- Environment News
Environmental groups urge government to ban the import of plastic waste
The Thai government is being urged to push ahead with a ban on importing plastic waste, instead promoting the recycling of domestic plastic waste. Over 100 environmental groups say this is essential to protecting the environment, as well as creating a circular economy. According to a Bangkok Post report, 107 groups have released a joint statement calling for a ban…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA confirms 100,000 Covid patients in home isolation in Bangkok
With the latest wave of Covid-19 showing no sign of abating, nearly 100,00 patients are home isolating in Bangkok. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration confirmed the latest figure, adding that all patients are being cared for. “The number of patients in home isolation in Bangkok reached almost 100,000 as of August 5. All sectors are working…
- Covid-19 News
Older volunteers wanted for trials of Chulalongkorn University mRNA vaccine
The Faculty of Medicine at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University has put out a call for healthy volunteers to take part in trials of its Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Nation Thailand reports that participants need to be between the ages of 56 and 75 with no underlying health conditions. They must also never have contracted Covid-19 or been vaccinated against the virus. Eligible…
- Covid-19 News
WHO calls for booster shots to be suspended while poor countries face vaccine shortages
The World Health Organisation has called for the administration of third, or booster doses, of Covid-19 vaccines to be suspended to deal with the huge inequality in global distribution. The organisation says booster shots should be halted until at least the end of September until the inequity in distribution between rich and poor countries is addressed. WHO boss Tedros Adhanom…
- Covid-19 News
Waste disposal firm calls for rubbish collectors to be vaccinated
The head of Prabkaya, one of Thailand’s largest waste disposal companies, says rubbish collectors must be vaccinated as a matter of priority. Theerawong Sanpipat says the workers regularly come into contact with potentially infected discarded items, such as face masks. According to a Bangkok Post report, he is demanding the workers be vaccinated and the public educated on how to…
- Covid-19 News
Rollout of Pfizer doses gets underway
The first rollout of the eagerly awaited Pfizer vaccine has kicked off, with doses being distributed first to Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, followed by other high-risk provinces around the country. According to a Bangkok Post report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control has confirmed the doses will be given as booster shots to frontline healthcare workers who…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry to distribute 10 million vaccine doses across Thailand this month
The Public Health Ministry has confirmed that 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be distributed across the country in August. Thai PBS World reports that the vaccine doses will primarily be AstraZeneca and Sinovac, but also include the 1.5 million Pfizer doses donated by the US. Bangkok will receive 1.23 million vaccine doses, with priority being given to elderly…
- Thailand Protest News
31 anti-government activists granted conditional release
The Central Criminal Court has granted 31 anti-government protesters conditional release on the basis that they are not considered flight risks. The activists include Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, “Pai Dao Din”, and have been in custody since their arrest in front of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok on Sunday and Monday. According to a Thai PBS World report, the protesters…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry calls for a halt to criticism of doctors not involved in vaccine decisions
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has issued a statement in defence of 4 top doctors it says are being unfairly criticised for vaccine decisions they were not involved in. Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Health Ministry says the doctors are dedicated in their fight against Covid-19, but have never had any involvement in vaccine procurement. “These medical advisers only gave advice to…
- Phuket News
Phuket lays on Suvarnabhumi bus service for stranded sandbox tourists
The governor of Phuket has announced that a special bus service will transport stranded sandbox tourists from the southern island to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. As a result of the cancellation of domestic flights, sandbox visitors who had plans to visit elsewhere in Thailand after their 14 days on Phuket now find themselves stuck. Governor Narong Wunsiew says a dedicated bus…
- Covid-19 News
Rollout of Covid-19 vaccination for teenagers gets underway in Cambodia
Cambodia is extending its Covid-19 vaccination programme to teenagers, starting in the capital Phnom Penh and another 3 hard-hit provinces. According to an AFP report, the grandchildren of the country’s leader, Hun Sen, were among the first to be vaccinated. The vaccination of teenagers kicked off on Sunday, with doses administered to people between the ages of 12 and 17…
- Phuket News
Phuket tourism sector calls for island to be “green-listed” for foreign tourists – VIDEO
The executive chairman of the Banyan Tree Group is calling for Phuket to be given “green” status, promoting the island as a safe haven for foreign tourists. Singaporean KP Ho was addressing the Phuket Sandbox Summit via video-conference when he called on European airlines, business leaders, and officials to differentiate the southern island from the rest of Thailand. According to…
- Covid-19 News
Nurse dies of Covid-19 a week after receiving first dose of Sinovac
A nurse has died of Covid-19 a week after getting her first dose of the Sinovac vaccine, with a doctor saying she wouldn’t have built up enough immunity in that time. 45 year old Uraiwan Chantharaplin died at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok, with the death confirmed by Samutsakhon Hospital where she worked. The Bangkok Post reports that on July 25,…
- Covid-19 News
Government says ongoing vaccination and obeying the rules will drive infections down
If everyone obeys Covid-19 restrictions while the vaccination of high-risk groups continues, the Health Ministry predicts a big drop in new case numbers in the coming weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum Wongrajit says just a 5% increase in the public’s observance of disease prevention measures would be enough to make a significant difference. He adds that greater…
- Covid-19 News
Healthcare worker pleads with PM to set up “war room” to manage pandemic
A healthcare worker at the Thammasat University field hospital in central Thailand has urged the Thai PM to set up a “war room” for daily Covid-19 meetings. In a Facebook post, the unnamed medic pleads with the PM to hold daily meetings with his ministers in order to stay on top of developments and deal with issues immediately, as opposed…
- Politics News
Official detained after spreading rumour of planned coup to oust PM
Following a rumour that a military coup to remove PM Prayut Chan-o-cha from office was in the works, a state official has been detained, accused of spreading fake news. The Bangkok Post reports that deputy police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen has confirmed that a man has been detained for questioning in the central province of Chachoengsao, where he has admitted to…
- Phuket News
Phuket sealed off from tomorrow in bid to curb virus spread, save sandbox
From tomorrow, the southern island of Phuket shuts its doors to all but essential delivery services, in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. A provincial order states that a ban on all domestic travel to and from the island will remain in place until at least August 16. “Phuket needs to come up with measures that aim to…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok vaccination centres shut down at weekend due to vaccine shortages
The government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout encountered another hiccup at the weekend as 25 vaccination centres in Bangkok had to close due to a shortage of vaccines. And in a separate development, the Bangkok Post reports that bookings for Friday and Saturday were cancelled via the Mor Prom app, due to a technical glitch. Sanan Angubolkul from the Thai Chamber of…
- Covid-19 News
Survey shows Singaporeans making travel plans as country eyes re-opening
The findings of the latest Finder’s Travel Index show that 44% of adults in Singapore are planning to travel within the next 3 months. The Finder’s Travel Index is a series of surveys, conducted across 12 countries, to gauge travel sentiment. The latest findings show an increase of 20% in the number of Singaporeans planning to travel imminently, compared to…
- Covid-19 News
21 of yesterday’s Covid-related deaths died at home
The number of new infections in the most severe wave to hit Thailand since the start of the pandemic continues to rise. And of 165 Covid-related deaths reported yesterday, 21 of them died at home. The Bangkok Post reports that the highest number of infections is in the capital, with 3,963 new cases reported yesterday, followed by the neighbouring provinces…
- Koh Samui News
Samui re-opening plans under threat as island infections rise
Koh Samui’s re-opening plan, Samui Plus, may be cancelled if the Covid-19 situation worsens in the next 2 weeks. Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says for now, the re-opening is still on, although a recently approved plan to allow participants in the Phuket sandbox to visit Samui and other islands after 7 days on Phuket has been…
- Covid-19 News
Vaccine hesitancy testing the patience of fully inoculated Americans
As the Delta variant prompts a new wave of infections in the US, fully vaccinated Americans are running out of patience with fellow citizens who refuse to be inoculated. The issue of vaccine hesitancy, driven by factors such as conspiracy theories and mistrust of the government, could lead to restrictions being re-imposed, rather than the return to normality people are…
- Covid-19 News
US government to donate 2.5 million vaccine doses to Thailand
According to a Thai PBS World report, the US has confirmed it will donate 2.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand. Thai-American senator Tammy Duckworth made the announcement during a webinar on Thai-US relations. It’s understood the donation is part of a pledge by the administration of US President, Joe Biden, to provide vaccines for developing countries. The US…
- Hot News
Media outlets call on Thai government to lift restrictions on freedom of expression
Thai media organisations have issued a joint statement calling on the government to lift restrictions on freedom of expression imposed under the Emergency Decree. Thai PBS World reports that the statement was issued yesterday by the National Press Council of Thailand, the News Broadcast Council of Thailand, the Thai Journalists Association, the Online News Providers Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists…
- Covid-19 News
Private clinics in Bangkok enlisted to help with home isolation Covid patients
Privately-run clinics in Bangkok are being enlisted to help treat and monitor patients in the Covid-19 “green” group – those who are home isolating with mild or no symptoms. According to a Bangkok Post report, the National Health Security Office is inviting the clinics to sign up to the programme to increase the number of facilities helping home isolation patients.…
- Covid-19 News
PM hosts online meeting with governors of dark red provinces over Covid crisis
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has held an online meeting with the governors of the 12 “dark red” provinces – Pathum Thani, Chon Buri, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Chanchoengsao, Samut Prakan, Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala, and Songkha. The Bangkok Post reports that the PM used the meeting to question them on the Covid situation in their province and to say he…
- Covid-19 News
Crowds rush to Bang Sue for vaccination ahead of walk-in registration ending
There were scenes of overcrowding reported at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station yesterday as people rushed to try to get a vaccine before walk-in registration ends. According to a Nation Thailand report, the rush was sparked by the announcement that walk-in registration for the elderly ends on Saturday. The following day, registration opens for everyone over the age of 18 but…
- Covid-19 News
Thai PM predicts current Covid crisis will be over in 2 or 3 weeks – 4 at the most
The Thai PM says the country’s worst Covid-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic should be over in 2 or 3 weeks, maybe 4. The Bangkok Post reports that Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing a Cabinet meeting yesterday and has instructed all relevant agencies to keep the public updated on the ongoing crisis. Thailand has continued to report new cases…
- Covid-19 News
Study confirms mixing AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccines as good as 2 mRNA doses
A recent study of Covid-19 vaccines shows that using AstraZeneca for the first dose, followed by an mRNA vaccine for the second, is as effective as 2 mRNA doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, whereas vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. Thai PBS World reports that the study was carried out in Germany, using…
- Covid-19 News
Officials reluctant to cancel Phuket sandbox, lifeline for desperate locals
Officials have confirmed that the Phuket sandbox scheme will not be cancelled, despite rising infections on the island. At least not for now. The Bangkok Post reports that despite the island reporting 40 new infections yesterday, the highest number since it re-opened to foreign tourists, the governor is reluctant to put an end to the financial lifeline for desperate locals.…
