Thailand

  • Covid-19 News

    Tourism Authority of Thailand clarifies “self quarantine” situation

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand has posted a notice to clarify the “self-quarantine requirements” of all visitors coming to Thailand from “risk area” countries, relating to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. The clarification comes after two days of confusing announcements coming out of the Thai Public Health Department. On Tuesday night a document was released on the Thai Public Health Minister’s…

  • Covid-19 News

    Document confirms Covid-19 case at Vachira Hospital Phuket

    A document from the Bangkok Disease Control Department has confirmed that there was a 35 year old Chinese patient at Phuket’s Vachira Hospital with coronavirus last month. The documents were made available at a media conference confirming the latest figures from around Thailand yesterday. One of the listings of confirmed cases was the Phuket patient (below). The patient’s listing was…

  • Events

    March 2020, the Thai month of cancellations

    March will end up as the long month of cancellations. With Songkran looming, one of the busiest times for travel in Thailand, and increasingly one of the biggest annual tourist magnets to the Kingdom, cancelling Songkran would take Thailand into unchartered tourism and economic territory. Fears, real or imagined, are forcing companies and governments to assess their risks associated with…

  • Tourism News

    Thai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages

    Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will propose new domestic travel stimulus packages valued at 5 billion baht this Friday. The Minister says the aim is to cushion the impact of the coronavirus for the tourism service sector across the country. The Minister says that domestic tourism is “the priority during this difficult time. The government should implement…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today, March 4, 2020

    Man arrested with 44 kilograms of marijuana in Phuket A 60 year old man is in custody after he was found collecting 44 kilograms of dried marijuana, valued at about 400,000 baht, from a parcel delivery company in Phuket. Police told a press conference yesterday that officers were tipped off about a large shipment of marijuana arriving in Phuket via…

  • Phuket News

    2 speedboats destroyed by fire in Phuket – VIDEO

    There’s been another speed boat incident in Phuket, south Thailand. This time 2 speed boats have been badly damaged after one of them caught fire while tied up at a pier in Thalang yesterday afternoon. The fire spread to a second boat tied up next to it. No injuries were reported. Phuket’s marine police chief, Pol Col Prasert Srikhunrat, reported…

  • Covid-19 News

    Pattaya City officials confirm rumours of Covid-19 in Soi 6 bar staff were fake news

    Staff at a bar in Pattaya have confirmed that they just had a normal seasonal flu and not coronavirus (Covid-19) as had been reported in numerous rumours on social media over the past few days. Hospital results indicated that a staff member from the Pattaya Soi 6 bar did not have the Covid-19 coronavirus. They have now recovered their bout…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today, March 3, 2020 – Daily TV News

    Thai Airways announces losses over 12 billion baht for 2019 Thai Airways International and its affiliates incurred a net loss of over 12 billion baht last year, that’s 448 million baht more than the year before. The airline has been accumulating losses year on year for over a decade. Speaking about the losses at the announcement yesterday, the vice president…

  • Covid-19 News

    Central Thai junk shop raided for recycling tens of thousands of face masks

    An enterprising junk shop in the Wiharn Daeng district in Saraburi, central Thailand, is being investigated after a raid found tens of thousands of recycled face masks being prepared for packing and re-selling. According to Somsak Kaewsena, the Wiharn Daeng district chief officer, thousands of used face masks were found in washing machines, thousands more were piled up behind the…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today, March 2, 2020

    New coronavirus case pushes Thai total to 43 Thailand’s reported coronavirus cases has now reached 43. The new case is a 22 year old Thai woman who had been working as a driver for foreign tourists with another Thai patient. Health officials had located the woman for testing. She was already admitted for treatment at a hospital. Meanwhile another woman…

  • Environment News

    Samui’s Banyan Tree Hotel acts to protect sea turtle nest

    Khun Veeraphat, a waiter at Sands beachfront restaurant on Koh Samui, made a startling discovery on February 13 when he spotted what appeared to be tracks coming from the sea. CCTV footage at Banyan Tree Samui clearly showed a giant sea turtle laying eggs on the beach the night before, then returning to the water. The luxury hotel, located on the…

  • Events

    Thai Moto GP in Buriram postponed over outbreak fears

    Another casualty of the current coronavirus precautions, one of the biggest sporting events in Thailand – the MotoGP 2020 in Buriram. The event was scheduled for March 20-22 in Buri Ram province, north east Thailand, where it has started to gather a huge local and international following. The Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the announcement this morning.…

  • Covid-19 News

    Thailand confirms first coronavirus-related death

    Thailand today confirmed its first death from complications related to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, made the announcement in a Bangkok press conference. The victim was described as a 35 year old who also had dengue fever at the time of his death. The patient had been in hospital for around a month and…

  • Covid-19 News

    New confirmed patient brings total to 42. Health ministry announce tough new measures.

    The Thai Public Health Ministry has confirmed a new infection in the country, bringing the national total to 42. 28 patients have already recovered with no deaths recorded in Thailand from the virus. At the same time the health ministry has now designated Coronavirus Covid-19 as a dangerous communicable disease, a designation which takes effect tomorrow. The announcement gives authorities sweeping…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Chiang Rai village leader kills and cuts up his mother after raping daughter

    An assistant village leader in Chiang Rai has been arrested and charged with dismembering his own mother in a fit of anger. Investigators say the mother had threatened to tell police that the 35 year old man had raped his teenage daughter. The man was the assistant head of the Hua Wiang village in Wiang Pa Pao district, situated between…

  • Thai Life

    ‘Watching the Thais’ – understanding Thai culture

    Why does a Thai smile at you after crashing into the back of your car? Why do Thais deplore walking? The heat, the heat. What about the weather? Why is everything done as a pack? What is all this ‘face’ stuff about? Lies? Confrontation? Sleeping and shopping? Just what is it with the Thais? What’s it all about? Author and…

  • Covid-19 News

    Thai family of three are focus of local coronavirus outbreak in northern Bangkok

    UPDATE Three worrying new Thailand coronavirus cases are being reported as coming from the same family. A 65 year old man, the grandfather in the family, had returned from Japan with his wife but didn’t disclose his situation or travel history to health workers when he took himself to hospital with a fever. The grandfather tested positive and his workplace,…

  • Property

    Condo developers allow transfer delays for Chinese buyers, due to slowing sales

    Thai property developers are sharpening their pencils on sales and allowing variations to contracts on some deals to accommodate some of the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Now some developers in Thailand have started to extend the transfer period from 3 months to 9-12 months for Chinese clients, according to Angel Real Estate Consultancy. Chinese buyers have paid 30%…

  • World News

    Cambodia burns, Bangkok chokes, schools closed

    Bangkok mums and dads will need to sort out what to do with the kids for the rest of the week after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration closed public schools from today because of the excessive air pollution. Most of the smoke and haze is blowing in from Cambodia with light easterly winds. All schools under the supervision of the BMA…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today, February 25, 2020 – Daily news for Thailand

    Two news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37 The Thai Public Health Ministry has announced two new Coronavirus cases in Thailand, up from 35 to 37 cases since the outbreak starts in late December last year. A 31 year old woman and a 29 year old taxi driver are the two new cases. Permanent secretary for health confirmed…

  • Covid-19 News

    Two news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37

    The Thai Public Health Ministry has announced two new Coronavirus cases in Thailand. A 31 year old woman and a 29 year old taxi driver. The two cases pushes the Thai confirmed Covid-19 confirmations up to a total of 37 cases since the outbreak began at the end of December last year. Permanent secretary for health, Sukhum Kanchanapimai, confirmed that…

  • Thailand News

    Thai Baht on the slide over fears of spread of Coronavirus outside China

    What goes up must go down. The Thai baht has continued to weaken against leading international currencies, trading at 31.70 to the US$ in yesterday’s trade. The falls reflect regional concern over the coronavirus spreading beyond China. In the past few days both central South Korea and parts of northern Italy have reported outbreaks of the virus. Kasikorn Research Centre…

  • Economy News

    Thai stocks plummet nearly 4% in Monday SET trading

    The Stock Exchange of Thailand finished yesterday at 1,435.56 points, a decrease of 59.5 points, or nearly 4% – that’s compared to Friday’s close on the SET. The daily trade volume for Monday was 76.431 billion baht, with an index high of 1,474.12 and a low of 1,435.56. Asian bourses were hammered as confidence was inhibited by rising cases of the…

  • Opinion

    Ten reasons western foreign tourists are not wanted in Thailand

    Adam Judd, writing for Pattaya Unplugged, has opined about western foreign tourists not being wanted in Thailand. He brings up some interesting topics, largely from the standpoint of an American living in Pattaya. Tell us what you think on our Facebook page. The following are my opinions but based on many talks with people from many different backgrounds and cultures.…

  • World News

    Consumer groups warn of risks in buying a new Chevrolet

    General Motors’ decision to pull production of its Chevrolet line out of Thailand has prompted consumer advocacy groups to remind prospective buyers of risks. The Foundation for Consumers and the Office of the Independent Committee for Consumer Protection said yesterday that buyers “should be wary of uncertainty as General Motors will pull its operation out of the country” by the…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s abortion laws to be amended

    Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a section of the Criminal Code is unconstitutional as it fails to hold men responsible for illegal abortions. The ruling will take effect on Febuary 13, 2021, twelve months after it was made. The court handed down the ruling after pro-abortion activist Srisamai Chueachart petitioned the court to rule whether Sections 301 and 305…

  • Thailand News

    Pro-vaping group to request public hearing to legalise vaping in Thailand

    The below is the contents of a press release sent to The Thaiger by the consumer group End Cigarette Smoke Thailand. The opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect those of The Thaiger or its subsidiaries. The Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC) revealed results from the meeting of the Ministry of Commerce’s review panel on e-cigarette import…

  • Covid-19 News

    Israel travel ban rankles Thailand

    Thailand wants Israel to reconsider its decision, announced Tuesday, to ban Thais from entering the country in a bid to control the spread of deadly coronavirus (Covid-19). Israel banned all non-Israelis who have been in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau in the previous 14 days. Previously, Israel’s health ministry had imposed only a 14-day house quarantine on visitors from…

  • Covid-19 News

    Ministry says no entry for banned cruise ship passengers, even by air

    The Thai Public Health Ministry announced yesterday that no flights carrying passengers from the barred cruise ship MS Westerdam, whether chartered flights or otherwise, will be allowed to land in Thailand before the end of February. Department of Disease Control deputy chief Dr Thanarak Palitpat says the decision is the result of a discussion among authorities including the DDC, the…

  • Covid-19 News

    US evacuates citizens from Japan virus ship as China death passes 1700

    Some US citizens from the cruise ship Diamond Princess, currently quarantined off the coast of Japan, have been evacuated and flown home, where they face a further 14 day quarantine. Other nations are preparing to follow suit as global concern grows over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and the death toll at its epicentre in China topped 1,700. More…