Thailand
- Transport News
10 international airlines now offer flights to Thailand
With Covid-19 travel restrictions – slowly – easing up, 10 international airlines have started selling flights to Thailand, the Ministry of Transport announced. The airlines include: Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Swissair, Austrian Airlines, Eva Air and KLM. Don’t get too excited. It’s still not easy to get into Thailand. All international arrivals must go through a…
- Crime News
Man arrested for growing 108 cannabis plants in Samut Prakan
Police arrested an Argentinian man for growing cannabis at his house in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. 35 year old Sagas Nur told police he planned to produce cannabis oil. Medical marijuana is legalised – with limitations – while recreational marijuana is still classified as a category 5 narcotic. Sagas is facing charges of producing a category 5 narcotic.…
- Covid-19 News
9 new Covid-19 cases in Thai quarantine, with a possible reinfection
9 new Covid-19 cases were detected in Thai quarantine facilities, including a patient who may have been infected with the virus a second time, or never fully recovered, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Most of the cases were army engineers travelling from South Sudan. Thailand’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is now at 3,700 with 3,491…
- Thailand Protest News
Court orders suspension of Thai TV news channel during political protests
The Criminal Court has agreed to suspend the Thai media company Voice TV for allegedly violating the State of Emergency orders which prohibit media content “considered to be a threat to national security”. Talk about the Voice TV shut down has been circulating on social media. It’s not the first time the network has come to the attention of the…
- World News
International travel slow to take off, Covid-19 restrictions evolving
While Thailand is working on safely, and slowly, reopening its borders to foreign tourists after a 7 month border closure, other countries are also adapting to new, pandemic-induced, travel measures and restrictions. Now some are slowly lifting restrictions and resuming flights, while some remain grounded. What’s happening in your part of the world? In all cases, check your local travel…
- Crime News
Man arrested for allegedly abusing stray cats at Koh Phi Phi hotels
Police have arrested a 30 year old man for allegedly catching stray cats and torturing them at various hotels in Koh Phi Phi following a heads-up from Watchdog Thailand Foundation. Hotel staff cleaning up the man’s rooms found blood, cat nails and fur in the rooms as well as in the refrigerator, according to police. Chi Hang, from China, faces…
- Visa Information
41 foreign tourists to arrive in Bangkok today on Special Tourist Visa after 7 month ban
Just 41 foreign tourists are expected to arrive in Bangkok today, a small, yet major step forward after a 7 month ban on international tourists which was put in place in late-March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The visitors are said to be travelling on the new Special Tourist Visa, which allows a 90 day stay that can…
- Thailand Protest News
K-Pop fans show their support for the young Thai protesters, donate 3 million+ baht
Art meets politics again, this time with hundreds of thousands of K-Pop fans raising funds in support of the growing student protest movement in Thailand. So far they’ve raised more than 3 million baht (as of 10am this morning) but the amount is rising quickly as Thai and overseas K-Pop fans respond. The most popular band in Thailand at the…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Protest update, Samui wants cheap flights, Isaan croc hunters | October 19
Thailand News Today, a daily wrap up of the day’s news, delivered, free on YouTube and Facebook. Thailand’s most popular English-speaking news program, hosted by Tim Newton. Please subscribe to the YouTube Channel. House speaker proposes extraordinary parliamentary session in wake of political unrest A weekend of intense protest gatherings has resulted, if nothing else, in the Thai Parliament’s lower…
- Thailand Protest News
Dozens of protester arrests since emergency decree was imposed
Dozens of people have been arrested since the State of Emergency was imposed early Thursday morning to break up a pro-democracy protest. The government order bans people from holding public gatherings of more than 5 people until November 13, but hundreds and thousands of people have continued to gather. Police warn they can arrest those who violate the order. 74…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to be Southeast Asia production base for Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine
Thailand is planned to be the Southeast Asia production base for Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra-Zeneca is working with Oxford to make the vaccine, if and when it is approved, globally available and Siam Bioscience will manufacture the vaccine in Thailand. Thailand is planned to be the production base for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,…
- Covid-19 News
“Open the borders, safely”, Bill Heinecke, Minor International interview – VIDEO
Bill Heinecke speaks to Bill Barnett. The two heavy-hitters of Thailand’s hotel and hospitality sector, mull over the current Covid situation and the reopening of Thailand’s borders to some form of tourism. Bill Heinecke is the Chairman and Founder of Minor International. Bill Barnett is the Managing Director of c9hotelworks.com Now the Thai government has approved the special long-term tourist…
- World News
Governor halts movement of goods between Tak and Myanmar amid Covid fears
The governor of the north-western province of Tak has put a temporary stop on the transport of goods between the province and Myanmar, just across the border. The suspension comes amid increasing anxiety about the number of Covid-19 cases in the neighbouring country and is expected to remain in force until at least October 25. Governor Pongrat Piromrat called a…
- Thailand Protest News
Pro-democracy protests grow across Thailand, plans to continue
Despite Bangkok’s State of Emergency banning public gatherings of more than 5 people, pro-democracy protesters continue to rally throughout the city every evening and are determined to do so until their demands are met. The movement, calling on the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, an end to Thailand’s military-run government and rewrite of the 2017 Charter, has spread to other…
- Thailand Protest News
The 3 finger salute. Why did it become the symbol for Thai protesters? – VIDEO
The 3 finger salute, now adopted by Thai protesters as their “go to” symbol in the current round of rally’s and protests against the Thai government and establishment, emerged originally from pop culture. In the Hunger Games movie franchise, the residents of a dystopian future North America, forced to compete in a televised death match for the pleasure of…
- Thailand Protest News
Thai PM adopts more conciliatory tone with protesters
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has switched to a softer tone with the young protesters calling for his resignation, as anti-government protests sweep the country… there were several smaller protests in other provinces over the weekend. The new, more conciliatory approach, is in contrast with his recent declaration that he had no intention of resigning, and that the police had acted “within…
- Business News
Foreign investors and businesspeople seek clarity about the current “situation” in Thailand
With Thailand battling to come up with a safe and sustainable manner of re-opening its borders, and the footage of the street protests reaching out to a world audience, foreign investors are saying they need more details of what they can or cannot do in Thailand under the new State of Emergency. The Thai Chamber of Commerce is calling for…
- Thailand Protest News
Police break up Bangkok protest with high-power water cannons, more protests planned today
The latest round of protests took a violent turn last night when more than 400 police resorted to aiming high-powered water cannons directly at the students who were assembled in an otherwise peaceful display of unity. The protesters, mostly secondary and tertiary students, and young Thai adults, continued their demands for the release of their fellow protesters who had been…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Bangkok protests, Special Tourist Visa, Prisoners slippery escape | October 16
Thailand news on The Thaiger. Posted daily around 5pm, Thai Time. Hosted by Tim Newton. Train-car collision kills 1, second fatal railway crossing incident this week A passenger train collided with a car, killing a woman and injuring 2 others at a railway crossing in Phetchaburi’s Khao Yai district last night. At last night’s incident, police found the Toyota Vios…
- Crime News
Mae Sot immigration chief transferred after inmate escape
Following the escape of 2 inmates, the immigration chief in Tak’s Mae Sot district has been transferred while an investigation takes place. The 2 Uighur inmates escaped by using soap to corrode the iron cell bars. They rubbed dish soap on the cell bars routinely. Over time, the iron started to rust and they were able to break the bars.…
- Thailand Protest News
Bangkok in “State of Emergency” for 1 month, PM warns about possible curfew
For the next month, Bangkok will be in a “State of Emergency” with a ban on public gatherings of more than 5 people. If protests persist and get out of hand, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned today that the government will invoke a nightly curfew, prohibiting people from leaving their homes during certain hours. It should be said, that even…
- Covid-19 News
4 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine, 1 apparent reinfection
4 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine with an apparent reinfection, according to the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration. The 4 new cases are from those arriving in Thailand from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Singapore and United Kingdom, raising the country’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 3,669. So far, 3,467 people have recovered and 143 are currently being treated…
- Thailand News
Train-car collision kills 1, second fatal railway crossing incident this week
A passenger train collided with a car, killing a woman and injuring 2 others at a railway crossing in Phetchaburi’s Khao Yai district last night. Just earlier this week, a freight train smashed into a charter bus, killing 18 bus passengers and injuring another 44 at a crossing by the Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station in the Chachoengsao province. Officials…
- Thailand News
Thailand Airbnb hosts to abide by new Covid-19 cleaning measures
Now that people in Thailand are travelling domestically again and international tourists could be coming in the near future, Airbnb has consulted with Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and come up with Covid-19 safety measures which include “new normal” policies and the 5-step “enhanced” cleaning process: prepare, clean, sanitise, check and reset. All Airbnb hosts in Thailand must make sure…
- Crime News
Inmates escape from Thai prison using soap to rust the cell bars
2 Turkish inmates escaped from a Thailand prison in a daring, if not slippery, escape. Their main tool? Soap. They used soap to cover the bars of their cell in the Tak’s Mae Sot district. Over time, the soap caused the metal to rust and they were able to break the cell bars. Apparently, this isn’t their first cunning escape…
- Thailand Protest News
2 activists could face life in prison for alleged violations against a royal motorcade
2 pro-democracy activists could face life in prison for alleged intention to harm HM the Queen’s liberty during Wednesday afternoon’s rally in Bangkok, which happened to coincide with the same time and same route as a royal motorcade. The Criminal Court issued the arrest warrants yesterday. Violence against the Queen or her liberty, in Section 110 of Thailand’s Criminal Code,…
- Thailand Protest News
“Thai authorities should not repress peaceful protests”, Human Rights Watch
OPINION The Thai government’s declaration of a state of emergency in Bangkok is a pretext for a crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the declaration of a state of emergency on October 15, 2020, the police have arrested at least 22 activists, including several protest leaders, in front of Bangkok’s Government House. “The Emergency Decree provides…
- Bangkok News
After protest cleared, Government House hosts first foreign minister since the Covid-19 outbreak
After all the commotion outside Bangkok’s Government House this morning, with the protest broken up by a State of Emergency order and at least 20 people arrested, Thailand welcomed the first foreign minister since the Covid-19 outbreak. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi visited PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House today, the first since the pandemic. He arrived after pro-democracy…
- Thailand Protest News
Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa arrested, flown to Chiang Mai for sedition charges
After being arrested in Bangkok early this morning, along with numerous other protesters, human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist leader Anon Nampa is apparently being flown up to Chiang Mai to face sedition charges for allegedly criticising the Thai Monarchy at a past event in the northern province. In Bangkok today, at least 20 protesters, who intended to camp out…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival expected to draw in 350 million baht
WARNING: Graphic photos and video below. After months and months of an economic slowdown induced by the coronavirus pandemic and the lack of tourists, thousands of people are expected to arrive to Phuket over the next 2 weeks to take part in the annual Vegetarian Festival. It’s expected to generate more than 350 million baht, according to the Tourism Authority…
