Maya Taylor
- Northern Thailand News
Man steals 5,000 baht handout from kidney patient
A 47 year old man undergoing treatment for kidney disease at a hospital in Nang Rong, near Buriram, north-east Thailand, has had his 5,000 baht government handout stolen – by a relative. The man, named only as Narongsak, applied for the aid package, put in place to ease the economic hardship caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, and asked a family…
- Economy News
Academics say virus will make inequality in Thai society even worse
Leading academics from Malaysia and Thailand say the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus will only exacerbate the substantial wealth inequalities in Thailand, a country where so many citizens are already at a significant economic disadvantage. Writing in The Diplomat, M Niaz Asadullah from the University of Malaya and Ruttiya Bhula-or from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, say the collapse in tourism…
- Covid-19 News
“Please be patient. I share your pain” – Thai PM
Following the extension of the emergency decree for another month, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on everyone to bear with him as efforts to flatten the Thai Covid-19 curve continue. The Bangkok Post reports that with the decree being extended until May 31, the PM is now asking for understanding and cooperation, promising that the government will provide financial assistance…
- Environment News
Thai Health Minister pushes ahead with ban on harmful pesticides
Taking a break from handing out face masks and berating “dirty farang”, Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed yesterday that the proposed ban on three hazardous pesticides will go ahead as scheduled on June 1. According to a Nation Thailand report, Minister Anutin refused to entertain proposals from both the Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit and the Chairman of the…
- Thailand News
Woman seriously injured after English husband allegedly throws her from balcony
A woman has been seriously injured in Rayong, eastern Thailand, after her English husband allegedly threw her from the balcony of their 8th floor condo yesterday afternoon. Thai Residents report that the 56 year old woman, named only as Sukunda, landed on a patio on the 7th floor of the building in the Ban Chang district. Officers from the local…
- World News
Singapore robot patrols park with polite social distancing reminder
“Do not loiter at this park. Stay safe, stay home.” A robot, originally procured a year ago to monitor plants and reservoirs in Singapore, is being put to a different use in these strange new Covid-19 times. Boasting a 360 degree, high-definition camera and facial recognition sensors, the robot, known as O-R3, patrols Bedok Reservoir park, politely telling off anyone…
- Technology News
Cable and satellite provider True Visions faces backlash over “censorship officer”
Satellite and cable TV provider True Visions is in hot water after posting an advert seeking an “international news censor” on the biggest online jobs board in Thailand. The ad, which appeared on the JobsDB site, said the right candidate would be required to scrutinise 17 foreign news channels and report any “inappropriate” content to supervisors. A report in Coconuts…
- Thailand News
Thai Embassy in Japan advises citizens to register for repatriation flights
The Thai Embassy in Tokyo is advising citizens who wish to return home to register for two repatriation flights in May. Thai PBS World reports that with the ban on international flights extended until the end of May, the embassy is laying on two special flights for citizens who wish to return to Thailand. Posting on its Facebook page, the embassy…
- Central Thailand News
Phetchabun man lucky to be alive after bomb discovery
A man in Phetchabun province, central Thailand, has had a narrow escape after picking up an abandoned box, not realizing it was a bomb. Thai Residents reports that the unnamed villager, from the Tha Phon district, was cycling back from the local temple when he spotted a box with a clock attached to it lying on the ground. He stopped to…
- Politics News
Government refuses Opposition’s request for debate on executive decrees
Calls from Opposition parties for a special session of parliament to debate the Thai Government’s executive decrees have been given short shrift, with the government saying the debate will have to wait until May 22, when parliament is set to reconvene. The three decrees relate to the procurement of significant loans, reported to be up to 1.9 trillion baht, in…
- Covid-19 News
97 year old Phuket woman recovers from Covid-19
And now for the good news … A 97 year old “granny” from Bang Tao, Phuket, has been discharged from hospital, having recovered from the Covid-19 virus. The news was shared on social media by Nattapon Chueasaman who credited excellent medical care coupled with the elderly lady’s will to add some more digits to her great age. Bang Tao and…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok authorities under fire for over-zealous tree pruning
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has come in for some flak after some over-enthusiastic pruning of the city’s trees. Some of the city’s green shade was cut back to bare, ugly stumps. A report in the Bangkok Post says trees along Witthayu Road, near the city’s famed Lumpini Park, have been chopped down to their lower trucks. A similar fate has…
- Covid-19 News
Phuket authorities on the hunt for quarantine dodgers
Phuket police and officials from the health department are trying to track down a group of people they believe to be potential carriers of the Covid-19 virus. The group had been asked to self-quarantine, but it’s now believed they continued to meet people outside their homes and defied the direct orders of health officials. Phuket has the highest rate of…
- Covid-19 News
All eyes on Thai Cabinet as Covid-19 restrictions set to be reviewed tomorrow
“PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he won’t be pressured into easing restrictions sooner than it is safe to do so, saying it is vital to avoid a second wave of infections.” Thailand’s state of emergency, in force since March 26, is set to be reviewed tomorrow when the Thai Cabinet meets. With the decree due to expire this Thursday, April 30,…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand seeks more quarantine locations as residents return from OS
The director of the Institution for Urban Disease Control says more Covid-19 quarantine sites are needed in Bangkok and elsewhere around the country as more Thais arrive back from overseas. Nation Thailand reports that Anek Mungaomklang confirms that the government is looking for appropriate places to house repatriated Thai residents, who must undergo a mandatory 14 day quarantine period. There…
- World News
Japan cruise ship: 14 more crew test positive for Covid-19
The Costa Atlantica, the cruise ship docked in Nagasaki, Japan, has had 14 more crew members test positive for the Covid-19 virus. The additional cases come on top of 34 confirmed cases earlier this week. Thai PBS World reports that the ship has been in Nagasaki since January, when it docked to have maintenance work carried out. It’s believed to…
- Covid-19 News
Strict rules set to govern a possible return of domestic flights from May 1
The director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is eyeing May 1 as a possible date for some domestic flights to once more take to the skies. Nation Thailand reports that this could start in provinces where ‘lockdown’ conditions are set to be eased, particularly where there are popular tourist hot-spots. But the CAAT boss Chula Sukmanop is warning…
- Covid-19 News
Migrant workers arrested in Bangkok for working through curfew
Bangkok police have arrested 15 migrant workers accused of violating the emergency decree by working during curfew hours (10pm – 4am). Khaosod English reports that the construction workers were stopped at a checkpoint on the Bangna-Trad road as they were making their way home from having worked overtime on the Yellow Line monorail project. Their employer, Ploichanok Sirowet, disputes the…
- Covid-19 News
No new Covid-19 cases for Chonburi today
Good news coming out of Chonburi, just east of Bangkok, as zero new cases of Covid-19 infections were reported today. The province, home to the popular seaside resort Pattaya, has had 86 cases in total since the virus first struck Thailand. 2 people have died and a further 22 are still undergoing hospital treatment. 62 patients have fully recovered. The…
- Covid-19 News
Huge rise in single-use plastic during Thailand’s lockdown
One positive of the world shutting down is nature being given a much-needed chance to heal and recover. Sadly though, another not so nice consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown has been the significant increase in Thailand’s plastic waste. Why? Coconuts Bangkok says the Thailand Environment Institute blames the rise on more people availing of single-use plastic during this time for…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister wants Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine trials speeded up
PHOTO: CDC on Unsplash Back in the news again, Thailand’s expect-the-unexpected Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says he wants to see trials of a homegrown Covid-19 vaccine speeded up. Thai PBS World reports that Anutin wants to cut the current six month development period in half, saying guidelines for vaccine development must be completed in three months if production is set…
- Covid-19 News
Flights won’t return to ‘normal’ before October 2021 – Airports of Thailand
“Recovery of international routes will depend on how quickly a vaccine or antiviral drugs can be made available.” The president of Airports of Thailand, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, says air travel should be back to pre-Covid19 levels by October 2021. Yes, 18 months away. But for the rest of this year, the Thai aviation sector is expecting a significant drop in flights…
- Road deaths
Drones being used to help manage Thai holiday traffic
A fleet of drones is being deployed by the Royal Thai Air Force to assist the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation manage traffic on the country’s main highways over the year-end holiday period. The period is also one of the two ost dangerous times on Thai roads; the other being over the Songkran holiday break. Thai PBS World…
- Thailand News
Former Office of Buddhism chief sentenced to 20 years for corruption
PHOTO: National Office of Buddhism The former chief of the National Office of Buddhism has been handed a 20 year prison sentence for the mis-appropriation of temple funds. Thai PBS World reports that at the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, Panom Sornsilp was found guilty of graft, along with the former director of the Office of Temple Renovation…
- Northern Thailand News
Two drug smugglers killed by soldiers in Chiang Rai, drugs seized
Two drug runners have been shot and killed by soldiers in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai. They were shipping 600 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice) which was seized in the operation. The men were killed during a gunfight between a group of drug runners and border police after the Pha The Muang military task force detected 15-20 men…
- Expats
Former NZ Olympic champion busted for working illegally at Bangkok fitness studio
PHOTO: Olympic.or.nz | Bangkok Get Fit Cycling Studio A former Olympic champion from New Zealand has been arrested for working in Thailand without a work permit. The Nation reports that 37 year old Kiwi, Marc Ryan, was arrested yesterday at the Bangkok Get Fit Cycling Studio in the Sukumvit district. The arrest came after police received reports of a number of foreign…
- Bangkok News
And they’re off! Hundreds of thousands leave Bangkok for New Year break
PHOTO: Eleven Media Group Hundreds of thousands of Bangkok residents have already started heading out of the capital, headed to various Thai provinces to welcome in 2020 in the company of friends and family. The long weekends starts from tonight with many Thais being granted a public holiday on Monday, in addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays. It…
- Northern Thailand News
Woman injured by ‘exploding’ manhole cover in northern Thailand
PHOTO: sanook.com A manhole cover has exploded in the northern province of Lampang, seriously injuring a 22 year old delivery woman, who was knocked unconscious. Thai Residents reports that the incident took place in Lampang city yesterday afternoon as the woman, “Nun”, was going to collect a customer’s order. CCTV shows the manhole cover exploding as the delivery woman drove by…
- Road deaths
Thai PM urges New Year partygoers not to drink and drive
A reflective Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has spoken out about his desire to further help the country, calling on citizens not to drink and drive during the year-end celebrations. The Nation reports that while speaking at an event in Bangkok, the PM declared his love for his fellow citizens, expressing his desire to change his name to something that better reflects…
- World News
At least 21 killed by typhoon Phanfone in Philippines
PHOTO: bbc.com A deadly Christmas typhoon has swept across the central Philippines region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and killing at least 21 people. With much of the area’s communications remain cut off, the full extent of the damage or fatalities is not yet known. Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, made landfall on Eastern Samar…
