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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Renowned Thai monk investigated for criticising government’s handling of pandemic
One of Thailand’s most prominent Buddhist monks has been accused of meddling in politics after he criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai PBS World reports that the Sangha Supreme Council has found Phra Maha Sompong Talaputto guilty of expressing political views, which is considered inappropriate. The monk and popular preacher from Bangkok’s Soi Thong Temple is renowned…
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Medics concerned about using anti-viral Favipiravir in Covid patients with minor symptoms
Medical experts are voicing their concern over the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s plan to use the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to treat field hospital patients. Field hospitals are currently being used for so-called “green” Covid-19 patients… those with only minor symptoms, or none. Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan.…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,112 new infections and 15 Covid-related deaths
There has been 2,112 new Covid-19 infections announced for Wednesday, according to the Thai health ministry. 15 people have also been reported as dying from Covid-related symptoms in the past 24 hours. 30,222 people are still under state care and observation in hospitals or field hospitals. 1,886 were discharged from care yesterday. 10.042 patients are listed as in serious condition and 343 are…
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Vaccines reserved for Thais, not expats – Public Health Ministry
Sorry, you’ll just have to wait. The Ministry of Public Health has muddied the waters further about foreigners or expats being able to access Covid vaccines in Thailand. Ministry spokesperson Rungrueng Kitphati has rolled back some of the comments that have already been made about the matter and the real world situation where some expats already registering for the next…
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Thailand News Today | Hotel industry in tatters, Burmese rebels destroy army helicopter | May 4
Today’s Covid stats at the end of the program. A Burmese rebel group is claiming to have downed an Army helicopter in the Kachin province in the far north of the country, poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business, Public Health Minister, Anutin,…
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27 people die from Covid-related illness 1,763 new infections in Thailand
The CCSA has reported 27 deaths and 1,763 new Covid infections over the past 24 hours. Over the past 10 days the daily reports have hovered around the 1,500 – 2,000 mark with the death rate trending upwards. 1,009 patients remain in a serious condition. 311 patients are currently on ventilators with Covid-related symptoms. In other related news… • The Safari…
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Survey finds nearly half of Thai hotels can stay afloat for less than 3 months
A recent poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business. The Bank of Thailand has published its confidence index of hotel business operators for April 2021 and the findings make for grim reading. According to a Nation Thailand report, a total of 188 hotels…
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Virologist urges government to carry out mass vaccination within 3 months
Prominent Thai virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan is calling on the government to carry out mass vaccination of the population within 3 months, after a study showed that 1 dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine boosts immunity by more than 96%. Dr. Yong has been a persistent critic of the Thai government’s handling of the Covid outbreaks in the country. Posting on…
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Thailand News Today | 31 Covid-related deaths, more flight restrictions | May 3
The daily 24 hour infection report has jumped to back over the 2,000 mark, Disease prevention measures are being tightened for passengers taking to the skies after several cases of Covid-19 were found on flights from Bangkok to Phuket, Angry supporters of the pro-democracy movement gathered outside Bangkok’s Criminal Court yesterday, A new Suan Dusit Poll shows that Thai people…
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Covid UPDATE: 31 people die, 2,041 new infections, provincial totals
Today the daily 24 hour infection report for Covid-19 has jumped to back over the 2,000 mark with 2,041 new cases reported by the Thai health ministry. 31 people have died from Covid-related illness as well, a new high. Yesterday the death toll for a single day was 21. The CCSA report that most of today’s reported deaths were from…
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8 hospitals across Thailand forced to close after healthcare workers contract Covid-19
8 Thai hospitals are temporarily closed after patients hid the fact that they were infected with Covid-19 and passed the virus on to hospital staff. Other staff members have had to self-isolate. According to Thai PBS World, the 8 affected hospitals are as follows: Chiang Rai Mae Sai Hospital, closed until May 16. 88 medical staff quarantined. Nakhon Sawan Chumsaeng…
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Flying rules tightened after Covid-19 infections found on Phuket flights
Disease prevention measures are being tightened for air passengers after several cases of Covid-19 were found on flights from Bangkok to Phuket. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has issued new guidance for airlines and passengers, after passengers on 7 flights, operated by 3 different airlines, subsequently tested positive for the virus. Phuket’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has ordered…
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Covid-19 again lowers Thai economic growth forecast to 2.3%
Thailand’s economic growth forecast was lowered to 2.3% as the tourism outlook remains bleak as Covid-19’s third wave pummels the country. Back in October 2020, the Finance Ministry’s Fiscal Policy Office had originally predicted a 4.5% growth for Thailand’s GDP, when Covid-19 seemed to be waning in the country. By January, as the second wave hit, projections were reeled in…
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Thailand expecting 3.5 million Sinovac vaccines by end of May
Another 3.5 million Sinovac Biotech vaccines have been confirmed to be arriving by the end of May, health officials said Friday. With a slow vaccine rollout putting Thailand’s ambitious July 1 reopening plan in jeopardy, the confirmation of another batch of jabs is welcomed news. The head of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation announced the first million vaccines will arrive in…
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Suicide of Burmese worker by jumping from quarantined factory window
After being placed in a Covid-19 quarantine, a Burmese factory worker apparently committed suicide by leaping from his fourth-floor dorm window to his death. The man had worked in the production department at a factory in the Phra Samut Chedi district of the Samut Prakan province. The factory he worked at manufactures steel products inside a quarantined off area of…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,940 new Covid infections, 21 new deaths
Sunday’s report from the Thai health ministry says that there has been 21 new deaths in the last 24 hour reporting period. and 1,940 new cases. There has been 82 people dying over the past 5 days in the current 3rd wave surge of Covid 19 around Thailand. Whilst there’s been a general trend downward over the past week, the…
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Nowhere to hide: Face masks required in all 77 Thai provinces
You hate them. We hate them. We all hate wearing them. You hate endless reporting on them. We hate writing over and over about it. But… Face masks. They are no longer optional anywhere in Thailand. First face masks became compulsory in a few places, then 31 provinces. Phuket even singled out “problem foreigners” refusing to wear masks. Soon 54 provinces…
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Covid UPDATE: 21 Covid-related deaths, infection numbers rise, provincial totals
All the provincial totals (below) from the NBT. Today’s Covid-19 infections were announced this morning and feature a new high in Covid-related deaths. 21 people have succumbed over the past 24 hour reporting period, according to the Thai Health Ministry. The people that died include 9 men and 12 women, aged between 39 and 90. 28,745 people remain in state-controlled…
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Medical, business sectors blame government over Covid-19
Corporations are losing faith in Thailand’s political leaders as many in the medical, financial and business sector are placing the blame on the Prayut government for the current Covid-19 situation. They claim that corruption and cronyism is hindering and dampening a more decisive and productive course of action. The Chamber of Commerce has already offered logistical support to expedite vaccinations…
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Returning Thais tested for Indian variant of Covid-19
A group of Thais just back from India who tested positive for Covid-19 are feared to have the very dangerous Indian variant. Health officials are rushing to confirm what strain of Covid-19 the returning travellers have. The Public Health Ministry already had labs analyzing samples to identify if it is indeed the Indian variant. India is currently deep in a…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,891 new infections, 21 deaths
Today’s Covid-19 24 hour infections report features a new high in Covid-related deaths. 21 people have succumbed over the past 24 hour reporting period, according to the Thai Health Ministry. 1,891 new Covid infections have also been reported. Thailand’s total cases has now reached 67,044 since the start of the pandemic in Thailand in January 2020. 1,884 of those are local…
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Thai people not given choice which Covid-19 vaccine they receive
It’s free but you don’t get a choice. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that people will not be given a choice of which Covid-19 vaccine they receive. Amid widespread criticism of the slow rollout of vaccination in Thailand, the health minister discussed the process of vaccines being approved for distribution within Thailand. Many are concerned about possible side…
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Thailand News Today | ‘Soft’ curfews around the country, Phuket restrictions extended | April 30
Several Thai provinces have introduced nightly ‘soft’ curfews as the fight to curb the spread of Covid continues, all expats living in Thailand are eligible to receive the Covid vaccine, Koh Samui says the island is still pinning its hopes on a July 1 re-opening for vaccinated foreign tourists and Phuket’s governor has extended the Covid restrictions and entry measures…
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New Covid-19 infections fall, but critical cases rise
Don’t let the decrease in new daily Coronavirus cases mislead you. The number of critical Covid-19 cases and deaths are on the rise and Thailand is far from over the Coronavirus pandemic. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration put out a notice today reminding people that vigilance is still imperative and that people need to follow safety measures and should…
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Pickup truck driver swerves into water off Pattaya
The driver of a pickup truck claims that he swerved to avoid an out-of-nowhere motorbike when his vehicle flew off the road and into the ocean of Jomtien, south of Pattaya, last night. Na Jomtien Police received an accident report around 8 pm last night and went to investigate. The blue pickup truck was asea and taking on water when…
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Thailand seeks rights to produce Favipiravir antiviral drug
With thousands of people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19 and hundreds in critical condition, the Thai government is now seeking the rights to produce the Japanese-made antiviral drug Favipiravir. In Thailand, the drug has been used to treat those infected with Covid-19, typically those with serious conditions. A very, small portion of Thailand’s population has been fully vaccinated against…
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Popular Thai comedian Kom Chauncheun dies of Covid-19
Covid-19 claimed the life of Kom Chauncheun, a popular Thai comedian, who died this morning after an 18-day hospital stay. The comedian tested positive for the Coronavirus 18 days ago and checked into the hospital immediately after. He had been treated at a private hospital but transferred to Ramathibodhi Hospital, a government-run facility as his condition worsened. On Thursday Kom…
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Criminal Court rejects Ratsadon protesters’ bail again
Thailand’s Criminal Court is rejecting the Ratsadon protesters’ bail again, referring to the same reasons made in previous rejections by the court. Earlier yesterday, supporters of the jailed protesters gathered outside the court, handing a letter demanding the release of the 7 prisoners. Panupong Jadnok, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Chaiamorn Wibulkaew, Arnon Nampa, Chukiat Saengwong and Parinya Cheewinkulpahtom have…
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Bangkok sets goal to vaccinate 70% of population by the end of the year
With Bangkok as the epicentre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, infecting over 10,000 people in the capital since April 1, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says they now aim to vaccinate 70% of Bangkok residents by the end of the year. Since Thailand started its national Covid-19 vaccination plan in late-February, just 1.4 million doses have been inoculated. Priority was initially…
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New Covid-19 zoning with tightened restrictions starts tomorrow
Starting midnight Saturday, tightened disease control measures will take effect, including restrictions set nationwide as well as restrictions based on the recent colour-coded zoning by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The restrictions will be in place for at least 14 days. Nationwide restrictions Alcohol sales at restaurants will be prohibited nationwide in an effort to prevent gathering and slow…
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