Maya Taylor
- World News
Malaysia imposes restrictions on movement in latest Covid-19 battle
Officials in Malaysia have introduced a number of additional restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, following a record near 7,000 new infections yesterday. Sunday was the fifth day of new cases remaining above 6,000. A Nation Thailand report states that new disease prevention measures aim to curb the movement of people as much as possible without adversely affecting…
- Environment News
Thai industry body lobbies for better disposal system for used face masks
The Federation of Thai Industries is pushing for an improved disposal system for discarded face masks, pointing out that they are the new threat to the environment. Since the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020, the number of discarded face masks has shot up, with reports of masks in waterways already affecting animals. Apiphop Phungchaikul from the FTI says…
- Politics News
Opposition vows to oppose budget, calls on coalition members to do likewise
Thailand’s main opposition party says it will oppose the national budget when it enters parliament on May 31. The Pheu Thai party is also calling on members of the ruling coalition to do the same. Deputy party leader Yutthapong Charassathien says his party will vote against the budget to prevent the bill from passing. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
- Covid-19 News
Villages in southern Thailand closed off due to cases of South African variant
Health officials in the southern province of Narathiwat have sealed off 9 villages after 3 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Disease Control Department says the villages in the Tak Bai district have been closed off to prevent the virus spreading further in the province. The district sits across the Kolok…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Rai introduces strict requirements for travellers from “dark red” provinces
From today, if you’re travelling to Chiang Rai from any of the 4 “dark red” central provinces (Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan) things just got a bit trickier. The northern province has introduced tough disease prevention measures for visitors from the strictly controlled zones, which will also apply to Chiang Rai residents arriving home from those provinces. Thai…
- Covid-19 News
Government confirms 3 channels for vaccine registration
The Thai government says people (Thais) can avail of 3 channels to register for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout which begins on June 1. In addition, spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says there will be no “walk-in” vaccination centres, after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha stopped the programme. The PM says Thai nationals seeking a Covid-19 vaccine will be able to register through the Mor…
- World News
Bodies of Thai workers killed in Gaza strike to be flown home next week
Thailand’s Labour Minister, Suchart Chomklin, has confirmed the bodies of 2 Thai men killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, will be flown home next week. 44 year old Weerawat Karunborirak and 24 year old Sikharin Sangamram were working in Israel when they were killed by a rocket strike launched by the Palestinian Hamas group. Suchart says he…
- Politics News
Government accused of infighting, putting Thailand’s recovery at risk
Both opposition politicians and members of the coalition have come out to say infighting between various government figures and organisations is putting Thailand’s recovery at risk. The Thai Enquirer carries a report in which government critics say up to 4 different government organisations disagree over the best way out of the pandemic. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the Bangkok…
- Crime News
Police in western Thailand discover 19 Burmese migrants hidden in truck
Police in the western province of Kanchanaburi have found 19 Burmese migrants concealed in a small truck in the district of Thong Paphum. The discovery comes as officers are ordered to crack down on migrant workers crossing illegally into Thailand. Thai Residents reports that local police officers were acting on a tip-off that Burmese migrants were being smuggled across the…
- World News
Meth haul on Thai cargo ship in Australia linked to Hong Kong drug trafficking boss
A huge methamphetamine shipment found on a Thai cargo boat docked in Sydney, Australia, is believed to be linked to a Hong Kong drug smuggling network. The haul, worth around 2.4 billion baht, was seized by Australian police earlier this month. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau believes the shipment is connected to Hong Kong drug…
- Covid-19 News
2 markets in central Thailand report hundreds of new infections
A Bangkok market and another in the central province of Pathum Thani have recorded hundreds of new Covid-19 infections. The Bangkok Post reports that over 860 new cases have been detected at Pathum Thani’s Simummuang Market, while officials in the Bang Kapi district of Bangkok have confirmed the 3-day closure of Bang Kapi Market following a spike in infections there.…
- Tourism News
Tourism officials focus on safety to differentiate Phuket from rest of Thailand
As the clock ticks down to the much-anticipated re-opening of Phuket on July 1, tourism officials are anxious to separate the southern island from parts of the country currently experiencing higher Covid-19 infection rates. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is emphasising the safety element of Phuket and the other areas that will follow the “sandbox” model of re-opening. In a…
- Pattaya News
Koh Larn extends closure to end of May
Koh Larn, a popular tourist destination in the eastern province of Chon Buri, has extended its closure order until the end of May. The island is currently closed to non-residents, but this order was set to expire tomorrow. According to the Pattaya News, local officials have confirmed the extended closing on social media. While the Covid-19 situation is showing signs…
- Expats
Australian arrested in southern Thailand on suspicion of international criminal activity
Officers from the Royal Thai Armed Forces have arrested an Australian national in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on suspicion of international criminal activity. 47 year old Samuel James Norton Cook was arrested when his Toyota car was stopped in the Nai Muang sub-district on Monday night. Security force officers cooperating with immigration officials and the local police…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government expects to open vaccine registration to foreigners by August
A Health Ministry spokesperson has confirmed that foreigners living in Thailand should be able to register for Covid-19 vaccination by August. Ratchada Thanadirek says the government is working on a dedicated registration platform for foreign nationals living in the Kingdom, which it’s hoped will be ready in 3 months’ time. Meanwhile, Thai Visa News reports that vaccine registration for Thais…
- Covid-19 News
Some Covid-19 restrictions relaxed across Thailand, fewer “dark red” provinces
The Thai government has relaxed some Covid-19 restrictions across the country, while downgrading the risk level of a number of provinces. The number of provinces designated as “strictly controlled” areas, or “dark red” zones, has been reduced from 6 to 4. They are Bangkok and the central provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. So, what, if anything, has…
- World News
Hong Kong imposes tougher quarantine requirements on arrivals from Taiwan
The Hong Kong government has confirmed that residents returning from Taiwan will face stricter quarantine requirements, effective immediately. The move comes as a result of the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in Taiwan, which reported 333 new infections yesterday, its highest ever. The authorities say anyone who has spent 14 days in Taiwan before flying to Hong Kong must show evidence of…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s national vaccine rollout may begin next week
Thailand’s long-awaited national vaccine rollout could finally get underway next week, as supplies have arrived ahead of schedule. Natapanu Nopakun from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says once the doses have been distributed to walk-in vaccination centres, inoculation can begin. He points out that provinces that have already taken delivery of vaccine doses can open walk-in centres and begin vaccination…
- Hua Hin News
Hua Hin aiming for mass inoculation ahead of October re-opening
The holiday destination of Hua Hin, in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, is hoping to launch a mass vaccination programme ahead of its October re-opening. The proposal comes after the National Tourism Policy Committee agreed that popular tourist destinations such as Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Buriram, and Bangkok would re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists from October 1. A…
- World News
Burmese junta hit with additional US sanctions
The US has confirmed additional sanctions against Myanmar in response to the February 1 military coup that ousted the democratically-elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. CNN reports that the latest round of sanctions, which have been introduced in coordination with the UK and Canada, are aimed at the State Administrative Council, or military junta. In particular, they target…
- Business News
No government bailout for Thai Airways
A final meeting for a vote on the Thai Airways debt restructure program is set for this Wednesday after being postponed last week. Meanwhile, a source close to those managing Thai Airways’ debt rehab plan, says the state is not obliged to provide a bailout for the national carrier. The Bangkok Post reports that Chansin Treenuchagron, acting president for Thai…
- Covid-19 News
Walk-in vaccination centre to open at Bangkok’s Bang Sue railway station
Thailand’s Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has confirmed that a walk-in vaccination centre will open at Bang Sue railway station in Bangkok, from next month. The centre will serve the capital’s residents and those in the surrounding provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that 13,500 square metres of space is being transformed into a Covid-19 vaccination centre, with the goal of administering…
- Covid-19 News
No more face masks for speakers at government meetings – PM
The PM has signed into law a waiver on the mandatory face mask rule for officials addressing Parliament. However, MPs will still be required to wear face masks, unless they are speaking. The announcement has been published on the Royal Gazette website, making it official. According to a Bangkok Post report, the new waiver also applies to local administration meetings.…
- Covid-19 News
Lockdown at Bangkok construction camp as up to 86% of residents test positive
A large construction camp in the Laksi district of Bangkok is to be locked down as a result of a new cluster of Covid-19 infections. The Bangkok Post reports that up to 86% of those living in the camp have tested positive for the virus. It’s understood the camp is owned by Italian- Thai Development Plc, which is involved in…
- Covid-19 News
Prison officials say activist Panusaya did not get Covid while behind bars
The Corrections Department says the recently released pro-democracy activist, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, did not contract Covid-19 in prison. The 22 year old protest leader confirmed she was infected earlier this week. She was released from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institution on May 6. The Bangkok Post reports Weerakit Harnpariphan from the Corrections Department as saying Panusaya was in quarantine…
- Politics News
PM representatives file police complaint against Thai singer and government critic
Representatives of Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, have filed a police complaint against the Thai singer Suthipong Tadpitakkul, aka, “Heart”. Suthipong has criticised the government’s vaccine procurement plan, a move that has led to accusations of violating the Computer Crime Act and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The PM’s lawyer, Apiwat Kanthong, and his assistant minister, Seksakon Atthawong (aka “Rambo Isan”)…
- Tourism News
Tourism authority downgrades domestic tourism forecast
The third wave of Covid-19 has led the Tourism Authority of Thailand to cut its forecast for domestic tourism for this year. The TAT was already forced to cut its goal at the end of April from 160 million trips to 100 – 200 million, as a result of the resurgence of the virus over the Songkran period. During the…
- Covid-19 News
Expat vaccination in Thailand likely to be delayed
An official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Association says foreigners may face a slight delay in receiving their Covid-19 vaccines. Panruedee Manomaipiboon, director of the BMA’s health department says while the Health Ministry aims to vaccinate everyone living in Thailand, foreigners may have to wait until August. “As I have said before, the Health Ministry plans to vaccinate Thais first. We…
- Covid-19 News
Human rights group calls for transparency on Covid outbreaks in Thai prisons
Yesterday, Thailand’s Department of Corrections announced that thousands of inmates in Bangkok prisons have tested positive for Covid-19. 1,795 inmates at Bangkok Remand Prison are infected, along with 1,040 at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution. The announcement comes after political activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after her release on bail. According to a Coconuts report,…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s FDA says vaccines don’t have to have WHO approval
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration says vaccines don’t need to be approved by the World Health Organisation before countries can register them. Paisarn Dunkum from the FDA says the vaccines that have been given WHO approval are for distribution through the Covax scheme. He adds that approval by the WHO can also be taken into consideration when vaccines apply for…
