News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
China forced nearly 10,000 nationals to return home since 2014 – NGO report
Chinese authorities have forced nearly 10,000 nationals since 2014 to return to China. The country’s judicial system says they are wanted as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption efforts. But one Spain-based NGO, Safeguard Defenders, says there are cases in which Chinese authorities harass and detain expatriates’ family members in China in order to bully them into returning. Other times,…
-
Phuket’s Patong Tunnel to be complete by 2027
The Patong Tunnel will drill under the infamous hill that just about every tourist has to go over at some stage to get to Patong Beach. The windy road, up and down the hill, has been the scene of hundreds of fatal incidents with motorcycles, cars, trucks, vans and fully-loaded tour buses using the same patch of dangerous road. Efforts…
-
Foreigners vaccinated in Thailand can apply for a digital vaccine passport for free until March 31
Digital vaccine passports through Thailand’s Public Health Ministry are being issued for free until March 31. Both Thai nationals and foreign residents who were inculcated in Thailand can register for the e-Vaccine Passport on the Mor Phrom application. A 13-digit number is needed to register on Mor Phrom. For Thais, this is their Thai ID number. Foreigners who have been…
-
Rail to connect Thailand to China delayed 3 years to 2026
With recent plans fast-tracked to build a bridge to connect Thailand to the Chinese-La0 cargo train route, more rail projects are being focused on. But the plan to create high-speed rail service that travels 873 kilometres from Bangkok into China is now slated to begin operations 3 years later than originally planned. The first leg of the high-speed rail, which…
-
Alleged Bengal tiger poachers must remove their homes from national park
Yesterday, rangers at Khao Laem national park in Kanchanaburi ordered the removal of four homes, belonging to five people suspected of hunting and killing two endangered Bengal tigers last week. The suspects and their families, or anyone else currently living in the homes, must leave within 30 days. Those who don’t comply will be charged with violating the National Park…
-
Man in Phuket threatens new neighbour with 30 gunshots
A new resident was “welcomed” to the neighbourhood in Phuket with a man firing his gun into the area, saying he wasn’t afraid of anyone. The shooter, identified as “Mr. Yut,” allegedly fired his gun and a pump-action shotgun 30 times in the air. The new resident, Wisa Choo, had just moved into the neighbourhood after purchasing a plot of…
-
Cambodian opposition leader accused of treason asks court to drop charges
A Cambodian opposition leader accused of treason has urged the court in the Southeast Asian country to drop the charges. He denied allegations that he worked with foreign groups to undermine the ruling administration of PM Hun Sen, which stirred widespread criticism amongst Cambodia’s politicians. The trial for 68 year old Kem Sokha, co-founder of the ousted Cambodia National Rescue…
-
Indonesia lifts ban on international arrivals from high risk countries
Indonesia scrapped its travel ban list and now all foreign arrivals can enter the Southeast Asian country. A seven day isolation period is still required for all travellers from overseas. The 14 countries on Indonesia’s travel ban list due to high Covid-19 infection rates have all been removed, according to the country’s Covid-19 Task Force. The measure went into effect…
-
1 million face masks labeled as Japanese busted as Chinese
In the Bangkok suburb of Samut Prakan, police raided a warehouse where they found 1 million face masks that were labelled as being from Japan when in actuality they were produced and shipped from China. The economic crime division of the police uncovered the Chinese masks, with an estimated value of about 3 million baht, during a raid in a…
-
Wednesday Covid Update: 7,122 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,968 with 270 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,122 new Covid-19 cases and 7,460 recoveries. There are now 81,602 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
-
Roadside bomb explodes on road in Deep South province, damages police truck
An improvised bomb exploded on a road in the Chanae District of Narathiwat yesterday, damaging a police pickup truck. The explosion left cracks in the windshield, and fragments of the bomb were scattered. No injuries were reported. Police Captain Yuthachai Rojsirimontree, a Chanae investigator, said the attack happened on the Chanae-Dusongso road at about 3.45pm. Police believe militants detonated the…
-
Parents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools
A group of Thai parents and teachers against mandates for ATK tests and face masks at schools held a protest outside of the Ministry of Education and Public Health yesterday. Many schools and universities in Thailand are back to on-site classes again, but under the Covid-19 prevention measure set by the Public Health Ministry. Every student has been asked to…
-
British man fined for overstay after being forced into Bangkok quarantine
You take your PCR test after your stay in Thailand, before you return home to the UK. You test positive and are confined in a Bangkok hospital for 10 days. Then, to add insult to injury, you’re fined 4,000 baht for overstaying your visa when you go through immigration… purely because you were confined in hospital. This is the sad…
-
Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years
Thai Immigration police arrested a 48 year old Hungarian suspect who is wanted in his home country for alleged insurance fraud and has been staying in Thailand illegally for more than 10 years. Immigration police say the man is on 4,254 days overstay after entering Thailand in 2010 on a 60 day tourist visa. Officers say the man was arrested…
-
Chinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19
Chinese New Year is expected to be celebrated on February 1 to welcome the Year of the Tiger. But with the raising Covid-19 infection rate, especially in Bangkok, the Chinese New Year event on the Yaowarat Road, known as Chinatown, is cancelled again this year. The Royal Jubilee Gate, or Odeon Gate, will still be decorated, and people are allowed…
-
UN envoy urges PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help stop Myanmar crisis
As the Thai government promised to protect Myanmar refugees who fled into Thailand, a UN ambassador has urged PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help prevent the worsening crisis in Myanmar, following the in-person meeting at the Government House in Bangkok this week. The UN Secretary-Special General’s Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, has visited Thailand after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations…
-
Officials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister
Along with pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go scheme, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is discussing adding more Sandbox destinations to have the entry scheme open in every region of Thailand. The ministry will make formal proposals, including lowering the Covid-19 alert level to level 3, at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration general…
-
Transport minister says Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion will begin in July
Plans to expand Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will kick off in July, according to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. The so-called East Expansion project is expected to take around 2 and a half years to complete, at a cost of 7.8 billion baht. The project will begin in July with a bidding process to appoint a contractor. The plans have already been…
-
Tourism Ministry pushing for return of Test & Go from February
Thailand’s tourism minister says he’s pushing for the return of the Test & Go entry scheme, potentially as early as next month. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the resumption of the scheme could mean at least 8 million international tourists this year. The CCSA meets tomorrow to discuss easing a number of restrictions and potentially rebooting Test & Go. The Omicron variant…
-
Restrictions could be eased, Covid alert lowered after CCSA meeting tomorrow
As infections continue to decline in Thailand, the government meets tomorrow to discuss the easing of a number of restrictions. The CCSA is also expected to lower the country’s Covid alert, from Level 4 to 3. It was raised earlier this month amid concerns over the highly-contagious Omicron variant. The move followed the suspension of the Test & Go entry…
-
One million sign call for withdrawal of Amnesty International Thailand’s operating license
Apparently, one million people want to expel Amnesty International from Thailand. The vice minister of the Prime Minister’s office says he’s collected one million signatures in his campaign to withdrawal the non-profit organisation’s operating license. The vice minister, who some call “Rambo Isaan,” accuses the NGO of being a threat to the country. Amnesty International Thailand has been a vocal…
-
Thailand’s Commerce Ministry sets up war rooms to combat high prices
In an effort to take legal steps against merchants selling products at unfairly high prices, the Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce Boonyarit Kalayanamit says he will chair war rooms to combat high prices. The secretary stated this yesterday in an urgent meeting with Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit. The director-general of the Internal Trade Department under the Commerce Ministry,…
-
Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions
The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general…
-
Malaysia allows two new airlines to operate as industry still reels from Covid-19
The civil aviation regulator of Malaysia has allowed the entry of two new airlines despite the fact that the industry has been reeling from the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for more than two years. According to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), the newly founded ultra-low-cost carrier MYAirline is about to begin its operations soon as it has been…
-
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration by February
It’s no surprise that Thailand’s tourism officials are pushing to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The Tourism and Sports Minister told Thai media that the ministry, along with the Public Health Ministry, will make a proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to resume registration for the entry scheme by February. The minister, Pipat…
-
Thai baht rises as officials consider resumption of Test & Go
Thailand saw strength in its currency “baht” today as expectations are high for the relaxing of quarantine for vaccinated visitors under “Test & Go” quarantine exemption scheme. Registration for the entry scheme was closed last month, but the Public Health Ministry is proposing the scheme be reopened again. The Public Health Minister says that if approved by the Centre for…
-
Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists
In the next 10 years, Thailand could rank as the world’s ninth busiest travel hub welcoming 200 million passengers each year, according to a forecast from the International Air Transport Association. To prepare for the anticipated post-pandemic uptick, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is extending its east side of the main passenger terminal. The government approved an initial budget of 7.8 billion…
-
More Burmese migrants detained along Thailand’s western border
Police arrested 63 Burmese migrants seeking jobs in Thailand for allegedly crossing the borders into Thong Pha Phum, Sai Yok and Sangkhla Buri districts illegally yesterday. Two Thai men were also arrested for allegedly attempting to help smuggle the migrants across the border. One of them was reportedly caught driving 18 migrants in a pickup truck. The police found 12…
-
Teenagers arrested for allegedly stealing batteries, steel railings from a train station
Two 19 year olds were arrested and charged for allegedly stealing batteries from trucks who also admitted to stealing stainless steel railings from a train station in Samut Prakan yesterday. Following the warrant issued by the district court, police stopped the motorbike of two suspects on Soi Dan Samrong 24/66 in Muang district’s tambon Samrong Nuea and arrested them at…
-
Chinese sperm imposter sued in Japan after lying about ethnicity, education, wife
A Tokyo woman who sought impregnation from a “sperm donor” has given up her child for adoption, after she learned the father is actually a Chinese imposter, and has sued him for nearly US$3 million. The woman, whose husband suffers from an unnamed heredity disease, was reportedly desperate for a second child when she sought out a sperm donor online.…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.