Year: 2020

  • Economy NewsPM assures MPs that government knows how to handle trillion baht loan

    PM assures MPs that government knows how to handle trillion baht loan

    “Don’t worry, we got this…” Following the Finance Ministry’s securing of a trillion baht loan, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha spoke up to address concerns over how the funds will be administered. Answering questions raised by opposition parties, the PM said the government has clear rules in place on how the funds will be distributed, with the priority being small and medium…

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  • Covid-19 NewsMinistry of Foreign Affairs announces re-entry procedures for foreigners

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces re-entry procedures for foreigners

    Yesterday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent out a letter to all Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand explaining the details and procedures for non-Thai nationals to re-enter the country. This procedure is not for only for people who legally work in Thailand. Those who don’t have a work permit yet, but your new employer can get permission from the…

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  • Việt NamTriệt phá đường dây đánh bạc “Nổ hũ” lên tới 64.000 tỷ đồng ở Hà Nội

    Triệt phá đường dây đánh bạc “Nổ hũ” lên tới 64.000 tỷ đồng ở Hà Nội

    Ngày hôm qua, Phòng Cảnh sát hình sự, Công an TP Hà Nội đã triệt phá, bắt giữ 16 đối tượng trong đường dây tổ chức đánh bạc qua mạng internet cực lớn. Cụ thể, ngày 28/5, Phòng Cảnh sát hình sự, Công an TP Hà Nội đã triệt phá đường dây đánh bạc trên mạng do đối tượng Trương…

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  • Crime NewsThai actress allegedly scams Chinese businessman out of 2.5 million baht

    Thai actress allegedly scams Chinese businessman out of 2.5 million baht

    A Thai actress allegedly tricked a Chinese businessman out of 2.5 million baht. Nation Thailand reports the woman worked with a gang to pose as high government officials who could help him with his business dealings. The businessman finally made a complaint with police yesterday at the Pak Khlong San Police Station in southern Thailand. The Nation reports he was…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSouth Korea reverses reopening amid new Covid-19 outbreaks

    South Korea reverses reopening amid new Covid-19 outbreaks

    Less than a month after relaxing physical distancing requirements on May 6, South Korea is restoring the measures in the greater Seoul area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi provinces, until at least June 14, as new flare-ups of Covid-19 emerge across the metropolitan region. Its daily tally jumped to 79, the highest since early April. Making the announcement yesterday, South Korea’s…

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  • Environment News90 day deadline for farmers to hand over banned agrochemicals

    90 day deadline for farmers to hand over banned agrochemicals

    In the culmination of a long-running feud over hazardous farm chemicals, Thailand’s Department of Agriculture has finally given Thai farmers a 90 day deadline to turn in some herbicides and pesticides for destruction, as they are officially illegal. Manufacturers or importers of the chemicals now banned under Thai law have 270 days to destroy their stocks. Yesterday’s announcement was in…

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  • Thailand Weather UpdatesRains, thundershowers predicted to blanket all regions

    Rains, thundershowers predicted to blanket all regions

    The Thailand Meteorological Department said today that the high pressure system from China covering Laos and Vietnam is causing the monsoon trough to move across the upper North and Northeast, while a moderate southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea. More rains are forecast for upper Thailand, with gusty winds and hail in the North and isolated heavy rains in…

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  • Crime NewsRadio station gunman confesses, faces murder charges, death penalty

    Radio station gunman confesses, faces murder charges, death penalty

    The gunman who allegedly shot 3 of his coworkers at a public radio station is facing murder charges and the death penalty if convicted. The 59 year old Wim Sonsuk was an electrician at the station. He lashed out after problems with his coworkers at the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand in the northern Phitsanulok province. On Wednesday, he allegedly…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThai Airways can’t refund 24 billion baht in unused tickets

    Thai Airways can’t refund 24 billion baht in unused tickets

    Thai Airways’ recent declaration of bankruptcy and debt rehabilitation has left many holders of unused tickets high and dry. The carrier grounded its fleet in early April due to the Covid-19 crisis, and is now unable to refund tickets purchased for the period since. The troubled national flag carrier’s PR department said yesterday it is unable to offer refunds at…

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  • Covid-19 NewsStandard Chartered Bank forecasts 2 year economic recovery for Thailand

    Standard Chartered Bank forecasts 2 year economic recovery for Thailand

    Standard Chartered Bank says that it remains conservative on Thailand’s economic outlook, even though signs are emerging with the possibility of a further policy rate cut to below 0.25%. Their latest report forecasts a return to pre-Covid levels could take more than 2 years depending on improving business sentiment as the economy reopens, noting that the government has been disbursing…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSecurity chief says country to reopen July 1

    Security chief says country to reopen July 1

    The chief of Thailand’s National Security Council announced today that Thailand has set July 1 for the end of all “business and activity lockdowns” ordered to cope with the Covid-19 crisis, include provincial and international travel. The announcement also included the end of the Emergency Decree and curfews, Bangkok Post reports. NSC Secretary-General Somsak Rungsita says the lift of restrictions…

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  • Việt NamCập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T5 28/5): 42 ngày không có ca nhiễm nCoV trong cộng đồng

    Cập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T5 28/5): 42 ngày không có ca nhiễm nCoV trong cộng đồng

    Tính tới 18h ngày 28/5, Bộ Y tế không ghi nhận thêm ca nhiễm nCoV mới. Tổng số ca nhiễm COVID-19 toàn quốc là 327 người, trong số đó, 278 người đã khỏi bệnh, 49 người đang tiếp tục điều trị. Như vậy, tính đến hết ngày 28/5, Việt Nam ghi nhận: Tổng số ca nhiễm: 327 Số ca khỏi…

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  • Covid-19 NewsJuly 1 will end all lockdowns in Thailand, including international travel

    July 1 will end all lockdowns in Thailand, including international travel

    The Thai government says it will lift all remaining business and activity lockdowns on July 1, according to the National Security Council chief. “This includes interprovincial and international travel, as well as the end of emergency decree and curfew.” The lift of all restrictions, imposed under the country’s emergency decree, would be a “complete reopening of the country”. Officials and…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Thursday, May 28

    Thailand News Today – Thursday, May 28

    Thailand’s Covid-19 figures Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced 11 new cases of coronavirus disease for Thailand. All confirmed cases were reported as quarantined repatriates from overseas. This brings the national numbers to 3,065 confirmed Covid-19 cases. 1 was a 32 year old Thai woman, who returned from India last week. 6 other cases were aged 27-52…

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  • Covid-19 NewsHow has Thailand contained Covid-19 so effectively?

    How has Thailand contained Covid-19 so effectively?

    When the Covid-19 was first detected in Thailand in January, a time when the deadly virus and its contagiousness were barely understood, the kingdom might have seemed like a likely backdrop for massive infection and mortality. Untold hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists visited the nation for the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, and Thailand was the first country outside…

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  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok’s UK visa application centre to reopen

    Bangkok’s UK visa application centre to reopen

    Below is the text of a press release from the British Embassy, lightly edited for brevity: “On June 1, UK Visas and Immigration will begin a phased resumption of services and our main Visa Application Centre in Bangkok (The Trendy Office Building, 28th Floor Sukhumvit Soi 13, Klongtoey-Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110) will be open. Customers who were unable to attend…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsChiang Rai quarantines 26 returnees from Phuket

    Chiang Rai quarantines 26 returnees from Phuket

    26 returnees from Phuket back to Chiang Rai arrived home on 2 passenger coaches today and were immediately placed in 14 day quarantine. The 26 arrived at the Wiang Indra Riverside Resort in Chiang Rai province (by the way, it looks VERY nice!). The Deputy provincial governor of Chiang Rai welcomed them and asked them to adhere to the precautionary…

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  • Business NewsMurdoch closes all his regional and local newspapers in Australia

    Murdoch closes all his regional and local newspapers in Australia

    Australia’s largest media group, News Corp, has ditched its 100 local and regional newspapers, blaming the collapse of the businesses on a collapse advertising, migration of advertisers online, all made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch, announced on April 1 it was stopping printing of around 60 community newspapers “temporarily”. The collapse will cause the…

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  • World NewsFishermen abuse and slavery cases solved “off-the-record”

    Fishermen abuse and slavery cases solved “off-the-record”

    Many cases of alleged abuse and slavery at sea are not being reported to the Thailand government. The Thomson Reuters Foundation did an analysis on the claims of slavery and abuse on Thai fishing boats and found that the majority of complaints are not documented with labour ministry officials who solve issues “off-the-record”. Many fisherman agree to mediation because they…

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  • Covid-19 NewsMassage shops, boxing stadiums may be allowed to reopen next week

    Massage shops, boxing stadiums may be allowed to reopen next week

    But we won’t know until tomorrow. Phase 3 of the easing of Covid-19 emergency measures could finally see boxing stadiums, massage parlours, spas, cinemas and tutorial schools allowed to reopen next month. Pubs, bars and nightlife venues are expected to remain closed, well that’s the rumours for now anyway. The deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department says activities and…

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  • Crime NewsThai man arrested for distributing child porn on social media

    Thai man arrested for distributing child porn on social media

    A man was arrested for processing and distributing child pornography after a report from a US agency, police announced yesterday. The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children traced the uploaded pornography back to Thailand and notified Thailand immigration police. The man, Thai media reports as ‘Kittiphong’, uploaded and sold the child pornography on Twitter and the messaging app…

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  • World NewsLow cost carrier Thai AirAsia ponders merger

    Low cost carrier Thai AirAsia ponders merger

    The CEO of Thai AirAsia says it may merge with another low-cost carrier to avoid cutthroat pricing wars once flights resume after the Covid-19 crisis subsides, and has admitted to conversations with other airlines. He says if tourism doesn’t resume by July, TAA will be forced to begin laying off employees, downsizing the company and its fleet to keep its…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s Covid-19 figures (May 28)

    Thailand’s Covid-19 figures (May 28)

    Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced 11 new cases of coronavirus disease for Thailand. All confirmed cases were reported as quarantined repatriates from overseas. This brings the national numbers to 3,065 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Dr. Taweesilp , the spokesman for the CCSA, says “of the new cases 1 was a 32 year old Thai woman, who returned…

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  • Crime NewsMan arrested after firing shots at coworker, shoot out with police

    Man arrested after firing shots at coworker, shoot out with police

    A man has been tracked down and arrested after he shot at a coworker and later fired shots at police, one bullet accidentally hitting his brother-in-law. The coworker was not harmed after 27 year old Thirawat Thamkhanthee fired shots at him outside a Rayong factory on Tuesday, the Bangkok Post reports. Rayong is a province to the east of Bangkok.…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand developing level 4 “gold standard” biohazard suits

    Thailand developing level 4 “gold standard” biohazard suits

    In order to reduce the nation’s reliance on imported personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 crisis, Thai scientists are developing a Level 4 biohazard suit, dubbed the “gold standard” by the organisers working on the project. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the textile industry are collaborating on the the suits after successfully developing Level 2 suits. The GPO, together with…

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  • Covid-19 NewsWorld’s coronavirus focus shifts from Europe to the Americas

    World’s coronavirus focus shifts from Europe to the Americas

    The focus of the world’s coronavirus pandemic has shifted in the past month, from Europe epicentres to the Americas, both north and south. Russia, too, has become a growing problem as the pandemic spreads from other European continental regions. In order, the US, Russia and Brazil are now the top three nations with the most cases. In the US, at…

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  • Economy NewsCentral buys Family Mart Thailand

    Central buys Family Mart Thailand

    Shopping centre operator Central Retail Corporation has bought 100% of Family Mart, one of Thailand’s major convenience store chains, as it “moves forward to develop a new business model to cater to modern consumers”. CRC’s chief executive officer says the acquisition will strengthen Central’s hold on the food market and convenience store business in Thailand, which is burgeoning. Since 2012,…

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  • World NewsHigh speed railway linking Thailand and China takes another step

    High speed railway linking Thailand and China takes another step

    A high speed rail link between Thailand and China is closer to becoming a reality, according to Thai Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. The signing of “Contract 2.3″ for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima section is expected in October this year. China has become a major player in the railway industry and, as a result, many countries, including Thailand, are working with China…

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  • Crime NewsMore people charged in illegal surrogacy scandal

    More people charged in illegal surrogacy scandal

    More people involved in the surrogacy scandal turned themselves in yesterday and are now facing charges. According to the Bangkok Post, 4 doctors and a scientist are looking at charges for their alleged involvement in the illegal ring which uses Thai women to carry babies for people in China. A report yesterday says a Thai doctor faces charges for human…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsVillagers in central Thailand in a tangle over cables

    Villagers in central Thailand in a tangle over cables

    Frustrated residents in the village of Pong Kham Fak, in the central province of Phetchabun, are demanding answers to stray power cables invading their homes, roads and farming areas. It’s understood that the problem has been ongoing since November, when 500 metres of cable was installed by a private company operating on behalf of the Provincial Electricity Authority. Now angry…

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  • Crime NewsSon stabs father multiple times in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    Son stabs father multiple times in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    A father was stabbed 9 times by his son yesterday in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Bangkok Post reports the 25 year old son was high on drugs and acting erratic. His 53 year old father tried to calm him down, but the son took out a knife and stabbed his father multiple times. The father, a…

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  • Covid-19 NewsGovernment looks to domestic travel in phase 3 of easing Covid restrictions

    Government looks to domestic travel in phase 3 of easing Covid restrictions

    A committee has been convened to agree which restrictions can be lifted as Thailand enters the third phase of its exit from lock-down. Addressing a press conference on behalf of the committee, General Somsak Roongsita says re-starting domestic tourism is one of the main priorities of the committee, which comprises public health officials, doctors and business leaders. While interprovincial buses…

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  • Covid-19 NewsHope for overseas foreigners separated from families in Thailand

    Hope for overseas foreigners separated from families in Thailand

    “We appreciate the sacrifices and regret the inconvenience caused.” For weeks now, foreign nationals who normally reside in Thailand but find themselves stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 travel ban, have been pleading with the government to be allowed to return to their families. Now, there may finally be some hope on the horizon. At least their plight is now…

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  • Covid-19 NewsMayor’s statement sparks hope Chonburi beaches may reopen soon

    Mayor’s statement sparks hope Chonburi beaches may reopen soon

    A Facebook post from the mayor of Saen Suk, home to the renowned Bangsaen beach, says beaches “may” reopen from June 1. (Before you ask, there is currently no official information on when Bangsaen, Pattaya or Phuket’s beaches may actually reopen.) Beaches in the eastern province of Chonburi were closed nearly two months ago as authorities enacted strict lockdown measures…

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  • Việt NamCập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T4 27/5): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới, còn 49 bệnh nhân đang điều trị

    Cập nhật tình hình COVID-19 tại Việt Nam (Ngày T4 27/5): Không ghi nhận ca nhiễm nCoV mới, còn 49 bệnh nhân đang điều trị

    Tính tới 18h ngày 27/5, Bộ Y tế không ghi nhận thêm ca nhiễm nCoV mới. Tổng số ca nhiễm COVID-19 toàn quốc là 327 người, trong số đó, 278 người đã khỏi bệnh, 49 người đang tiếp tục điều trị. Như vậy, tính đến hết ngày 27/5, Việt Nam ghi nhận: Tổng số ca nhiễm: 327 Số ca khỏi…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Wednesday, May 27

    Thailand News Today – Wednesday, May 27

    Covid-19 update: 9 new cases, all imported 9 new cases of Covid-19 announced this morning – all 9 were ‘imported’ cases by Thai nationals returning from overseas. • 2 recently returned from the US • 18 and 27 males, flew back on May 12 • found to be infected yesterday, the last day of quarantine   • 6 students, aged…

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  • Phuket NewsBangkok mother, daughter swindled out of 1.8 million baht, suspect arrested

    Bangkok mother, daughter swindled out of 1.8 million baht, suspect arrested

    Authorities in the southern province of Phuket have arrested a man wanted in Bangkok for swindling a woman and her mother out of nearly 2 million baht. Police in the island’s party town of Patong report that officers received a request from police in Bangkok to arrest 23 year old Narathip Sukprasert, originally from Lop Buri province, about 150 kilometres…

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