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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Anonymous complaint against Bangkok governor candidate causes probe
The House committee on corruption and misconduct prevention and suppression plans to probe a Bangkok candidate for governor after an anonymous party sent a complaint to the House committee chairman last month. The complaint said the candidate’s wealth was unusual, and he had committed wrongdoing. A committee spokesperson said the probe will start soon. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, said he…
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Another day, another data breach: Thai students’ data hacked, sold on dark web
The personal information of over 23,000 students has been stolen as a result of the Thai University Central Admission System being hacked. According to a Bangkok Post report, the security breach has been confirmed by the Council of University Presidents of Thailand. It’s understood the data, which pertains to over 23,000 students who took part in last year’s exams, has…
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9 children get blood disorder after eating sausages from illegal Chon Buri factory
Nine children have methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder, after they ate sausages from one factory in Chon Buri. Local police and officials from the Food and Drug Administration inspected the factory and talked to the owner after labels on the factory’s products matched what the children had eaten. The owner admitted to producing sausage products for five years without a permit.…
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“Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022” at ICONSIAM – NFT
Press Release The First Digital Art Debut in Thailand and Asia 5-20 March 2022 at ICONSIAM (Bangkok, 2 February 2022) “Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022” (TDAF 2022) will mark Thailand’s and Asia’s first and largest digital art showcase that features over 1,300 art pieces from 130 celebrated Thai artists. The event is a joint force between Siam Piwat Co., Ltd,…
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Thailand’s health minister says there’s no legal requirement to wear a face mask
Legally, we can’t force you to do it, but just do it, okay? That seems to be the message from Thailand’s Public Health Minister in relation to the wearing of face masks. According to a report from the National News Bureau of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed there’s no legal mandate for the wearing of face masks…. at least that’s…
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Thai customs officials have dogs sniff for pork at Laos border to prevent smuggling
Thai customs and livestock officials now have trained dogs sniffing for pork that could be smuggled over the Laos border. This news comes after about 300 kilograms of pork were found at a dump near the moon river yesterday. Officials think a pork trader who hoarded too much pork might have dumped it there. They have deployed the dogs at…
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Infected inmate escapee from Koh Samui Hospital surrenders, says he got hungry
The inmate infected with Covid-19 who escaped from Koh Samui Hospital has reportedly surrendered to police. Apparently, he turned himself in to police because he got hungry. With prisons and correctional facilities requiring a quarantine period for all new inmates, and with a number of them testing positive for Covid-19, there has been an increase in prisoner escapes, according to…
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Security guards allegedly stab resident to death at Bangkok housing project
Yesterday, the police officers from Tian Tale Metropolitan Police Station arrested three security guards suspected of killing a resident at a state dormitory of the National Housing Authorities project in Bang Khun Tian, Bangkok. Officer seized weapons and say the suspects confessed to killing the resident, claiming they didn’t mean to murder him, they just wanted to get revenge because…
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Thursday Covid Update: 9,172 new cases; provincial totals
21 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,228 with 530 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,172 new Covid-19 cases and 7,832 recoveries. There are now 84,413 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Deputy PM vows stricter punishments for traffic violators following fatal crosswalk accident
Following the deadly crosswalk accident where a police officer struck a pedestrian with his Ducati motorcycle, Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan ordered harsher legal punishments for traffic violators in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, although it has not yet been announced exactly what the punishments will be. He also called for providing info online about violators’ histories and past offences and…
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Man severely injured in Bengal tiger attack in Kanchanaburi
A man was severely injured in an attack by a wild Bengal tiger in a Kanchanaburi forest near the Myanmar border last Friday. The 48 year old man was walking from a nearby village to the forest to care for a buffalo when two Bengal tigers started chasing him. Reports say the man ran, but was then faced with a…
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Most Phuket tourists infected with Covid travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan
Most tourists who tested positive for Covid-19 when they arrived in Phuket travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan, but particularly Russia, the Phuket provincial governor told the Bangkok Post. The governor says there will be an investigation of why a significant number of infections involved travellers from those countries. Governor Narong Woonciew says that out of about 300 daily diagnoses in Phuket,…
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Thai health officials see signs of dementia in some recovered Covid-19 patients
A number of patients who’ve recovered from Covid-19 are displaying signs of dementia, according to Thai health officials. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Department of Medical Services says the symptoms tend to develop between 1 and 6 months after contracting Covid-19. DMS boss Somsak Ankasil says the risk appears to be higher in patients with pre-existing brain or…
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House speaker insists parliament building is safe, despite several MPs testing positive
The Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives has insisted parliamentary business can continue as normal and that meetings are safe. Chuan Leekpai was responding to news that a number of MPs have tested positive for Covid-19. According to a Bangkok Post report, the speaker is anxious to have sessions continue as normal, pointing out that there are strict Covid-19…
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Tourism officials call for travel bubble talks to resume with Thailand’s neighbours
Thailand’s tourism minister is pushing for travel bubble discussions to resume with neighbouring countries now that the Test & Go scheme has re-started. The Bangkok Post reports that Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn would like to see more reciprocal travel arrangements with countries like Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia, pointing out that such places normally generate significant cross-border traffic for Thailand. According to Phiphat,…
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Over 23,000 travellers register for Test & Go scheme on day 1 of relaunch
A government spokesman says out of 29,194 foreigners who applied for a Thailand Pass on Tuesday, over 23,000 were registering for the Test & Go entry scheme. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says 23,660 registered for Test & Go on day 1 of its return. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thanakorn is optimistic that this number will increase. Test & Go was…
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Thailand takes steps to fight tiger poaching following last month’s Bengal killings
Thai authorities taking steps to end the longstanding problem of tiger poaching. The move follows last month’s case where two Bengal tigers were killed at a national park in the western province of Kanchanaburi. Park officials found the pelts hung up at a camp and the tiger meat cooking on a grill. The country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and…
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Motorbike rider in Buriram injured from rope that wrapped around her neck
The 28 year old woman driving her motorbike got tied by a random rope, which wrapped around her neck, cutting her. Reports in Thai media say the rope was “mysterious” and it’s unclear where exactly it came from. The motorbike rider says she was driving on the main road in the Isaan province Buriram at around 5am on Monday when…
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Officers uncover buried car owned by an American who left Thailand 10 years ago
A car was found buried at a palm plantation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat… but what is interesting about the case is that the vehicle belonged to a 52 year old American man who, according to reports, left the country 10 years ago. The bronze BMW had been buried about a metre deep. Police and forensic officers…
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Farmers dress as superheroes to get more customers after drop in sales during pandemic
A Thai sugarcane farmer in Prachin Buri and his brother-in-law are dressing up as Batman and Superman to attract more customers. Sales had dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the two needed a way to bring them back up. The two men sell sugarcane juice every day between 1pm and 3pm at the intersection on Route 359 in Krabin Buri,…
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Thailand to introduce a registration application for small growers of cannabis
For those who want to grow cannabis, Thailand might soon have a smartphone application for those who wish to register. Thailand’s Public Health Minister, who has been actively touting the health benefits of CBD and pushing for laws to loosen around the once-criminalised plant, says small growers will soon be able to register on an application and then officials would…
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Streaming services rake in more than 815 million baht, emerge as new cash cow for Thai entertainment industry
The Department of International Trade Promotion announced on Tuesday that international streaming services like VIU, iQiyi, WeTV, and Netflix, alongside the Thai film industry, have earned Thailand more than 815 million baht. The news comes after the DITP held a meeting with members from international streaming providers and 15 Thai content creators to improve their relationship on January 27. This…
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Greek travellers in Phuket claim 200,000 baht in cash was stolen from their car
A Greek family on a trip to Phuket claims around 200,000 baht in cash was stolen. Thai media reports that the family of five is asking for the money to be returned and are even promising to give the thief 500 euros if they return the cash. The family filed a report with the police and asked the hotel to…
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Bangkok man stops car, releases snakes, cuts himself in bizarre ritual-like act
In a bizarre incident outside Bangkok’s major shopping centre CentralWorld, a man stopped his Mercedes Benz in the middle of the street, tossed offering flowers on his car, released three snakes onto the street, took off his shirt and cut his arms with a large knife. He spread the blood around as if it were some kind of ritual. The…
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Thai government sets up “fake news centres” to combat misinformation
A government spokesman has confirmed the formation of new centres dedicated to dealing with “fake news” on social media. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the centres will be created at 3 different levels to coordinate efforts to combat the spread of misinformation. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Cabinet has already approved a draft regulation submitted by the PM’s Office. “The…
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Police officer faces at total of 9 charges for speeding and hitting eye doctor at a crosswalk
The police officer who sped his Ducati motorcycle through Bangkok and stuck an eye doctor walking on a zebra crossing, killing her, is now facing a total of nine charges. He was initially charged with seven, but authorities slapped on two more charges. But the parents of ophthalmologist Dr. Waraluck Supwatjariyakul say the charges are still too light and they…
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Proposals to up foreign ownership quota for condos, extend leasehold rights rejected
While plans for a 10-year visa scheme for the wealthy and high-skilled professionals is moving forward, proposals to increase the foreign ownership quota for condominiums and the maximum lease for foreigners were rejected by Thailand’s Centre for Economic Situation Administration. The proposal to allow foreigners to hold ownership of one rai of land for residential purposes was agreed in principle.…
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Hotels now required to confirm paid room bookings and PCR tests with government
As part of the revamped Test & Go entry scheme, hotels are now required to confirm Thailand Pass bookings within 30 hours or applications will be rejected automatically. According to a Bangkok Post report, hotels must verify room bookings and PCR test appointments with the Foreign Ministry in order for a Thailand Pass application to be approved. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor…
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Pattaya travel roadshow to visit Saudi Arabia with PM
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed tourism businesses in Pattaya to prepare a travel roadshow for upcoming ministerial visits to Saudi Arabia in order to promote tourism and develop relations between the two nations. Following the directive, governor Yuthasak Supasorn of The Tourism Authority Thailand met with the local entrepreneurs group “One Voice” to reveal the PM’s trip to Saudi Arabia…
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24 Myanmar job seekers arrested in northern province for illegal entry
Thailand’s border security remains tight to dissuade border crossers over Covid-19 outbreak fears. Yesterday, a total of 24 Myanmar nationals, including ethnic Shan people (or Tai Yai as they prefer), were arrested in the northern province of Phitsanulok for illegal entry. Following a tip, Thai immigration police and border authorities detected the 17 women and 7 men on their way…
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