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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thailand’s public health officials proposing ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ to legally reopen nightlife
Thailand is getting closer and closer to the endemic phase of its Covid response. Achingly slow but now with at least a proposal to be tabled at the next CCSA meeting. The Ministry of Public Health will propose ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ as a plan to allow entertainment venues to legally reopen in 3 tourist islands including Phuket, Koh Chang, and Koh…
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Pattaya police announce ‘specialised’ patrol after several gold theft incidents
In the wake of a string of gold theft incidents in Pattaya in the past month, a Pattaya police chief has announced that a ‘specialised’ police patrol force will be formed to monitor any inappropriate incidents in tourist areas, or crimes against tourists. This news comes after four separate occasions in Pattaya where Indian tourists reported thieves snatching their expensive…
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First day of Thailand’s rainy season: heavy rain warning for 36 provinces
Today, May 13, marks the first day of Thailand’s rainy season. A low pressure cell from upper Vietnam is expected to cause heavy rain and potential flash flooding in 36 provinces in the kingdom. The Meteorological Department advises people to be aware of the dangers caused by heavy rainfall. Sailors, especially on the Andaman Coast, should expect tall waves and…
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Depressed delivery driver kills himself by jumping off a Bangkok bridge
A delivery worker who worked for Lalamove, 31 year old Wicharn Pimthikor, jumped from Bhumibol I Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. He had parked his motorcycle on the bridge before deciding to jump. His body was later found floating in the Chao Praya River. A ferry operator said he was on duty nearby when he heard a big splash, like something…
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UPDATE: New details emerge on missing German tourist in Phuket
THE LATEST Phuket police are still on the lookout for the German tourist who reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). The 76 year old woman was originally only identified as Ms. Barbara, however the Thalang district police chief has now told The Phuket Express that her full name is Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag…
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What you need to know about Thai spirit homes
When travelling around Thailand, it’s impossible not to notice the spirit houses. Sort of like mini Thai temples. They can be found everywhere at every company, hotel, shopping mall, and even some people’s homes. It’s been part of Thai culture for centuries. You often see them with either food and drinks, or flowers and fruits made as offerings to the ‘spirits’.…
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Democrat candidate in Bangkok election promises to tackle flooding if elected
A candidate in Bangkok’s upcoming governor election is saying he will tackle the city’s flooding problem if he is elected. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, from Thailand’s Democrat Party, said at a campaign event yesterday that electric water pumps must be set up across Bangkok, because dredging and flood control reservoirs are not enough. Bangkok has had a chronic problem with…
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The Bikini Beach Race to take place in Pattaya this October
Central Festival Pattaya Beach has confirmed its annual running event, the Bikini Beach Race 2022. The event is run on the beach in front of the Central Festival shopping centre on October 29 this year. The Bikini Beach Race was actually held last year, even though the Covid-19 prevention rules weren’t relaxed, as they are this year (let’s hope it…
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Thursday Covid Update: 8,019 new cases; provincial totals
59 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,311 with 7,613 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,019 new Covid-19 cases and 8,807 recoveries. There are now 77,427 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded today,…
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Prawit is confident Thailand will rise to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report
Thailand has done a lot to combat human trafficking and deserves to move up to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s next Trafficking In Persons report, says Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Prawit addressed Thailand’s progress in tackling human trafficking in a press conference yesterday. In the latest annual TIP report, published in June 2021, the US demoted Thailand…
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Travellers will still have to wear face masks post-endemic phase in Thailand
As the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand continues to decrease, the National Communicable Diseases Committee has started talking about post-pandemic measures or lingering preventative measure when the coronavirus is declared endemic in Thailand, including any requirement for travellers to wear face masks, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Speaking to Thai media yesterday, he claimed that, with public collaboration…
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UPDATE: Authorities find Isaan cult also selling food and snacks online
Following the report on the raid of the hidden cult compound in the Isaan province Chaiyaphum last week, authorities visited the make-shift for a second time and found they were also operating a semi-commercial food business to make a living. The ‘cult’ distributes food products like chilli paste, fermented fish and snacks but without registration with the Food and Drug Administration,…
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Man who released cobras at Bangkok intersection slaps political activist in the face
A man who made headlines two months ago for releasing cobras and cutting his wrists at a busy intersection in Bangkok has gained more attention for slapping a political activist in the face at a protest in Bangkok. ‘K Hundred Million’, a real estate businessman, said he slapped the woman because she insulted Thailand’s royal family. The incident happened on…
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Fortune telling tarantula predicts lottery numbers in central Thailand
A man from Ang Thong province in central Thailand believes that a tarantula in the forest can predict the future. So far, the tarantula has made two lottery predictions. The man reportedly waits day and night for the furry fortune teller to come out of its hole to see what it might predict next. When the man wants “Phaya Bung”…
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German tourist missing in Phuket
After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…
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Man stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand
A man stabbed another man to death at a wedding party in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last night, according to police in Nopphitam district. Witnesses told police that the victim, 58 year old Diam Yangkaew, had been drinking with other guests at a table, when another man showed up on a motorcycle. They say the man walked…
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‘Yellow shirt’ leaders facing possible prison sentence
The Thai Appeals Court has upheld a previous court decision over the involvement of 5 key Thai politicians and activists in violent 2008 demonstrations. A Thai TV news presenter and 3 former leaders of the disbanded People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), widely known as the “Yellow Shirts”, face a year in jail without suspension over their involvement in the 2008…
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Thai kindergarten forces students to wear military uniform, sparks outrage
A Thai kindergarten has been slammed online for forcing students to wear 4 different uniforms, including a “military uniform” on Thursdays. The public school in the western province of Kanchanaburi informed parents they must purchase the new uniforms before the new term begins on May 17. The preschool wants children aged 4 – 6 to wear 4 different uniforms: ‘normal’…
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New wages for Thailand’s skilled workers
Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,650 new cases; provincial totals
56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,252 with 7,554 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,650 new Covid-19 cases and 9,322 recoveries. There are now 78,274 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Some Thailand Post services to China suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions
Thailand Post says it’s had to suspend some postal services to China, as a result of the country’s strict Covid-19 measures. The service cites airline restrictions and strict lockdowns in China as the reason for the suspension. For the time being, according to a Nation Thailand report, no letters or parcels can be sent to China via EMS World or…
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3 cannabis medications added to Universal Healthcare Coverage
Three traditional cannabis based medications have been added to Universal Healthcare Coverage, commonly known as the gold card scheme, by the National Health Security Office. The three medications include: paralysis treatment, treatment for sleep problems and food consumption, and treatment for muscular pain and limb numbness. The three were approved by the NHSO board meeting on May 2nd, according to…
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“Get ready for Covid-19 to be declared endemic”
The Thai PM has ordered all provincial administrations to prepare for Covid-19 being declared endemic, by creating operation plans for their own provinces. According to government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the PM’s order follows the decision to downgrade Thailand’s Covid-19 alert from Level 4 to Level 3, with the prospect of declaring the coronavirus ‘endemic’ sometime soon. Nation Thailand reports that…
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Thailand’s government will likely keep diesel subsidies
After much drama and anxiety over announcements that Thailand’s diesel price could eventually jump to 40 baht per litre, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced yesterday that the government will likely extend its subsidy programme that is due to end on May 20. The current subsidy has helped keep the price at about 32 baht per litre, even though the actual…
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Minister of Digital Economy and Society wants 42 websites banned
Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, has asked the court to ban access to 42 websites including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook pages that are spreading the controversial Lazada advert. He was responding to a contracted ad on e-commerse platform Lazada, where 2 influencers, Nara Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang wear hi-so clothing, who royalists deemed to be…
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“Doctor loses”: Mor Chana Covid-19 application to be discontinued from June 1
Thailand’s once-mandatory Covid-19 tracking application “Mor Chana”, or Doctor Wins, will be discontinued from June 1. Mor Chana was once commonly used to track coronavirus cases and notify people if they had been exposed to Covid-19. Mor Chana, which was launched on April 29 2020, used GPS and Bluetooth to track the movement of users, who were expected to use…
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Elderly woman killed by toddy palm fruit in northeast Thailand
The body of an elderly lady was found lying face down beneath a palm tree in a rice paddy in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima this morning. The woman, 78 year old Dee Namchanad, was out cutting down toddy palm fruit to sell at the market when the fruit hit her in the head and killed her. A 6…
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Dog kills its owner’s sister in Phuket
A woman was found dead with bite marks on her neck at her home in Phuket in southern Thailand this morning. She was taking care of her brother’s two Thai ridgeback dogs while he was away on a business trip to Bangkok. One of the dogs had traces of blood on its mouth and fur. Police found 38 year old…
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Two Thai boys attempt to walk from Isaan to Phuket to visit their relatives
Or “Top and Tai’s Excellent Adventure”. Two teenage boys attempted to walk from the Isaan province of Udon Thani to Phuket in southern Thailand, a distance of some 1,450 kilometres, because they wanted to visit their relatives. The pair didn’t get very far. When they were spotted walking along the road in Udon Thani, they were sent back home for…
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A piece of ceiling at Phuket airport falls, one passenger sent to hospital
An aluminium ‘bar’ from Phuket Airport’s domestic terminal ceiling has fallen to the floor, just avoiding hitting a female passenger standing nearby. No injuries were reported, but the woman was in shock and fainted. Ceiling structures at Thailand’s airports have suffered from ‘gravity’ over the past few weeks. Yesterday, at 11.20 am, officials at Phuket airport’s domestic terminal were notified…
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