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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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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Thailand News Today – Thursday, April 23
Thousands of tourists stranded on a trio of Gulf islands An estimated 10,000 foreign tourists are stranded on three islands in the Gulf of Thailand – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. More than half of them, around 5,700 are on Koh Samui, another 3,300 foreign tourists on Koh Phangan and about 1,000 on Koh Tao, after passenger flights…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, April 22
Thailand confirms 15 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death (Wednesday) Thai health officials have confirmed 15 new cases of Covid-19 and 1 death today. The new cases bring Thailand’s total to 2,826 since the outbreak began, of whom 2,352, or 83% have now been released from hospital and returned home. Today’s new death brings Thailand’s total to 49. 3 of the…
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Thai government addresses widespread sexual abuse
“There have been few complaints in the past because the victims are afraid of their harassers who are usually their bosses,” Sexual harassment is a hot-button issue in many countries, today, with awareness rising of a topic which has long been unaddressed and taboo. Yesterday the Thai government pledged to protect victims who come forward and to investigate complaints of…
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Thai school director turns himself in after allegedly molesting one of his students
Yesterday at 3 pm the director of Ban Hua Na Lao school in the Phetchabun province (central Thailand), 59 year old Narongwit Phakham turned himself in to Ban Tiew Police after being accused of molesting a student at his school. Following up on a video clip of the school director allegedly molesting the schoolgirl in his school office, police officials…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 21
Thailand’s new ‘normal’ – Government charts course post-April 30 The Thai government is trying to find a balance between the public health needs and the imperative to re-boot Thailand’s economy. The Government is rumoured to be mulling another month of the emergency decree. The current emergency decree is set to expire in 9 days, on April 30. This is a…
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American creates bomb scare at Bangkok’s US Embassy
This morning at 8:3oam officers at Bangkok’s Lumphini Police Station were notified of a suspicious western man who placed a suspicious box in front of the US embassy. A bomb disposal team was sent to the scene but in the box there was only a Muay Thai doll, some clothes, A3 batteries, papers and a plastic bottle was found nearby.…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, April 20
27 new virus cases, no deaths for third straight day Thailand reported 27 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours but no additional deaths today. The new figure is 5 fewer than the 32 cases reported yesterday, and the lowest number of daily cases recorded since March 14. For the third consecutive day, no additional deaths, related to…
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Back to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready
OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Tourism is a vital part of Thailand’s economy. And as the country emerges into the post-Covid world, getting tourists back to the country will be an essential springboard to the rest of the Thai economy. None of that will be automatic or easy as international travel has been severely disrupted and will take months,…
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PM asks public to cool down on selling their gold
Massive unemployment due to the national state of emergency and the Covid-19 outbreak has pushed gold prices to near a 7 year high, and gold shops throughout the country are running out of cash because so many people are cashing in. In a briefing this week in Bangkok, PM Prayut Chan-Ocha asked the public to show restraint and not to…
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Thailand’s road to a ‘new normal’
Spokesman of the Covid-19 Centre, Taweesin Visanuyothin, says guidelines for a “new normal” are being drafted amid talks of a gradual reopening of business around the country. He said the government is pleased with the dropping number of new cases and is considering relaxing restrictions, though people can not ignore “good practices” such as social distancing, wearing a mask and…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, April 17
Healthcare leader predicts 200,000 people could be infected with Covid-19 Despite the relatively low number of new coronavirus cases in Thailand, hospitals are already reaching capacity in dealing with patients that need ICU treatment and ventilators… this from Boon Vanasin, chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group. He claims that the three main hospitals in Bangkok specialising in Covid-19 treatment are already…
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Thunderstorms in the South, heatwave in the North
The Thai Meteorological Department forecast for today says that “a thermal low will blanket northern Thailand while winds from the south and southeast will bring humidity to the lower North, the Northeast, the Central and Eastern regions (forecasts for Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket below). Weather continues to be humid and unsettled in the south as the south-westerly monsoon starts to build strength.…
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Migrant workers in Thailand can now stay until November 30
Yesterday the Thai government officially announced a blanket extension for the country’s migrant labourers. They will now be permitted to stay until November 30 this year and will be exempted from any sort of overstay penalty. Government Spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat says that the government has backed the Ministry of Labour’s review of the Cabinet resolution on March 24 on the…
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Loophole closed – more unemployed to receive payments from Thai government
The loophole for employees whose businesses were not ordered to close, but are still affected by Covid 19 pandemic, has finally been addressed. The Thai Ministry of Labor secretary Sutthi Sukosol says that compensation will be similar to what employees whose businesses were ordered to close are paid, which is 62% of daily wage based on a maximum monthly salary…
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2.7 billion in “cash gifts” for officials working to fight Covid-19
Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul announced the Thai Cabinet has approved “cash gifts” for government officials working to fighting the Covid 19 outbreak. “The move to disburse cash gifts from the 2.7 billion baht budget was proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.” Those who work in fields directly affected by the outbreak – doctors, nurses and other essential…
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Thai Government pharmaceutical organisation boosts production of key medicines
Dr Mukdavan Prakobvaitayakit, the deputy managing director of The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says “the GPO has been increasing the amount of production for chronic disease medication by 50%. ” This unexpected Covid-19 pandemic has hit the stockpile of 5 – 6 key medicines, which are being used in the treatment of Covid-19. In normal circumstances, GPO usually purchases raw materials…
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Covid-19 crisis delays Thailand’s biofuel future
Thailand’s Energy Ministry has postponed a nationwide plan to switch to biofuels until the Covid 19 crisis subsides. The ministry initially told oil refineries to stop producing gasohol 91 at the end of May and planned to increase consumption and manufacture of biofuels like gasohol E20, which will generate income for local farmers who grow biofuel energy crops like sugarcane…
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Thai Covid 19 “Super Spreader” song goes… VIRAL
“Don’t just think of fun, or you’ll suffer from Covid If you can’t recover, you could die!” After witnessing the successful Vietnamese public service song and #EndCov campaigns educating the Vietnamese population to wash their hands and take action in the battle against the Coronavirus, the Thai government has doubled down and weaponised the power of Issan music to create…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 14
Thailand Covid-19 cases rise to 34 (Tuesday), 1 more death Health officials today confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases from around the country, bringing the total to 2,613. There was one additional death, a Bangkok bus driver, raising the country’s death toll to 41. Today’s number is higher than the 28 recorded yesterday, and comes after five straight days of declines…
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Thailand facing double whammy – Covid-19 and worsening seasonal drought
The Office of the National Water Resources says up to 6,255 villages in 24 provinces have already been declared as drought-affected areas, while national dams and reservoirs are only at an average of 49% capacity (only 26% of that water is usable.) It has been predicted that the drought could last until at least July. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says…
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Thailand Covid-19 cases rise to 34 (Tuesday), 1 more death
Thai health officials today confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases from around the country, bringing the total to 2,613 since the beginning of the outbreak. There was one additional death, a Bangkok bus driver, raising the country’s death toll to 41. Today’s number is higher than the 28 recorded yesterday, and comes after five straight days of declines since the 111 recorded…
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Up to 100,000 Thais at risk from alcohol-related ‘withdrawals’ during national ban
Yesterday experts announced that up to 100,000 Thais who have become seriously dependent on alcohol are at risk during the nationwide booze ban. The ban on alcohol sales was imposed in order to minimise large gatherings and also to curb coronavirus related infection risks, especially during the traditional Songkran celebrations. According to the director of Centre for Alcohol Studies at…
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Drunken man incinerates ATM after running out of alcohol
Last night around 10pm a drunk man, apparently desperate to get more alcohol, became angry and aggressive, whereupon he decided to incinerate an ATM machine hoping that it was going to explode and rain cash, or alcohol, in Rayong, south east of Bangkok. General Montree Yimyam along with officials from the Rotong Police Station, arrested the man, later revealed as…
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Up to 10 million Thais out of work in next three months – CCSA
As many as 10 million Thais could be out of work in the next few months if the current Covid-19 epidemic drags on. Supant Mongkolsuthee, the president of the Federation of Thai IndustriesGovernment, says the Thai government needs to provide timely support for businesses. As head of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s working committee, tasked with overseeing small and…
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Thailand News Today – Monday, April 13
New virus cases nationwide fall to 28 Health officials confirmed 28 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in the country today as the trend continues down. Today’s total brings the reported country total to 2,579 since the outbreak began in January. There were also 2 additional deaths announced today, bringing the national tally to 40. Today’s new infections are fewer…
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Education minister does U-turn on ‘tablets for students’ plan
The government has done a swift U-turn on last week’s plans to purchase tablets (iPads and the like, not medicines) for Thailand’s students for home learning during the Covid-19 crisis. The Thai Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan says his ministry will now focus on maximising existing resources and “not invest money buying new equipment unnecessarily”. “We will ask for digital TV…
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PM urges Thailand to observe Songkran at home on April 13
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on all citizens and residents to refrain from celebrating Songkran, cancel their trips home and avoid all gatherings during the 3 day festival, which kicks off on Monday. The government announced last month that the Songkran holidays would be postponed to later, unspecified dates, in line with efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19…
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Chon Buri struggles with severe drought
As Thailand faces its worst drought in 40 years, officials in Chon Buri met yesterday to discuss a solution regarding lack of water and low water pressure in the province’s Sattahip district, south of Pattaya, also the home to a naval base. Responding to many recent complaints, Sathira Pueakprapan, a member of the council in Chonburi, told reporters that Sattahip…
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Thailand News Today – Thursday, April 9
Chamber predicts 7 million Thai people to be jobless by June 7 million Thais could be on the unemployment queue by June in dire predictions from an industry chamber. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking have predicted that 7 million people will be jobless by June. The report says… “Low wage workers will be affected the most…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, April 8
111 new Thai coronavirus cases. 3 more deaths, all foreigners 111 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been announced today. Of the 111 cases announced today, 69 got the virus from contact other infected people, while 42 were those returning from a religious festival in Indonesia. Phuket is the province with the highest percentage of active Covid-19 cases,…
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