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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Some Thais finding it difficult to save
A survey commissioned by the Government Savings Bank has revealed that grassroots incomes in Thailand are too low for most Thais to make savings for the future. The survey indicates that people earning under 15,000 baht have a real struggle to survive. Only 32.2% made any saving at all. About 56% of that number put a little away each month. This…
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Rap raising debate in the lead up to February election
“As artists, we want to reflect the truth of the society we are living in under dictatorship,” a RAD member identified only as Hockhacker told The Nation Weekend. “Thailand seems to be caught in a loop of dictatorship. We want to voice what the majority cannot say directly. The lyrics were based on information we collected on social media, reflecting…
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Australia joins UK and USA with withdrawal of income verification
The Australian Embassy in Thailand has declared that from January 7, 2019 it will NOT witness Statutory Declarations for proof on income for Thai Visa extensions. Here’s the official announcement…
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Education Minister moves school tests to clear way for election
In another indication that the government is firming up the date of the next general election for February 24 next year, the Education Minister has formerly moved the date of the annual school and university-entrance aptitude tests back one week. The GAT/PAT (General Aptitude Test and Professional and Academic Aptitude Test) tests for pre-university students will be held one week…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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Poll restrictions to be relaxed in December
The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has distanced himself from a claim by his deputy Somkid Jatusripitak that the next head of government would “look similar” to the current one. General Prawit Wongsuwan, another deputy premier, said Somkid had shared the same thoughts as “many of us” although he would not specify what he thought regarding the matter. General Prayut was…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
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Thailand drops a notch in the ‘ease of doing business’ world ranking
The World Bank has declared that Thailand’s ranking in ease of doing business has dropped to 27th, one place down from last year’s 26th place. Thailand’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) score, an absolute measure of the country’s progress toward global best practice, reached 78.45 this year, up from 77.39 last year. But some of the other countries above it…
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No more overstayers, no more corruption at Immigration – Hakparn
Put a big red circle around “October 31, 2018” on your calendar. It was the day it was announced that corrupt practices are over at the country’s immigration offices and the number of overstayers by the end of November in the Kingdom will be precisely “zero”. Thailand’s newly appointed immigration chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn and deputy Immigration chief Gen Srivara…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
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44 national assembly reps support bill to decriminalise ‘medical marijuana’
A total of 44 members of the Thai National Legislative Assembly have signed in support of a draft bill to decriminalise marijuana for medical purpose by deleting cannabis from the Category 5 list of narcotic drugs, said Mr Somchai Sawaengkarn, secretary of the NLA’s extraordinary committee on parliamentary affairs. He says the decision to push for a separate bill to…
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Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
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Tesco Lotus “We haven’t sacked 30-50% of our staff”
Matichon Online has posted a statement from Tesco Lotus following a series of viral posts claiming Tesco Lotus is laying off staff and closing stores. A similar story was posted on The Thaiger (below). The statement from Tesco Lotus says that the claims that “30%-50% of staffers have been laid off and 43 branches have been closed” are not true.…
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College student found dead in a bathroom in Nakhon Ratchasima
A third-year student of a technical college in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Mueang district has been found dead in a college bathroom today, according to police. The 20 year old male IT department student, was found lying face-down on the floor of the bathroom on the third floor of one of the college buildings. A doctor determined that he had died about…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
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Government mobilizes a new war on drugs
South East Asian governments have declared various ‘wars on drugs’ over recent decades, most notably President Duterte and The Philippines (2016 – 2018) and Thailand’s former PM, Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003. Both of them have had questionable results with rights groups decrying the extrajudicial killings as trampling on basic human rights. In February 2003, the Thai government, under then Prime…
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Viral posts claim Tesco Lotus is laying off staff and closing stores
A rumor, stating that Tesco Lotus is laying off staff and closing 43 branches around Thailand has gone viral in social media. Matichon Online reported yesterday that social message is saying that… “Tesco Lotus lay off staff around the country. What will they do next and can other staffer handle the pressure.” (Translated) Some people have commented saying…. “…my branch…
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Thaiger Radio News – Sunday
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Muay Thai for five year olds – Sport or child abuse?
Video of two five year olds fighting in a boxing ring has sparked a lot of reaction. The young kids in the 17 kilo division (yes, there’s such a thing) are shown punching each other’s heads, with the occasional kick, as a crowd of baying adults urge them on. Sanook reports that as one boy is repeatedly forced into a corner…
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Last weekend’s horror road toll – nearly 11,000 died so far in 2018
At least 10,794 people have lost their lives on Thailand’s roads this year. This tally, with only two months remaining, is a timely reminder of the danger that lurks on Thai roads from Dr Taejing Siripanich, secretary-general of the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation. Statistically, compared to last year, this is a drop in overall deaths on Thailand’s roads. But Taejing…
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Two killed and nine injured in van and wild elephant collision
FILE PHOTO A van driver and a passenger have been killed and nine other passengers injured when their chartered van hit a wild elephant on a road in Chachoengsao’s Sanam Chaikhet district, near the Cambodian border, early today (Saturday). The large injured wild elephant fled into to the forest following the accident in Ban Huay Some village in Tambon Lard…
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Anti-military rap song tops iTunes Thailand downloads
An anti-military dictatorship rap song has topped Thailand’s download list on iTunes after police and the government threatened legal action against the Rap Against Dictatorship (RAD) group. The Prathet Goo Mee (My F…king Country’s Got…) went to the top of Thailand’s iTunes download list this morning to the cheers of RAD who posted a message to thank its fans. The…
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“X-Ray Outlaw Foreigners” is just racial profiling
Website NewsOne publishes a stunning attack on Thailand’s racially-fueled immigration round-ups. “Thailand’s immigration crackdown has swept up refugees and asylum seekers, sent young children into horrid, prison-like conditions, and appears to have clear aspects of racial profiling against South Asians and Africans.” Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch Written By Nigel Roberts Thailand is not hiding its use of racial…
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Judge delays sentencing in paedophile case
Jason Daron Mizner during his prison term in Thailand An Australian judge says she was left so shaken by reading out the list of paedophile’s crimes that she walked out of court to delay sentencing. She said she needed to remove emotion from the punishment she will hand out. Convicted child rapist Jason Daron Mizner was supposed to be sentenced…
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British family told to raise 4,000 pounds to repatriate father of five
by Abbie Bray – Devon News The family of an British father, who tragically took his own life whilst holidaying in Thailand, are trying to raise money to repatriate the body of Kevin Rowlands. The 36 year old father of five had had a history of mental health according to his family. According to Thai police, he took his own…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
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“Don’t paint your temple gold” – Fine Art Department
After a report of historical temples being painted gold triggered an uproar on social media, the Culture Ministry’s Fine Art Department is warning people to stop unauthorised painting of national heritage monuments as it violates the law. Social media users expressed shock and dismay that ancient Thai temples were being given a make-over with a coat of gleaming gold paint,…
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Thaiger Radio News – Thursday
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Alcohol sales banned October 24
Alcohol sales will be strictly prohibited Wednesday, October 24. Today day marks the end of the Buddhist Lent. Police say offenders will face a 10,000 baht fine and/or a six-month jail term. “The ban on alcoholic sale applies to both shops and restaurants, retailing and wholesaling,” the Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said on Tuesday. He…
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Panama’s VP backs the Thailand Kra Canal project
PHOTO: Panama’s Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado – The Nation The long-running discussions about a canal, linking the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, aka The Kra Canal, has come up again with a visit from Panama’s Vice President. The Panama Canal changed world shipping when it linked the Pacific and Atlantic oceans when it was…
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