crackdown on labour traffickers, police arrested a Chinese man who allegedly illegally operated a rubber glove factory and employed undocumented migrants. After a spike in Covid-19 cases involving more than 1,000 migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, many who worked in the Mahachai area fishing hub, police said they would investigate migrant trafficking and make major arrests. Before…
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Police called after Bangkok bus passenger removes his mask to blow his nose
Police were called after a passenger on a public Bangkok bus blew his nose and spit in a tissue. Thai media reports that the bus driver ordered the man to get off the bus in Bangkok’s Petchkasem area and that the passenger eventually agreed after the police were called. The man had removed his mask and was wiping and blowing…
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Murder-suicide at Songkhla Zoo linked to missing rare animal investigation
Investigators say the apparent murder-suicide at the Songkhla Zoo is related to the case of the missing rare deer and claims of illegal wildlife trade. Back in October, the zoo’s senior veterinarian shot and killed a top official from the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand before killing himself at his living quarters at the Southern Thailand zoo. The organisation’s director-general,…
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Private hospital in Bangkok told to take down vaccine pre-order ads
Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support is demanding a private hospital in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district to remove advertising for people to pre-order their Covid-19 vaccines. The vaccines they were advertising were from the US biotech firm Moderna. While the Moderna vaccine is now approved by food and drug authorities in Canada and the US, the vaccine still needs approval from…
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