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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Underwater utopia being created out of decommissioned oil rigs
An Aquaman-type underwater utopia is being developed near Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province, out of redundant oil and gas rigs. Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment department revealed plans are well underway to utilise decommissioned oil rigs to develop a new diving destination for tourists located around 7.5 nautical miles north east of Koh Pha Ngan island. The…
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Bangkok’s first LGBTQ parade in over a decade
Bangkok yesterday held its first LGBTQ+ parade since 2006. Many members of the community flocked to the Naruemit Pride event, wearing outrageous rainbow-themed attire and waving rainbow flags down Silom Road. A collaboration of non-governmental organisations planned the first event in 16 years, which also received the blessing of the city’s freshly elected Governor, Chadchart Sittipunt. Several LGBTQ+ activists attended…
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Cannabis penalties to be quashed from Thursday
Thailand’s Courts of Justice announced that suspects and prisoners on charges related to cannabis use and possession would be freed after cannabis and hemp are removed from the Public Health Ministry’s Category 5 drug list. But as we slowly learn the details of cannabis in Thailand, post June 9, we are learning that it’s not all clear and plain sailing…
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Bangkok Governor to propose lifting of midnight close time and mask wearing
The new Bangkok Governor is pushing the CCSA to consider easing the current closing times for the capital’s nightlife, as well as asking for a similar easing of the face mask requirements. His requests follow a botched easing of mask wearing by the Phuket Governor last week where he, one day, announced a variation of the CCSA guidelines for wearing…
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Three charged over rape of a mother of two on a train in Pakistan
Three men in Pakistan have been arrested over the rape of a woman on a train from Karachi to Multan on May 27. Pakistan’s railway ministry reported that the men asked the woman to move to a carriage with air conditioning, before they attacked her on the moving train. One of the accused is a ticket checker for the train.…
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Starving Rohingyas found in South Thailand national park
The chief of a national park in south Thailand announced yesterday (Saturday) that 59 Rohingya migrants had appeared on a beach there .The chief, Phanpong Kongkaeo, said his assistant alerted him that the 59 people appear to be starving and had no food or supplies with them. Phanpong said he has ordered food and drinking water for them. Tarutao National…
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Another tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day
Thailand’s tourism authorities seem to announce a new goal every day. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for Saudi and Australian tourists in Phuket, TAT has also announced a goal last week for Thailand as a whole: 3,000 Indian tourists a day. The TAT is aiming to meet its goal through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives.…
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Suspected monkeypox infections in Thailand turn out negative
Thailand’s DDC has announced that the country still has no confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Friday. Six suspected infections in the country ended up with negative lab test results on the same day. Even though there are no confirmed cases, a DDC spokesperson said health officials are now monitoring arrivals from countries where monkeypox has been detected. The latest…
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Police investigate blast in Northeast Thailand that killed lecturer
Police in Northeast Thailand are investigating a blast that tragically killed a university lecturer in Sakhon Nakhon province’s city district on Friday. Police say the lecturer, 41 year old Pichai Srimanta, was killed when doing a research project to extract oil from plastic waste at a garbage dump, where the explosion happened. A worker who witnessed the tragedy said the extraction…
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Dolphin washes up on Phang Nga beach, likely from strong waves
Locals discovered a dolphin washed up on the shore of a beach in Phang Nga province yesterday, just north of Phuket. A local man tipped off the Royal Thai Navy about the dolphin, and officials from the navy and the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre arrived on the scene. The dolphin was then transferred to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre in…
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Check-in mayhem for Thai Airways flights last Friday
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered airlines and airports to make urgent adjustments after acknowledging long queues for Thai Airways flights at Suvarnabhumi airport. The early morning flight check in delays at the Thai Airways counters in Suvarnabhumi Airport was caused by a lack of check-in staff at the Thai Airways counters, according to the Civil Aviation…
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Pattaya woman allegedly runs off with boyfriend’s belongings
A woman in Pattaya has allegedly run off with several of her boyfriend’s belongings, after he let her stay in his condo while he was in Germany. A 41 year old German national under the psyudonym ‘Peter’ told reporters he had returned to his condo in Pattaya after travel restrictions eased, planning to surprise his girlfriend ‘Fah’. He said he…
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Bangkok’s governor says officials will discuss easing outdoor mask requirement
After the confusing mask policy flip-flop in Phuket, Bangkok’s new governor Chadchart Sittipunt has announced plans to discuss easing mask requirements in Thailand’s capital. Chadchart stated late this week that Bangok Metropolitan Administration will meet with public health and medical departments to discuss the outdoor mask-wearing regulation. Chadchart did not, however, specify when the meeting will happen. The governor also…
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Japan facing rise in ‘Long Covid’ cases
Japan is seeing a number of people report having so-called ‘Long Covid’ symptoms, including fatigue, coughing and memory memory loss. Tokyo’s metropolitan government found that of the 2,039 people reporting Long Covid symptoms, 97% only had mild symptoms when they were infected with the coronavirus between January and April. 74% had no underlying disease, and more than 70% were aged…
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Pub fight in South Thailand leaves 3 dead
Three men were killed in a pub fight in South Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the early hours of the morning yesterday. Another man was seriously injured in the fight, which occurred in the main city district. City police said 2 rival groups were gathered at the pub’s car park after visiting the pub, when the deadly exchange began.…
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Baby of rare endangered species born at Chon Buri zoo
Members of the rare endangered tapir species have welcomed a new little member at a zoo in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province. Although some think tapirs look like pigs with small trunks, they are actually related to horses and rhinos. The new tapir baby was born last month in Khao Kheo Open Zoo, although his birth was only…
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“Cases could reach 10,000 a day again”. Thai Public Health Minister.
Thailand’s party-pooper-in-chief, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has made another spurious claim to Thailand’s media. He’s predicted that Thailand’s Covid infections could soar to 10,000, a day, now that Thailand’s nightlife has ‘officially’ reopened. He said that the numbers of new coronavirus cases could “soar” within 3-5 days after the country’s entertainment venues were given the official nod on June…
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Don’t forget Bangkok’s first real Pride parade tomorrow
In case you didn’t know, Bangkok will hold its first real Pride parade tomorrow (Sunday), Bangkok Naruemit Pride, as a celebration of Thailand’s LGBT+ community. The parade is set to start at 4pm at Maha Uma Devi Temple, a Hindu temple sometimes called ‘Wat Khaek’ or ‘South Asian temple’ in Thai slang. The temple is located on Pan Road and…
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Who will be Thailand’s PM by the end of 2022?
There are clear and present challenges ahead for the current Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. His hands on the levers controlling the hearts and minds of Thais, and south east Asia’s second largest economy, is in peril. The next general election in Thailand has to be called before March next year. It’s the prerogative of the sitting PM to call…
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How Thailand is shifting to aged care in the home
Thailand’s ageing society is growing rapidly, with a quarter of Thais who are 60 years and older forecasted to account for one-third of the population by 2040. Despite expectations that the country would see a rapid escalation of assisted living and nursing homes being developed, COVID-19 became a game-changer. While traditionally many Thais have lived and grown up in multigenerational…
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Illegal Burmese immigrants arrested in connection with local man’s death
Police arrested more than 100 illegal immigrants yesterday as they ramped up an investigation into the murder of local man Maddol Binson. The 40 year old, from Hat Yai district in Songkla, was found in a freshly dug shallow grave in a forest beside a golf course near his home on Wednesday morning. His hands were tied behind his back,…
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Phuket governor reverses decision easing mask-wearing
Easy come, easy go. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew today reversed yesterday’s mask-wearing easing order, insisting people must wear a mask in all public places even if they are practicing social distancing measures. Only yesterday the governor relaxed all measures saying healthy people could to take off their face masks while in open-air places, beaches, public parks and stadiums, as part of…
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Ancient gold Buddha artifact comes home
Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome hailed the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security after a 500 years’ old antique gold crown was returned to Thailand from the US. The 48 year old minister revealed the department was set up by the government around five years ago to track artefacts, which have been smuggled out of the kingdom, and thanked the…
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World Health Organisation says two-thirds of population has Covid-19 antibodies
The World Health Organisation says over two-thirds of the population will have significant Covid-19 antibodies, thanks to either vaccination or prior infection. The WHO cited a summary of global studies that shows the rate of seroprevalence jumped from 16% in February 2021 to 67% in October. According to a Bloomberg report, officials say that the rapid spread of the Omicron…
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Heard’s lawyer says actress unable to pay Depp more than US$10 million in damages
Following a court ruling that, for the most part, went against her, Amber Heard’s lawyer says the Hollywood actress is unable to pay her ex-husband over US$10 million in damages. On Wednesday, the jury in a defamation trial held in the southern US state of Virginia found both Heard and Depp guilty of defaming each other, but ruled far more…
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Budget bill boost to government
PM Prayut Chan o cha’s government received a boost today when Parliament passed the first reading of an almost 3.2 trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting October 1. After a 3-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions. Pm Prayut says the bill will help the nation restore…
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Government under fire on military spending plans
The government yesterday was criticized over the Defence Ministry’s weapons procurement plans. Shots were fired by deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yuttapong Charasathien who says a number of procurement projects lack transparency and spending is too high. Yuttapong criticized the navy’s request of almost 41 million baht for a number of weapons systems, but in particular its decision to buy…
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Student association at Mahidol University decides to end “sexist” beauty pageant
The Mahidol University Student Association has decided to put an end to an in-house beauty pageant that judges contestants solely on their looks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the human rights activist Wasan Paileeklee supports the decision, saying students can now focus on organising competitions that reward intellectual ability, provided these meet with public approval. “The beauty contests may…
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Is Thailand famous for coffee and is Thai coffee good?
PRESS RELEASE Thailand now ranks in the top 15 coffee exporters of coffee in the world. Thai coffee was never really known, but in recent years, international recognition for Thai coffee has rapidly increased. And this time, Thailand isn’t just known for Robusta coffee beans but also Arábica coffee beans. To date, Thailand still exports very little coffee as most…
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Outdoor mask rules eased in Phuket, new Bangkok governor says capital may follow
UPDATE: Since this story was published, the Phuket Governor has cancelled orders to reduce the mask wearing requirements in Phuket. Read about that HERE. ORIGINAL STORY: Phuket has eased some of its mask-wearing requirements for people not at risk of serious illness as a result of Covid-19. People no longer need to wear face masks while outdoors in open-air spaces,…
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