Month: January 2021
- Crime News
Methamphetamine worth 51 million baht found washed up on Koh Samui beach
Packages of crystal methamphetamine worth around 51 million baht were found washed up on Koh Samui’s Hat Koh Taen beach yesterday. Police suspect the drugs are from a vessel which sank off the coast of Vietnam while carrying a large shipment of drugs. Police say 100 kilograms of methamphetamine was found on the coast of Vietnam on December 10. Just…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Celebrity’s birthday “Covid-19 cluster” organisers and partygoers may face charges
With more infections linked to the “birthday party Covid-19 cluster” and some concealing their timeline, the Disease Control Department is urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to take legal action against people involved. Thai media are calling it a “super spreader” party. So far, 26 cases are linked to the birthday event for the 33 year old Thai actor Techin Ploypetch, aka…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says 19 million people will be vaccinated in the first phase of immunisations
After criticism that the Thai government is taking too long to start mass Covid-19 immunisation, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that 19 million people will be vaccinated in the first phase of inoculations starting next month. Vulnerable groups and frontline workers in areas at the highest risk of infection are first priority. Out of the 19 million people to be vaccinated…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Norwegian man arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly faking Certificate of Entry
Thai immigration police arrested a Norwegian man at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport for allegedly faking his Certificate of Entry, a document issued by the Thai Embassy to allow foreigners to enter Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic. The man presented the document to immigration officers at the Bangkok airport. Officers were suspicious and contacted the Royal Thai Embassy in Oslo, Norway who then…
Read More » - World News
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, erupts
The most active volcano in Indonesia, Mount Merapi, erupted yesterday, shooting rocks and a cloud of ash into the sky and streaming a river of lava down the side. Local residents within 5 kilometres of the volcano evacuated the area due to the risk of lava flows reaching the roads. Officials say the sounds from the eruption could be heard…
Read More » - Thailand News
Around 9,000 people to face charges for allegedly defrauding travel subsidy scheme
Around 9,000 people will face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding the “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme which was launched to stimulate the economy and to help hotels and restaurants that were struggling after the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk says the police plan to prosecute around 9,000 people for conspiring with…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 756 new Covid-19 cases
756 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,858 active cases. The CCSA has reported a total of 16,221 cases and 76 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year. The spike in cases over the past few days is due to a mass testing campaign in Samut…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
China starts using anal swab tests to detect Covid-19 infections
A Covid-19 nasal swab test isn’t pleasant. Many will say the long stick inserted deep inside the nasal cavity feels like it’s hitting their brain. A method arguably much more discomforting is now being used in some cities in China… an anal swab test. And, they say, it’s more effective at detecting a coronavirus infection. After a Covid-19 infection was…
Read More » - Thailand News
Restaurants to serve alcohol again, other restrictions to be eased
Go out and grab a beer this weekend… but at a restaurant. Bars in “red zones” are still closed. Restaurants will be able to go back to serving alcohol and can offer dine-in services until 11pm. The restrictions on restaurants, put in place to limit gathering to potentially prevent the spread of Covid-19, are being eased in all provinces except…
Read More » - Thailand News
Ask The Thais | Road deaths, dating foreigners, and is ‘farang’ racist?
Ask The Thais” is a new segment on The Thaiger where we ask some of our Thai staff to explain some of the unusual and sometimes inexplicable little nuances of Thai culture. You have a question? Send it in and we’ll get our MUCH BETTER LOOKING Thai staff to explain, from a Thai youth perspective, some of their culture and…
Read More » - Thailand News
111 people arrested at Koh Pha Ngan party for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions
Police raided a party in Koh Pha Ngan and arrested 111 on charges of violating Covid-19 disease control measures under the Emergency Decree. Immigration police and tourist police raided the event at Three Sixty Bar, a venue on a hilltop near Mae Haad Beach on the island known for its 360 degree view. Out of the 111 people arrested, 89…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Massage shops and spas in Chon Buri get the “okay” to reopen
Massage shops and spas as well as other similar venues in Chon Buri will be allowed to reopen after being closed for nearly a month due to strict Covid-19 control measures. Massage and spa workers gathered earlier this week, calling on the government to allow their businesses to reopen. Along with massage shops and spas, tattoo studios and beauty clinics…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Restrictions on Bangkok and Pattaya to be lifted? | January 27
A trailer truck has driven into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and critically injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s main city district. Luckily rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people…
Read More » - Thailand News
Bangkok Airways to resume 2 domestic flights
Bangkok Airways will resume Bangkok-Trat and Bangkok-Sukothai roundtrip flights on Monday after being suspended for 3 weeks due to Covid-19. Some flights will remain suspended until March 27. Starting on Monday, Bangkok Airways will offer roundtrip flights for 7 destinations: Bangkok – Samui Bangkok – Phuket Bangkok – Krabi Bangkok – Lampang Bangkok – Chiang Mai Bangkok – Trat route…
Read More » - Thailand News
House votes to remove kratom from Thailand’s narcotics list
The Thai House of Representatives voted to remove the plant kratom from the Thailand’s narcotics list and classify it as a controlled substance to be used for medicinal purposes. Kratom, a plant in the coffee family, is known for its relaxing effects and has been used in traditional medicine. In a 319-7 vote, with 3 abstentions, the House agreed to…
Read More » - Thailand News
Hotels and restaurants raided, 50 arrested for allegedly cheating “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme
Several hotels and restaurants in Phuket and Chaiyaphum were raided this morning and 50 people were arrested for allegedly stealing from the government subsidy scheme “We Travel Together.” The scheme was launched to help businesses that were financially hit by the lack of tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic and to stimulate the battered economy. Last month, the Tourism Authority of…
Read More » - Thailand News
27 migrants allegedly disguised as monks arrested on illegal entry charges, Bangkok abbot under investigation
Immigration police arrested 27 Cambodians for allegedly entering Thailand illegally and impersonating Buddhist monks. Police say the migrants allegedly disguised themselves as Buddhist monks at Wat Talom in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district. The temple’s abbot is also under investigation for allegedly assisting and hiding illegal migrants. Police searched the temple after receiving a tip that hundreds of monks lived in…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phuket eases restrictions, bars back to late-night hours
Things are getting back to normal in Phuket. The provincial government eased disease control restrictions, allowing restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to go back to their normal operating hours – no more midnight closure order – and lifting the late-night alcohol ban. While bars can now stay open late and serve alcohol after midnight, dancing is prohibited and venues cannot…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid-19 death toll exceeds 100,000 in the UK, government mulls quarantine for travellers
With the Covid-19 death toll exceeding 100,000 in the United Kingdom, the British government is considering a mandatory hotel quarantine for visitors entering the country. A quarantine system is considered to be an effective way to limit virus transmission and stop new coronavirus variants from spreading into the country. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with senior officials in a…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 819 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death
819 new Covid-19 cases and 1 new death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand has reported a total of 15,465 cases and 76 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year. There are now 4,335 active Covid-19 cases and many patients are asymptomatic, according to deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign…
Read More » - World News
Mass Covid-19 immunisation in poor countries could take until 2024
While developed countries, like those in the European Union, are likely to vaccinate most of the population within the next year, most poor countries won’t be able to reach mass Covid-19 immunisation until 2024, according to an analysis from the Economist Intelligence Unit. 84 of the world’s poorest countries will not receive enough vaccinations to reach herd immunity within the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Truck driver crashes into accident scene, severely injuring police officer
A trailer truck drove into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and severely injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s Muang district. Rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people were being treated…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Chon Buri could be removed from “red zone” list, tourists expected to flock to Pattaya
After several consecutive days without a local Covid-19 case, Chon Buri might soon be removed from the government’s list of “red zones” for high risk of Covid-19. Once lockdown restrictions are eased, the coastal province expects to have an influx of tourists to Pattaya. The province has been under strict disease control measures and is classified as one of the…
Read More » - Food
CCSA mulls the easing of Covid-19 restrictions
Late night diners rejoice. Your option to eat all that great Thai food around the country looks to be back on the table as the government looks to lift some of the current restrictions on dining and business operating hours. Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced that they’re likely to lift restrictions on dining, currently set…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Air pollution reaches “unhealthy” levels in Thailand’s north and northeast
18 provinces in Thailand’s north and northeast are being hit by a wave of smoke and air pollution as the burning season kicks in for the country’s agricultural sector. The next 2 months are the peak of the burning off season for agricultural waste as farmers prepare their land for the next crops of corn, rice and sugar and use…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai DJ Celebrity party is likely to be “super spreader” event
The birthday party of Techin Ploypetch, better known as “DJ Matoom”, is now considered a super-spreader source of Covid-19, with 19 people already found infected after attending the event. According the CCSA spokesperson during the daily briefing today, “Transmissions in Bangkok should be highlighted. They show the possibility of a person becoming a super-spreader”. The birth of the super spreader birthday…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Thailand’s vaccination roll-out | January 26
Bangkok restaurants may soon be allowed to stay open a little later. Health officials are considering easing up Covid-19 prevention measures by extending restaurant dine-in closing times to 11pm. If the proposal gets the green light, it may lead to the lifting of the alcohol ban. After the order of shutting entertainment venues and banning alcohol sales in Bangkok, Samut…
Read More » - Environment News
Owners of vehicles emitting black smoke to be fined up to 5,000 baht
Owners of cars and trucks emitting an excessive amount of black smoke face a fine up to 5,000 baht. The heavy fine is an attempt to reduce air pollution in Bangkok. Along with the fine, the Department of Land Transport will also order the vehicle be suspended from use until its emission system is fixed. According to the department, from…
Read More » - World News
Moderna vaccine is proved ‘protective’ against Covid-19 variants
As fear over new variants of Covid-19 had prompted the travel restrictions to tighten worldwide, the United States biotech firm Moderna announced that its vaccine should protect against the variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Latest studies on the efficacy of Moderna vaccines confirmed that the vaccines are effective and protective against new variants. The company will…
Read More » - World News
Florida is ready to host Olympics if Tokyo draws back
If Tokyo backs out of hosting the Olympics, Florida might step in. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rescheduled for this July. With a fairly unpredictable future, Tokyo could back out of its plan to host the Olympics. Florida’s chief financial officer says the Sunshine State is ready. The CFO, Jimmy Patronis,…
Read More » - Visa Information
Thailand Retirement and Digital Nomads – Missed visa opportunities | VIDEO
Two visas Thailand should be promoting right now! If there were two more groups, more perfect suited for the Thai lifestyle, I don’t know what they are. Thailand’s immigration laws for long-stays have always been a challenge, retirement is just one of those categories. It would seem like a perfect win win situation to invite people to come and live…
Read More » - Thailand News
Massage workers in Pattaya call for reopening of spas and massages shops
A group of about 50 workers from Pattaya massage shops and spas gathered together to call for the reopening of their businesses after being closed for the past month due to Covid-19 restrictions. The group called themselves the “Pattaya Health Massage” presented a letter signed by 60 massage shops, spas and gyms to Bang Lamung District Sheriff this morning. Chon…
Read More » - Thailand News
16 Thai Navy officials investigated for alleged involvement in drug trafficking
The Royal Thai Navy is investigating 16 of its officials for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking operation earlier this month in the Isaan province Nong Khai which borders Laos. If the officials are found guilty, the Navy will immediately take both disciplinary and legal action, according to a spokesperson. Local officials reportedly seized 2 million amphetamine tablets and 116…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 959 new Covid-19 cases, most detected in proactive case finding
Breaking Thailand’s record for highest daily spike in coronavirus cases, 959 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,679 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, Thailand has reported a total of 14,646 cases and 75 coronavirus-related deaths. The majority of new cases were found in proactive case…
Read More » - Crime News
Police arrest man suspected of producing ketamine drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths
In the ongoing investigation into the ketamine-based drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths in Bangkok, police arrested a man who allegedly mixed large amounts of narcotics to make the drug cocktail known as “K powdered milk.” Police say the cocktail is ketamine mixed with methamphetamine, heroin and pharmaceutical pills for anxiety and sleeping. 38 year old Taiwan national Chou Yi…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Samut Sakhon speeds up proactive Covid-19 screening to test at least 60,000 people this week
Proactive Covid-19 testing in Samut Sakhon is increasing and health officials now aim to test at least 60,000 people this week. Medical officials from several hospitals are also coming together to help accelerate the screening at different venues in the province. The active case finding in Samut Sakhon, the primary “Covid-19 hotspot” in the new wave of infections, health officials…
Read More » - World News
AstraZeneca says reports of vaccine’s low efficacy among elderly is “completely incorrect”
The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca says reports that its Covid-19 vaccine has an extremely low efficacy among the elderly is “completely incorrect.” German newspapers published articles today reporting that the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has an efficacy less than 10% in those over 65 years old. The economic daily Handelsblatt reported that Berlin estimated the vaccine’s efficacy…
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