Month: July 2021
- Transport News
Phuket taxi meeting: 20% fare cut, but doesn’t address gouging
The Phuket Office of the Public Relations Department has tried to paint a win for a meeting regarding overcharging taxis in the Phuket Sandbox, though the resolutions seem unrelated to the problem. During the meeting, taxi drivers agreed to a 20% discount for all fares until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic but did not address the problem of complaints…
Read More » - World News
COVID: Public frustration grows as cases surge in Thailand
Public trust in Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s government has reached new lows as the number of daily coronavirus infections spikes and the death toll rises. Confidence in Prayut’s regime was again undermined last week, following a leaked Health Ministry document that included a recommendation against giving health care workers an additional shot of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine. Administering the vaccine,…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Troubled vaccine registration site replaced by hospitals
Abraham Lincoln famously advised people not to change horses midstream, but with the ever-changing vaccine rollout, the Thai government seems intent on test-driving the entire herd in the middle of the flood. A Tourism Authority of Thailand press release today confirmed the Department of Disease Control announcement of yet another new Covid-19 vaccine registration plan for foreigners. After the Thailand…
Read More » - World News
Taliban advances in Afghanistan give Kashmir militants a boost
As the NATO mission in Afghanistan approaches its end after a two-decade-long war, the uncertain prospects for the war-ravaged nation are raising security concerns in India. Policymakers in New Delhi are mulling over the implications for the disputed territory of Kashmir and calibrating ways to ensure that a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan wouldn’t embolden militancy in the region. Multiple reports…
Read More » - World News
Cannes: Film highlights societal sexism in Bangladesh
A new film screened at the 74th Cannes International Film Festival highlights widespread sexism and dangers for women in Bangladesh. The film, “Rehana Maryam Noor,” is based on the story of a woman who comes from a society where sexism and gender-based abuse is the norm. The movie also breaks ground for the Bangladeshi film industry, as the country’s first…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand ranked 3rd to last worldwide on Covid-19 handling
In a display of just how far you can fall, Thailand, once ranked as one of the top countries in the world for Covid-19 handling is now almost at the bottom of the rankings, number 118 out of 120. The Nikkei Asia Covid-19 recovery index calculated data from 120 countries worldwide and ranked Thailand third from last. The study combines…
Read More » - Crime News
3 foreigners arrested operating unlicensed Koh Phangan spa
Police in Koh Phangan arrested 2 Russian men and an American woman in a raid at a health spa following complaints from locals of illegal activities and Covid-19 restriction violations. They are accused of a range of charges relating to the legality of the business, though the information is unclear if they face any charges for breaking any Covid-19 rules.…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 75 deaths; new infections in all 77 provinces
A record high of 75 Covid-related deaths was reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 2,462. An uptick of 7,058 new Covid-19 infections was recorded today with new cases in all of Thailand’s 77 provinces. The latest and most severe wave of the virus continues to rise due to the spread…
Read More » - Thailand News
Laos Covid-19 cases rise as migrant workers return from Thailand
Covid-19 cases in Laos has spiked, reportedly due to migrant workers returning home from Thailand, bringing the virus with them. In Thailand’s latest wave of infections over the past several months, many of the workers had lost their jobs while others returned to their home country to flee from lockdown restrictions at construction camps and factories, primarily in Bangkok. Covid-19…
Read More » - Thailand News
Pathum Thani governor donates 3 months’ salary to help residents during pandemic
The governor of Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, is donating 3 months of his salary to support the community as Covid-19 cases rise. An announcement was recently made on a Facebook page run by the provincial government saying governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum donated his salary to help Pathum Thani residents. A Covid-19 hotline has been set up to help those…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Foreign Covid-19 case had Sinopharm, domestic infections bigger concern
More information is coming out now about the first Phuket Sandbox traveller to be infected with Covid-19 yesterday. The man from the United Arab Emirates was fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine more than 7 months ago and had tested negative before boarding his flight to Phuket. But while infections from abroad make headlines, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Lockdown meetings, petition for better vaccines, Covid surge | July 8
With the trend definitely heading in the wrong directions, 7,058 new infections and 75 Covid-related deaths were announced today by the CCSA. The National Security Council and the CCSA who have now openly canvassed the possibility of a further lockdown in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Over 200,000 people, including Thai doctors, have signed a petition demanding the government purchase more…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
CCSA to consider travel restrictions, other disease control measures
Travel restrictions are likely to be imposed over the next few days. The Public Health Ministry is proposing stricter measures, including limits on interprovincial travel, to control the spread of the Covid-19 following the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is set to meet tomorrow morning and discuss disease control measures. Along with limits…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Man in Chon Buri province arrested while allegedly trying to deliver drugs
A man was arrested in the central Thai province Chon Buri for possessing methamphetamine and yaba pills. 24 year old Nawin Triupot was arrested in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri as he was allegedly making a drug run to clients. Police seized 159.54 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 1,615 methamphetamine pills (yaba) on Nawin. The alleged drug businessman is…
Read More » - Environment News
Chemicals being used to prevent further fires at Samut Prakan factory
Today, 2 chemicals are being employed to help prevent more fires from breaking out at the Ming Dih Chemical factory, in Samut Prakan, says the Department of Pollution Control. The chemicals being used are the F-500 encapsulator agent and Diethyl hydroxylamine, or DEHA. F-500 stops the styrene monomer from igniting and evaporating. DEHA halts polymerisation wherein reacting monomer molecules join…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Woman infected with Covid-19 dies at home after waiting 6 days for hospital treatment
A 50 year old woman infected with Covid-19 died at her home in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district after waiting for nearly a week for a hospital bed to become available. She died at 3am yesterday morning, just hours before an ambulance was scheduled to take her and her infected family members to the hospital, a source told the Bangkok Post.…
Read More » - Tourism News
Phuket Sandbox growing with 33 airlines requesting flights
The Phuket Sandbox is slowly bringing international travellers back to Thailand, and while it’s had a few problems, signs indicate that confidence is growing in the scheme. With El Al, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways bringing in flights from the Middle East, Singapore Airlines connecting people in Southeast Asia, and Thai Airways operating 5 flights from Europe, international flights are…
Read More » - Technology News
Gaming laptops you should consider buying in 2021
The top gaming laptops rankings changes every year. Gone are the days where gaming laptops were desktop replacements, with multiple power bricks, clunky chassis, and RGB lighting galore. Today, the powerful specs are packed in sleeker and slimmer builts so that you can enjoy a superb gaming experience and unbeatable portability. Some of them even rival the best Ultrabooks for…
Read More » - Thailand News
Pair arrested in Pattaya for allegedly running “romance scam”
More people have been arrested for involvement in an alleged “romance scam”. This time the suspects were busted in the Pattaya area. The man, Robinson Ibuka Ade, from Nigeria, and Thidarat Biraban, a Thai national, were arrested recently on charges of joining to commit fraud and importing forged data into a computer system. Police seized 148,00 baht and $2,000 US…
Read More » - Thailand News
Machinist in Nonthaburi arrested for allegedly making, selling guns
Today, a factory machinist in Nonthaburi, a province north of Bangkok, was arrested for allegedly, illegally making, modifying, and selling guns out of a worker’s dormitory. Prajak Phoonphian, a 39 year old factory machinist was arrested early this morning after CSD police, acting on a warrant searched his dormitory at a lathe plant in the Pak Kret district in Nonthaburi.…
Read More » - Thailand News
Pattaya school for the blind struggling, requests public’s help
Some students are learning online at their homes but they don’t have the basic tools they need to learn A Pattaya school for the blind is reportedly struggling under the Covid pandemic as tourists and visitors that usually assisted the school in their charity and other efforts are now scarce. The school says they need mobile phones and computers to…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
UPDATE: PM calls for urgent meeting, expected to discuss “lockdown” measures
UPDATE: The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting set for 10am tomorrow will address the “worsening situation” in Thailand, according to spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the daily CCSA meeting in English. Natapanu says the media has been “predicting the results” of the meeting, but he assures the public that there will not be…
Read More » - Thailand News
Hundreds wait outside Bangkok temple overnight for Covid test
Use the rapid antigen test to speed up testing. Last night, hundreds of people waited outside a Bangkok temple for a free Covid test that began this morning. Like an anxiety-ridden new shoe launch, crowds of people were photographed outside the Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat temple in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district. Testing began at 8 am and the queuestarted…
Read More » - Thailand News
Man believes prostitute pickpocketed him in Pattaya
Last night, a German man lodged a complaint with police about his suspicion that a prostitute pickpocketed him. 68 year old Thomas Hatesaul alerted police at 11:30 pm that he was robbed on Soi 13/1 Pattaya Beach Road in Nongprue. He told police that he was walking by himself, to relax when he was approached by a woman. Thomas says…
Read More » - Crime News
Alleged leaders of a drug cartel in Germany arrested in Phuket and Koh Pha Ngan
The suspected leaders of a European drug trafficking network arrested by Thai police this week had reportedly been living in Thailand for several years as fugitives. Reports say German officials had filed an Interpol red notice for their arrest in a crackdown where 20 people allegedly involved in the drug trafficking operation were arrested in Germany. Allegedly, they were trafficking…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
“Mastermind” arrested for posing as doctor, “selling” vaccines
A man, and what some media reports are calling a “mastermind”, has been arrested for allegedly selling (or not selling) vaccines through a Line App. The man was apprehended yesterday in the central Thai province of Saraburi. Police arrested 26 year old Weerasak Suksamdang near the TPI Polene building. They charged Weerasak with fraud and computer crimes. The suspect denied…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya looks into September reopening despite uptick in Covid-19 infections
Despite the uptick in Covid-19 infections, Pattaya is planned to reopen to foreign arrivals, possibly in September, under a scheme similar to Phuket and the trio of islands off Surat Thani, where tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter without undergoing a 14-day quarantine. Yesterday, Pattaya City Mayor Sonthaya Khunplume met with the deputy mayors and those in the…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Thai property questions answered, Bangkok lockdown mulled, Latest covid update
Today Tim and Bill talk with Arina Kaiser and Mike Kenner all things related to property ownership in Thailand, and the ways we find properties to rent and buy. We look at the latest covid updates and what looks like a possible lockdown incoming for Bangkok. Welcome to our LIVE broadcast @ The Intercontinental Phuket Resort, Kamala. Drop in and…
Read More » - Technology News
The best smartphones you should consider buying in 2021
In 2021, buying the right phone for you means finding something that can last you a few years. The smartphone world is highly competitive, with tech giants like Apple and Samsung constantly trying to outdo each other with the most impressive phones. The good news is, the competition gives us numerous great options to choose from at a wide range…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Over 200,000 sign petition calling for mRNA vaccines
Over 200,000 people, including prominent Thai doctors and medical practitioners, have signed a petition demanding the government purchase more effective vaccines and administer them for free. A petition from the Mor Mai Thon (Doctors Won’t Tolerate It) group has been signed by 215,409 medical practitioners, calling on the government to purchase mRNA vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that the campaign was run…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid-19 update: 7,058 new infections, 75 deaths
Thailand records a depressing new high today, with a record 7,058 new infections and 75 Covid-related deaths. 68 infections are from Thai prisons. This is the highest number of new cases and deaths this month, as concern grows over the highly contagious Delta variant, which is expected to become the dominant strain in the Kingdom by the end of the…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
Koh Samui hopes to attract 2,000 tourists in first month of re-opening
The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui is paying great attention to how the Phuket sandbox scheme unfolds and hoping it succeeds. According to a Bangkok Post report, Ratchaporn Poolsawadee says the Samui Plus scheme could attract 2,000 guests in its first month if some rules can be eased. “Besides the virus situation on our islands and the…
Read More » - Environment News
Residents near burned-out factory return home, environmental concerns remain
The Pollution Control Department has confirmed that residents within 2 – 5 kilometres of a factory that burnt down in the central province of Samut Prakan can now return home. The air quality in the surrounding area has been tested and deemed safe. However, a number of environmental concerns remain. According to a Bangkok Post report, governor Wanchai Kongkasem says…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Lockdown not out of the question: CCSA
Will they, won’t they – it’s the question on everyone’s lips as Bangkok residents wait to hear if officials will lock down the capital in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Natthapol Nakpanich from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has not ruled it out, saying the CCSA is prepared to consider all options as new cases…
Read More » - World News
Coronavirus digest: WHO puts death toll at 4 million
The global death toll from the coronavirus had reached 4 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. The UN’s health agency called on governments to be cautious in lifting measures aimed at combating the pandemic. “The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, saying the latest toll was an underestimate…
Read More » - World News
Anger and tears over shooting of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries
“Your work is not finished, Peter R. de Vries. Keep fighting,” says 61-year-old Renate Tjon-Fo who is standing in front of the rows of flowers placed where Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries was shot on Tuesday night. Television crews and journalists from across the world gather outside the studio of RTL Boulevard, a popular Dutch daily television program.…
Read More » - World News
Anger and tears over shooting of Dutch crime reporter Robert R. de Vries
“Your work is not finished, Peter R. de Vries. Keep fighting,” says 61-year-old Renate Tjon-Fo who is standing in front of the rows of flowers placed where Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries was shot on Tuesday night. Television crews and journalists from across the world gather outside the studio of RTL Boulevard, a popular Dutch daily television program.…
Read More »
