Year: 2020

  • Thailand NewsInternational postal services resume to some countries

    International postal services resume to some countries

    Thailand’s postal service is resuming international deliveries to a variety of destinations as the Covid-19 situation in many countries has improved and many local and national governments have eased lockdown measures. Thailand Post announced the resumption of the service on its Facebook page yesterday. EMS World service will be available in 11 countries – Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea,…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 update: 3 new cases including German man, no deaths (May 21)

    Covid-19 update: 3 new cases including German man, no deaths (May 21)

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced this morning that 3 new Covid-19 cases were found over the previous 24 hour period, but no deaths, bringing the national total to 3,037 and leaving the death toll at 56. The new cases were found in Bangkok and Chon Buri – 2 in community areas while 1, a returnee from the Philippines,…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsOfficials fix online class glitches, schools may wait on opening

    Officials fix online class glitches, schools may wait on opening

    Schools are set to open July 1, but it could change if it seems too risky to have students, teachers and parents crowding schools so soon after the country was in the middle of its Covid-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, the government is working on getting kids set up with virtual classrooms after glitches in the system and many without access to…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsGlobal coronavirus infections top 5 million

    Global coronavirus infections top 5 million

    “We still have a long way to go in this pandemic. In the last 24 hours, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO, the most in a single day since the outbreak began.” The Covid-19 coronavirus has infected more than 5 million people worldwide since the beginning of the outbreak, as the World Health Organisation yesterday reported highest number…

    Read More »
  • World NewsDeath sentence handed down via video call in Singapore

    Death sentence handed down via video call in Singapore

    A prisoner in Singapore has been sentenced to death via a Zoom video call, the first time the city state has delivered capital punishment remotely. Thai PBS World reports that 37 year old Malaysian citizen Punithan Genasan was handed the death penalty as punishment for a 2011 heroin smuggling operation. Like Thailand, Singapore operates a zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking…

    Read More »
  • Economy NewsThai Airways union says it won’t oppose bankruptcy proceedings

    Thai Airways union says it won’t oppose bankruptcy proceedings

    “We opposed this position before but after reexamination, we have to show creditors that Thai Airways will genuinely follow the restructuring plan. Including adjustments to the board and staff.” In an abrupt reversal, the president of Thai Airways’ labour union announced yesterday that the union won’t oppose the government’s plan to reduce holdings in the airline and restructure the carrier…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsState of emergency likely to remain through June

    State of emergency likely to remain through June

    Despite the reopening of many businesses and a loosening of the national curfew, Thailand’s national state of emergency appears set to remain in effect for at least another month, as authorities are “still not confident” about the nation’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, according to a military source. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha met yesterday with military top brass to address the…

    Read More »
  • Central Thailand NewsMan smashes coffee cup on policeman’s head after being told to wear a mask

    Man smashes coffee cup on policeman’s head after being told to wear a mask

    A man has smashed a ceramic cup on a police officer’s head after he was told to wear a face mask yesterday in a province outside Bangkok. The officer, Thai media reports as 41 year old ‘Saroch’, was doing a routine check for coronavirus prevention, making sure vendors and business owners are abiding by emergency regulations. The Bang Nang Buat…

    Read More »
  • Economy NewsThai car production hits 30 year low

    Thai car production hits 30 year low

    As late as last year, the automotive industry in Thailand was the largest in Southeast Asia and the twelfth largest in the world, with an annual output of around 2 million vehicles. But in April this year, Thailand’s car production hit its lowest level in 30 years – just 24,711 units – amid weak global demand, factory shutdowns and widespread…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsBars, nightlife venues may reopen early to mid-June if virus remains in check

    Bars, nightlife venues may reopen early to mid-June if virus remains in check

    Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is mulling the possibility of bars and other entertainment venues being allowed to reopen on or before the current proposed date of June 15. This is when the country is scheduled to enter Phase Four of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. According to a report in The Pattaya News, the CCSA says any decision…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsPattaya massage shops petition government to be allowed to reopen

    Pattaya massage shops petition government to be allowed to reopen

    Massage shops in Pattaya are appealing for permission to reopen as the city has not recorded a new case of the Covid-19 virus for 36 days now. Their plea comes as the government considers the possibility of allowing lower body massage only, to lessen the risk of virus transmission. However, the Thai Massage Association says it would be impossible for…

    Read More »
  • Crime NewsMan steals one million baht to pay off gambling debts

    Man steals one million baht to pay off gambling debts

    What would you do if you were broke and owed 800,000 baht in gambling debts? Rob a bank? Seems like the start of a movie, but that’s basically what happened earlier this week in Northern Thailand. On Monday, 2 men robbed a car at gunpoint in front of Bangkok Bank Branch in Chiang Saen and sped off on their motorbike, Thai media…

    Read More »
  • Northern Thailand NewsOne of the robbers in Chiang Rai arrested – VIDEO

    One of the robbers in Chiang Rai arrested – VIDEO

    UPDATE: Police have arrested a suspect from Monday’s robbery that took place in Chiang Saen district in Chiang Rai, when a pair of robbers stole 1.05 million baht outside a Krungthai Bank. 2 men on a motorbike managed to escape and a manhunt was ordered. Read more HERE. When officials arrived at the crime scene they found 46 year old…

    Read More »
  • Thailand Weather UpdatesCyclone Amphan: Crossed the coast and now saturating India and Bangladesh

    Cyclone Amphan: Crossed the coast and now saturating India and Bangladesh

    Cyclone Amphan made reached the coastline late yesterday afternoon near the Indian town of Digha, on India’s eastern coast, near the border with Bangladesh. As the storm marched up the Bay of Bengal since the weekend, strengthening, thousands of people were evacuated as a precaution for the major storm system. Millions of other have taken shelter or made their way…

    Read More »
  • Việt NamCập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T4 20/5): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới, bệnh nhân phi công Anh tiến triển

    Cập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T4 20/5): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới, bệnh nhân phi công Anh tiến triển

    18h ngày 20/5, Bộ Y tế không ghi nhận thêm ca nhiễm nCoV mới. Tổng số ca nhiễm COVID-19 toàn quốc là 324 người, trong số đó, 264 người đã khỏi bệnh, 60 người đang tiếp tục điều trị. Như vậy, tính đến hết ngày 20/5, Việt Nam ghi nhận: Tổng số ca nhiễm: 324 Số ca khỏi bệnh: 264…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Wednesday, May 20

    Thailand News Today – Wednesday, May 20

    Start off today with a sign of one of the new normals, at the Seacon Mall near Bang Na in Bangkok. Here you can see that they’ve installed foot switches for the elevator system. First to call the elevator and then, once you’re inside, to select the floor and close the doors. Luckily in the case of this elevator there…

    Read More »
  • FoodPattaya police chief battles Thailand’s Iron Chef in cook-off for the needy – VIDEO

    Pattaya police chief battles Thailand’s Iron Chef in cook-off for the needy – VIDEO

    Police in Pattaya are doing more than continue their project to cook food for the needy and unemployed: yesterday they had an upbeat cook-off between the police chief and a famous Thai TV chef. The project is designed for locals who are unemployed or furloughed due to the current Covid-19 crisis. Read more about that HERE. The Pattaya City police…

    Read More »
  • South Thailand NewsLast Covid-19 patient in Songklanagarind hospital sent home

    Last Covid-19 patient in Songklanagarind hospital sent home

    A hospital on the front lines fighting Covid-19 in the Hat Yai district of the southern province of Songkhla has released its last remaining Covid-19 patient. The patient was sent home yesterday, after making a full recovery. According to the staff at Songklanagarind Hospital, the patient fell critically ill in his home province of Narathiwat and had to be transferred…

    Read More »
  • Economy NewsMore trouble for ailing Thai Airways as Airbus calls in its debts

    More trouble for ailing Thai Airways as Airbus calls in its debts

    Even as struggling national flag carrier Thai Airways strives to come up with blueprint for financial recovery, Airbus is calling in its debts on 30 aircraft rented by the airline. Thailand’s deputy transport minister says the company’s debts were checked on May 15, when documents showed that Airbus is trying to collect debts for rental of 30 airplanes as the…

    Read More »
  • Crime News18 year old daughter allegedly raped multiple times by father

    18 year old daughter allegedly raped multiple times by father

    Thai media report that an 18 year old girl was raped multiple times over 8 years by her own father. The victim, identified only as “Mali,” filed a complaint with police in the northern province of Lamphun, just south of Chiang Mai, alleging that her 38 year old father ‘O’ had been raping her since she was 11 years old.…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 News‘New normal’ seen in shopping malls across Bangkok

    ‘New normal’ seen in shopping malls across Bangkok

    Part of the ‘new normal’, in times of Covid-19 in Thailand, involves redesigning traditional ways of doing things and changing daily life to stay safe and virus free. Today The Standard has revealed a few things that you might see in the near future. To minimise the risk of the spread of Covid-19 in elevators, engineers have created a new,…

    Read More »
  • Northern Thailand News5 dead in high speed Surin crash

    5 dead in high speed Surin crash

    5 are dead after a pickup truck traveling at high speed crashed into a Mitsubishi Pajero in Issan’s Surin province yesterday. The incident happened on Surin-Prasat Road near the Sab-anan rice mill in the province’s Chaneang district. The pickup’s driver, who was one of those killed in the accident, is believed to have lost control of the vehicle on the…

    Read More »
  • Crime NewsChon Buri pedestrian dies in hit-and-run incident

    Chon Buri pedestrian dies in hit-and-run incident

    A hit-and-run incident early this morning has left an unidentified male pedestrian, believed to be Thai, dead in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district. Police were notified of the incident at around 12:30am Authorities, emergency responders and The Pattaya News rushed to the scene to find the body of a man, believed to be Thai, estimated to be 35 -40 years old,…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok NewsTemple closes to mark decade since redshirt crackdown

    Temple closes to mark decade since redshirt crackdown

    A Bangkok temple, where 6 people were shot and killed by the military during the 2010 “redshirt” political protests, has closed during the tragic event’s 10 year anniversary. A sign was put in front of Wat Pathum Wanaram saying it was closed for “disinfection,” according to Khaosod. But many see the significance of the closure relating to the events a…

    Read More »
  • Crime NewsSecurity guard stabbed to death in Samut Prakan

    Security guard stabbed to death in Samut Prakan

    A female motorbike taxi driver has allegedly stabbed a security guard to death after a quarrel at a parking building in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok. Police heard about the fatal stabbing of 37 year old Sathaporn Thong-In at 10am. The victim was found lying in a pool of blood and had a stab wound on the left side…

    Read More »
  • Central Thailand NewsMan’s death raises alarm about homeless during the pandemic

    Man’s death raises alarm about homeless during the pandemic

    A homeless man died recently of pneumonia, raising the alarm of Thailand’s homelessness problem during the pandemic. A few days before he died the man, who has not been identified, went to a community pantry in Suphan Buri, just outside Bangkok, and took home just one carton of milk, according to Nation Thailand. He then developed a fever last week, testing…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsThai massage shops may reopen soon, from the waist down only

    Thai massage shops may reopen soon, from the waist down only

    The Thai Government is debating whether to allow massage shops to reopen soon, provided treatment is limited to the lower body. Coconuts reports that the director of the Health Service Support department, Thares Karassanairawiwong, says upper body massage, including the back, shoulders and neck, will not be permitted for now as it may involve a higher risk of Covid-19 infection.…

    Read More »
  • EducationCriticism over bad English lesson in Thai online class

    Criticism over bad English lesson in Thai online class

    Thai schools are pushing for online learning to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but a recent English lesson posted online is just proof that basic English levels remain poor in the country. The video of a Thai teacher with poor pronunciation spread across the internet, with some saying she should be a student rather than a teacher. The teacher…

    Read More »
  • World NewsThailand scores highest for mask-wearing in survey of ASEAN nations

    Thailand scores highest for mask-wearing in survey of ASEAN nations

    A survey carried out by internet-based market research firm YouGov reveals that Thais are the most likely to wear face masks and to use hand sanitiser. Khaosod English reports that the survey examined the habits of citizens from 6 ASEAN member-states and found that 95% of Thais always wear a face mask in public. (It’s currently still law to wear…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsThai virus expert says careful consideration needed before reopening schools

    Thai virus expert says careful consideration needed before reopening schools

    Thailand’s chief virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan, from the Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, says reopening the country’s schools should not be a political decision. Instead, he says it should be based on science, with consideration given to the risks involved, and adequate safety measures put in place. Thai PBS World reports that Dr Yong says that while most…

    Read More »
  • World News12 Rohingya arrested for illegal entry in Tak province

    12 Rohingya arrested for illegal entry in Tak province

    Police in the western Thai province of Tak, near the Burmese border, say 12 Rohingya were arrested in the Mae Sot district and charged with illegal entry. The Rohingya are an ethnic group in Myanmar. Most live in Rakhine State on Myanmar’s western coast. Myanmar is a majority Buddhist state, but the Rohingya are primarily Muslim, though a small number…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsThai Airways’ credit rating downgraded

    Thai Airways’ credit rating downgraded

    The credit rating for Thai Airways will be downgraded before bankruptcy restructuring takes place. Tris Rating (Thai Rating and Information Services) has downgraded the company rating for Thai Airways and its rating for Thai Airway’s senior unsecured debentures from “BBB” to “C” while maintaining a negative Credit Alert. Following the government’s resolution yesterday it seems that the national carrier has…

    Read More »
  • Business NewsKrispy Kreme employee allegedly fired after post about former Thai King

    Krispy Kreme employee allegedly fired after post about former Thai King

    A man was fired from a Krispy Kreme Doughnut Thailand store after making disparaging remarks about a former Thai king. Now some people are boycotting the doughnut business for their actions. But Krispy Kreme executives deny the allegations. ‘Chaiyaporn Sornbudnak’ made a post on Facebook about King Rama IX, who died in 2016. News sites can’t even publish the man’s Facebook…

    Read More »
  • Crime NewsEx high ranking Buddhist officials convicted of embezzling millions

    Ex high ranking Buddhist officials convicted of embezzling millions

    5 former National Office of Buddhism officials, including a former chief, have been found guilty of stealing 21 million baht from the organisation back in 2015. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases convicted the 5 of embezzlement and sentenced them to prison. They are also required to repay 21 million baht to the NOB. The convicted were…

    Read More »
  • Politics NewsRedshirts leader says “justice will never be served” over 2010 military crackdown

    Redshirts leader says “justice will never be served” over 2010 military crackdown

    The leader of the “Redshirts”, political activists supportive of former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, says the military government will never be held to account for a 2010 crackdown that cost the lives of nearly 100 people, most of them civilians. His comments come just days after a spokesman for the Democrat Party, a member of the ruling coalition, claimed the…

    Read More »
  • Covid-19 NewsThais on repatriation flight from London were reported with ‘fevers’

    Thais on repatriation flight from London were reported with ‘fevers’

    Of the 264 passengers who arrived from London on a repatriated flight 2 days ago, yesterday deputy director of operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport reported that 9 Thais on the flight were discovered with a high temperature at the initial screening when they deplaned. “Airport staff screened all passengers who arrived on the EVA Air flight number BR068 from London.” “The…

    Read More »
  • Thailand Weather UpdatesMost of Thailand placed on storm alert

    Most of Thailand placed on storm alert

    As Thailand continues to feel the effects of cyclone Amphan, officials in Bangkok and 62 of Thailand’s 76 provinces have been ordered to monitor for possibilities of flash flooding and other impacts until tomorrow, according to director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Authorities say 223 households in Nan, Lampang, Kalasin, Surin, Amnat Charoen, and Uthai Thani have already…

    Read More »