Year: 2021
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok officials to consider easing Covid restrictions
Officials in Bangkok say they may look at lifting some restrictions in the capital, despite yesterday’s cases going up by 37, to a total of 1,989. The Bangkok Post reports that officials are optimistic the overall situation will improve. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, says provided the capital avoids any further “super-spreader” events, officials may consider lifting…
Read More » - World News
Trump ban is indefinite: Facebook exec
“We are a private company, and we have a service we provide.” A senior executive at Facebook says the social media giant has no plans to reverse its ban on outgoing US President, Donald Trump. Sheryl Sandberg says the ban is “indefinite” and there is currently no end date in sight. “Our ban is indefinite. We have said at least…
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Thai health officials form vaccine rollout committee
Health officials have formed a sub-committee to oversee the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand. The Bangkok Post reports that the sub-committee will be headed up by Sophon Mekthon, chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and adviser to the Public Health Minister. The team will be responsible for the overall vaccine programme, including deciding priority groups. Meanwhile, Opas Kankawinpong from…
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21 Thais test positive for Covid-19 after allegedly crossing the Thai-Myanmar border illegally
21 Thai returnees tested positive for Covid-19 after they were detained for allegedly crossing the Thai-Myanmar border illegally, fleeing from a Covid-19 outbreak at the Sky Complex Casino where they had worked. The returnees are now in quarantine at a Mae Sot district hospital. Around 300 Thais work at the casino in the neighbouring country’s Myawaddy town just across the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Covid latest, Cockfights closed down, Bryde’s Whale beached | January 11
249 new Covid-19 infections have been reported today in the daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,914 active cases and has reported a total of 10,547 cases with 67 fatalities since last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson, apparently with a Covid crystal ball, speculated that the number of daily new cases is expected to decrease and significantly slow…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai labour market bounces back despite the pandemic
Despite Covid-19 pandemic’s negative impact on the economy with numerous layoffs and business closures, the Thai labour market survived and is experiencing an unemployment rate that is lower than expected, according to the Deputy Chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, Chalee Loysoong. While the unemployment rate is lower than expected at 2% or 700,000 individuals, Thammasat University associate professor…
Read More » - Phuket News
Can Phuket survive? Interview with Bill Barnett | VIDEO
Interview with Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks. Phuket has now been hit with a 3rd major crisis, each one more profound than the long-term effects from the 2004 tsunami. Now the island has new restrictions imposed on arrivals on the southern island, imposed by the Phuket Provincial Authority.
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Elephant dies after month of treatment for gunshot wounds, 40 bullets found in the body
A wild elephant died yesterday after nearly a month of medical treatment for gunshot wounds. Officials say more than 40 bullets were found in the body. The 3 tonne elephant had also attacked and killed a park officer last month who was trying to bring the elephant in for treatment. The elephant, around 20 to 25 years old, was being…
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Phuket is hit with a triple Covid crisis | VIDEO
Phuket has had a triple hit over the past 12 months. Firstly with the original Covid-19 outbreak and lockdowns back in April and May in 2020, then again just before Christmas and New Year when the new clusters emerged in Samut Sakhon and the eastern coastal provinces, further dampening even local traveller traffic to the island, then some further restrictions…
Read More » - Crime News
Police raid 5 homes and businesses suspected of gambling, arrest 21 people
Police arrested 21 people on gambling charges after 5 raids in Bangkok over the weekend. While deputy chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, Jiraphop Phuridet, says the raids on January 8 and 9 are part of a nationwide crackdown initiated by the national police chief after a Covid-19 outbreak at a Rayong gambling den, the raids busted what seems like…
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Thailand orders 63 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines
The following article was submitted by Andrew J. Wood. The Thai Cabinet has acknowledged that Thailand has ordered 63 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from overseas. Here’s how the vaccines will roll out: Phase 1 The first shipment of 200,000 doses of vaccine is scheduled to arrive in Thailand in February from China’s pharmaceutical manufacturer Sinovac Biotech. Medical personnel and…
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At least 6 deaths in Bangkok suspected to be caused by new illicit drug cocktail
A cocktail of narcotics known as “K powdered milk” is suspected to be linked to a number of deaths among young Thais in Bangkok. Nation Thailand says the narcotic mix is suspected to have caused 6 deaths and others were found unconscious after taking the “K powdered milk.” Thai PBS reports that 7 young Thais have died from unexplained reasons…
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CCSA Update: 249 new Covid-19 cases, outbreak expected to subside by the end of the month
249 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,914 active cases and has reported a total of 10,547 cases with 67 fatalities since last year. The number of daily new cases is expected to decrease and significantly slow down by the end of the month, according to Ministry of…
Read More » - Thailand News
Dead whale found washed up on Koh Samui beach
A dead Bryde’s whale was found washed up on Koh Samui’s Choeng Mon beach yesterday. By the look of the rotting carcass, said to be around 11 metres long, marine resource specialist Thon Thamrongnawasawat says he believes the whale died several days ago. The cause of death is currently under investigation by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thon said…
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Hundreds recover from Covid-19, released from Samut Sakhon field hospital
Nearly 300 Burmese migrants in Samut Sakhon have recovered from Covid-19 and have been released from a field hospital set up at a sports stadium while another 300 people are expected to be discharged from the field hospital today. The released migrants were sent back to the Central Shrimp Market in the Mahachai area fishing hub where they live and…
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Thai Red Cross Society calls for urgent blood donations, reserves run critically low
The Thai Red Cross is urging people to donate blood as Thailand hospitals are in “critical condition.” Blood reserves have run low and the number of blood donors has dropped by 50%, according to the Thai Red Cross Society. The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the dwindling blood supply. Many people are worried about Covid-19 and less likely to donate blood,…
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CCSA says they won’t deny lawbreakers free Covid-19 treatment
Labour trafficking, illegal border crossings and gambling are considered to be prime factors in the new wave of Covid-19. Recently, the public health minister toyed with the idea of making the lawbreakers and illegal returnees, who are infected with the coronavirus, pay for their own medical treatment. The idea was shot down by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration who…
Read More » - World News
Black box data located from the crashed Boeing 737 in Jakarta
The black boxes from a passenger plane which crashed in the sea soon after take-off from Jakarta on Saturday have been located. The black box recorders record conversations in the cockpit as well as an array of data from the plane’s control systems. Indonesian ships has been searching the crash site with navy divers hoping to retrieve the two flight…
Read More » - World News
Fallout from President Trump’s Twitter ban
President Trump’s Twitter ban has been getting plenty of flak, particularly from friends, family, hard core supporters and advisors. Twitter banned the president from the platform on Friday after his supporters stormed the US Capitol building. But those supporting the president say the ban amounts to an assault on free speech by “radical leftists”. Ironically they aired their grievances… on…
Read More » - Thailand News
Pakistan goes dark after electrical fault causes nationwide blackout
Pakistan is slowly recovering after the entire country experienced an electrical blackout today. Power minister Omar Ayub Khan tweeted that this latest blackout was caused by a fault in southern Pakistan at 11:41pm local time yesterday, which was at 3:41am today here in Thailand. “The fault tripped the transmission system of the country… leading to the shutdown of power plants.”…
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Former Thammasat professor blames partnership between officials and leaders for 2nd wave
A former Thammasat University lecturer is claiming that the current surge in new infections of Covid-19 in Thailand is a result of the so-called “Covid mafia” which he defines as corrupt officials working closely with local influential figures to carry out illegal activities. Kaewsan Atipothi claimed that these alleged co-operative actions between leaders has enabled illegal gambling and human trafficking gangs,…
Read More » - Thailand News
245 new cases, 181 locally transmitted-Covid update
Thailand is reporting 245 new Covid-19 infections today, with 181 of those cases being locally-transmitted. Today’s news, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, brings the total amount of Covid-19 infections in Thailand to 10,298 since the start of the pandemic. The death toll has remained at 67, while 6,428 have fully recovered from the virus. Samut Sakhon was…
Read More » - Transport News
Pattaya motorbike taxi commended after returning wallet to foreigner
A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is being commended online after finding and returning a lost wallet to a foreigner. The woman, 43 year old Kelaya Supaphol, was dropping off a customer by the McDonald’s on Pattaya’s Second Road when she says she saw the wallet on the ground. She picked up the wallet and checked inside, with another motorbike taxi…
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UPDATE: Phuket announces restrictions for travel to Phuket
Thailand: ‘Real world’ versus the ‘rules’, Part 378. Arriving in Phuket this morning (Sunday), nearly 24 hours after the introduction of new restrictions for travellers back to the island from around Thailand, we’ve had 4 people contact The Thaiger saying that ‘nothing has changed’ from recent weeks. On 2 of the flights the passengers were asked, before boarding’ to download…
Read More » - World News
Body parts and debris found after Indonesia’s 737 plane crash
Body parts and debris from Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 crash are being found today near the capital as the Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus detailed the findings, which leave little hope of any survivors. “As of this morning, we’ve received two (body) bags, one with passenger belongings and the other with body parts.” 62 passengers and crew were on…
Read More » - Thailand News
Public Health Ministry speculates new infections likely to slow by end of January
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry speculates that the 2nd wave of Covid-19 infections is likely to “slow down” by the end of this month. However, Dr. Opas Kankawinpong, the director-general of the Disease Control Department is warning that the virus could spread in office buildings and congested areas after such infections has been detected found in a few Bangkok offices. “We…
Read More » - Thailand News
Travel documents now required for 5 provinces hit hardest by Covid
Travel documents are now being required for anyone travelling in and out of 5 central and eastern provinces in Thailand, the worst hit by the 2nd outbreak of Covid-19 around the country. The documents will need to state the reason for travel in the provinces of Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chon Buri, Trat and Chanthaburi… all coded as red zones where…
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Domestic air travel drops 60 percent at start of 2021
Thailand’s domestic air travel is seeing a 60% drop in the early weeks of the new year, thanks to the recent Covid-19 outbreaks around the country. The Department of Airports drew the figure from 20 airports under its supervison nationwide, according to Apirat Chaiwongnoi, the acting Director-General of the department. Such domestic passengers at those airports also dropped in numbers…
Read More » - Crime News
16 foreigners, 5 Thais arrested in Pattaya for illegal gambling
Pattaya police have arrested 16 foreigners and 5 Thais for illegal gambling in a Pattaya condo. They raided the Espana Condominium & Resort at 1am yesterday morning, arresting the lawbreakers, after receiving a tip that an illegal gambling casino was being hosted at the condo. Officials found 21 people gambling inside rooms 517 and 518 located on the 5th floor.…
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Indonesian 737 jet crashes with 62 on board shortly after take off from Jakarta
A Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 jet in Indonesia, with 62 people on board, has crashed shortly after take off from Jakarta. The flight had taken off from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and was passing through 11,000 feet altitude when it lost contact. The Boeing 737-500, registered PK CLC, was a 26 years old aircraft. The head of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety…
Read More » - Thailand News
Health Minister considers making lawbreakers pay for Covid treatment
Thailand’s Public Health Minister is considering making lawbreakers pay for their own Covid-19 treatment after pointing out that those who put the public at risk for the coronavirus should foot the bill for treatment. Anutin Charnvirakul floated the idea on his Facebook after a meeting yesterday raised concerns about illegal gambling activities and human-smuggling that has contributed to the rise…
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Phuket governor announces new restrictions for travel to Phuket, effective now
Travelling to Phuket? You need to be aware of the changed circumstances for arrivals, depending where you’re travelling from. A 3 page announcement was released by the Phuket PR department this afternoon with the new restrictions for arrivals on the island. The announcement splits up travellers into 5 potential groups. All arrivals from the “highest-risk” areas within the ‘red zone’…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Australian dies after falling from Pattaya condo balcony
A 58 year old Australian man has died after falling from the 8th floor of a condominium in Pattaya last night. It happened around 10pm on Thappraya Road in Nongprue. The name of the condo has not been announced. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the condo residents gathered around the area where the man fell. The body of the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
The Mor Chana app won’t reveal personal data – Minister
The Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta says the Mor Chana has be “designed specifically” to protect the user’s data. As an example, it will only display a computer code instead of the user’s name. The Minister says it will only track the movements of each individual and not make their personal information public. He admitted that the Public Health…
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Fisheries department strengthens hygiene measures at Thailand’s seafood factories
Thailand’s Fisheries Department has tightened hygiene measures in the country’s seafood factories in a bid to allay the fears of consumers and exporters. The current Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand started at a fish market in the central province of Samut Sakhon last month. Vicharn Ingsrisawang from the Fisheries Department says that since then, some consumers and exporters have voiced concerns…
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20 Thai provinces currently free of Covid-19 infections
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force has confirmed that 20 provinces in the country have had no active cases of the virus since the new outbreak began. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has named the provinces as Si Sa Ket, Yasothon, Nong Bua Lamphu, Bueng Kan, Roi Et, Kalasin, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Phrae, Phayao, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son,…
Read More » - World News
Woman jailed in Singapore for lying to Covid contact tracers
A 65 year old Singaporean woman, who tested positive for Covid-19 in February, has been jailed for 5 months after officials discovered she lied about having contact with a male friend. Oh Bee Hiok did not disclose that she’d met up with 72 year old Lim Kiang Hong 5 times in the weeks leading up to her diagnosis. It’s understood…
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