- Covid-19 News
40 new coronavirus test clinics coming in April
Getting tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Thailand will soon be a lot easier, as 40 more labs are expected to be given approval to run tests nationwide within a month. A spokesman for the Department of Medical Sciences says there are currently 57 labs being certified to run tests, with 40 more awaiting assessment before they can begin testing.…
- Covid-19 News
Immigration: Beware online swindlers claiming they can extend your visa
After a wave of complaints, the Immigration Bureau yesterday issued urgent advice to tourists and visitors about extending their visas amid the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis. While some immigration offices have requested that expats to file their 90 day residence reports reports online to promote social distancing and avoid crowded conditions, officers say fraudsters have been going online on Facebook and…
- Covid-19 News
Buriram quarantine violators to be housed at racetrack
Well known north-eastern politician, tycoon and local “kingmaker” Newin Chidchob posted on Facebook today that officials in the northeastern province of Buriram have prepared the Chang International Circuit as a special place for “stubborn people” who ignore self-quarantining rules. Officials confirmed that those who ignore the 14 day self-isolation guidelines will be housed at the race track building until their…
- Covid-19 News
Canadian family of 4 among Phuket’s coronavirus infections
Authorities in the southern island province of Phuket today announced that 3 more members from a Canadian are among 7 new confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus infections. The new cases include a 37 year old Canadian woman, her 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter. All are believed to be infected by the woman’s husband, and children’s father, also a…
- Covid-19 News
Chon Buri bans alcohol sales 6pm to 6am
Chonburi’s governor has banned the sale of alcohol in the province, including Pattaya, from 6am to 6pm, effective immediately, and restaurants are now only allowed to offer takeaways – all to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The order is over and above all other closures in the province over the past two weeks. The provisions of the order…
- Covid-19 News
Pattaya eyes hotel as quarantine area
Pattaya’s Committee for the Surveillance and Prevention of Covid-19 is proposing to use the city’s Grand Bella Hotel as a temporary medical shelter for people under investigation for Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms. Pattaya currently has 12 total cases, with a total of 16 in Bang Lamung and 53 in Chon Buri province. 105 people are currently being scrutinised for the virus…
- Chiang Mai News
Abandoned newborn girl discovered in Chiang Mai
An infant girl was found abandoned outside a grilled pork stand in Chiang Mai Province in Thailand’s north early yesterday. The baby was found by a “drunken man” at 6:30am. Abandoned children are a common problem in Thailand. Unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy out of wedlock, family problems and other issues can cause young mothers to cast aside their babies. The infant was…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok monks now sporting bespoke facemasks
Monks (well, some of them, anyway) in the nation’s capital have begun wearing custom face masks and even facial shields, as they make their daily morning alms rounds. Abbot Phra Maha Somkiat Yansuttho and his novices from Bangkok’s Wat Matchan Tikaram temple, aka. Was Noi, wore face masks while they went out to ask for alms and chat with neighbouring…
- Covid-19 News
Third stimulus package coming, valued at 500 billion baht
Thailand’s economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, as it’s heavily reliant on exports and tourism. As of yesterday, Thailand had reported 1,524 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths as a result of the outbreak. So the finance minister yesterday announced a new stimulus package valued at more than 500 billion baht to alleviate the impact. The…
- Covid-19 News
8 killed as Medevac plane crashes in Manila – VIDEO
“Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident.” A plane evacuating a Covid-19 coronavirus patient exploded during takeoff in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday, killing all eight passengers and crew. The victims included an American and a Canadian. The plane, owned by a Philippine-registered charter service Lionair, was bound for Japan. It burst into flames at the end of the runway…
- Covid-19 News
Restrictions announced for Chon Buri, that means Pattaya too
New restrictions are now in force in the eastern province of Chon Buri, due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Chon Buri’s governor and the Chonburi Committee for Communicable Diseases have come to several new resolutions regarding restrictions and closures… Extensions on all entertainment venue closures, such as bars, nightclubs, spas, massage shops, gogos, etc. The anticipated end date will be…
- Covid-19 News
Government aims to limit travel around Thailand by 90%
It won’t do much for oil prices, but it will flatten Thailand’s Covid-19 ‘curve’ and help with the country’s air pollution problems. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is aiming to cut public transport use by as much as 90% around the country in order to stem the rise of Covid-19 coronavirus infections. Just yesterday, Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced that…
- Crime News
Woman convicted for 2005 stabbings, allegedly kills 5 year old
A mental patient who served prison time for the 2005 stabbings of 4 girls in Bangkok has turned herself in to police after allegedly stabbing a 5 year old girl to death. 50 year old Ms. Jitrlada Tantiwanitchasuk gave herself up to police in Nakhon Pathom province otside Bangkok yesterday. The 5 year old victim was pronounced dead on arrival…
- Covid-19 News
Coronavirus spreads to Lamphun province
The northern province of Lamphun, near Chiang Mai, has reported its first 2 Covid-19 coronavirus cases. Provincial Governor Pongrat Piromrat made the announcement yesterday. A 39 year old man is the first case. He returned from abroad on March 19 and began home quarantine from March 20 until today, when he tested positive and was transferred to a local hospital.…
- Covid-19 News
Experts warn against buying dodgy coronavirus test kits online
Thailand’s Association of Medical Technologists is warning people against purchasing test kits online and examining themselves for Covid-19 coronavirus at home. A statement, issued today from the AMTT, said some illegal Covid-19 test kits have found their way into Thailand and are for sale on social media. The AMTT warned against buying these kits since they are likely unreliable or…
- Crime News
Former US gangster arrested after Chon Buri 7-11 robbery
A man with a rather colourful past is now in police custody in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province. The suspect, a former US gangster, who speaks five languages, allegedly robbed a 7-eleven shop of 5000 baht using a BB gun last week. 37 year old “Roger” Phayungsak Wasuwat, was taken by police to the convenience store branch…
- World News
Chiang Mai chokes as fires rage in the north of Thailand
Northern Thailand is choking under a toxic shroud and it’s not getting any better. Air pollution across the upper North remains “at critical levels,” in many areas, including some of the main population centres. Authorities are monitoring almost 400 active hotspots in Chiang Mai alone yesterday. The air quality didn’t improve this morning, with IQAir recording “very unhealthy” air quality…
- Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE – first deaths in New Zealand, Sri Lanka. Singapore cancels citizen’s passport.
Covid-19 cases around the world have now reached 723,732. A week ago (March 23) there was 378,000 cases in the world. There have been exactly 34,000 deaths recorded globally (as of 2.30pm Monday Thai time) with over 151,000 people recovered. The USA leads the world count with 142,735 cases followed by Italy with 97,689 cases and 10,799 deaths. Here are…
- Covid-19 News
Senior health official says dire infection forecasts “very unlikely”
Doctors from various departments, ministries and universities are making grim predictions about the Covid-19 coronavirus infection rate in Thailand, some saying that by mid-April cases in Thailand will reach 350,000, with about 7,000 fatalities. Responding to some of the most dire forecasts, a senior doctor at the Ministry of Public Health’s Disease Control Department is dismissing these scenarios as “very…
- Covid-19 News
Red hazardous waste bins spring up in Bangkok for used masks, tissue
Used face masks and tissue paper are now classified as hazardous waste during this Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, at least in Bangkok. The city’s governor Aswin Kwanmuang is urging people to dispose of used face masks properly, using the new red bins which are designated for hazardous waste. “Used face masks must be put in a plastic bag fastened with a string…
- Covid-19 News
136 more virus cases confirmed in Thailand as outbreak spreads out of Bangkok
A spokesman for the country’s newly formed Covid-19 Situation Administration Thailand confirmed 136 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases today, raising the total number of infections to 1,524. Deaths in the Kingdom remain at 7. Infections in Thailand are likely to keep rising, and in a reversal of the earlier trend, recent new cases have been reported more in the countryside than…
- Covid-19 News
Phuket reports 9 new coronavirus cases
9 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been reported in the southern island province of Phuket, bringing the total to 62 cases. Most of the new cases originated in the Patong district, again, and many in the area of the Bangla Road red light district. Details of the new cases… Case 54: A 35 year old Canadian man working at…
- Covid-19 News
Minister: Don’t worry about energy supply while working from home
Energy Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawong reassured the public on Saturday that even though many are now working from home to promote social distancing and stem the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, his ministry will ensure an adequate electricity supply. “I have ordered all related agencies, especially the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, to monitor power usage closely and evaluate the situation…
- Covid-19 News
Coronavirus infections rise among Thai health workers
Infections of the Covid-19 coronavirus among doctors, nurses and other staff on the front-line of the battle against the disease are causing concerns. Yesterday the Thai Health Department announced 143 new infections bringing the total in Thailand to 1,388 since the outbreak began in January. The number of newly infected health department personnel was 8. Doctors, nurses and other staff…
- Covid-19 News
Gambling wife arrested after husband calls police in Nakhon Ratchasima
Thailand’s recently declared state of emergency has meant the temporary closure of many businesses, leaving a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands. One woman in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province grew bored and decided to invite some friends around for a bit of light home gambling playing cards. But her husband was afraid she might…
- Covid-19 News
Beaches in Phuket closed until further notice
The world famous beaches of the southern resort island of Phuket are now closed indefinitely in another effort by provincial officials to fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat, who is also heading up the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee, made the announcement yesterday. The closures extend to zoos and all venues offering animal shows for tourists. Bangla…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand confirms 143 new coronavirus cases, 1 more death
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and its Department of Disease control announced 143 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus at their daily press briefing today in Bangkok (March 29), up from yesterday’s 109 new cases. There has been 1 additional death, bringing the national Covid-19 toll to 7. The latest figures brought the total cases to 1,388 across 57…
- Covid-19 News
6 new coronavirus cases in Phuket
Phuket island officials have reported 6 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus as of today (Sunday, March 29), bringing the total to 53 on the southern island. The details as known at time of publication are… Case 48: A 42 year old Thai woman, a gift shop owner in Patong. Case 49: A 32 year old Ukrainian woman who runs…
- Covid-19 News
Drug party raided in Chiang Rai for defying public gathering ban
Authorities are cracking down and enforcing the ban on on public gatherings under the the state of emergency declared to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic last week. 22 people were arrested at a drug party in Chiang Rai yesterday for “gathering in defiance of the Emergency Decree”. 10 men and 12 women between the ages of 20 and 30 were nabbed…
- Covid-19 News
Nearly 20 million try to register, crashing Thai government’s payout website
Four major Thai banks closed their branches this weekend, partly in anticipation of a surge of applicants for the governments recently announce 5000 baht handout scheme for “informal” workers affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to Krungthai Bank, nearly 20 million people tried to log in and register on the government’s payout website, which opened last night, significantly higher…
