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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Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Police arrest man for robbery on 4 year old warrant
A man who allegedly posed as a police officer and stole a motorbike was arrested in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand after being on the run for nearly 4 years. There’s been a warrant for his arrest since 2016 for robbery charges. The 32 year old man, Thai media reports as ‘Beer’, along with 3 of his friends, allegedly stole…
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Death sentence of Lao drug lord “Mr X” commuted to life
Bangkok’s Criminal Court handed down life imprisonment to Laotian drug ring leader Xaysana “Mr. X” Keopimpha, on charges of smuggling 1.2 million methamphetamine pills, known as “yaba,” into Thailand. He was initially sentenced to death, and the sentence was upheld by a lower court in December, but the penalty was commuted to life imprisonment because he cooperated with the court.…
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Heroin making a comeback among Thai teens
As if the spike in synthetic drugs coming from the so-called Golden Triangle weren’t enough, authorities report that heroin is making a comeback in Thailand, especially among teenagers, who are often unaware of the dangers, including HIV and hepatitis C. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board reports rising numbers of teens aged 15-18 admitted to rehab programs for heroin…
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Brits banned from Singapore after lockdown ‘bar crawl’
A group of British men staying in Singapore were prohibited from working there again after breaking the local lockdown to go on a “bar crawl”. The men each received a fine of around S$9,000. They were all charged after a photo of them drinking together during the country’s “lockdown” went viral last month. A different party, comprising an American couple…
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Covid 19 update: 4 new imported cases found in quarantine (June 26)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says that 4 women tested positive for Covid-19 in state quarantine over the previous 24 hour period. There have been no domestic Covid-19 cases for 32 days. Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin reports that 2 of the women, 22 and 27 years old, showed symptoms upon returning from Sudan on June 24 and were diagnosed positive…
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Thailand News Today – Friday, June 26
A different program today looking at the issues of flying around Thailand at the moment and a few things to remember. Also the latest we know about the borders slowly opening up and the process of slowly allowing some foreigners to re-enter the country. Back to the usual format on Monday. Have a fantastic weekend. Tim and The Thaiger team.
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Thai Air Asia to resume all domestic routes, flights in July
Thai Air Asia will return to full domestic services in Thailand during July, with all routes and flights back in action for a total of 23 destinations and 25 routes. The announcement was made this afternoon. Thai Air Asia’s CEO told Associated Press that the airline has been slowly ramping up its domestic routes since May and is now ready…
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Pakistan airlines cleans house after the pilot license cheating scandal
In the wake of a deadly Pakistan plane crash, the country’s flagship carrier, PIA, says they may let go more than 150 pilots after finding many have allegedly faked their own licenses. The government says that pilots both inside and outside the airline had allegedly allowed other people to take their exams in order to keep their flying licenses. Now, those…
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Virgin Australia will fly again under new US ownership
Virgin Australia will reportedly grace the Australian skies again after a US company has bought it out. Bain Capital, a private equity group in the US, took over ownership after the struggling airline was unsuccessful in asking for Australian government bail out or loans. The second largest airline in Australia collapsed in April after struggling with long-term debt before the Covid-19…
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Fight over “El Chapo’s” legacy leaves 16 dead in Mexico
The war to protect drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s legacy burst into a gun battle between rival Mexican gangs and left 16 dead on Thursday, authorities said. The 16 people, heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests, died in a six-hour shootout near the rural town of Tepache in the northwestern province of Sinaloa. “A van with seven bodies was located” after the initial clash,…
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AirAsia’s flight plans uncertain due to bans
After rumours that Thailand will extend its scheduled international flight bans into July, Air Asia’s flight plans remain uncertain as it hopes are ‘up in the air’ about resumption of its international flights. Due to having little advanced notice of travel bans due to the Covid-19 measures being changed constantly, the airline is on standby as it awaits the final word…
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Hong Kong documentary sees scene removed after new law
A pro-democracy Hong Kong documentary saw a scene removed after a new law criminalized anything that is seen as “insulting” China’s national anthem. The director of the documentary, Evans Chan, says he had to delete the scene which featured an artist playing the national anthem, which reveals how the new law is already censoring artistic creativity. Hong Kong is considered a…
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Dozens arrested in money laundering and drugs case
61 people have been arrested in one of Thailand’s biggest money laundering cases of the year, said to be worth more than 10 billion baht. The suspects are believed to be part of a drug syndicate and money laundering network, allegedly run by a 45 year old Chinese man identified as “Chien Ma,” who was caught earlier in Bangkok. Provincial…
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Billionaire sheikh uses Evian water to fill up tanks
An Abu Dhabi billionaire has reportedly filled up his mansion’s water tanks with Evian water shipped from France. The sheikh by the name of Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is the Emir of Abu Dhabi imported the famous water as part of renovations to Ascot Place, his 18th-century Berkshire mansion-valued at 60 million euros. A legal battle in London’s High Court…
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London police attacked after responding to illegal event
After responding to an illegal music event in London, twenty-two police officers were attacked by crowds defying the ban on parties during the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the scenes as “appalling,” adding: “Violence against the police will not be tolerated.” Police said they were targeted when responding to residents’ complaints about noise and violent behaviour.The…
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Large explosion lights up Tehran, Iran
A large explosion near the capital Iran has prompted investigations as its location is near a suspected site of the country’s past nuclear testing activities. The explosion near Tehran lit up the sky with witnesses saying it appeared to be near a major with a defence ministry spokesman saying the blast happened at a gas storage facility in a “public area”…
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Dixie chicks changes name due to racist connotations
After the US has exploded with protests and calls for racism to be seriously addressed, the country music group Dixie Chicks has chosen to drop “dixie” citing its racist connotations. The word “dixie,” was used to describe the confederate states in the US that supported slavery as it was derived from Jeremiah Dixon, whose name came to signify the 11…
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Second-deadliest Ebola outbreak officially over
After no new cases were reported for 42 days, the world’s second-deadliest Ebola outbreak has been declared officially over. 16,000 frontline workers in The Democratic Republic of Congo have battled against the country’s tenth outbreak for almost two years with a World Health Organisation official saying it was like a mission impossible as more than 2,200 lives were lost. The…
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Thai PM concerned about “second wave” of virus when Thailand’s nightlife resumes
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has voiced his concerns about the re-opening the country’s bars, clubs, and other nightlife that may lead to a second wave of the Covid-19 virus. It’s currently proposed, but not finalised, that Phase 5 easing of restrictions would allow pubs, bars, and other entertainment venues to re-open from July 1. The precise guidelines imposed on re-opening…
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Emergency Decree could be extended a third time, through July
The Emergency Decree, set to expire at the end of June, could be extended by another month. Now the National Security Council is recommending extending enforcement of the decree, originally imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, to July 31. The decree, announced on March 24 and enacted on March 26, has a legally mandated limit of 90 days, but…
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Family’s home seized over unpaid 17,000 baht student loan
A family’s home was seized for failing to pay back a 17,000 baht student debt. Not only were they kicked out of their home, but it was sold swiftly with little or no consultation with the family. The Phrae home in Northern Thailand was seized over the unpaid student loans. The family was later notified in a letter by the…
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Mandatory 14 day quarantine for international arrivals to Thailand
Following the announcement that Thailand would once again open its doors to certain categories of international visitors, the government’s Covid-19 task force has confirmed most will have to agree to a 14 day quarantine. It’s understood the first group to be granted entry to the Kingdom from July 1 will include businesspeople, skilled workers and experts, teachers, students, and medical…
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Pattaya authorities call for patience amid confusion over rules for nightlife reopening
As the owners of bars, clubs, and other entertainment venues look forward to being allowed open their doors from July 1 (sort of), officials at Pattaya City Hall have been inundated with calls about the new rules that govern reopening. A report in The Pattaya News says there is plenty of confusion, as the government’s Covid-19 task force has issued…
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The futuristic Segway will soon be a thing of the past
The Segway vowed to revolutionise how people got around, one of the main attractions being its futuristic look and feel when travelling on the 2-wheeled personal transporter. When first released in 2001, Segways took the market by storm and proved especially popular with tourists and police officers. In recent years they’ve been primarily seen at airports, shopping malls, military bases…
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Surat Thani “cockle wars” are over, says navy chief
The chief of the Royal Thai Navy says local figures wielding influence are being “neutralised” and the disruptive, sometimes violent dispute between cockle farmers and local small-boat fishermen is drawing to an end. Admiral Ruechai Ruddit says the conflict off the coast of Bandon Bay in the southern province of Surat Thani has eased, after cockle farmers began dismantling the…
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Saraburi man arrested for firing at radio station, fleeing in stolen pickup
Police in the central Saraburi province, about 120 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, arrested a man early today for allegedly firing a gun at a radio station and stealing a pickup truck in which he fled. Officers of the Nong Khae Police Station were informed at 6:30pm yesterday about a shooting incident at the Public Relations Department’s radio station in Nong…
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What happens to leftover Guinness from Covid-19 lockdowns?
Humans aren’t the only ones who become merrier when drinking Guinness, as apparently Christmas trees also enjoy the occasional splurge, and have been used to soak up the leftovers thanks to the Covid-19 lockdown imposed on many bars and pubs. The thousands of pints of Guinness, that weren’t drunk during the Covid-19 lockdown, are being used to fertilise Christmas trees…
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Antarctic penguins thrive around less icy waters
Penguins in the Antarctic seem to be much more well off when there is less ice in the sea and now biologists know why. The reason is simple: penguins are slow movers when walking, but much more agile when swimming. The times when less ice is in the waters, biologists say it has a ripple effect for the penguins. Less…
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Chinese citizens in Russia caught forging Covid-19 results
The Chinese Embassy in Moscow has caught several of its citizens trying to forge Covid-19 test results in order to be allowed to fly back to China. But the numbers of those producing counterfeit tests is unclear and the embassy has not revealed what cities or areas of Russia the hopeful returnees were residing. It is also unclear how many of…
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Thai exports hit new low, pandemic to blame
Thailand’s exports have dropped drastically and the Thai Ministry of Commerce blames the coronavirus pandemic for the low levels and the shrinking supply and demand market. In a report released yesterday, exports for May are the lowest they’ve been in 4 years. Worldwide lockdowns have caused production in Thailand to take a plunge, according to the director-general of the commerce…
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