- Covid-19 News
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved for emergency use in Thailand
It’s been rolled out successfully around the world for several months now, with a seemingly high efficacy rate. And now, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has finally been approved in Thailand. The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that the mRNA vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the Kingdom. mRNA vaccines work by instructing cells in the body to make…
- World News
Airlines participate in trials of IATA Travel Pass app
A number of airlines worldwide are participating in trials of a Travel Pass app from the International Air Transport Association. TTR Weekly reports that at Montréal-Trudeau airport in Canada, Air France is trialling the app for outbound flights until July 15, just one of a number of airlines testing it globally. The app is designed to ease passengers’ concerns about…
- World News
A bed in the sky: Shanghai opens world’s highest luxury hotel
China’s largest city has just opened the world’s highest luxury hotel – and it doesn’t come cheap. The J Hotel in Shanghai has a restaurant 120 floors up and wealthy travellers (who don’t suffer from vertigo) can enjoy personal butler service 24 hours a day. The hotel is located on the top floors of the Shanghai Tower, in the financial…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 cluster found at children’s home outside Bangkok
A cluster of Covid-19 infections has been reported at a children’s home in the central province of Pathum Thani, with at least 33 children testing positive. The Bangkok Post reports that the children at the Rangsit Babies Home are all between the ages of 3 and 6 and 6 babysitters at the home are also infected. Apisamai Srirangson from the…
- Phuket News
Phuket governor outlines plans to track and trace foreign arrivals
The governor of Phuket says the authorities and provincial officials are creating a command centre for the purpose of tracking and tracing foreign tourists under the island’s sandbox scheme. The island re-opens in 1 week’s time to vaccinated tourists from low to medium-risk countries. According to a Pattaya News report, governor Narong Woonciew says a meeting was held yesterday between…
- Covid-19 News
First delivery of Sinopharm vaccines approved for distribution
The first lot of Sinopharm doses ordered by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy have passed quality checks and can now be distributed. 1 million doses of the second Chinese vaccine approved for emergency use in Thailand arrived in the Kingdom on June 20, according to a Bangkok Post report. Supakit Sirilak from the Department of Medical Sciences says his department took…
- Phuket News
Flight traffic to Phuket expected to increase by 6% next month
The state agency Aeronautical Radio of Thailand says it expects a 6% uptick in traffic to Phuket International Airport, once the southern island re-opens in a week’s time. Spokesman Tinnakorn Chuwong says the airport is ready to welcome foreign tourists under the sandbox scheme, which has now been given the go-ahead by Cabinet. The Bangkok Post reports that, while overall…
- Tourism News
Hotel platform predicts increasing demand for holidays in Thailand
With just days to go before Phuket re-opens, and talks underway to re-open the country as a whole in October, one of the world’s largest hotel platforms says the data shows things are looking up for Thailand. Bradley Haines from SiteMinder says Thai hotel operators should feel some encouragement from current booking trends around the world. According to Haines, the…
- Covid-19 News
Lao woman rejected while trying to register for Covid-19 vaccine
A formal investigation is being launched after a woman from Laos was refused registration for a Covid-19 vaccine. It’s understood the woman is married to a Thai man and has lived in Thailand for 14 years. The political activist, Srisuwan Janya, has lodged a petition with the Ombudsman, requesting an investigation into the case. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
- World News
First person charged under Hong Kong security law goes to trial – without a jury
The trial of the first person to be charged under a controversial national security law gets underway in Hong Kong today – and there will be no jury present. The national security law was imposed by Beijing last year, following huge pro-democracy protests. It signifies a landmark change in Hong Kong’s political and legal landscape and has been slammed by…
- Covid-19 News
Medical researchers look into combining vaccines to beat Delta variant
Researchers at the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University are investigating if combining vaccine doses from different brands can boost immunity against the Delta variant. The move comes as Sinovac, the vaccine widely administered in the government’s rollout, shows declining efficacy against the highly contagious mutation first reported in India. Prominent virologist Yong Poovorawan says researchers…
- Covid-19 News
Restrictions eased in yellow zones
The government has confirmed that some Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed in “yellow zone” provinces, although provincial governors are still free to introduce their own, stricter measures if necessary. Schools and educational facilities can re-open fully and shopping malls and department stores can return to normal hours. Convenience stores and supermarkets can also revert to normal operating hours. Restaurants can…
- World News
Hong Kong may reduce quarantine for vaccinated residents returning from Singapore, UK
Hong Kong residents returning home from Singapore or the UK may have quarantine requirements reduced if they are fully vaccinated. TTR Weekly reports that officials in Hong Kong are considering reducing quarantine for Singapore and UK arrivals who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies. Hong Kong currently has one of the longest mandatory quarantine requirements in the world, at 21 days.…
- Thailand Protest News
Bangkok police prepare for pro-democracy rallies on Thursday
The deputy commissioner of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau says the force is ready to handle pro-democracy rallies planned for Thursday. Piya Tawichai says 4 groups are expected to stage rallies to commemorate a revolution carried out by Khana Ratsadon (The People’s Party) on June 24, 1932. The authorities are expecting rallies from 4 pro-democracy groups commemorating the 89th anniversary of…
- Tourism News
TAT thinking up ways quarantine might be relaxed for tourists returning from Thailand
The ever-inventive Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking at ways quarantine might be eased for tourists visiting Thailand, both on arrival here and on their return home. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says “city bubbles” and activity-based travel arrangements in sandbox destinations could be the way forward. The arrangement would be between low-risk cities and would mean tourists could visit destinations…
- Covid-19 News
Third vaccine shot may be necessary to combat Delta variant
The head of the Department of Disease Control says a third vaccine dose may be needed to protect against more infectious Covid-19 variants. Opas Karnkawinpong says officials are studying if it is safe to vaccinate people with different brands following the first dose, but says it’s too soon to say. “Knowledge (about the virus and the vaccines is updated) constantly…
- Tourism News
Hotel association survey shows average occupancy at around 6%
A survey carried out by the Thai Hotels Association shows that average occupancy for June is not expected to increase from the 6% seen in May. In a further blow to the hotel industry, TTR Weekly reports that occupancy in alternative state quarantine facilities is predicted to fall to 10%, down from 13% last month. THA president, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi,…
- Phuket News
Phuket reports sixth Covid-19 death in current outbreak
The southern island of Phuket, just days away from launching its pilot re-opening scheme, has recorded a sixth death from Covid-19. The death has been reported in the Phuket News this morning, following an announcement from the island’s Provincial Public Health Office. The patient is the fourth Phuket person to die of Covid-19 in the last 3 weeks. Officials have…
- Pattaya News
Lockdown in 3 Chon Buri locations to control Covid-19 spread
The governor of the eastern province of Chon Buri has ordered a lockdown in 3 locations in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. According to a Pattaya News report, Phakkhrathon Thianchai issued the closure order last night. The province reported 175 new infections yesterday, the highest since the start of the current outbreak in April. The Pattaya News…
- Tourism News
KLM to increase flights to Middle-East, Asia as border restrictions ease
The Dutch carrier KLM plans to increase its flights to Asian and Middle-Eastern destinations as countries plan for a re-opening of their borders. According to TTR Weekly, the airline’s summer network is almost the same as in 2019, but with a reduction in the number of flights on offer as a result of the pandemic. The airline plans to introduce…
- Phuket News
Over 300 Phuket businesses awarded SHA Plus accreditation ahead of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has declared the southern island of Phuket as “sandbox-ready”, after awarding SHA Plus accreditation to more than 300 tourism businesses. Phuket is gearing up for a much-anticipated re-opening on July 1, although it must be pointed out that this is still subject to official approval. The SHA endorsement confirms that hotels and other tourism businesses…
- Pattaya News
142 new Covid infections in Chon Buri, clusters in market workers and close contacts
The eastern province of Chon Buri has reported 142 new Covid-19 infections today, bringing its total in the latest outbreak to 5,786, with 35 deaths. Another death has been reported today, although no further details have been released. According to a Pattaya News report, 993 patients are currently receiving medical treatment, while 4,758 recovered patients have been released, 64 of…
- Krabi News
Krabi hotels pin hopes on Phuket sandbox success
Hotel operators in the southern province of Krabi will be watching Phuket’s imminent re-opening with great interest. The success of the Phuket “sandbox” will determine what happens in Thailand’s other tourism hotspots. According to the Bangkok Post, a successful re-opening for Phuket would mean Krabi and other destinations can look forward to re-opening their hotels and recruiting workers for the…
- Tourism News
Tourism bodies concerned vaccination uncertainty will disrupt re-opening
Earlier this week, Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, pledged to re-open the country to international tourism within 120 days. But tourism operators aren’t breathing a sigh of relief just yet. Many have voiced concerns over the delays in the vaccine rollout, fearing that if Thailand doesn’t get its act together on vaccination, the re-opening could be affected. According to the Bangkok…
- World News
New Zealand economy bounces back to pre-pandemic levels, exceeding forecasts
Analysts in New Zealand say the country’s economy has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, outperforming forecasts. Growth was better than expected, at 1.6% in the first quarter of this year. The growth between January and March exceeded analysts’ expectations, surpassing the anticipated 0.5% increase. The economy has already reversed a 1% contraction seen in the last quarter of 2020. Under…
- World News
Hong Kong police arrest 5 executives and raid offices of pro-democracy newspaper
Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily, has confirmed that police have raided its offices and arrested 5 executives accused of foreign collusion under the national security law. The controversial law was introduced by Beijing a year ago and prohibits, “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.” According to Apple Daily’s own report, CEO Cheung Kim-hung,…
- Covid-19 News
Medic says 10% of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok are Delta variant
The head of the Department of Medical Sciences says 10% of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok are the Delta variant, formerly known as the Indian variant. According to a Bangkok Post report, 496 cases of the variant have been detected in the Kingdom between April 7 and June 13. DMS chief Dr Supakit Sirilak says 404 of those are in Bangkok,…
- Phuket News
TAT asked to make changes to Phuket sandbox before submitting for final approval
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has been asked to make further changes to the Phuket “sandbox” scheme before submitting it to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Apisamai Srirangson from the CCSA says the government’s Covid-19 task force wants clarification on the safety measures aimed at controlling Covid-19 when the plan is implemented from July 1. “The sub-committee is concerned…
- Environment News
Blacktip reef sharks get protected status as Environment Minister blasts video cruelty
Thailand’s Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment has blasted a TikTok video that shows Krabi boatmen shooting at blacktip reef sharks. Varawut Silpa-archa has slammed what he describes as an act of gratuitous violence and says the sharks will be added to the list of protected marine species. According to the Bangkok Post, the video surfaced on Monday and…
- Covid-19 News
Leading Thai doctor calls on government to accelerate vaccine rollout
A prominent Thai doctor has called on the government to ramp up the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, amid concerns at the low number of doses administered to date. The Bangkok Post quotes Dr Prasit Watanapa from Siriraj Hospital, who used a Facebook Live broadcast to urge officials to do more. He says Thailand must accelerate efforts to achieve herd immunity…
