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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Monty Python’s John Cleese is coming to Bangkok this January
John Cleese from the British comedy group Monty Python is coming to Bangkok in January as part of his “Why There Is No Hope” tour. Tickets start at 1,500 baht and go on sale on Friday. Live Nation Tero members can purchase pre-sale tickets on Thursday. To attend the show, patrons must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or test negative…
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American Music Awards – BTS, first Asian band to win Artists of the Year
South Korean band BTS had a huge night at the American Music Awards. They not only won the highly coveted ‘Artist of the Year’, they also picked up the Best pop song of the year and Best duo or group. Significantly, BTS are the first Asian musicians to pick up the main award in an otherwise white-washed US pop industry.…
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End of an era – last trains to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong in December
It’s the end of an era as the State Railway of Thailand looks to ceasing train services to and from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station. The expensive patch of land, where the famous station is located, is slated for a swish new commercial development. The decommissioning of the famous old station will happen at the end of the year. Hua…
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Cambodian refugees under UN protection arrested after deportation from Thailand
Following the arrest of a third Cambodian refugee deported from Thailand, the UN Refugee Agency says it is “dismayed” by Thai authorities’ move to force refugees back to the territory where they face prosecution. Earlier this month, two Cambodian nationals, who were both registered refugees under UN protection, were expelled from Thailand. This past Saturday, a third refugee, who is…
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Singapore’s travel pass site went down as applications for Malaysians open
The SafeTravel website of Singapore, which allows foreign visitors to apply for a vaccination travel pass before entering, was down for several hours yesterday, which was the first day people from Malaysia could apply. Around noon, the website had a message that said “it was undergoing regular maintenance.” It was then restored around 3pm, but a text box recommended customers to…
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CCSA admits some hotels are scamming Thailand Pass travellers
Some Thai hotels are deceiving foreign arrivals by letting them book a room without transport or Covid testing, then trying to sell them a new package on arrival. CCSA spokesperson Apisamai Srirangson says some hotels are deliberately only selling a room, whereas the Thailand Pass requirements stipulate that the package must include transportation from the airport to the hotel and…
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Philippines waives quarantine for “Green List” countries
The Philippines is waiving quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated visitors from countries classified on the government’s “green list.” The Philippines, home to over 7,000 islands in Southeast Asia, is now accepting fully vaccinated visitors from countries on the “Green List”, but they must submit a negative RT-PCR test done within 72 hours of departure, rather than quarantine or an on-arrival…
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Minister confirms all train services at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station will end
Rail services to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station will soon be no more, according to Thailand’s Transport Minister. Saksayam Chidchob says services to the station will initially be decreased from 118 a day to 22, before being phased out completely. No date has been confirmed for the termination of all services, but an earlier proposal has it pencilled in for December…
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Sudan: Is Hamdok’s return a signal of democracy or military victory?
Sudanese protesters have taken to the streets to call for democracy and an end to military rule after the deposed civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, pledged to return to the government jointly led with the military. Nearly four weeks after a military coup, Hamdok was reinstated on Sundaywhen he signed a 14-point power-sharing deal with General Abdel-Fattah Burhan. “Sudanese blood…
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Crime Fighters: A Caring Family Counts
Too many pregnancies in a short space of time led 20-year-old Linda Malongo to exhaustion. But her husband, Tommy, didn’t understand why women need time to recover between births, or why unplanned pregnancies can put the health of both mother and child at risk. Sitting under the papaya tree in his backyard, Tommy tells us his story, wishing he could…
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Kenya ramps up fight against COVID
The Kenyan government over the weekend issued new health regulations to prevent a surge of COVID-19 cases. From December 21, Kenyans will have to prove they are fully vaccinated to gain access to government services in hospitals, education, tax and immigration offices, as well as many public places, including national parks, bars and restaurants. Workers in the public transport sector…
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India farm laws — what impact will the repeal have on Modi’s standing?
Thousands of farmers continue to protest in India even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unexpectedly rolled back contentious agricultural laws his government rammed through parliament last year arguing that they would modernize the nation’s farm sector. The laws sparked yearlong protests from tens of thousands of farmers, who feared new rules would dramatically reduce their incomes. The row…
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Direct flight between Istanbul and Phuket reopens
A direct flight into Phuket operated by Turkish Airlines has just reopened. The first flight of this renewed Istanbul to Phuket route landed on Saturday, according to the Phuket News. This is the first flight directly from Istanbul Airport, historically a major travel hub, since the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown disrupted international air travel. The Turkish Airlines flight landed…
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Singapore Airlines takes international travellers back to Melbourne under VTL
A Singapore Airlines flight boarding international travellers arrived at Melbourne Airport yesterday, making it the first time for Australia to welcome back tourists and international students without having to be quarantined under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme. Following it, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia would reopen its borders to all immunised Singaporeans on November 21.He added…
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Uptick in road crashes in Laos, speeding and drink driving major causes in Vientiane
A recent survey focused on Laos’ increase in traffic crashes found that over three-quarters of drivers in the capital Vientiane are habitually breaching speed limits and about a third of individuals driving in the evening have consumed alcohol. The country’s Department of Transport lead the surveys, with technical and financial support from the World Bank. Researchers also documented accounts from…
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Xinjiang footage sheds new light on Uyghur detention camps
A 20-minute video featuring more than a dozen detention facilities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has offered fresh evidence and renewed the discussion around China’s large-scale crackdown on ethnic minorities in the region. The video was filmed by a Chinese man named Guanguan, who went to Xinjiang after reading a series of articles from US news outlet BuzzFeed News,…
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Monday Covid Update: 6,428 new cases; provincial totals
49 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 20,436 with 20,342 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 6,428 new Covid-19 cases and 7,882 recoveries. There are now 85,768 people in Thailand being…
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Phuket elections, alcohol ban scheduled for Sunday
This Sunday, local Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) elections are being held across the country. A nationwide alcohol ban is in effect for any communities that are holding OrBorTor elections, including a number of areas around Phuket. Voting will take place in Cherng Talay, Koh Kaew, Mai Khao, Sakhu, Thepkrasattri and Kamala. The alcohol ban for localities with an OrBorTor election…
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Krathong cleanup: Prayers to the water goddess trash Thailand’s rivers
Under the full moon on Friday, Thais gathered by rivers and canals to float their intricately-made offerings, known as krathongs, to give thanks to the water goddess. But overnight garbage collectors in Bangkok quickly cleaned the waterways before sunrise, loading dump trucks with krathongs and other debris. The Loy Krathong festival is a known as a popular tradition where Thais…
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International Criminal Court pauses probe into Philippines president’s bloody war on drugs
The investigation into Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs has been temporarily suspended by the International Criminal Court. The ICC launched the probe into alleged human rights violations during the president’s campaign against illegal drugs where thousands have died since Duterte took office in June 2016. The Court has reportedly halted the investigation to review a deferral request…
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Thai industrial gas producers expect higher sales
The largest industrial gas producer in Thailand is encouraged by signs that business is getting back to normal. Bangkok Industrial Gas (BIG) reported that demand dropped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. But now the company says that sales are even higher than they were pre-Covid. BIG estimates that its sales next year will grow by 5-6%, reports the Bangkok Post.…
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Telecom regulators to look into the planned merger of DTAC and True
Following Friday’s announcement from two of the largest mobile phone network service providers in Thailand, DTAC and True, on their plans to merge operations, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission is calling on the companies to discuss the business plans which would likely change the telecom industry and dominate the market. DTAC’s parent company, Norway’s Telenor group, is meeting with…
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15 Burmese pilgrims drown while crossing flooded causeway to reach Buddhist temple
At least 15 pilgrims have drowned and at least 3 more are missing after trying to cross a flooded causeway in Myanmar. According to an AFP report, the incident occurred near the town of Thanbyuzayat in the state of Mon. The victims were among thousands of religious pilgrims who were attempting to reach the Kyeik Hne pagoda. The Buddhist temple…
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Government agency ups 2021 foreign arrivals prediction to 200,000
An agency under the Ministry of Finance has increased its 2021 tourist arrivals forecast to 200,000. The Fiscal Policy Office had previously stated that it expected 180,000 foreign arrivals by the end of the year. According to a Bangkok Post report, Pornchai Thiraveja from the FPO says this now looks likely to increase. During the first 2 weeks of November,…
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Chinese tennis player speaks to Olympic official, insists she’s “safe and well”
Following mounting concern about her welfare, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has spoken to the International Olympic Committee to say she’s safe. According to a Reuters report, Peng had a 30-minute video call with IOC president, Thomas Bach. The call came as Western governments expressed concern when the player had not been seen in public for nearly 3 weeks. Her…
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Are surfboards really hotter than Bitcoin?
Sponsored Article I don’t know what’s harder to get my hand on right now – Bitcoin at a reasonable price, or a new surfboard. With the current pandemic situation, there’s been a shortage of surfboards as more surfers take to the waves. When I was told last year that a new surfboard would take at least 9 months to arrive,…
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Thailand’s climate pledges slammed as “critically insufficient”
Climate research group Climate Action Tracker says Thailand’s pledges at the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland are “critically insufficient”. A report issued by the group has slammed the targets that were agreed, saying Thailand, like most other countries, has not improved on its goals in any way that will make enough of a difference. The report says Thailand needs…
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Thai PM denies he’s trying to remain in power for up to 20 years
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says it’s not true he’s using the 20-year national strategy as an excuse to cling on to power for up to 20 years. According to a Bangkok Post report, the PM rejected the allegation during a speech at a Thai Chamber of Commerce event yesterday. “Efforts have been made to distort the intention (of the…
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Economist: government’s lag on migrant labour hurting economy
The reopening of Thailand has finally kickstarted the economy and put people back to work, but many businesses are struggling with a shortage of migrant labour. While the government has been cracking down on immigrants crossing the border illegally looking for work, many sectors are complaining that the government was unprepared for the country’s reopening and didn’t make efforts to…
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Gold store robber in Khon Kaen wanted, 50,000 baht reward
A daring armed robbery of a gold store in Khon Kaen has resulted in a manhunt with authorities now offering a 50,000 baht reward for any information that leads to the capture of the thief. The robbery took place at a gold shop within a department store yesterday evening and was captured by a security camera. The footage shows a…
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