Entertainment

Thailand entertainment news, celebrity updates, film reviews, music festivals, and cultural events—stay informed on the latest happenings locally and globally with The Thaiger, your trusted source for entertainment news.

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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Lisa of Blackpink set video records, 50 million views in 12 hours | Thaiger

    Lisa of Blackpink set video records, 50 million views in 12 hours

    Lisa, the Thai native member of the K-Pop mega-group Blackpink just released her debut solo music video to record-breaking numbers. The track was released on YouTube hours ago, racking up 10 million views in just 2 hours, while continuing to be viewed in record numbers. The singer hails from Buri Ram, and her debut single as a solo artist is…

  • Entertainment and nightlife reps submit petition for aid, reopening | Thaiger

    Entertainment and nightlife reps submit petition for aid, reopening

    At 10 o’clock this morning a rally of owners, staff, musicians and entertainment sector workers gathered at the House of Representatives to submit a petition for support after long-term Covid-19 closures or permission to reopen August 1. Dozens of representatives from the entertainment industry took part in the demonstration after 3 continuous months of shuttered businesses due to the pandemic…

  • Nightlife, restaurants suggest opening in defiance of restrictions | Thaiger

    Nightlife, restaurants suggest opening in defiance of restrictions

    After a year and a half of closures and lockdowns and restrictions and regulations that often start and even end with the nightlife and entertainment industry, some bar and restaurant owners are sick of it and growing defiant. Citing the lack of government assistance and the sporadic and last-minute closure decisions that through livelihoods into chaos, some owners are urging…

  • 121 arrested in raid of “restaurant” clubs violating Covid-19 rules | Thaiger

    121 arrested in raid of “restaurant” clubs violating Covid-19 rules

    A raid around Pattaya at the earliest hours of this morning brought over a hundred arrests for violating Covid-19 measures, drinking, gathering, and smoking shisha. The raid of 2 venues that attempted to skirt the national bar and club closure laws by operating as an alleged restaurant took place between midnight and 2 am. The so-called restaurants had been operating…

  • BTS make musical history with a slice of ‘Butter’ | Thaiger

    BTS make musical history with a slice of ‘Butter’

    Four #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 12 months! South Korean band BTS have made history again with ‘Butter’, topping Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart this week… the 4th #1 hit from the 7-member BTS on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart in 1 year, following ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Life Goes On’, and their collaboration on the ‘Savage…

  • BTS smash YouTube records with their new song “Butter” and are courted by Rock royalty | Thaiger

    BTS smash YouTube records with their new song “Butter” and are courted by Rock royalty

    On Thursday the internet-of-music went into a minor churn when the band Queen’s Twitter account commented about the forthcoming BTS release of ‘Butter’, the South Korean band’s second full-English track. “Are you ready, hey are you ready for this? Another One Bites The Dust.” Was Queen doing a collaboration with the 21st century’s biggest music act? A quick listen to…

  • ‘One Night In Bangkok’, an unlikely hit about a bygone era in Thailand | Thaiger

    ‘One Night In Bangkok’, an unlikely hit about a bygone era in Thailand

    “One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free” When ‘One Night In Bangkok’ was released in 1984 it was an unlikely hit. It was the opening song from a (at the time) little-known stage pop-opera called ‘Chess’. The song made Number 1 in South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia,…

  • Sex toys popular in Thailand despite conservative laws | Thaiger

    Sex toys popular in Thailand despite conservative laws

    While Thailand is a conservative country with conservative laws, the underground sex trade and sex toy economy is a thriving not-so-well-kept secret. Thailand is famous for its LGBTQ acceptance and red-light districts, but many don’t realise that most drugs, gambling, soliciting for prostitution, sex toys, and even vaping are against Thai law. The customs department confiscated more than 4000 sex…

  • Phuket’s nightlife. Yes, bars and clubs are still open | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Phuket’s nightlife. Yes, bars and clubs are still open | VIDEO

    There was the original Covid-19 outbreak and lockdowns back in April and May in 2020, then again just before Christmas and New Year when the new clusters emerged in Samut Sakhon and the eastern coastal provinces, Patong’s nightlife was quiet enough, almost non-existent. Now when the restrictions are lifted, Nimz will take you through Phuket’s famous nightlife spot Bangla Road,…

  • Lights, camera, Covid – Tourism Ministry wants film crews to come to Thailand now | Thaiger

    Lights, camera, Covid – Tourism Ministry wants film crews to come to Thailand now

    Without much luck with their ‘cunning ideas’ to draw back a few of the remaining world’s travellers, Thailand’s tourism officials are turning to the film industry to attract some people and investment. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is aiming to generate around 3 billion baht from foreign film crews and is targeting film projects with an investment over 100 million baht.…

  • Dawn Wells, “Mary Ann” from Glligan’s Island, dies at 82 | Thaiger

    Dawn Wells, “Mary Ann” from Glligan’s Island, dies at 82

    Dawn Wells, one of the castaways in Gilligan’s Island, playing Mary Ann, has died in Los Angeles from Covid-19 complications. She was 82 years old. Her career lasted a lot longer than the fateful trip of the SS Minnow… the three hour tour! Dawn was born in Reno, Nevada, and started a career in Hollywood where she appeared in TV shows…

  • BTS are the Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year 2020 | Thaiger

    BTS are the Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year 2020

    Music supergroup BTS has been named Entertainer of the Year by Time Magazine, capping another year ascending through the bamboo ceiling of the world’s music industry. The South Korean K-Pop group, who debuted in 2013, has become the world’s most popular band thanks their meaningful lyrics, themed albums, an army of adoring fans (who are actually called ARMY), positive messages and…

  • Darth Vader actor David Prowse dies – May the force be with him | Thaiger

    Darth Vader actor David Prowse dies – May the force be with him

    “…his swish with the black cape and his screen presence in the foreboding, shiny black high-tech exoskeleton won him a legion of fans.” Darth Vader has died… May the force be with him. The man who played the bad guy in the first Star Wars trilogy, British actor David Prowse, died at the age of 85 after a short illness.…

  • K-Pop fans show their support for the young Thai protesters, donate 3 million+ baht | Thaiger

    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…

  • Rock star Eddie Van Halen loses cancer battle – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Rock star Eddie Van Halen loses cancer battle – VIDEO

    Rock icon Eddie Van Halen has died, after losing a long battle with cancer. His son, Wolfgang Van Halen, took to Twitter to announce the death of his 65 year old musician father. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He…

  • Thailand News Today | Live from Thammasat, Sacked teacher sues parents, Pattaya eating contest | October 5, 2020 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | Live from Thammasat, Sacked teacher sues parents, Pattaya eating contest | October 5, 2020

    Today’s Thailand News Today was recorded live at the Thammasat University Tha Prachan Campus. Sarasas teacher, who allegedly abused students, files complaint against student’s parents for assault After being fired and charged with assault, a Nonthaburi teacher has now filed a police complaint against a student’s parents for allegedly assaulting her. The teacher, Onuma Ploadprong at the Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek…

  • How BTS became the biggest band in the world | Thaiger

    How BTS became the biggest band in the world

    Even if you’d been living under a rock you’ve probably heard someone mention the band BTS. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop – a Korean musical blood sport – since 2013. From very humble beginnings indeed, they’ve risen from pimply youngsters with a dream into a 7-member powerhouse in the world’s pop industry. How…

  • “Thai government refuses to acknowledge the red light economy” | Thaiger

    “Thai government refuses to acknowledge the red light economy”

    OPINION Thanks to WB for sending us this response to earlier article. The views expressed by WB do not represent The Thaiger, its management or staff. Prostitution is not illegal in Thailand, although many activities associated with it are (brothels, pimping, causing a public nuisance, etc.). Nevertheless, it was estimated to be worth US$6.4 billion a year in revenue (2015),…

  • Lights are out on Ibiza – the world’s party islands go dark | Thaiger

    Lights are out on Ibiza – the world’s party islands go dark

    “The party scene, by its nature, is all about getting together, dancing, celebrating ‘closeness’ and being social – the antithesis of social distancing and staying away from other people in the Covid-era.” Some of the world’s tourist islands are suffering badly from the lack of travel, it’s not just Bali and Phuket. The Spanish party island of Ibiza is also…

  • BTS looks to a Grammy nomination after scoring their first Billboard #1 single | Thaiger

    BTS looks to a Grammy nomination after scoring their first Billboard #1 single

    After scoring South Korea’s first-ever #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, K-pop supergroup BTS now says it’s set its sights on a standalone performance at next year’s Grammy Awards, perhaps even a nomination or an award. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) are RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, and have fought over their 7 years together to…

  • BTS release their first all-English track ‘Dynamite’, and it’s a disco bop! | Thaiger

    BTS release their first all-English track ‘Dynamite’, and it’s a disco bop!

    The world’s most popular music group, BTS, have released their most anticipated track since the septet launched back in 2013. Really… most anticipated? Well, the song’s retro-vibed bop has obliterated the record for the biggest YouTube premiere, looking almost certain to eclipse the 100 million view mark in 24 hours. BTS’s long struggle to the top of, firstly South Korea’s…

  • Bangkok entertainment venues still face strict safety checks | Thaiger

    Bangkok entertainment venues still face strict safety checks

    Although there have been no community transmitted cases of Covid-19 in Thailand for 60 days, a deputy governor in Bangkok is urging authorities and the public not to let their guards down, after details were revealed in the case of a Sudanese diplomat’s daughter who tested positive for the virus. The deputy governor chaired a meeting yesterday in which he…

  • Emergency Decree, Phase 6 to be discussed in coming weeks: CCSA | Thaiger

    Emergency Decree, Phase 6 to be discussed in coming weeks: CCSA

    Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said in a press conference this morning that discussions on the Emergency Decree and a “Phase 6” of lifting Covid-19 restrictions and reopening the country are expected in the upcoming weeks. A meeting is expected of the committees, including the CCSA and the National Security Council, responsible for easing…

  • The future is now: 5G taking off in Thailand | Thaiger

    The future is now: 5G taking off in Thailand

    5G… we’ve all heard aboutit, but what is it, really? 5G literally means fifth-generation wireless technology. As the successor to 4G, the biggest changes include higher speeds, almost zero latency (the delay in transfer of data once an instruction has been given), and the ability to connect more devices at once. However, the benefits of 5G aren’t limited to its…

  • Thai sports minister optimistic about Olympic boxing gold | Thaiger

    Thai sports minister optimistic about Olympic boxing gold

    Thailand’s minister of tourism and sports says he’s optimistic that Thai boxers will win a gold medal at next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games (if the Games are held at all). Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn visited the national team’s training camp at the National Sports Training Centre in Saraburi province, northeast of Bangkok. He was accompanied by the governor of the Sports Authority…

  • Future of Bangkok’s iconic Scala cinema building uncertain after closing | Thaiger

    Future of Bangkok’s iconic Scala cinema building uncertain after closing

    Cinema lovers and theatre employees are mourning the closure of Bangkok’s legendary Scala cinema after 51 years in business. The theatre was the last one to remain independent in the capital, amid an expanding landscape of multiplex cinema chains. Khaosod English reports that many Scala lovers turned out to bid farewell to the theatre prior to its final screening on…

  • Are BTS the world’s biggest band? | Thaiger

    Are BTS the world’s biggest band?

    Simple answer, yes. But there are still people that have never heard of the group or might have been living under a rock for a few years. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop, somewhat of a musical blood sport, since 2013. From their almost unnoticed debut as pimply hip-hop ‘try hards’, the 7 members are…

  • Bars and clubs can re-open soon, but with a list of 22 requirements | Thaiger

    Bars and clubs can re-open soon, but with a list of 22 requirements

    “Musicians and performers must wear face shields.” Well, there’s some good news and there’s some bad news if you’re the owner of an entertainment venue in Thailand. You CAN re-open… soon. BUT, the CCSA has put together a list of 22 requirements you’ll have to meet when you re-open your doors. Not surprisingly the owners and representatives are unhappy about…

  • Musicians want to get back on the mic | Thaiger

    Musicians want to get back on the mic

    Can we have music again? Musicians are asking for restrictions to be lifted so they can hold night performances and get back to work. Around 50 musicians petitioned the Thai PM, asking that night entertainment venues reopen by next week. Bars are still closed as social gathering mixed with alcohol might be too risky right now. But many bars and…

  • Music supergroup BTS donated $1 million to ‘Black Lives Matter’. Their fans responded. | Thaiger

    Music supergroup BTS donated $1 million to ‘Black Lives Matter’. Their fans responded.

    K-Pop fans, and groups, are getting behind the Black Lives Matter issue as a sweep of global attention is now on the US and the protests that are igniting around the country. Protests have erupted in cities around the world as attention is drawn to the plight of African Americans and a history of systemic abuse by police and the…