- Covid-19 News
Covid task force to hold press conference as Egyptian soldier tests positive
As a visiting Egyptian soldier tests positive for the Covid-19 virus, the blame game is well underway, with the Thai army, local hotels, and airport personnel all ducking for cover. The 43 year old unnamed Egyptian air crew tested positive while staying in Rayong, on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. In response, the government says the Centre…
- World News
Frenchman in Indonesia may face death by firing squad after child abuse charges
A 65 year old Frenchman may be sentenced to death by firing squad after being arrested in Indonesia on charges of child abuse. Francois Camille Abello is charged with sexually abusing over 300 children and physically abusing those who wouldn’t agree to have sex with him. Police say they found young girls in a Jakarta hotel room where they had…
- Covid-19 News
Thai man dies of heart failure while in state quarantine
A 56 year old Thai national has died of a heart attack after being taken to a hospital from a state quarantine facility in the eastern province of Chon Buri. The man was carrying out the mandatory 14 day quarantine requirement having recently returned from India. He is the second Thai national to die of heart failure while in state…
- Education
Opposition party threatened with boycott over comments about “haircut” teacher
The president of The Association of Secondary School Administrators says the group will boycott the Kao Klai party unless one of its members apologises for comments he made about the teacher at the centre of the “ugly haircut” debacle. In a report in Thai PBS World, Ratchachai Sornsuwan calls Wirote Lakhana-adisorn’s comments offensive and demands an apology. The MP has…
- Northern Thailand News
Police arrest 16 Chinese nationals for illegal crossing from Myanmar
Police in the northern province of Tak have detained 16 Chinese nationals accused of crossing illegally into Thailand from Myanmar. The suspects say they’ve lost their jobs as casino workers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai Residents reports that officials found the group floating in the Moey river, which borders Thailand and Myanmar. It’s understood some of them…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s controversial health minister apologises for not wearing face mask
Thailand’s colourful and often provocative Health Minister says he’s sorry for removing his face mask while attending an event at the US Embassy in Bangkok. Anutin Charnvirakul admits he has not been a good role model, saying he shouldn’t warn others about letting their guard down while becoming complacent himself. The minister was attending an embassy event to celebrate America’s…
- Pattaya News
Two-car collision in Pattaya as flying plastic bag obscures driver’s vision
A woman whose vehicle ploughed into the back of another, causing it to flip upside down, says her vision was obscured by a garbage bag landing on her windscreen. 35 year old Supaphon Puttaraksa says she panicked and lost control of her car, crashing into another vehicle travelling in front of her. That car was being driven by 55 year…
- Crime News
Man high on yaba tries to stab family after not sleeping for 6 days
A man high on what Thai people call yaba (a drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine) reportedly tried to stab his wife and child after getting no sleep for 6 nights. The incident occurred in the eastern province of Chon Buri with the man saying his drug-induced hallucinations were convincing him someone was trying to kill him. Thai…
- Covid-19 News
Desperate Thais stuck in the UK make plea to return home
A Thai doctor based in the UK is appealing to the Thai government to allow Thai citizens currently stranded in the country to return home. Ekaphum Chamnanrabiabkij is a practising doctor in Bicester, in the English county of Oxfordshire, and has become something of a spokesman for his stranded compatriots who find themselves locked out of Thailand during the Covid-19…
- Pattaya News
Mother and son rescued as car swept away in Pattaya’s flash floods – VIDEO
A woman and her son have had a lucky escape after the vehicle, which they were travelling in, was carried away by floodwaters in Pattaya. The city reported extensive flash flooding as a result of heavy downpours, with the worst of it around Soi Khao Noi, Pattaya Beach Road, and Pattaya Third Road. The heavy rains lasted for up to…
- Covid-19 News
Student activists gather in Bangkok to oppose emergency decree
Members of the Student Union of Thailand have come together to protest the government’s extended emergency decree, gathering outside Pathumwan police station in Bangkok. Officials extended the decree by another month after it was originally set to expire at the end of June. Now human rights activists and critics of the government have slammed the extension as politically motivated. The…
- Business News
AOT considering joint venture with Thai Airways to keep services running
The company that runs 6 of Thailand’s airports says it wants to work with Thai Airways to ensure airport services can continue while the national carrier goes through a “rehabilitation” process and struggles with the loss of business caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Airports of Thailand president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says the AOT board is in talks about a joint venture…
- Phuket News
Phuket officials visit Kamala restaurant after customer charged 6,750 baht
A seafood restaurant in Kamala, a west coast town in Phuket, has received strong criticism on social media after trying to charge a customer 6,750 baht for a takeaway meal. 3,000 baht of the bill was a “cooking fee”. Lalita Chaiyasit took to social media to vent her disbelief after receiving the bill. She says she was on holiday with…
- Technology News
Thailand Post introducing “smart” technology
Thailand Post says it is switching to “smart” mailboxes in an effort to make the state enterprise more hi-tech. The company says it’s working with the state-owned telecoms company CAT Telecom to produce the mailboxes that will use “Internet of Things” technology to detect when parcels are deposited. A report in Nation Thailand today explains that the boxes will be…
- Politics News
Progressive Movement hits back at allegations of donation mismanagement
Members of the recently formed Progressive Movement have hit back at suggestions that party donations have been mismanaged. The party, rising from the ashes of the now-disbanded Future Forward Party, says the allegations are nothing more than politically-motivated slander. Its critics accuse the Progressive Movement of the misappropriation of more than 7.7 million baht of public funds. In a statement…
- World News
Medical experts anxious as Hong Kong reports 9 new local cases of Covid-19
Hong Kong is bracing itself for a possible resurgence of the Covid-19 virus as the city records its highest daily tally since infections peaked in early April. 4 out of 9 new cases have links with a noodle shop in Kwun Tong, on the Kowloon peninsula, where a 59 year old employee has tested positive for the virus. One man…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government “more confident” after recent re-openings see no new Covid cases
A week after the re-opening of Thailand’s schools and nightlife venues, the government says it’s feeling more confident as the country records no new locally-spread cases of Covid-19. The final phase of re-opening was seen as the riskiest, involving venues such as pubs and nightclubs, where social distancing might prove more of a challenge. Thailand has now gone more than…
- Entertainment
Future of Bangkok’s iconic Scala cinema building uncertain after closing
Cinema lovers and theatre employees are mourning the closure of Bangkok’s legendary Scala cinema after 51 years in business. The theatre was the last one to remain independent in the capital, amid an expanding landscape of multiplex cinema chains. Khaosod English reports that many Scala lovers turned out to bid farewell to the theatre prior to its final screening on…
- Tourism News
Thailand to welcome 1,700 medical tourists starting this month
Later this month, Thailand is throwing open its doors to international visitors arriving for medical procedures. Up to 1,700 medical tourists will reportedly be admitted under strict conditions, but will be free to travel the country once they’ve completed a 14 day quarantine period, which could be concurrent with their medical treatment. Only those who arrive in the country by…
- Pattaya News
Russian woman denies murdering daughter, claims husband made her do it
A Russian woman who allegedly murdered her one year old daughter and then tried to kill herself by jumping from a third-floor balcony, is denying all charges against her. 33 year old Anna Efimova appeared at Pattaya Provincial Court to answer the charges when she claimed her husband forced her to kill the child. However, police say there is nothing…
- Economy News
Thailand’s economy facing bleakest prediction in Asia
“The Bank of Thailand predicts that its gross domestic product will shrink by more than 8% this year.” While Thailand appears to have been successful in suppressing the Covid-19 virus, a report in The Bangkok Post today says the outlook for the country’s economy is far from favourable, calling it the worst in Asia. The Bank of Thailand predictions are…
- Pattaya News
Speeding car in Pattaya flips and injures 5 teenagers – VIDEO
Pattaya police are investigating an incident in which a car flipped over on motorway 7, injuring five school-age occupants. The car’s driver was allegedly speeding and lost control of the vehicle on a bend, which flipped over and landed on its roof. Multiple emergency response units arrived at the scene to attend to the injured passengers. All the occupants are…
- Tourism News
New police division to track tourists’ movements in fight against Covid-19
A new division of the Royal Thai Police is being formed to monitor tourists’ movements as part of the ongoing suppression of the Covid-19 virus. According to national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda, the newly-created department, named the Covid-19 Investigation Division, will reportedly monitor both foreign tourists and repatriated Thai citizens. The news comes as Thailand is beginning to gradually lift…
- Pattaya News
Russian woman allegedly kills own baby and survives suicide jump
A Russian woman has survived an apparent suicide attempt in which she jumped from a third floor balcony in Pattaya after allegedly murdering her one year old daughter. The 31 year old, named as Anna Efimova, sustained only minor injuries in the fall. The Pattaya News reports that she is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, after which she will…
- Crime News
Thai police arrest 2 Nigerians for online romance scam
A Thai man’s arrest has led immigration police to discover an online romance scam allegedly involving a Thai woman and 2 Nigerian men. Police arrested the suspects in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok and are charging them with conspiracy to commit fraud after the Thai man was accused of opening 14 bank accounts for the Nigerian men by using Thai ID…
- Pattaya News
Crew rescued as dive boat catches fire off Pattaya – VIDEO
A boat has caught fire near Koh Larn, off the coast of Pattaya, with the captain and crew rescued by nearby boats and jet skis. A report in The Pattaya News says the fire appears to have broken out on the upper level of the “Rung Arun”, which has sustained extensive damage in the blaze. The yellow dive boat was…
- Health
Bangkok running enthusiasts enjoy new pop-up track at Central World
As Bangkok residents enjoy the freedom of Covid restrictions being lifted, the city’s Central World mall has unveiled a pop-up running track to help people get back in shape after lockdown. The mall’s managment team has installed a 500 metre track, which is open to the city’s runners every evening from 5 pm to 8 pm, until July 22. The…
- Transport News
Motorway tolls to be waived on two major routes this holiday weekend
As motorists take to the roads over the coming long weekend, the government says it’s doing away with toll fees on two motorways from today until midnight on July 8. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says those using motorways 7 and 9 will not have to pay a toll, a decision that is hoped will reduce congestion, encourage more domestic travel,…
- Health
Thai virology expert says no need to panic over new swine flu threat
One of Thailand’s leading virologists says that while the new swine flu recently discovered in China does have the potential to become a pandemic, there is no reason to panic at this stage. However, Dr. Yong Poovorawan adds that the catchily named G4 EA H1N1 virus is a mutation of the H1N1 virus, which took hold back in 2009. Because…
- Thailand News
Kanchanaburi park officials remove entry ban for foreigners
A ban on foreigners visiting the Srinakarin Dam National Park in the western province of Kanchanaburi has been rescinded. Park officials say both foreigners and Thais are now welcome to enjoy the park as it re-opens to visitors. A report in Khaosod English says the ban on foreigners was originally announced on the park’s official Facebook page two weeks ago.…
