- Covid-19 News
700,000 employees unemployed as more factories suspend production
According to the Thai Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, thousands of factory workers have now become unemployed due to manufacturing shutting up shop because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of people now claiming government financial aid has also doubled to 700,000 since December 2019. Yesterday Apinya Sujarittanan, director general of the DLPW, said that the Social Security Fund…
- Crime News
Man beats 4 year old son to death in Bangkok
Yesterday, just after midnight a man was charged with murder after striking and killing his 4 year old while high on drugs. Local police authorities had received a call that a boy had been fatally injured in an apartment in Soi Petchkasem, Phasi charoen district in Bangkok. When police arrived at the apartment, the door was locked so officers had to…
- Covid-19 News
Traditional massage practitioners have trouble qualifying for government handouts
There has been an ongoing problem where Thai traditional massage practitioners have had trouble applying and qualify for the government financial aid of 5,000 baht per month. The Ministry of Public Health has picked up the issue and says they are consulting with the Ministry of Finance to discus further measures to help this spectrum of workers. The Deputy Minister…
- Northern Thailand News
Biggest fire in 40 years at Mae Hong Son provincial city centre – VIDEO
At around 2.30am today a fire broke out leading to the destruction of an iconic building at the centre of Mae Hong Son province (northern Thailand), including the house of a Phalang Pracharat Party member of Parliament (MP). The blaze started at the Crossroad bar, a 70 year old building made of wood and located in the city centre near…
- Covid-19 News
Government proposes plans on how to stablise Thailand’s GDP
In a bid to tackle the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Thai economy, a proposal has been put forward by the Government’s Monetary and Fiscal Committee to preserve the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product by raising the budget cap and/or adjusting debt settlements. Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says “after a meeting with the committee yesterday, they…
- Crime News
Desperate police officer nabbed trying to rob a bank in Chachoengsao
Police general Krisana Pattanacharoen, dupty spokesman of the Royal Thai Police reports that a serving police sergeant was allegedly arrested in Chachoengsao province (east of Bangkok) for conspiring to rob a bank. Officers from Bangpakong Police Station reported that there was a suspicious-looking man in front of Kasikornbank’s Bangwua branch in Bangpakong district. “The suspect was seen wearing a black…
- Phuket News
Seized tuna trawler catches fire on Phuket’s east coast
Last night a fire was reported to the Phuket Police around 9:30pm on an old tuna trawler I (1 of the 7 unregistered fishing trawlers seized 3 years ago) along the mangrove forest on the island’s east coast. When emergency units arrived at the scene, the vessel was completely engulfed in flames 100 metres away from the Asia Marina pier…
- Covid-19 News
Thai airlines have their hands out for an extra 8.8 billion baht
The Cabinet approved loans totalling 16 billion bath on March 26 for 7 Thai airlines who had endured a negative impact, or a complete collapse, from the Covid-19 pandemic. Yesterday reports out of the aviation industry say that the number of airlines looking for government aid for low-interest loans is now up to 24.15 billion baht. A total of 8…
- Covid-19 News
Ports Authority of Thailand will offer discounts
“Not only has the number of containers handled by the port decreased, but many trips have also been cancelled,” says director-general, Kamolsak Promprayoon, The Port Authority of Thailand. The PAT board of executives has also agreed to provide assistance to carriers and shipping agents as Covid-19 has taken a heavy toll on the global sea transportation business. They are offering……
- Covid-19 News
Ex-military doctors recalled by the Royal Thai Air Force
Even though Thailand’s government has managed to decrease the number of daily infections, authorities still have a huge workload of looking out for patients and processing new arrivals at state quarantine facilities. So 50 ex-military doctors have been recalled by the Royal Thai Air Force in an “essential mission” of battling Thailand’s Covid-19 outbreak. Air force chief Air Chief Marshal Maanat Wongwat…
- Thailand News
Thai Government pharmaceutical organisation boosts production of key medicines
Dr Mukdavan Prakobvaitayakit, the deputy managing director of The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation says “the GPO has been increasing the amount of production for chronic disease medication by 50%. ” This unexpected Covid-19 pandemic has hit the stockpile of 5 – 6 key medicines, which are being used in the treatment of Covid-19. In normal circumstances, GPO usually purchases raw materials…
- Bangkok News
Police arrest 3 as they crack down on fake mask and gel network
Provincial Police Region 1 officers have arrested 3 people who have been charged with selling a large quantity of fake hand gel dispensers and face masks. The arrests were made in Samut Prakan (south of Bangkok), Pathum Thani (north of Bangkok) and Bangkok. The provincial police believe that all 3 suspects are part of a bigger network of distributors and…
- Northern Thailand News
Mobile blood driver deployed in Khon Kaen
“Families that have 3 or more people who are willing to donate blood, authorities will be sending mobile units that will visit homes in the main city area of Khon Kaen province today.” This from Dr Sujira Kwasaen, director of The Khon Kaen Regional Health Promotion Centre 7. The Khon Kaen Regional Health Promotion Centre 7 is working with The…
- South Thailand News
Songkhla zookeepers close up whilst keeping the tigers cool
Songkhla Zoo has announced its closure today as part of the southern province’s lockdown, but the zookeepers still have to take care of animals with the summer temperatures high and on the rise. The animals can become distressed at this time of the year with the extreme heat and need constant veterinary care. The zookeepers say they’re are trying as…
- South Thailand News
Man drowns in waste treatment pond after fleeing police checkpoint
This morning at 4am a man on a motorbike, trying to evade a police checkpoint in Songkhla province (southern Thailand), drowned in a sludge treatment pool. At 4am on Phonpichai Road, when police officers were packing up the checkpoint and were about to head home, a man riding a motorcycle had turned around just before reaching the checkpoint, and continued…
- Covid-19 News
Stranded Thai fisherman decides to swim back from Malaysia
By March 23, Satun province had closed it’s border checkpoints with Malaysia to try to lessen the Covid-19 infections. But police have reported yesterday that a Thai fisherman was stranded in Malaysia after trying to swim across the border trying to return to his home. Police have reported finding a fisherman ,45 year old Ratanapol Pan-un, a Satun province native…
- Bangkok News
A golden moment for Thailand’s gold sellers
The streets of Bangkok’s Chinatown today have been paved with gold… sellers. Today, dozens of Bangkok citizens lined up outside Yaowarat Road gold shops, creating chaos as they tried to sell off their gold ornaments and gold bars after the price gold rose by 550 baht per baht of gold (15.244 grams.) It is reported that this is the highest…
- Covid-19 News
Mass-testing vs contact tracing in Thailand
Yesterday, the Thai government announced that contact tracing (identification of high risk personnel) is the most valid and effective method for battling the Covid-19 outbreak around the country. The spokesperson, and now familiar frontman, of the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin has also revealed that “this is partly because Thailand has limited resources and can not afford…
- Thai Life
Up to 100,000 Thais at risk from alcohol-related ‘withdrawals’ during national ban
Yesterday experts announced that up to 100,000 Thais who have become seriously dependent on alcohol are at risk during the nationwide booze ban. The ban on alcohol sales was imposed in order to minimise large gatherings and also to curb coronavirus related infection risks, especially during the traditional Songkran celebrations. According to the director of Centre for Alcohol Studies at…
- Crime News
Drunken man incinerates ATM after running out of alcohol
Last night around 10pm a drunk man, apparently desperate to get more alcohol, became angry and aggressive, whereupon he decided to incinerate an ATM machine hoping that it was going to explode and rain cash, or alcohol, in Rayong, south east of Bangkok. General Montree Yimyam along with officials from the Rotong Police Station, arrested the man, later revealed as…
- World News
Fire in Kanchanaburi sends foul smoke over Burmese border
Yesterday, a large area of the province of Kanchanaburi was engulfed in stinking toxic smoke after a garbage fire ripped through a 3-rai (51,667 squared metres) garbage dump in the district of Sangkhlaburi, right on the Burmese border. The garbage tip is located next to a sugarcane farmer’s village. 2 fire trucks were sent by Kanchanaburi officials to extinguish the…
- Covid-19 News
Scientist and corporations desperately fight to find a reliable vaccine for Covid-19
Researchers are working against time to develop a novel coronavirus vaccine after the virus has killed over 110,000 people throughout the world and infected over 1.8 million people. Countries like China, Italy, Spain the UK and US have been worst affected by the Covid-19 virus. But experts warn of the chance of a new wave of outbreaks (and it’s still…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand cannot lower its guard in the battle against Covid-19
Yesterday, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says, “despite the declining numbers of the Covid-19 infections, the Kingdom cannot lower its guard because our neighbouring countries are still at high risk.” “The decreased number of new infections is good news for the traditional Thai New Year (Songkran), though high numbers of new cases recorded in…
- Northern Thailand News
4 teenagers violate the order not to celebrate Songkran outside
Under the emergency decree that has been announced by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, it has been confirmed that Songkran (the traditional Thai new year festival) is officially postponed this year to lessen the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. However, 4 teenagers defying the emergency decree was arrested in Roi Et province, far north-eastern Thailand, after live broadcasting their water wars. The…
- Crime News
Gang of 6 steal 5 motorbikes from Ayutthaya police station
A police officer of the Ruea Police station in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, said “while he was reorganising confiscated bikes parked in the police station he had noticed that there were 5 motorbikes missing .” Authorities have now arrested 19 year olds Sipakij Kantaklin and Chachwan Rummana from Saraburi province, northeast of Bangkok. The 2 suspects worked with 4 teenagers and…
- Covid-19 News
New regulation for patients who conceal information related to Covid-19
Yesterday a new regulation was put in place under the Department of Medical Services, relating to patients at public hospitals who cover up their travel history or conceal any medical conditions or information relating to the coronavirus. Violators could now face up to 6 months of imprisonment or a fine up to 10,000 baht. The announcement cites Article 137 of…
- Covid-19 News
US Embassy passes on message to Thailand from US Department of State
“Our countries have enjoyed a profound friendship for over 200 years. Our friendship and decades-long health partnership have given us the resilience to address this global health crisis caused by Covid-19.” The message from spokesperson Morgan Ortagus from the US Department of State. In the same statement issued yesterday, the US Embassy sent their good wishes to the people of…
- Covid-19 News
Crackdown on mask hoarders as police seek Facebook admin for defamation – VIDEO
UPDATE: The Technology Crime Suppression Division of Thailand is working with police to search for more suspects involved in a network connected to the March 31 arrest of Phanyot Paradonraphab, chief of the little known Paradonraphab political party. Phanyot allegedly imported 513,300 masks illegally under a company he opened called Thai Health International and managed to sell more than 640,000,…
- Covid-19 News
New guidelines for Thailand’s Covid-19 patients
Due to the slow rise of Covid-19 patients in Thailand the Ministry of Public Health has set new guidelines for supporting treatments at public hospitals. The established set of guidelines aims to reduce the risk of infection for other patients and medical personnel, reducing the congestion level at the hospitals and adjusting the treatment methods for patients that are suffering…
- Covid-19 News
Final stages before CP start punching out face masks in Thailand
The Charoen Pokphand Group also known as CP has announced that the plane that they chartered from China has arrived in Thailand carrying the new mask manufacturing machine and materials to complete the face mask assembling. CP’s senior chairman Dhanin Chearavanont, says that they’ve invested around 100 million baht to build the factory to produce surgical face masks for medical…
