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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
-
Thai officials warn TikTok ‘Benadryl Challenge’ can be fatal
Thai officials are warning about the potentially fatal “Benadryl Challenge” where people take a large dose of the antihistamine to hallucinate and then post a video of the dare on the social media platform TikTok. After a number of teenagers around the world reportedly overdosed, and some even died after doing the challenge, the Thailand Food and Drug Administration is…
-
Prachuap Khiri Khan blocks borders with barbed wire after Covid-19 reports in Myanmar
With the recent report of 41 new Covid-19 cases in a neighbouring Myanmar town, Prachuap Khiri Khan officials are making sure the Thai-Myanmar natural border is blocked with barbed wire fences. The province’s governor Panlop Singhaseni says all districts have been told to keep borders secure. In Prachuap Khiri Khan, 40 natural borders have been closed off to prevent people…
-
10 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, all reported as asymptomatic
Thailand health officials reported 10 new Cvoid-19 cases detected mandatory state quarantine for those entering the country, adding up the total number of reported cases to 3,600. All cases were reported as asymptomatic at the time the results were confirmed. The cases came from Hong Kong, the United States, Kuwait and Russia, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.…
-
Man allegedly shoots another over lottery ticket feud
Police are searching for a 60 year old man who allegedly shot another after an argument over lottery tickets. The alleged shooter, identified as Noi, gave money to 35 year old Samrit to buy lottery tickets, according to a salon owner next door in Samut Prakan, just south east of Bangkok. When the numbers came up as winners, Noi allegedly…
-
PM orders probe after top zoo official killed while investigating missing rare deer case at Songkhla Zoo
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered an investigation into the Songkhla Zoo after a top zoo official investigating a missing rare deer case was shot and killed by the zoo’s senior veterinarian in an apparent murder-suicide. After the fatal shooting, some have cited concerns that the 2 rare albino barking deer may have been stolen and sold in the illegal wildlife…
-
Thai government considers easing restrictions for foreign business travellers
The Thai government is considering further easing entry restrictions for foreign travellers coming to conduct business in the Kingdom. Currently, around 11,000 businesspeople and work permit holders have been granted entry by the Centre for Covid-19 Administration Situation since they started allowing some foreigners back into the country after July. All arrivals have to submit to a mandatory 14 day…
-
New police chief clarifies suspension of police checkpoints
Just days into his post, the new Chief of the Royal Thai Police, has clarified his decision to suspend roadside checkpoints. Suwat Jangyodsuk says the new rule only applies to drink-driving checkpoints, which he says must first pass transparency checks, and shows that tests of blood alcohol levels return accurate results. Royal Thai Police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong says all checkpoints…
-
Possible delay of foreign tourists arriving to Phuket
Thailand is lifting its 6 month ban on international tourists, allowing only those who are on a Special Tourist Visa to arrive on select charter flights, but there are conflicting reports on when exactly they will arrive. Many reports say the tourists should arrive on Thursday, but a recent report from a respected Thai media outlet claims the plans are…
-
44 years on – the 1976 Thammasat University Massacre
An exhibition has been assembled to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Thammasat University Massacre that occurred on October 6, 1976. The ‘pop up’ museum has been assembled at the University’s Tha Prachan campus, right next to the front gate of the University, and only metres away from where the events of that fateful day occurred. The exhibition attempts to…
-
Thailand to set aside 3 billion baht for first doses of Covid-19 vaccine
Thailand’s National Vaccine Committee is to request nearly 3 billion baht in order to procure enough doses of a Covid-19 vaccine for half its population, beginning with frontline healthcare workers. The committee, chaired by Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, wants to set aside 2.93 billion baht to be able to purchase adequate supplies of the vaccine from overseas. The aim is…
-
Head of economic recovery panel warns of collapse if borders not re-opened now
A businessman heading up an economic recovery panel is warning the government that unless Thailand’s borders are re-opened for the last quarter of the year, the country is headed for total economic collapse. The Bangkok Post reports that Pailin Chuchottaworn says the gradual easing of Covid restrictions in recent months is not enough, insisting the country must re-open to international…
-
Phuket luxury resorts become quarantine facilities for travellers on the Special Tourist Visa
Thailand is opening its doors this week after a 6 month ban on international tourists, catering to those on the new Special Tourist Visa who have time on their hands and money to spend. The first group will arrive to Phuket from China on Thursday, but they all have to go through a mandatory 14 day quarantine and it isn’t…
-
Deals and discounts for expats at Bangkok wellness tourism event
Expats in Thailand will be offered discounts and promotions at a 2 day fair focusing on health and wellness travel, including deals on flights, accommodation and spa packages. Domestic flights start at 490 baht, and if the booking is made on the spot, customers get a free 15 kilogram baggage allowance. There will also be many deals for health and…
-
Phuket woman dies shortly after eating mangrove horseshoe crab
A 46 year old woman died after eating a horseshoe crab she caught in a mangrove forest near her home in Phuket’s Muang district. After eating the shellfish, Wanthana Phutcho vomited, complained of a headache and had trouble walking. She fell unconscious and died on the way to a hospital. Some people have mistaken mangrove horseshoe crabs, which are poisonous,…
-
Man allegedly chained his uncle and beat him to death with a bat
A man allegedly chained his uncle to a staircase and beat him to death with a baseball bat. 27 year old Jetsada Raksutee was found at his Chon Buri house and police say he appeared to be in a catatonic state. The body of his 45 year old uncle, Sonthaya Arnpoe, was found covered in blood with his leg chained…
-
Continuous rainfall expected throughout Thailand this week
Continuous rainfall is expected throughout parts of Thailand this week with the potential for flash floods in some areas – after all, it is the wet season and, statistically, October is the wettest month of the year. The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning saying an active low pressure cell in the South China Sea is likely to…
-
Phuket in a Covid Crisis – VIDEO
Phuket is facing an existential crisis. Because of its semi-isolation as an island, it doesn’t get much “passing traffic” and is too far away from Bangkok to attract much ‘weekend’ business. Whilst the borders stay closed the island’s businesses face ruin. A year ago, the streets of this tourist island were brimming with a diverse international tourism mix. In fact…
-
Ex-prisoner stabs 3 people when asked to put on a mask at Bangkok shopping mall
An ex-prisoner is back in custody after stabbing 3 people at a Bangkok shopping mall when he was asked to put on a face mask. A report in Nation Thailand says the 33 year old man has been incarcerated at Chiang Mai prison 3 times for robbery offences. It’s understood that when a security guard at The Mall, in the…
-
Bangkok police prep for October 14 pro-democracy rally
Police are getting ready for the next pro-democracy rally planned for October 14 at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, marking the anniversary of the 1973 uprising which ended the military dictatorship of anti-communist Thanom Kittikachorn. Police are following social media pages associated with the rally, like Democracy Restoration Group, to try and get a head count to determine how many officers should…
-
Phuket man shoots himself in the head in suspected suicide
A 47 year old Phuket man has shot himself dead, in what police suspect is a case of suicide. Nation Thailand reports that Kittichai Musiksong’s body was found on a couch at a property in the Taladyai sub-district. He had a bullet wound to his right temple and a blank gun model was found on the floor. The blank gun…
-
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 School, says the parents assaulted her after they saw classroom surveillance camera footage of her allegedly pushing and hitting kindergarten students. The teacher is represented by the…
-
Students at northeastern university accuse police of disrupting rally, harassment
Students at Maha Sarakham University, in the north-east of the country, are accusing the police of harassing them and attempting to disrupt a planned rally. The leader of a pro-democracy student group has taken to Facebook to point the finger at plain-clothes and uniformed officers who arrived at the university to carry out a search, and to remind organisers of…
-
Koh Phangan hotel probed after complaints of cultural appropriation for Angkor Wat design
A Koh Phangan hotel is saying sorry for using Cambodia’s culture and famous landmarks, including the popular Angkor Wat, in what looks to be a case of cultural appropriation, misusing or misrepresenting a culture and profiting off it. An investigation into the claims of cultural appropriation has been launched by Surat Thani Culture Office. Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is also…
-
Officials threaten Ranong pier with closure over Covid violations
A pier in the southern province of Ranong is being threatened with closure after allowing the crew from a Myanmar fishing trawler to disembark and come ashore. This violates restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Myanmar is currently experiencing a surge in virus cases, going from 400 cases on August 20 to 17,794 cases today. The…
-
2 new cases of Covid-19, both Thai returnees from UK and South Africa
Thailand has confirmed 2 new cases today of asymptomatic Covid-19, both Thai returnees from the UK and South Africa. One 27 year old Thai student had tested positive on Friday after arriving from the UK last Monday. She was transferred to a quarantine facility in Samut Prakarn Hospital after receiving the positive results. The other case was also a 19…
-
Poll shows large majority believe child abuse at schools is not okay
A new poll finds the vast majority of Thais believe child abuse at schools is not okay. The Suan Dusit Rajabhat University Poll, or Suan Dusit Poll asked 1,896 people nationwide from September 29 – October 2, to gather their opinions on the recent spate of reported abuses of children in Nonthaburi and other Bangkok schools. (The Thaiger believes it’s…
-
Man ran over by Bangkok-Ubon train in Nakhon Ratchasima province
A man has been run over by a Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani train early this morning in the northeastern province of Korat, with rescuers saying his body was cut in half. Police rescue workers say they discovered the man’s mutilated body at around 2am about 200 metres from the Huay Thalaeng district railway station. Police say the man appears to be between…
-
UPDATE: Trump says he is “starting to feel good” after being hospitalised
After being transferred to a military hospital a mere 17 hours after being diagnosed with Covid-19, US president Donald Trump says he is “starting to feel good” as the White House published pictures of him working from his hospital bed. But his recent statement is contrary to some reports that his oxygen levels had ‘dropped rapidly’ with White House officials…
-
Bangkok Airways offering up to a 20% discount to certain groups of Thais
Bangkok Airways is offering 10 to 20% off its standard rates to certain groups of Thai citizens. The demographic groups are split into 5 categories: senior citizens who are 60 years old or over, undergraduates which include students and teachers, disabled persons, travel-related professionals and government officials. All groups will receive 20% discounts except government officials who will receive 10%.…
-
Pro-democracy leaders banned from speaking at Thammasat University massacre anniversary event
3 pro-democracy leaders have been sidelined from speaking at this year’s Thammasat University Massacre 44th anniversary forum. Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, co-leaders of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration and Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, were apologetically singled out on committee member Krisadang Nutcharus’ Facebook post yesterday. He says university executives did not offer an explanation…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.