Year: 2021
- Covid-19 News
Pfizer vaccine application received, review process begun
The Food and Drug Administration in Thailand is now processing the application for the Pfizer vaccine for domestic use against Covid-19. The secretary-general of the FDA says they have received the application from Pfizer Thailand and have begun the review process, taking the vaccine one step closer to use in Thailand. The government had just submitted an order of 20…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Covid-19 prevention leads to 14 arrests of longterm overstays
While attempting to curb the spread of Covid-19 through migrant workers and illegal immigrants, Immigration Police have arrested 14 foreigners with “egregious overstays”. Today’s announcement of the bust of 14 foreign nationals took place mostly in northeastern provinces. The Immigration Chief explained that officials at immigration have been proactive in seeking out people who entered Thailand illegally to prevent an…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 3,277 new infections and 29 deaths, provincial totals
There are another 29 Covid-related deaths and 3,277 new infections announced today. 892 of today’s cases were from Thai prisons, an ongoing source of infections where around 22,000+ inmates have now been detected as new Covid cases (more below). Here’s the provincial totals for today… • Meanwhile the Thai Justice Ministry says the start of a vaccine rollout in the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Red tape and restrictions suggest a slow Phuket reopening
With the rollercoaster ride of the Phuket Sandbox reopening scheme, some government officials remain mostly optimistic, while many others are scaling back predictions and expectations. A slow return of tourist to Phuket is forecast as the plan, which won’t be officially approved until just days before the scheduled reopening on July 1, is meeting with a fair amount of blowback…
Read More » - Phuket News
UPDATE: Tourism Minister reportedly says July 1 ‘sandbox’ won’t happen
UPDATE By the conclusion of a meeting in Phuket this afternoon the only confirmation was that the July 1 date for a re-opening of Thailand, via the Phuket sandbox was “still on”, according to Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com who attended the meeting. More details when they emerge. Bottomline, nothing is confirmed until the Thai Cabinet discusses the issue, probably Tuesday,…
Read More » - Tourism News
Koh Samui eyes August 1 reopening, “Samui Sealed Route”
While Phuket’s July 1 reopening is hotly debated, Koh Samui has been quietly vaccinating its population and putting together plans to welcome tourists back, proposing an August 1 reopening. The proposal aims to ease Koh Samui and neighbouring islands Koh Phangan and Koh Tao back into tourism, potentially as a second stop for travellers arriving into Phuket with their Sandbox…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Village need rain? Have you considered a giant penis?
Yothaka Subdistrict of Chachoengsao province is a fertile low river plain along the Nakhon Nayok River with rich agriculture. Since the residents there are heavily dependant on farming and therefore rain for their crops, locals in one village have a tradition to call in the rainy season by really using their (other) heads. Bringing new meaning to the phrase “member…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 3,277 new infections and 29 deaths
The public health ministry has announced another 29 Covid-related deaths and 3,277 new infections for Saturday. 892 of today’s cases have been from Thai prisons, an ongoing source of infections where around 22,000+ inmates have now been detected as new Covid cases. • Meanwhile the Thai Justice Ministry says the start of a vaccine rollout in the overcrowded prisons started…
Read More » - World News
COVID vaccines in the workplace: Can I ask who got their shots?
Jon works for the local government in the US state of Virginia. The 40-year-old received both his COVID shots in April. Most of his coworkers are vaccinated, too. But how does he know that’s the case? “I find most people will volunteer the information,” Jon told DW. “Even though we’re not supposed to ask.” In many other workplaces around the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
8.3% of Thailand’s 50 million vaccine target reached so far
Thailand has set a goal of 50 million people vaccinated against Covid-19, and as of today, they have given at least one vaccine to 8.3% of that target. The spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced that since beginning vaccinations in Thailand on February 28, 5.66 million injections have been administered. On Thursday, 223,315 vaccines were given around…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Site launched for June 14 vaccine signup for all foreigners
The latest update on Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine registration plans indicates that all foreigners can sign up online from June 14. The Thailand Intervac website seems to be constantly evolving and was first opened for diplomats on a specific URL and then for general foreigner signups on the main site, though hiccups and problems are often reported. The main site was…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Free quarantine accommodation for arriving Thais to be cancelled
By the end of June, the government plans to phase out the state-provided free quarantine accommodation facilities for Thai nationals repatriating from abroad. Previously, the government was providing accommodation and medical care for all Thai people returning from other countries back to their homeland. Under a new proposal by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, starting July 1, state quarantine…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Sandbox – bar, clubs closed? Local AZ problems, Sex toy arrest | June 11
In today’s episode we look at… bars, pubs, and other entertainment venues throughout the island will probably remain closed when the province opens on July 1, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company now says it is working with the governments to make sure the vaccine is supplied “as quickly as possible.”, The CCSA has announced that schools all across Thailand will reopen…
Read More » - World News
UN report: Changes in Southeast Asia drug trafficking during the pandemic
While the notorious Golden Triangle remains a major production base for methamphetamine, drug syndicates in Southeast Asia have changed up trafficking routes and added production bases to not only survive but capitalise during the pandemic. Large-scale methamphetamine production has emerged in Cambodia during the pandemic, according to the annual UN Office on Drugs and Crime report on synthetic drugs in…
Read More » - World News
United States to return 27 stolen antiquities to Cambodia
The United States is returning 27 stolen antiquities to Cambodia. The antiquities, which include Buddhist and Hindu statues from the Angkorian era, are valued at around USD$3.8 million. It’s unclear where the statues were found, or when they were smuggled to the US, but reports say investigators in New York spent years working to recover the antiquities. Operations from Manhattan’s…
Read More » - Thailand News
Autopsy reveals heart attack killed woman who received AstraZeneca vaccine
A 46 year old Bangkok woman that died on Tuesday after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, died from a heart attack, says the autopsy. Dr Atthasit Dulamnuay says: The right atria of the woman’s heart was found to be ruptured, causing a haemorrhage of 180cc of blood and severe pulmonary oedema, in which excessive amounts of fluid builds up in the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand’s Golf Quarantine on hold until Covid situation improves
Thailand’s “Golf Quarantine” is on hold until the Covid-19 situation improves, an alternative quarantine option at a certified golf resort. The postponement was first announced last month. Travellers who made arrangements prior to the announcement and have been granted a Certificate of Entry, or COE, can still enjoy the Thailand’s Golf Quarantine. The programme allows foreign golfers to undergo the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai woman wants to sell her kidney to help with financial problems during Covid-19
A 64 year old Thai woman says she wants to sell her kidney to help her family with their financial problems brought on by the Covid-19. The woman from the central province Nakhon Pathom, just west of Bangkok, says that due to the disease control restrictions during the outbreak, she was forced to close her Chinese restaurant. Since then, she’s…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Monk offers 10,000 baht reward for information that leads to turtle thief’s capture
A monk in Chon Buri, an eastern Thai province, is offering a 10,000 baht reward to anyone who helps return his stolen turtles. The monk says the turtles are ancient. The specific species of turtles has not been given. The turtles were allegedly stolen from the Samet Temple in Chon Buri and the abbot says the turtle stealers took between…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
1 billion vaccines pledged by G7 to poor and developing nations
During the ongoing G7 meeting, leaders of the member nations have pledged to provide 1 billion Covid-19 vaccines to countries in need over the next 2 years. The summit taking place in Southwest England now vowed 5 million vaccines in the next few weeks and 100 million more within the next year. The need for wealthy nations to contribute to…
Read More » - Thailand News
2 men arrested in Kanchanaburi for allegedly smuggling in migrant workers over the last 2 days
Early this morning and yesterday night, 2 Thai nationals and over 28 Burmese have been arrested in Kanchanaburi, a province in western Thailand. The Thais were allegedly smuggling the migrants into Thailand so they could work in the country. The exact charges have not been specified. In the first bust: A combination of police, soldiers, and “volunteers” had stopped and…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai Airways to offer international flights to 16 destinations next month
Starting next month until September, Thai Airways will offer international flights from Bangkok to 16 destinations including Tokyo, Osaka, London, Paris and Frankfurt. The airline’s chief commercial officer says there’s an increase in demand for air travel and they plan to increase flights later this year under its 2021 Winter Programme. The airline says it “prioritises hygiene excellence” and strictly…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 2,290 new cases, provincial totals
2,290 new cases and 27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total infection count since the start of the pandemic last year to 189,828 and the death toll related to the virus to 1,402. Thailand now has 43,428 active Covid-19 cases. Bangkok remains the epicentre of infections with tight restrictions to control…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Alpha variant of Covid-19 makes up 9 in 10 infections
The Department of Medical Sciences confirmed today that nearly 90% of all Covid-19 infections in Thailand are from the newly-labelled Alpha variant. The strain, previously known as the UK variant as it was first identified in the United Kingdom, was found in 88.48% of 4,185 cases that university labs studied between April and June, with 3,703 infections of the Alpha…
Read More » - Pattaya News
2 Chon Buri officials arrested for allegedly taking bribes
2 Chon Buri officials were arrested this week by anti-corruption police for allegedly taking bribes for a construction project. 67 year old Mr Payon, the chief executive of the Nong Hong subdistrict office, and the 51 year old head of engineering Mr. Boonmee from the same subdistrict, were arrested for allegedly taking bribes. Their full names were not provided to…
Read More » - Crime News
Meth production still going strong in Southeast Asia, despite Covid hurdles
Yesterday, counter narcotics agency, UNODC said the meth production has only gotten stronger in Southeast Asisa this last year, even though border restrictions were put in place due to Covid-19. A record was even set in 2020 for meth seizures. Almost 20% more meth was seized than in 2019 says the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. About 75% of…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Bars closed for Sandbox reopening, the Myanmar effect
The latest news and chat about issues about Thailand. Today, more woes for the Phuket Sandbox, the official reopening of general travel to Thailand. Except that nothing has been confirmed with only 20 days to go!. We also answer your questions and address your comment. ? MOBILE APP for iOS / Apple users: https://apple.co/3sFqPLU ? MOBILE APP for Android users:…
Read More » - Economy News
China arrests 1,100 in cryptocurrency money laundering bust
In what will only fuel perception in China that cryptocurrency is nothing more than a money laundering tool, security officials have arrested 1,100 people accused of using criminal profits to buy crypto. Chinese officials have been cracking down on cryptocurrency trade, which is banned in the country. The Ministry of Public Security in China says that Chinese police reportedly caught…
Read More » - Phuket News
Best-case for Phuket’s Sandbox: up to 1.2 million tourists, Kasikorn predicts
Up to 1.2 million foreign tourists could travel to Thailand through Phuket’s “Sandbox” travel scheme. That’s the best-case scenario, according to the Kasikorn Research Centre. They estimate that the scheme, which is planned to allow vaccinated tourists to enter the country and stay on the island without going through quarantine, could draw in 550,000 people to 1.2 million from July…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
CCSA says tighter scrutiny needed for construction workers leaving sites
The CCSA says a triad of forces (soldiers, police, thessakij inspectors) will work in tandem to make sure construction workers don’t leave their sites. Gen Natthapon Nakpanich says the combined joint forces will keep an eye on construction sites and dormitories to ensure the workers and dwellers adhere to public health orders. Nattapon adds that the increased scrutiny comes after…
Read More » - World News
AstraZeneca working with Southeast Asia countries after delays from Thai plant
Following reports from several Southeast Asian countries regarding delays in deliveries of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from the Thailand manufacturing plant, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company now says it is working with the governments to make sure the vaccine is supplied “as quickly as possible.” Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines have announced that they expect delays of the AstraZeneca vaccine from…
Read More » - Phuket News
Former prosecutors face corruption charges in Phuket land encroachment case
2 former public prosecutors in Phuket face charges of corruption after allegedly seeking a bribe from a company accused of land encroachment in a national park. The Office of the Attorney-General confirms that Thamma Sornchai and Wanchat Choonhathanom are being indicted on bribery charges. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thamma is accused of asking a foreign-run company for a…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Police quell gun dealing network in Bangkok
Yesterday in Bangkok, the Crime Suppression Division reported a major quelling on illegal gun sales online in Bangkok. They think the guns are part of a weapon smuggling network that had a circulating fund of at least 100 million baht. Part of the quelling was a raid where 23 “short and long guns” and more than 1,000 cartridges of ammunition…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Online learning only for schools in Bangkok and other dark red provinces
The government’s Covid-19 task force says students at schools in Bangkok and other dark red provinces will not have on-site classes while infection rates remain high. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says online learning will be used in 4 central provinces when schools re-open on June 14: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. So far, the third wave…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 2,290 cases and 27 deaths
2,290 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total number of cases since April 1, the latest and most severe wave of infections, to 160,965. The CCSA reported 27 more deaths related to Covid-19. 5,711 people have recovered from Covid-19. The number of active cases has been on a downward slope over the past…
Read More » - World News
Singapore restrictions to be eased in stages as Covid-19 infections drop
Singapore is set to relax some of its Covid-19 containment measures as infection rates in the city state drop. The fall in case numbers comes after a month of strict restrictions that limited group sizes and imposed a ban on in-house dining at restaurants. Bloomberg reports that from June 14, the limit on group sizes increases from 2 to 5…
Read More » - Economy News
Property market in tourism areas relying on vaccines for recovery
Tourism destinations in Thailand are pinning their hopes on Covid-19 vaccines to revive their decimated economies, including in the real estate sector. Vichai Viratkapan from the Real Estate Information Centre says the property sector’s recovery will be driven by the rollout of vaccines, particularly in tourist destinations that have borne the brunt of the economic devastation. “Tourism destinations like Phuket,…
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