Maya Taylor
- World News
Indonesia and Malaysia expected to launch vaccinated travel lane early next year
The governments of Indonesia and Malaysia are expected to agree a vaccinated travel lane, or travel bubble, by early 2022, according to a Coconuts report. The arrangement would permit vaccinated people to travel between both countries without the need for quarantine on arrival. The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, confirmed the plan during a press conference yesterday. He says the…
- Covid-19 News
No need to panic over Thailand’s first Omicron case, says PM
The Thai PM has called on the public not to panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in the kingdom. According to a Thai PBS World report, Prayut Chan-o-cha says everyone should remain on their guard and the unvaccinated should get vaccinated as soon as possible. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says health officials will continue to check for…
- World News
Rohingya accuse Facebook of promoting hate speech in US$150 billion lawsuit
Facebook is being sued in a California court by Rohingya refugees, who accuse the social media platform of failing to combat hate speech. In a US$150 billion lawsuit, court documents allege Facebook is powered by algorithms that allow the seeds of disinformation and extremism to grow and cross over into real-life violence. “Facebook is like a robot programmed with a…
- World News
US confirms diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights abuses
The US government has confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to protest ongoing human rights violations, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “US diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can’t do that.…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s Health Ministry misses Covid-19 vaccination target
So near and yet, not near enough. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has missed its own target of administering 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. The ministry had aimed to reach the milestone by yesterday but admits it has fallen short, according to a Nation Thailand report. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says officials have now administered 94 million…
- Tourism News
Germany removes Thailand from its list of high-risk countries
The Thai embassy in Berlin says Thailand has been removed from Germany’s list of Covid-19 high-risk countries, according to a Thai PBS World report. Provided they are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, travellers from Thailand can now enter Germany without having to quarantine. The accepted vaccines are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. In addition…
- World News
Death toll rises to 14 in volcanic eruption in Indonesia
At least 14 people have been killed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Semeru in Java, Indonesia, according to an AFP report. Rescuers continue to search for survivors in villages that lie covered in molten ash. In the district of Lumajang, East Java, houses have been submerged and livestock smothered to death in at least 11 villages. At least 10…
- Northern Thailand News
Police deny detaining or threatening woman who told PM to “retire quickly”
Police in the north-eastern province have denied an allegation that they detained a woman who told the Thai PM to, “retire quickly”. Following the incident, which occurred in the Udon Thani district of Ban Dung while the PM was visiting the forest temple of Wat Kham Cha Not, reports emerged that the woman had been taken to a police station…
- Pattaya News
Baby elephant rescued after being shot in the shoulder while leg caught in trap
An injured baby elephant has been rescued and is receiving medical treatment in the eastern province of Chon Buri, according to a Reuters report. Fahsai, whose name means, “fair sky” is thought to be around 3 months old. She was rescued after getting her leg caught in a hunter’s trap and then being shot in the shoulder several times. The…
- Covid-19 News
US introduces new restrictions for international arrivals from Monday
From Monday, all international travellers to the US must receive a negative Covid-19 test result within 1 day of travel. Prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant, this measure applied only to unvaccinated travellers, with fully inoculated people able to arrive with a negative result obtained within 3 days of travel. However, the arrival of Omicron has prompted health…
- Covid-19 News
AirAsia boss accuses governments of overreacting to Omicron threat
The CEO of the AirAsia Group says governments shouldn’t panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. The Bangkok Post reports that Tony Fernandes says officials should instead focus on reducing the cost of PCR testing. “It’s a huge overreaction. We don’t know anything about this variant yet. Let’s wait and see before we jump the gun.” Fernandes says…
- Covid-19 News
No vaccine, no entry: Germany gets tough on those who refuse to get vaccinated
Alarmed at rising infection rates and anxious to avoid another strict lockdown, the German government is instead imposing restrictions on the unvaccinated. According to a Bloomberg report, the outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed a raft of new measures with government officials and her successor, Olaf Scholz. Unvaccinated people in Germany will face limits on which public events they can…
- Covid-19 News
Cost of PCR tests reduced by 200 baht at labs run by Department of Medical Sciences
The Department of Medical Sciences is cutting the cost of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests by 200 baht. However, the reduction only applies to laboratories under the DMS. The price of PCR test kits remains unchanged. According to a Nation Thailand report, the fee is being reduced from 1,300 baht to 1,000 baht, in a bid to encourage more…
- Expats
Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey
Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a…
- Thailand Protest News
Pro-democracy activist Panusaya given temporary release to sit university exam
Political activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been given temporary release to sit an exam and submit university reports. Thai PBS World reports that the activist was freed from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institute at around 8pm last night. She was met by her parents and supporters, having spent 17 days behind bars. The pro-democracy activist is being tried on…
- World News
Women’s Tennis Association shelves all tournaments in China amid Peng concerns
The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended all tournaments in China amid concerns for the welfare of Chinese player, Peng Shuai. According to an AFP report, Steve Simon from the WTA says the tournaments, including those planned for Hong Kong, cannot go ahead while Peng is unable to speak freely. The Winter Olympics are due to take place in Beijing in…
- Covid-19 News
Health officials say Omicron probably in the Netherlands prior to South Africa reports
Dutch health officials say they’ve detected the Omicron variant in 2 local Covid-19 infections from more than 11 days ago. The development would indicate that the variant was circulating in Europe prior to the reports issued by South African authorities last week. According to an AP report, Japan and France have joined the list of countries to confirm cases of…
- Covid-19 News
Most face masks on sale in Thailand do not meet industry quality standards
The Thailand Consumer Council says that out of 60 face masks available in the country, only a fifth have passed quality tests. According to a Bangkok Post report, the TCC has called on the Thai Industrial Standards Institute to mandate the same safety standards for disposable face masks, which is currently a voluntary requirement. In July, the TCC randomly chose…
- World News
Epstein pilot says Trump, Prince Andrew, Clinton all flew on late financier’s planes
A pilot who worked for Jeffrey Epstein says he recalls flying Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump on the late financier’s private planes. Lawrence Visoski, who worked for Epstein for 30 years, claims he also flew Kevin Spacey. He says he would be told in advance when there would be VIP passengers, so he could ensure the plane “looked…
- World News
UN boss says global vaccination is only way out of pandemic
The United Nations secretary-general says the only way out of the Covid-19 pandemic is through global vaccination. According to a Xinhua report, Antonio Guterres has called for greater equality in the global distribution of vaccines, tests, and treatments. “The only way out of a global pandemic and out of this unjust and immoral situation is through a global vaccination campaign.”…
- Bangkok News
PM asks for public to be consulted on plans for Hua Lamphong station
The Thai PM has asked the Transport Ministry to gauge the public’s view on the redevelopment of Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station. The Bangkok Post reports that the station is set to close in around 3 weeks’ time. A government spokesman says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked all relevant agencies to take public opinion into account in any commercial development proposals.…
- Tourism News
Tourism officials welcome Czech movie filming in Phuket and Krabi
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is celebrating Thailand’s re-opening to international movie stardom once more. The southern provinces of Krabi and Phuket are being used as locations for a Czech movie currently being filmed in the kingdom. Nation Thailand reports that a film crew, consisting of 22 actors, directors, producers, and technicians are in Thailand to film a romantic comedy…
- Covid-19 News
Public Health Ministry monitoring Omicron variant, public urged not to panic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says the public shouldn’t panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the ministry is monitoring the situation and on alert for possible Omicron cases. Meanwhile, people should continue to observe existing disease prevention measures. “The departments of Medical Sciences and Disease Control have been tasked with monitoring the new variant…
- Thailand News
Crackdown on human trafficking as Thailand tries to upgrade its ranking
Thailand is to get tough on people smugglers, according to deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon in a Bangkok Post report today. The government aims to upgrade the country’s 2022 ranking in the US Trafficking in Persons Report, after being downgraded to the Tier 2 Watchlist in this year’s report. Being given a Tier 2 Watchlist ranking means a government is deemed…
- World News
Foreign Minister says visit to Myanmar was to oversee humanitarian aid delivery
The Foreign Minister has responded to questions about his visit to Myanmar by saying he was overseeing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Don Pramudwinai’s November 14 trip has been criticised by some as potentially legitimising the military leaders who overthrew the country’s democratically-elected government in February. Addressing the House of Representatives yesterday, Don said he went to the country purely…
- Transport News
Transport Ministry says Thai land bridge will become transit port to rival Hong Kong
The transport minister is feeling optimistic about a new land bridge development which will connect the southern provinces of Ranong and Chumphon. The Bangkok Post reports that the project will link Chumphon, on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, to Ranong, on the Andaman Sea. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the result will be a transit port with…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand signs procurement deal for 50,000 courses of Molnupiravir Covid pill
Thailand has signed a 500 million baht deal to purchase 50,000 treatment courses of the new Covid-19 drug, Molnupiravir. According to a Thai PBS World report, the Medical Services Department signed the deal yesterday, with Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul present to witness it. A course of treatment is made up of 40 x 200mg capsules. A patient will need to…
- Tourism News
Travel agents call for tourism fee to be postponed until industry recovers
The Association of Thai Travel Agents is urging the government to postpone the implementation of a new tourism fee until the sector has fully recovered. Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn says Thailand has averaged around 3,000 – 4,000 foreign tourists per day, since re-opening on November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says confidence is low ahead of the coming high…
- Covid-19 News
“Covid is going nowhere, get vaccinated” – leading Thai virologist
One of Thailand’s most prominent virologists says the Covid-19 virus is going nowhere and everyone should get vaccinated. According to a Nation Thailand report, Yong Poovorawan took to social media to say the virus is here to stay and society will need to live with it. However, vaccination will offer protection from serious illness, hospitalisation, or death. Yong made reference…
- World News
Amid growing vaccine hesitancy, South Africa asks Pfizer, J&J to suspend deliveries
While many countries around the world struggle to get enough Covid-19 vaccines for their people, South Africa is trying to avoid a stockpile. Growing vaccine hesitancy means the South African government has had to ask manufacturers such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson not to send any more shipments. This despite the country heading into a potential fourth wave of…
