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.

  • Sponsored

    Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever

    If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...

  • PM dismisses conflict of interest concern as Cabinet reviews golf quarantine proposal | Thaiger

    PM dismisses conflict of interest concern as Cabinet reviews golf quarantine proposal

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has dismissed concerns over a possible conflict of interest surrounding the idea of using golf resorts as alternative local state quarantine facilities. It’s understood Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul owns a golf course in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. The PM says using approved golf resorts as ALSQ locations is, an “interesting idea”, but the…

  • Protest leader calls on rally “guards” to refrain from violence | Thaiger

    Protest leader calls on rally “guards” to refrain from violence

    Prominent human rights lawyer and protest leader, Anon Nampa, is calling on guards at anti-government rallies to remain peaceful. He says that getting violent will only harm the movement and play into the hands of the government. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anon credits his next door neighbour in Chiang Mai for the advice. “Last night, while I drank…

  • 1 killed, another severely injured in motorcycle collision in Bangkok | Thaiger

    1 killed, another severely injured in motorcycle collision in Bangkok

    A person was killed and another severely injured in a motorcycle collision today in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. The motorcycles collided while driving around a curve. One of the bikes flipped and exploded. Photos show the bike engulfed in flames. 32 year old Thanatthakorn Chareaonsuk was found dead at the scene. 25 year old Kritsada Wanpen was severely injured and broke…

  • Thailand News Today | Thai official positive, Head-butt latest, protest letters | November 10 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | Thai official positive, Head-butt latest, protest letters | November 10

    Thailand News Today for the second day of the week. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel, like and comment on the program. Diplomat in Thailand tests positive for Covid-19 after contact with Hungarian foreign minister A Hungarian diplomat who lives in Thailand has recently tested positive for Covid-19 in an apparent local transmission. The 53 year old diplomat had been…

  • Police investigate Bangkok shooting, find guns at suspect’s home | Thaiger

    Police investigate Bangkok shooting, find guns at suspect’s home

    Police investigating a shooting outside a Bangkok massage parlour raided a suspect’s home and found guns, ammunition and drugs. The dispute late last month involved Thai internet idol and well known gambler Apriak “Sia Po” Chat-arnon. The investigation has been more extensively covered in Thai media. 2 people were injured in shooting and police arrested Sia Po on murder charges.…

  • Family demands investigation after conscript found dead at army base | Thaiger

    Family demands investigation after conscript found dead at army base

    The family of a young conscript that was found dead, hanging in a military base bathroom, is demanding an investigation claiming the 22 year old army private was physically assaulted during his training and he had no motive to commit suicide. Pichawat Wiangnon was found hanged to death at Military Circle in northeastern province Roi Et. Officers at the base…

  • Health officials declare all recent STV arrivals Covid-free – so far | Thaiger

    Health officials declare all recent STV arrivals Covid-free – so far

    Thai health officials say that, so far, none of the foreigners who arrived in the Kingdom on the Special Tourist Visa have tested positive for Covid-19. However, they are urging the public to continue with the safety and hygiene measures introduced at the start of the pandemic, after a number of recent asymptomatic cases tested positive outside of quarantine facilities.…

  • Police checking contents of protest letter boxes to decide if charges will be filed | Thaiger

    Police checking contents of protest letter boxes to decide if charges will be filed

    Police in Bangkok say they will be reading the contents of 4 red letter boxes used at a rally in the capital on Sunday in order to decide whether or not to press charges. Pro-democracy protesters used the letter boxes to drop hand-written petitions and letters calling for reform of the Monarchy. The letters were addressed to HM The King.…

  • Thai protester released on bail, tells his side of the story after head-butt incident in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Thai protester released on bail, tells his side of the story after head-butt incident in Pattaya

    A follow up to yesterday’s sad incident with a Thai protester ending up head-butting a 52 year old Russian man who was watching a small protest on the Jomtien foreshore with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The incident happened on Monday evening at the Dongtan Curve. The protester, Narathiwat “Ken” Khamma, was arrested and jailed for the…

  • Officials urge public to stick with Covid safety measures, warning that quarantine is not a catch-all solution | Thaiger

    Officials urge public to stick with Covid safety measures, warning that quarantine is not a catch-all solution

    The Ministry of Public Health has issued a warning that quarantine alone is not enough, as it calls on people to continue with Covid-19 safety measures such as hand washing, social distancing, and the wearing of face masks in public spaces. Top medic Sophon Iamsirithavorn says that, despite the government’s best efforts, those arriving from overseas may still slip through…

  • Sarasas teachers sentenced to jail for child abuse, parents want 120 million baht in damages | Thaiger

    Sarasas teachers sentenced to jail for child abuse, parents want 120 million baht in damages

    Parents of children allegedly abused by teachers at the Sarasas Witaed Ratchapruek school in Nonthaburi, a suburb outside Bangkok, are seeking compensation. A lawyer representing the parents made a post on Facebook saying that a group of 20 parents are seeking more than 120 million baht in damages. The parents have a meeting with the attorney general today, according to…

  • Army chief dismisses rumours of impending coup – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Army chief dismisses rumours of impending coup – VIDEO

    Thailand’s Army chief Narongpan Jitkaewthae has described the chances of a coup as, “less than zero”, insisting the current political unrest can only be solved by political means. Pro-democracy activists continue to put pressure on the government, repeating their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a charter (constitution) re-write and reform of the role of the country’s revered…

  • Another bleak milestone for the US as Covid cases top 10 million | Thaiger

    Another bleak milestone for the US as Covid cases top 10 million

    As scientists around the world cautiously welcome the positive news about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, data from worldometers.info reveals that Covid-19 cases in the US have now topped the 10 million case mark. The latest figures on Worldometers show that the US has now recorded 10,421,956 cases of the virus and 244,448 deaths, both counts being the highest in the world.…

  • Phuket’s tourism high season hopes shattered in policy flip-flop | Thaiger

    Phuket’s tourism high season hopes shattered in policy flip-flop

    “The time has come that Thailand must gain confidence from international benchmarks.” Thailand’s leading resort island Phuket has come face-to-face with the reality that it’s tourism high-season will not see a marked reopening to overseas travellers. In the wake of the dismantling of the ‘Phuket Model’ and refocus by the government on using Bangkok as a single international gateway, there…

  • UPDATE: Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine candidate is “strongly effective” | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine candidate is “strongly effective”

    Pfizer is claiming that it’s current Covid-19 vaccine candidate “may be 90% effective” at preventing infection from the coronavirus. The pharmaceutical company says later this month they could be ready to file an ’emergency use’ application with US regulators. US-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are claiming that their vaccine against Covid-19 was “strongly effective” and has “exceeded expectations”…

  • Bangkok man arrested for selling e-cigarettes and vape liquid | Thaiger

    Bangkok man arrested for selling e-cigarettes and vape liquid

    Police raided a home in Bangkok, seizing 70 electronic cigarettes as well as refill liquid and other related products. While the products are legal in many countries, vape pens and e-cigarettes sales are illegal in Thailand. Police say the alleged dealer, 35 year old Chalitpon Saardrup, sold the e-cigarettes and vaping liquid through Facebook and used a private delivery service…

  • Less Thais visiting temples due to Covid-19, religious tourism at a loss | Thaiger

    Less Thais visiting temples due to Covid-19, religious tourism at a loss

    While Google searches for “prayers” spiked during the Covid-19 outbreak, people in Thailand are spending less time going to temples to pray. In a recent poll, less people are travelling to temples and making merit due to the pandemic, according to the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office. The office recently did a poll and found that 44% of…

  • Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha congratulates US President-elect Joe Biden | Thaiger

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha congratulates US President-elect Joe Biden

    After the tight race for United States president, Thailand’s prime minister sent a message congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory against incumbents President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Reports say that Biden’s win could benefit Thailand. The Bangkok Post says trade tension between the US and China could ease up. The Thai…

  • Police arrest “major drug dealer” in the Isaan region | Thaiger

    Police arrest “major drug dealer” in the Isaan region

    Police say they’ve arrested a “major drug dealer” at a sugarcane farm in the Isaan province Khon Kaen and seized thousands of methamphetamine pills. Police say they’ve been looking for 25 year old Sukree Chaukhamhod for a while and were recently tipped off that the alleged drug dealer frequently goes to a sugarcane farm in the Nam Phong district. Officers…

  • Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners | Thaiger

    Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners

    A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue. Bouncers…

  • A further threat to PM’s leadership as court set to rule in military housing case | Thaiger

    A further threat to PM’s leadership as court set to rule in military housing case

    The leadership of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha could be under threat, and not just from the tens of thousands of activists calling for his resignation. On December 2, the Constitutional Court will rule in a case that accuses the PM of abusing his power by occupying a military-owned residence, despite the fact that he retired from the army 6 years…

  • Protesters use red letter boxes to receive petitions calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy | Thaiger

    Protesters use red letter boxes to receive petitions calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy

    With police blocking their attempts to reach the Palace’s Household Bureau in Bangkok last night, anti-government protesters dropped their petitions and hand-written letters, calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy, into 4 ‘letter boxes’ instead. After the activists had brought the plastic red letter boxes with them, and, with police preventing them from marching to the Grand Palace, used them…

  • Investors see opportunity in Pattaya hotel market | Thaiger

    Investors see opportunity in Pattaya hotel market

    Although travel restrictions are still tight, investors see potential opportunities in Pattaya’s hotel market. Many are reimagining the 2021 market by focusing on domestic demand. Property consultancy JLL says the ongoing Eastern Economic Corridor development comes into play. U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong expanding to increase capacity by 5 million passengers and a high speed rail is in the works…

  • 5 injured after engine explodes on Phang Nga speedboat | Thaiger

    5 injured after engine explodes on Phang Nga speedboat

    5 people have been injured, 3 seriously, after a moored speedboat caught fire in Phang Nga province yesterday. The incident happened around 8.30am. The boat was tied up to the Thap Lamu boat pier, where most Similan Island-bound private tour boats depart from and return to. The injured were all crew from the boat. According to witnesses, the captain started…

  • Men arrested for allegedly stealing 15 big bikes | Thaiger

    Men arrested for allegedly stealing 15 big bikes

    After a number of bike bikes went missing in Samut Sakhon’s Krathum Baen district, just southwest of Bangkok, police arrested 2 people for allegedly stealing the bikes and selling them to buyers at the Thai-Myanmar border. Police first arrested a man Thai media reports as Nattapol back in September. Police say Nattapol admitted to the charges and tipped police off…

  • Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King – VIDEO

    Police turned the water cannons on thousands of protesters again as they marched to the Grand Palace to symbolically deliver hand-written letters to the Thai King. Thai media reports the crowd numbers were up to 10,000 – 12,000. Police say the crowd was around 7,000. The protesters were again demanding the resignation of the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new…

  • Officials tracing 290 contacts of Krabi Covid case – 79 considered “high-risk” | Thaiger

    Officials tracing 290 contacts of Krabi Covid case – 79 considered “high-risk”

    Efforts are underway to trace 290 people who had contact with a Covid-19 patient in Krabi, with officials declaring 79 of them, “high-risk”. The 37 year old man, an Indian national who lives on Koh Phi Phi, tested positive for the virus while undergoing medical tests as part of a work permit application. The Bangkok Post reports that while most…

  • 52 year old Russian head-butted by Thai protest leader in Pattaya | Thaiger

    52 year old Russian head-butted by Thai protest leader in Pattaya

    A small protest gathering in Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach last night turned ugly when one of the protest leaders targeted and assaulted a 52 year old Russian expat who was watching on with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The tall Thai man in the floral shirt, named as Narathiwat “Kane” Khamma, became agitated and started yelling obscenities at…

  • Police lockdown Royal Plaza as 9,000 police are deployed for today’s anti-establishment protest | Thaiger

    Police lockdown Royal Plaza as 9,000 police are deployed for today’s anti-establishment protest

    Police have blocked access to the Royal Plaza in an effort to second guess protesters’ plans to march to the Royal Plaza this afternoon. Protesters announced this afternoon’s rally, scheduled to start at 4pm, with a proposed march to an unannounced location. Police have suspected it would ether be Sanam Luang, adjacent to the Grand Palace, the Royal Plaza, or…

  • Play 18 holes during your quarantine in Thailand – new STV proposal | Thaiger

    Play 18 holes during your quarantine in Thailand – new STV proposal

    Quarantine, whilst wandering around a golf course, maintaining social distancing of course. That’s the latest STV proposal tabled for consideration by the CCSA to expand the current Special Tourist Visa and quarantine restrictions for golf tourists who may visit Thailand and do their quarantine in a secure golf course, whilst enjoying a few rounds at the same time. The proposal…