Maya Taylor
- World News
World Health Organisation says two-thirds of population has Covid-19 antibodies
The World Health Organisation says over two-thirds of the population will have significant Covid-19 antibodies, thanks to either vaccination or prior infection. The WHO cited a summary of global studies that shows the rate of seroprevalence jumped from 16% in February 2021 to 67% in October. According to a Bloomberg report, officials say that the rapid spread of the Omicron…
- World News
Gunman in Oklahoma shooting killed surgeon treating him for back pain
A gunman who shot 4 people dead at a hospital in the US state of Oklahoma wanted to kill the surgeon who’d operated on him. The perpetrator, Michael Louis, blamed Preston Phillips for back pain he was experiencing following the surgery, say local police. According to an AFP report, Louis stormed the Saint Francis hospital building in search of Dr…
- World News
Heard’s lawyer says actress unable to pay Depp more than US$10 million in damages
Following a court ruling that, for the most part, went against her, Amber Heard’s lawyer says the Hollywood actress is unable to pay her ex-husband over US$10 million in damages. On Wednesday, the jury in a defamation trial held in the southern US state of Virginia found both Heard and Depp guilty of defaming each other, but ruled far more…
- Thailand News
Student association at Mahidol University decides to end “sexist” beauty pageant
The Mahidol University Student Association has decided to put an end to an in-house beauty pageant that judges contestants solely on their looks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the human rights activist Wasan Paileeklee supports the decision, saying students can now focus on organising competitions that reward intellectual ability, provided these meet with public approval. “The beauty contests may…
- World News
US sends advanced weapons to Ukraine, as Kyiv promises not to target inside Russia
The US Secretary of State says Ukraine has given an undertaking not to use long-range rocket systems to target inside Russia. Antony Blinken was addressing a news conference with NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, after the US agreed to supply Ukraine with the weapons. “The Ukrainians have given us assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government shuts down Mor Chana contact-tracing app
The Mor Chana contact-tracing app is no more, with the Public Health Ministry confirming it has been shut down. Officials say the app is no longer required and therefore was closed yesterday, in light of Thailand’s improving Covid-19 situation. Unlike the Mor Prom app, which was created to record an individual’s vaccination status, track vaccine side-effects, and provide data on…
- World News
World Health Organisation says Covid-19 situation in North Korea likely deteriorating
The World Health Organisation says it has received no update on the Covid-19 situation in North Korea, but can only assume it’s getting worse. This contradicts claims from Pyongyang that the country is making “progress” against the virus. According to an AFP report, North Korea confirmed its first Covid-19 infections on May 12. However, last week, state media announced that…
- World News
Johnny Depp awarded over US$10 million in defamation case victory against ex-wife
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has won a near-total victory in a defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. After a trial that lasted 6 weeks, with detailed testimony of the toxic nature of the marriage, the 7-person jury ruled in Depp’s favour for the most part, although it ruled in Heard’s favour on one counter-claim. According to a Reuters report, Depp…
- Crime News
Bangkok police arrest 6 Taiwanese nationals for crypto fraud
Police in Bangkok have arrested 6 Taiwanese men following a raid on a house in the Prawet district of the capital. The men are accused of conning over 500 people, mostly fellow Taiwanese or Chinese nationals, through fraudulent online cryptocurrency investment schemes. According to a Bangkok Post report, the arrests happened when officers from the Police Cyber Taskforce, accompanied by…
- Tourism News
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand advises airlines of new entry rules effective today
International airlines have been issued with a notice from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, advising them of revised rules for entry to the kingdom from today. CAAT chief, Suttipong Kongpool, says all international airlines serving Thailand are required to screen and categorise passengers into 3 groups. The first group is the fully vaccinated passengers, who, if suspected of having…
- Tourism News
Proposal to develop Koh Tao, Samui, and Koh Phang Ngan as “entertainment islands”
Another day, another idea, as Thailand desperately tries to revive its decimated tourism sector and by extension, the economy. While things are looking up since entry restrictions were eased, suggestions for further improvement continue to circulate. One such proposal is to develop and market 3 islands in the Gulf of Thailand as an “entertainment cluster”. Tourism operators on Koh Samui,…
- Economy News
Foreign arrivals in April show things are looking up for tourism, the economy
Things are looking up for the Thai economy, thanks to an increase in foreign and domestic tourism in April, according to the Bank of Thailand. The Bangkok Post also reports a year-on-year increase in consumer spending during the month of April. The easing of travel restrictions has brought more foreign tourists to the kingdom, with numbers up from 210,836 in…
- World News
Climate change activist smears cream on Mona Lisa painting at Louvre
A visitor to the Louvre Museum in Paris has attacked the world-famous Mona Lisa painting, having disguised himself as an elderly lady in a wheelchair. The man, believed to be a climate change activist, jumped out of the wheelchair and tried to smash the glass protecting the painting, according to a Reuters report. The painting was reportedly undamaged, but the…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai bars, clubs prepare to re-open for business tomorrow
Chiang Mai’s bars and clubs have been waiting a long time, but finally, from tomorrow, they can once again welcome back customers. As the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has given nightlife venues in the green and blue provinces the go-ahead to re-open for business. Those that have survived, that is. According…
- World News
US says it will not send rocket systems to Ukraine to strike at territory inside Russia
The US has ruled out arming Ukraine with rocket systems that could strike targets inside Russian territory, according to an AFP report. President Joe Biden has confirmed his administration’s stance at a press briefing in Washington. “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia.” Since Russia’s invasion in February, Ukraine has received significant…
- Thailand News
Thai medical council refutes claim that private hospitals have foreign doctors on staff
Thai healthcare bosses have dismissed claims by some private hospitals that they have foreign doctors on staff to help with patient care and surgery. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Medical Council of Thailand says there is a limit on the number of foreign doctors allowed to practice in the kingdom. Addressing claims made by some private hospitals, the…
- Thailand News
Buddhism Office says Thai Buddhists shouldn’t judge monks’ behaviour
The director of the National Buddhism Office says it’s not for Thai Buddhists to judge the behaviour of monks, which should be left to Buddhist councils. Instead, Thai Buddhists should continue to respect monks and refrain from judging them for their misdeeds. According to a Pattaya News report, Sippaworn Kaewngam says respect for Buddhist monks is a key component of…
- China News
Covid-19 restrictions to ease in Shanghai as authorities seek to revive economy
Officials in Shanghai are continuing to ease Covid restrictions following a harsh lockdown that confined residents to their homes for 2 months. According to a Reuters report, the authorities in the global financial hub have removed restrictions that prevented many businesses from operating, with measures being brought in to revive the decimated economy. Last month, in the midst of the…
- Tourism News
Thai government expects 1 million tourists per month by the end of the year
The Thai government has refuted the opposition’s claim that it is ignoring the plight of the country’s tourism sector. According to a Nation Thailand report, spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the government’s decision to cancel Test & Go has revived the tourism industry, with around 20,000 foreign arrivals now entering the kingdom each day. Thanakorn adds that if this trend continues,…
- Thailand News
Health ministry advises at-risk groups to self-monitor for monkeypox infection
Health officials in Thailand say that while no cases of the monkeypox virus have been detected in the kingdom, at-risk groups should remain vigilant. The Department of Disease Control reports that a patient, with a suspected case of monkeypox, recently tested negative. DDC chief Dr Opas Karnkawinpong says the patient was found to be infected with the herpes simplex virus…
- Tourism News
Japan lifts travel advisory for Thailand, 35 other countries
Japan has lifted a travel advisory for Thailand, which had requested that citizens avoid non-essential travel to the kingdom. A similar advisory was lifted for 35 other countries, including the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and the US. According to a Kyodo News report, Japan’s foreign ministry has downgraded Thailand and the other 35 nations from Level 2 to Level 1…
- Covid-19 News
Health officials call for more elderly Thais to get their Covid-19 boosters
According to the Department of Disease Control, around 6 million elderly Thais have yet to receive a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. Taweesap Siraprapasiri says the reason for this is that people are either worried about potential side-effects or they feel they don’t need a booster. However, he adds that 43% of elderly people have received 3 doses,…
- Thailand News
Thailand prepares for monkeypox outbreak, asks WHO for smallpox vaccine supply
Thailand’s health minister has asked the World Health Organisation for help securing supplies of the smallpox vaccine, according to a Bangkok Post report. It’s understood the country wants to be prepared in the event of an outbreak of monkeypox. Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the request while in talks with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus at the recent 75th World…
- Covid-19 News
Government urges bars, nightlife venues to remain safe on re-opening
The Thai government is warning nightlife operators to remain safe and to continue to adhere to Covid-19 prevention measures once they re-open next month. The warning comes following a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration last Friday, when it was agreed that nightlife in designated parts of the country could re-open. The businesses in question include bars, nightclubs,…
- Phuket News
Thai officials say out-of-order tsunami buoys will be fixed soon
Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has admitted that 2 tsunami detection buoys are out of order, but insists they will be repaired soon. The department was forced to issue a statement following widely-shared news on social media that the buoys were out of order. According to the reports, both buoys had stopped submitting information to the National Data Buoy…
- Phuket News
Things looking up in Phuket following return of international tourism
Provincial officials on the southern island of Phuket say the return of tourists has raised income levels and created more jobs. According to a Bangkok Post report, the return of international tourists has started to revive the island’s economy and reduced unemployment across Phuket. Data shared by Phuket governor, Narong Wunciew, reveals that since the launch of the Phuket sandbox…
- Covid-19 News
Government says the WHO will use Thailand as a role model for Covid-19 management
The Thai government is patting itself on the back again, with a spokesperson saying officials have been praised by the World Health Organisation. Traisuree Taisaranakul says the administration has been cited as a “role model” for its management of the Covid-19 pandemic. She was speaking after a meeting between the health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghrebreyesus, and…
- Covid-19 News
Health ministry clarifies lifting of mask mandate in “designated areas only”
Not so fast, says the Public Health Ministry, responding to news that Thailand’s mask mandate could be lifted next month. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit has issued a clarification that this could apply in certain areas only. According to Kiattiphum, Thailand’s Covid-19 situation has improved quicker than expected and officials believe the virus can be downgraded to endemic as planned. At that…
- Crime News
Thai nurse arrested for conning the public out of millions of baht in flu vaccine scam
A Thai nurse has been arrested, accused of defrauding the public in a flu vaccine scam that netted millions of baht. According to media reports, 38-year-old Thonglim Jitpeng was arrested in the Bang Na district of Bangkok. She has denied the charges against her. According to reports, Thonglim ran a business selling hand sanitiser during the pandemic, which enabled her…
- Politics News
Government says PM listening to concerns over draft law on public gatherings, NGO funding
The Thai PM is paying attention to, and welcomes, the opinions of those opposed to a draft law on NGO funding and public gatherings. So says deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, according to a report in the Bangkok Post today. Wissanu says Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the Social Development and Human Security Ministry to compile a list of objections to the…
