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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Parents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools
A group of Thai parents and teachers against mandates for ATK tests and face masks at schools held a protest outside of the Ministry of Education and Public Health yesterday. Many schools and universities in Thailand are back to on-site classes again, but under the Covid-19 prevention measure set by the Public Health Ministry. Every student has been asked to…
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Omicron accounts for 90% of new infections in Thailand
In Thailand, the highly transmissible Omicron variant is quickly overtaking the Delta variant as the primary strain of new Covid-19 infections in the country. The top virologists in the country have revealed that 90% of new infections in Thailand now are of the Omicron variant which is much more contagious than earlier strains but also generally less severe than the…
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British man fined for overstay after being forced into Bangkok quarantine
You take your PCR test after your stay in Thailand, before you return home to the UK. You test positive and are confined in a Bangkok hospital for 10 days. Then, to add insult to injury, you’re fined 4,000 baht for overstaying your visa when you go through immigration… purely because you were confined in hospital. This is the sad…
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Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years
Thai Immigration police arrested a 48 year old Hungarian suspect who is wanted in his home country for alleged insurance fraud and has been staying in Thailand illegally for more than 10 years. Immigration police say the man is on 4,254 days overstay after entering Thailand in 2010 on a 60 day tourist visa. Officers say the man was arrested…
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Officials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister
Along with pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go scheme, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is discussing adding more Sandbox destinations to have the entry scheme open in every region of Thailand. The ministry will make formal proposals, including lowering the Covid-19 alert level to level 3, at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration general…
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Tourism Ministry pushing for return of Test & Go from February
Thailand’s tourism minister says he’s pushing for the return of the Test & Go entry scheme, potentially as early as next month. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the resumption of the scheme could mean at least 8 million international tourists this year. The CCSA meets tomorrow to discuss easing a number of restrictions and potentially rebooting Test & Go. The Omicron variant…
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Restrictions could be eased, Covid alert lowered after CCSA meeting tomorrow
As infections continue to decline in Thailand, the government meets tomorrow to discuss the easing of a number of restrictions. The CCSA is also expected to lower the country’s Covid alert, from Level 4 to 3. It was raised earlier this month amid concerns over the highly-contagious Omicron variant. The move followed the suspension of the Test & Go entry…
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One million sign call for withdrawal of Amnesty International Thailand’s operating license
Apparently, one million people want to expel Amnesty International from Thailand. The vice minister of the Prime Minister’s office says he’s collected one million signatures in his campaign to withdrawal the non-profit organisation’s operating license. The vice minister, who some call “Rambo Isaan,” accuses the NGO of being a threat to the country. Amnesty International Thailand has been a vocal…
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Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions
The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general…
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Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration by February
It’s no surprise that Thailand’s tourism officials are pushing to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The Tourism and Sports Minister told Thai media that the ministry, along with the Public Health Ministry, will make a proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to resume registration for the entry scheme by February. The minister, Pipat…
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Thai baht rises as officials consider resumption of Test & Go
Thailand saw strength in its currency “baht” today as expectations are high for the relaxing of quarantine for vaccinated visitors under “Test & Go” quarantine exemption scheme. Registration for the entry scheme was closed last month, but the Public Health Ministry is proposing the scheme be reopened again. The Public Health Minister says that if approved by the Centre for…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists
In the next 10 years, Thailand could rank as the world’s ninth busiest travel hub welcoming 200 million passengers each year, according to a forecast from the International Air Transport Association. To prepare for the anticipated post-pandemic uptick, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is extending its east side of the main passenger terminal. The government approved an initial budget of 7.8 billion…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 6,397 new cases, provincial totals
18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,956 with 258 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 6,397 new Covid-19 cases and 6,637 recoveries. There are now 81,952 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Teenagers arrested for allegedly stealing batteries, steel railings from a train station
Two 19 year olds were arrested and charged for allegedly stealing batteries from trucks who also admitted to stealing stainless steel railings from a train station in Samut Prakan yesterday. Following the warrant issued by the district court, police stopped the motorbike of two suspects on Soi Dan Samrong 24/66 in Muang district’s tambon Samrong Nuea and arrested them at…
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Bangkok field hospitals fill with patients, Prayut urges Thais not to let their guard down
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging Thais to not lower their guard when it comes to Covid-19, especially the new variant Omicron, and follow the universal measurements strictly, according to a government spokesperson. The reminder came after 2,611 new patients flocked to field hospitals in Bangkok over the weekend. Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the prime minister expressed his concern about…
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7 people rescued after speedboat from Koh Chang hits rocks, sinks
A group travelling by speedboat from Koh Chang had to be rescued after the boat hit rocks, causing it to take on water and sink. The seven people on board the speedboat, including the skipper, were floating in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Trat’s Koh Lim for around two hours. The group had been travelling from the…
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Thai government to help dropouts return to school
Several government agencies are collaborating on a new initiative to assist children who have dropped out of school to return and complete their education. At the project’s launch ceremony yesterday, Thailand’s Education Minister and heads of related agencies signed a memorandum of understanding for the project. Education ministry records have recorded 238,707 child dropouts in Thailand. Reasons for dropping out…
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A 29 year old man in Pattaya allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death
A 29 year old man in the eastern suburbs of Pattaya City was admitted to a local medical facility on Sunday night after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death before attempting suicide. At around 11pm on the night of the incident, police and emergency responders found the body of a 39 year old woman on the floor with five…
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Tourism ministry to cut budget for tour package subsidy after scheme flops
The government plans to cut the budget for its tour package subsidy scheme, which received a lukewarm reception among Thais. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Tourism & Sports Ministry will also reduce the number of tour packages available from 1 million to 200,000. Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn admits the Tour Teaw Thai scheme hasn’t really had the desired…
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Over 95% of content Thailand asks Google to remove is government criticism – the highest rate in the world
A study by virtual private network firm Surfshark shows that since 2011, Thailand has submitted 1,147 requests for Google to remove content. The Bangkok Post reports that over 95% of those requests was about content considered critical of the government – the highest rate in the world. As part of the study, Surfshark says it analysed Google’s Transparency Report. Thailand…
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Senior Thai doctor says Covid-19 could lead to long term side effects
A Covid-19 infection could cause long-term side effects in people after they have recovered, including fatigue and cognitive impairment, according to a top doctor at the Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine. The doctor, Thira Woratanarat, analysed over 80 research works of Covid survivors. These long-term side effects, known as “long Covid,” can even impact people who were never hospitalised for…
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126 Burmese migrants seeking jobs arrested in Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai for illegal entry
Thai border authorities arrested 126 people from Myanmar for allegedly crossing the Thai border illegally on Sunday, evading the mandatory quarantine and immigration screening. The arrested people had reportedly crossed into Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi provinces. Four men and eight women were caught in Sangkhala Buri District, while patrols found 38 men and 38 women hiding in bushes next to…
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Demand for crocodile meat doubles following rise in pork prices
The number of crocodiles slaughtered for meat each month has doubled to 20,000 following the spike in prices for pork. This trend is giving hope to crocodile farmers who have lost business due to the pandemic, said Yosapong Temsiripong, president of the Thai Crocodile Farmer Association. Due to the massive drop in tourism, he said, farmers have been much less…
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City Guide: Where to shop till you drop in Bangkok
Bangkok is known the world over for it markets, temples, street food, walking streets, tuk tuks and ladyboys, to name a few. But this bustling city also offers a dazzling array of shopping hotspots. From its countless, colourful night markets indulging the bargain hunter’s dream to the glitz and glamour of upscale shopping malls — which one is the best…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration
The Public Health Ministry plans to make a proposal to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told Thai media today of his plan to make the proposal to the CCSA for this week’s meeting. The proposal needs approval from Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration before travellers can register for the entry…
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Monday Covid Update: 6,929 new cases, provincial totals
13 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,938 with 240 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 6,929 new Covid-19 cases and 5,255 recoveries. There are now 82,210 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand reports second Omicron-related death, Covid fatality toll on a downward slope
The second death related to the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Thailand was reported today by the CCSA. Both deaths were elderly women with serious pre-existing health conditions who contracted the virus from infected family members. While cases involving the highly transmissible Omicron variant are on the rise in Thailand, the strain has proven to be less severe and the country’s…
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Thailand’s first virtual monk targets at new generation Buddhists
Thailand is now using artificial intelligence to spread Buddhist messages. Meet Phra Maha AI, Thailand’s first virtual monk. He’s 30 years old, but says he understands the “teenage world.” The AI abbot shares easy-to-understand doctrine in an effort to target the new generation. He just had his first interview with Thai media, telling reporters that his Thai creator and developing…
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Hackers target Twitter account of Thai Revenue Department
The government has advised netizens to be cautious after the Revenue Department’s Twitter account was hacked by unknown attackers. According to a Thai PBS World report, the hackers deleted nearly all previous tweets on the account and changed its name to Revenue/NFT. They then posted just one tweet, which read, “I’m looking to collaborate with NFT projects. DM (direct message)…
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Cobra Gold military exercise downsized this year due to Omicron spread
Thailand’s annual Cobra Gold military exercise, where Thai soldiers train the US and other foreign troops on jungle survival skills, is being scaled down this year due to the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The large, multinational military exercise has been known for its snake decapitating demonstration where soldiers drink the fresh blood from the headless snake before…
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