News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored 5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
-
Australia extends its lockdown
Australia has extended its own lockdown and social distancing measures to further parts of the country, today. 4 major cities are currently under a strict lockdown in an attempt to halt the outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant. About 1 in 2 Australians are already stuck under stay at home orders. Millions of other inhabitants have to adhere to…
-
2 illegal Chinese immigrants in Tak arrested eluding quarantine
In the northwestern province of Tak, where Covid-19 cases are surging, 2 illegal Chinese immigrants who snuck out of quarantine were arrested in Mae Sot Town today. The pair were found wandering in town and taken into custody by army members of the 4th Infantry Regiment. In Tambon Mae Ku, the two migrant workers, Zhang Yong Lyu and Liu Wei,…
-
Rayong governor orders nightly beach closures to curb the spread of Covid-19
Starting today, all beaches on the coastal province Rayong, near Pattaya, will be closed to the public during the night and early morning hours. The beach closures are an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 after the province reported an uptick in infections. Rayong governor Charnna Iamsaeng signed an order earlier this week to close the beaches from 8pm…
-
Tourism jobs continue to be lost – nearly 1 million in 2021
It’s easy to look scornfully at the government and tourism industry’s rose-tinted predictions of the Phuket Sandbox reopening and further return of international tourism to Thailand by the end of the year. But a look at the current statistics for the battered tourism industry helps explain the need for hope. This quarter, 550,000 jobs were lost in the tourism industry.…
-
Phuket announces it had 5 new cases of Covid yesterday and 1 death
Yesterday, Phuket announced it had 5 new Covid infections and its 7th death, a 72 year old man. Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon the chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) corroborated the news that Phuket had 5 new Covid infections as well as the 7th death. Dr Kusak spoke in a live broadcast this morning where he was joined…
-
US and NATO withdraw from an Afghanistan still at war
On April 14, United States President Joe Biden told Americans when their country’s longest war would finally end: “I’m now the fourth US president to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth.” Biden delivered his address in the White House Treaty Room. It was in this…
-
US and NATO withdraw from an Afghanistan still at war: What you need to know
On April 14, United States President Joe Biden told Americans when their country’s longest war would finally end: “I’m now the fourth US president to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth.” Biden delivered his address in the White House Treaty Room. It was in this…
-
New study:Moderna effective against Delta variant
A new lab study shows that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna is reasonably effective against the growing Delta variant first identified in India. The study found that the vaccine was only slightly less effective against the newer strain than it is against the original Covid-19 virus. The study tested blood serum from 8 subjects who had finished their second…
-
Man robs a gold shop with a kitchen knife
Last night in the central Thai province Pathum Thani, a man used a knife to rob a gold shop in the Lam Luk Ka district. He got away with 60 baht weight of gold necklaces. Pitch Suwatikul, a local police officer says the robbery happened about 7:20 pm at the Bangkok Gold shop on the 2nd floor of a Tesco…
-
Thailand tourism officials predict best and worst case scenarios for reopening
The best-case scenario in Thailand’s reopening… 3 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, Tourism Council of Thailand says. It’s a far cry from the around 40 million welcomed to Thailand in 2019. But with Phuket set to reopening tomorrow under the “Sandbox” travel model, and other areas posed to reopen later this year, tourism officials guess, that in the best…
-
Vaccine walk-ins for 75 and up available today-July 18 at Bang Sue Grand Station
From today, until July 18, people 75 and older can get inoculated at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok. Reportedly, even without registration. The decision is an effort to drive up the number of elderly being vaccinated. The Department of Medical Sciences says that number is currently low. The inoculation campaign is intended to reach the elderly who may not…
-
Monk arrested on charges of assault and drug possession in Chon Buri
Police in Chon Buri arrested a Buddhist monk and seized a small amount of crystal methamphetamine after the monk allegedly slapped a woman in the face during a heated argument. The 32 year old monk was taken back to the temple following the arrest and the abbot defrocked him. He was then taken to the Samet police station and charged…
-
Krabi man allegedly fires gun at quarantine hotel, flees with wife and son
A man in Krabi was arrested after he allegedly fired a gun, shooting through a window of an alternative state quarantine, or ASQ, hotel and ran off with his wife and 9 year old son who were staying at the hotel after coming in close contact with those infected with Covid-19. 45 year old Somyos Khongsiri’s wife and son were…
-
Top medic says cloth masks don’t protect against Covid-19
A prominent infectious disease specialist at Bangkok’s Phramongkutklao Hospital says cloth masks are ineffective against Covid-19 and people should wear surgical masks. Nation Thailand reports that Dr Thanaphan Phibunbannakit has called on the government to procure additional surgical masks as Thailand logs 4,786 new infections and a record high of 53 deaths. Thanaphan says people who are yet to receive…
-
Thai FDA issues warning about using Ivermectin to cure Covid-19
The Thai Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use a drug usually reserved for veterinary treatment to treat Covid-19. Surachoke Tangwiwat from the FDA (and many other international studies) have determined that the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin is not designed for human use. “The side-effects can be severe and include dizziness, rash, nausea, hives, and the potential to…
-
Wednesday Covid Update: 4,786 new cases, record high of 53 deaths
4,786 new cases and a record daily high of 53 Covid-related deaths were recorded today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The daily coronavirus death tally in Thailand has been in the 20s to 40s during the current and most severe wave of the virus, infecting 230,438 people since April 1. Out of the new cases recorded today, 127…
-
Restrictions may be eased at some Bangkok camps to allow essential work to continue
Tough restrictions on movement at construction camps in Bangkok may be eased slightly to allow essential work to go ahead. Natthapol Nakpanich from the National Security Council says officials discussed the issue at a meeting yesterday, noting that the suspension of some works could pose a risk for engineering reasons or by delaying hospital builds. For this reason, construction work…
-
Travelling to Phuket for the Sandbox starting tomorrow, July 1
Now officially announced in the Royal Gazette, a whopping full day before the start of Thailand’s reopening plans, here is the list of who will be able to travel to Thailand. You will need to be fully vaccinated, that’s the key point, and rather than quarantining in a hotel room for 14 days, your ‘quarantine’ is now the huge tropical…
-
Bali plans 5-year visa scheme for digital nomads as island stalls reopening
Digital nomads in Bali will be granted a 5-year visa, according to Indonesia’s tourism minister. The government is waiting until the Covid-19 situation improves before reopening the island to foreign tourists. To revive the tourist island’s economy after the pandemic, tourism officials hope to attract more digital nomads, online-based business owners and people who work remotely. Under a proposed scheme,…
-
American expats in Thailand continue to urge US to provide vaccines to citizens overseas
Some Americans in Thailand are still pushing the US government to supply Covid-19 vaccines to those living overseas. Democrats Abroad Thailand is now calling on American expats to contact senators and urge them to support the allocation of vaccines to citizens overseas. The expat group’s Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force is also set to hold a Zoom meeting tomorrow evening to…
-
Private hospitals in Thailand to offer Moderna vaccine packages for 3,400 baht
Those in Thailand will be able to reserve a package of the 2-dose Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for 3,400 baht, according to the Private Hospital Association. Member hospitals agreed on the set price to cover both doses of the US-made Covid-19 vaccine as well as the service fee and insurance. Pre-paid bookings open up on Thursday while the vaccine deliveries are…
-
Sea Breeze: Ukraine, US Black Sea drills raise tensions
A military incident off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula caused quite a stir last week. The British warship HMS Defender was en route from the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa to Georgia when it encountered Russian forces, who issued warning shots. The incident sparked tensions between Moscow and London and came just days ahead of multinational naval maneuvers…
-
Sea Breeze: Ukraine, US Black Sea drills raise tensions with Russia
A military incident off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula caused quite a stir last week. The British warship HMS Defender was en route from the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa to Georgia when it encountered Russian forces, who issued warning shots. The incident sparked tensions between Moscow and London and came just days ahead of multinational naval maneuvers…
-
Man gets marriage certificate tattooed on his forearm, ink presumably permanent
Yesterday, a Facebook post went viral after a man took his declaration of love one step further and had had his marriage certificate tattooed on his arm. On Monday, Om-Aim Daraployphan shared several pictures of her husband’s arm tat/proof of marriage on Facebook. The tattoo is bordered with green and pink flowers and takes up the majority of the man’s…
-
Tuesday Covid Update: 4,662 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on an upward trend in Thailand’s most severe wave of Covid-19, 4,662 new infections were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 254,515 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Of that number, 225,652 were reported since April 1, the start of the recent and most extreme wave of…
-
Phuket notches 14th infection since last week
Since last week, Phuket has had 14 Covid infections. Their vaccination rate is now 80% (over the threshold sought for herd immunity). Yesterday, the Phuket Provincial public Heath Office state they had 3 covid infections on the island. Since April, there have been 723 confirmed Covid cases. The CCSA has also outlined its criteria for its Phuket Sandbox “contingency plan“.…
-
Bangkok sex workers and bar staff call for monthly cash handouts
High heels were lined up on the ground and underwear was tied to a gate outside the Government House in Bangkok this morning as the city’s sex workers and other bar and nightlife staff called for monthly cash handouts. Covid-19 restrictions shut down bars and nightclubs, leaving many out of work for months. Only a group of around 20 gathered,…
-
Sinovac vaccine 71% to 91% effective against Alpha variant, Thai study shows
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says 2 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine are 71% to 91% effective against the Alpha variant of the virus which was first detected in the UK. A study on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine, also known as Coronavac, was done by Thailand’s National Communicable Diseases Committee and the National Vaccine Committee. The study…
-
Man in Pattaya arrested after allegedly stealing liquor, running across roofs
Police in Pattaya arrested a foreigner and budding ninja yesterday for allegedly grabbing 2 bottles of liquor from a local store and running off without paying. The shop clerk and nearby residents chased after the man, who apparently ran across the roofs of people’s homes to get away. Reports say he was caught after falling from a roof. Residents found…
-
Factory workers protest after 60 workers test positive for Covid-19 and factory stays open
Over the weekend, 2 vans arrived at a textile factory in Nonthaburi, a central province just north of Bangkok. Health workers in protective suits emerged from the vans. They were from the Kasemrad International Hospital and they were taking away 60 men/women who had tested positive for Covid-19. They reportedly took the sick to a field hospital. The factory, however,…
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.