Year: 2020
- Covid-19 News
New drug has potential to stop Covid-19 without a vaccine
Scientists at China’s prestigious Peking University say a drug being tested at a Chinese laboratory could not only shorten recovery time for those infected with Covid-19, but perhaps even offer short-term immunity. They believe it could “bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt”. The director of the university’s Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics told AFP that the drug has…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today – Tuesday, May 19
Thailand’s new Covid-19 cases – May 19 Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reported 2 additional cases of Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases in Thailand to 3,033. No further deaths have been confirmed today, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. The 2 new cases were the daughter and son in law of a previously confirmed Covid-19 patient…
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Competition Commission warns food delivery companies over unfair practices
The Office of Trade Competition Commission says it’s keeping an eye on the practices of food delivery companies to ensure restaurants that are currently unable to serve food on their premises are not being ripped off. Nation Thailand reports that the OTCC says operators who hike up their commission will face hefty fines of up to 10% of their annual revenue.…
Read More » - Transport News
Highway number 7 from Pattaya to Map Ta Phut opens this Friday
According to the Thai Highways Department, the long awaited extended section of the Motorway Number 7 from Pattaya to Map Ta Phut will open up this Friday and will be accessible free of charge to users until the end of August. The Director General of the Highways Department informed the media this morning. “From May 22 the public can use…
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Cabinet gives the green light for Thai Airways to file for bankruptcy
Today PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that the Cabinet approved the proposal from the Ministry of Transport that Thai Airways can file for bankruptcy at the Central Bankruptcy Court in order to be rehabilitated under the Bankruptcy Act. “It was the best course to help the troubled airline back onto its feet. Under the rehabilitation plan, Thai Airways will not…
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Trial Covid-19 vaccine shows promising results – VIDEO
US biotech firm Moderna announced yesterday that its trial vaccine, the first to be tested on humans, appears to be safe and able to stimulate an immune response against Covid-19 infection, offering a glimmer of hope in the ongoing battle to contain the pandemic. (Interview with trial patient below) The initial findings, from the first 8 people to receive 2…
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Thailand’s new Covid-19 cases – May 19
Today Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reported 2 additional cases of Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases in Thailand to 3,033. No further deaths have been confirmed today, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. No additional patients were discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours, leaving the number of recovered patients at 2,857 cases. The…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
University lecturers suspended over sexual assault allegations
Two Isaan university lecturers have been suspended following sexual assault allegations The 47 year old male lecturer was accused of sexually abusing his own children – a 9 year old girl and a 7 year old boy, allegedly on several occasions. The man has been charged with statutory child rape, according to the Bangkok Post. The man was accused by his…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Mother leaves newborn in north east forest after giving birth
A newborn baby was found in an Isaan forest recently. Thai news reports say that the baby was covered in blood with the umbilical cord still attached. Luckily, the baby survived and is now in the care of a local hospital. A villager found the newborn while walking through the forest in the Nakhon Ratchasima province, north east Thailand, and…
Read More » - Education
e-learning leaves many students locked out of new school term
Many Thai children, with no smartphone or internet to access online classes, find themselves unable to begin their new school term and participate in the online learning. The issue has become a hot topic among netizens after cases emerged in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province of children unable to join online classes. One 54 year old woman there says that…
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“Amazing Trusted Thailand” – tourism rebrands
International tourists still can’t enter Thailand, so the country is using this time to rebrand their tourism promotions. The aim is to add some “trust” in regards to the country’s health profile with hopes that tourists will visit Thailand worry-free. Tourism is going from the “Amazing Thailand” brand to “Amazing Trusted Thailand.” The intention is that they want tourists to…
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Global recovery unlikely to happen next year – IMF
The head of the International Monetary Fund says the global economy is going to take longer than initially thought to recover fully from the shock caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus. She’s also warning against the danger of protectionism. Kristalina Georgieva says the Fund is likely to revise its forecast for a 3% contraction in GDP in 2020 downward, but gave…
Read More » - Tourism News
Hotels across Thailand angered by European tour group’s failure to pay up
Around 173 Thai hotels are appealing to the PM for help after a European tour group reneged on up to 2 billion baht in unpaid bills. Daily News reports that the TUI tour group has left hotels in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani struggling with significant cash flow problems after trying to renegotiate its contract so that it would…
Read More » - Crime News
Push for chemical castration punishment for Thailand’s convicted sex offenders
What’s the proper punishment for those convicted of rape? Some Thai officials say prison time is not enough and are pushing for chemical castration of convicted offenders. The House committee tackling the country’s rape problem made more calls for a chemical castration law. Back in December, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said he supported the proposed law. “The issue of sexual abuse…
Read More » - Economy News
Thai GDP drops nearly 2% in first quarter
The Thai economy’s slumped by nearly 2% year-on-year during Q1, 2020. In it’s full-year forecast, the National Economic and Social Development Council forecasts that the Thai GDP would drop 5-6% for the year. As a comparison, the economy tanked 7.6% during the 1997 financial crisis. The Gross Domestic Product in Q1 dropped by 1.8%, compared to a rise of 1.5% in the…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya officials inspect beaches for compliance with closure order
With all beaches in Chonburi province closed for now, officials in Pattaya carried out an inspection of the city’s stretches of beaches to ensure restrictions are being adhered to. The Pattaya News reports that Mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem and various other officials visited several beaches at the weekend and say they are satisfied with their findings. They also dragged the media…
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Effectiveness of government contact tracing app called into question
As shopping centres around Thailand re-open for business, questions are being asked about the effectiveness of the contact-tracing procedures rolled out by the government. Most shoppers are now required to register their presence by providing their phone number each time they enter or leave a mall or store. Sometimes manually by a shop assistant physically writing down your phone number…
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Thai company steps up to ease condom shortage
A shortage of condoms is one thing. A shortage of condoms while people around the world are stuck at home is another. Since a top condom manufacturer in Malaysia halted production due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Thai company is now stepping up to fill the gap. Thai Nippon Rubber Industry, the country’s biggest condom manufacturer, is increasing production by…
Read More » - Business News
Thai Airways files for bankruptcy protection
Despite Thai Airways issuing a press statement and taking to social media to deny rumours it intends to file for bankruptcy, various media reports appear to confirm the struggling carrier will file for Chapter 3/1 of the Corporate Reorganisation section of the Bankruptcy Act. This is the Thai equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. TTR Weekly reports that…
Read More » - World News
“Off the charts” – biggest drug seizure in decades
“Truly off-the-charts.” That was the assessment of Jeremy Douglas from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime talking about a major drug seizure in Myanmar’s northern Shan state. How off the charts? Authorities seized 200 million methamphetamine tablets (yaba), more than 500 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice), and 35.5 tonnes and 163,000 thousand litres of precursor chemicals used to manufacture…
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Global aviation in acute crisis
by Andrew J Wood “…by the end of May 2020 most airlines in the world will be bankrupt.” Global aviation has been battered and commercial scheduled air traffic remains mostly grounded as countries enforce their lockdowns and travel restrictions. There are few signs that the end is in sight. For the largest of carriers like IAG (British Airways), United, American…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today – Monday, May 18
Click here to watch….. https://youtu.be/5NnXB4l03Cs Thailand’s Covid-19 numbers, 2 from Bangkok, one in Phuket 3 new cases of the coronavirus have been announced in Thailand today, bringing the total cases to 3,031. No additional deaths were recorded, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. Of the 3 new cases reported, two were a man and a woman in Nonthaburi province (north…
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Registration steps for travel to or from Phuket
Although Phuket is still trying to maintain strict measures to control the spread of the Coronavirus and the island is still under a modified lock down. According to local Thai media you can apply to enter or leave the island with 2 methods of registration, Thai or foreigner. OPTION ONE. Departures from other provinces, travelling to Phuket, or people living…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Parents believe murdered Mukdahan girl was killed by a local
The body of 3 year old girl, missing since Monday, was found naked and apparently strangled in a forest in the northeastern province of Mukdahan on Thursday. Now her parents believe their daughter was killed by a local villager. “Nong Chompoo’’ Wongsricha went missing on May 10. After a massive search involving some 500 officers and volunteers, police in Dong…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Robbers stole 1.05 million baht in cash from a Chiang Rai bank
Today at 10am Police in Chiang Saen district Chiang Rai (which borders Myanmar and Laos on the so-called Golden Triangle), were notified that a pair of robbers had stolen 1.05 million baht from the local Krungthai Bank. Police authorities are currently chasing down the 2 suspects who pulled off the daring daylight robbery on the bank. Both suspects were dressed in…
Read More » - Crime News
Woman accidentally shot during father-son fight in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A man accidentally shot and killed his daughter-in-law during a fight with his son last night in southern Thailand. After a heated argument around 7:30 pm Sunday, a father got out a shotgun to shoot his son, but the trigger failed, Thai media reports. The son, 33 year old Niran Rakkaew, then tried to grab the in the gun from his…
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Phuket woman shot in her bed, ex-husband wanted
A young woman was shot at while she was asleep in her bed early yesterday morning in Thepkrasattri, central Thalang district. Her ex-husband is currently a prime suspect. 23 year old Duenphen Waree was targeted around 5:50am Sunday at her home in Thepkrasattri, Phuket, according to a report from Thalang Police. Waree’s mother woke up from the sound of 5 gun…
Read More » - Business News
Tesco addressing migrant worker abuse at Thailand distribution centres
Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Thailand are being abused, according to an annual modern slavery statement from the UK-based company. Out of 187 migrant workers interviewed in Thailand, many had issues with unexplained and illegal wage reductions, excessive overtime hours, indebtedness through recruitment fees. Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Malaysia had similar problems. Last year, Tesco reported migrant workers…
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Thailand’s Covid-19 numbers, 2 from Bangkok, one in Phuket
Today at his daily press conference, spokesperson Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin reported 3 new cases of the coronavirus in Thailand, bringing the total cases to 3,031. No additional deaths were recorded, leaving the accumulated toll at 56. Dr. Taweesilp reveals that of the new cases 3 cases reported, two were a man and a woman in Nonthaburi province (north west of capital)…
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Golden Triangle drug trade thrives during pandemic
The Golden Triangle is notorious for one thing. Drugs. And while the coronavirus pandemic is crippling businesses across Thailand, the drug industry around the Myanmar-Laos-Thailand border seems to be flourishing. Actually, really well. Production of synthetic drugs coming in from the Golden Triangle is hitting record highs, the Chiang Rai Times reports. Opium and heroin production in the Golden Triangle has…
Read More » - Politics News
Government claims 2010 Bangkok protest crackdown was legal
A spokesman for Thailand’s Democrat Party, currently part of the ruling coalition, says former PM and party chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva did nothing wrong in ordering the 2010 military crackdown on protesters in Bangkok. Khaosod English reports that Ramet Rattanachaweng’s comments come as activists commemorated the 10 year anniversary of the crackdown, in which around 100 people died, by projecting an…
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