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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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1,000 Thais register to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia
Thai and Saudi officials say labour relations between their countries are strengthening following renewed relations. Thailand’s labour minister said over 1,000 people have registered online with the Department of Employment to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia. He claimed the final remaining step is signing a bilateral labour agreement, which is expected to occur soon. The agreement will allow Thailand…
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Nightlife operators hope to be given green light at CCSA meeting tomorrow
The owners of entertainment venues across Thailand have reacted with cautious optimism to reports they could soon be allowed to re-open. According to a Bangkok Post report, the resumption of the country’s nightlife is thought to be on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of the government’s Covid-19 task force. Wirawit Kruasombat from the Patong Entertainment Business Owners Club in Phuket…
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CCSA meets tomorrow to decide fate of pre-departure PCR test
The requirement for overseas arrivals to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure from their home country could soon be scrapped. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA will discuss dropping the requirement when it meets tomorrow. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says international arrivals would still be required to take a PCR test…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry to propose scrapping pre-departure PCR for Test & Go
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is set to make a proposal to scrap the pre-departure PCR for Test & Go travellers, making entering the country more convenient and cost-efficient. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, which will have its general meeting this Friday and is expected to discuss a number of topics, including…
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Market vendor runs stray dog programme, colour-coded collars to indicate friendliness
Stray dog populations have been a longstanding issue in Thailand, but a flower seller at a market in the central province Samut Songkram saw a way to make the dogs part of the community and created a project to help take care of the dogs in the area. Now each dog has a name and is marked with a collar…
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Phuket police on the hunt for alleged shoplifting foreigner
A foreign man reportedly stole snacks from a Phuket shop on two separate occasions. The shopkeeper alleges the foreigner first stole snacks back in January, after he came to the store with a Thai woman. The woman paid for her items, while the man allegedly stole 228 baht worth of snacks. The man reported the alleged theft to Phuket City…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 23,945 new cases; provincial totals
70 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,918 with 2,220 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,945 new Covid-19 cases and 23,339 recoveries. There are now 221,972 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Bar raided in Bangkok’s Nana, woman arrested for alleged child sex trafficking
Police raided a bar in Bangkok’s Nana area and found that at least three teenage girls were offering sexual services. Two are 15 years old, another is 14. A woman at the bar was arrested on child sex trafficking charges. Officers raided 789 Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 7 in the Nana area, a redlight district is known for its go-go…
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Famous Thailand monk caught drink driving, carrying methamphetamine
A famous Thailand monk, known for his predictions and visions, was reportedly caught drink driving with methamphetamine pills hidden inside his robes after a 20-kilometre police chase yesterday in eastern province Mukdahan, which borders Laos. Police followed a pickup truck after it ran a red light in Mukdahan city. Turns out a famous monk was behind the wheel. Officers chased…
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7 students at Thailand university face charges for allegedly beating a student to death
Since 19 year old student Padyos “Prem” Chonpakdi was beaten to death, allegedly by university students in a violent initiation ceremony on Sunday in Nakhon Ratchasima, seven upper-level students have confessed to using excessive violence against Prem which lead to his death. Prem was forced to undress, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, sing and was punched in the stomach and…
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Thailand football player could face lifetime ban for elbow strike to opponent
A Bangkok Football Club player who struck his opponent with a Muay Thai-style elbow strike to the face could receive a lifetime ban. Aitsaret Noichaiboon slammed his elbow into the player’s face, fracturing his cheekbone. He received 24 stitches on his upper lip and doctors say he also suffered a blood clot in his nose. The football club terminated Aitsaret’s…
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Thai education official admits online learning’s pitfalls
A Thai education official admitted that online learning in Thailand has weakened students’ reading and writing skills. The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission said this is especially a problem for kindergarten and primary students. He said students “must” start school in-person on May 15. This was after rumours circled that school might be interrupted again. The…
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Murderer of Swiss tourist in Phuket sentenced to life imprisonment
The Thai man who murdered the Swiss tourist at a Phuket waterfall last year has been sentenced to life in prison by the Phuket Court. 28 year old Teerawat Thothip was initially sentenced to death, but it was then reduced to life imprisonment given that Teerawat confessed to investigators. The body of 57 year old victim Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, the…
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Esteemed Thai monk dies at the age of 85 after cancer battle
One of the most revered monks in the kingdom has died at the age of 85. The Bangkok Post reports that Somdet Phra Wannarat, who was abbot of Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, a major Buddhist temple in Bangkok, died yesterday after losing his battle with gall bladder cancer. He had served as abbot at the temple since 2015. According to the…
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Thailand marine officials look into building cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui
Marine officials in Thailand are looking into building a cruise ship terminal on Koh Samui, a popular Gulf of Thailand island off the Surat Thani coast. A terminal is considered to be more convenient and safe for travellers as, at the moment, cruise ships must anchor by the island and smaller boats transfer travellers to the island and back to…
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Health ministry approves half-dose of mRNA vaccine as booster for elderly
In a bid to persuade Thailand’s elderly population, and those with chronic illnesses, to get a Covid-19 booster, health officials have approved using half the usual dose. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the half-dose will be an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer, adding that officials are acknowledging a fear of side-effects among the elderly. “To deal with this fear, I have…
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Police continue search for forest ranger in Isaan Thailand who allegedly killed ex-wife’s son
Officers in the Isaan province Buriram are still searching for the senior forest ranger who allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife’s son Sunday night. The victim’s family says the ranger called them after the shooting, saying he threatened to murder the entire family. He is believed to be hiding in a forest near the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. The 45 year…
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Province in Western Thailand works to revive tourism in new scheme
The governor of one Western Thai province whose tourism income plummeted this year announced yesterday the need for a “comprehensive strategy” to revive tourism. The province of Prachuap Khiri Khan made 1.85 billion baht in tourism in 2020, but that dropped to 36 million baht in 2021. “We expect travel activities to pick up once Covid-19 is classified as an…
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Villas in Phuket offering fabulous views of the island
Phuket is an adaptive and dynamic island that continues to evolve and its elegance unceasingly expands. Its real estate landscape changes from year to year as new developments match the demand for the most recent and biggest trends. Phuket is home to arguably the world’s most stunning private villas. In addition to stunning vistas, private pools, and uninterrupted privacy, these…
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PM refuses to discuss possibility of early elections or confirm he will complete term
The Thai PM has refused to rule out the possibility of House dissolution and an early end to his tenure, in a change to his usual stance. Prayut Chan-o-cha has always reiterated his plan to remain in office until the end of his term next March and possibly beyond, ruling out any chance of early elections. However, while responding to…
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Professional Muay Thai fighter trains Thai and US troops
As a special instructor, Thailand’s internationally known Muay Thai boxer, Buakaw Banchamek, has been coaching Muay Thai to Thai and US soldiers participating in the joint exercise Hanuman Guardian 2022, which is taking place in Thailand’s central province of Lop Buri. Buakaw, who is currently an army officer, taught theoretical and practical techniques on Monday in the 31st Infantry Regiment’s…
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Bus driver in fatal accident gets licence revoked, Transport Company faces punishment
The bus driver in the fatal accident in Saraburi, killing eight passengers after he crashed into a bridge pillar, had his licence revoked by the Department of Land Transport. The department is also considering penalities for the state-run Transport Company, which was operating the Bangkok – Suwannaphum bus carrying more than 30 passengers. The driver, who was later found to…
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Fire breaks out at luxury hotel in Bangkok, no injuries reported
A fire broke out at the 18-storey luxury hotel in Bangkok early this morning. There were no reports of deaths and injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters say it may have started at a pile of trash outside the hotel and moved up the electricity pole to the wires connected to the eighth floor…
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Bangkok football player sacked after elbow strike to opponent
A Bangkok Football Club player was sacked after he left his opponent needing 24 stitches after an elbow strike to the face, knocking him to the ground during a Thai League 3 match on Sunday afternoon. The referee sent Aitesaret Noichaiboon off immediately and the club proceeded to terminate his contract. Bangkok FC were losing 3-0 against North Bangkok University…
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Young Swiss man needs O negative blood donations after heatstroke on Thailand island
A 25 year old Swiss man needs donations of the blood type O negative (O-) after he went running on Koh Chang off the coast of the eastern province Trat and suffered a heatstroke. Theo Zwahlen is in a coma in the ICU at Bangkok Hospital in Chanthaburi. Theo has kidney failure, acidosis, brain damage, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) and a…
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Freshman student beaten to death in hazing incident at Isaan Thailand university
A freshman university student died during a hazing incident where he was reportedly beaten by students and forced to drink lao khao, a Thai distilled spirit. The 19 year old was punched in the stomach and face. At one point, he became unconscious. He died on the way to the hospital. The activist group ANTI SOTUS, which is against the…
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Phuket tourism official reports low number of calls to Russian, Ukrainian helpline
An official from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office says most Russian and Ukrainian tourists on the southern island appear to be “coping”. Nanthasiri Ronasiri says there have not been that many calls to a hotline set up specifically to help tourists stranded by cancelled flights or facing financial problems as a result of sanctions on Russia. Russia’s invasion…
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Bangkok eases alcohol restrictions, large events and shopping centres allowed to serve booze
Bangkok is loosening its rules on alcohol sales. Starting today, shopping centres and event venues can serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm, according to a document signed yesterday by Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang. The venues serving beer, wine, and cocktails will also need to be certified through SHA+ and Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus, which are both safety and health standards…
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Elephant camp in Chiang Mai put up for sale due to drop in tourists during pandemic
Elephant parks and sanctuaries relying on foreign tourists for an income and funds to feed the animals have been hit hard during the pandemic. One elephant park in Chiang Mai is now up for sale due to the drastic drop in the number of visitors over the past two years. The owner says she’s been unable to afford the 2…
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Thai officials say no cause for concern as 4 cases of Hong Kong sub-variant reported
The Public Health Ministry says there’s no cause for concern after the BA2.2 Omicron sub-variant was reported in 4 Covid-19 patients in the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, the patients are 3 Thai nationals and a foreigner. The BA2.2 sub-variant was first discovered in Hong Kong, which is battling its worst Covid-19 wave since the start of the…
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