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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Progressive Movement party to recruit 32 local candidates for December local elections
The Progressive Movement (code for “the-new-Future-Forward-party”), says it will recruit 32 local candidates for the upcoming December elections. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the movement’s leader, and former Future Forward Party MP, says more provinces could be added later to the Provincial Administrative Organisation election. The party will use the slogan “Changing Thailand starts at home” for its campaign. The Move Forward Party…
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Is it time for Thailand to restart its tourist industry? – SURVEY
It’s been 10 months since the first murmurings of a novel coronavirus emerged in China. Since then there’s been an unprecedented effort to control or contain the disease by governments around the world – some more successful in their efforts than others. Covid-19 has also had more words written about it, more conspiracy theories and more debate than any other…
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Thai berry-pickers from Sweden and Finland return home after salary windfall
Thai berry-pickers from Sweden and Finland have returned home after striking the jackpot during the prime picking season. The Thai labourers have reportedly earned almost 800 million baht in the last 3 months. Thailand’s Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin says the workers arrived back today and were happily not empty-handed. “Today, 895 Thai labourers returned home via Suvarnabhumi Airport, 365 of…
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“Low-risk” tourists could see quarantine period cut in half upon arrival
Low-risk tourists entering Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa could see mandatory quarantine period cut in half down to 7 days, according to the Public Health Ministry. Tanarak Plipat, the deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control under the ministry says the current quarantine system, however, must be “redesigned” if such measures are in place. “Seven-day quarantine is possible…
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Thai woman arrested for offering fake visa services to hundreds of migrant workers
A 45 year old Thai woman has been arrested after offering fake visa services 10 hundreds of migrant workers, valued about 7 million baht. The woman, Wassana Wongkhamjan, was arrested at her house where police found around 40 passports and receipts inside. The house was the registered address of KPS Management Company. Wassana denied the public fraud charge saying she…
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Koh Chang hotel agrees to drop charges against American “if he issues public apology over his bad reviews”
A Koh Chang hotel has agreed to drop charges against an American if he issues a public apology over his bad TripAdvisor reviews. The American, Wesley Barnes, has agreed to the conditions put forward by Sea View Resort in exchange for avoiding up to 100,000 baht in fines and a possible jail time of up to 5 years. The hotel…
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“Tourists arriving on Special Tourist Visa must be 100% Covid-free” – Tourism minister
“If there’s even a single case, we cannot continue to the second phase.” Thailand’s sports and tourism minister of says the first phase tourists arriving under the Special Tourist Visa scheme must be 100% Covid-free. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says if this is not achieved, then the reopening plan will be halted indefinitely. Given the number of infections the have surfaced from Thai…
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Thailand News Today | Army v Twitter, Tourism interrupted, Thailand World’s #6 | October 9
Clerk calls out Thai Army for alleged corruption An army clerk is calling out the Thai Army for alleged corruption, saying he was forced to withdraw money under his name which was then falsely documented as a travel expense. The clerk at the army’s Ordnance Material Rebuild Centre posted photos of documents on Facebook, showing the withdrawal listed as a…
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The myth of native English speaking teachers in Thailand – OPINION
OPINION from guest writer Dr. Mariano Carrera There is a myth in Thailand that one must learn English from a native speaker. Propagating this myth are the many beneficiaries of the practice, which does not include learners. Ignoring research that shows to learn English, one does not need a native English speaker (NES) only emphasises the myth-makers dominance. After all,…
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Twitter takes down 926 accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army
Twitter suspended 926 accounts that are linked to the Royal Thai Army for violating the social media company’s “platform manipulation” policies. They say the accounts were “amplifying pro-government propaganda” and engaging in behaviour that targeted political opposition figures. Altogether, Twitter permanently suspended 1,594 accounts from state-linked operations in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Thailand and Russia, the company announced yesterday. Thailand…
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Anti-government activists confirm details of October 14 protest
Members of the Free People pro-democracy group have gathered in Bangkok to confirm the details of a protest planned for October 14. Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, one of the key leaders in the current anti-government protest movement, confirmed to those gathered at the Sanam Luang public square in Bangkok that the rally will kick off at 2pm next Wednesday.…
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Economic think tank says shopping stimulus will only help in the short-term
The research division of Kasikorn Bank says while the government’s planned shopping stimulus has its advantages, the benefits will only be short-term. The Kasikorn Research Centre points out that the scheme, which it’s hoped will run from October 23 to December 31, will only provide a temporary boost to the economy. The stimulus measure, which is being put to the…
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Medical chief in favour of re-opening borders, calls zero cases target unrealistic
A senior Thai medical professional has confirmed he’s in favour of Thailand re-opening its borders, saying attempting to maintain zero cases of Covid-19 is “unrealistic”. Somsak Akksilp, from the Department of Medical Services, insists the country is adequately prepared in the event of a resurgence of the virus and, with no date set for vaccine availability, the country must move…
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Mr ‘Phuket Seasted’ is back with his Crypto Cruise Ship
From the man who was chased away from the Phuket offshore ‘Seasted’ by the Royal Thai Navy, along with his Thai girlfriend, the very same Chad Elwartowski is now launching a Crypto Cruise Ship. The company he was representing at the time, Ocean Builders, is again behind the new venture. Just to recap from April last year… “A couple has…
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Clerk calls out Thai Army for alleged corruption
An army clerk is calling out the Thai Army for alleged corruption, saying he was forced to withdraw money under his name which was then falsely documented as a travel expense. Clerk at the army’s Ordnance Material Rebuild Centre, Narongchai Intarakawi, posted photos of documents on Facebook, showing the withdraw listed as a work-related travel expense. He says there have…
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Thailand News Today | Tourist arrivals postponed, Will Boss return?, deadly centipede | October 8
To get all the latest news and information about Thailand, go to thethaiger.com. Like and subscribe our YouTube channel too. Go on, right now 🙂 You can also LIKE our Facebook page facebook.com/thethaigernews to get even more information about Thailand. Anti-corruption commission to re-investigate handling of “Boss” hit-and-run case The “Boss” hit-and-run saga drags on, now with the National Anti-Corruption…
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Dengue fever surges 400% in Northern Thailand province compared to 2019
The northern province of Mae Hong Son has become a dengue fever hotspot as the number of cases more than quadruple compared to the case numbers of last year. The northern province currently has the Kingdom’s highest number of cases of the mosquito-borne illness, recording nearly 1,400 infections and 1 death. Mae Hong Son health chief, Supachai Boon-Amphan, says the…
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Anti-corruption commission to re-investigate handling of “Boss” hit-and-run case
The “Boss” hit-and-run saga drags on, with the National Anti-Corruption Commission saying it’s received a copy of an independent report on the handling of the case and plans to compare it with its own findings. The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission has submitted its report to the NACC, with Niwatchai Kasemmongkol from the NACC saying it will be compared to the…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry wants to reduce tourist quarantine to 10 days
Thailand’s Health Ministry is seeking to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for foreign tourists, currently mandated at 14 days, to 10 days. The reduction would be assessed after one month and, if successful, quarantine could be further reduced to 7 days. However, this reduction would only apply to those arriving from countries considered “safe” from Covid-19. Those arriving from high-risk…
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Thailand News Today | Poll-Keep borders closed, quarantine exemption, heavy rain | October 7
Today’s Thailand News Today with Tim Newton… Zoos to be investigated for possible involvement in black market animal trade Zoos across Thailand will be investigated for possible involvement in the black market wildlife trade. The probe follows a case where 2 rare albino barking deer went missing at Songkhla Zoo and a top zoo official investigating the disappearance was shot and…
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Mathayom student helps deliver baby on Mae Sot street
A Mathayom student helped deliver a baby boy after a woman went into labour while walking on a street in Tak’s Mae Sot district which borders Myanmar. The student, known as Buntorn, was walking home from school when she saw a woman in pain and people gathered around. Buntorn realised the woman was about to give birth and quickly got…
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Poll finds many disagree with reopening borders, lack confidence in Covid-19 prevention measures
A number of people in a recent survey say they disagree with reopening Thailand’s borders to foreign tourists. Many say they lack confidence in the government’s ability to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and that the move could cause a second wave of the virus. The National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, conducted a random survey last week…
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Key foreign investors could be exempt from quarantine
Key foreign investors might get to skip out on the 14 day quarantine required for travellers entering Thailand. Allowing high spending investors a free pass on the isolation period is aimed to help revive the economy after it was battered by the pandemic. The Centre for Economic Situation Administration, or CESA, is expected to discuss the proposal today. Special measures…
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Thailand’s monsoon and wet season explained
Unlike much of the rest of the world, north and south of the equatorial regions with the four reliable seasons of winter, spring, summer and autumn, Thailand has just three seasons: hot, not-quite-so-hot and wet. The wet season coincides with a n annual tropical monsoon that is the overwhelming feature of Thailand’s weather in the late spring, summer and autumn.…
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Pattaya woman accused of prostituting granddaughter to repay gambling debts
A 16 year old girl has been taken into care, amid reports her grandmother forced her to sleep with a loan shark and a friend to repay the older woman’s gambling debts. The 57 year old Pattaya woman faces charges of human trafficking and prostitution and a warrant has been issued for her arrest, as well as that of the…
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“No more coups”, Thailand’s new military commander
There will be no more coups d’état, the new military commander in chief General Chalermpol Srisawat says. He vows that the army will no longer get involved in politics and says the military is in place to protect the country. His pronouncement has been made on the 44th anniversary of the Thammasat University Massacre, a pivotal event in Thai politics…
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Thailand News Today | Business people exemptions, road checkpoints, Phuket delay | October 6
Daily TV news on The Thaiger. Up to date information, delivered to you, free. Thai government considers easing restrictions for foreign business travellers The Thai government is considering further easing entry restrictions for foreign travellers coming to conduct business in the Kingdom. Up to date, around 11,000 businesspeople and work permit holders have been granted entry by the Centre for…
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Thai officials warn TikTok ‘Benadryl Challenge’ can be fatal
Thai officials are warning about the potentially fatal “Benadryl Challenge” where people take a large dose of the antihistamine to hallucinate and then post a video of the dare on the social media platform TikTok. After a number of teenagers around the world reportedly overdosed, and some even died after doing the challenge, the Thailand Food and Drug Administration is…
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Thai government considers easing restrictions for foreign business travellers
The Thai government is considering further easing entry restrictions for foreign travellers coming to conduct business in the Kingdom. Currently, around 11,000 businesspeople and work permit holders have been granted entry by the Centre for Covid-19 Administration Situation since they started allowing some foreigners back into the country after July. All arrivals have to submit to a mandatory 14 day…
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New police chief clarifies suspension of police checkpoints
Just days into his post, the new Chief of the Royal Thai Police, has clarified his decision to suspend roadside checkpoints. Suwat Jangyodsuk says the new rule only applies to drink-driving checkpoints, which he says must first pass transparency checks, and shows that tests of blood alcohol levels return accurate results. Royal Thai Police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong says all checkpoints…
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