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Thais can register for the first round of Covid-19 vaccines this month
Thai residents can register for the first round Covid-19 vaccination at the end of this month, but no exact date has been released, according to the Department of Disease Control. Frontline healthcare workers as well as those who are in any of the 5 high risk provinces and considered the “most vulnerable” are first priority. The 5 provinces at high…
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Schools and lottery market in Loei close after family tests positive for Covid-19
Schools and a lottery market in the Northeastern province Loei were ordered to close after a family tested positive for Covid-19. The province is marked as a “yellow zone” under high surveillance with a total of 6 reported Covid-19 infections. Schools will be temporarily closed from today until 24 January, while the lottery market will be closed from today onwards.…
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As Covid-19 spreads, more hotels in Phuket close
Phuket tourism and hospitality business are hit again by the current Covid-19 outbreak with more hotels closing down. Many hotels are starting to close again due to a significant number of bookings cancellations. Most of them can’t handle the costs to stay open and some are expected to permanently shut down. Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks.com says that the latest outbreak is…
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Questions raised about when Covid-19 vaccine will be available to expats
Expats in Thailand might be in somewhat of a grey area when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines with Thai citizens likely to be the first priority during the rollout of vaccines. For Americans, the US Embassy in Bangkok says the US government does not plan to provide vaccines for “private” Americans living overseas. A representative from Thailand’s Disease Control Department…
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Man arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death at Pattaya Beach
A man was arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death on Pattaya Beach. More than a dozen people at the beach yesterday morning saw a man stab a woman multiple times with a pocket knife, according to Pattaya City Police. Witnesses told police the man and woman had a verbal argument before the altercation became physical. The witnesses gave…
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Thousands of people evacuated due to flood in deep south Thailand
Thousands of residents in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, in lower south of Thailand, evacuated their homes due to flash flooding from nearly a week of continuous heavy rain. Local authorities say a total of 18,024 households across 19 districts in the 3 provinces were affected. In Yala, the continuous heavy rain throughout the week caused the Sai Buri River to…
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Royal Thai Army’s Children’s Day activities go online due to Covid-19
Due to the new outbreak of Covid-19, the armed forces is suspending the upcoming national Children’s Day events to be held at Royal Thai Army units across the country tomorrow and will go online instead. All regular activities will broadcast on social media and online platforms including Facebook Live and YouTube, while additional interactive quizzes and prizes for children are…
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Boeing fined $2.5 billion USD following charges linked to 737 Max crashes
Boeing is facing a US$2.5 billion fine following criminal charges pressed by the US Justice Department for defrauding regulators. The department says Boeing concealed information about the 737 Max jet’s automated flight control system, MCAS, that was a major factor in the passenger flight crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. In October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed…
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CCSA spokesman apologises for jail threat over non-use of Mor Chana app
Yet another misunderstanding… The spokesman for the government’s Covid-19 task force has apologised for threatening those who don’t install the Mor Chana app with jail time. Taweesin Visanuyothin, from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has clarified on his personal Facebook page that the risk of imprisonment only applies to those in the 28 provinces currently colour-coded red for “high…
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Up to 20,000 baht fine for not wearing a mask in Phuket
Wear a mask or pay a hefty fine… and possibly even go to jail. Phuket governor Narong Woonciew issued an immediate order requiring people in the island province to wear a face mask while in public to control the spread of Covid-19. Those who violate the order could face a 20,000 baht fine. Those who breach the order can also…
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Chiang Mai records 4 new Covid cases linked to same venue
The northern city of Chiang Mai has confirmed 4 new cases of coronavirus, all of which are linked to the Warm Up café in the Muang district. The province of Chiang Mai now has 11 active cases and has recorded 57 cases in total, according to deputy governor, Weerapan Dee-on. “The 54th patient in Chiang Mai is a Thai man…
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Leaders of German Embassy rally meet with police, prosecutors
13 political activists who led thousands of protesters to the German Embassy in Bangkok last October have met with police and prosecutors in the capital. They face charges of violating section 112 of the Criminal Code for the October 26 rally at the embassy. The aim of the gathering was to submit a petition calling on the German government to…
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Thai Air Asia says new Covid outbreak has destroyed business
The executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai Air Asia, says the Covid-19 resurgence has “destroyed the low-cost carrier”. Tassapon Bijleveld says that, even without a national lockdown, bookings have plummeted. “Travel sentiment has plunged lower than last year. This is different this time because people are voluntarily skipping their travel plans even without a nationwide lockdown…
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US Cabinet reportedly considers invoking 25th Amendment to force Trump out of office
The United States Cabinet members are reportedly discussing whether to invoke the 25th Amendment to force President Donald Trump out of office after a mob of protesters breached the US Capitol Building. It would be the first time in US history that a president was removed from office for a non-health related issue. Trump spread conspiracy theories after his loss,…
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Thai Airways delays take off in 2021 | VIDEO
Due to the current outbreak of Covid-19, Thai Airways, Thailand’s flagship airline, is reducing its international flight schedule until at least March 27. A limited schedule of domestic flights are still operating as normal under the airline’s domestic carrier Thai Smile. Thai Airways will reduce international flights to the following destinations: Asia •Hong Kong: One daily return flight – TG638/TG639…
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Thailand News Today | 305 infections, No happy ending for massages, Phuket quarantine mooted | Jan 7
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says his recent claim that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok was all a misunderstanding. The nation’s favourite watch collector was forced to backtrack after the public scoffed at his claims. The Minister of Misunderstandings said… “I didn’t mean that gambling dens do not exist. We all know that there are gambling dens, but…
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Bangkok Airways delays new flights, changes flight schedule due to Covid-19 outbreak
Due to the ongoing spread of Covid-19, Bangkok Airways has made changes to its flight schedule over the next 2 months and has delayed the introduction (or the re-introduction) of new flight routes. All passenger lounges are also closed until the end of the month. Changes set from now until the end of February include flight reductions and route suspensions……
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“Red zone” restrictions tighten, legal action for concealing travel information
People who travel from any of the 28 “red zone” provinces and conceal their travel timeline can face up to 2 years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht, according to yesterday’s announcement in the Royal Gazette. The tightened measures are aimed to slow people’s travel from the affected area to other parts of the country and to prevent…
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Toll booths in Samut Prakan shut down after supervisor tests positive
Toll booths in Samut Prakan are temporarily shut down after a supervisor tested positive for Covid-19. The entrances and exits to the Theparak 4 toll booths Kanchanapisek Bang Phli-Suksawat Expressway, just south of Bangkok, are closed off for cleaning and disinfection for the next day or so, according to the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT. Toll booth employees who…
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Struggling massage parlours petition government for financial assistance
Representatives of Thailand’s spa and massage parlour industry are pleading with the government to provide some form of tailored financial aid to offset the impact of Covid-19. Yesterday, the Charawi Association for the Conservation of Thai Massage submitted a letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who also chairs the government’s Covid-19 task force. In it, they call on his administration to…
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Phuket government plans to require quarantine for “red zone” arrivals
People travelling to Phuket from a province classified as a “red zone” for a high risk of Covid-19 will face a 14 day quarantine, either at a facility or at a resident’s home, according to Phuket governor Narong Woonciew. A provincial order has not been issued yet and people can still enter Phuket without a required quarantine. Travellers coming from…
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Thai PM promises free Covid vaccine for half the population in initial rollout
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has repeated his pledge to vaccinate half the population for free in 2021. Thailand will take delivery of its first supply of China’s Covid-19 vaccine by the end of next month, with an initial 200,000 doses of the Sinovac jab reserved. First in line will be healthcare workers and elderly people considered high risk. Following the initial…
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Deputy PM Prawit backtracks after denying existence of Bangkok gambling dens
Whoops. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says his recent claim that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok was all a misunderstanding. The nation’s favourite watch collector and Minister of Misunderstanding was forced to backtrack after the public scoffed and mocked his claims. “I didn’t mean that gambling dens do not exist. We all know that there are gambling dens,…
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U-Tapao airport halts commercial flights due to Covid-19 outbreak
Commercial flights in and out of U-Tapao International Airport are suspended for the rest of the month due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Rayong and Chon Buri, which are classified as “red zone” provinces under maximum control. The domestic flights, which include flights to the popular destinations Phuket and Chiang Mai, could be suspended longer if the coronavirus situation in…
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Violent pro-Trump mob invades US Capitol building during debate
A violent insurgent mob, loyal to US President Trump, stormed the US Capitol building late Wednesday, Washington DC time, forcing House and Senate members to scramble into safe spaces within secret locations in the building. It was an astonishing bit to overturn America’s presidential election and circumventing the US democratic process. Elected representatives crouched under desks, even putting on supplied…
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UPDATE: Mor Chana App – mobile app to track Covid situation
The CCSA is calling on people, particularly those in 5 provinces with high risk and strict control measures, to download Mor Chana (download links below), a new mobile app to help identify individuals who have been exposed to infected patients using GPS and Bluetooth technology to track their location. People travelling from the 28 Red Zone areas will likely be…
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Pro-Trump rioters storm the US Capitol building, stopping the count of Electoral College votes
The heart of United States democracy, the US Capitol Building, was stormed by a mob of unruly pro-Trump protesters. Inside, the House of Representatives and the Senate were in the early stages of an unprecedented debate to certify the Electoral College votes that named Joe Biden as the winner of the Presidential vote held on November 3, 2020. The protesters…
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Thailand News Today | 10,000 schools closed, 900 new migrant infections, Gambling crackdown | January 6
• The nationwide Emergency Decree has been extended until the end of February. The decree gives the Thai government the ability to set policies and procedures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 such as restricting travel and setting up road checkpoints. The emergency decree was first declared in April last year and has been extended, month by month, ever since.…
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Thai Airways cuts down international flight schedule
Due to the ongoing spread of Covid-19, Thai Airways is reducing its international flight schedule from now until March 27. Domestic flights will still operate as normal under the airline’s sister carrier Thai Smile. Thai Airways will reduce international flights to the following destinations: Asia Hong Kong: One daily return flight – TG638/TG639 Manila: One weekly return flight – TG624/TG625…
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Chiang Mai ranks 5th on travel site’s list of best places for digital nomads
Chiang Mai, a city which some say is a “rite of passage” for digital nomads, is a top location in the world to work remotely, according to the global travel site Big 7 Travel. In the list of “50 Best Places for Remote Working in 2021,” Chiang Mai ranked 5th out of 50 places. The site says the city has…
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