Month: July 2021
- Politics
Facebook fake news post suggesting a coup faces prosecution
While pressure has been mounting against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a Facebook user posted a false claim that an army had captured the Prime Minister and is staging a coup and is now facing charges. The story was posted midday yesterday and seemed to detail a coup attempt, alleging that 300 military members from Lop Buri were already holding PM Prayut…
Read More » - Koh Samui
Samui Covid-19: 14 new Black Club infections, 2nd cluster
[UPDATE 9 pm: Information on Black Club staff with Covid-19 has been updated, as well as Bangkok Airways Samui flight cancellations and Bangkok Hospital bed shortage details.] The emergence of Covid-19 in Koh Samui has caused some upheaval for the residents as more infections and more details are revealed each day. 14 new infections were diagnosed today on the island,…
Read More » - Thailand
40,000 cases a day could happen by September, says projection
Earlier this month, research by a professor from Mahidol University said worst-case scenario, Thailand could see 32,000 cases a day in a couple of months’ time. Now, according to a projection from the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand could see over 40,000 cases and 500 deaths per day if restrictions are not stringently followed/enforced and all inhabitants give their full…
Read More » - Phuket
Phuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week
35 new Covid-19 infections pushed rolling 7-day total in Phuket to 209, more than doubling the feared 90 per week that would trigger Sandbox reconsideration according to the original official plans. When the total first passed the 90 infection threshold and surpassed 100, the Department of Disease Control declared that the overall situation was still far from critical and the…
Read More » - Thailand
Prayut says he will not resign, warns politicians to behave
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says he will not answer the reoccurring call for him to resign, neither will he dissolve the House as Thailand’s Covid situation continues to worsen. The PM also cautioned politicians against exploiting the crisis, and/or inciting hatred which he says will only make the situation worse. The recondite hatred statement mirrors a statement from government…
Read More » - Thailand
Bangkok Train market to possibly close for good
It has recently been reported that the immensely popular Ratchada night market/AKA the Train market located in Bangkok, will possibly close for good. The train market, which enjoyed patronage from both farangs/and Thais alike was previously closed due to restrictions with the goal of curbing Covid infections. Now, however, it seems the market will close permanently. Vendors have already reportedly…
Read More » - Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Border between Kanchanaburi and Myanmar closed until…
Kanchanaburi, a western Thai province, has been ordered to close its border with Myanmar, effective Monday. The border will stay closed until further notice. The closure is a precaution against people fleeing the deteriorating Covid situation in the nearby country. The order comes from Kanchanaburi’s governor, Jirakiart Phumisawat. Myanmar’s healthcare system is reportedly in shambles, a result of mass arrests…
Read More » - Thailand
Covid UPDATE: 18,912 infections, provincial totals
Today the Public Health department has announced 18,912 new infections and 178 Covid-related deaths for the past 24 hours around Thailand. There were 810 cases from Thai prisons. Today’s totals are a new record for daily cases since the start of the pandemic. Here are today’s provincial totals for the past 24 hours… • 10,678 patients were released from medical…
Read More » - Coronavirus (Covid-19)
PCD says don’t throw away used masks in water bottles after infections linked to bottles
Don’t discard your used face masks in water bottles is the advice the Pollution Control Department wants the public to heed after 20 people tested positive for Covid in Nakhon Ratchasima/Kora, a northeastern Thai province. The department says the infections stem from virus ridden water bottles. Atthapol Charoenchansa, the PCD director general, says a plethora of face masks have been…
Read More » - Thailand
Government says it’s okay to criticise them, if it’s fact based
It’s okay to criticise the government, such as the Health Minister who recently suggested huge crowds of people were an optical illusion. It is also okay to demand the government get more vaccines, and faster, as long the criticisms are based on facts, said government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri and the Deputy Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek, yesterday. The recent government order forbidding…
Read More » - Thailand
Bangkok volunteer group “Sai Mai Will Survive” overwhelmed with calls
Covid infected people in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district are reportedly desperate for help. A volunteer group, “Sai Mai Will Survive”, which assists the area, is being inundated with calls for assistance. The group gets around 100 calls a day asking for assistance. Sai Mai Will Survive was established during the first wave of Covid in Thailand. At that time, the…
Read More » - Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Phuket reservations slow down for August
Reservation bookings in the Phuket/Phuket Sandbox are slowing down for August amidst speeding up Covid cases on the island. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, an official from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says hotel reservations for August has gone down by 5% over the last couple of days. As of Thursday, a person shy of 13,000 people had visited Phuket. 30 travellers tested…
Read More » - Thailand
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 18,912 infections, news briefs
Today the Public Health department has announced 18,912 new infections and 178 Covid-related deaths for the past 24 hours around Thailand. There were 810 cases from Thai prisons. Today’s totals are a new record for daily cases since the start of the pandemic. We will announce the provincial totals just after lunch, Thai time. • 10,678 patients were released from…
Read More » - Drugs
Police nab 600kg heroin drug bust, year’s biggest in Northeast
The largest haul of heroin in Thailand’s Northeast region this year was intercepted today when authorities impounded 600 kilogrammes of compressed heroin in Nakhon Phanom. The chief of Provincial Police Region 4 confirmed that the stash with a street value of at least 2 billion baht was seized late last night by local police in possession of a suspected drug…
Read More » - Koh Samui
Koh Samui unaccustomed to Covid-19, many act in dismay
Koh Samui is not accustomed to Covid-19 worries and has been rocked by the outbreak this week as many locals struggle to cope with the first significant cluster on the island. So far 40 Covid-19 infections have been identified from the Black Bamboo Club cluster, and several other seemingly unrelated infections had popped up also. A few more bars have…
Read More » - Thailand
Bangkok Airways extends flight suspension to August 11
In a post to Facebook this afternoon, Bangkok Airways announced that they will be extending the suspension of their domestic flights until August 11. They will ground all flights except flights connected to the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus international reopening programs. The announcement comes following Covid-19 outbreaks in both Koh Samui and Phuket that threaten the international programs and…
Read More » - Thailand
7 Jomtien Beach curfew breakers arrested
Last night in Pattaya, 7 people were arrested near the popular Jomtien Beach. The 7 were reportedly out after the mandatory curfew that lasts from 9 pm to 4 am. Chon Buri Provincial police and Pattaya City Police had established a nighttime/early morning checkpoint and were also patrolling the area along Jomtien beach around 10 pm. On their patrol, police…
Read More » - Thailand
Buri Ram pig stable converted into gambling den: 22 arrests follow
Recently, the northeastern Thai province Buri Ram had a gambling den busted. It reportedly used to be a pig stable, but forward thinking/criminal-minded residents had renovated it to allegedly serve as a gambling den. Police arrested 22 people. 53 year old “Chakrabongse” and 21 associates were arrested. Reportedly, they were sitting close together and no one was wearing a mask.…
Read More » - Thailand
“Fake news” banned, Thai media say order infringes on freedoms
The Thai government is cracking down on so-called “fake news.” An order was published in the Royal Gazette banning the distribution of false information that causes public fear or misunderstanding that could affect national stability. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the measure is intended to make sure false content spread online doesn’t undermine the government’s management of the pandemic. Thai media…
Read More » - Phuket
Precarious Phuket: open internationally, closed domestically
Phuket has become like one island but 2 different worlds, depending on your vantage point. A look at the news over the past few days has been a dizzying mix of the Phuket Sandbox pushing forward, some successes in statistically low Covid-19 infection and death, especially compared to the rest of Thailand, a green light for the Sandbox to continue…
Read More » - Best of
Top 5 tattoo parlours Bangkok
Are you looking for the best tattoo parlours in Bangkok? Look no further! Below, we’ve listed the best tattoo parlours in the capital. Bangkok is not only a top holiday destination for its glimmering temples, bustling market, and energetic nightlife, but it’s also one of Asia’s top tattoo destinations. Thailand’s cultural traditions vary, and body art is one of them.…
Read More » - World
Duterte approves lockdown measures for Manila
The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, AKA Rody, or “The Punisher”, or “Duterte Harry”, has approved lockdown measures in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, today. The move is an effort to thwart the spread of the Delta variant and to protect the country’s medical system. Earlier in the week, Duterte expressed his lack of enthusiasm for lockdowns, framing…
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