Year: 2021
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 10,082 new infections, news briefs
This morning the public health department has announced 10,082 new infections & 141 Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours across Thailand. The two figures are a record number of cases for the Kingdom and sweep the numbers over the psychological barriers of 10,000 cases and 100 sad deaths. Suffice to say the October ‘reopening’ of Thailand is now looking…
Read More » - World News
Africalink 16.07.21 – 16 UTC – MP3-Stereo
Ramaphosa vows army will return order to South Africa+++ Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is in Burundi for a two-day State visit+++ UN Population Award goes to Niger policewoman SOURCE: DW News
Read More » - World News
Getting paid to play — Kenya’s esports boom
The future of professional sports in Kenya — from where some of the world’s top athletic performers originate — is still rather uncertain in the face of the COVID pandemic. Athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, or anyone wanting to get out and exercise, have had to make do with alternative spaces as coronavirus measures put many gyms and stadiums…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Despite warning, WHO OK with Thai plan of mixing vaccines
Despite an alarming quote from the World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist warning against mixing vaccines, a WHO representative said after that the organisation is not opposed to Thailand’s mix and match strategy. With the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine reduced as the Delta variant of Covid-19 becomes the dominant strain in Thailand, officials have approved a plan to administer booster…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Pro-democracy leaders indicted over last year’s protest at Bangkok’s Victory Monument
14 pro-democracy protesters have been indicted for charges relating to a protest at Bangkok’s Victory Monument last year when emergency orders were in place. In a series of youth-led rallies, activists demanded the government and monarchy reform, making statements considered unprecedented and taboo in Thai society. The 14 protesters were charged with inciting the public, gathering to cause unrest and…
Read More » - Thailand News
7 more provinces classified by the CCSA as “dark red” zones under maximum control
7 more provinces are classified as “dark red” provinces under maximum control, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today. Tight restrictions in dark red zones were imposed on Monday restricting interprovincial travel, limiting gatherings to no more than 5 people and ordering residents to stay at home from 9pm to 4am. Despite the new restrictions this week, the Covid-19…
Read More » - Thailand News
Police arrest 21 in Thong Lor party: drugs, alcohol, and birthday cake found
Thong Lor has again made the news for people partying. Recently, police raided a hotel room in Thong Lor, Bangkok. They arrested 21 suspects for allegedly taking drugs and breaking the emergency decree that forbids groups from gathering. The Thong Lor police were alerted that a hotel room on Soi Sukhumvit 31 was full of people being loud and not…
Read More » - World News
BioNTech vaccine makes 10x more anitbodies than Sinovac
A recent Hong Kong study reports that people who are inoculated with the BioNTech vaccines have 10 times more antibodies than those who receive the Sinovac vaccine. While antibody numbers is not the only factor in a successful vaccine, the lower levels of neutralising antibodies in the Sinovac Vaccine may substantially lower its effectiveness. The study was published yesterday and…
Read More » - World News
Survey: Deutsche Welle would like to know more about users
You’re a dw.com user? We’re interested in getting to know you better! We would like to invite you to participate in a short survey. It should only take around 5 to 10 minutes. The questionnaire is about your personal interests and your reasons for using DW. There are no right or wrong answers — you will help us best if…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | EU kicks Thailand off ‘green’ list, Red Cross buys Moderna, PM back to work
Member states of the European Union have agreed to remove Thailand from the list of countries from which travellers can arrive freely during the pandemic. A scheme to offer long-stay visas to wealthy and “highly skilled” foreigners is in the works. The so called Covid-19 visa has been extended nearly 2 weeks before its current July 29 expiration date. This…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid-19 situation has not improved, stricter rules being discussed – CCSA
More stringent measures may need to be in place to control the spread of Covid-19 as the situation in Thailand has not improved, despite tight measures in “dark red” provinces which include nightly curfews and travel restrictions, a spokesperson representing the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said today. In addition to talk of tightening restrictions, 7 more provinces were classified…
Read More » - World News
UPDATE: Germany hammered by floods, 93 dead; nearby countries also affected
The death toll in Germany has risen from 59 people to 93. Emergency responders are still looking for hundreds of missing people. Belgium also reports that they now have 12 dead, up from the 9 reported dead earlier today. Political leaders have asserted that climate change is to blame. Meanwhile, scientists had warned that such a catastrophic event could happen.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Sandbox looking ahead to Russian, UK travellers
While the daily rollercoaster ride of the Phuket Sandbox tourist launch, with the jump from 7 to 14 days, the last-minute approval, the problems getting a Certificate of Entry, and the few cases of Covid-19 infections, it’s easy to overlook the forest for the trees. But if viewed not as a full reopening to the pre-Covid-19 heydays but rather as…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 106,951 active cases; provincial totals
The number of active Covid-19 cases has surged past 100,000. Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 9,692 new Covid-19 cases, raising the number of infections currently being treated or monitored to 106,951. Another 67 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today. Since the start of the pandemic last year, 382,907 confirmed infections and 3,099 deaths. Bangkok remains the epicentre in the…
Read More » - Crime News
4 million methamphetamine pills abandoned after smugglers confronted by Chiang Mai patrol
Yesterday, drug smugglers transporting their wares near the Myanmar border in Chiang Mai left 4 million methamphetamine pills behind after an army patrol attempted to stop them. The accidental drug-drop-off happened in the Fang district in northern Thailand. The patrol caught sight of 2 men carrying olive green backpacks walking alongside a natural border yesterday. The soldiers requested the 2…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Swimmers beware: 2 baby crocodiles found in Si Racha lagoon
Inhabitants of Si Racha, a district in the Chon Buri province, were taken aback to find 2 baby crocodiles lounging in a public park’s lagoon. A security guard, 52 year old Panna Poompanieng, discovered the 2 baby crocodiles. However, the local residents believe there may be even more scaled reptiles lurking in the lagoon. Panna, who guards the public park…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
AstraZeneca asks to extend vaccine delivery date amid delays
After delays in domestic and international deliveries and halving the monthly vaccine delivery targets to 5 million for Thai use, AstraZeneca has now asked for an extension for their delivery schedule of 61 million Covid-19 vaccines. The company, which has partnered with Siam Bioscience to produce vaccines domestically, now expects to reach its goal by May of 2022. The delay…
Read More » - Crime News
Phuket man to be reunited with jail associates after he is rearrested on drug charges
Yesterday, police arrested a drug dealer that had reportedly already served jail time on drug charges. The Phuket police seized 1.5 kilograms of ice pills (AKA Ya ice) and nearly 1,000 methamphetamine tablets after they raided his residence in Phuket Town. The man had been released recently from jail where he had been serving an unknown amount of time for…
Read More » - Crime News
Methamphetamine en route to Hong Kong seized at Bangkok shipping company
Police arrested 3 suspects and seized 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine stuffed in floor mattresses that were being prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. Over the past few months, Thai law enforcement has been cracking down on illegal drug shipments en route to other countries. The Seaport Interdiction Task Force searched a pickup truck shipping company in the Navamin area…
Read More » - World News
Germany hammered by floods, 59 dead; nearby countries also affected
59 people, and counting, are dead in the west of Germany as floods hammer the country and other surrounding counties such as Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The “extreme rainfall” pounded the city from Wednesday into Thursday. Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, says she fears that the country will only see the full extent of the disaster as the days unfold.…
Read More » - Visa Information
Covid-19 visa end date extended to September 27
Contrary to the historically last-minute announcements regarding visas for foreigners in Thailand during the pandemic, the Covid-19 visa has been extended nearly 2 weeks before its current July 29 expiration date. The new extension on the Covid-19 visa allowing foreigners to stay longer-term in the country will allow people to continue on this special visa type until September. The Covid…
Read More » - Thailand News
Cremation services at Pathum Thani temple struggle to keep up with rising death toll
Thailand’s Covid cases continue to fall just short of 10,000 a day and deaths remain in the double digits but edging closer and closer to triple digits. This escalating situation is straining the morgues and cremation facilities. One monk, 39 year old Pongpetch Santijittho, who works in a temple in central Thailand’s Pathum Thani spoke on the struggles of maintaining…
Read More » - Visa Information
Thailand looks into 10 year visa for the rich allowing land and property ownership
Thailand wants to attract the rich. A scheme to offer long-stay visas to wealthy and “highly skilled” foreigners is in the works. The visa would allow a stay of up to 10 years and foreigners would be able to own land and property in Thailand. Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow plans to propose the visa plan to the Cabinet. So…
Read More » - Phuket News
11 new local Covid-19 infections today in Phuket
While Covid-19 infections are still relatively low in the Phuket Sandbox, especially compared to the rest of Thailand, today’s 11 infections mark the highest number of local daily infections since the Sandbox began. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office released the figures today the bring the total number of Covid-19 infections found in the last 7 days to 42. While…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai PM returns to Government House after third negative Covid test
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, does not have Covid-19 and returns to work at Government House today. The PM had been self-isolating for 14 days after coming into contact with Veerasak Pisanuwong from the Surin Chamber of Commerce, while visiting Phuket for the island’s sandbox re-opening on July 1. Veerasak subsequently tested positive for the virus. The Bangkok Post reports…
Read More » - Thailand News
Search party locates missing college student’s body in Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai police have found the body of a college student who had been missing for 2 days. Rescue workers discovered the body in Doi Suthep Pui National team. Rescue workers say Nong Boss was hiking in the forest prior to going missing. Rescue workers, however, were not alone in their search efforts. More than 100 people had…
Read More » - World News
European Union slaps travel restrictions on arrivals from Thailand
Member states of the European Union have agreed to remove Thailand from the list of countries from which travellers can arrive freely during the pandemic. The EU operates a “green list” of countries, which are currently only around 20 in number. Visitors from these countries, which include the US, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan, can enter the EU without mandatory…
Read More » - Tourism News
Koh Samui’s tourism hopes pinned on international travellers
by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com It’s baby steps at the moment as Thailand’s Robinson Crusoe-inspired, island-focused, international travel reopening plan rolls out in Koh Samui from July 15. Unlike the Phuket Sandbox program for vaccinated travellers, the Samui Plus sealed-route will test the water with a hybrid approach of 3 days in a hotel quarantine scenario and then allows visitor’s island-wide free…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | The Thai time machine, Thai paperwork and red tape, Covid update
Have you ever experienced Thai time? Thai time seems to tick by at a totally different pace. Some people find it exasperating, others recognise it as part of the Thai ‘sabia sabia’ culture. And then there’s Thai paperwork. When efficiency sometimes takes second place, there’s still mounds of paperwork to fill out where red tape becomes a national sport. Jay,…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai industry representatives call on Health Minister to roll out vaccines in factories
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will meet with the Federation of Thai Industries next week as the FTI calls for Covid-19 vaccines to be rolled out in factories. FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree says the factory rollout is a priority as the surge in infections is causing some sites to close. To date, just 10% of around 10 million industrial workers…
Read More » - World News
Indonesia now Asia’s Covid-19 epicentre as daily cases exceed India
Indonesia has become the epicentre of Covid-19 in Asia as the daily case count has exceeded India’s. The country reported 56,757 new cases and 982 coronavirus-related deaths yesterday, surpassing India’s count of 39,072 new cases and 544 deaths. With the highest number of daily cases, the archipelago country of 270 million people is now the new Covid-hotspot in Asia, and…
Read More » - World News
Covid-19 crisis unfolding across several Asian nations
Just as the US and Europe are gradually emerging from the devastation brought by Covid-19, the pandemic is wreaking havoc across Asia. Earlier this week, Indonesia overtook India as the epicentre of the virus, reporting over 54,000 new infections and 991 deaths in a single day. Just a month ago, daily new infections were averaging 8,000. Indonesian officials are concerned…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid-19 update: 9,692 new infections, 67 deaths
Today, Thailand has reported another 9,692 new Covid-19 cases and 67 Covid-related deaths. 615 of the new infections are in Thai prisons. More details to come later. As infections continue to surge and concerns mount over the highly-contagious Delta variant, the Thai government is considering limiting exports of locally produced AstraZeneca doses. The National Vaccine Institute and the Department of…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai Red Cross Society to give 1 million Moderna vaccines free
As Thailand’s vaccination rollout plods along with Sinovac vaccines that have little effectiveness against the Delta variant of Covid-19 and AstraZeneca production far behind schedule, many nervous Thai citizens are looking to private hospitals and third party groups importing more effective vaccines to turn the tides in the battle against Covid-19. This week has seen a step forward as Thailand’s…
Read More » - Travel Guides
Top 10 Hotels to Stay at Near Bangkok BTS Stations
Bangkok is known as one of the most visited cities in the world. Thus, its public transport network is intricate and can accommodate crowds of travellers. This allows explorers to conquer any part of the city by simply hopping onto the BTS Skytrain or MRT, which offers cheap, safe and fast transportation. Furthermore, as each area in Bangkok offers a…
Read More » - World News
EU left behind as US pushes ‘vaccine diplomacy’ in Southeast Asia
The European Union’s international vaccine drive runs the risk of falling behind other major international powers, especially in Southeast Asia, where the United States is ramping up their vaccine-donation programs to compete with China’s contributions. US President Joe Biden pledged in May to donate 80 million vaccines worldwide from America’s domestic-supply, of which approximately 75% will be shared through the…
Read More » - World News
A battle for sacred lands as nature wins new rights
In Uganda’s Albertine Rift, an immense network of grasslands and mountains that supports great biodiversity, two energy giants are preparing to extract the largest onshore oil deposit in sub-Saharan Africa. SOURCE: DW News
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