Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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VIDEO: Couple narrowly escapes death as steel beam falls onto Bangkok expressway
Dashcam footage reveals the terrifying moment a heavy steel beam fell 20 metres through the air onto a busy expressway in Bangkok. The beam landed just metres in front of an oncoming pickup truck which was flung into the air as the wheels collided with the beam. Miraculously, the couple inside the pickup truck came out of the incident unharmed.…
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Study: vaccines prevented nearly half a million deaths in Thailand
Since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, 31,031 people have died in Thailand from the virus, but a research team suggest that it could have been much worse without vaccines. The team from Mahidol University suggested that, without a vaccination programme in place, Thailand would likely have seen another 490,000 deaths. The MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis compile…
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5-day holiday weekend brings predictable surge in Covid-19 infections
While it was entirely predictable, Thailand rejoiced at the chance to get away for a five-day weekend, ignoring warnings from medical professionals, and now the country is seeing a spike in new and serious Covid-19 infections. The Department of Disease Control released figures showing that the number of people infected with severe Covid cases that require ventilators is rising again.…
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British hero hails US film director’s depiction of Thai cave rescue
Cave hero Richard Stanton believes movie director Ron Howard was the perfect choice to capture the raw emotion of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded grotto in Thailand. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has retold the climactic tale from four years ago of the cave rescue in a new movie, “Thirteen Lives,” which premiered last…
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Four-legged chicken turns heads at Big Bum Farm in northeast Thailand
A farmer in northeast Thailand discovered a four-legged hen in his coup and locals won’t leave it alone. The genetically unusual chicken is believed to bring good luck and might even reveal next month’s winning lottery numbers, according to locals, some of whom visit the chicken every day at – and this is no joke – “Big Bum Farm” in…
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Human Rights Watch calls on Thai protesters on hunger strike to be released
From Human Rights Watch… (Published as provided) Thai authorities should immediately drop the charges and release pro-democracy activists detained for insulting the monarchy (lese majeste), Human Rights Watch said today. Two of the activists, Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom and Nutthanit “Bai Por” Duangmusit, have been on a hunger strike since June 2, 2022, to protest their pretrial detention at Bangkok’s Central…
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Thailand could generate up to US$65 billion in tourism revenue next year, says TAT
Yesterday, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the country’s tourism industry could generate up to US$65 billion, or 2.38 trillion baht, next year. The revenue could equate to around 80% of pre-pandemic tourism revenue, said Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supasorn. Comparatively, the TAT expects Thailand to actualise 1.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue this year. Yuthasak expects Thailand to…
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Doubts over Thailand’s 2028 completion date for high speed rail link
Despite last week’s announcement that the high-speed railway from Bangkok to the Laos border would be completed by 2028, there remain lingering doubts about whether the Thai government is fully committed to the project, valued at about US$12 billion. Questions are being raised about perceived benefits to Thailand or how the government can recover any of the costs. The new…
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Thai anti-corruption body names names over Thai Airways Rolls Royce engine scandal
Part of the debacle Thai Airways finds itself in now harks back to poor decisions made 30 years ago with some “expensive” aircraft engine purchases. Since then there have been numerous investigations and serious charges levelled against Rolls Royce over payments made to Thai Airways personnel. Rolls Royce has since settled over the case following an investigation by the British…
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Thai PM faces uncertain outcome as censure debate kicks off today
The four day censure debate kicks off today, with the Thai PM and his cabinet ministers, targeted for censure, confident they will emerge unscathed. The actual no confidence motion will be put to the vote on Saturday after four days of drilling from opposition MPs. The weekly Cabinet meeting was moved back to yesterday to accommodate the week of parliamentary…
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Freshmen forced to dance naked at university hazing ritual in Thailand
Electrical engineering students from a private university in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district were allegedly forced to dance naked in front of women during an off-campus “hazing” ritual. Twitter user @RedSkullxxx posted a video of the incident online on Saturday with the caption… “This is an off campus hazing ceremony for fourth-year electrical engineering students from Southeast Asia University. In which…
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Thai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers
Senior officers from the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces, say its nearly 2,000,000,000 baht budget would be used reasonably to protect the country. But members of the Extraordinary Committee asked about the secret budget and urged senior officers to reveal more detail about the plan to the public. The Extraordinary Committee met this morning to consider the…
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Kanchana Buri Skywalk to open in old town next year
Kanchana Buri is hoping to boost their tourism numbers higher by lifting their tourists higher with a 15-metre tall skywalk. The project has been in the works for a long time, with construction woes delaying the opening again and again, but the bridge with its scenic views is now set to be opened at the beginning of 2023. The skywalk…
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Pegasus spyware found on phones of activists in Thailand
A new report has revealed that dozens of Thai democracy activists were targeted by an Israeli spyware programme called Pegasus during the height of intense anti-government protests over the past two years. The joint report, by the Thai NGO iLaw, Digital Reach, and The Citizen Lab, claims that the phones of 30 activists, academics, lawyers, and NGO workers, mostly connected to civil…
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Thailand aims to complete high-speed rail link with China by 2028
Thailand aims to finish constructing the high-speed rail link which will connect China with the Land of Smiles by 2028, according to the Transport and Foreign Affairs ministries. As it stands, the project is only 5% complete – casting doubts on Thailand’s ability to fulfil their recent pledge to get the job done in the next six years. Beijing plans…
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Thieves steal VIP chairs from Liverpool – Man U match in Bangkok
Police have arrested a man under suspicion of stealing VIP chairs reserved for Liverpool and Manchester United players from Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday morning. CCTV footage reveals two nonchalant men wheeling four dugout chairs, valued at 400,000 baht, out of the stadium at 6am. Two of the chairs were used by Manchester United reserve players and two by…
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Amazing Dark Sky Thailand programme by TAT to boost stargazing
If you’re looking for the next big thing for Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand suggests looking up. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand has teamed up with the TAT to launch the new Amazing Dark Sky Thailand, which focuses on attracting those who appreciated staring up at the night sky. In a country whose main concern with celestial…
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Thai protesters run their own, informal no-confidence poll
Thailand’s anti-government protesters are gathering support again as the country’s restrictions allow them to gather in groups and protest against the Prayut government. Now they’re running their own mock no-confidence poll as a real no-confidence debate is about to start in the Thai parliament tomorrow. Yesterday, the Ratsadon (The People) group started collecting ‘votes’ for its own, informal no-confidence motion…
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UPDATE: Bangkok taxi driver pulls out knife on Singaporean tourists
UPDATE: Police punish Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated Singaporean tourists The Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated two Singaporean tourists has been ordered to pay 3,000 baht in fines, had his driving license suspended for three months, and must attend a three-hour training course about taxi rules and regulations in Thailand. Thailand’s Department of Land Transport and officers from Suvarnabhumi Airport…
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UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand
UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand The Royal Thai army’s Blackhawk which crashed into a rubber plantation in Songkhla on Friday got into a second accident on the roads in Phatthalung province yesterday. The helicopter wreckage was loaded onto an army trailer which collided with another trailer on the Hat Yai – Phattalung road at…
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Thais swarm to new digital lottery tickets
The move of the official bi-monthly Thai lottery to a digital form continues apace. Thais are showing their increasing preference to purchase their lottery tickets through the “Pao Tang” app, instead of through the traditional street lottery vendors. The 7.1 million new digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw are now available and can be bought 24/7 at the…
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Molnupiravir should not be bought online and used, FDA warns
Self-administering the Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir can be dangerous, according to a new warning by the Thai Food a Drug Administration. The FDA announced that people should not purchase Molnupiravir independently and should only take the drug that has been used to treat Covid symptoms after consultation with a doctor or other medical professional who can prescribe proper usage. The Secretary…
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Pending bill to name NYC neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand’
Thailand is continuing to make its mark far beyond the kingdom’s borders. New York City’s city council has approved a bill to name one neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand.’ The neighbourhood, located in the borough of Queens, is already called this name informally, as it has several Thai restaurants and businesses. The council member who sponsored the bill, Shekar Krishnan, said… “The…
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Full Moon Party draws 20,000 & Robin Hood in Underpants
Owning land as a foreigner in Thailand. Robin Hood in underpants, more details of the man handing out phones to the poor. Full moon party and drowning incidents in Phuket has got people on alert. All this and more of your questions answered on todays weekend update.
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Thailand isn’t the only place in the world that applies tourist taxes
Thailand is about to add an arrival ‘tourist’ tax of 300 baht. But it’s not really a tourist tax because it will apply to ALL foreigners entering Thailand, including YOU. No exemptions, not even your work permit or diplomatic status will help. The proposal, set to come into force in Q4, 2022, will be in the form of a 300…
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Thailand says no to North Korean martial art at SEA Games
Thailand is saying no to a North Korean martial art that will be included at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Cambodia has said that North Korean-style taekwondo is one of the 39 sports that will be featured at the Games. The vice president of the Olympic Committee of Thailand has said that Thailand will not send any athletes…
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Thailand’s Public Health Ministry urges 10 day quarantine
Thailand’s public health authorities are pushing people to follow the 10-day quarantine period if they test positive for Covid-19. A spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, Dr Rungrueng Kitphati, said that if people have to leave their homes, such as for hospital trips, they must wear masks. Rungrueng added that outpatients should also stay in well-ventilated rooms, away from others,…
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PTT top revenue-earning company in Thailand in 2021
In news that is likely not surprising but probably very frustrating, amid soaring fuel prices, petrol company PTT has topped the list as the highest revenue corporation in Thailand for 2021. The national oil and gas conglomerate breakdancing 1 trillion baht over the last year no doubt thanks in part to huge inflation in the price of oil that has…
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Foreign ownership of Thai land, but with lots of conditions
One rai of land in Thailand is all yours to own, if you’re a foreigner, have plenty of money, or are going to stay in Thailand for a long time. The plan to sell freehold land to foreigners is gaining traction and is likely to become law by the end of this year. It’s part of the Thai government’s intention…
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Three Uyghurs escape from detention centre in Thailand
Thai police are still searching for three Uyghur men who escaped from an immigration detention centre in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, 200 miles south of Bangkok, on Monday. The trio – 25 year old Ali, 30 year old Abdulla and 29 year old Abdullah – broke out of their cell on Monday morning by using a sharp tool to cut…
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