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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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Health Ministry to confirm list of “quarantine” golf resorts
The director-general of the Department of Health Service Support says officials will name the golf resorts that have been approved as alternative state quarantine facilities next week. Tares Krassanairawiwong says those who enjoy a game of golf will be able to indulge their passion while in quarantine – provided they come from a “low-risk” country, that is. Quarantining golfers are…
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Police charge 4 with swindling co-payment scheme, investigate over 700 others
The deputy national police chief, Damrongsak Kittiprapat, says 4 people have been charged with de-frauding the government’s co-payment stimulus scheme. He adds that around 700 others are also suspected of swindling the scheme. It’s understood the 4 people charged allegedly persuaded co-payers to carry out fake transactions so that money could be redeemed under the campaign. The Bangkok Post reports…
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Health Minister points to migrant workers as likely source of virus in Samut Sakhon
Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says migrant workers are likely to be the reason behind a small Covid-19 outbreak in the central province of Samut Sakhon. After a 67 year old woman with no international travel history was found to be infected with Covid-19, 3 of her family members have also tested positive. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
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US cybersecurity agency alleges Russian hacking campaign
A cyberattack, which was first identified when US government agencies were targeted, has also been aimed at cyber targets worldwide, raising fears about global computer security. Microsoft has already announced that it’s notified more than 40 large customers hit by the malware which allegedly originated from hackers linked to the Russian government. The malware has been allowing attackers unfettered access…
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No… Eating loads of holy basil won’t protect you from Covid-19
In case you were eating loads of holy basil to protect yourself from Covid-19… Stop. Sounds a bit crazy, but the Thai public health officials and the Anti Fake News Centre Thailand are warning people not to believe the claim spread online that eating 50 grams of fresh holy basil each day will boost immunity and protect against the coronavirus.…
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Deputy PM says pandemic exposed problems in Thai economy, time to improve
As the Covid-19 pandemic hit economies all over the world with business closures and travel bans, issues with Thailand’s economy were exposed, according to Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow. The country cannot go back to the way it was before the global outbreak, he says. Thailand’s large tourism industry was battered by the lack of foreign visitors. Small and medium businesses…
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US Senate support for protest movement won’t impact Thailand – Foreign Minister
The United States Senate’s support for Thailand’s pro-democracy movement won’t have any impact, according to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Don Pramudwinai. The US Senate recently introduced a resolution supporting the movement and calling on the Thai government to uphold human rights and refrain from “harassing, intimidating or persecuting those engaged in peaceful protests.” The US resolution is…
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Covid-19 measures strengthened in Samut Sakhon after local case confirmed
The central province of Samut Sakhon is tightening restrictions following the confirmation of a Covid-19 infection in a local woman with no international travel history. According to a Nation Thailand report, Governor Weerasak Wijitsaengsri says the 67 year old woman runs a seafood business and was tested at a local hospital after exhibiting symptoms. “The patient is a 67 year…
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Phase 2 of travel stimulus may be cancelled due to fraud, as PM said to be “furious”
Officials are considering cancelling the next phase of the government’s domestic tourism stimulus campaign, after multiple cases of fraud emerged. To date, over 200 people have been prosecuted for corruption in the domestic travel campaign, as well as in other government stimulus schemes. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says that, in conjunction with the Tourism and Sports Ministry, it has…
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Sydney Covid outbreak sparks border clampdowns in other Australian states
A spate of Covid-19 cases on Sydney’s northern beaches has prompted other Australian states to impose strict restrictions on arrivals from the region. With 28 new cases confirmed along the city’s northern beaches, and fears that number will grow, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is calling for vigilance. “Everyone in greater Sydney needs to be on high alert.” Thai…
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Satirical fashion show leads to lèse majesté charges
A satirical fashion show led to a pair of young pro-democracy activists, one just 16 years old, to be charged with violating Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law after one of them dressed in traditional Thai dress, said to be mocking a royal consort, while the other wore a crop top. (An outfit a certain “someone” has been photographed wearing in…
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WHO praises Thailand’s unity as key to successfully tackling Covid-19
Unity between Thailand’s public and social sectors, healthcare workers, local organisations, and individuals, has been key to tackling Covid-19, according to the World Health Organisation. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking yesterday at an online address to Thailand’s National Health Commission Office when he made his remarks. According to him, unity between all sectors in the country, coupled with…
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Thailand to ease travel restrictions for some countries
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has confirmed the government intends to ease travel restrictions for arrivals from some countries, but the 14 day quarantine remains in place for now. Spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin says the easing of restrictions will be applied to 56 countries, including Australia, the US and France, whose nationals will not require visas to enter Thailand. However,…
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End-of-quarantine party for 28 Thais who returned from Myanmar
An end-of-quarantine party was held for 28 Thais who were just released from quarantine after returning to Chiang Rai from Myanmar. Not many details were reported about the event, just that it was a ceremony at a riverside resort with the provincial governor Prajon Prachsakul… Definitely a lot different than the parties just across the border in Tachileik. Many Thai…
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Thailand News Today | New Year Covid style, Currency manipulation?, SCB scam | Dec 17
Thailand News Today, coming from Phuket for the next few days. Mosquito-borne virus spreads in Pattaya If you’re in Pattaya, light the coils and get out the bug repellant. There’s been a report of an increase in chikungunya fever infections, that’s a mosquito-borne virus, similar to Dengue but can be quite painful and serious in some patients. The city’s mayor…
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Chon Buri woman wins 18 million baht in lottery, her niece picked the winning number
When Primprao Chuadee went by her usual lottery ticket vendor in Chon Buri, she decided to let her young niece pick the tickets. Lucky move. She won 18 million baht in the Thai government’s bi-monthly lottery. “My niece ‘Nong Baimon’ picked the lottery numbers for me at a lottery stall that I usually buy from.” She bought a set of 3…
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Bank of Thailand says being on US currency “watchlist” won’t have a “material impact”
Thailand being added to the United States Treasury’s “watchlist” for suspected currency manipulation won’t impact foreign trade and investment too much, the Bank of Thailand says. Now that Thailand is on the “monitoring list,” US government says it will keep “close attention” on the country’s currency practices to determine if any measures are intended to gain an unfair advantage in…
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Siam Commercial Bank issues warning to customers after mobile app scam
Siam Commercial Bank has posted a statement on its Facebook page, urging customers to beware of phishing attempts via text message. The warning comes after the arrest of 3 Chinese nationals accused of sending messages to SCB customers advising them to update their details. Customers were then taken to a fake platform and asked to input their ID card number,…
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Mosquito-borne virus spreads in Pattaya
Light the coils and get out the bug repellant. Pattaya reports an increase in chikungunya fever infections, a mosquito-borne virus. The city’s mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem is ordering public health and environment staff to control the spread. “The virus comes from bites from infected mosquitoes. Patients will have high fever, discomfort and joint pain for, on average, about four days. In…
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1 woman dies, another injured, after motorbike collides with truck in Chon Buri
An 18 year old student has died, and another has been injured, after a collision between their motorbike and an 18-wheel truck in the eastern province of Chon Buri. The incident happened in the district of Panat Nikhom, with rescue workers and police arriving on the scene to find the damaged motorbike and truck, on a road that is currently…
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Thailand on US Treasury’s “watchlist” for suspected currency manipulation
Thailand is now on the United States Treasury’s “monitoring list” for suspected currency manipulation, unfair policies to gain an advantage in international trade. Vietnam and Switzerland were both labeled currency manipulators in the US Treasury’s recent report “Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States.” Along with Thailand, the Treasury also added Taiwan and India…
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Covid-19 task force to meet today for discussions on New Year festivities
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to discuss how New Year celebrations will be handled, with the possibility that they may be split into smaller groups. Officials are to consider a suggestion from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha that countdown gatherings be split into zones, with numbers limited. The PM is concerned that large crowds would make it impossible to…
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New Year bookings slow amid delay in tourism subsidy
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the delay in extending the domestic travel stimulus scheme is hurting bookings over the western New Year period. The addition of 1 million room nights has been postponed while officials look into multiple claims of fraud. TAT and the Tourism and Sports Ministry have filed a police report against more than 500 hotels and…
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China’s Moon probe successfully returns to Earth this morning | VIDEO
China’s Chang’e-5 mission has arrived safely back on Earth after a successful 3 week mission to the Moon, collecting rocks and soil from the surface, and then retuning. It’s the first time since the 1970s a space mission like this has been completed. China becomes only the 3rd country in the world to successfully collect rocks from the moon. The mission…
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Monk arrested for firing gun at Chon Buri temple
A monk was arrested for allegedly firing a gun at a temple in Chon Buri’s Ban Bueng district after a drunk and heated argument between the other monks. The monk, 42 year old Kritsana Yoosi, actually hasn’t been a monk for very long. Just about 2 months… and only because he told his family that if he wins the lottery…
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Thailand’s #BestofTweets 2020
The following is a statement from Twitter announcing the winners of the social media company’s #BestofTweets 2020 Thailand awards. 2020 has been a year of disruption and disconnect across economies, industries, and communities. For marketers, there’s never been a more challenging year. Campaigns, events, and creative shoots had to be moved online, postponed, or cancelled, tearing up a year’s worth…
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Hundreds of tourism operators face fraud charges for allegedly cheating subsidy scheme
Hundreds of tourism operators face fraud charges for allegedly cheating the government’s “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme which was intended to help tourism businesses financially hit by the coronavirus pandemic and stimulate travel. Instead of lowering prices to draw in more travellers, some hoteliers and restaurateurs allegedly raised their prices to get more subsidies. The scheme paid 40% of room…
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Thai Protesters Vs Thai Government, the latest situation
OPINION In 1932, the old Siam Kingdom went through a fundamental change when, on June 24 the King, Rama 7, woke up to find his powers as an absolute monarch stripped from him by a new democracy movement. A new constitution would limit the King’s powers, under a constitutional monarchy. In 1933 there was a military coup, the first of…
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Cannabis no longer a Category 5 narcotic… except for the buds
Cannabis plants and extracts are no longer classified as a Category 5 narcotic in Thailand’s Narcotics Act. Don’t spark up a joint just yet… cannabis buds containing high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which causes the euphoric effects, are still illegal. The leaves, stems, stalks and roots of cannabis as well as hemp have been removed from the narcotics list.…
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Protest leader Parit distances himself from Free Youth’s justification of communism
Pro-democracy protest leader Parit Chiwarak, aka “Penguin”, has sought to distance himself from the Free Youth group, following the movement’s defence of republicanism and communism. Thai PBS World reports that Parit’s move comes after a statement by the group, declaring that communism does not mean dictatorship. The statement, which appeared on a banner posted online by Free Youth, came shortly…
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