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.
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Anti-coup Burmese protesters take up military training in jungles of Myanmar
Members of Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement, including doctors and students, are taking up military training in the jungles, where they fled to escape a violent crackdown by the junta. Crawling on the ground towards their target of a small village isn’t just in preparation for a simulated clash-the training is to help protect them while they continue to resist the…
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225 billion baht Covid-19 stimulus package gets initial approval
Thailand’s cabinet gave initial approval today for a stimulus package of 225 billion baht to provide low-income groups relief from the devastating third wave of Covid-19. The plan to invest nearly a quarter of a trillion baht into financial stimulation measures passed its initial stage today and will be reviewed and voted on within the next few weeks according to…
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Owner of 2 unsupervised pit bulls warned by mayor
An unidentified owner of two pit bulls who reportedly allows them to wander freely near a public beach in the Bangsaen area of Pattaya has received a warning from Sane Suk Mayor Narongchai “Tui” Khunplome. making statements through his public relations accounts on social media and in local news outlets, the mayor stated that he had received multiple complaints from…
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Rising Phuket Covid-19 infections may cause ICU shortage
A shortage of ICU beds in Phuket may be coming soon according to an epidemiologist at the main government hospital, Vachira Hospital in Phuket Town. The Phuket governor held a live broadcast press conference where the doctor explained that, with the spread of the B.117 variant, which is more transmissible and often leads to pneumonia, she fears beds might fill…
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Brazilian Covid-19 varient found in Thailand in arrival quarantine
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today that the Brazilian variant of Covid-19 has been detected in some arriving international travellers. A spokesperson was quick to confirm that the strain had been detected only in state quarantine, and not at all in local communities and that the infection had been immediately contained. The patients have been said to have…
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Independence Day holiday is set date for US to achieve herd immunity from Covid-19
US President Joe Biden is setting the national holiday of Independence Day, on July 4, as the date in which he says 70% of American adults should have had at least their first Covid-19 vaccine dose. But, Priya Sampathkumar, chair of Infection Prevention & Control at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, disagrees with that priority. “Vaccinating more people in the…
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Thammanat Prompow is cleared to continue serving as an MP and cabinet minister
Deputy Agriculture Minister, and Palang Pracharat ‘fixer’, Thammanat Prompow, has been cleared by a Thai court to continue to hold office in Thailand despite his previous heroin trafficking charges in Australia in 1993. The Court maintained that, as the case was tried in another country other than Thailand, his conviction has no bearing on his standing as a member of…
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Songwriter, actor and director Chalee Intaravijit dies at 98
Well-rounded, artistic Thai jack-of-all-trades Chalee Intaravijit has died at the age of 98 after a full and diverse life as a songwriter, film director, theatre actor and more. Last night the artist passed away at Sirijaj Hospital. Born on July 6 1923, his prolific career spanned more than 5 decades, and the National Cultural Commission named him a National Artist…
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Chon Buri woman in custody for allegedly stabbing husband to death
A woman in Chon Buri’s Banglamuang district is facing charges for allegedly stabbing her husband to death with a butcher knife. The woman was injured during the alleged attack and is being treated at a local hospital. District police officers were called to the scene just after midnight to the couple’s home. They found 23 year old Burin “Geng” Bamrungphon…
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Food delivery companies and customers receive new Covid health measures to abide by
Thailand’s food delivery services and customers, especially in its capital of Bangkok, are now having to follow 4 additional health measures to help curb the spread of Covid-19. The Director-General of the Department of Disease Control handed down the orders after meeting with food delivery company representatives. The new measures include stricter supervision of employees to ensure that they are…
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Mekong unseasonal water levels endanger nesting birds in Thailand
The following story was written by Tyler Roney for Third Pole, a “multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there.” Just 50 metres from the Mekong, in the shadow of a discarded plastic cup, a lone chick sits camouflaged on the sand. It is a newly hatched small pratincole in…
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Chon Buri’s daily Covid-19 infections slightly increase Wednesday – 110
Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is reporting 110 new Covid-19 infections for today. The number is a slight increase from yesterday, which saw 91 new infections. With today’s reported infections, the total amount in the province, since early April, now stands at 2,965, with 7 deaths. The Department of Public Health reports that 1,620 are still under medical care…
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Desparate expats in Thailand turn to vaccine tourism
Travelling overseas just to get a prick used to have a much more negative connotation. But with limited supplies and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand, many expats are turning towards vaccine tourism, travelling to another country in order to secure a jab. With recent reports that Thai people will be prioritized and timelines vague for foreigners getting vaccinated, impatient…
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Thai ranger and 2 suspected insurgents killed in Thailand’s deep south
In the ongoing violence from the Southern Thailand insurgency, 2 suspected insurgents and a Thai ranger were killed in a clash between security forces and an armed rebel group in Yala’s Krong Pinang district. Known as Thailand’s “deep south,” the provinces Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, along the Malaysia border, have been plagued with violence for years due to the religious…
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3 Covid-19 vaccines approved by Thai FDA, 3 more in registration process
3 Covid-19 vaccines have been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration while 3 more pharmaceutical and biotech companies are in the process of registering Covid-19 vaccines for use in Thailand, according to FDA secretary general Phaisan Dankhum. So far, the FDA has approved the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which was made in partnership with Oxford University in the UK…
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Thailand requires in-person registration for cryptocurrency
Thailand has launched new regulations for anybody opening a cryptocurrency account that requires physical registration and forbids online setup. The Anti-Money Laundering Office created this rule that goes into effect in September 2021 in an effort to reduce money laundering, a practice that plagues crypto. People registering a cryptocurrency account in Thailand will be required to scan their Thai ID…
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Investigation: Was 91 year old woman’s death from Covid-19?
Medical staff are investigating the remains of a 91 year old woman whose body was found last night in order to determine if Covid-19 was a factor in her death. The woman was found in her home in Karon, Phuket, after police, rescue workers, and a medical team from the Phuket Provincial Hospital arrived around 6:30 p.m. She was found…
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Pfizer sees 45% increase in net income and revenue, as critics point to disparity in global vaccine availability
After seeing a 45% increase in net income from last year, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant, is largely increasing its projected profits for this year. And, the increase is undoubtedly due to the high amount of Covid-19 vaccine sales, in which the company says is shaping up to provide a “durable” revenue stream. The company says this year’s first quarter profits…
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Monk suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations
A 64 year old monk in the Isaan province Buri Ram is suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations made to the temple. The monk, as well as the thousands of baht in cash, have been missing for the past week. The abbot of a temple in the Nangrong district had made a request with the temple committee…
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Pattaya driver whose car burst into flames says he’s lost a million baht in cash
A young Pattaya motorist, whose car burst into flames while he was driving to the bank, says he’s lost 1 million baht in cash in the blaze. The driver, named by the Pattaya News as 24 year old Jirayus Amnuayborisut, says he was on his way to deposit the cash at the bank yesterday when his car spontaneously caught fire…
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Immigration police in Bangkok arrest 2 people on fraud charges
Immigration police in Bangkok arrested a Japanese man and a Chinese man on fraud charges in separate cases. One suspect arrested for allegedly scamming people out of millions of baht and the other arrested for allegedly making fake electronic cards to make purchases online. The Japanese man, identified as ‘Yamada’, allegedly scammed 3 people by claiming he knew many influential…
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Renowned Thai monk investigated for criticising government’s handling of pandemic
One of Thailand’s most prominent Buddhist monks has been accused of meddling in politics after he criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai PBS World reports that the Sangha Supreme Council has found Phra Maha Sompong Talaputto guilty of expressing political views, which is considered inappropriate. The monk and popular preacher from Bangkok’s Soi Thong Temple is renowned…
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Medics concerned about using anti-viral Favipiravir in Covid patients with minor symptoms
Medical experts are voicing their concern over the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s plan to use the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to treat field hospital patients. Field hospitals are currently being used for so-called “green” Covid-19 patients… those with only minor symptoms, or none. Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan.…
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Vaccination ramped up in Klong Toey, PM wants outbreak curbed in 2 weeks
Officials are accelerating vaccination efforts in the Klong Toey district of Bangkok, along with proactive mass testing in an effort to curb transmission of Covid-19. Posting on his Facebook page, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the aim is to inoculate at least 50,000 of the approximately 90,000 residents, stemming the tide of infections within 2 weeks. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Vaccines reserved for Thais, not expats – Public Health Ministry
Sorry, you’ll just have to wait. The Ministry of Public Health has muddied the waters further about foreigners or expats being able to access Covid vaccines in Thailand. Ministry spokesperson Rungrueng Kitphati has rolled back some of the comments that have already been made about the matter and the real world situation where some expats already registering for the next…
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6 of Thailand’s top tourist zones WILL start opening for quarantine-free travel in July – TAT
Full steam ahead. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s insists that the sandbox re-opening plans for 6 of Thailand’s most economically sensitive tourist magnets will start on July 1… July 2021. Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai will, according to the TAT, be open to foreign tourists who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine (or 1…
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Thailand News Today | Hotel industry in tatters, Burmese rebels destroy army helicopter | May 4
Today’s Covid stats at the end of the program. A Burmese rebel group is claiming to have downed an Army helicopter in the Kachin province in the far north of the country, poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business, Public Health Minister, Anutin,…
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What will be the most expensive real estate on MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition?
Phromthep Cape… Phuket Old Town… Patong Beach… These are just a few of the landmarks in Phuket that have now been short-listed since it was announced that Phuket will be getting its own edition of MONOPOLY. The top squares of the the locally-themed game board will soon be handed over to Phuket’s most prominent places. With so much around Phuket…
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Chon Buri reports a decline in daily Covid-19 infections – Tuesday, 91
Chon Buri province, which includes Pattaya, is seeing a general decline in the amount of daily Covid-19 infections today. 91 were reported today. Yesterday, the number of infections reported in the province was 153. The total amount of infections in the province since the third wave began at the start of April, sits at 2,855, with 1,611 still in medical…
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Survey finds nearly half of Thai hotels can stay afloat for less than 3 months
A recent poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business. The Bank of Thailand has published its confidence index of hotel business operators for April 2021 and the findings make for grim reading. According to a Nation Thailand report, a total of 188 hotels…
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