Year: 2020

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s emergency decree extended until May 31

    Thailand’s emergency decree extended until May 31

    Thailand’s Emergency Decree will be extended for another month after it expires this Thursday. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Monday recommended to extend the decree which would be extended to the end of May. The emergency decree gives the Thai PM sweeping powers and is provided for in the Thai Constitution for situations like the current Covid-19 outbreak.…

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  • Covid-19 News3,025 household goods prices will be reduced by up to 68%

    3,025 household goods prices will be reduced by up to 68%

    The Commerce Ministry, along with dozens of companies. has announced the reduction of the cost of many household goods as the Covid-19 crisis has affected the spending power of people across the country. Minister Jurin Laksanawisit says “3,025 consumer products have now been discounted by up to 68%.” “The cheaper goods will be available until June 30.” Companies who are…

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  • Covid-19 NewsApril 27 Covid-19 update for Thailand

    April 27 Covid-19 update for Thailand

    Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, the spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reported 9 new cases confirmed over the past 24 hour period plus 1 additional death, taking the national total numbers to 2,931 confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak. With 0ne more new fatality, Thailand’s death toll rises to 52. “Today is the first day the…

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  • Covid-19 News97 year old Phuket woman recovers from Covid-19

    97 year old Phuket woman recovers from Covid-19

    And now for the good news … A 97 year old “granny” from Bang Tao, Phuket, has been discharged from hospital, having recovered from the Covid-19 virus. The news was shared on social media by Nattapon Chueasaman who credited excellent medical care coupled with the elderly lady’s will to add some more digits to her great age. Bang Tao and…

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  • Bangkok NewsBangkok authorities under fire for over-zealous tree pruning

    Bangkok authorities under fire for over-zealous tree pruning

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has come in for some flak after some over-enthusiastic pruning of the city’s trees. Some of the city’s green shade was cut back to bare, ugly stumps. A report in the Bangkok Post says trees along Witthayu Road, near the city’s famed Lumpini Park, have been chopped down to their lower trucks. A similar fate has…

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  • Covid-19 NewsTo wear or not to wear, that is the question. Face masks in a Covid-19 world.

    To wear or not to wear, that is the question. Face masks in a Covid-19 world.

    The hot topic du jour is face masks – to wear or not to wear. Are they useful? Do they just make wearers ‘feel’ protected, or can they actually contribute to the prevention of spreading Covid-19, or any other virus for that matter. In Asian countries, generally, it’s become a common look, as people move around and go shopping while…

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  • Covid-19 NewsYala clinic at centre of Covid-19 alert

    Yala clinic at centre of Covid-19 alert

    An orthopaedic clinic in the southern border province of Yala is at the centre of a Covid-19 alert after a patient failed to reveal he was infected with the virus. Health authorities are now scrambling to track down all those who visited the clinic on April 23, urging them to report immediately to their local health office for screening. In a…

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  • Covid-19 NewsA viral post reveals a lack of social distancing onboard Nok Air flight

    A viral post reveals a lack of social distancing onboard Nok Air flight

    A Nok Air passenger from flight DD7809 flying from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Don Meuang Bangkok last Friday posted on her Facebook account with a picture expressing her concern about the lack of social distancing during boarding and then on the plane. “The airline notified passengers that it had to make a detour to Trang Airport to pick up additional…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket authorities on the hunt for quarantine dodgers

    Phuket authorities on the hunt for quarantine dodgers

    Phuket police and officials from the health department are trying to track down a group of people they believe to be potential carriers of the Covid-19 virus. The group had been asked to self-quarantine, but it’s now believed they continued to meet people outside their homes and defied the direct orders of health officials. Phuket has the highest rate of…

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  • Covid-19 NewsAll eyes on Thai Cabinet as Covid-19 restrictions set to be reviewed tomorrow

    All eyes on Thai Cabinet as Covid-19 restrictions set to be reviewed tomorrow

    “PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he won’t be pressured into easing restrictions sooner than it is safe to do so, saying it is vital to avoid a second wave of infections.” Thailand’s state of emergency, in force since March 26, is set to be reviewed tomorrow when the Thai Cabinet meets. With the decree due to expire this Thursday, April 30,…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket’s new Covid-19 cases today (Monday)

    Phuket’s new Covid-19 cases today (Monday)

    There has been one new case announced in the southern island of Phuket today at the daily briefings. Case number 207 is a 66 year old Thai women. Her occupation is a maid and had a history of close contact with workers in the same house as confirmed case number 204. She lives in Bang Tao, Cherngtalay, and is showing…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSuvarnabhumi poised to re-open to limited domestic scheduled flights this Friday

    Suvarnabhumi poised to re-open to limited domestic scheduled flights this Friday

    Thailand’s biggest airport is getting ready to re-open this week. Suvarnabhumi International Airport resumes scheduled services this Friday when local airlines restart limited flights following the month of airline groundings due to lack of passengers and restrictions imposed by the Thai Government. But the BKK Airport director, Sutheerawat Suwannawat, says the lack of passengers has allowed some areas of the airport…

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  • Covid-19 NewsUPDATE: Scheduled passenger flight ban extended until end of May

    UPDATE: Scheduled passenger flight ban extended until end of May

    The inbound passenger flight restriction is now going to be extended another 31 days, until the end of May, whilst more repatriation flights for Thai citizens will continue this week. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says they will extend the ongoing ban, currently scheduled to end on April 30. The first of the temporary closures was announced on April 4. CAAT…

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  • Việt NamHọc sinh đi học lại sau cách ly xã hội: Phòng chống Covid-19 trong trường học

    Học sinh đi học lại sau cách ly xã hội: Phòng chống Covid-19 trong trường học

    Theo Chỉ thị 19 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ cùng hướng dẫn của Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo, học sinh được quay lại trường học, song áp dụng giảm, giãn số học sinh trong phòng học, bố trí lệch giờ học, ăn trưa, sinh hoạt tập thể bảo đảm không tập trung đông người; thực hiện khử trùng, vệ…

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  • Việt NamChỉ thị 19 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ về COVID-19: Vẫn đóng cửa hàng quán không thiết yếu

    Chỉ thị 19 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ về COVID-19: Vẫn đóng cửa hàng quán không thiết yếu

    Thủ tướng Chính phủ Nguyễn Xuân Phúc vừa ban hành chỉ thị 19 về giãn cách xã hội, cho phép nhiều cơ sở kinh doanh thương mại dịch vụ, khu tập luyện thể thao, khu di tích, danh lam được mở cửa trở lại, song vẫn đóng cửa nhiều hàng quán không thiết yếu. Sau 3 tuần thực hiện giãn…

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  • Tourism NewsAir Asia publishes fit-to-fly guidelines when they take to Asia’s skies again

    Air Asia publishes fit-to-fly guidelines when they take to Asia’s skies again

    Captain Ling Liong Tien, the Chief Safety Officer @ AirAsia, has sent out an email to customers laying down a detailed list of new requirements for early-adopters in the post-covid regional travel world. It doesn’t look like a lot of fun, but there will at least be a means for airlines, airline staff, and passengers, to again take to the skies…

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  • Việt NamCập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày CN 26/4): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới. Tổng số ca là 270 người

    Cập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày CN 26/4): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới. Tổng số ca là 270 người

    18h ngày hôm nay 26/4, Bộ Y tế không ghi nhận thêm ca dương tính nCoV. Tổng số ca nhiễm COVID-19 toàn quốc là 270 người, trong số đó, 225 người đã khỏi bệnh, 45 người đang tiếp tục điều trị. Như vậy, tính đến hết ngày 26/4, Việt Nam ghi nhận (so với 24h trước): Tổng số ca nhiễm:…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand turns to China to revive post-Covid tourist economy

    Thailand turns to China to revive post-Covid tourist economy

    The Covid-19 pandemic has crushed Thailand’s tourism sector, long considered a lifeline for the nation’s already battered economy, as numbers of foreign visitors have dropped below even the worst predictions plunging 76.4% in March from last year after a 42.8% drop in February. For an economy that derives 12-14% of its gross domestic product from tourism, receipts, the impact of…

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  • Covid-19 News25 more arrested entering Thailand by wading across river from Malaysia

    25 more arrested entering Thailand by wading across river from Malaysia

    Another 25 Thai workers were arrested this morning for illegal border crossing after wading across the Kolok River from Malaysia to Thailand. They were placed in mandatory 14 day quarantine and charged with illegal entry. They are part of a group of Thai workers left stranded in Malaysia, which has extended its lockdown order to May 12. Their desperation is…

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  • Economy NewsThailand loses US free trade benefits worth billions of baht

    Thailand loses US free trade benefits worth billions of baht

    Thailand loses duty free access for 42.2 billion baht in exports to the US market from today, 6 months after Washington warned it would pull back on trade privileges unless the kingdom committed to labour rights reforms. Once trade preferences for Thai products are removed they are subject to tax of between 4% and 5%, making them more expensive in…

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  • Covid-19 NewsNY Governor offers evidence that the virus entered the US from Europe

    NY Governor offers evidence that the virus entered the US from Europe

    China has been in the sites of many as the world tries to apportion blame of the origins of Covid-19, including some world leaders. Now New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has laid out some research showing that the strains of the novel coronavirus arrived in New York from Europe, not China. He also claimed that travel bans enacted by the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCurfew subjects Thailand’s many homeless to arrest

    Curfew subjects Thailand’s many homeless to arrest

    “The homeless can’t stay at home.” Earlier this month, Police in Chiang Mai arrrested “Tui,” a homeless man, for violating the national curfew imposed as part of the Emergency Decree to contain the spread of Covid-19. Police say they “found him wandering on the streets without permission from authorities or valid reasons,” and the court then sentenced Tui to 15…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPark chief, officers arrested for house party

    Park chief, officers arrested for house party

    A group of 8 officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation are in trouble after being spotted drinking and socialising at a house party in Ngao Waterfall National Park in the southern Ranong province. They’ve all been arrested for defying the Emergency Decree. Police told reporters yesterday the 8 were rounded up last Friday night after…

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  • Covid-19 News15 new national virus cases, 5 imported (Sunday)

    15 new national virus cases, 5 imported (Sunday)

    Thailand’s health officials have confirmed a total of 15 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Of these, 5 were imported cases of Thai nationals recently repatriated from abroad who were sent directly to mandated state quarantine. No new deaths were reported in today’s daily media update. 2,922 people have been infected in Thailand since the beginning of the outbreak in…

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  • Covid-19 News5G, Bill Gates, Chinese Labs and more Covid-19 myths

    5G, Bill Gates, Chinese Labs and more Covid-19 myths

    From Covid-19 (aka. SARS-COV-2) being a ‘man-made virus’ to 5G spreading the virus to coronavirus being ‘no worse than the seasonal flu’. The time spent at home has given crackpots extra time to search the dark corners of the internet to spin crazy theories that defy science or logic, and spreading more misinformation around the web. The impacts from this…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket reports 4 new Covid-19 cases, all in Bang Tao (Sunday)

    Phuket reports 4 new Covid-19 cases, all in Bang Tao (Sunday)

    The southern province of Phuket reports 4 new confirmed Covid-19 cases today, all in the Bang Tao area of the island’s Cherngtalay subdistrict, bringing the total in Phuket to 206 since the outbreak began in January. One more patient has recovered, bringing that total of recovered patients to 161. 45 cases are still in hospital of which 4 are ‘severe’.…

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  • Politics NewsNorth Korean leader reportedly in “vegetative state”

    North Korean leader reportedly in “vegetative state”

    For days the government of North Korea has been tight-lipped as speculation about the health of the nation’s leader Kim Jong-un’s health spreads. Now the Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Gendai is reporting that a failed surgery has left the 36 year old in a vegetative state. American celebrity tabloid website TMZ has gone a step further and claimed he’s actually…

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  • Phuket NewsEthical sanctuaries looking after over 250 elephants in southern Thailand

    Ethical sanctuaries looking after over 250 elephants in southern Thailand

    The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, and elsewhere in Thailand, have been forced to close their doors in late March. As people around Thailand been hunkering down in our houses waiting for the virus outbreak to pass, some of the country’s elephants are suffering? As mentioned in the original story, Lek had been in touch with camps from all over…

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  • Covid-19 NewsColour-coding gives insight to Government’s post-April 30 strategy

    Colour-coding gives insight to Government’s post-April 30 strategy

    The government and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is coding the 77 provinces of Thailand into colours. From green, where no Covid-19 cases have been found, up to red, where new, infected patients are discovered in the past 7 days. The National Security Council is expected to present a proposal tomorrow to possibly extend the Emergency Decree, Tourism and Sports Minister…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsSummer storms forecast around the Kingdom today

    Summer storms forecast around the Kingdom today

    The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a warning about possible tropical storms that will affect four regions around Thailand. The country is currently in the shoulder season between the hot season and the coming wet season. “The rather strong high-pressure system covers the Northeast, the East, the Central, the North and the South China Sea while hot conditions are likely…

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  • Environment NewsWith humans indoors, nature makes a comeback

    With humans indoors, nature makes a comeback

    With millions around the world housebound for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix and YouTube are making a killing and lots of people are finding new hobbies. But there’s another consequence to fewer humans on the streets and trampling around nature. Animals on land and in the sea are taking back areas claimed by humans over the past weeks…

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  • Covid-19 NewsTourism minister, TAT hope for a return of limited domestic travel

    Tourism minister, TAT hope for a return of limited domestic travel

    For weeks, interprovincial travel has been heavily restricted if not outright banned due to the Emergency Decree announced on March 24 to combat the spread of Covid-19. And although the National Security Council is expected to present a proposal on Monday to extend the Decree, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan expects the government to ease some measures and allow…

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  • Technology NewsOnline video platform TikTok assessing live streaming in Thailand

    Online video platform TikTok assessing live streaming in Thailand

    TikTok, the most downloaded app in the world for 2 years running and the world’s leading short-video platform, has announced a trial of its first live streaming series in Thailand as part of its push to develop platform experiences for users around the world. TikTok’s first live streaming in Thailand was hosted by Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda, a celebrity and influencer,…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand reports 53 new virus cases, 1 more death (Saturday)

    Thailand reports 53 new virus cases, 1 more death (Saturday)

    A spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today announced 53 new Covid-19 cases confirmed over a 24 hour period, and 1 additional death. Most of today’s new cases are imported from outside the country. 42 of the new cases are illegal migrant workers currently at the detention centre at the Sadao checkpoint bordering Malaysia, another 7 in Yala,…

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  • Economy News“Thai Airways will survive”. Emergency meeting next Wednesday.

    “Thai Airways will survive”. Emergency meeting next Wednesday.

    “Thai Airways will not collapse. The fact that Deputy PM Somkid stepped in to handle the issue means the government will rescue it.” It’s no secret that Thailand’s national carrier has been a financial basket case for over a decade, bleeding money and marketshare as the years pass. The top-heavy Thai company is bailed out by the Thai government each…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket adds 4 Covid-19 cases, 3 in Bang Tao (Saturday)

    Phuket adds 4 Covid-19 cases, 3 in Bang Tao (Saturday)

    4 new Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the southern island province of Phuket today. The island has the highest rate of infection and the second highest number of cases, after Bangkok. A single new case was reported this morning, bringing the total there to 202: a 60 year old Thai woman who lives in Witchit, Phuket Town. She fell…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand reports 53 new cases today, 1 more death (Saturday)

    Thailand reports 53 new cases today, 1 more death (Saturday)

    A spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today announced 53 new Covid-19 cases confirmed over a 24 hour period, and 1 additional death. Most of today’s new cases are imported from outside the country. 42 of the new cases are illegal migrant workers currently at the detention centre at the Sadao checkpoint bordering Malaysia, another 7 in Yala,…

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