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 See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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Foreign diver deported following eco-vandalism arrest off Koh Pha Ngan
Thai Immigration deported a foreign diver who was arrested in September for disturbing marine wildlife off Koh Pha Ngan. Photos and videos of himself and another diver holding, poking and tickling sea creatures were posted on Facebook, leading to their arrest. Attila Ott, a Hungarian national and owner of the island’s Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club, was deported after his…
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Looking for love? Tourism Authority partners with Tinder to host dating trips
Single and looking for love? Oddly enough, the Tourism Authority of Thailand can help. They’ve partnered with the dating app Tinder to launch “Single Journey” tours… which could end up being a romantic getaway, or a really awkward date you can’t get out of. TAT says the dating trips are only for Thais. The first trip will be on Sunday.…
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Ministry investigating multiple cases of corruption in government’s co-payment scheme
The government’s “Let’s Go Halves” (Khon La Khrueng) co-payment stimulus campaign has fallen foul of 100s of incidents of fraud, according to the Finance Ministry. Under the scheme, the government subsidises 50% of the cost of food, drink, and other products, up to a maximum of 150 baht per person per day, capped at 3,000 baht per person for the…
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Minister says Thailand plans to build spacecraft to orbit the moon within 7 years
Government minister Anek Laothamatas says that within 7 years, Thailand will have built and launched a spacecraft that will orbit and explore the moon. The Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation was speaking at a press conference at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, where an update on Covid-19 vaccines was being provided to the media. He says that, in addition to…
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No “drink voting” – Alcohol ban on Saturday and Sunday during elections
CORRECTION: Dates for the alcohol ban were incorrect in an earlier report. The correct dates are Saturday, December 19 to Sunday, December, 20. Possibly in an effort to make sure no one stumbles to the voting polls and casts their ballots drunk, alcohol will be banned from 6pm Saturday until 6pm Sunday during Thailand’s municipal council elections across the country.…
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Thailand News Today | Bangkok air pollution, 28 Covid cases, Lao dam protest | December 14
Bangkok starts the new week with ‘unhealthy’ air quality Waking up in Bangkok today you would have been surprised that the sun had disappeared to be replaced by a grey sky and views across the city limited to less than a kilometre. Across the city the air quality readings for most of the day have been aver the 150 mark…
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Covid-19 cases could lead to a drop in revenue for New Years, economist says
A rise in local Covid-19 infections could discourage many people from travelling and going out for New Years celebrations, costing Thailand’s tourism industry 14 billion baht to more than 16 billion baht, according to economist Anusorn Tamajai. Recently, 17 Thais tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from the Myanmar border town Tachileik, crossing the border illegally and dodging the mandatory…
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Holiday weekend road death toll: 67
67 people were killed in road accidents during the long holiday weekend while another 388 people were injured, according to the Transport Ministry. Most of the fatalities were motorcycle riders. Thursday and Friday were public holidays for Constitution Day and Father’s Day which commemorates King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday. Many people were off work and travelled. The ministry estimates more than…
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Geminids meteor shower visible tonight from 8pm
Tonight you may want to step outside from 8pm onwards as one of the most abundant meteor showers will grace the sky. The Geminids can be viewed nationwide tonight starting at 8 and will last until the early hours of tomorrow. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says about 120 bright meteor showers per hour will be visible with…
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Majority says school uniforms should remain mandatory – NIDA Poll
According to a new poll, a majority of Thai people think the student uniforms should remain mandatory in Thai schools, while others say casual outfits should also be allowed some days of the week. The latter opinion, which was part of the recently conducted National Institute of Development Administration Poll, was reportedly due to keeping the peace and easing tensions…
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Thai man strikes it rich after finding whale vomit
A Thai man in Nakhon Si Thammarat is striking it rich after finding whale vomit on the local beach. Narit Suwansang thought his discovery was just a large rock, but had an inkling that it could be something more. US$4.2 million more, that is! The whale vomit, also known as ambergris, usually looks like a rock, with yellow-beige colouring. After…
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Germany’s media reports on doubts that the Thai King will return
German media are reporting today that they doubt part-time Bavarian tourist and resident, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, will ever return. Thailand’s King spent a large proportion of his time renting a large hotel in the southeast German state of Bavaria since becoming King in 2016 following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The reports say that the Villa Stolberg…
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Pro-democracy activists to beef up security with professionally trained personnel
Protest leader Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, says activists will no longer rely on volunteer security officers, but will instead bring in trained professionals. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit took to Facebook to announce that the People’s Movement has disbanded its team of volunteer security guards. He says the group will now seek professionally trained personnel, to ensure their safety…
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Senators, MPs, voice support for Thailand’s lèse majesté law
Politicians have come out in support of the Kingdom’s lèse majesté law, amid calls from pro-democracy activists to have it abolished. The law, officially Section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising, defaming, or insulting the Thai Monarchy. At least 12 political activists have recently been charged with lèse majesté offences for their role in various anti-government rallies. On Thursday,…
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Thailand News Today | 45 day tourist visa, Cher campaign for gorilla, Pattani arrests | Dec 11
Last day of the week and the middle of the long of a 4 day long weekend for Thailand. Be safe on the roads and we’ll see you on Monday. All the latest news will continue on thethaiger.com. 45 day tourist visa exemption proposal to be presented to Cabinet After the prime minister told officials to hurry up and relax…
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BTS are the Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year 2020
Music supergroup BTS has been named Entertainer of the Year by Time Magazine, capping another year ascending through the bamboo ceiling of the world’s music industry. The South Korean K-Pop group, who debuted in 2013, has become the world’s most popular band thanks their meaningful lyrics, themed albums, an army of adoring fans (who are actually called ARMY), positive messages and…
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to US Senators’ support for pro-democracy movement
After a number of US senators introduced a resolution in support of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hit back, accusing them of not understanding the situation. In its statement, the MFA says Thailand has always respected the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It goes on to claim the US resolution, introduced by Thai-American…
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Thai Airways delays resumption of domestic flights due to local Covid-19 cases
Thai Airways flights to Phuket and Chiang Mai were supposed to start back up on Christmas day, but the recent Covid-19 local transmissions have led the airline to push the relaunch date back. Now the flights from Bangkok will take off on January 1, but if the virus continues to spread, the airline might decide to delay the flights indefinitely.…
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Comments, feedback, fact-checking and banning – the joys of the modern news editor
The news ‘business’ has become a 2-way flow of information and engagement. Whilst this democratisation of news is welcome in many cases, it’s also causing news and information providers like Thaiger plenty of new headaches. The Thaiger website is now receiving around 300 – 500 genuine comments a day (plus a lot of spam). All this engagement is causing fresh…
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Thailand News Today | BKK nurses infected, Burmese Covid strain, Boss case drama | December 10
Welcome to Jett Gunther hosting Thailand News Today. It’s a public holiday in Thailand. Covid-19 infected nurses are staff at Bangkok’s BNH Hospital Although reports are fairly vague about the recent Covid-19 cases involving Bangkok medical workers, the BNH Hospital in Silom, Bangkok confirms that 6 of its staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The hospital says preventative measures…
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Today is Constitution Day in Thailand. What does the day commemorate?
Today is Constitution Day in Thailand, bang in the middle of calls for a rewrite of the document and demands for the role of the Thai monarch to be codified in a new Thai Constitution. The day commemorates 20 different Thai Charters that have been scrapped and re-written since the Siamese Revolution in 1932. It’s a public holiday around Thailand.…
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PM says fight against corruption to remain a top priority
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised improved anti-corruption measures, saying the fight against graft will remain on the agenda as Thailand’s level of transparency improves. He was speaking via video conference to mark International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday. The PM says all sectors and organisations should be thanked for working to tackle corruption and has called on Thai nationals to put society’s…
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Video of foreigner’s road rage in Pathum Thani gets mixed reaction from Thais
A video of a foreigner lashing out after a motorbike accident, yelling and hitting a Thai motorbike driver for pulling out in front of him and causing him to crash, has gotten a mixed reaction from Thais (you MUST watch it… below). The incident also caught media attention and Thairath made a post on Facebook pairing the clip from the…
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Prosecutors say they can’t indict Red Bull heir until police arrest him
Prosecutors in the never-ending saga that is the case against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, are shifting the blame for a lack of prosecution and pointing the finger at police. Prayuth Petchkhun from the Office of the Attorney-General says prosecutors’ hands are tied until Boss is arrested and brought to trial. The Red Bull’s exact whereabouts are unknown, but he is almost…
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Around 3.11 million travellers expected to spend 12.6 billion baht during long weekend
Around 3.11 million Thai people are expected to travel during the 4-day weekend which starts tomorrow. The travellers are expected to spend 12.6 billion baht and boost the hotel occupancy rate up by 40%, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. Although, less people are expected to travel to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, with many cancelling…
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Thai senators warn United States politicians not to interfere with Thai affairs
Thai senators are warning United States senators not to meddle in Thai politics and affairs. The warning comes at a time of ongoing pro-democracy protests with calls for monarchy reformation, a taboo and controversial subject in Thai society. They say interference in Thai affairs will hurt Thai-US relations which date back around 200 years. The warning follows a resolution introduced…
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Grab driver fired for photo holding a gun, threatening to social media users
A now-fired Grab driver might face criminal charges after he made posts on social media with threatening messages and a photo of himself holding a gun while wearing the company’s jacket. Grab Thailand says they’ve suspended the driver’s account on the ride-sharing and food delivery mobile application for violating the company’s security and safety protocols. Grab says the driver used…
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Foreign tourists can now spend the 14-day quarantine at a golf course
Need to work on your golf swing? Come to Thailand and spend the mandatory 14-day quarantine at a golf course. The Thai Cabinet approved the “golf course quarantine” and the measure will be published in the Royal Gazette this evening, making it official. Golfers will need to abide by coronavirus prevention measures, like social distancing, while playing rounds. Along with…
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Thai government urged to support foreign property buyers with additional incentives
The Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on the government to support foreign property investors, by allowing them to bid for residential units. Nonarit Bisonyabut from the TDRI says the measure would be aimed at off-setting a shortfall in local demand. With foreigners usually having higher purchasing power than Thais, he adds that the number of units offered for bidding…
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Shaken but not stirred – Miss Thailand contestants get an unplanned swim | VIDEO
Luckily no one was hurt but these Miss Thailand beauty queens ended up with an unscheduled dunking whilst parading for the cameras in Chiang Mai. A video captures the face-masked girls, all dressed up in the day’s casual uniform, posing for the cameras and the the moment a bridge snaps, plunging the 30 smiling, but bemused, Miss Thailand contestants into…
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