Month: January 2022
- World News
Spike in Covid clusters at Malaysia schools, many parents still concerned with vaccinating children
Covid-19 is on the rise at a number of schools in Malaysia following their reopenings and fingers are pointing at teachers and staff for not following and enforcing disease prevention rules like wearing a mask. The country’s health minister even says teachers with coronavirus symptoms are still coming to class. The cluster outbreaks at schools come just as the government is…
Read More » - Business News
Employees laid off in insurance firm collapse demand overdue payments
Former employees from an insurance firm bankrupted by Covid-19 have rallied outside the Office of the Insurance Commission, demanding overdue salaries and severance monies be paid. Around 300 employees of The One Insurance were made redundant when the firm collapsed, but have yet to receive payments and other compensation owed to them. According to a Thai PBS World report, one…
Read More » - Thailand News
NHSO to give free condoms and birth control to anyone over 15
In a bold move for conservative Thailand, the National Health Security Office is providing free birth control pills and condoms to young people over the age of 15. A new programme by the NHSO is targeting teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in a bid to encourage safe sex, especially among Thai youth. The Deputy Secretary-General of…
Read More » - Environment News
Race against time to prevent Rayong oil spill reaching the shore, 3 kilometres away
Officials in Rayong are pulling out all the stops to protect the eastern province’s beaches from an oil spill 3 kilometres off-shore. According to a Nation Thailand report, provincial governor Channa Iamsaeng says the crude oil is currently headed for the beaches of Mae Rampueng and Khao Laemya. Workers have placed a “beach boom”, or barrier line, in the sea,…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Soldiers in Chiang Mai seize drugs after gunfire exchange, suspects still at large
Three armed men in Chiang Mai near the Myanmar border opened fire on Thai soldiers on Wednesday night. The soldiers shot back, and after five minutes of shooting between the two sides, the gunmen ran into the jungle. The soldiers then searched the area and found 200,000 methamphetamine pills and 750 grams of heroin. The methamphetamine pills were wrapped in…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Warning to Covid-19 test for Korean restaurant in Pattaya area
A new warning has gone out urging everyone who has recently been to a Korean restaurant in the Bang Lamung area of Pattaya to get tested for Covid-19. The Chon Buri Public Health Office put out an announcement yesterday telling everyone who had visited or eaten at Doriwon Restaurant, located in Nong Prue on Pattaya Second Road, to get an…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | “Asian Hotel California” quarantine hotel
Following British journalist Jonathan Miller’s harsh and lengthy report of his stay at a Phuket quarantine hotel, the Phuket Governor is calling for an investigation into the reporter’s claims. The reporter documented the impromptu parties with Covid-infected travellers during his two-week stay at a Phuket “hospitel”. In the Sunday Times, Miller, who was classified as high risk of contracting Covid-19,…
Read More » - Road deaths
Officials tightening traffic rules, new penalties expected in July
A draft amendment to the Land Transport Act has received approval by the House Committee on Transport, according to an MP from the Chartthaipattana Party. Nikorn Chamnong, who chaired the panel, says the amendment seeks to increase fines for traffic offences and could be enacted by July. The amendment now goes before the Senate, which is expected to approve it…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand defies WHO over Covid becoming endemic | GMT
AstraZeneca vaccines free for walk-ins in Bangkok from Monday, Thailand will declare Covid-19 endemic, whether WHO agrees or not, Disco quarantine hotels, Stricter traffic rules expected in July. All these stories coming up on todays Good Morning Thailand with Jay and Tim
Read More » - Sponsored
VERSO – The School of the Future
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Read More » - Economy News
Real estate consultancy says pandemic continues to affect foreign demand
A leading property consultancy says the ongoing pandemic and associated restrictions continues to hamper the real estate market. CBRE Thailand chief, Roongrat Veeraparkkaroon, says the low number of foreign arrivals means the sector continues to rely on local demand and must now adapt to these circumstances. “A decline in tourist numbers affected both residential and retail sectors. Given this challenge,…
Read More » - World News
Neil Young pulls music from Spotify over Joe Rogan’s misinformation
After slamming Spotify for giving Joe Rogan a platform for spreading life-threatening vaccine misinformation, classic rocker Neil Young demanded that the music streaming service remove his catalogue and they complied. The legendary musician has never shied away from expressing his opinion and wrote an open letter last week calling out Spotify for carrying Joe Rogan popular podcast which gets millions…
Read More » - Thailand News
Agencies partner to start cleaning 2,400 km of cables February 15
Could an end be in sight for Thailand’s infamously snarled mass of electric and communication cables overhead? The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has set a goal this year of cleaning up 2,000 kilometres worth of cables in the provinces of Thailand, plus another 400 kilometres just in Bangkok alone. The Cabinet had previously set this ambitious cleanup goal last…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
3 men arrested on prostitution charges involving a 16 year old girl
In the Northeastern province of Yasothon, police arrested 3 men on several charges relating to selling a 16 year old girl for sex. Police tracked the 3 men down as part of a larger investigation from a previous suspect they had arrested on similar charges for underage prostitution involving another girl also aged 16. 3 men, aged 27, 32, and…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
Forensic analysis ordered for elephant killed with 120 bullets
Grandfather of Pala-U, a 60 year old elephant who died after being shot more than 120 times, will be aided by forensic experts in an attempt to identify his killer. Earlier this month, the elephant was found in Phetchaburi province with more than 100 bullet wounds all over its body. Last Saturday, despite the best efforts of veterinarians who have…
Read More » - Bangkok News
AstraZeneca vaccines free for Bangkok walk-ins from Monday
Starting Monday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be offering AstraZeneca vaccinations for people over 18 of any nationality. They are broadening the scope of who can be vaccinated in an attempt to accelerate national inoculation, a criterion announced today in Thailand plan to declare Covid-19 endemic by the end of this year. The vaccinations will be open to anybody as…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand will declare Covid endemic whether WHO agrees or not
Regardless of whether the World Health Organisation agrees or not, Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 as an endemic disease by the end of this year according to the Ministry of Public Health. A meeting of the National Communicable Disease Committee was held today where the decision was made. Thailand will create its own academically acceptable criteria for measuring whether Covid-19…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket gov calls for investigation, charm offensive after report on hospitel parties
Following British journalist Jonathan Miller’s harsh and lengthy report of his stay at a Phuket quarantine hospitel, Governor Narong Woonciew called for an investigation into the reporter’s claims. The reporter documented the impromptu parties with Covid-infected travellers during his two-week stay at the “hospitel.” In the Sunday Times, Miller who was classified as high risk of contracting Covid-19, was ordered…
Read More » - Phuket News
British journalist documents beer-fuelled parties with Covid patients at Phuket quarantine hotel
British journalist Jonathan Miller was declared to be at high risk of Covid-19 after entering Thailand and ended up in a quarantine hotel in Phuket… which he says was more like an “Asian Hotel California” with “late-night discos fuelled by local beer.” Miller, known in Thailand as the first foreign reporter to interview King Vajiralongkorn after his coronation, wrote a…
Read More » - Chiang Mai News
Appeal Court upholds ruling: army needn’t compensate for shooting activist
A human rights activist who was shot by the army in 2017 at a checkpoint in Chiang Mai is not entitled to compensation according to the Appeal Court. Yesterday the court upheld a previous ruling by the Civil Court that dismiss the lawsuit arguing that the army pay compensation to the family of Lahu human rights activist Chaiyaphum Pasae. The…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Officials unable to extradite Red Bull heir
Prosecutors say time is running out to prosecute fugitive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, and that they’re unable to extradite him…because they don’t know what address to write down in the extradition warrant. The heir to the Red Bull energy drink empire was charged on 2 counts in the death of a Bangkok police officer killed in a hit-and-run collision…
Read More » - Thailand News
African Swine Fever spreads across Thailand, cases reported in 13 provinces
African Swine Fever is spreading across Thailand. The country’s agriculture minister said the disease has infected pig farms and one slaughterhouse in 13 Thai provinces in Central, Northeastern, and Southern Thailand. The infected farms and the five-kilometre radius around them are now declared epidemic zones. Instead of giving the ministry’s 2.9 billion baht emergency budget to pig farmers as he…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: 8,078 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,098 with 400 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,078 new Covid-19 cases and 6,595 recoveries. There are now 82,760 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
Read More » - Thailand News
Another Bangkok pedestrian killed crossing the road
After last week’s tragic killing of a pedestrian by a motorbike at a Bangkok zebra crossing, a pickup truck killed a pedestrian crossing the road in Samut Prakan this morning. A pickup truck struck 33 year old Win Mar Soe, who is from Myanmar, and reportedly swung her 10 metres. First responders took her to Chularat 9 Airport Hospital in…
Read More » - Thailand News
Mixed feelings on new Move Forward guburnatorial candidate
Thailand’s Move Forward Party has selected a candidate for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, the party’s spokesperson Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn. Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was proud to introduce Wiroj, saying no other candidate had “the party DNA” like him. Many of the party’s supporters agree with Pita, but some observers say Move Forward failed to find a more experienced, qualified candidate. One programme…
Read More » - Tourism News
Koh Samui hotel, business owners call for PCR test price cut to draw in Test & Go tourists
Hoteliers and business owners on the southern island of Koh Samui are asking the Thai government to lower the costs of RT-PCR tests in an effort to draw in more foreign tourists. The calls follow the decision to reopen registration for the Test & Go entry scheme starting February 1. The quarantine exemption scheme requires tourists to isolate themselves at…
Read More » - Thailand News
Krabi rescue volunteer catches giant king cobra with bare hands
A volunteer from the Ao Nang rescue team in southern Thai province of Krabi caught a giant king cobra with his bare hands. The 4.5 metre, 10 kilogram snake was reported by the residents after it slithered into a palm plantation. The giant cobra tried to hide in a septic tank near locals’ houses. It took 40 year old volunteer,…
Read More » - Thailand News
Domestic vacationers, not international, will be majority of Phuket hotel guests
A report by one real estate consultancy says domestic vacationers, not international tourists, will probably make up the majority of Phuket hotel guests in 2022. After a peak of 5.3 million arrivals at Phuket hotels in 2019, the arrivals dropped by 80% in 2020 to only 1.1 million. Constantly changing Covid-19 policies and confusion over them hinder travellers from booking…
Read More » - Thailand News
Foreign man in Pattaya arrested for allegedly trying to fight locals
Police arrested a shirtless foreign man at a supermarket in South Pattaya between last night and this morning. The man allegedly harassed locals by shouting and trying to pick fights. Police say he seemed very intoxicated. They eventually arrested the man and brought him to the station to slap him with multiple legal charges. The man’s nationality hasn’t been reported…
Read More » - Things To Do
Hemp-Friendly restaurants to try in Thailand 2024
Thailand has been experiencing a cannabis and hemp boom ever since parts of the plant with low traces of the psychoactive component, THC, were taken off the country’s narcotics list. Cafes across the country are now becoming weed-friendly, offering dishes and beverages made with cannabis and hemp leaves. But these dishes won’t get you high as they have less than…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Toddler drowns at Chon Buri’s Bangsaen beach during family vacation
A family vacation turned into a horrific tragedy when a toddler drowned at Bangsaen beach in Chon Buri earlier this week. The boy, who was only three years old, had been on a vacation with his parents, who live in Samut Prakan, a province just southeast of Bangkok. The boy’s mother says he disappeared from her sight for only a…
Read More » - Pattaya News
2 Pattaya venues acting as “restaurants” busted for Covid-19 violations
In the continuing struggle to rein in restaurants and venues violating the ever-evolving Covid-19 restrictions, police in Pattaya arrested 2 managers of so-called restaurants last night. Police reported that they were in violation of the new 11pm closing time, as well as the Covid-19 health and safety rules for venues that serve alcohol. The Pattaya City Police Chief personally led…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Thai man assaulted on Pattaya Beach, hospitalised for severe facial injuries
A 27 year old was found lying in a puddle of his own blood on Pattaya Beach and his face severely injured. A beach mat vendor nearby found the man at around 11:30pm last night after he heard men yelling. Responders from the Pattaya-based non-profit humanitarian organisation Sawang Boriboon arrived at the scene by the Central Festival shopping centre. The…
Read More » - Crime News
Officials say Vorayuth cocaine charge could be dropped as time running out
Prosecutors say they’re concerned that time is running out to prosecute fugitive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, for cocaine use. The Office of the Attorney-General says the statute of limitations on the charge is set to expire in September. According to a Nation Thailand report, the OAG has released a statement on the progress of the case against Vorayuth, aka…
Read More » - Crime News
Thailand asks for Singapore’s help in freezing assets of former TAT governor
Thai officials are seeking Singapore’s cooperation in freezing the assets of Juthamas Siriwan, who previously served as governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. She was sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment on corruption charges related to the hosting of the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2002-2007. According to a Bangkok Post report, Ittiporn Kaewthip and Prayut Phetkun from the Office…
Read More » - Environment News
Oil spill threatening tourism recovery on Thailand’s Koh Samet
Koh Samet’s fragile tourism sector, already battered by the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, now faces another threat from an oil spill heading for the island’s, and nearby, beaches. Sarinthip Tupmongkholsup from the Tourism Association of Koh Samet is reminded of a 2013 oil spill at the island’s Ao Phrao and is desperate to avoid a repeat scenario. “We…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Oil pipeline leak south of Pattaya
Efforts are continuing this morning to mitigate the fallout from a crude oil pipeline leak near Map Ta Phet in Rayong province, south of Pattaya. The leak occurred at a mooring point off the coast where oil tankers load and offload. About 160,000 litres of oil started floating in the waters off the coast on Tuesday as the company, Star…
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