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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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    10 biggest challenges retirees face in Thailand (and how to overcome them)

    Retiring in Thailand comes with many benefits, like warm weather, affordable living, and a rich culture. However, it also brings challenges. Retirees must deal with visa rules, healthcare costs, language barriers, and cultural differences. Rising medical expenses, required insurance, and...

  • Koh Samui Airport scrutinising international arrivals for Omicron

    Koh Samui Airport scrutinising international arrivals for Omicron

    After the emergence of the Omicron variant, the first international flight arriving at Samui Airport on Koh Samui faced increased scrutiny. All passengers have been strictly screened as airport employees were instructed to thoroughly check incoming international passengers to curb the possible spread of the new Covid-19 variant. The first international flight to arrive at Koh Samui Airport was from…

  • PM says government move to digital technology will grow economy

    PM says government move to digital technology will grow economy

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has called on organisations in Thailand to stay focused on the development of digital technology to grow the economy. The prime minister hosted a ceremony for the Digital Government Awards 2021 this week, bestowing honours on those public agencies that have already adopted digital technology. At the event, PM Prayut offered praise for the government agencies making…

  • Omicron: Mideast countries prepare for the new coronavirus variant

    Omicron: Mideast countries prepare for the new coronavirus variant

    This week most Middle Eastern countries reacted in one way or the other to the new omicron coronavirus variant. So far only Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have recorded omicron infections. But amid omicron-related concerns, Lebanese health authorities have just announced a night curfew for people who have not been vaccinated or are without a recent negative…

  • COVID-19 SATURDAY: 5,896 infections, 37 deaths, provincial data

    COVID-19 SATURDAY: 5,896 infections, 37 deaths, provincial data

    Today, the CCSA reported 5,896 new Covid-19 infections, up 984 since yesterday, and 37 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 4 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,107,664 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 5,666 recoveries, up 178 from…

  • Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality

    Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality

    The head of the Red Cross pointed to the Omicron variant as the ultimate evidence that vaccine inequality around the world is a danger to every country globally. The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that much more work is needed to balance the inequality in the global approach to vaccination against the…

  • PM reports no Omicron variant in Thailand yet, New Year’s a go

    PM reports no Omicron variant in Thailand yet, New Year’s a go

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha spoke out to reassure the people of Thailand that no cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the country as of now. The prime minister said that preventative measures were being strictly followed to keep Thailand safe and to allow New Years festivities to take place as planned. The government has been taking proactive steps to…

  • Alcohol sales and consumption allowed in Chon Buri again

    Alcohol sales and consumption allowed in Chon Buri again

    After what seems like an eternity of fighting, protesting, and petitioning, the party is back in Pattaya! Sort of. Last night, the Public Relations Facebook page of the Chon Buri Governor posted the order easing restrictions on alcohol sales and consumption in the Chon Buri Blue Zone. The Blue Zone includes Pattaya and Bang Lamung, as well as Koh Larn,…

  • AfricaLink on Air – 03 December 2021

    AfricaLink on Air – 03 December 2021

    Gambia set for presidential elections +++ Gambia: Vox Pops +++ Gambia: The women who wanted to run for president, and why they didn’t +++ Nigeria: Taking up weapons in self-defense +++ Decline of grasshopper population worries Ugandan grasshopper eaters +++ Sports SOURCE: DW News

  • Indonesia: Groundwater exploitation threatens livelihoods

    Indonesia: Groundwater exploitation threatens livelihoods

    The overexploitation of groundwater on Java’s northern coast has left impoverished local residents fighting for survival. Many have already been forced to flee their homes. SOURCE: DW News

  • Hong Kong: How is China’s crackdown changing the city’s identity?

    Hong Kong: How is China’s crackdown changing the city’s identity?

    Hong Kong authorities are pursuing new laws to tighten the city-state’s grip on public discourse critical of its Beijing-aligned government. Residents are resorting to self-censorship and many feel that their city’s liberal identity may have been permanently lost. Speaking at the 2021 China Internet Media Forum in Guangzhou in late November, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, stated that her…

  • All 23 districts declared as disaster zones in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    All 23 districts declared as disaster zones in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    Following downpours and runoff that began inundating the municipality last night, all 23 districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat province have been declared disaster zones. The statement by the provincial governor Kraisorn Wisitwong would assist rescuers and authorities to expedite rescue operations while also allowing the province administration to promptly distribute the emergency budget to affected households. Heavy rain, along with…

  • Police face criticism over plans to buy millions of baht worth of tear gas and riot gear

    Police face criticism over plans to buy millions of baht worth of tear gas and riot gear

    Apparently, the Royal Thai Police looking to spend tens of millions of baht on riot gear and tears, a move that’s sparked criticism as many have opposed the police’s tactics to crack down on pro-democracy protesters. During many of youth-led protests this year, where activists call for government and monarchy reform, riot police have deployed high pressure water cannons, tear…

  • Malaysia reports first case of Omicron variant

    Malaysia reports first case of Omicron variant

    Every nation’s fear finally arrives in Malaysia, as its health minister today announced that a foreign student in her quarantine after arriving from South Africa two weeks ago had tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus. Following the World Health Organisation’s announcement on November 24 that Omicron was causing a variety of concerns, authorities re-tested earlier positive samples, according to minister…

  • Thai Immigration launches online 90 day report system

    Thai Immigration launches online 90 day report system

    A new online system for 90-day checks with immigration has been launched by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. Online 90-day reporting has been glitchy in the past… So let us know how it worked for you. A confirmation could come through hours after applying. And be sure to check the spam folder. You can register at https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add Foreigners who are permitted to…

  • Pilot seriously injured in F-5 fighter jet crash in Lop Buri

    Pilot seriously injured in F-5 fighter jet crash in Lop Buri

    Warning: Some may find the photos below disturbing. An F-5 fighter jet crashed during training in the Chai Badan area of Central Thailand’s Lop Buri province today morning, critically injuring the pilot. The fighter jet, from Wing 21, crashed onto a training field in Chai Badan district at 11am, according to Air Force spokesperson AVM Prapas Sornchaidee. The pilot ejected…

  • Taiwan sets up nighttime vaccination spots with gifting plans

    Taiwan sets up nighttime vaccination spots with gifting plans

    In an effort to enhance the Covid-19 vaccine coverage, a number of hospitals in Taiwan have started giving evening appointments yesterday, and the Central Epidemic Command Centre, or CECC, is considering setting up vaccine booths at PX Mart supermarkets. At a news conference held yesterday, CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang said that hospitals established by Taiwan’s Armed Forces, Ministry of Health…

  • Thai AirAsia X seeks for new investors as flights to resume next year

    Thai AirAsia X seeks for new investors as flights to resume next year

    Thai AirAsia X under the AirAsia group, is seeking new investors for a major restructuring in order to resume international flights next year, after a two-year halt of its low-cost carriers. According to Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of SET-listed Asia Aviation (AAV), and a shareholder of Thai AirAsia X, the 11-aircraft fleet was reduced to seven earlier this year, and…

  • Government to set up committee to consider opening casinos in Thailand

    Government to set up committee to consider opening casinos in Thailand

    Thailand could be legalising casinos in the near future. The House of Representatives recently voted in favour of setting up a 60-seat extraordinary committee to consider the opening of casinos, which are still illegal in Thailand. Opening the venues for gambling is expected to draw in more income from foreign tourists. 310 MPs voted in favour while 9 were against…

  • Detained Cambodian monk with refugee status says he could jailed if deported from Thailand

    Detained Cambodian monk with refugee status says he could jailed if deported from Thailand

    Possible deportation and jail time is looming for a Cambodian refugee monk who was recently detained by Thai authorities, despite the recent condemnation from the United Nations. Last month, three Cambodians under UN refugee protection were deported from Thailand and arrested in their home country. On Wednesday, Thai authorities arrested a Cambodian monk and an environmental activist Bor Bet, who…

  • Wildlife officials search for Bengal tiger roaming across three provinces

    Wildlife officials search for Bengal tiger roaming across three provinces

    A Bengal tiger has reportedly been roaming across three provinces and wildlife officials have been searching for the wildcat, which was last seen leaving a forest in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani. The tiger, named “Vijit,” is wearing a tracking collar and the signal emitted from the collar showed the big cat in a eucalyptus plantation…

  • Baby elephant rescued after being shot in the shoulder while leg caught in trap

    Baby elephant rescued after being shot in the shoulder while leg caught in trap

    An injured baby elephant has been rescued and is receiving medical treatment in the eastern province of Chon Buri, according to a Reuters report. Fahsai, whose name means, “fair sky” is thought to be around 3 months old. She was rescued after getting her leg caught in a hunter’s trap and then being shot in the shoulder several times. The…

  • Junior police officer facing attempted murder for allegedly shooting at a Bangkok bus

    Junior police officer facing attempted murder for allegedly shooting at a Bangkok bus

    A junior police officer is facing attempted murder charges after he fired a gun at a passenger bus in Bangkok’s Bang Chan district on Tuesday. A video of the incident shared on social media shows a motorcyclist, cutting off the bus, forcing it to stop. He walked up to the bus driver and then went back to his motorcycle where…

  • 5 Omicron cases reported in South Korea

    5 Omicron cases reported in South Korea

    South Korea reported its first five cases of the new “Omicron” virus on Wednesday amongst its 5,000 in a single day as infection rates soared for the first time, raising concerns about a sudden spike. The new variant was followed by a fully vaccinated couple who came back from Nigeria last week and was promptly transmitted to two family members…

  • Lockdown not on the cards, but re-opening nightlife may be postponed: PM

    Lockdown not on the cards, but re-opening nightlife may be postponed: PM

    The Thai PM has ruled out introducing another national lockdown as a result of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. However, he says the re-opening of bars and other nightlife venues may have to be delayed. According to a Bangkok Post report, Prayut Chan-o-cha says existing screening measures for international arrivals are sufficient, without having to shut down the country. “Harsh measures…

  • Snakes are saved from witchcraft rituals in Kenya | Thaiger

    Snakes are saved from witchcraft rituals in Kenya

    Snakes are killed for witchcraft in Kenya. Reptiles are poached for rituals. Rare animals are captured by sorcerers. Those recovered are brought to Nairobi’s Snake Park zoo. Generally people are afraid of snakes in Kenya. This is not only because of the risk of a poisonous bite. There is a belief that snakes are cursed. This Egyptian snake was rescued…

  • Japan: Sumo wrestler deaths raise obesity concerns

    Japan: Sumo wrestler deaths raise obesity concerns

    The early deaths of three sumo wrestlers over the span of just a year and a half have raised the alarm over health and safety for sumo wrestlers. In May of last year, 28-year-old wrestler Kyotaka Omori, who was known by the sumo name “Shobushi,” died in May 2020 after contracting the coronavirus in April of that year. Omori, who…

  • Can India’s privatization push revive its economy?

    Can India’s privatization push revive its economy?

    The Indian government’s deal to sell its flagship Air Indiawas touted by supporters as a landmark move in a drive to privatize the debt-laden airline, and other public services. Critics say privatization could mark a decline in the quality of government-supported organizations. Air India’s privatization drive had been in the works for about four years. However, past attempts to offload…

  • Soldier suspended from duty after allegedly killing a woman in Narathiwat

    Soldier suspended from duty after allegedly killing a woman in Narathiwat

    A military soldier from the 4th Army has been charged with allegedly killing a 44 year old woman in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district yesterday. The solider allegedly approached the woman, asked her a question, and then took out a revolver, shooting her in the forehead. An Army spokesperson, Maj Gen Pramote Phrom-in, today said the suspect is identified as Sgt…

  • Police arrest man for allegedly attacking and robbing a Russian woman in Pattaya

    Police arrest man for allegedly attacking and robbing a Russian woman in Pattaya

    A 42 year old man was arrested today for allegedly beating and robbing a Russian tourist in Pattaya six months ago, Khaosod English reports. The 56 year old woman was taking photos in South Pattaya when the man allegedly attacked her, stealing her phone and US$2,000 in cash. The victim’s face was left with bruises from the assault. The man,…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 4,971 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 4,971 new cases; provincial totals

    33 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 20,847 with 20,753 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 4,971 new Covid-19 cases and 5,402 recoveries. There are now 73,726 people in Thailand being…