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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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9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Opposition leader Thanathorn indicted for lèse majesté, says he’s political target
Public prosecutors in Thailand have indicted Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on a lèse majesté charge and for violating the Computer Crime Act on Monday. The charges centre on remarks he made during a livestream talk he gave last year, in which he discussed the government’s procurement of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and allegedly casting indirect suspicion on His Majesty the…
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Thailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for third day, new infections decline
As people throughout the country begin their Songkran break, Thailand’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 3 consecutive days — with 108 deaths, 105 and 101 deaths reported for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Today, less than 20,000 new infections were reported, compared to yesterday’s nearly 22,400 – in that case a downward trend. Sunday…
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Thailand aims to employ army of 150,000 migrant workers to solve labour shortage
Thailand is looking to bring in more labourers from neighbouring countries with the help of recruitment agencies, as the government seeks to employ an army of around 150,000 foreign workers to make up for the country’s low percentage of people willing to do manual labour jobs. But the general public is worried about the clutter and spread of Covid-19 from…
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Phuket shuts down ATK checkpoints at Bangla Walking Street from tomorrow
The ATK checkpoints at the entrance of Bangla Walking Street in Phuket will be shut down from tomorrow onwards, according to the Patong Entertainment Association. The checkpoints have been operating since January this year. Today, the President of Patong Entertainment Association shared with Thai media that the two ATK checkpoints at the entrance and exit of Bangla Road or Bangla…
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Thailand extends expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines, after 3 companies re-register
The Public Health Ministry has directed hospitals to adjust the expiration dates of Covid-19 vaccines in their inventory according to each company’s new registration rules. Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines will all be extended. Deputy permanent secretary for Public Health, Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, notified all public health chiefs last week, instructing them to reset the expiration dates of vaccine doses and…
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Phuket police set up 11 checkpoints to prevent road accidents during Songkran
The Songkran holidays, or the Thai New Year, is a time notorious for road accidents all over Thailand. During the long holiday, drunk driving increases and road accidents are even more common than usual on Thailand’s dangerous roads. Phuket police officers have set up 11 checkpoints around the island to catch anyone drunk driving or driving dangerously and to help…
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Oklahoma woman searches for Thai mother, nearly 50 years after US family adopts her
An American woman is searching for her Thai mother, who is believed to live in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani. She says her father was an American soldier who met her mother when he was based in Thailand during the Vietnam War. In March of this year 49 year old Kristy Sinsara Hudsud, an American singer and songwriter, started…
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Thai government plans to procure Covid-19 antibody drug for immunocompromised
The Thai government is planning to procure a long-acting antibody drug for people who have conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a Thai government spokesperson. “Evusheld” is an injectable Covid-19 drug developed by AstraZeneca. The drug may even replace some doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand in the future, according to the Centre for…
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Nok Air resumes Bangkok-Betong route, partners with allies to fill charter flights
If at first you don’t succeed, try again — with a few more friends. That’s the message from Thailand budget airline Nok Air, which is teaming up with a handful of tourism industry partners in a renewed bid to provide charter flights from Bangkok to the recently opened Betong airport in Yala province in the south. Beginning on April 29,…
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Songkran travellers can enjoy FREE parking at Suvarnabhumi airport from April 11-17
There’s good news for those flying out of Bangkok during the Thai New Year. You can now park your car at Suvarnabhumi Airport Zone C for FREE during the entire Songkran period, as the parking fees are being scrapped from April 11 to April 17. Zone C is zoned for long term parking and has 700 parking spaces. Airport authorities…
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Monday Covid Update: 22,387 new cases; provincial totals
105 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 26,188 with 4,490 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,387 new Covid-19 cases and 27,680 recoveries. There are now 245,575 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Businesses blame high ‘entry fees’ for deterring travellers at Thai-Malaysia border
The reopening of the Thai-Malaysian border this month raised the hopes of local business owners around the border areas, who thought it would boost the economy in southern Thailand, and the northern states of Malaysia as well. However, things seem to be moving more slowly than expected, with merchants blaming the 5,000-7,000 baht “entry fees” as being too expensive for…
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Thai YouTuber complains about Test & Go: ‘Foreigners won’t come back if facing this…’
After reportedly seeing crowds of tourists left waiting for hotels at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a Thai YouTuber has voiced his discontent about Thailand’s unpopular Test & Go entry scheme. He said the system was a mess, with hotel staff having to shout to finding their guests, while tourists searched for the logos of their hotels, “as if they were playing…
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Thailand’s daily Covid death toll exceeds 100 twice in 24 hours as Songkran begins
As people throughout the country begin their Songkran celebrations, Thailand’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark twice in the past 24 hours — with 108 deaths and 105 deaths reported for yesterday and today, respectively. Sunday marked the first time the nation recorded a hundred daily deaths from the virus this year. The Public Health Ministry…
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Songkran a litmus test for Thailand’s economic recovery, tourism industry revival
As Thailand’s annual Songkran festival begins this week, all eyes are on the government to see how its strict Covid-prevention measures will affect tourism spending and mitigate new infections, which are expected to spike after the holiday. As the war in Ukraine continues to hike up global oil and food prices, pundits say how Thailand fares during and after the…
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6 Reasons Why Expats in Thailand Need a VPN
White-sand beaches, warm sunshine, and delicious food. Living in an exotic country like Thailand can help you achieve the lifestyle you always wanted. Nevertheless, as an expat (a person who lives and works in a foreign country), you have to be aware of the cyber threats you may face. Phishing emails, data breaches, compromised passwords – there are only a…
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Russian tourism staff claims interest in Thailand travel has spiked for Russians
More Russians are reportedly interested in venturing down to Thailand. After Russia announced earlier this week it would lift Covid-19 restrictions on flights to 52 countries, starting April 9, some Russian tourism staff claim there was a massive increase in Thailand search inquiries by Russians. Searches for tickets to Thailand reportedly went up by 20%, according to one popular vacation…
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Diver found off Malaysia says his teenage son died while they were adrift
One of the four missing divers who has now been found off Malaysia yesterday told the Malaysian coastguard his son, a 14 year old boy, died while they were adrift. The man, 46 year old Adrian Chesters, said his teenage son Nathen Chesters had become too weak to survive. A statement by the coastguard cited Adrian… “…as a result of…
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Independent candidate leads Bangkok’s race for a new Governor
An independent candidate is leading the record pack of 31 running in the forthcoming election for Bangkok’s Governor. In Bangkok’s first Governor election in 9 years, Chadchart Sittipunt, a former Pheu Thai heavyweight, is favoured by 38.8% of 1,362 eligible voters polled in the Bangkok area. The poll was conducted from April 5-7. The runner up at the moment is…
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South Korea is the most expensive country to raise kids
South Korea is the most expensive country in the world to raise children from birth to age 18, according to research from Jefferies Financial Group. On the list of 14 countries Jefferies researched, South Korea is followed by China, then Italy. Jefferies’s analysts reported some differences between Asian and Western cultures that might be a factor in South Korea and…
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Post-Omicron, Asian economies accelerate into recovery mode
Across most of South East and Eastern Asia, Covid is now on a sharp retreat, some 2 – 3 months after similar surges and drops in the US, UK and Europe. Except for 3 countries, Japan, China and Thailand, where the daily numbers, fuelled by Omicron variants, are still climbing. These same 3 countries have been among the most risk-averse…
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Man shoots and kills hospital patient in Thailand’s Northeast
A man shot and killed a hospital patient in Pak Khat district of Bueng Kan province in Thailand’s Northeast yesterday. Police arrested the 21 year old shooter, and he remains in custody during the investigation. A video posted on social media shows an armed man in a blue T-shirt, entering the hospital’s emergency room. The man is then seen shooting…
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Phuket’s Vanderbilt Estate opens for local charity
The financial impact of Covid has been felt all around the world, with charities hit the hardest. Phuket Has Been Good To Us, who teach English for free to disadvantaged Thai children, is no exception. Desperately in need of funds, they were hugely thankful when friends of the Foundation Mohan Murjani and Sukanya Panyalert (Khun Yui) offered to open the…
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Thailand’s Ministry of Interior urges tight Covid enforcement during Songkran
The Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Interior is calling on provincial governors to “rigidly enforce Covid-19 restrictions” during the looming Songkran annual break. The Permanent Secretary, Suthipong Julcharoe, also suggested 10 “Universal Prevention” methods. These include frequent handwashing and not touching your face, as well as vulnerable groups staying at home. Suthipong also suggested “double masking” (wearing 2 face…
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Airlines launching direct flights from Phuket to northeast Thailand, and Singapore
Slowly, gradually, but palpably, airlines are starting to increase their frequency and routes again. Not Air is launching direct flights to Phuket from Northeastern Thailand (and visa versa), and Air Asia is adding flight from Phuket to Singapore, starting next Tuesday. Yesterday morning, a Nok Air flight landed in Phuket, marking the new plan for one direct flight per week…
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Songkran, and traffic, are in the air as Bangkok dwellers head ‘upcountry’
The spirit of Songkran is in Thailand’s air, as is heavy traffic, as Bangkok residents make road trips ‘upcountry’ to the Northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and beyond. Motorway 6, or M6, in Pak Chong district, is not yet open to public travel. It will be open to drivers for two periods: April 11 to 14, and after Songkran from…
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Missile attack on train station kills 52 Ukrainians, Russia denies involvement
Six weeks after Russia first invaded Ukraine, a missile struck a train station in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk yesterday, killing 52 people. Russia denies being behind the attack, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bombing had been reported in Russia before the missiles had even landed. Zelensky said the attack showed “evil with no limits”. Zelensky called for…
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Drunk drivers in Thailand could be jailed without suspension during Songkran
Authorities in Thailand are vowing to get serious about drunk driving during Songkran. Drunk drivers caught between Monday and Sunday next week, during the time of the holiday, are more likely be jailed without suspension if convicted. A police major general said yesterday that police recently discussed measures to discourage drunk driving with officials. The major general said police and…
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Smuggled sketches show horrific conditions inside notorious Insein Prison in Myanmar
Radio Free Asia have released a series of sketches penned by inmates of a Burmese prison in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, and smuggled out of the prison by brave, released detainees. Thousands of mostly political prisoners have been sent there since last year’s coup. The following from Radio Free Asia… “Sketches smuggled out of Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison…
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Phuket Soi Dog volunteer to brave Himalayas to raise money for foundation
A volunteer from Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket plans to brave a trek through the rugged Himalayan mountains to raise money for the foundation. The volunteer, 51 year old Yanisa, wants to reach the summit of the 6,419-metre Mount Chulu West with her husband in 21 days. Yanisa and her husband, 65 year old Rohun, will start from Kathmandu in…
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