Month: January 2021

  • Thailand NewsCovid-19 control measures by province

    Covid-19 control measures by province

    Provincial authorities are stepping up disease control measures as Covid-19 spreads throughout the country. 55 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have reported at least 1 Covid-19 case since the new wave of the coronavirus. Here’s a run down of Covid-19 measures and advisories in some Thailand provinces, posted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Bangkok Closure of educational institutions at all…

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  • Thailand NewsCan you survive 10 days of no talking, no phone? The Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat | VIDEO

    Can you survive 10 days of no talking, no phone? The Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat | VIDEO

    Thaiger team member Jett tells of his experience at a 10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat in Phitsanulok Province in central Thailand. No talking, no phone, vegetarian meals, and 12 hours of meditation each day. Transformative experience or sheer insanity? Tim finds out the answers! Retreat location: https://goo.gl/maps/AuovZvEVPRkxMshy7 Learn more: https://www.dhamma.org https://www.youtube.com/user/VipassanaOrg

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  • Covid-19 NewsA year of COVID – from Wuhan to World Pandemic | VIDEO

    A year of COVID – from Wuhan to World Pandemic | VIDEO

    12 months ago the news of a mysterious respiratory illness started to emerge from hospitals in the central Chinese province of Hubei. Chinese health authorities said they were investigating a small cluster of pneumonia-like cases with an unknown cause linked to a seafood market in Wuhan. Those early days have given rise to any number of conspiracy theories that the…

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  • South Thailand NewsMuslim couples in Yala who show affection could be arrested and forced to marry

    Muslim couples in Yala who show affection could be arrested and forced to marry

    Muslim unmarried couples in the southern Thai province of Yala could be arrested, and even forced to wed immediately by Islamic authorities, if they are seen being ‘affectionate’ in public. The new rule was set by the Yaha Central Mosque last month, according to Khaosod English. It’s unclear what types of public displays of affection are considered inappropriate, but apparently…

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  • Politics NewsYouTube blocks music video with pro-democracy protest footage after legal complaint

    YouTube blocks music video with pro-democracy protest footage after legal complaint

    A music video by a pro-democracy movement band was blocked on YouTube in Thailand due to a legal complaint from the government, according to the message posted on the video’s page. The band Rap Against Dictatorship, also known as RAD, made a post on their Facebook fan page saying that the music video for their song “Reform” was blocked on…

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  • Covid-19 NewsUPDATE: 5 coastal provinces still open – Prayut rejects “total lockdown” proposal

    UPDATE: 5 coastal provinces still open – Prayut rejects “total lockdown” proposal

    The proposal for a “total lockdown” restricting travel in and out of 5 coastal provinces was rejected by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The provinces, Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, are implementing strict measures to control the spread of the virus, but the provinces will not be completely sealed off. In earlier reports, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutacha…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA Update: 527 new Covid-19 cases

    CCSA Update: 527 new Covid-19 cases

    527 new Covid-19 cases were reported in today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,504 active coronavirus cases in 55 of Thailand’s 77 provinces. A total of 8,966 people in Thailand have reportedly been infected Covid-19 and 65 people have died since February of last year. Out of the 527 new cases, 439 cases…

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  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri tightens Covid-19 restrictions, including fines for not wearing a mask

    Chon Buri tightens Covid-19 restrictions, including fines for not wearing a mask

    Covid-19 restrictions have tightened in Chon Buri and now people can be fined up to 20,000 baht for not wearing a mask. People are ordered to wear face masks outside. Those who violate the under a new measure, which was recently announced by the provincial governor’s office, could face the hefty fine. Schools and venues that hold large crowds are…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPublic health official urges Bangkokians to eat at home

    Public health official urges Bangkokians to eat at home

    People in Bangkok should eat at home as much as possible to lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus, according to the director-general of the Department of Health. While there is now a ban on dine-in service from 9pm to 6am in Bangkok, Dr. Suwannachai Wattanacharoencha says people should still eat a home during the day. He says the best…

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  • Crime NewsSocial media users help track down 2 kidnapped children in Bangkok

    Social media users help track down 2 kidnapped children in Bangkok

    A man is in police custody in Bangkok after social media users helped track down 2 children allegedly kidnapped in the capital. A 7 year old boy, named only as “B”, and an 8 year old unnamed girl, were visiting a shopping mall in the Phra Khanong district, close to their home, at the time of the incident. According to…

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  • Covid-19 NewsBan on Children’s Day activities in 28 “code red” provinces

    Ban on Children’s Day activities in 28 “code red” provinces

    The government’s Covid-19 task force has banned 28 Thai provinces, currently colour-coded “red” as a result of their case numbers, from holding any activities to celebrate Children’s Day on January 9. Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, is also calling on 11 “code orange” provinces, and 38 “yellow” provinces, to avoid holding activities to mark the…

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  • Pattaya News5 coastal provinces in “total lockdown,” no travel in or out

    5 coastal provinces in “total lockdown,” no travel in or out

    5 coastal provinces including Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat are under “total lockdown.” This means people cannot travel in or out of those provinces unless it is necessary. Deputy PM Satit Pitutacha says if the strict travel restrictions are not in place, then the Covid-19 outbreak could become “chaos.” Satit made a post on Facebook saying the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsOfficials in virus-hit Samut Sakhon put out urgent call for second field hospital

    Officials in virus-hit Samut Sakhon put out urgent call for second field hospital

    A local official in the central province of Samut Sakhon is pleading for a second field hospital to contain the spread of Covid-19. The province is at the epicentre of a resurgence in the virus, since Thailand’s first local case in months was detected in a fish market in the Muang district last month. Since then, the virus has spread…

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  • Covid-19 News5 Thai provinces ordered into total lockdown

    5 Thai provinces ordered into total lockdown

    5 provinces in Thailand are in total lockdown, with travel restrictions barring anyone from leaving or entering, unless absolutely necessary. The provinces affected by the tough new measures are the eastern provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, as well as the central province of Samut Sakhon, where Thailand’s Covid-19 resurgence originated last month. Thai PBS World reports that…

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  • Bangkok NewsNo illegal gambling dens are in Bangkok, deputy PM claims

    No illegal gambling dens are in Bangkok, deputy PM claims

    Following Covid-19 cases linked to illegal gambling dens in Chon Buri and Rayong as well as a nationwide crackdown on gambling, deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is assuring the public that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok as some worry that the unlawful gatherings could potentially spread the virus. Gambling is illegal and police are “on top of it,”…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThai PM says government plans to buy a further 35 million vaccine doses

    Thai PM says government plans to buy a further 35 million vaccine doses

    Thailand hopes to buy an additional 35 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, giving the country a total supply of 63 million doses, according to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. He has not confirmed where the additional supply will come from, but according to a Bangkok Post report, he says the government will ensure the vaccines meet Food and Drug Administration criteria.…

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  • Thailand NewsNE Monsoon in South – warnings of heavy rain and flash floods

    NE Monsoon in South – warnings of heavy rain and flash floods

    South of Thailand is expected to face the northeast monsoon that is expected to bring in heavy rain that may cause flash floods. With the prevailing monsoon in the upper and the lower part of the Gulf of Thailand, some southern provinces, including Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat are likely to be affected by strong winds and waves that…

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  • Thailand NewsTourists sent back to Pattaya as Koh Lan goes into lockdown

    Tourists sent back to Pattaya as Koh Lan goes into lockdown

    Tourists vacationing on Koh Lan were sent back to the mainland today as the island, just off Pattaya, goes into lockdown. The local community, including business owners and residents, decided to impose lockdown measures starting tomorrow until January 20, according to the secretary of the island’s community Sorasak Thongbongpetch. Around 100 tourists were ordered to leave the island and asked…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Record daily infections, Covid restrictions, British arrivals ‘on hold’ | Jan 4

    Thailand News Today | Record daily infections, Covid restrictions, British arrivals ‘on hold’ | Jan 4

    745 new Covid-19 infections and 1 new coronavirus related death have been reported today during the daily briefing of the CCSA. Thailand now has 4,022 active Covid-19 cases with a total of 8,439 reported cases and 65 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak a year ago. Today’s figures include 505 cases in Samut Sakhon which were announced yesterday. Some…

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  • Covid-19 NewsTop Thai epidemiologist pushes for 4 week nationwide lockdown

    Top Thai epidemiologist pushes for 4 week nationwide lockdown

    Thailand needs a nationwide lockdown for at least 4 weeks to control the spread of the coronavirus, according to leading Thai epidemiologist Thira Woratanarat. But many governors and other public officials disagree with the idea of strict lockdown measures, especially on shutting down dine-in services, saying it could negatively impact on the poor. Thira, who is on the faculty of…

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  • Bangkok NewsNo dine-in service at Bangkok restaurants after 9pm

    No dine-in service at Bangkok restaurants after 9pm

    Bangkok officials announced a ban on dine-in services at restaurants after 7pm, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha quickly changed the order to allow people to eat at the restaurants until 9pm, saying an earlier-hour ban would have a negative impact on the restaurant owners and the economy. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had announced this morning that restaurants in the capital would only…

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  • Pattaya News19 year old killed in motorbike street race accident in Chon Buri

    19 year old killed in motorbike street race accident in Chon Buri

    A 19 year old was killed in a street race accident after he crashed his motorbike into a trailer truck early this morning in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district. Around 3 am this morning, a crowd of teenagers were lined up at the side of Highway 36 in the Nong Plalai subdistrict to watch the Jeerapat Nongyai race another motorbike rider.…

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  • Covid-19 NewsLatest details of Covid restrictions and locations in Thailand | VIDEO

    Latest details of Covid restrictions and locations in Thailand | VIDEO

    UPDATE: From tomorrow (Tuesday), restaurants will be required to close to in-dining customers, from 7pm to 6am.   Restrictions are now in place, as of midnight last night, as the latest mitigations against Thailand’s Covid-19 outbreak. The outbreak, which kicked off on December 20 last year, has now reached most of Thailand’s provinces, some more affected than others, and that…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA Update: 745 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death

    CCSA Update: 745 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death

    745 new Covid-19 cases and 1 new coronavirus related death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,022 active Covid-19 cases with a total of 8,439 reported cases and 65 deaths. New Covid-19 death A 56 year old man from Bangkok died after testing positive for Covid-19, according to CCSA spokesperson Taweesin…

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  • Covid-19 NewsNo lockdown in Phuket, governor calls for more disease control measures

    No lockdown in Phuket, governor calls for more disease control measures

    There’s no lockdown in Phuket, the provincial governor says, but protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the Covid-19. The province currently has 3 confirmed Covid-19 cases, classifying it as a “yellow zone,” a high surveillance area. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew says Phuket’s borders are still open to outside visitors, but all of them must be screened…

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  • OpinionLike a rolling stone (2 decades and counting). My home, Phuket.

    Like a rolling stone (2 decades and counting). My home, Phuket.

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Driving down a seemingly endless winding road on the warm tropical island of Phuket, I glance up and see a sign indicating a left turn, shouting out in big bold letters ‘Welcome to Days of Future Past.’ Reading between the lines, let me state that we have landed headfirst like crash test dummies into the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to get China’s Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine next month

    Thailand to get China’s Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine next month

    In the midst of a new wave of Covid-19 infections, Thailand will get 2 million vaccine doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech. The first batch of 200,000 doses will arrive next month, according to the Public Health Ministry. Another 800,000 doses will arrive in March and the last order of 1 million doses will arrive in April. Since the outbreak last…

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  • Thailand NewsThai VietJet offers passengers change of flights during Covid outbreak

    Thai VietJet offers passengers change of flights during Covid outbreak

    Thai VietJet, along with all the other Thai domestic airlines, is being impacted by a drop in traffic during the current list of restrictions during the latest Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. According to Thai Residents, “for passengers who booked tickets and made payments before January 1, 2021 with travel date between January 5 – 3, 2021, can change their travel…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSome Isaan provinces require quarantine for travellers from “red zones”

    Some Isaan provinces require quarantine for travellers from “red zones”

    Some provincial authorities in the Northeast region are tightening restrictions for travellers coming from areas with a high number of Covid-19 cases. The Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima, known as Korat, is now requiring travellers from “red zone” provinces to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Buriram, another province in the region, is requiring passengers flying from Bangkok, which is classified…

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  • Covid-19 NewsNew restrictions in place, get ready for additional screening at airports | VIDEO

    New restrictions in place, get ready for additional screening at airports | VIDEO

    Good morning and sawasdee krub from the Phuket Domestic Terminal. Additional restrictions announced today in relation to the 28 provincial red zones are now in affect. You can read the latest about these restrictions here… https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/update-new-restrictions-come-into-force-in-thailand-from-today Keep up to date with all the latest Covid restrictions and changes to our lives here in Thailand at thethaiger.com

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  • Covid-19 NewsUPDATE: New restrictions come into force in Thailand from today

    UPDATE: New restrictions come into force in Thailand from today

    Some new restrictions have been introduced and others tightened as the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the latest list of restrictions taking effect from today. The latest list was published in the Royal Gazette yesterday and are now in force. On Friday the BMA suggested that restaurants in Bangkok may be prevented from providing in house dining, and providing take…

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  • Visa InformationBritish arrivals ‘on hold’ after family confirmed with B117 Covid strain

    British arrivals ‘on hold’ after family confirmed with B117 Covid strain

    In their latest proposal, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health will request the CCSA to defer the entry of British visitors to the country after evidence of the faster-spreading B117 strain (aka. the “G strain”) of Covid-19 was found in 4 British travellers arriving in Thailand on December 21. Over 30 countries have reported cases of the highly-transmissible UK variant of…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSchools closed in 28 Thai provinces

    Schools closed in 28 Thai provinces

    Thailand’s Ministry of Education is closing all schools in 28 ‘highly controlled red zone’ provinces until January 31, or until further notice. The statement was released over the weekend and applies to all education institutions and both “informal and formal, public or private” schools. Parents should contact their schools to find out about alternative online teaching arrangements for affected schools. Here’s…

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  • Covid-19 News541 additional Covid-19 infections announced for Samut Sakhon, mostly migrant workers

    541 additional Covid-19 infections announced for Samut Sakhon, mostly migrant workers

    On top of the numbers of new infections announced earlier today – some 315 both local and imported cases – the province of Samut Sakhon has reported 541 additional Covid-19 infections this afternoon afternoon. Most of them are migrant workers from the local seafood industry. The Mahachai Shrimp Market on the coast of Samut Sakhon, just south west of Bangkok,…

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  • Economy NewsVandals target US politicians over pandemic relief package

    Vandals target US politicians over pandemic relief package

    Vandals have targeted the homes of US politicians over a hotly-debated $900 billion pandemic relief aid package. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi saw their homes littered with graffiti, fake blood and a pig’s head. “Were’s [sic] my money” and “Mitch kills the poor” graced McConnell’s front door and window in Louisville, Kentucky,…

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  • Thailand NewsCovid hotspot Samut Sakhon adds 541 more Covid cases to today’s total

    Covid hotspot Samut Sakhon adds 541 more Covid cases to today’s total

    Thailand’s Covid hotspot of Samut Sakhon is adding 541 more Covid cases to the total amount of infections reported today. On the province’s Facebook page, it says 455 migrant workers and 86 Thais were found this afternoon to be infected with Covid-19, raising the total amount of cases in the province to 2,401 since the 2nd wave broke out in…

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  • Thailand NewsChonburi adds 62 more local transmissions today of Covid-19

    Chonburi adds 62 more local transmissions today of Covid-19

    Chonburi province has added 62 more cases of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases to the total amount of cases reported today in Thailand this afternoon. The accumulative confirmed cases in this new cluster of infections has now reached 305 patients with 1 death. Of the newly confirmed cases, 50 were discovered in the Si Racha district, 7 in Banglamung, 2 in…

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