news in Thailand

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Doubts on Thailand’s Songkran 2022

    Thailand News Update | Doubts on Thailand’s Songkran 2022

    Even after the Test & Go program was rebooted on February 1, along with the additional and unpopular Day 5 PCR test, there hasn’t been a large increase in the number of international tourists visiting Thailand. Indeed the new applications and actual arrivals have fallen well below expectations by Thailand’s tourism tzars.Now, Phuket officials are launching new plans to encourage…

  • Thailand video newsEntry Into Thailand Made Easier (Again) | GMT

    Entry Into Thailand Made Easier (Again) | GMT

    The Day 5 PCR test for the Test & Go entry scheme has been scrapped. Land borders in Nong Kai, Udon Thani, and Songkhla will also reopen to international travel. A long-stalled bill criminalising torture and political disappearances cleared its first hurdle in Parliament on Wednesday and The 2022 World Women’s Snooker Championship. All coming up on todays Good Morning…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Day 5 PCR test scrapped & Covid insurance reduced!

    Thailand News Today | Day 5 PCR test scrapped & Covid insurance reduced!

    The Day 5 PCR test for the Test & Go entry scheme has been scrapped. Instead, on day 5, travellers are required to take a self-administered ATK test without the need to stay at an SHA approved hotel. The new measures go into effect on March 1. Travellers entering under the Test & Go scheme must still undergo a PCR…

  • Thailand NewsBREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    BREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    Day 5 PCR test for the Test and Go Program has been scrapped and the mandatory Covid insurance has also been reduced. Tim Newton goes live with the breaking news and answers your questions regarding the Thailand Pass.

  • Thailand video newsWill Thailand Ease Entry Restrictions Today? | GMT

    Will Thailand Ease Entry Restrictions Today? | GMT

    The government will on Wednesday weigh up whether it will scrap the second RT-PCR test for overseas arrivals under the Test & Go scheme. Tourism operators have thrashed the government announcement increasing the Covid-19 alert to Level 4. Prosecutors have indicted a junior police officer whose motorbike struck and killed a woman on a zebra crossing in Ratchathewi, Bangkok last…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thailand battles with easing restrictions

    Thailand News Today | Thailand battles with easing restrictions

    As infections continue to rise sharply across the country, the government has raised the Covid alert to Level 4 nationwide. The move comes as the number of severe cases and deaths also continues to rise, with most of the deaths reported in the elderly, the unvaccinated, and those with underlying health conditions. However, the CCSA has stated that lockdowns will…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | CCSA say ‘no changes’ for now

    Thailand News Update | CCSA say ‘no changes’ for now

    The CCSA spokesperson has pre-empted tomorrow’s official meeting saying that they will not impose any additional measures amid rising Thailand’s COVID-19 infections. But he says officials will strictly enforce the existing restrictions in the light of surging infections, mostly by the Omicron variant. She says that officials are taking into consideration all aspects of the Covid situation, including the number…

  • Thailand video newsThailand on Level 4 Covid Alert, No Change To Restrictions | GMT

    Thailand on Level 4 Covid Alert, No Change To Restrictions | GMT

    The Public Health Ministry has raised its Covid-19 alert to Level 4 following a sharp increase in Omicron variant infections nationwide. Prosecutors will decide today whether a police lance corporal who rode a Ducati superbike that struck down and killed a doctor at a zebra crossing on Jan 21 will be indicted. A motorbike driver who stopped at a zebra…

  • World NewsAsia News Today | Vietnam’s vaccine passports & Hong Kong postpones elections

    Asia News Today | Vietnam’s vaccine passports & Hong Kong postpones elections

    In Vietnam, The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has released guidelines for implementing the second phase of its COVID-19 vaccine passport pilot programme to welcome international tourists.Phase two will continue from now until the country’s full reopening of tourism activities via air, land, and sea routes, which is set for March 15. During this period, overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Reducing paperwork for incoming travellers

    Thailand News Update | Reducing paperwork for incoming travellers

    This Wednesday the CCSA convene for yet another meeting to consider both lifting persistent local restrictions, as well as reducing some of the paperwork and hassles for incoming travellers. For travellers, they will be looking for the scrapping of one or both the pre-paid PCR tests and accommodation when they arrive. New applications for the Thailand Pas have remained lack-lustre…

  • Thailand video newsDemands for Covid restrictions to be lifted in Thailand | GMT

    Demands for Covid restrictions to be lifted in Thailand | GMT

    The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on all 77 provincial governments to do everything they can to reduce the spread of the latest Covid surge in Thailand. Phuket is offering itself as the first province to declare the spread of Covid-19 as an endemic. Thai International Airways also plans to have direct flights between Bangkok and Riyadh in May.…

  • World NewsAsia News Today | Indonesia’s hotel quarantine scams

    Asia News Today | Indonesia’s hotel quarantine scams

    Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry say authorities are cracking down on hotel quarantine scams, who he claims are allegedly perpetrated by organised groups, against foreign travellers. He’s already coined the groups the “quarantine mafia”. Police have been following up allegations of numerous reported scams in hotel quarantine across Jakarta. The scam involves travellers being told at the end of their hotel quarantine…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Test & Go Improvements, Live Chat Function Added

    Thailand News Update | Test & Go Improvements, Live Chat Function Added

    In the wake of lower-than-expected take up of the revised Test and Go program in the Thailand Pass, the Thai PM has made direct orders for quick improvements in the reliability of the digital systemApplicants have been complaining about delays, receiving spam and hacked emails. Now a new entry pathway called TPHS has now been approved and promises to cut…

  • Thailand video newsNew Visa for foreigners to work in Thailand I GMT

    New Visa for foreigners to work in Thailand I GMT

    Thailand plans to use a newly introduced Thailand Elite Card programme offering a work permit to lure investments from international professionals. Another leak found in underwater oil pipeline off the Rayong coast. Thai PM orders Thailand Pass to be improved. Thailand is going a step further than the graphic (and disturbing) photos on packs of cigarettes to discourage the public…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Govt promises better Thailand Pass experience

    Thailand News Today | Govt promises better Thailand Pass experience

    After some glitches with the Thailand Pass, including a data breach, authorities say the system is being improved to make it more convenient for those travelling to Thailand. A government spokesperson says the Prime Minister has ordered related agencies to quickly fix the system to ensure there are no delays with the approval process, adding that foreign tourism is essential…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Optimistic marketing plans to build Thai tourism

    Thailand News Update | Optimistic marketing plans to build Thai tourism

    The forever optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is continuing to roll out its current marketing plans to target both international and domestic travellers despite a luke-warm start to the year. 2022 started with only the Phuket Sandbox and a quarantine option available for international arrivals, and even after the Test & Go option was re-instated on February 1, the numbers…

  • Thailand video newsAsia News Today | Japan to ease border controls & Fears of Cambodian surveillance

    Asia News Today | Japan to ease border controls & Fears of Cambodian surveillance

    A new internet gateway in Cambodia, set to be launched today, is being delayed, apparently due to issues related to Covid 19 in the country. When enacted, all Internet traffic in Cambodia will be routed through the government-run National Internet Gateway, allowing authorities to monitor online activity, intercept and censor digital communications, and collect users’ personal data. But the Telecommunications…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thai Govt takes steps to make Covid endemic

    Thailand News Today | Thai Govt takes steps to make Covid endemic

    Despite calls to delay removing Covid-19 treatment from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme, Thailand’s health minister is pushing ahead as part of the government’s policy to downgrade the virus to endemic. Anutin Chanvirakul was responding to calls from a number of quarters, including his deputy, Sathit, who asked him to postpone the removal until April due to the…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Scamming expats in Pattaya

    Thailand News Update | Scamming expats in Pattaya

    A Frenchman is facing fraud charges for allegedly scamming expats in Pattaya out of millions of baht by claiming he had connections with several Thai authorities, and promising help with obtaining visas, opening businesses, and buying motorbikes and cars. Reports claim he scammed expats out of a total of 6.3 million baht.58 year old Herve Christian Robert Leonard from Compiegne…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | More fatal crosswalk accidents in Bangkok!

    Thailand News Today | More fatal crosswalk accidents in Bangkok!

    Thai police are reporting two more crosswalk accidents in Bangkok amidst a nationwide effort to improve pedestrian safety. One man was killed while walking across a crossing on Suwinthawong Road in the Min Buri district and the other man was hit and injured by the Yingcharoen market on Phahon Yothin Road in Bang Khen district On Suwinthawong Road, the man…

  • Thailand video newsCovid clusters in Thailand & Demand for shorts | Thaiger Bites

    Covid clusters in Thailand & Demand for shorts | Thaiger Bites

    Jay and Tim go through your messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and the Thaiger Talk forum on the website. Thaiger Bites, Ep.86

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Controversial tourism fee likely to be postponed

    Thailand News Today | Controversial tourism fee likely to be postponed

    A 300-baht tourism fee which was set to be introduced from April 1 now looks likely to be postponed. Implementation is expected to be pushed out by around 2 months, although tourism operators have said they’d like to see the idea ditched completely, at least while the sector is fighting to survive the pandemic. However, Thailand’s tourism minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn,…

  • Thailand video newsMurder weapons found at the beach | Thailand News Update

    Murder weapons found at the beach | Thailand News Update

    On the day we were hoping to report some easing of restrictions, instead we may be staring at postponements, or even some more precautions added as Thailand struggles to move on from two years of any meaningful tourism recovery. At a meeting of the CCSA yesterday recent spikes in new infections, and the surges in Bangkok and Phuket, were discussed.A…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Insurance companies hesitant to cover foreign tourists

    Thailand News Today | Insurance companies hesitant to cover foreign tourists

    After facing losses from local Covid claims, many Thai insurance companies are indicating that they are hesitant to provide Covid insurance for foreign tourists entering Thailand under the current regulations. The deputy governor of marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said only a few companies are now interested in joining the Test & Go programme, the most popular…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Proposal to change how Covid-19 cases are reported

    Thailand News Today | Proposal to change how Covid-19 cases are reported

    After Thailand’s number of daily Covid-19 infections went above 10,000 this weekend, the government plans to change how it does daily reports. In a two-day a week test, the government reports will only focus on deaths and serious cases where people needed to be hospitalized with ventilators, or had pneumonia. The Ministry of Public Health says that even though infections…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Officials to discuss more easing of Covid restrictions

    Thailand News Today | Officials to discuss more easing of Covid restrictions

    Thailand’s health officials plan to propose the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions in a bid to move away from imposing lockdowns when outbreaks are reported. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says other countries are relaxing some curbs and Thailand is ready to follow suit. However, he did not specify what restrictions might be eased. It’s understood the…

  • Thailand video newsUniversal Thailand Pass Hatred | Thaiger Bites

    Universal Thailand Pass Hatred | Thaiger Bites

    Jay, Jett and Tim go through your messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and the Thaiger Talk forum on the website. Thaiger Bites, Ep.85

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Is wearing face masks in Thailand mandatory?

    Thailand News Today | Is wearing face masks in Thailand mandatory?

    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…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thailand proposes travel bubble with neighbors

    Thailand News Today | Thailand proposes travel bubble with neighbors

    A number of patients who’ve recovered from Covid are now 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 the virus. DMS boss สมศักดิ์ อรรฆศิลป์ says the risk appears to be higher in patients with pre-existing…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Thailand pass registrations are starting to rack up

    Thailand News Update | Thailand pass registrations are starting to rack up

    Registrations are starting to rack up after the first day of crashes on the Thailand Pass website. Eventually, a total of 23,660 inbound travellers registered for entry under the Test & Go Version 2 program on Tuesday, the first day the suspended travel scheme resumed. Covering all the Thailand Pass options, including the Sandboxes and Alternative Quarantine, 29,194 foreigners applied…