Caitlin Ashworth
- Road deaths
392 killed in road accidents during New Year holiday’s “7 Dangerous Days”
Nearly 400 people were killed in road accidents in Thailand over the New Year holiday week known as the “7 Dangerous Days.” Motorcycles were involved in the vast majority of accidents while speeding and drink-driving were the most common causes of accidents. From December 29 up until yesterday, 392 people died in accidents, a 5% increase from last year’s toll…
- Thailand News
Justice minister proposes “fortune-telling” vocational program for prison inmates
Inmates in Thailand’s prisons might soon be able to study astrology and fortune-telling. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin proposed the vocational program to help the prisoners get jobs after they are released. Somsak says the course is a low investment for the Board of Corrections, adding that fortune-telling is popular in Thailand and a skill inmates can use to earn money…
- South Thailand News
Muslim couples in Yala who show affection could be arrested and forced to marry
Muslim unmarried couples in the southern Thai province of Yala could be arrested, and even forced to wed immediately by Islamic authorities, if they are seen being ‘affectionate’ in public. The new rule was set by the Yaha Central Mosque last month, according to Khaosod English. It’s unclear what types of public displays of affection are considered inappropriate, but apparently…
- Covid-19 News
UPDATE: 5 coastal provinces still open – Prayut rejects “total lockdown” proposal
The proposal for a “total lockdown” restricting travel in and out of 5 coastal provinces was rejected by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The provinces, Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, are implementing strict measures to control the spread of the virus, but the provinces will not be completely sealed off. In earlier reports, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutacha…
- Pattaya News
Chon Buri tightens Covid-19 restrictions, including fines for not wearing a mask
Covid-19 restrictions have tightened in Chon Buri and now people can be fined up to 20,000 baht for not wearing a mask. People are ordered to wear face masks outside. Those who violate the under a new measure, which was recently announced by the provincial governor’s office, could face the hefty fine. Schools and venues that hold large crowds are…
- Bangkok News
No illegal gambling dens are in Bangkok, deputy PM claims
Following Covid-19 cases linked to illegal gambling dens in Chon Buri and Rayong as well as a nationwide crackdown on gambling, deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is assuring the public that there are no illegal gambling dens in Bangkok as some worry that the unlawful gatherings could potentially spread the virus. Gambling is illegal and police are “on top of it,”…
- Thailand News
Tourists sent back to Pattaya as Koh Lan goes into lockdown
Tourists vacationing on Koh Lan were sent back to the mainland today as the island, just off Pattaya, goes into lockdown. The local community, including business owners and residents, decided to impose lockdown measures starting tomorrow until January 20, according to the secretary of the island’s community Sorasak Thongbongpetch. Around 100 tourists were ordered to leave the island and asked…
- Covid-19 News
Top Thai epidemiologist pushes for 4 week nationwide lockdown
Thailand needs a nationwide lockdown for at least 4 weeks to control the spread of the coronavirus, according to leading Thai epidemiologist Thira Woratanarat. But many governors and other public officials disagree with the idea of strict lockdown measures, especially on shutting down dine-in services, saying it could negatively impact on the poor. Thira, who is on the faculty of…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 745 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death
745 new Covid-19 cases and 1 new coronavirus related death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,022 active Covid-19 cases with a total of 8,439 reported cases and 65 deaths. New Covid-19 death A 56 year old man from Bangkok died after testing positive for Covid-19, according to CCSA spokesperson Taweesin…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to get China’s Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine next month
In the midst of a new wave of Covid-19 infections, Thailand will get 2 million vaccine doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech. The first batch of 200,000 doses will arrive next month, according to the Public Health Ministry. Another 800,000 doses will arrive in March and the last order of 1 million doses will arrive in April. Since the outbreak last…
- Covid-19 News
Some Isaan provinces require quarantine for travellers from “red zones”
Some provincial authorities in the Northeast region are tightening restrictions for travellers coming from areas with a high number of Covid-19 cases. The Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima, known as Korat, is now requiring travellers from “red zone” provinces to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Buriram, another province in the region, is requiring passengers flying from Bangkok, which is classified…
- Thailand News
2020’s top 3 stories in Thailand… besides Covid-19
Covid-19 dominated headlines in 2020. Here’s the other major stories in Thailand this year as rated by the Thaiger editorial team. We’ve also prepared a story rating the Top 10 stories as ranked by you, counting the number of clicks on the stories. You can watch that HERE. February mass shooting On February 8, a Royal Thai Army soldier shot…
- Northern Thailand News
500 kilograms of methamphetamine found hidden in phone booth call boxes
Police found 500 kilograms of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs hidden in 154 phone booth call boxes at a home in the Isaan province Khon Kaen. Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau raided the home yesterday and arrested 6 people who are suspected of being members of a major drug trafficking operation in the Northeast. Along with half a tonne…
- Covid-19 News
Government bans gatherings that “risk” Covid-19 transmission
Some may need to count down the year at home. The Thai government has banned gatherings in provinces with high numbers of Covid-19 cases. The gatherings banned are only those that pose “risk of disease transmission” in provinces classified as “red: maximum control zone” and “orange: control zone.” In Bangkok, New Year countdown events need to be approved by the…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 250 new Covid-19 cases, spike in Chon Buri
250 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. 241 of those cases are local transmissions with 108 cases detected in Chon Buri. CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin says the spike in cases in Chon Buri could be linked to another gambling den, but added that the Department of Disease Control will provide more…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya and Banglamung “highly controlled,” non-essential businesses shutdown
Pattaya and Banglamung are now classified as “highly controlled” areas with an emergency order shutting down bars, parks, schools and non-essential businesses after rise in Covid-19 cases. The emergency order was just released this morning by Chon Buri governor Phakarathorn Tienchai. The order is in place until further notice. There are no set curfews, checkpoints or travel restrictions, but the…
- Thailand News
Cabinet members eat seafood lunch to prove it’s not contaminated with Covid-19
After the Laos government banned seafood imports from Thailand due to the Covid-19 outbreak at a Samut Sakhon fishing hub, Thai officials are assuring the neighbouring country that Thai seafood is not contaminated with the coronavirus. In what seems like a publicity stunt, members of the Thai Cabinet ate 7 seafood dishes for lunch yesterday to prove that Covid-19 cannot…
- Thailand News
Migrant workers to be granted 2-year work permit and health insurance
Undocumented migrant workers from 3 countries will be able to register for legal employment allowing a 2-year stay. The Cabinet approved the measure in an effort to control the spread of Covid-19 after an outbreak at a Samut Sakhon seafood market affecting a large migrant community who worked around the fishing hub. Migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will…
- Thailand News
Central Thailand restaurant offers free boxed meals to migrants
With some restaurants refusing to serve migrants due to fears that they might carry Covid-19, a restaurant in the Central Thailand province Nakhon Sawan is offering free food to migrant workers. Many migrants, particularly from Myanmar, have faced discrimination after the outbreak in Samut Sakhon which impacted a large community of migrant workers around the Mahachai area fishing hub. Owner…
- South Thailand News
Hat Yai nightclub raided, owner arrested
A nightclub in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district was raided at 2am this morning after police were tipped off about the venue staying open beyond the authorised hours. Nation Thailand says people at the nightclub were “partying without protection” and not abiding by coronavirus prevention measures. Nearby residents also say they were disturbed by the noise during the early hours. The…
- Covid-19 News
No nationwide lockdown, Covid-19 outbreak is not severe – Deputy PM
As a new wave of Covid-19 infections sweeps across Thailand, no nationwide lockdown will be imposed… yet. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam says the government decided not to call a lockdown because the outbreak is “not severe,” adding that the government will review the situation again before Children’s Day on January 9. Thailand currently has a record high of 2,195 active…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 155 new Covid-19 cases, active cases surpass 2,100
“The number of new cases is soaring.” 155 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the daily briefing by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total count of confirmed cases in Thailand raised to 6,440 while the national death toll raised to 61 after a 45 year old man in Rayong with Covid-19 died. Thailand currently has 2,195 active…
- Economy News
Gold sales go up as Thais sell jewelry to pay for routine expenses
With job losses and pay cuts brought on by the pandemic, many Thais are lining up to sell their gold to bring in some cash, like 22 year old Suvirat Namvicha, an office worker in Bangkok who had her overtime expenses cut. Survirat, who is also pregnant, says she needed to sell a gold necklace to pay for her medical bills.…
- Bangkok News
Police arrest 89 people in Bangkok gambling den raid
Police raided a Bangkok gambling den and arrested 89 people for allegedly gambling and violating the Emergency Decree which prohibits unauthorised gatherings in crowded spaces to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The bust follows a Covid-19 outbreak at a gambling den in Rayong, around 60 kilometres from Pattaya and around 180 kilometres from Bangkok. Yesterday, a 45 year old man…
- Covid-19 News
Rayong illegal gambling employee dies after testing positive for Covid-19
A man who worked at a gambling den in Rayong died after testing positive for Covid-19, the Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pituthecha announced this evening. The 45 year old man, who also had underlying conditions related to asthma and diabetes, became sick and died on the way to the hospital, according to Satit. No other details have been released.…
- Thailand News
Man arrested for allegedly stealing from fatal car accident victims
A man was arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from victims of a fatal traffic accident where a 2 pickup trucks collided, killing 2 people and injuring 4. Police say the man pretended to help emergency responders during the rescue and stole valuables from both the deceased and the injured victims. The accident occurred around 11:50am this morning on Mitrapap highway…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA warns daily Covid-19 cases could exceed 4 digits if public is not careful
The government seems to be warning Thais of a worse case scenario if the public doesn’t abide by disease control measures. If people aren’t careful, especially in high risk provinces, daily new Covid-19 cases could rise to thousands or even tens of thousands by mid-January, according to the spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Taweesilp Visanuyothin. While no…
- Crime News
Police raid factory, arrest man and detain 11 migrant workers
After announcing a crackdown on labour traffickers, police arrested a Chinese man who allegedly illegally operated a rubber glove factory and employed undocumented migrants. After a spike in Covid-19 cases involving more than 1,000 migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, many who worked in the Mahachai area fishing hub, police said they would investigate migrant trafficking and make major arrests. Before…
- Covid-19 News
Samut Sakhon governor tests positive for Covid-19, public health minister in quarantine
The Samut Sakhon governor Veerasak Vijitsaengsri tested positive for Covid-19 and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. Prior to testing positive for the virus, the governor had an hour-long meeting on Sunday with public health officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul who is now in quarantine at his home. The Centre for Covid-19…
- Thailand News
Murder-suicide at Songkhla Zoo linked to missing rare animal investigation
Investigators say the apparent murder-suicide at the Songkhla Zoo is related to the case of the missing rare deer and claims of illegal wildlife trade. Back in October, the zoo’s senior veterinarian shot and killed a top official from the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand before killing himself at his living quarters at the Southern Thailand zoo. The organisation’s director-general,…
