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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We’re looking for a Video Editor/Production Assistant in Phuket
The Thaiger is seeking a full time video editor and production assistant for a new project based in Phuket. The role is open to a Thai national but with great English skills as well. You will need to be able to work to deadlines with a crazy bunch of stressed out news hosts, guests and the rest of The Thaiger…
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Government clamping down on illegal migrants in effort to curb Covid-19
The Thai government is coming down hard on illegal migrant workers and their employers, in an effort to curb imported cases of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post reports today that the Labour Ministry has created 6 teams to focus on the issue of illegal workers and the bosses who hire them. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin says the teams have been tasked…
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Thailand to issue international vaccine passport for travellers
An international vaccine passport, certifying Covid-19 immunisation, will be an official travel document for those travelling overseas, according to an order by the Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. A copy of the vaccine passport along with an order outlining the issuing process, both approved by the department’s director general Opas Karnkawinpong, were published in the Royal Gazette, making it…
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Quarantine period for international arrivals is now back to 14 days
Quarantine for those entering Thailand from overseas will now go back to the original 14 day period (which ends up being 15 to 16 days). The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced the quarantine extension this afternoon, saying those who obtained their Certificate of Entry prior to May 1, and arrive in Thailand before May 6, will still be able…
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Historical sites in Thailand closed until May 9 for Covid-19
In another step to help curb the rampant third wave of Covid-19 throughout Thailand, all ancient and historical sites will be closed until May 9. Director-general Prateep Pengtako, leader of the Fine Arts Department in Thailand, announced the closure, ongoing since April 26th and currently scheduled until May 9 depending on pandemic developments. The decree included national museums, national archives,…
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UPDATE: New provincial colour-coding announced
UPDATE: A new colour coding has been announced. Here’s the new coding, broken up into dark red, light red and orange zoned provinces. Check The Thaiger for the latest story HERE. EARLIER STORY Thailand’s provinces could see an update as early as today on whether their Covid-19 colour-coding will change as a result of the current virus wave sweeping the…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,871 new infections and 10 deaths; provincial totals
1,871 new Covid-19 cases and 10 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, raising the total count since the start of the pandemic last year to 63,570 Covid-19 infections and 188 fatalities. Covid-related deaths in Thailand have been reported each day since April 17. Thailand now has 27,988 active Covid-19 cases with many infections related to entertainment…
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Thailand’s manufacturing production highest in 23 months
After 2 years of falling, largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand’s manufacturing production index has grown for the first time in 23 months. The index, which measures manufacturing activity, hit 107.73 last month, which is the highest it has been since April of 2019. With a growth of 4.12% in the last year, the index had its strongest performance…
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Officers seized 31 million baht in cash and assets in 20 drug trafficking raids
In a major crackdown on a suspect drug network run by a woman in Northern Thailand, officers raided 20 locations in the Eastern region and seized cash as well as other assets valued at a total of 31 million baht. Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board launched an investigation back in October into a suspected drug network said to…
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All foreigners eligible for Covid-19 vaccine under Thailand’s vaccination plan, eventually
All expats living in Thailand are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, according to deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Natapanu Nopakun. He says Thailand plans to roll out a “massive vaccination plan” to vaccinate all people who are living in Thailand, including foreign residents. “All people residing in Thailand, regardless of nationality, are eligible to receive the…
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Suvarnabhumi check-in counters become vaccine administration points
It’s probably the most traffic check-in counters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen in a while. Officials are using the area as a makeshift vaccination centre, where airport staff are lining up to receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The initiative is the latest attempt to speed up vaccine administration as Thailand finds itself battling a far more virulent…
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Thai sweet shop gets mixed reviews over Buddhist amulet candies
A Thai sweet shop is facing criticism from many locals and praises from others for making candy Buddhist amulets, which are usually worn around the neck as ‘protection’ from evil spirits. Madam Choops candy shop in Samut Songkhram, just southwest of Bangkok, says the edible amulets made from Thai sugar candy can protect your inner organs (but probably less successful…
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Opposition calls for the Thai PM to stand down, Democrats re-iterate their support
Seizing the opportunity, Thailand’s opposition political parties are taking advantage of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s current poor standing amidst a crisis of high Covid infections and botched vaccine roll out. Opposition parties jointly issued a statement demanding the PM’s resignation. Among a list of general failures, they also accused PM Prayut of “causing irreversible damage to the nation”. The opposition bloc, led…
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Locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine will be available by June
AstraZeneca Thailand has released a statement to confirm that doses of its locally-produced vaccine will be available by June. Siam Bioscience has been given the sole rights to manufacture the vaccine within Thailand, with an AstraZeneca representative saying the manufacturing process has progressed significantly. The Bangkok Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration has worked with the government to…
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PM Prayut proposes private sector partnerships for vaccinations
In an effort to speed up Covid-19 vaccinations, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha plans to work closely with the private sector to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of the year. The Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will work alongside the government to help import and distribute vaccines after Thailand is off to a particularly slow…
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National Vaccine Institute head says Thailand never turned down an offer from Pfizer
After reports claiming that the Thai government turned down an offer from Pfizer for 13 million vaccine doses, the director of the National Vaccine Institute is debunking the claims saying the reports are false and the country is still looking into acquiring doses from the company. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is negotiating with several Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to acquire more…
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Bangkok places biohazard bins throughout the city for used face masks
To help combat the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok where cases have soared past 10,000 over the past month, more biohazard garbage bins are being placed throughout the city to dispose of used face masks and other waste that could be contaminated with the virus. Medical waste in Bangkok has increased to 20 tonnes per day since the start of…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,012 new infections, provincial updates
2,012 new Covid-19 infections and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control this morning. Over the past month, more than 32,000 Covid-19 infections have been reported. There are currently 27,119 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. 695 patients are in critical condition with 199 of those patients on ventilators. Out of the 2,012…
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Miss Grand helps “inefficient” government find Covid-19 beds
Miss Grand International Thailand has jumped in to help find hospital beds, citing an inefficient government response to the newest Covid-19 outbreak. The beauty pageant has launched the “Covid Patients Must Be Treated” campaign, pledging to use their resources to connect Covid-19 infected patients with available hospital beds for treatment. Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil was moved by the…
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Nuns arrested for allegedly scamming hundreds out of a total of 10 million baht
Police arrested 3 Buddhist nuns at a meditation centre in Thailand’s Isaan region for allegedly scamming more than 400 people, promising returns to those who invested in a fund for the poor. Victims say the nuns took off with a total of around 10 million baht. A nun at the centre claims those who made merit would receive returns, but…
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Thai Airways employee union push against forming a new airline
Plans to create a new national airline to replace the struggling Thai Airways are meeting oppositions from the employee union. The union insists that Thai Airways is a known brand worldwide and has contributed significantly to the economy of Thailand and deserves aid and rehabilitation. In the past, Thailand’s flagship international airline spent years as a state-owned property until the…
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Initial investigation finds woman’s death not related to receiving 2nd Sinovac dose
Officials say a 23 year old woman’s death, after recently receiving a second Sinovac jab, is not related to the Covid-19 vaccine. The findings are from an initial investigation into her death by the Ministry of Public Health. The woman received the second dose of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine in Samut Sakhon province at her workplace on April 21. 1…
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63 of 77 Thai provinces require public to wear face masks, curfews in 8 provinces
63 of 77 provinces in Thailand are now requiring the public to wear face masks while outside to help curb the spread of Covid-19. The rule has been extended from the previous 56 provinces, to now include those provinces of: NORTHEAST: Nakhon Ratchasima Bung Kan Nong Bua Lam Phu Roi Et CENTRAL PLAINS: Sing Buri Nakhon Sawan SOUTHERN: Chumphon The…
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Company of Covid-infected workers who broke “work from home” rules refuses to pay salaries
A company is refusing to pay 4 of its Covid-infected Thai workers who allegedly broke its work from home rules by venturing outside. The issue has alerted social media users who criticised the company after one of the workers said he was being denied payment after contracting the virus during the work from home period. But that man didn’t say…
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PM takes over Thailand’s vaccine roll out. Public Health Minister found under bus – OPINION
OPINION I went to register my name at a local private hospital in Phuket last Saturday for a place in the Covid vaccine queue. It was at the Bangkok Hospital Phuket. The first response from the reception area after the customary welcoming wai was “do you have insurance?” I said yes, but that was not relevant to why I was…
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Petition calling for Anutin’s resignation exceeds signature target, new target set
A petition hosted on Change.org, demanding the resignation of Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has surpassed an initial target of 200,000 signatures. The target has now been increased to 300,000, with over 211,600 having signed at the time of writing. Anutin has been widely criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with signatories demanding the reins be handed over…
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Samples of locally-produced AstraZeneca jab pass the test
The Department of Medical Sciences has approved samples of the AstraZeneca vaccine which have been produced locally by Siam Bioscience. Supakit Sirilak from the DMS says 5 models of vaccine were submitted for approval. The 5 had been tested for consistency during production. The AstraZeneca jab is one of only 3 so far to be approved by Thailand’s Food and…
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In charge: PM given sole authority to manage everything pandemic-related
The Thai PM has been put in sole charge of handling the Covid-19 crisis, assuming all powers previously delegated to various ministers. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday, the Cabinet agreed to designate Prayut Chan-o-cha as the chief authority with responsibility for all decisions related to the pandemic. These include the issuance of all orders, permits, and approvals aimed at…
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3 people infected at Thai Government House while Thai PM fined over not wearing mask
3 people at Thailand’s Government House have been infected with Covid-19, prompting the facility to shut down for cleaning. The adviser to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha made the announcement that the building would be closed from April 29 to May 7, with all publications to be distributed online via Facebook and the LINE app. About 95% of officials who work at…
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Covid-19 patients in Bangkok sent to other provinces due to overcrowded hospitals
To help ease overcrowding at hospitals in Bangkok, where more than 10,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since April 1, some coronavirus patients are now being sent to the neighbouring provinces Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, just south of the capital, for treatment. Field hospitals are reopening in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the last wave of infections in…
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