- Covid-19 News
Tourist number limitations mulled for tourist spots after reopening
As the government considers allowing the resumption of more businesses and activities, the Department of Health, under the Ministry of Public Health, is pushing for measures to curb the number of visitors to tourist spots, to prevent a surge in Covid-19 transmission. The DOH director-general says that even though some restrictions on domestic travel have been relaxed, travellers should adopt…
- Tourism News
Covid-19 crisis sees nearly 100 Koh Samui hotels put up for sale
The economic devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic on Thailand’s tourism and hospitality sectors has been inestimable, with foreign arrivals banned since March and hotels nationwide ordered shut in April. Some around the country have since re-opened but nearly 100 hotels on the tourist island of Koh Samui are now for sale. The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui…
- Crime News
Police investigating a double murder and suicide in Lampang
Police in the northern province of Lampang were called to the scene of a double murder, where a man killed two relatives and stabbed another before killing himself. His motive remains unknown. Police say they learned of the attack at about 7:45am yesterday. The victims were identified as 52 year old Amphon Saikon and 70 year old Inkaew Promdam. Police…
- Crime News
9 arrested for sharing “fake news” about Covid-19, government handouts
9 People have been arrested for sharing “fake news” on social media, from May 25 to yesterday, according to Thailand’s Anti-Fake News Centre. 3 were connected to false stories about Covid-19 and a further 6 made bogus claims about the government’s cash handouts to the needy. The AFNC, together with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, said yesterday that…
- Crime News
Chon Buri man, high on meth, allegedly torches his own house
A man in Chon Buri’s Muang district burned his own house down in the early hours of this morning. He was reportedly intoxicated and high on methamphetamine at the time. Police were notified of the fire at around 5am at a house in Napa, in the northern part of Chon Buri. Firefighters and 3 fire engines arrived at the scene…
- Covid-19 News
They arrived! One Thai/Australian family’s battle to re-unite.
Common sense has prevailed and the uphill task faced by father Sam Kelly last week has had a favourable ending with his Thai wife, Kannika, and 2 children. Ronny and Adam, arriving safely this morning in Brisbane, Australia. His months-long battle with common sense and the vagaries of Thai officialdom has resulted in at least one family being re-united soon…
- Technology News
Cyber minister wants Netflix-like Thai streaming platform
Thailand’s minister of digital economy and society, aka. “cyber minister” says that Thailand should have its own streaming platform to bring in revenue and promote Thai movies and television overseas. Puttipong Punnakan remarked at a forum that creating a Netflix-like platform to stream and sell Thai films and series to foreign audiences would reel some sweet, sweet subscription revenue into…
- Thailand News
Bangkok’s legendary Scala cinema is closing
Bangkok’s venerable Scala cinema announced yesterday that it will stop its movie showing operations and let other businesses rent the venue for their activities or special screenings until the end of 2020, when its land contract expires. Scala, located in Pathumwan district, is the last standalone movie theatre in Bangkok. The 1,000 seat cinema was built in 1969 and named…
- Phuket News
Phuket governor courts envoys of 16 nations to promote tourism
“I would like Phuket to organise activities leading the consulates from various countries to travel to Phuket in order to see the beautiful tourist attractions and to promote tourism for Phuket.” Phuket’s governor called yesterday for foreign envoys to visit and inspect Phuket for themselves as a mark of confidence that the island is ready to receive tourists. The call…
- World News
Exiled Thai dissident kidnapped in broad daylight in Phnom Penh
In the latest in a string of mysterious disappearances of Southeast Asian dissidents living in exile, gunmen kidnapped a Thai political activist in Cambodia, rights advocates announced today. 37 year old Wanchalearm Satsaksit, who fled Thailand after 2014’s military coup amid accusations he broke the country’s strict lèse-majesté law, was abducted at gunpoint and bundled into a car as he…
- Politics News
88 billion baht Covid-19 spending bill, criticised by opposition, passes first reading
Thailand’s House of Representatives kicked off a debate this morning on a bill that would transfer about 88 billion baht from the budgets of each government ministry to a central fund, to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and rehabilitate the nation’s economy. The first reading was approved with 264 votes. 4 MPs rejected it, 185 abstained and 1 MP failed to…
- Crime News
Gold necklace snatched from Banglamung motorcyclist – again
Police in Chon Buri’s Banglamung subdistrict are hunting for a suspect on a motorbike who allegedly snatched a gold necklace worth 65,000 baht from another motorcyclist in the Nongprue area. 40 year old Somchai Jandaphon, a contractor, filed a report with Nongprue Police yesterday. He told police that he was driving a motorbike in Soi Marb Tado when the suspect,…
- Covid-19 News
Bars, massage parlours may be be allowed to reopen in Phase 4
Drinking at a bar and a massage at some of the country’s larger massage parlour may become possible again in Phase 4 of the lifting of restrictions, originally enacted to contain the spread of Covid-19. Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesman Dr. Taweesilp Wisanuyothin says that such venues are being considered for the fourth phase of reopening, as no local…
- Thailand News
Army denies punishing sergeant over graft allegations
In a press briefing yesterday, an army spokesman denied that a sergeant is facing punishment for exposing alleged graft in an army unit, saying rather that Narongchai Intharakawee faces disciplinary and criminal action for “dereliction of duty”. Previous reports said Narongchai, who serves as a budget clerk at the army ordnance department, claimed he has been intimidated, threatened, and faced…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Heavy rains, thundershowers predicted nationwide
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says a low pressure cell is covering the upper Bay of Bengal, and the strong southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and Thailand is becoming stronger. Continuous rains are predicted across much of the country today, especially in the afternoon, with isolated heavy rains in some areas. People in the North, the East and the South are…
- Tourism News
Prachuap Khiri Khan’s scenic Ao Manao beach reopens today
Chon Buri and Hua Hin aren’t the only places reopening their beaches. Today, Ao Manao, the scenic beach in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan will also be open to the public. The crescent shaped bay belongs to the Air Force Wing 5 miltary base. Like all Thai beaches, it’s been closed for two months due to the Covid-19…
- Covid-19 News
Government to decide which “red” businesses can reopen in next phase
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration revealed today that the government is now considering which high-risk or “red” businesses will be allowed to reopen under Phase 4 of lockdown easing. CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin says that the virus could be with us for months or even years, so the government must carefully consider which “red” high-contagion-risk businesses can reopen.…
- Covid-19 News
Thai schools prepare for nationwide reopening July 1
Thailand’s distance-learning experiment has been declared a failure, after the Education Ministry’s surveys found 60-70% of students aren’t ready to use television as the main channel for their studies. Now the ministry and schools are gearing up for classrooms to reopen nationwide. Thailand’s education minister says the ministry had to adjust its plan of airing lessons via television for long…
- Events
Bangkok braces for Black Lives Matter rally
The death of black American George Floyd at the hands of police burgeoned into a storm of protests reaching across the globe; one that will reach Bangkok this weekend. The vast majority of demonstrations over the past 8 days in the US have been peaceful, but some have turned violent and curfews have been imposed after looting in a number…
- Covid-19 News
TAT will use domestic tourism as dress rehearsal for international returns
“…the tourism sector will continue to be stifled by disease control measures until a Covid-19 vaccine is developed.” Due to the current ban on international arrivals, extended several times and now in effect until at least July, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has created a strategy to support domestic tourism and “learn from the experience”, as it eases into the…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya mayor responds to video showing black water gushing into the sea next to Walking Street
With Pattaya’s beaches reopening this week, for the first time since they were closed in March, there is still concern about what the City’s officials are pumping into the Gulf of Thailand off the Pattaya coast. Last Monday, filthy black water was seen gushing into the Gulf of Thailand right next to Pattaya’s famous Walking Street. The video, from the ‘We…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Heavy rains, thundershowers predicted nationwide
Thailand’s Meteorological Department says the southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and Thailand is getting stronger today, while the low pressure area covers upper Vietnam. Isolated heavy rains are likely in the North, the Northeast, the Central region including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South. People should prepare for severe conditions. Here is the forecast for the…
- Covid-19 News
As Thailand’s beaches reopen, crowds flock back
Yesterday, the Queen’s birthday and a public holiday, saw many of Thailand’s popular beaches heaving with visitors as they reopened for the first time since their closure by the Emergency Decree in March. People across the country took advantage of the easing of inter-provincial travel restrictions that took effect Monday. Chon Buri’s Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri was almost…
- Bangkok News
Huge Nike flagship store opens in Bangkok’s Siam Center
A massive Nike flagship store is now open in Bangkok’s Siam Center, with a ‘footprint’ spanning more than 836 square metres of prime retail space in the capital. Intended to showcase Nike’s innovation across multiple product categories, the store offers the brand’s first “Nike By You” in-store customisation service in Thailand. Retailers are now pulling out all stops to lure…
- Pattaya News
Major makeover proposed for Pattaya’s Walking Street
… but few are impressed. Images on the Facebook page of Pattaya City reveal plans for a major re-imagining and makeover of one of the resort’s most notable, and notorious, landmarks – Walking Street. Gone are the grotty road, broken pavements and lurid signs and frontages, and in their place will be an easy to navigate walking area fit for…
- Politics News
PM distancing himself from party room clashes
PM Prayut Chan-o-Cha appeared to distance himself from party politics, and internal strife within the ruling Palang Pracharat party, after 18 members resigned en masse to pave the way for the election of a new executive committee, party leader and secretary-general. He repeatedly deflected questions from reporters about speculation that the resignations were intended to replace party leader Finance Minister…
- Business News
Thai Airways may not need to file for bankruptcy in US
Contrary to earlier reports, Thai Airways may not need to seek bankruptcy protection in the United States to avoid seizure of its planes and other assets. A senior official made the announcement after a meeting led by Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam with the struggling carrier’s senior management and the airline’s board. The meeting was to discuss the airline’s rehabilitation plan…
- Transport News
Powering up tuk tuks for a new era in Bangkok
Electric tuk-tuks have been in use in cities around Thailand for some time, but now the Thai Electric Vehicle Association has launched a new post-Covid-19 electric tricycle as an alternative form of public transportation in the “new normal” era, and supports the vehicle to promote Thai tourism after the national lockdown is fully lifted. EVAT sees the three-wheeled transport as…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 update: 1 new imported case (June 3)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced a single new imported case of Covid-19 at this morning’s daily press briefing. The patient is a 26 year old student who recently returned from Saudi Arabia and was sent directly to a state quarantine facility. The new case raises Thailand’s total 3,084 since the start of the outbreak in January, with 2,968…
- Northern Thailand News
Woman found hanged in Nakhon Ratchasima, son found drowned nearby
Police in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima report that a woman was found hanged in a workers’ shelter and her 12 year old son drowned in a nearby pond at a sand depot yesterday. Workers arriving in the morning discovered the woman, hanged with electric wires from the beam of the shelter in tambon Chum Phuang, according to the…
