Month: March 2020
- Covid-19 News
Bye bye Bangkok, 1000s of workers head home
The Thai PM was asked over the weekend if there would be additional measures to tackle the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. He replied “We’re working on it.” Bangkok’s lockdown-you-have-when-you’re-not-having-a-lockdown, is pushing 1,000s of casual and migrant workers out of the city ‘up country’ as Bangkok shutters many of its businesses. Many are heading home to Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
The Thaiger, punching on in tough times
The Thaiger is a small, dedicated team who have been working overtime to keep up the flow of accurate (as best we can) information over the past two and a half months as the coronavirus story has evolved. But we’re a small business, like many others, and have a lot of pressures on us to keep punching on whilst so…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Officials concerned about people heading ‘up country’ after being put off work
Bangkok’s next door provinces are imposing increased preventative measures to deal with Thailand’s current surge of Covid-19 cases by closing a range of retail business, starting today. The closures are set to add a wave of newly-unemployed who may decide to head home for the annual Songkran early, and that’s a problem. The provinces that have followed the lead from…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Chiang Rai reports first coronavirus cases
The Thai Health Department reported 89 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, two of which are in Chiang Rai Province. (188 new cases were reported today, Sunday, bringing Thailand’s total to 599.) Both Chiang Rai patients are being treated in hospital and have provided medical authorities with lists of those they have been in contact with. Chiang Rai health officials have…
Read More » - Crime News
All time high – Thai drug smuggling in Thailand
2019 was Thailand’s worst year to date for smuggling of MDMA, commonly known as “ecstasy,” mainly from Germany, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Slovenia. Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) says that since October, many seizures were of ecstasy pills originating from drug syndicates in the Netherlands, indicating attempts to broaden markets in Thailand. The drug gangs are now attempting…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Sa Kaeo closes 19 Cambodian border checkpoints – Covid-19
Despite denials only days ago, all 19 checkpoints in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo, two permanent and 17 temporary, along the border with Cambodia will be temporarily closed in a bid to stem the spread of the Covid-19 coronivirus. Thai health officials announced a new total of 599 cases. Read that story HERE. The order, dated yesterday, signed by…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand announces 188 new covid-19 coronavirus cases (Sunday)
Thailand’s daily press briefing with the Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Disease Control confirmed 188 new cases of the Covid-19 Coronavirus this morning. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 599 since the first cases were detected in the Kingdom in January. Of those cases, 42 have fully recovered, while 557 remain…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
13 cases in Phuket, official
13 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus have now been confirmed in the southern Thai island of Phuket. 6 new cases have been announced in the past 24 hours. On Friday the Phuket Governor admitted to five cases on the island – 2 Chinese visitors in early February and 3 current cases involving a Danish family. 188 new cases have been announced…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Hot days for the North, possible thundershowers in the South
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says today that a low pressure system covers upper Thailand and will make for hot, dry days in the north of Thailand. Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket five day forecasts below. “A westerly trough covers the upper Northeast, while southerly and southeasterly winds blow humidity from the South China Sea into the Northeast, the East, the Central…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid-19 UPDATE: World cases exceed 300,000, Italian hospitals overwhelmed
In the past week, the number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases has nearly doubled. Same with the number of deaths. This morning (10am Thai time) more than 308,000 people are now infected with the novel coronavirus worldwide, and that’s only the people who have been tested and identified. The most worrying rises have been in the US, Spain, Italy, Germany and…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Soldiers injured in Narathiwat bomb attack
A bomb attack in the southern province of Narathiwat has injured two army rangers. Narathiwat along with neighbouring provinces Pattani and Yala, and also known as the three Southern Border Provinces, are home to Thailand’s Southern Insurgency. The attack occured on Friday night. Eight rangers were returning to their base when the roadside bomb went off. They had been helping…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
More airline cancellations as options dry up for stranded visitors
It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly in an out of Thailand, posing more challenges for stranded foreign visitors and tourists. Last week the Thai government estimated there were some 500,000 overseas visitors currently in Thailand. Some of the latest cancellations from local carriers… • Budget airline VietJet suspended its flights to major Southeast Asian destinations, out of Vietnam, including…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Bangkok’s five surrounding provinces also enforce closures, supermarkets stay open
Five provinces neighbouring the Thai capital are now following suit and ordering the temporary closure of some shops and stores from today up to April 12. The five provinces are Samut Prakarn, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Pathumthani. The efforts are designed to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in and around Greater Bangkok. Yesterday 89 new cases…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Your democracy is killing you and how China suppressed Covid-19
OPINION On January 25, 2020 the Chinese government started locking down around 930 million citizens over the following few weeks, starting with the city centres of Hubei province, the probable ground zero of the outbreak, and spreading outwards. Most of these Chinese citizens are still quarantined in their homes. About two weeks later, in the second week of February, the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Bangkok closures – the details and the panic buying
After today’s announcement from the BMA that the closures around the city would be ramped up, supermarkets started filling up as the shelves started becoming increasingly empty. The additions to the closure list is the latest efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 around the Thai capital. Bangkokians have started to stock up on essential goods after the Bangkok Metropolitan…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Bangkok closes shopping centres and markets from tomorrow
It’s the lockdown you have when you haven’t really declared a full lockdown. Today’s announcement from the Bangkok government is a step close to a virtual close-down of most Bangkok retail. Today’s order closes all department stores and markets in the capital for three weeks. The measures are the latest attempts to stem the rise in cases of Covid-19 around…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Man arrested for deliberately trying to contaminate Bangkok lift – VIDEO
A 32 year old Thai man in Bangkok has been arrested after being captured on CCTV camera deliberately contaminating an elevator with his saliva and sweat. Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) staff told reporters the incident was captured on CCTV at 5:23am Friday. Footage shows the man, with a shaved head and wearing a singlet and shorts, touching his tongue,…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand closes many of its land borders
Interior Ministry, Anupong Paojinda, has given governors full authority to close all border provinces, but must leave one international checkpoint active for special circumstances. The move is the latest in Thailand’s attempts to block any arrivals to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, which has spiked sharply with new cases this past week. “The only exception will be Chiang Rai as it…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
WHO praises Thailand’s coronavirus measures
Do not adjust your monitor, that’s what actually happened yesterday in Bangkok. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised Thailand’s efforts to stem the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak sweeping the world, and for being the first country outside of China to identify and report the virus. The WHO’s Dr Daniel Kertesz made the comments while meeting with Public…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand confirms 89 new Covid-19 cases, 411 total
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and its Department of Disease Control has confirmed 89 new cases of the Covid19 coronavirus this morning. The total of cases in Thailand now stands at 411 since the virus first struck Thailand in January. 51 cases of the new cases are linked to previous clusters… Lumphini Boxing Gym cluster – 32 Bangkok night club…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid-19 UPDATE: 89 new cases in Thailand, Italian attempts fail to control escalation in cases
Despite four weeks of ‘lockdown’ including closing borders, cancelling flights, closing schools, limiting domestic travel and closing public places, Italy’s level of new cases, and deaths, continues to rise at an alarming level. The best efforts of Italian health officials has failed to contain the spread of the disease, particularly in the north of the country. The death toll from…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Despite closures elsewhere, Chiang Rai’s border crossings to remain open for trade
“I stress that people need to cooperate with instructions from the government to reduce transmission. Please do not gather or go to other provinces.” Although the Interior Ministry has ordered most border provinces to leave only one checkpoint open as the country tries to block arrivals to contain the coronavirus outbreak, an exception has been made for Chiang Rai, which…
Read More » - Crime News
Former Thai minister sentenced for forgery, faces murder, kidnapping charges
A former deputy commerce minister, police colonel and Member of Parliament has been sentenced to eight years in prison for forgery. The Bangkok South Criminal Court yesterday sentenced Banyin Tangpakorn for forging documents to transfer 263 million baht worth of shares to himself through two associates. The ruling concludes the case believed to be behind Banyin’s alleged decision to kidnap…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Chinese tourist packing their bags to come back to Thailand
Some groups of Chinese say they’re ready to pack their bags and start travelling again. And, astonishingly, Thai tourism officials say they they’re preparing for a return of Chinese tourists! Chinese tourists groups say they expect to resume their travels in April as the novel coronavirus (Covid19) infections start to subside in China. Thai tourism officials say they are aiming…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai government “in discussions” over stranded foreigners
Thailand’s government will hold “discussions about what to do” regarding about an estimated 500,000 tourists stranded in the country by the Covid-19 coronavirus situation, and who may be facing overstaying if a reasonable solution cannot be found quickly. With many countries sealing their borders, or preparing to, options for tourists to go home or make a visa run, even retirement…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
25 Covid-19 cases awaiting test results in Phuket, 5 cases confirmed yesterday
At a tetchy meeting of the Provincial Communicable Diseases Committee in Phuket Town yesterday, Phuket’s Govenor Phakaphong Tavipatana finally admitted to five cases of Covid-19 on the holiday island, three of them still active. After weeks of obfuscation and denying active cases of the coronavirus in Phuket, the Governor finally came clean after repeated questions from a frustrated Phuket press…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Grab Food launches ‘contactless delivery’
Today, GrabFood has introduced the “contactless delivery” to ensure the hygiene and health of customers during the Covid-19 crisis. Tarin Thaniyavarn of Grab Thailand says, “Grab has been closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation and is prepared to execute any necessary measures to promote safety standards for everyone involved.” GrabFood and its restaurant providers have also reevaluated safety guidelines… Drivers will…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today – Friday, March 20, 2020
Thailand confirms 50 new Covid-19 cases, including infant Thailand today confirmed 50 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, bringing the total to 322 since the virus first arrived in the Kingdom in January. 278 patients remain hospitalised, 43 have returned home. The 50 new patients include… • 18 who visited the Lumphini Stadium in Bangkok, including spectators, boxing officials and…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Phuket immigration offers 30 day extensions for stranded foreigners
“Please, any foreigners coming to the Immigration office must wear face masks. If they don’t have one, they will have to go get one first, then we can talk.” On Wednesday the Sorts and Tourism Minister said that he’d been discussing the problem of overstaying tourists and visitors, due to a lack of flights or border closures in their home…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Culture clash over foreigners’ refusal to wear face masks
With the rapid rise of Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Thailand, more than tripling in the space of a week, a culture clash previously seen in China, is rearing its head in the Land of Smiles. While Thais, even in areas with no infections, consider face masks obligatory and a sign of concern for the welfare of others, many visitors and…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
7 imprisoned for selling over-priced face masks
Yesterday, at the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road, the prosecutor of the Economic and Resource ‘Litigation 2’ filed 7 lawsuits with the court for selling masks at an unreasonably high price. The 7 defendants were caught during a government crackdown on overpriced protective gear following the out break of the Coronavirus. The defendants’ testimony has been examined and all the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Day and night – Bangkok deep cleaning phase
Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakonthi Pattiyakul, posted on his Facebook, revealing that Bangkok is in its “deep cleaning phase” and all 50 districts will be affected. Focusing on the ground and public seating, authorities will first use disinfectant sprays to spray down everything then use a wipe with at least 70% alcohol to minimise any potential Covid-19 threats. This will continue…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Government House sanitised, coronavirus impact to last “at least a year”
“Thailand’s population will face the impact of the coronavirus for at least a year, it is the time to unite, not pointing fingers and we will go through it together.” The Government House compound in Bangkok has been ‘sanitised’ after a security officer for Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus. Uttama himself has been in self-isolation…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand confirms 50 new Covid-19 cases, including infant
Thailand today confirmed 50 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, bringing the total to 322 since the virus first arrived in the Kingdom in January. Suwannachai Watthaningcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, made the announcement at today’s press briefing by the Ministry of Public Health. 278 patients remain hospitalised, 43 have returned home, and there has been one…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Army disinfects Bangkok’s Lumphini Boxing Stadium
Bangkok’s legendary Lumphini Boxing Stadium, which became a local epicentre of many infections of the Covid-19 coronavirus, was sprayed down with disinfectants early this morning. Soldiers from the army’s Chemical Department began spraying overnight at the city’s Central Ramindra Department Store and finished at Lad Pla Khao intersection, focusing on handrails, stairs and bus stops, and any public areas which…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Returning Thais face being turned away if they can’t show “fit-to-fly” health certificate
As calls mount for the government to place Thailand under lockdown, many Thais abroad, trying to return home, face being locked out if they cannot show a health certificate, which can be difficult to get in many countries. Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) announced yesterday that travellers from 11 more countries would be required to present health certificates and proof…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Hot and stormy in the North, cloudy with possible showers in the South
The Thailand Meteorological Department announced today that a “thermal low still covers upper Thailand and southerly and southeasterly winds are bringing humidity from the South China Sea to the Northeast, the East and the Central region”. Chiang Mai is forecasting another scorcher today with temperatures reaching 39 degrees. The region’s smoke and smog problem is also ‘hazardous’ today with readings…
Read More »
