Year: 2021
- Covid-19 News
Face masks now required in 54 provinces in Thailand
So far, 54 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have imposed orders requiring the public to wear face masks while in public in an effort intended to slow the spread of Covid-19 which hit a record high this month. Violators face a fine of up to 20,000 baht. Since April 1, there have been 30,824 Covid-19 infections reported in Thailand, making up…
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Check-in counters at Bangkok airport now used for Covid-19 vaccine screening
Following the drastic slowdown of air travel due to the pandemic, empty check-in counters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are now being used to service those registering for a Covid-19 vaccine including frontline workers, Airports of Thailand employees, and staff at the airport. On the airport’s fourth floor for departures, 42 of the check-in desks are now run by local healthcare…
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India’s appeal to foreign aid has been granted with multiple nations sending help
India’s appeal to receive foreign aid has been granted, as multiple nations are sending help to deal with its dire Covid-19 situation, which has seen over 2,800 deaths from yesterday alone. As infections and death rates are exploding, emergency medical supplies arrived today from abroad with the first shipmen arriving from the UK. Ventilators and oxygen concentrators were delivered as…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,179 new cases, 15 deaths, Provincial totals
2,179 new Covid-19 cases and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Thailand has reported 59,687 Covid-19 infections and 163 coronavirus-related deaths. The recent wave of infections over the past month makes up more than half of Thailand’s total count with 30,824 people…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand sets grim record of highest daily Covid deaths since start of pandemic
Thailand is setting a rather grim record today as its death toll from Covid-19 has reached the highest daily amount since the pandemic started. 15 new deaths were reported today, setting a new daily record for the third time in 4 days. The deaths consisted of Thai nationals, with 9 men and 6 women, aged 24 to 88. Most of…
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Karen army takes over Burmese military base along Thai-Myanmar border
A military base in Myanmar near the Thai border was reportedly taken over by an ethnic army. Since the February 1 military coup in Myanmar, ousting the country’s democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an estimated 750 protesters and civilians have been killed by security forces, leading to clashes with ethnic armies. Many ethnic armies support the anti-coup movement,…
Read More » - Tourism News
Koh Samet to close from today for at least 2 weeks, Koh Chang may follow
The island of Koh Samet, in Thailand’s eastern Rayong province, is closing to visitors and non-residents for at least 14 days to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The province saw 21 new infections yesterday, with at least 1 being linked to Koh Samet. The shuttering is effective as of today with another popular island, Koh Chang, also possibly following…
Read More » - Economy News
Foreign investors eye business in Thailand as hotels face closure during new outbreak
The new wave of Covid-19 infections this month has led to a drop in occupancy rates at Thailand hotels, some reporting drops of 5% to 30%, battering hoteliers that have already been struggling from a year of little to no foreign tourists. Some hotel operators have been forced to sell their businesses, according to the president of the Arjarnnar Asset…
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Restrictions tighten, but some say it’s not enough to control the outbreak in Thailand
With this month’s wave of Covid-19 infections hitting a record high in Thailand, the government is setting tight restrictions to help slow the spread and contain the virus, but some say it’s not enough. In Bangkok, the epicentre of this month’s infections, the government ordered the closure of numerous businesses and places until May 9 including schools, parks, gyms, and…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand’s government schools may see another delay in reopening
Thailand’s government schools may see another delay in reopening if Covid-19 infections continue to surge. The Office of the Basic Education Commission says the date could be pushed back to June 1 for the new school term. As of now, the reopening is tentatively set for May 17. The reopening date was set before Thailand’s 3rd outbreak swept the nation,…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
Hua Hin to submit October re-opening plan for government approval
The seaside town of Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, is working on a proposal to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists from October. Krod Rojanastien, from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, says the Hua Hin Recharge campaign aims to include the resort town in the government’s re-opening plan. He says the area has already earned a reputation for wellness holidays…
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Bangkok car riders must wear face masks if 2 or more people in car
Bangkok car riders now must wear a face mask if more than 2 people are in the car. The City Hall made the announcement yesterday, as part of the measures by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19. Family members in the same car aren’t being excluded from the rule. Questions on social media have signaled…
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Health Ministry to investigate death of woman following Sinovac jab
Health officials will carry out an autopsy on the body of a 23 year old woman who died days after receiving the Sinovac vaccine. Relatives of the deceased say she became ill after receiving the second dose of CoronaVac, the Covid-19 vaccine from Chinese manufacturer, Sinovac Biotech. The Bangkok Post reports that the unnamed woman, who worked as a salesperson…
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Lockdown decision expected tomorrow for Bangkok
A full lockdown decision is expected tomorrow for Thailand’s capital of Bangkok after record daily Covid-19 infections have sent the city into a frenzy trying to stop the spread of the virus. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is expected to make the recommendation which will be forwarded to the full committee chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The CCSA will…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Officials threaten to prosecute clinics, labs that violate Covid control measures
At least 12 private Thai clinics and laboratories are being threatened with prosecution for failing to comply with Covid-19 control measures. The Department of Health Service Support says the facilities broke the law by failing to report infections and send patients to hospital. Department boss Thares Krassanairawiwong says a number of complaints have been received about the clinics and labs…
Read More » - Events
Tuesday’s full moon will be a SUPER full moon
Tonight there will be a full moon. But not just ANY full moon, a SUPER full moon. Whoooaaa! Whilst Koh Pha Ngan’s monthly full moon party has been shelved for the meantime, we can still appreciate this monthly phenomenon (well, not quite monthly). The The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says that the April astronomical phenomenon coincides with the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Covid-19 task force to resume central role in handling of crisis
The government is placing the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration back at the centre of its handling of the pandemic, after the CCSA delegated some authority to government ministries. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says the Covid-19 task force will resume its central role as the government ramps up the national vaccine rollout. Officials aim to vaccinate around 30 million people…
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Thai PM fined 6,000 baht for not wearing face mask during Cabinet meeting
You know what it’s like when you’re rushing out the door in the morning with too many things on your mind. You’re being slammed for your handling of a pandemic, berated for your failure to procure sufficient vaccines and generally, having a bit of a rough ride. There’s a lot to distract you as you gather your belongings. Keys, check.…
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Thailand’s “problem foreigners” who don’t wear masks. Really?! | VIDEO
UPDATE: Even the Thai PM has been fined for not wearing a mask at a meeting at Government House yesterday. Phuket’s vice governor has stirred the pot by singling out, what he described as, “problem foreigners” who weren’t wearing their mask in public. Over the past week there has been renewed attention to the wearing of masks at all times…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Foreigners busted for party, Smart Visa make-over | April 26
2,048 new Covid-19 cases and 8 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported by CCSA. The total death toll is now at 148 since the start of the outbreak in Thailand. There are now 25,767 active cases …. 20,461 in hospitals and the other 5,306 being treated in field hospitals. 563 people are in critical condition and 150 patients are on…
Read More » - World News
Travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore starts May 26
A travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will start on May 26, waiving the quarantine period for those travelling between the 2 countries. For those travelling from Hong Kong to Singapore, visitors will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, except for travellers who are younger than 16 or who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. Travellers going from…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Former negotiator says peace in Thailand’s deep south can be reached with ongoing discussions
With the ongoing violence from the religious separatist insurgency in Thailand’s deep south, a former member of the Thai negotiating team says the discussions between the government and Malay-Muslim dissidents need to continue to bring peace and unity. The Southern provinces Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat near Malaysia have been plagued with violence for years. Since the separatist movement in Thailand’s…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Entertainment venues linked to majority of Covid-19 cases in Bangkok
Bars and nightclubs are linked to the majority of Covid-19 cases reported in Bangkok over the past month. Data from Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration show that nearly two-thirds of the recent wave of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok traced back to entertainment venues. In late February, Bangkok was reclassified from a “red” zone to an “orange” zone, allowing alcohol…
Read More » - Crime News
German and Thai arrested for allegedly selling methamphetamine to undercover officer
Narcotics suppression police arrested a German man and a Thai national in Pattaya for allegedly selling crystal methamphetamine. An undercover police officer had transferred money to 59 year old Claus Mike Haberstroh’s bank account and went by a home in the tambon Nong Prue to pick up the drugs. The suspects allegedly handed the undercover agent 39.16 grammes of crystal…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya’s homeless population on the rise after a year without foreign tourists
More people are sleeping on the streets in Pattaya. Even some women who work in bars in the city’s red light district are setting up tents in the empty bars to sleep at night. The lack of foreign tourists in Pattaya, a city that was named one of the top 20 most visited cities in the world back in 2019…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,048 new Covid-19 infections and 8 deaths
2,048 new Covid-19 cases and 8 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Department of Disease Control. The total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic is 57,508. The death toll is now at 148 since the start of the outbreak in Thailand. There are now 25,767 active cases, including 20,461 in hospitals and the other 5,306…
Read More » - World News
ASEAN nations agree to appoint envoy to broker cross-party talks in Myanmar
Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to appoint an envoy to act as mediator in cross-party talks in Myanmar. The country has been rocked by months of violence following a February 1 military coup in which the democratically-elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted. The leader of the coup, Min Aung…
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Health Minister says he’s going nowhere as opposition calls for his resignation
Thailand’s Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is defying calls for his resignation over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Members of the opposition Move Forward Party have slammed the government over how it has dealt with the third wave of Covid-19, as infections and deaths rise across the country. Critics say the current administration was not adequately prepared for a resurgence…
Read More » - Crime News
28 people arrested at private villa parties in Pattaya for violating disease control orders
Private parties at luxury pool villas in a Pattaya neighbourhood were raided by police last night and 28 people were arrested. Around 50 officers from the Banglamung district and Chon Buri stations were called to the area after neighbours complained that the parties could potentially lead to the spread Covid-19. A birthday party for an English teacher was hosted at…
Read More » - Tourism News
Government insists Phuket re-opening will go ahead as planned
The Thai government is adamant the planned re-opening of the southern island of Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists will go ahead. However, with Covid-19 infections rising across the country, some tourism operators say they need more clarification on how. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit insists the “Phuket sandbox” model is on track for July 1. “We have neither cancelled nor changed…
Read More » - Visa Information
New and improved Smart Visa to make life easier for digital nomads in Thailand
The government is considering proposals to reform the Smart Visa to make it easier for digital nomads to legally work from the Kingdom. According to a Pattaya Mail report, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the Board of Investment and the government’s Covid-19 task force have already agreed on the detail of the proposal. Digital nomads have fallen through the…
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Thai government considering “targeted lockdown”, new colour-coding of provinces
Amid growing calls to impose a national lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, Thailand’s government is considering a more moderate response. According to the Bangkok Post, Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry is proposing “targeted lockdown” restrictions and a new colour classification for high-risk provinces. At a meeting held yesterday, officials agreed a revised approach to colour-coding, to…
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More closures in Bangkok, in force now
It’s not a formal lockdown, but it may as well be, with newly announced closures from the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority. From Monday, April 26, a lot more services, public spaces and businesses around Bangkok are now closed. Additionally events will be limited to just 20 people, down from the former limitation of 50 people. Face mask-wearing will be enforced with…
Read More » - World News
Indonesian submarine confirmed in 3 pieces at 800m depth
In a follow-up to our previous story this morning, Indonesian authorities have now stated officially that the missing submarine has been found and it is safe to assume all 53 crew members have died. Earlier in the day, debris from the submarine such as a bottle of lubricant and a torpedo protection device, as well as an oil slick, were…
Read More » - Tourism News
Top 10 busiest airports: Atlanta bumped as China dominates list
After 22 consecutive years as the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta slips to number 2 while China and the United States dominated the entire top 10 list of the 2020 world’s busiest airports. With the covid-19 pandemic stifling travel around the world all the airports on the list saw massive drops in passengers and rankings climbed and fell and…
Read More » - World News
Double truck driver bust yields 2.2 million meth pills, 165 grams of marijuana
Two truck drivers were arrested in a massive double bust where police seized a total of 2.2 million methamphetamine pills and 165 grams of dried marijuana. One truck full of meth was caught in the Nong Khai province on the Laos border, while the other driver was apprehended in Chon Buri province. Banglamung Police announced the arrest yesterday while working…
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Phuket: even “problem foreigners” must mask up or 20k fine
Phuket government officials have threatened to strictly enforce the 20,000 baht face mask fine and contact consular officials for foreigners that refuse to mask up. The vice governor of Phuket has issued a stern warning that all people are required to wear face masks in public at all times. As Covid-19’s third wave sweeps the country, and Phuket has begun…
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