Month: July 2021

  • Covid-19 NewsStop buying Sinovac, medical expert tells government

    Stop buying Sinovac, medical expert tells government

    The head of the intensive care unit at Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital says the government must stop purchasing the Sinovac vaccine until it’s been re-formulated to handle variants. According to a Bangkok Post report, respiratory disease expert Manoon Leechawengwongs says Sinovac may be effective at reducing the chance of serious illness and death, but that effectiveness wears off over time. The…

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  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok vaccine timetable adjusted due to crowds, lack of social distancing

    Bangkok vaccine timetable adjusted due to crowds, lack of social distancing

    The vaccination schedule at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station has been adjusted to separate a number of high-risk groups and prevent overcrowding. The Bangkok Post reports that the Department of Medical Services made the change after large numbers arrived to be vaccinated yesterday, making social distancing impossible. The report says a number of people were concerned by the large crowds and,…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSamut Sakhon governor orders officials to break isolation regulations if it saves lives

    Samut Sakhon governor orders officials to break isolation regulations if it saves lives

    As the number of Covid-19 patients at isolation centres grows, the governor of the central province of Samut Sakhon says officials can bend the rules if it saves lives. The current Public Health Ministry rules on isolating patients from their families are aimed at preventing the spread of infection, but governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri says a backlog of infected people at…

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  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 14,575 new cases and 114 deaths

    Friday Covid Update: 14,575 new cases and 114 deaths

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded another 14,575 new Covid-19 cases and 114 coronavirus-related deaths. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 438,844 confirmed infections. Over the past week, daily infections have exceeded 10,000. The uptick was expected by the CCSA due to the emergence…

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  • Thailand NewsTampons reclassified as cosmetics bringing regulation, tax

    Tampons reclassified as cosmetics bringing regulation, tax

    In a story that 50% of people may find insignificant while the other 50% find it infuriating, Thailand has officially reclassified tampons as cosmetics. The plan had been in the works since last month, with Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul signing the original plan June 29, but today’s publishing in the Royal Gazette makes the plan official. The move…

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  • Pattaya NewsMore places closed in new Chon Buri restrictions tonight

    More places closed in new Chon Buri restrictions tonight

    This evening the governor of Chon Buri added to the growing list of Covid-19 restrictions and closures as infections swell in the province and around Thailand. As the province reports hundreds of new infections every day, safety measures and restrictions seem to be implemented nearly daily to attempt to curb the spread. Tonight’s restrictions closed all Chon Buri tourist attractions…

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  • World NewsPegasus spyware: Mexico one of the biggest targets

    Pegasus spyware: Mexico one of the biggest targets

    It was Saturday afternoon when Marcela Turati discovered that she was one of the 25 journalists in Mexico who had been allegedly targeted by Pegasus spyware technology, just hours before an international network of researchers released information about the surveillance project that sent shockwaves around the world. At first, Turati was stunned and couldn’t believe it — but it soon…

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  • Covid-19 NewsYet another update to rules for entering Phuket, new exceptions

    Yet another update to rules for entering Phuket, new exceptions

    Perhaps feeling restless as it had been a day or two since any changes or additions to the constantly evolving rules to enter the Phuket Sandbox had been made, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew issued a new provincial order granting special entry exceptions for certain people. The order would allow qualifying people passing through Phuket briefly to only present one of…

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  • World NewsCOVID, scandals and controversies taint Tokyo Olympics

    COVID, scandals and controversies taint Tokyo Olympics

    The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games stumbled into a new scandal on Thursday, just hours before the official opening event at the new National Stadium, with a senior organizer of the event dismissed for jokes he made in the past about the Holocaust. Kentaro Kobayashi, a comedian and one of the creative directors of Friday evening’s opening ceremony, was fired after…

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  • World NewsEgypt: ‘Facebook Girl’ may be free, but oppression remains rife

    Egypt: ‘Facebook Girl’ may be free, but oppression remains rife

    This week’s Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, brought great news to around 40 detainees in Cairo’s prisons: that they were free to go. Among them were three popular journalists and three human rights activists. However, these releases don’t yet mean they have been acquitted: All 40 still have to appear in court at trials slated for at some time later this…

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  • Covid-19 NewsNonthaburi security guard commits suicide waiting for bed

    Nonthaburi security guard commits suicide waiting for bed

    A septuagenarian security guard hanged himself in his room in Nonthaburi, a province to the north of Bangkok. The Covid infected man was waiting for a hospital bed when he killed himself. The man’s body was found this morning. A public health volunteer, 51 year old Parisa Phuwanartsupakit, found 73 year old Chao Singtordead on his 4th floor balcony in…

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  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Bodies in BKK streets, interprovincial travel curbed, prison surge

    Thailand News Today | Bodies in BKK streets, interprovincial travel curbed, prison surge

    Netizens are slamming Bangkok police, claiming that the bodies of 3 men who died separately on the streets of the capital were left uncollected for hours. 315 people detained at Khon Kaen Provincial Prison tested positive for the virus. Recently, police arrested a man for allegedly using Facebook to sell a police badge and a certificate for being a member…

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  • Thailand News3 months of lockdown needed to ease situation, says KKP research

    3 months of lockdown needed to ease situation, says KKP research

    New research by the Kiatnakin Phatra Bank estimates it will take 3 months of having quasi-lockdown measures in place to mitigate the situation. The KKP research says it will take longer to get the situation under control because of the Dela variant, the slow ordering of lockdowns, and the inertia of the mass vaccinations. The think tank says if a…

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  • World NewsThailand: Critics fear crackdown under COVID emergency powers

    Thailand: Critics fear crackdown under COVID emergency powers

    Repeated extensions of Thailand’s emergency legislation have granted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sweeping powers to curb the spread of COVID-19, but critics have warned that these present a risk to civil liberties. “The emergency decree… has granted the prime minister broad powers… and has threatened the right to freedom of expression and access to information which is an integral component…

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  • World NewsPoland and Hungary lash back against EU rule of law report

    Poland and Hungary lash back against EU rule of law report

    Bad faith, blackmail, political attack, double standards: Such were the terms used in reactions from government politicians in Poland and Hungary after the European Union presented its second report on the state of the rule of law in EU member states in Brussels on Tuesday, July 20. The report describes the situation in Poland and Hungary in particular as highly…

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  • Best ofBangkok’s Top 5 Mexican Restaurants with Delivery

    Bangkok’s Top 5 Mexican Restaurants with Delivery

    Mexican food is a favourite for many in Bangkok. With its great sense of spice, colour and seasoning, it’s the ultimate festival of flavours; from spicy, salty to sweet and sour. Fortunately, Bangkok boasts a range of tasty burritos and tacos, as well as quesadillas, enchiladas, and more. These 5 spots feature a variety of Mexican eateries, and while some are more traditional than…

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  • Crime News6,040 amphetamine pills seized at Bangkok airport, package en route to Isreal

    6,040 amphetamine pills seized at Bangkok airport, package en route to Isreal

    In another drug bust at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, 6,040 amphetamine tablets were seized from packages en route to Isreal. Officers searched 2 parcels and found the pills stuffed in the seams of sunhats. The packages had been mailed from Laos, according to Office of Narcotics Control Board secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhol. “The pills were hidden in the seams of sunhats in packages…

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  • Thailand News7 food factories in Kanchanaburi test employees, 100+ test positive

    7 food factories in Kanchanaburi test employees, 100+ test positive

    7 fruit and vegetable processing plants in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province recently performed mass testing on its employees. Over 100 people tested positive for Covid. The active case finding started yesterday. It concentrated on Thai and Burmese workers at the Vita Food Factory and 5 of its subsidiary locations: Vanda Preserved Food, Vanda Factory, Vanda Frozen, Karn Corn and Thai…

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  • Thailand NewsVaccine Jai program aims to fight Covid-19 related suicide

    Vaccine Jai program aims to fight Covid-19 related suicide

    A new campaign has been launched that puts a spotlight on the problem of people driven to suicide as a result of the devastating effects of Covid-19 on life in Thailand now. Vaccine Jai translates literally to a “vaccine for your heart” and is the name of a program created by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation to address Covid-19 related…

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  • Bangkok NewsParks, hair salons and other additional closures in Bangkok until August 2

    Parks, hair salons and other additional closures in Bangkok until August 2

    More venues and businesses in Bangkok are ordered to close for the next couple of weeks to curb the spread of Covid-19. Parks, sports fields and courts, museums, hair salons, barbershops, and tattoo studios must close until August 2. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ordered the closures following a recommendation from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The order, in addition…

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  • World NewsNestle’s “Negrita” cookie to get new, non race based name

    Nestle’s “Negrita” cookie to get new, non race based name

    The multinational food and drink giant Nestle announced yesterday it plans to change the name of a high-selling cookie in Chile, the country on South America’s western edge. The cookie formerly known as “Negrita” will henceforth be called “Chokita”. Negrita translates to “little black person” in Spanish. The packaging also used to include the image of a black woman. It…

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  • World NewsThe EU declares war on money laundering

    The EU declares war on money laundering

    “The rules we have in place to prevent money laundering are among the toughest in the world,” said the vice president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, “but they must also now be systematically applied.” There hasn’t been enough of this in recent years. In practice, many EU member states don’t actually implement the rules or are simply too lax…

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  • Thailand NewsMonkey sneaks into Lop Buri home and steals food from the refrigerator – VIDEO

    Monkey sneaks into Lop Buri home and steals food from the refrigerator – VIDEO

    A monkey was caught sneaking into a home in Thailand’s Lop Buri province and stealing food from the refrigerator. Earlier this week, 59 year old Phimonthip Rungphant walked into her kitchen and found the monkey walking around the room eating her food. She says she had been wondering why her food seemed to be disappearing. Lop Buri is known for…

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  • Thailand News6 people arrested after police raid sex party at Bangkok hotel

    6 people arrested after police raid sex party at Bangkok hotel

    Police raided an apparent sex party at a Bangkok hotel and arrested 6 people. The group was holding a birthday party at a luxury private pool suite at the hotel in the Ram Inthra district. They had apparently stocked up on liquor… and condoms. Officers seized 5 bottles of liquor, 9 bottles of beer, 6 bottles of soda, 2 opened…

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  • Covid-19 NewsWoman with high blood pressure died after mixing vaccines

    Woman with high blood pressure died after mixing vaccines

    A woman with high blood pressure was found dead by her family in her home after the controversial practice of mixing vaccines, receiving one Sinovac vaccine and one AstraZeneca vaccine Monday. The woman from Prachuap Khiri Khan was a 39 year old private tutor before her untimely death. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.…

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  • Thailand News4 small earthquakes rattle Kanchanaburi, no injuries reported

    4 small earthquakes rattle Kanchanaburi, no injuries reported

    4 small earthquakes rattled residents of western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, last night and into this morning. The strongest earthquake was reportedly measured at a 3.7 magnitude. Earthquakes between magnitudes of 2.5 to 5.4 are often felt, but only minor damages occur. The Meteorological Department says the tremors were focused on tambon Khao Jode and that the epicentre was 1-2 kilometres…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: 13,655 new cases and 87 deaths; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 13,655 new cases and 87 deaths; provincial totals

    Another record high of 13,655 new Covid-19 cases and 87 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 424,269 infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 453,132 Covid-19 infections…

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  • Thailand NewsSuphan Buri car accident kills 2, injures 4; all had Covid, 3 knew

    Suphan Buri car accident kills 2, injures 4; all had Covid, 3 knew

    Yesterday, 2 people died and 4 more were injured in a car accident in the central Thai province of Suphan Buri. Thai media says the people were on their way home to receive Covid treatment. A pickup truck carried the 6 relatives on their journey from Bangkok. However, for reasons unknown, it veered off the road and hit a tree…

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  • Thailand News315 inmates at Khon Kaen prison test positive for Covid-19

    315 inmates at Khon Kaen prison test positive for Covid-19

    In a recent Covid-19 outbreak among prison inmates, 315 people detained at Khon Kaen Provincial Prison in the Isaan region tested positive for the virus. The latest and most severe wave spread to many of Thailand’s overcrowded prisons, infecting more than 40,000 inmates over the past several months. Local disease control officials tested inmates at the Khon Kaen prison after…

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  • Bangkok News2 people infected with Covid-19 rally in Bangkok to demand medical care

    2 people infected with Covid-19 rally in Bangkok to demand medical care

    A small group of people, including 2 who claimed they were infected with Covid-19, held a rally outside the Government House in Bangkok yesterday evening, calling for the Thai government to provide proper medical treatment for coronavirus patients. 25 police officers dressed in personal protective equipment, or PPE suits, were called to monitor the rally. Just 7 people attended the…

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  • Thailand NewsSamut Sakhon man allegedly sold police badges on Facebook

    Samut Sakhon man allegedly sold police badges on Facebook

    Recently, police arrested a man for allegedly using Facebook to sell a police badge and a certificate for being a member of the commando police. Reportedly, both the badge and certificate were being sold for 7,000 baht. 35 year old Natchathorn Dechakunaporn was arrested in the central Thai province of Samut Sakhon after he allegedly posted on Facebook through the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsHealth Ministry asks vaccine importers to prepare procurement plans for next year

    Health Ministry asks vaccine importers to prepare procurement plans for next year

    6 Covid-19 vaccine importers have been asked to prepare purchase plans for next year, which should factor in virus mutations. The Public Health Ministry made the request at a meeting with AstraZeneca Thailand, Pfizer Thailand, Zuellig Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, Biogenetech, and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. According to a Nation Thailand report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says an…

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  • Covid-19 NewsAt least 2,700 Covid-19 patients in Bangkok waiting to be admitted

    At least 2,700 Covid-19 patients in Bangkok waiting to be admitted

    The director of Bangkok’s Erawan Centre says there are at least 2,700 Covid-19 patients waiting to be sent to pre-admission centres. According to Pornthep Saeheng, the centre’s main role is to have all patients, whether seriously ill, asymptomatic, or experiencing mild symptoms, sent to 25 pre-admission centres across the capital. Patients who are moderately or seriously ill will be admitted…

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  • Covid-19 NewsStudy finds 2 doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca effective against Delta strain

    Study finds 2 doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca effective against Delta strain

    A study published yesterday shows that 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine or 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are almost as effective against the rapid-spreading Delta variant as they are against the Alpha variant. In Thailand, the AstraZeneca vaccine is being produced locally and is the primary vaccine being used in the nationwide Covid-19 immunisation campaign. Thailand recently approved…

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  • Covid-19 NewsSingapore forced to re-introduce stricter measures as Covid-19 cases rise

    Singapore forced to re-introduce stricter measures as Covid-19 cases rise

    Singapore has had to re-introduce a number of disease prevention measures in response to a rise in community infections in the city state. TTR Weekly reports that a number of restrictions will be re-applied from today until August 18. Social gatherings are once again being reduced in number, from 5 to 2 people, with officials urging people to limit their…

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  • Thailand video newsGood Morning Thailand | Interview with vaccinologist, Andaman Sandbox, Covid updates

    Good Morning Thailand | Interview with vaccinologist, Andaman Sandbox, Covid updates

    Click the link to watch… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVl2S0zg24 Today Tim and Jay speak with Associate Professor Helen Petousis Harris – Vaccinologist and Director of the Vaccine Data Link and Research Group at the University of Auckland. The Andaman sandbox, Stephanie Update and the latest covid updates. Plus all your comments and questions. https://covid-19.in.th/en

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  • Bangkok News3 bodies found in Bangkok streets, 2 positive for Covid-19, result pending for third

    3 bodies found in Bangkok streets, 2 positive for Covid-19, result pending for third

    Netizens have slammed Bangkok police, claiming that the bodies of 3 men who died separately on the streets of the capital were left uncollected for hours. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has called for understanding, insisting that the claims on social media are untrue. According to a Bangkok Post report, spokesman Piya Tawichai says 2 of the 3 bodies have tested…

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