News
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Indonesian submarine with 53 crew on board missing off Bali coast
The Indonesian navy is scouring the waters off Bali after losing contact with one of its submarines, with 53 crew members on board. The country’s defence ministry says the submarine was due to carry out scheduled torpedo exercises, when it requested permission to dive yesterday morning. “After permission was given according to the procedure, the submarine lost contact and could…
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Deputy transport minister investigated by anti-corruption commission
Thailand’s deputy transport minister and his wife are being investigated after a debt of 10 billion baht was somehow written off. The National Anti-Corruption Commission, or NACC, is reviewing documents related to the debt, according to the commission’s Secretary General Worawit Sukboon. If the commission finds that Weerasak and Yolanda Wangsuphakijkosol attempted to conceal their wealth, the case could go to the…
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Thailand’s covid vaccine passport – will it only be used for travel?
Hi. Im Tim Newton. Just upfront saying that these are my personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect that of The Thaiger. So today the Thai Government now has officially announced vaccine passports. The documents are going to be the next big thing in the long and winding Covid road. Firstly, before some comments, the details that we actually know. This…
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Thailand to continue with Chinese vaccine after side-effects in small number of cases
Government-appointed medical experts say there are no plans to suspend use of the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine after adverse side-effects were reported in 7 recipients. 6 of them were medical staff in the eastern province of Rayong, who developed “stroke-like” symptoms after receiving the first dose of the CoronaVac jab from Sinovac Biotech. Side-effects included numbness in the limbs and drowsiness,…
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Thailand News Today | Vaccine passports announced, hospital-dodgers to be prosecuted | April 21
The president of the Thai Hotels Association says many properties are now considering shutting down for the entire low season as a result of the Covid-19 resurgence. They claim that smaller hotels simply don’t necessarily have the resources of the larger chains and are struggling with cash flow and crippled by low tourist demand. They say many are considering shutting…
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India sees record Covid-19 infections, oxygen shortages
India is experiencing record infections and deaths due to Covid-19 and is now running dangerously low on oxygen supplies. The countries second wave of the virus includes a dangerous virus variant that is spreading quickly and has infected 3.5 million people just this month. In the last 24 hours, 295,000 new infections occurred with just over 2,000 deaths. Prime minister…
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Human Rights Watch calls on Thailand to release activists detained on lèse majesté charges
The Human Rights Watch is calling on Thai authorities to release pro-democracy activists who are detained on lèse majesté charges which carry an up to 15 year prison sentence for insulting the Thai Monarchy. HRW says the charges should be dropped because the activists’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly have been violated. 2 of the detained activists, both…
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Phuket requires Covid-19 vaccination or 72-hour test
To help wrangle the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in Phuket, strict controls for everyone entering the island go into effect today until the end of April. The provincial communicable disease committee approved the measures in an effort to stop the proliferation of Covid-19 in the province. The new regulations state that only people who have received both doses of…
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Man accidentally shoots himself cleaning his gun
Medics and police responded to a call last night where a man in Samut Prakan accidentally shot himself with his own gun while cleaning it. The 42 year old man, Thammarat Kaewkomonman, was found unconscious but alive, lying on the floor of the building and was rushed to Samut Prakan Hospital. He has a bullet hole on the left side…
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CCSA Update: 1,458 new Covid-19 cases, provincial totals
1,458 new Covid-19 cases and 2 deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing, stabilising the recent upward spike of new infections since the outbreaks at nightlife venues in Bangkok. Since April 1, 17,780 Covid-19 cases and 16 deaths have been reported by the CCSA. The 2 additional Covid-related deaths today were a 56 year…
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Free media threatened by Covid-19-inspired laws
The International Commission of Jurists is warning that media and journalists in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam are seeing legal repression grow during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the group outlined the expanding threat. New laws that many claim violate human rights also serve to throttle the space…
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‘Entry Thailand’ website launched to facilitate process for international travellers
To facilitate the process for travellers entering Thailand, tourism officials have launched a website as a one-stop-shop to make arrangements to travel to Thailand including booking an alternative state quarantine hotel. As to who these travellers would be at this time, that hasn’t been made clear. The “Entry Thailand” website set up by the Tourism Authority of Thailand outlines 6…
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Debate continues in Thailand over new NGO law
With a new draft law to allow closer government scrutiny of NGO funding and activities, Thailand has been tightening its grip on non-governmental organisations operating within their borders. There’s much debate over whether these restrictions are an effort to limit foreign influence and act in the interest of national security, or an attempt to silence critics of Thailand’s government. Amnesty…
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Health officials advise on how to handle Covid-19 risk
Health authorities in Thailand are seeking a balance between testing at-risk people for Covid-19 and keeping the public calm in the face of a growing pandemic. While those who have been in contact or close proximity with Covid-infected patients need to be tested, many people are becoming hypochondriacs, fearing every symptom or ailment, from a simple cold to a headache,…
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Thai police to focus on busting house parties and other social gatherings
Police are now focusing on busting house parties and other social gatherings in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19. With large parties and nightclub hopping setting off a new wave of the coronavirus, with the epicentre in nightlife district in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area, the Royal Thai Police are now ordered to delay its crackdown drunk driving to…
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Thai hotels consider temporary shutdown amid low tourist demand
The president of the Thai Hotels Association says many properties are considering shutting down for the low season as a result of the Covid-19 resurgence. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi says smaller hotels that don’t necessarily have the resources of the large chain properties are struggling with cash flow and crippled by low tourist demand. Many are considering shutting up shop between…
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74 Covid patients who refused to go to field hospitals may face prosecution
Thailand’s Health Ministry says it may prosecute a number of Covid-19 patients who refused to be treated at field hospitals. It’s understood the 74 patients, most of whom are from so-called “hi so” families in Bangkok, told officials that a stay in a field hospital would be “inconvenient”. Instead, deputy public health minister Sathit Pitutecha says the patients decided to…
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Thailand launches Covid-19 vaccine passport for international travel
The Thai government has confirmed it is adopting a vaccine passport scheme, to provide vaccinated residents with proof of Covid-19 inoculation. The vaccine passport will be an official document which can be used by vaccinated people travelling abroad. Details of the scheme have now been published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The Bangkok Post reports that the Royal…
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7 people develop adverse side-effects after receiving Chinese vaccine
A doctor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University says 7 people developed temporary partial paralysis after receiving a Covid-19 jab. The 7 were all inoculated with CoronaVac, the vaccine from Chinese manufacturer, Sinovac Biotech. All were in the east of the country, with 6 in Rayong and 1 in Chon Buri. Dr Thiravat Hemachudha says all 7 improved after they were given…
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PM says safety was the reason behind limited vaccine procurement
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha says the limited procurement of Covid-19 vaccines was for safety reasons, as well as being based on the situation in the country at the time. “Initially, the purchases Thailand made were based on the situation at that time, when we were successful in containing the outbreak.” He was responding to criticism from several quarters about…
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Covid-19 infects 146 front line Thai medical workers
In the current third outbreak of Covid-19, 146 front line hospital and medical workers have been infected with the virus. This figure was confirmed by a spokesperson for the CCSA yesterday. Infected staff members have been isolated in mandatory quarantine since being diagnosed. Contact tracing research found that about 33 of the medical staff contracted Covid-19 by being in direct…
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Entertainment venues the source of 6,020 Covid-19 infections
As the Covid-19 third wave reaches in Thailand’s provinces, the main culprit in the spread of the infectious new strain is entertainment venues such as bars, clubs and pubs. With around 1,000 – 1,500 new daily infections over the past week, 71 provinces throughout the country have traced Covid-19 infections back to clusters in bars and nightclubs. The CCSA announced…
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Thailand aims to secure 5-10 million Pfizer vaccines
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced yesterday that Thailand is negotiating to buy 5 to 10 million Pfizer-BoiNTech Covid-19 vaccines. 61 million SinoVac and AstraZeneca vaccines are scheduled for delivery over the next 9 months, but with limited effectiveness against the B117 strain and the third wave of Covid-19 spreading around the country, Thailand is trying to supplement its supply, in quantity…
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223 Covid-19 patients currently in critical condition
Covid-19’s recent rapid spread, with more than 1000 new cases a day consistently, 223 infected patients are now in critical condition. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration points out that the number of dire cases is in line with the increase in cases, pointing out that as Coronavirus cases spread, we will see over time an increase in critical condition…
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Thailand goes shopping for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
Still waiting for your vaccine? You’re not alone with only around 0.9% of Thailand currently vaccinated. With the Public Health Ministry nailed to just two international vaccines at this stage – the Chinese Sinovac and the AstraZeneca vaccines – it has found itself running short as it tries to catch up to regional neighbours and the rest of the world.…
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More restrictions announced for Nonthaburi, Surat Thani and Ayutthaya
• Nonthaburi, directly to Bangkok’s north and west along the Chao Phraya River, has now had additional restrictions added to the provincial measures imposed over the weekend. The new measures are effective from today and will apply until further notice. Amulet trading venues and all public swimming pools, including including the community areas in housing estates and condo, must remain closed.…
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Covid UPDATE: 1,443 new infections, provincial totals
After a 20% drop in new infections reported yesterday by the CCSA, Thailand has today recorded 1,443 cases. 4 more deaths have also been recorded. 55 people are now on ventilators under state care. The government claims there are 10,000 ventilators available. 666,210 people in Thailand have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. Only 2 of…
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10 new infections in Nakhon Phanom province linked to entertainment venues
Thailand’s northeastern Nakhon Phanom province is reporting 10 new infections today, with most being traced back to entertainment venues. The new infections raise the Covid-19 case number in the “red-zoned” province to 43. And, more than 1,500 customers of those entertainment venues have been tested for the virus, with results expected this week. The customers were from an entertainment venue…
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Those flying into Phuket face Covid tests from tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, those who fly into Phuket International Airport will face a Covid-19 “Antigen Rapid Test” unless they have proof of being fully vaccinated or a previously negative Covid test within 72 hours of arriving. The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee announced the new rule last night, and will go through April 30. The measure also includes those coming from red…
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Almost 100,000 Sinovac doses delivered to Phuket for second round of jabs
Phuket is receiving almost 100,000 Covid-19 Sinovac doses to administer second vaccine rounds to those who received their first jabs earlier this month. 99,480 doses were delivered yesterday at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town. 30,000 doses will be delivered to Thalang Hospital, 20,000 to Patong Hospital and 10,000 to Chalong Hospital. Vachira hospital’s director posted last night detailing the vaccines’…
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