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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Thailand asks for Singapore’s help in freezing assets of former TAT governor
Thai officials are seeking Singapore’s cooperation in freezing the assets of Juthamas Siriwan, who previously served as governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. She was sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment on corruption charges related to the hosting of the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2002-2007. According to a Bangkok Post report, Ittiporn Kaewthip and Prayut Phetkun from the Office…
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Calls for tougher punishment for drivers ignoring pedestrian crossing rules
Road safety advocates are demanding tougher punishment, including manslaughter charges, for drivers who fail to observe pedestrian crossing rules. According to a Bangkok Post report, 30 members of various road safety networks gathered at Government House to file a petition with Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, who chairs the national committee on road safety policy and prevention. The move is in…
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Not so fast, government tells Thailand’s pot growers new law not in effect yet
People planning to grow cannabis after it was removed from Thailand’s list of controlled drugs should just be patient and wait as the new law is not in effect yet. This from the deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, who points out that the regulation only relates to some cannabis products, not all. The Bangkok Post reports that the law will be…
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First Pfizer doses for children arrive, vaccination starts Monday
The Department of Disease Control has confirmed the arrival of the first shipment of Pfizer vaccines to be administered to children aged 5 to 11. The lot of 300,000 Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Thailand today, with vaccinations scheduled to begin on January 31. The first round of vaccines will be given to those children considered high-risk due to having one…
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Thaiger Team Try Vegemite For Australia Day
Happy Australia day and welcome Thaiger viewers to this special episode where Tim makes some of the Thaiger staff try Vegemite for the very first time. Join in on the fun and watch our reactions to this toast spread that apparently all ‘Australians’ love. Let us know how you feel about Vegemite in the comments section below!
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Digital assets as payment requires more regulation in Thailand
After studying the risks and benefits of using digital assets and cryptocurrencies to pay for goods and services, a coalition of financial bodies have decided that more regulation is necessary in Thailand. The Ministry of Finance, along with the Bank of Thailand and the Securities and Exchange Commission, have partnered together to assess the regulation needed for crypto usage in…
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Bangkok district invites LGBTQ+ to sign unofficial marriage certificate this Valentine’s Day
For this Valentine’s Day, Bang Khun Thian district in Bangkok has invited LGBTQ+ couples and people of all genders to sign the unofficial “marriage” certificate for the first time in Thailand. However, the district’s official Facebook page seems to have taken down the post advertising the event. Under Thai law, marriage is only between a man and a woman. The…
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Thailand improves crosswalks, other safety measures after fatal pedestrian accident
Following the fatal crash where an off-duty police officer ran his Ducati into an eye doctor walking along the zebra crossing, Thais are pointing out traffic violations and officials are making changes to reduce traffic accidents involving pedestrians. Some changes include repainting crosswalks and roads to increase crosswalk visibility and encourage drivers to reduce their speed. The woman was walking…
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Thailand to study whether to increase the daily minimum wage
Thai authorities are studying whether to increase the daily minimum wage. The Labour Ministry will start a feasibility study. The State Enterprises Workers Relations Confederation has recommended 492 baht as the starting pay. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin told reporters that the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Labour Ministry would conduct a study to examine the minimum wage’s suitability.…
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Cabinet approves 1.08 million baht to hire medical staff to support healthcare system
Following Monday’s Cabinet meeting, PM Deputy Spokesperson Trisuree Trisaranakul announced that officials had approved a budget of 1.08 million baht to hire more medical staff on a temporary basis to support healthcare facilities during the ongoing pandemic. A total of 2,402 positions will be open from January to September 2022. Aside from standing by during pandemics, this project aims to…
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Thailand and India strengthen relations, plans to work together on trade, tourism
After a break, Thailand and India plan to work together on trade, maritime activity, and tourism. In an interview with the Bangkok Post, India’s ambassador in Thailand said it was important to remember the overlaps between the two countries in culture, language, and religion. Earlier this month, the Indian embassy launched a competition for the best logo promoting bilateral relations…
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Monkey with ghost face and slug snake part of 224 new Mekong species
A monkey with white circles around its eyes, making it look like a ghost, is one of 224 species newly added to a list of species in the Mekong region. Scientists discovered these species in 2020, but the report last year was delayed. The monkey is the only mammal on the list, and the rest are reptiles, frogs and newts,…
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Thailand will raise 12% fewer pigs this year, livestock department says
Thailand’s livestock department says farmers will probably raise 11.8% fewer pigs this year. Already, male pig breeders have dropped 41.1%, while female breeders have dropped 11%. The department general said this is because of economic conditions during the pandemic, and also farmers not having too many pigs in case of disease outbreaks. There are 107,000 pig raisers in the country,…
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Over 100 drug stores in Thailand operating illegally, some without pharmacists
More than 100 drug stores across Thailand have been found to be operating illegally, some without licenced pharmacists and required certificates, according to the Commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division. Authorities arrested 127 drug store staff and seize more than 350 items. According to Thai media, the CPPD received a report from the Food and Drug Administration saying that…
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QR code can now replace a physical driver’s licence
The Department of Land Transport is getting modern, introducing a QR code people can keep on their mobile phone to replace a physical Thai drivers licence. Drivers will be able to screenshot a “DLT QR licence” and use the image of the QR code as a substitute for any sort of physical card. The process to get a QR code…
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Thailand’s score drops to more corrupt on organisation’s Corruption Perceptions Index
On a scale of zero to 100, with zero being highly corrupt, Thailand scores 35, according to a ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Countries that scored 100 were almost free of corruption. The average score of all countries was 45. Thailand’s ranking also dropped from 104 to 110 out of 180 countries. Nations ranked first place were least corrupt,…
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Thailand reports 9 cases of new Omicron BA.2 subvariant
Thailand has detected the nine cases of the new Omicron subvariant BA.2, which is spreading across the globe with at least 40 countries reporting infections involving the mutated strain. The infections in Thailand involve both Thais and travellers from overseas. Through the laboratory procedure of whole-genome sequencing, Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences and participating laboratories detected the BA.2 infections. The…
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Where in Bangkok to dine for Chinese New Year 2022
If you are searching for a restaurant to dine in on Chinese New Year 2022, you have come to the perfect place! One of the most loved aspects of the Spring Festival is the ‘Reunion Dinner’. During this time, families gather together to enjoy a lavish supper. You will be happy to know that there are restaurants in Bangkok where…
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Thailand decriminalises cannabis, extracts with high-inducing THC still an illicit drug
Thailand’s health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has confirmed that the Narcotics Control Board has approved the removal of cannabis from the Category 5 list of controlled drugs. According to a report from the Associated Press, Anutin says the drugs that remain on the list are opium, magic mushrooms, and extracts of cannabis containing more than 0.2% by weight of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).…
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Thailand and Saudi Arabia to exchange ambassadors, resume full diplomatic ties
Following a meeting yesterday between Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Saudi leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, both countries have agreed to restore diplomatic ties in the near future. The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand and Saudi Arabia will exchange ambassadors as part of the agreement. Things have been frosty between the two countries since a diplomatic spat over…
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Thailand’s Test & Go registration opens on February 1
Registration for Thailand’s (almost) quarantine exemption program known as Test & Go, part of the broader Thailand Pass online re-entry process, is reopening next week after being closed for the past month. Starting at 9am on February 1, fully vaccinated travellers from any country can apply for a Thailand Pass QR code to enter with (almost) quarantine-free travel, but there…
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Thailand won’t allow entrance exam makeups, other Asian countries do
Thai students planning to take their university entrance exams must now miss the exam if they are in quarantine or self-isolation. The only other option is to take the exams next year. Meanwhile, other Asia countries are allowing students in quarantine and isolation to take this exam. China allowed students to take entrance exams at hospitals and special facilities, while…
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Thailand’s FDA plans “Cannabis Sandbox” entry scheme for tourists
A “Cannabis Sandbox” entry scheme is being discussed to draw in marijuana enthusiasts from overseas. Yes… we said cannabis. But don’t get too excited. When the government talks about cannabis, they mean parts of the plant with low (very low) traces of the psychoactive component THC. The Thai Food and Drug Administration mentioned the idea of a “Cannabis Sandbox” for…
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Move Forward member pushes for sex work legalisation as election campaigns heat up
A politician from the Move Forward Party told Thai media that sex work could soon be decriminalised if their candidate wins the upcoming election for Bangkok governor. MP Thanyawaj Kamonwongwat says that if the candidate from the progressive political party is elected, they will review the Act of Prostitution and Protection of Service Providers and Act of Prevention and Suppression…
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CCSA clarifies details on Test & Go, registration opens at 9am on February 1
Registration for Thailand’s quarantine exemption scheme known as Test & Go is reopening next week after being closed for the past month due to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Thailand. Starting at 9am on February 1, fully vaccinated travellers from any country can apply for a Thailand Pass QR code to enter with (almost) quarantine-free travel, but…
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Ask Jay, Natty and Jett Anything! | Thaiger Unfiltered
Thaiger Unfiltered | Ep.08 Here’s a chance for our viewers to ask Jett and Jay any questions they have and they will answer you with their responses unfiltered! Please be kind and appropriate.
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Woman puts up billboard in Phuket to find missing cats, 30,000 baht reward for each
A Japanese woman paid over 300,000 baht to put up billboards in Phuket in other to find her two cats which have both been missing since last November. She says she’ll pay a 30,000 baht reward for each cat Her Thai employee shared with Thai media that her Japanese employer brought four cats from Japan. One day, the delivery staff…
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Former MP to file lawsuit over campaign poster using his photo to mock him
One former member of parliament has filed a lawsuit against another politician for using a photo of him to mock him in a campaign poster. The image shows the former MP of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, Sira Jenjaka, under a magnifying glass behind a Move Forward Party candidate with a message calling for volunteers to help catch those who…
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Prayut’s Saudi Arabia trip a ‘breakthrough’ after 30 years of tense relations
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is currently in Saudi Arabia in an effort to restore Thai-Saudi economic and diplomatic relations. Experts say the trip, which is the first government trip between the two countries after 30 years, is a huge breakthrough after three decades of tense relations between the two countries. Relations first turned cold in 1989 after the Blue Diamond Affair…
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Death of Bangkok doctor on zebra crossing highlights danger of Thai roads – again
In the last World Health Organisation report into road deaths in Southeast Asia and Asia, it probably won’t come as a surprise to learn that Thailand came top. According to the 2018 report, the kingdom had an average of 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people. This compares to 26.4 in Vietnam and 23.6 in Malaysia, followed by Myanmar (19.9), Cambodia (17.8),…
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