Caitlin Ashworth
- Thailand News
No… Eating loads of holy basil won’t protect you from Covid-19
In case you were eating loads of holy basil to protect yourself from Covid-19… Stop. Sounds a bit crazy, but the Thai public health officials and the Anti Fake News Centre Thailand are warning people not to believe the claim spread online that eating 50 grams of fresh holy basil each day will boost immunity and protect against the coronavirus.…
- Economy News
Deputy PM says pandemic exposed problems in Thai economy, time to improve
As the Covid-19 pandemic hit economies all over the world with business closures and travel bans, issues with Thailand’s economy were exposed, according to Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow. The country cannot go back to the way it was before the global outbreak, he says. Thailand’s large tourism industry was battered by the lack of foreign visitors. Small and medium businesses…
- Covid-19 News
15 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
15 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed cases is raised to 4,297 with 4,005 recoveries and 60 deaths. 232 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. 4 women, ages 25 to 41, travelling from Myanmar tested positive for Covid-19. 2 Thai women, ages 28…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s top epidemiologist warns against shortening quarantine
Thailand’s top epidemiologist has repeatedly warned against opening Thailand back up to tourism. Now that health officials have started a 1-month study to determine if the mandatory quarantine period can be cut down to 10 days, the doctor is once again warning health officials. Thira Woratanarat, from the Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, wrote on his Facebook page saying health…
- Thailand News
Thailand sends smuggled orangutans back to Indonesia
After being smuggled through Southeast Asia, seized by Thai border officials, and then cared for at a Thailand wildlife centre for 3 years, a pair of endangered Sumatran orangutans are being sent back to Indonesia. Back in June 2017, border officials seized the orangutans, Ung Ing and Nathalie, from smugglers at a customs checkpoint in the southern province Songkhla, near…
- Bangkok News
Satirical fashion show leads to lèse majesté charges
A satirical fashion show led to a pair of young pro-democracy activists, one just 16 years old, to be charged with violating Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law after one of them dressed in traditional Thai dress, said to be mocking a royal consort, while the other wore a crop top. (An outfit a certain “someone” has been photographed wearing in…
- Thailand News
End-of-quarantine party for 28 Thais who returned from Myanmar
An end-of-quarantine party was held for 28 Thais who were just released from quarantine after returning to Chiang Rai from Myanmar. Not many details were reported about the event, just that it was a ceremony at a riverside resort with the provincial governor Prajon Prachsakul… Definitely a lot different than the parties just across the border in Tachileik. Many Thai…
- Pattaya News
Chon Buri woman wins 18 million baht in lottery, her niece picked the winning number
When Primprao Chuadee went by her usual lottery ticket vendor in Chon Buri, she decided to let her young niece pick the tickets. Lucky move. She won 18 million baht in the Thai government’s bi-monthly lottery. “My niece ‘Nong Baimon’ picked the lottery numbers for me at a lottery stall that I usually buy from.” She bought a set of 3…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA starts study to determine if quarantine should be shortened
Covid-19 testing during the mandatory quarantine period for arrivals has been increased from twice to thrice in an effort to determine if quarantine can be shortened from 14 to 10 days. The study will last until January 15, according to spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Thaweesilp Visanuyothin. Travellers were typically tested around 3 to 5 days after…
- Bangkok News
Man nicknamed “Spider-Man” arrested in Bangkok on robbery charges
Spider-Man was arrested in Bangkok… but not your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. It was 33 year old Somkid Taem-ngam who got the nickname “Kid Spider-Man” after he was seen using a zipline to come down from a ceiling during a robbery. Kid was previously arrested back in 2016 and recently got out of prison. He was arrested today for allegedly stealing…
- Thailand News
Bank of Thailand says being on US currency “watchlist” won’t have a “material impact”
Thailand being added to the United States Treasury’s “watchlist” for suspected currency manipulation won’t impact foreign trade and investment too much, the Bank of Thailand says. Now that Thailand is on the “monitoring list,” US government says it will keep “close attention” on the country’s currency practices to determine if any measures are intended to gain an unfair advantage in…
- Covid-19 News
20 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
20 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed cases is raised to 4,281 with 3,989 recoveries and 60 deaths. 232 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. 5 Thai men, ages 33 to 42, and a 42 year old Indian man travelling from India tested…
- Pattaya News
Mosquito-borne virus spreads in Pattaya
Light the coils and get out the bug repellant. Pattaya reports an increase in chikungunya fever infections, a mosquito-borne virus. The city’s mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem is ordering public health and environment staff to control the spread. “The virus comes from bites from infected mosquitoes. Patients will have high fever, discomfort and joint pain for, on average, about four days. In…
- Thailand News
Thailand on US Treasury’s “watchlist” for suspected currency manipulation
Thailand is now on the United States Treasury’s “monitoring list” for suspected currency manipulation, unfair policies to gain an advantage in international trade. Vietnam and Switzerland were both labeled currency manipulators in the US Treasury’s recent report “Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States.” Along with Thailand, the Treasury also added Taiwan and India…
- Thailand News
Monk arrested for firing gun at Chon Buri temple
A monk was arrested for allegedly firing a gun at a temple in Chon Buri’s Ban Bueng district after a drunk and heated argument between the other monks. The monk, 42 year old Kritsana Yoosi, actually hasn’t been a monk for very long. Just about 2 months… and only because he told his family that if he wins the lottery…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s #BestofTweets 2020
The following is a statement from Twitter announcing the winners of the social media company’s #BestofTweets 2020 Thailand awards. 2020 has been a year of disruption and disconnect across economies, industries, and communities. For marketers, there’s never been a more challenging year. Campaigns, events, and creative shoots had to be moved online, postponed, or cancelled, tearing up a year’s worth…
- Visa Information
New Smart Visa rules in the works for digital nomads in Thailand
Digital nomads in Thailand might soon be able to apply for the Smart Visa, allowing an up to 4 years stay without a work permit. The Board of Investment, or BOI, is proposing changes to the visa requirements to allow foreign freelancers to apply for the Smart Visa. The rules have already been approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation…
- Crime News
Thai police seize ketamine and heroin suspected to be trafficked to Taiwan
Police seized 300 kilograms of ketamine and 228 kilograms of heroin in a series of raids in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, a suburb just outside the city. Police suspect the drugs were awaiting shipment to Taiwan. The Thai Narcotics Suppression Bureau teamed up with Taiwan’s Central Criminal Investigation Bureau for the operation. Yesterday, police raided a warehouse in Nonthaburi, seizing 300…
- Covid-19 News
15 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
15 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine including 3 women who worked at entertainment venues in Myanmar, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,261 with 3,977 recoveries and 60 deaths. 224 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. 3 Thai women, ages 24, 33 and…
- South Thailand News
Southern insurgency State of Emergency order extended another 3 months
With ongoing violence related to the religious separatist insurgency in the South, the State of Emergency in the Southern provinces Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani has been extended by the Cabinet for another 3 months, from December 20 to March 19. While the ethnic and religious conflict dates back to 1948, the 3 provinces bordering Malaysia have been plagued with violence…
- Thailand News
Recover from Covid-19, then go to jail: Illegal returnees could face charges
After they recover from Covid-19, at least 3 Thai women who crossed the border illegally from Myanmar’s Tachileik will face criminal charges, according to Provincial police Region 5 commissioner Prachuap Wongsuk. If found guilty, the returnees could go to jail. The Thai women worked at entertainment venues at the border town, many at the now-infamous 1G1-7 Hotel, a so-called “Covid-19…
- Phuket News
Foreign flagged yacht docks and completes quarantine in Phuket
The following is a statement from Asia Pacific Superyachts. The new Special Tourist Visa scheme allows tourists and crew members on foreign yachts to dock in Thailand and depart after an onboard quarantine. “The first Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) Phuket foreign-flagged superyacht client has now completed quarantining aboard in Phuket”, reports APS co-founder, Jojo Tanyuta Singmanee (Jojo), adding: “All aboard…
- South Thailand News
Foreign diver deported following eco-vandalism arrest off Koh Pha Ngan
Thai Immigration deported a foreign diver who was arrested in September for disturbing marine wildlife off Koh Pha Ngan. Photos and videos of himself and another diver holding, poking and tickling sea creatures were posted on Facebook, leading to their arrest. Attila Ott, a Hungarian national and owner of the island’s Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club, was deported after his…
- Crime News
Police say they found a gram of ketamine in failed drug bust
After a failed drug bust, mistaking around 12 tonnes of the cleaning agent and food additive trisodium phosphate for the drug ketamine, police are now saying that they did find a little ketamine. Just 1.2 grams. In November, police announced “Thailand’s largest ketamine drug bust,” saying they busted a major multinational drug network and seized $1 billion USD worth of…
- Phuket News
Phuket sets goal for New Years: Zero road deaths during “7 dangerous days”
Zero road deaths during the “7 dangerous days.” That’s the goal Phuket officials set for the New Year’s holiday week from December 29 to January 4. They’ve launched a road safety campaign to prevent fatal traffic incidents, Phuket vice governor Vikrom Jakthee announced yesterday. “During the New Year holidays, many people like to travel to other provinces, bringing greater risk…
- Covid-19 News
9 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
9 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine including a 6 month old boy, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed cases is raised to 4,246 with 3,949 recoveries and 60 deaths. 237 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 6 month old British boy travelling from the United Kingdom tested…
- Crime News
Chiang Mai man arrested for allegedly stealing women’s underwear
A 25 year old man in Chiang Mai was arrested for allegedly stealing women’s underwear. Apparently, the man, identified as Fang, has been stealing the women’s bras and panties for the past 2 years, police say. Police opened an investigation after a 29 year old woman staying at a Chiang Mai hotel reported that her suitcase was stolen. Officers reviewed…
- Bangkok News
HM the King says “I’m just like other human beings”
“I’m just like other human beings. On some days I feel despondent. On some days I feel sad.” In a rare occurrence, His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn sat down and spoke with a group of student volunteers at the 11th Infantry Regiment, the King’s Guard. He explained, candidly, to the 200 high school students “I am just like other…
- Visa Information
Want to come to Thailand? Special Tourist Visa open to visitors “around the world”
Visitors around the world can now apply for the new Special Tourist Visa. The visa was initially only open to people from countries considered at “low” and “medium risk” of spreading Covid-19. The visa allows a 90 day stay which can be extended twice, adding up to around 9 months. The visa costs 2,000 baht and 2,000 baht per extension.…
- Economy News
Covid-19 cases could lead to a drop in revenue for New Years, economist says
A rise in local Covid-19 infections could discourage many people from travelling and going out for New Years celebrations, costing Thailand’s tourism industry 14 billion baht to more than 16 billion baht, according to economist Anusorn Tamajai. Recently, 17 Thais tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from the Myanmar border town Tachileik, crossing the border illegally and dodging the mandatory…
