News
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 See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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COVID-19 SATURDAY UPDATE: 30 deaths, 2,766 infections
Today, the CCSA reported 2,766 new Covid-19 infections, up 95 since yesterday, and 30 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 3 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,178,565 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 3,805 recoveries, up 1,039 from…
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Thai vaccination now accepted in the EU Digital Covid Certificate
In a move that will help expats and travellers who have weathered the Covid-19 pandemic in Thailand, the European Union is now accepting Covid-19 vaccination certificates and passports issued in Thailand as part of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The announcement was made on a Twitter account belonging to the deputy chief of mission for the EU delegation to Thailand.…
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Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao see uptick in holiday tourists
While tourism is still far below the levels of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was showing an uptick before the Omicron variant drove government officials to cancel the Test & Go scheme that avoided any significant quarantine and which brought the vast majority of tourists since launching in November. But while tourism has been tepid, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan,…
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The Thaiger Christmas Special feat. Adrian and Roykhien
In this time of festivities and celebrations. We invited our friends Adrian and Roykhien to come play some Christmas tunes for our viewers. From all of us here at The Thaiger, we wish you all good health and a very merry Christmas.
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Pattaya tourist leaders call for local Sandbox as hotel bookings drop
“The permit to arrive in Thailand is the least of the problems for many potential international tourists as airlines around the world have been cancelling services.” Whilst the southern island of Phuket appears to be a winner in the government’s recent, and selective, alterations to its Thailand Pass options, Thailand’s other main tourist hot spot outside Bangkok, Pattaya, has again…
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The best reasons to celebrate Christmas in The Land of Smiles
Whether you live here, or you’re a tourist who fancies spending Christmas away from home for once, there are countless reasons to celebrate the holiday season in Thailand. Now that the country has re-opened to vaccinated foreign tourists, we round up the best reasons to visit the Land of Smiles at Christmas time. The Weather For many, this will be…
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Covid-19 warning issued for Camel Toe Restaurant in Pattaya
The Chon Buri Public Health Office issued a Covid-19 alert for a popular Nong Prue restaurant where patrons may have been exposed to infection. The notice last night instructed anyone who had been to the Camel Toe Restaurant in Soi Krom Tee Din – or anyone who had come in close contact with a patron of the restaurant – take…
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A Thailand Christmas tradition: Santa Elephants in Covid-19 masks
“Hey Thaiger – is it possible to encompass just how different Christmas is in Thailand and in the Covid-19 era in just one lead sentence?” Why, yes it is: In Ayutthaya today, a school celebrated Christmas with elephants adorned in festive Santa hats as well as giant surgical masks, passing out gifts of face masks, hand gel, and balloons. The…
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Christmas in Thailand… Santa travels by motorbike and elephants give gifts
Christmas is a little different in Thailand. In some provinces, Santa Claus is known to travel by motorbike with gifts loaded on – Thai style – going from Rayong to northern provinces handing out gifts to children. In Central Thailand’s Ayutthaya, elephants hand out gifts to children at a local school. And in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey slum, another version of…
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Friday Covid Update: 2,671 new cases; provincial totals
27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,528 with 21,434 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,671 new Covid-19 cases and 2,766 recoveries. There are now 38,192 people in Thailand being…
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TikTok content moderators sue over exposure to disturbing content
Maybe it’s an “Okay Boomer” thing, but many of our readers may find scrolling endlessly through the short and often obnoxious videos that make up the TikTok app somewhat nauseating. But if you think what’s published on there is bad, the millions of videos that don’t make the cut are far, far worse. That content is blocked by a team…
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Eating Only Red and Green Thai Food Challenge – Thaiger Christmas Special
For 24hrs Natty will attempt to eat only red and green colour food in light of the festive season and the Christmas spirit. Join her for this Christmas special and learn some more of the wonders Thai food has to offer.
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Phuket officials crack down on hotels that let tourists leave before Covid test results
Officials in Phuket are to get tough on SHA Plus hotels that allow foreign tourists to leave before they’ve received their Covid-19 test results. Deputy governor Phichet Panapong says many properties are openly breaking the rules and officials plan to make an example of 2 hotels known to have broken the law. According to an ASEAN NOW report, this has…
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Top 5 places to enjoy New Year’s brunch in Bangkok 2022
After enjoying the fireworks extravaganza on New Year’s Eve, start your 2022 by enjoying brunch at one of these fine restaurants in Bangkok. The restaurants are offering a special festive menu on the 1st of January. So indulge in these delectable meals that are cooked using high-quality ingredients. We have picked some of the restaurants where you can enjoy your…
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Business leaders urge government to include Pattaya in sandbox entry scheme
Business leaders in Pattaya have joined a chorus of tourism operators around the country who are pleading to be included in the sandbox scheme. Businesses are expressing despair and frustration since the government suspended the Test & Go entry scheme citing concerns about the Omicron Covid-19 variant. The Pattaya News reports that members of the Chamber of Commerce and Board…
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Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape
The recent case of an Israeli tourist who fled his hotel before he’d received the results of his PCR test can be blamed on faulty tracking apps. So says Angkana Tanetvisetkul from Phuket’s Kata Karon Hotel Association. According to a Bangkok Post report, she believes the current entry requirements involve too many apps that don’t work together – sometimes they…
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Bangkok is removing about 400 public drinking water fountains
The days when Bangkok had water flowing through the city like, well, water, are coming to an end as the city plans to demolish about 400 public drinking fountains. The initiative to remove the public pedestal drinking fountains has deemed the move necessary because of a variety of factors that make them more of a nuisance than a public service.…
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Minister of Finance: too soon to know Omicron variant effect on economy
Will the new and rapidly spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 have a strong effect on the economy of Thailand? According to the Ministry of Finance, the answer is a solid maybe. Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says it’s just too soon to know if and how Thailand’s economy will be affected by the Omicron variant. The Ministry of Finance is…
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Plan to land Thai cannabis on UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list
[Intangible: adj. Incapable of being perceived by the senses.] While some would call the effects of marijuana anything but intangible, the Ministry of Culture is planning to get Thai ganja on the UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” list. The ministry claims that Thai cannabis has been used in all regions of the country as a herb, while locally grown weed has…
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AstraZeneca triple vaccines shown effective against Omicron variant
Add AstraZeneca to the list of vaccines that testing data shows is effective against the Omicron variant after 2 doses and a third booster shot. The London-based vaccine brand announced today that, like Pfizer 2 weeks ago and the Moderna vaccine last week, AstraZeneca has also been shown to be effective after 3 doses against the Omicron variant of Covid-19.…
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Escaped Israeli officially cleared of Covid-19, now faces prosecution
The good news is: you don’t have Covid-19. The bad news: you’re being sent to police custody. In the most recent twist to the case of an Israeli tourist who entered Thailand on Friday and snuck off before receiving his Covid-19 test only to be diagnosed with Omicron as a nationwide manhunt ensued, the man has now been determined to…
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Credit card loaned to buy cosmetics used for 6.7 million baht spree
What’s your credit limit? Two people were arrested in Bangkok, accused of using a borrowed credit card to rack up 6.7 million baht worth of purchases. The pair were arrested by the Crime Suppression Division Police in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 68 in Bangkapi on Tuesday, though they deny any wrongdoing. The pair of alleged fraudsters is a 47 year old Thai…
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Crab and ice shops in Si Racha warned of Covid-19 outbreak
A new warning went out for a potential Covid-19 outbreak stemming from some ice and crab shops in Si Racha district of Chon Buri. The Chon Buri Public Health Office issued the notice yesterday urging anyone who was a patron or visited 3 crab shops and an ice shop to come forward for mandatory Covid-19 testing. The announcement said that…
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First Test & Go land entry will remain closed due to Omicron
Just a few days after confirming plans to open the land border between Thailand and Laos in Nong Khai tomorrow, the reopening was tabled indefinitely for fears of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The cheerily-named Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge that links the 2 countries will remain closed for the time being to prevent the spread of Covid-19, having been planned as…
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Myanmar ethnic army requests “no-fly zone” near Thai border
Following the airstrikes on Myanmar’s oldest ethnic army controlled area that forced thousands of refugees to flee to neighbouring Thailand last week, the Karen National Union urged the UN Security Council to recognise a no-fly zone in its territory. As fighting between the state military and the Karen’s armed wing has escalated, Thailand took in about 3,400 migrants last week,…
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Government-hosted New Year’s events in Bangkok cancelled
Government-hosted New Year’s countdown events and holiday celebrations in Bangkok will be cancelled, the vice governor, Kriangyos Sudlabha, announced today, adding that the decision is due to the emergence of the Omicron variant and follows the World Health Organisation’s recommendations. The countdown event in front of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Office will be canceled as well as other events organised by…
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TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned
While Thailand is tightening its borders and restrictions in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which has now infected over 100 people in the country, the New Year’s holiday is just over one week away. As authorities are torn between to need to protect against Covid-19 and the desperate need of the tourism and entertainment sectors to create…
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Dangling wires cause injury in Samut Prakan motorbike crash
Thailand has long been known for its obnoxiously tangled wiring that stretches and sags along and across streets, notable in Bangkok but seen even in small towns around the country. The cables are often in disarray and sometimes even dangling dangerously low to the street causing injuries and death. A recent report in Thai media highlighted one such accident, where…
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Escaped Israeli tested positive for Omicron, negative for Covid-19
He’s positive… he’s negative… he’s positive? Test results have varied for the 29 year old escaped Israeli traveller who fled his hotel before receiving his results from the mandatory RT-PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival. Conflicting reports say Ohan Baruch tested positive for the Omicron variant and that in Samui he tested negative for Covid-19. Either way, the Israeli tourist, who…
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DDC approves fourth vaccine dose for medical workers and patients with underlying diseases
Following the uptick in Omicron cases, mostly involving travellers entering Thailand, a subcommittee on immunisation of the Department of Disease Control had given the green light for the fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for medical and public health personnel, frontline health workers, patients with chronic diseases, and those taking immunosuppressants, according to director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong. The director said…
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