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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Saturday Covid UPDATE: 3,095 new infections, 17 deaths
The Thai public health ministry has announced 3,095 new cases of Covid-19 along with 17 new deaths from the past 24 hours of provincial totals. 877 of the new infections emerged from Thai prisons again after 3 days of reports with high numbers of cases coming out of key Bangkok prisons. • Diners may be able to eat at Dark…
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Family sues Thai PM, CCSA after Covid-infected relative dies
The family of a man who died while infected with Covid-19 is demanding the Thai PM, as well as other government officials, pay millions of baht in compensation, citing “negligence” after calls to Covid-19 hotlines went unanswered or were not of help. 35 year old Kunlasub Watthanaphon died on April 23. Kunlasub is said to have contracted the virus from a…
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Thailand News Today | 8 clusters in Bangkok, Phuket party organisers charged | May 14
Foreigners may face a slight delay in receiving their Covid-19 vaccines, The BMA has now confirmed 8 clusters of Covid infection in the capital, Thai Private Hospital Association is now working to offer a variety of Covid-19 vaccine brands to Thais and Patong police have announced that the managers of the Phuket venues that hosted the Kolour entertainment event swill…
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Market down as good US economy drives interest rate fears
After US inflation exceeded targets and increased 4%, global stock markets including Thailand plummeted yesterday with fears of rising interest rates. Almost 144 billion baht was traded yesterday with the market at one point diving down 70 points in the late afternoon before recovering to a 23.72 point loss, closing at 1548.13. 2% is a high rate of inflation so…
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Inmates in Thai prisons to get vaccinated against Covid-19 next month
All inmates in Thai prisons will be vaccinated against Covid-19 starting next month. The announcement of the nationwide prison vaccination campaign follows this week’s outbreaks infecting nearly 3,000 inmates at 2 Bangkok prisons. There have also been outbreaks at prisons in Chiang Mai and the southern province of Narathiwat. At the Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok, more than 1,000…
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Thailand urged to join in reducing global prisoners for Covid-19
After it was revealed that nearly 3,000 inmates in Thailand’s prison system have Covid-19, criticism and calls are mounting to follow the global trend of reducing the total number of prisoners in the country. Human rights groups are calling for the release of inmates held on minor charges, with Amnesty International Thailand requesting those in “unnecessary custody to be minimised”…
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Krabi police search for 3 murder suspects after body and car found buried at plantation
Police in Krabi are searching for 3 brothers suspected of shooting a man before dousing his body in acid and setting him on fire. The body of 54 year old Suchart Khaoluan was found buried in a rubber plantation after he was reported missing for 2 weeks. Suchart had been missing since May 3. One of the suspects, 32 year…
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CCSA to discuss Covid-19 zoning tomorrow, restrictions likely to loosen in some provinces
Thailand’s colour-coded zoning for Covid-19 control will be discussed tomorrow by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Some restrictions are likely to be lifted in some provinces, such as the ban on dine-in services at restaurants in “dark red” zones. The colour scale goes from green to dark red, with green provinces reporting no recent Covid-19 infections. Under the current…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,256 new infections and 30 deaths, provincial totals
2,256 new Covid-19 infections and 30 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 33,186 active Covid-19 cases with most patients are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 96,050 Covid-19 infections and 548 coronavirus-related deaths. Out…
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Hua Hin plans to vaccinate residents next month, reopening eyed for October
Next month, 350,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses are planned to be sent to Hua Hin to vaccinate residents and those who work in the tourism industry. As part of the Hua Hin Recharge project, the vaccinations prepares the popular beachside town in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province for the reopening to foreign tourists. The Committee of National Tourism Policy recently approved…
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Bangkok uncovers 8 new Covid-19 cluster outbreaks
Eight clusters of Covid-19 outbreaks have been reported by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration with 4 districts slowing but 2 spreading quickly. Outbreaks in the Dusit and Din Daeng districts are showing a higher rate of infection and increasing spread, so authorities are closely monitoring the areas. Crowded communities and dense populations are causing faster transmission of the Covid-19 infections in…
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Bank of Thailand announcing 3rd phase case-by-case debt aid
Today the Bank of Thailand will announce the third phase of their plan to reduce debt strain on people affected by the third wave of Covid-19. The phase is part of a continued effort to help individual borrowers cope with their debts by implementing restructuring measures. Financial aid is planned to be given to those in need after evaluation on…
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Walk-in vaccine centre plan limping, not ready to launch
After proud announcements of walk-in vaccine sites launching in Bangkok and around Thailand, now there seems to be more walking back than walking in. Hospitals were flooded with calls from people looking to book a walk-in appointment to receive a Covid-19 vaccine but were told that there were no jabs currently available. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said that this whole thing…
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Private hospitals in Thailand working to offer more choices in Covid vaccines
The Private Hospital Association is now working to offer a variety of Covid-19 vaccine brands to Thais in an effort to help boost herd immunity. Thailand currently has only 2 Covid-19 vaccine brands that are currently available and covered by the Thai government’s free inoculation programme. AstraZeneca and Sinovac are on the list, but recipients have no choice in which…
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Update on Phuket’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign
So far, around 22% of the population in Phuket has been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The island province aims to vaccinate 70% of the population by the end of June to reach “herd immunity”. Officials remain committed to the original plan to reopen to vaccinated foreign travellers by July 1, as ambitious as…
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Teacher who called student a “phony,” when he requested a sick day, apologises
A Thai teacher who called a student a “phony,” and other names when the student called in sick, has now apologised. The incident, according to Thai Residents, occurred when a student says he texted his teacher, who goes by the name of Kaew, and told her he was sick and could not come to school. The student says the teacher…
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Moderna Covid-19 vaccine now approved in Thailand
The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Thailand. The country’s Food and Drug Administration announced the authorisation yesterday. Thailand’s vaccination started in late February. So far, only the Sinovac vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine have been used to vaccinate the public. The local company Siam Bioscience is now producing the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand. The locally-made…
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PM representatives file police complaint against Thai singer and government critic
Representatives of Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, have filed a police complaint against the Thai singer Suthipong Tadpitakkul, aka, “Heart”. Suthipong has criticised the government’s vaccine procurement plan, a move that has led to accusations of violating the Computer Crime Act and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The PM’s lawyer, Apiwat Kanthong, and his assistant minister, Seksakon Atthawong (aka “Rambo Isan”)…
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Tourism authority downgrades domestic tourism forecast
The third wave of Covid-19 has led the Tourism Authority of Thailand to cut its forecast for domestic tourism for this year. The TAT was already forced to cut its goal at the end of April from 160 million trips to 100 – 200 million, as a result of the resurgence of the virus over the Songkran period. During the…
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Expat vaccination in Thailand likely to be delayed
An official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Association says foreigners may face a slight delay in receiving their Covid-19 vaccines. Panruedee Manomaipiboon, director of the BMA’s health department says while the Health Ministry aims to vaccinate everyone living in Thailand, foreigners may have to wait until August. “As I have said before, the Health Ministry plans to vaccinate Thais first. We…
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Phuket tightens restrictions: No parties, no visits from friends
No, your friends can’t come over. No parties. No drinking with friends. No large gatherings. As part of Phuket’s efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19, local authorities have tightened restrictions and say friends are not allowed to gather at private homes. “No parties of any kind allowed… No house party, no friends gathering in the residence.” Along with temporary…
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Covid-19 patients with high blood pressure at high risk of death -CCSA
Covid-19 patients with high blood pressure have the highest risk of death followed by patients infected with the coronavirus who underlying conditions of diabetes or high cholesterol, according to data from Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 486 coronavirus-related deaths. Out of those fatalities, 392 were reported after…
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Thailand News Today | Covid case jump, Airlines ask for loans, Penguin hunger strike over | May 13
4,887 new infections from the past 24 hours, 7 member airlines are pushing for a meeting with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to discuss the option of soft loans, and Chiang Mai has reported a new cluster of Covid-19 after 3 patients lied about being infected.
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Lungtoo, A PM Prayut-themed Thai meme crypto, debuts
For those looking to get into the cryptocurrency craze in the shadiest way possible while also offending the Thai government, the perfect option now exists. Say hello to Lungtoo, the newest meme crypto be making its way through the Thai blockchain community. The name is pronounced like the Thai translation of Uncle Tuu, the affectionate nickname given to PM Prayut…
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Supreme streetwear makes deal over T-shirt featuring monk
Wat Ban Rai, a small temple in Nakhon Ratchasima, has reached an agreement with popular streetwear brand Supreme for using an image of their monk. In February the temple became aware that the global clothing brand was using a stylised photo of a well-known monk from their temple, Luang Por Khun, without having ever asked permission. They had threatened lawsuits…
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Thai health official dies a week after being injected with the Covid-19 vaccine
A Thai health official died a week after being injected with the Covid-19 vaccine. The woman, who worked for Public Health Ministry’s administration division, suffered from heart failure and was admitted to the Phra Nang Klao Hospital in Nonthaburi, a suburb outside of Bangkok. The woman died 7 days after being injected with the Covid-19 vaccine, according to deputy permanent…
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Covid UPDATE: 4,887 new cases and 32 deaths, provincial totals
A spike in daily new Covid-19 infections was reported in Thailand today with more than half of the 4,887 infections confirmed today linked to outbreaks at 2 Bangkok prisons. Thailand now has 32,661 active Covid-19 cases, a record high in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year. There has been a total of 93,794 Covid-19 infections since last…
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This Saturday marks the first day of Thailand’s rainy season
Saturday, May 15, Thailand will mark the official start of the 2021 rainy season, with 5 to 10% more rainfall expected compared to last year. The Thai Meteorological Department says the first half of the rainy season, from now until July, the total amount of rain is expected to be 10% more than the average, while the second half of the…
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Opposition party forms new subcommittee to remove Thammanat
The opposition party has created a new subcommittee to push for the removal of embattled Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompaew after the Constitutional Court’s ruling last week that he is fit to serve despite his Australian drug trafficking conviction. The Court ruled that the minister, a member of the Palang Pracharath Party, is qualified despite spending 4 years…
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Covid-19 vaccination hub opens at Central Plaza mall in Bangkok
A Covid-19 vaccination hub opened up at the Central Plaza Lardprao in Bangkok, making it the first immunisation centre outside a hospital. Yesterday, around 1,000 people were inoculated at the new centre after registering for a vaccine on the Mor Prom mobile application. Most of those vaccinated yesterday were government officers, volunteers or those who are at a high risk…
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