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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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Sponsored How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)
When planning a trip to Thailand, travel insurance is a smart investment that can save you from unexpected costs. Whether it’s medical expenses, lost luggage, or trip cancellations, the right coverage can provide peace of mind and financial protection against...
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Friday Covid Update: 8,640 new cases; provincial totals
13 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,000 with 302 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,640 new Covid-19 cases and 8,641 recoveries. There are now 82,720 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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17 Best Marketing and Advertising Agencies in Thailand: 2022 Edition
Sponsored Article Thailand shines as a prime business destination in Asia, excelling in e-commerce, digital transformation, and internet adoption. Its allure for international business expansion is undeniable. However, venturing into this market comes with challenges. To compete effectively, businesses must grasp Thai consumer behaviour, cultural dynamics, and prevailing marketing trends. Thai consumers have embraced digital platforms, dedicating more time to…
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Malaysia resumes Vaccinated Travel Lane ticket sales for air, land travel to Singapore
Malaysia’s health ministry announced today that ticket sales for air and land travel under a Vaccinated Travel Lane programme (VTL) with Singapore, which had been cancelled until yesterday due to Omicron concerns, have resumed. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the resumption of VTL follows a risk assessment of the current Covid-19 situation in both countries. However, ticket sales will…
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Thai authorities crack down on pork hoarders in the midst of pork shortage crisis
In the midst of Thailand’s pork shortage crisis, suspected of being driven by an outbreak of the African Swine Fever, Thai livestock authorities discovered over 200 tonnes of unverified pork in a refrigerated warehouse in Chana, a district of southern province Songkhla, yesterday. The authorities believe the pork has been stored there since November. They are now inspecting the warehouse…
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Candidate for Bangkok’s governor says he has no plan to move the capital if he wins
Following the naming of Indonesia’s new capital by President Joko Widodo to replace sinking Jakarta, the candidate for Bangkok’s governor position in the upcoming election Suchatvee Suwansawas, wrote on his Facebook page that he had no plans to relocate the country’s capital due to the decades-long flooding that has hit Bangkok, and believe it or not, Bangkok is also sinking.…
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Pattaya Walking Street renovation 80% complete, officials target visitors of all ages
Renovations to Pattaya’s famous Walking Street are about 80% complete, according to the city mayor Sontaya Khunpluem. The project aims to clean up the redlight district street and draw in tourists of all ages… yes, he said all ages. The mayor told Thai media that overhead electric and communication wires have been moved to the underground to make the street…
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First Thai rice export on Laos-China railway, step toward strengthening bilateral trade
The Lao-Chinese railway to Chongqing delivered its first Thai rice shipment of 1,000 tonnes, boosting hopes to strengthen bilateral trade and benefit the economy. More rice exports, and other farm exports, will follow, says the advisor to Thailand’s Agricultural Minister. The advisor added that the Thai government is looking into exporting fruit, orchids, rubber, cassava, palm oil as well as…
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Australian news outlet places Indonesian capital in Bali in online map screw-up
An Australian news outlet has had to replace a map they uploaded online that mistakenly placed the Indonesian capital Jakarta on the island of Bali. Channel 9 News attracted some ridicule, not least among Indonesians, after the inaccurate map went viral, according to a Coconuts report. The report acknowledges that to some outsiders, Bali is Indonesia, or to others, it’s…
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No early election, no Cabinet reshuffle says Thai PM
The Thai PM says he has no plans to call an early election or to reshuffle his Cabinet after 21 MPs loyal to him were pushed out earlier this week. The Bangkok Post reports that Prayut Chan-o-cha has also distanced himself from the ouster of Thamanat Prompow and 20 other MPs, who have been accused of sowing division within the…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha orders two agencies to lead crackdown on call-centre scams
Following escalating public complaints that many Thais have fallen victim to phone scams that steal either money or personal information, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has assigned two government agencies to lead integrated operations to crack down on scammers and bring them to justice. According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Royal Thai Police…
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Sealed route proposal for asymptomatic infected tourists gets lukewarm reception in Phuket
Phuket officials have responded less than enthusiastically to a suggestion that infected asymptomatic tourists be allowed to travel via a sealed route. Pichet Panapong, the province’s deputy governor, says he believes infected tourists should stay in their hotel rooms. According to a Bangkok Post report, he’s already said as much to the immigration chief who initially made the suggestion. Pichet…
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Tourism operators want cost of PCR tests reduced when Test & Go resumes
Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to resume Test & Go from February 1 (with some changes) tourism operators are urging the government to make PCR testing more affordable. The revamped Test & Go entry scheme now requires overseas arrivals to book a hotel on day 1 and again on day 5 of their stay – and to take a PCR…
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Dr Yong says hurrying for a fourth vaccine is wasteful
Dr Yong Poovorwan is almost always the go-to person for explanations and opinions about Covid-19 as Thailand’s top virologist. And now he is saying that it would be wasteful for people in Thailand to race to get a fourth vaccine as many places are discussing and launching second booster programs. As the head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical…
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20 baht bills getting a modern polymer update on March 24
Money enthusiasts, get ready! On March 24 the 20 baht bill is getting a radical new update. The Royal portrait will still be prominent but the flimsy, green paper the bills have been printed on for decades is being replaced with a modern new polymer with a glossy, plasticky feel. Starting on March 24, the new, more durable polymer 20…
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UPDATE: Thailand’s Test & Go is back on for travel starting February 1
The Thailand Pass Test & Go program has been rebooted, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of an SHA+ hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will…
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Thailand’s Test & Go registration reintroduced for travel starting February 1
Test & Go is back on, and vaccinated travellers will be able to register for (almost) quarantine-free entry to Thailand re-starting February 1. There have been slight revisions to the rules, now requiring travellers to have proof of their hotel booking on the first and fifth day of their stay in Thailand when they will undergo RT-PCR tests. In the…
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Vietnam eases entry procedures for foreign employees and returnees with valid visas
Foreigners with valid visas can now enter Vietnam without having to get approval from the immigration offices or local authorities, starting from Tuesday as the government eased entry restrictions. This means people with valid temporary residence cards (TRCs), permanent residence cards (PRCs), valid visas, and valid visa exemption certificates will be able to enter Vietnam without any permission from the…
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Chon Buri villagers complain of air pollution from burning crops
Residents of a Chon Buri housing estate complained to local authorities that crop burning at nearby plantations has been causing not only air pollution, but ash has been falling on their cars, houses, and clothes. They say sugar cane plantations in particular were creating the ash in the air through illegal burning, causing poor air quality for the people living…
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Pattaya pushes forward with 300 million baht budget for Old Town Nakula project
Pattaya city officials are putting efforts into a number of developments into the Old Town Nakula market in Pattaya to boost domestic and international tourism as well as cultural learning centres as to develop the old fishing town into a coastal destination with restaurants, nightlife, and a top-ranked seafood market. It is one of the primary initiatives in the first…
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More than a million Covid-19 vaccinations ‘expire’ in Indonesia before distribution to public
Indonesia had a Covid kerfuffle today after more than a million Covid-19 vaccination shots expired before they could be used, most of which were donated just one to three months, due to their short shelf life. According to Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, nearly 98% of the 1.1 million dosages were thrown out as a result of rushed shipments…
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Thammanat Prompow, 21 MPs booted from Palang Pracharat
After a meeting of the executive members of the Palang Pracharat Party yesterday, a shocking 22 MPs including popular but controversial Secretary-General Thammanat Prompow who made headlines after details of an arrest and jail time in Australia came to light recently. Once a rockstar in the ruling party who called himself the main artery of the party, Thammanat was pushed…
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Burmese migrants trafficked through Thailand caught by Malaysian border
Last night, Thai soldiers caught 31 Burmese migrants on the Thailand-Malaysia border, illegally passing through Thailand and hoping to work in Malaysia. The migrants were found hiding in a ditch on a rubber plantation in Sadao, a district of Songkhla province. The group 25 men and six women had reportedly travelled from Myanmar’s Myawaddy township. After they crossed into Tak…
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One injured during dawn gunfight near Chon Buri’s Bang Saray Beach
Several residents had been jolted from their beds by the sound of multiple gunshots in Sattahip’s Bang Saray sub-district in Chon Buri when two teenagers reportedly clashed in a gunfight near the beach at dawn on Tuesday, injuring one. More than 10 gunshots have been reported to Sattahip police in front of a resort on Jantasaroe Road where bullet cartridges…
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Health Ministry will not shut down schools unless there’s a cluster
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry will not order schools to close down because a few pupils are infected with Covid-19, but only if there are clusters of infections, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of Health. Dr Sarawut Boonsuk explained that the ministry would order the school to close the classroom for three days to clean it thoroughly if…
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Facebook mistakenly banning ok content a growing problem
Language and expression have nuances, subtleties, and variety in meaning, both explicitly and implicitly stated. The problem is, Facebook often times does not. Society is facing an increasingly conspicuous problem of Facebook and other social media platforms using algorithms to block prohibited content while lacking any useful channels to rectify mistakes. Many people have experienced getting muted or banned temporarily…
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Thursday Covid Update: 8,129 new cases; provincial totals
19 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,987 with 289 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,129 new Covid-19 cases and 6,978 recoveries. There are now 82,734 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Restrictions ease, 25 provinces reclassified as “yellow” zones
Restrictions are easing in 25 provinces following a revision to the colour-coded zoning based on local infection rates. Starting January 24, those provinces will move from “orange” controlled zones to “yellow” zones under surveillance. In the “yellow” and “blue” zones, alcohol sales will be allowed until 11pm. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation decided to relax some measures today at its…
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Thailand extends State of Emergency for another two months
Thailand’s State of Emergency was extended for another two months. The decree, which was first invoked by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in March 2020, gives the government sweeping powers, through the establishment of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, to set restrictions and measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Thailand. The decree was last set to expire on…
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Alcohol sales at restaurants in approved provinces will be allowed until 11pm
Alcohol sales at restaurants in approved provinces will be allowed until 11pm, starting January 24. Under Thailand’s colour-coded zoning with corresponding disease control measures, alcohol sales at restaurants until 11pm will be allowed in “yellow” zones under high surveillance and “blue” zones which are approved for pilot tourism programmes. In 44 provinces, classified as “orange” zones, alcohol sales at restaurants…
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Time frames laid out for vaccine booster shots in Phuket
Authorities in Phuket have announced their plans to provide third and fourth vaccines as booster shots to protect the tourist province from Covid-19. The ministry of the Interior’s Phuket office issued the plan through the Phuket info centre that they operate, and was developed by the Phuket City development company, a group of businesses that work on major public service projects…
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