Tanutam Thawan

Local Thai journalist speaking fluent Thai and English. Tanutam studied in Khon Kaen before attending Bangkok’s Chulalongkhorn University.
  • World News‘Safe zone’ in Thailand for refugees fleeing Myanmar violence

    ‘Safe zone’ in Thailand for refugees fleeing Myanmar violence

    Due to the ongoing violence between the Myanmar military and ethnic troops, the Thai military has set up a “safe zone” for thousands of refugees in Mae Hong Son near the Salween River, the natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. The prominent armed wing of the Karen National Union has openly supported the anti-coup movement in Myanmar, leading to clashes…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid UPDATE: 1,630 new cases and 22 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 1,630 new cases and 22 deaths, provincial totals

    1,630 new Covid-19 cases and 22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 29,376 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 85,005 Covid-19 cases and 421 Covid-related deaths. Out of the 22 deaths, most of the patients had chronic illnesses. Many contracted…

  • World NewsThailand donates cash, equipment to Laos to help combat Covid-19 outbreak

    Thailand donates cash, equipment to Laos to help combat Covid-19 outbreak

    With Laos, just north of Thailand, under lockdown measures to control a spike of Covid-19 infections, the Royal Thai Embassy to Laos helping the country combat the outbreak and has donated cash and materials valued altogether at more than 16 million baht. While cases have remained low in Laos since the start of the pandemic last year with active cases…

  • South Thailand NewsMan struck and killed by freight train just 2 days after being released from prison

    Man struck and killed by freight train just 2 days after being released from prison

    Just 2 days after being released from prison, a 34 year old man was struck and killed by a freight train in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district yesterday. Police suspect the man intentionally ran onto the tracks in front of the moving train as it was leaving the Hat Yai railway station about 300 metres away and headed toward the Bang…

  • Covid-19 News303 staff under Thailand’s Transport Ministry contract Covid-19 in recent wave

    303 staff under Thailand’s Transport Ministry contract Covid-19 in recent wave

    Over the past 2 months, 303 staff under the Transport Ministry, including minister Saksayam Chidchob, have contracted Covid-19. While infected staff just make up around 0.27% of the total staff under the ministry, more than 1,600 staff had to quarantine after coming in contact with an infected person. The agency under the Transport Ministry with the most Covid-19 infections is…

  • Thailand NewsSaturday Covid UPDATE: 2,419 new infections and 19 deaths, provincial totals

    Saturday Covid UPDATE: 2,419 new infections and 19 deaths, provincial totals

    The tally for Covid-related infections and deaths reported over the past 24 hours reports 19 new deaths and 2,419 cases. There have been 52,411 confirmed Covid-19 infections in the recent outbreak with more than 16,000 cases in Bangkok, the epicentre of infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has reported a total…

  • Thailand NewsAmerican arrested for alleged murder in Chiang Mai has past record of abuse in Colorado

    American arrested for alleged murder in Chiang Mai has past record of abuse in Colorado

    The American man who was recently arrested for allegedly murdering his pregnant Thai wife in Chiang Mai had been sentenced to 2 years of probation back in 2019 on assault charges after his gun went off while he was threatening a woman in Colorado. A report from the Associated Press says it appears to be the same woman. Jason Matthew…

  • Thailand NewsSinovac Covid-19 vaccine now approved in Thailand for those over 60

    Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine now approved in Thailand for those over 60

    The Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine is now approved in Thailand for adults over 60 years old. Doctors had initially advised that the vaccine to only be for adults 18 to 60 due to limited research on the elderly. The recommendation from doctors led Thailand’s 67 year old prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, to wait and take the AstraZeneca vaccine. After Prayut…

  • World NewsLaos prime minister orders an extension on lockdown measures

    Laos prime minister orders an extension on lockdown measures

    While the majority of countries across the globe have been grappling with Covid-19 outbreaks for the past year, Laos, just North of Thailand, has only reported 1,177 cases with the vast majority of the infections detected over the past month. Laos PM Phankhan Viphavanh says ordered an extension on lockdown measures, now until May 20, saying it is essential in…

  • Thailand NewsCovid UPDATE: 2,044 new cases and 27 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 2,044 new cases and 27 deaths, provincial totals

    2,044 new Covid-19 cases and 27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 29,320 active Covid-19 cases. 1,170 Covid patients are in critical condition including 367 on ventilators. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 78,855 Covid-19 infections and 363 virus-related deaths.…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to get 10 to 20 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

    Thailand to get 10 to 20 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

    Thailand will get 10 to 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The minister posted an announcement on his Facebook page along with a photo after a meeting with Pfizer representatives. Anutin says the Thai Food and Drug Administration will facilitate the registration process as soon as possible. The Pfizer vaccine is expected…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket to rollout rapid Covid-19 testing campaign for visitors

    Phuket to rollout rapid Covid-19 testing campaign for visitors

    A rapid Covid-19 antigen testing campaign for visitors to Phuket is being rolled out to quickly detect cases in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. The island province is set to reopen to foreign tourists in July, that is if the virus is contained and if at least 70% of the population is vaccinated against the coronavirus.…

  • Covid-19 NewsOrder of 1 million Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses arrive in Thailand

    Order of 1 million Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses arrive in Thailand

    Another 1 million Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses from China have arrived in Thailand while another batch of 500,000 doses will arrive next week. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation formally accepted the delivery at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport this morning. Altogether, 3.5 million doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, known as Coronavac, have arrived in Thailand to be used to vaccinate people ages…

  • Bangkok NewsHundreds of Thailand slums at risk of Covid-19 as many can’t afford to quarantine

    Hundreds of Thailand slums at risk of Covid-19 as many can’t afford to quarantine

    Following the Covid-19 outbreak at the Khlong Toey slum neighbourhood in Bangkok, there have been more than 1,000 slum communities have been identified as having similar living conditions as the Khlong Toey slum, and are now communities at high risk advised to be under watch to prevent another outbreak. The Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s Community Organisations Development Institute…

  • Thailand NewsCovid-19 outbreak contributes to elephant population decline in Southern Thailand

    Covid-19 outbreak contributes to elephant population decline in Southern Thailand

    The following was submitted by the Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation. There has been a significant decline in the elephant population of Southern Thailand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Phang Nga Province, which normally has more domesticated elephants than any other Southern Thailand province, the elephant population has dropped by a third of its normal number. This fall…

  • Thailand NewsPatent application for antiviral drug Favipiravir rejected by Thai officials

    Patent application for antiviral drug Favipiravir rejected by Thai officials

    The patent application for the Japanese antiviral drug Favipiravir used to treat Covid-19 has been rejected in Thailand. With thousands of Covid-19 patients in hospitals and field hospitals, the Thai government made emergency orders for the drug, and sought permission for the right to produce the medicine locally. An application had been filed under the compulsory license system where the…

  • Thailand NewsExpats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, Phuket to start registration

    Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, Phuket to start registration

    Expats are included in Thailand’s vaccination plan, a spokesperson from the CCSA said today, clarifying recent reports that said Thais have priority in the first phase of inoculations. The spokesperson says comments were taken out of context and, in fact, foreigners have already been included in the first phase of vaccinations. We’d like to confirm that Thailand’s vaccination strategy is…

  • Covid-19 NewsCOVID Update: 1,911 new infections, provincial totals

    COVID Update: 1,911 new infections, provincial totals

    1,911 new Covid-19 infections and 18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 76,811 Covid-19 infections and 336 virus-related deaths. There are now 29,680 active cases. 1,073 patients are in critical condition including 356 on ventilators. The majority of the recent deaths were elderly…

  • World NewsVietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days

    Vietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days

    Just the thought of 14 days in isolation has driven away many prospective tourists. Imagine 21 days in quarantine. If you want to travel to Vietnam, you’ll now have to go through the 3 week quarantine upon entering the country, Vietnam’s Minister of Health Nguyá»…n Thanh Long announced yesterday. The country of 96 million people has kept cases low at…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket struggles towards herd immunity, vaccine rollout slow in other provinces

    Phuket struggles towards herd immunity, vaccine rollout slow in other provinces

    So far, 22% of the population in Phuket is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 while the majority of provinces in Thailand have not vaccinated any of the residents, according to data compiled by researcher Peter Scully. Bangkok, the epicentre of recent infections with more than 15,000 confirmed cases since April 1, has only fully vaccinated 1% of the population. Around 10…

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri woman in custody for allegedly stabbing husband to death

    Chon Buri woman in custody for allegedly stabbing husband to death

    A woman in Chon Buri’s Banglamuang district is facing charges for allegedly stabbing her husband to death with a butcher knife. The woman was injured during the alleged attack and is being treated at a local hospital. District police officers were called to the scene just after midnight to the couple’s home. They found 23 year old Burin “Geng” Bamrungphon…

  • Technology NewsPolice in Bangkok investigate rape cases involving Thai ‘pretties’

    Police in Bangkok investigate rape cases involving Thai ‘pretties’

    Refuting claims by Thai media that police let a serial rapist go free, officers in Bangkok say they are investigating and gathering evidence to arrest a 39 year old man who allegedly raped Thai models and hostesses known as “pretties.” Reports say the suspect met the women for “entertainment” purposes and then raped the women and robbed them. A 22…

  • South Thailand NewsThai ranger and 2 suspected insurgents killed in Thailand’s deep south

    Thai ranger and 2 suspected insurgents killed in Thailand’s deep south

    In the ongoing violence from the Southern Thailand insurgency, 2 suspected insurgents and a Thai ranger were killed in a clash between security forces and an armed rebel group in Yala’s Krong Pinang district. Known as Thailand’s “deep south,” the provinces Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, along the Malaysia border, have been plagued with violence for years due to the religious…

  • Thailand News3 Covid-19 vaccines approved by Thai FDA, 3 more in registration process

    3 Covid-19 vaccines approved by Thai FDA, 3 more in registration process

    3 Covid-19 vaccines have been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration while 3 more pharmaceutical and biotech companies are in the process of registering Covid-19 vaccines for use in Thailand, according to FDA secretary general Phaisan Dankhum. So far, the FDA has approved the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which was made in partnership with Oxford University in the UK…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMonk suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations

    Monk suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations

    A 64 year old monk in the Isaan province Buri Ram is suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations made to the temple. The monk, as well as the thousands of baht in cash, have been missing for the past week. The abbot of a temple in the Nangrong district had made a request with the temple committee…

  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok opening first ICU field hospital for Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms

    Bangkok opening first ICU field hospital for Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms

    With the rising number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Bangkok, the epicentre of the new wave of infections, pushing hospitals to their limits, an ICU field hospital is opening in Bangkok. Field hospitals have been used for Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic, or who have mild symptoms. Those with more severe symptoms have been treated at hospitals. Since the…

  • Bangkok NewsImmigration police in Bangkok arrest 2 people on fraud charges

    Immigration police in Bangkok arrest 2 people on fraud charges

    Immigration police in Bangkok arrested a Japanese man and a Chinese man on fraud charges in separate cases. One suspect arrested for allegedly scamming people out of millions of baht and the other arrested for allegedly making fake electronic cards to make purchases online. The Japanese man, identified as ‘Yamada’, allegedly scammed 3 people by claiming he knew many influential…

  • Phuket NewsWhat will be the most expensive real estate on MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition?

    What will be the most expensive real estate on MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition?

    Phromthep Cape… Phuket Old Town… Patong Beach… These are just a few of the landmarks in Phuket that have now been short-listed since it was announced that Phuket will be getting its own edition of MONOPOLY. The top squares of the the locally-themed game board will soon be handed over to Phuket’s most prominent places. With so much around Phuket…