Tanutam Thawan

Tanutam Thawan

Local Thai journalist speaking fluent Thai and English. Tanutam studied in Khon Kaen before attending Bangkok’s Chulalongkhorn University.
  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: 2,669 new cases, provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 2,669 new cases, provincial totals

    Although the daily Covid count remains high, with 2,680 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the number of active cases have decreased. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the daily Covid situation report in English, says that today more recoveries were reported than new cases, with the…

  • South Thailand NewsBurmese migrants headed toward Malaysia arrested in Songkhla

    Burmese migrants headed toward Malaysia arrested in Songkhla

    Police arrest a group of Burmese migrants and an alleged guide from Myanmar in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district. Officers say the guide was leading the migrants from Moulmein, a city on Myanmar’s western coast, then across the Thai border to the southern province Ranong, headed toward Malaysia where they had jobs lined up. The migrants allegedly told police that they…

  • Crime NewsJustice Minister says Thailand is a major transit point in the illicit drug trade

    Justice Minister says Thailand is a major transit point in the illicit drug trade

    Thailand is a major transit point in the transnational illicit drug trade, particularly crystal methamphetamine and heroin, with many routes destined for various countries, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. Due to the strict penalties for illegal drug production, Thailand is rarely used as a base to produce methamphetamine and heroin, the minister says. Most of the drugs are produced…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s main Covid vaccination centre offers drive-through service for elderly patients

    Phuket’s main Covid vaccination centre offers drive-through service for elderly patients

    A drive-through Covid-19 vaccination service has opened up at Phuket’s main vaccination centre, allowing those 60 years old or above, and those with underlying health conditions, to get inoculated without getting out of their car. Health officials started offering the service after noticing that many elderly people had trouble walking through the large Saphan Hin Gymnasium to get a vaccine. Before…

  • Thailand NewsNearly 30,000 Covid-19 infections at Thai prisons in recent wave

    Nearly 30,000 Covid-19 infections at Thai prisons in recent wave

    Nearly 30,000 people at Thai prisons have tested positive for Covid-19 in the latest wave of infections. There are now 13,392 active coronavirus cases at 12 correctional facilities in Thailand, according to the Department of Corrections. 534 new cases and 3 coronavirus-related deaths at prisons were reported today. In the latest wave of infections in Thailand, 29,734 cases have been…

  • Thailand News28 year old Australian man found dead near Krabi island last week

    28 year old Australian man found dead near Krabi island last week

    Thai police are investigating the death of a 28 year old Australian man who was found dead last week by Koh Pu, a small island in Krabi near Koh Lanta. Robert Wojcik, a Sydney native who had lived in Thailand since late 2019 working as a divemaster, took his boat out on June 1. When he did not come home…

  • Covid-19 NewsTuesday Covid Update: 2,662 new cases and 28 deaths, provincial totals

    Tuesday Covid Update: 2,662 new cases and 28 deaths, provincial totals

    2,662 new Covid-19 cases and 28 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the start of the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 153,685 Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases reported today, 534 were reported in correctional facilities. Over the past month, more than a dozen Thai…

  • Thailand NewsPolice raid Hat Yai restaurant and arrest 10 people for drinking alcohol

    Police raid Hat Yai restaurant and arrest 10 people for drinking alcohol

    Police arrested 10 people for gathering and drinking alcohol in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, a violation of the local disease control measures banning alcohol consumption at restaurants. A local had called police reporting people were having a party at the restaurant last night. Hat Yai district chief Chawakit Suwankhiri says police went to the Khru Pattakhan Ban Thung restaurant immediately…

  • World NewsMyanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to go on trial next week

    Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to go on trial next week

    The trial of Myanmar’s detained and ousted leader is set to go on next week. The military arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy and a Nobel laureate, in the February 1 coup, saying the reason behind the takeover was due to a fraudulent election. She had won the election for state counsellor in a landslide. 75…

  • Thailand NewsTrang villagers set up nets to catch snakes after 20 king cobras were spotted

    Trang villagers set up nets to catch snakes after 20 king cobras were spotted

    After 20 king cobras were spotted and reports of a person dying from a snakebite, locals at a village in Trang’s Banpho area set up nets along the roads to catch the snakes. The net idea hasn’t worked so far. The head of the provincial emergency response team, Chokechai Phraethanareung, says they look into other methods to catch the snakes,…

  • Thailand NewsBillionaire couple in Koh Tao drowned, preliminary autopsy results show

    Billionaire couple in Koh Tao drowned, preliminary autopsy results show

    A preliminary autopsy results suggest the billionaire couple died from drowning at the Koh Tao resort pool. Water was found in both their lungs and medical examiners at the Police General Hospital say the couple died from lack of oxygen. More tests are being done and police are still investigating. Last Friday, the Thai-Indian couple Anshoo and Rakeshwar Sachatamakul, 55…

  • World NewsThailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses concern over violence in Myanmar

    Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses concern over violence in Myanmar

    With more than 850 people killed by security forces since the February military coup in Myanmar, and the junta’s ongoing clashes with ethnic troops and rebel fighters, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement expressing concern over the violence in the neighbouring country. Along with reiterating the call to end violence and the release of detainees, the ministry’s spokesperson…

  • Thailand News235 people in 10 Thai provinces infected with Covid variant first found in India

    235 people in 10 Thai provinces infected with Covid variant first found in India

    235 people in 10 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have tested positive for the Covid-19 variant first found in India. Most of the cases are linked to an outbreak at a construction camp in Bangkok’s Laksi district. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences tested samples from 3,964 Covid-19 patients to detect mutated variants of the virus. 235 of the samples were positive…

  • ExpatsMass vaccination campaign starts today, first phase includes foreigners in “at risk” groups

    Mass vaccination campaign starts today, first phase includes foreigners in “at risk” groups

    “All foreign nationals on Thai soil are included in the national vaccination programme.” Thailand’s nationwide mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign officially started today. For foreigners living in Thailand, those who are 60 years old and above as well as those with certain underlying health conditions, will be given priority during this phase of vaccinations. In Phuket and Koh Samui, tourist destinations…

  • Covid-19 NewsMonday Covid Update: 2,419 cases and 33 deaths, provincial totals

    Monday Covid Update: 2,419 cases and 33 deaths, provincial totals

    2,419 new Covid-19 cases and 33 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising Thailand’s cumulative case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 179,516 and the death toll to 1,269. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections, the CCSA has reported a total of 151,023 Covid-19 infections. Thailand now has 49,101 active…

  • Crime NewsThai-Myanmar border patrol tightens, 11 Burmese migrants caught hiding in containers

    Thai-Myanmar border patrol tightens, 11 Burmese migrants caught hiding in containers

    In the latest bust by border patrol, officers searched a pickup truck and found 11 Burmese migrants hiding in plastic containers. Over the past few months, dozens of Burmese migrants have been caught in Kanchanaburi for allegedly crossing the Myanmar border illegally, evading checkpoint screening and the mandatory 14 day quarantine for those entering the country. Many migrants who have…

  • Bangkok NewsTaxi driver arrested for allegedly stealing from Australian man in Bangkok

    Taxi driver arrested for allegedly stealing from Australian man in Bangkok

    Police arrested a taxi driver who allegedly stole thousands of baht and Australian dollars from an Australian man back in May 2018. The Australian had hired a taxi to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. When he got out, he realised that not only his passport was missing, but 40,000 baht and AUD$4,000 were also gone. Surveillance camera footage shows the man getting…

  • South Thailand NewsPolice arrest suspect who allegedly sold assault rifles stolen from military base

    Police arrest suspect who allegedly sold assault rifles stolen from military base

    Officers in Thailand’s Deep South have arrested a man for allegedly selling assault rifles that were stolen from a military base in Narathiwat, a province by the Malaysian border with ongoing violence from the religious separatist insurgency. 6 out of the 26 AK102 assault rifles stolen from the the 4th Army Area base have been found. Earlier reports said 28 assault…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid UPDATE Friday: 2,631 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE Friday: 2,631 new cases and 31 deaths, provincial totals

    2,631 new Covid-19 cases and 31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded 143,116 Covid-19 infections and 1,083 deaths. In total, there have been 171,979 Covid infections and 1,177 Covid-related deaths reported in Thailand since the pandemic started last year. Of the…

  • Thailand NewsFormer army adviser convicted of human trafficking dies in prison

    Former army adviser convicted of human trafficking dies in prison

    A former army adviser, convicted of trafficking Rohingya migrants to camps in Southern Thailand, died in a prison hospital this week. 65 year old Manas Kongpan had a heart attack while he was exercising at the Medical Correctional Hospital where he had been admitted to treat hypertension, high cholesterol and bradycardia. The former army adviser was one of more than 100…

  • Covid-19 News11 million Sinovac doses to arrive in Thailand over the next 3 months

    11 million Sinovac doses to arrive in Thailand over the next 3 months

    Over the next 3 months, Thailand will import 11 million doses of China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. The locally-produced AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is the primary vaccine planned for Thailand’s mass coronavirus immunisation campaign. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the additional Sinovac doses will help reach the goal of obtaining 100 million doses. So far, Thailand has received 5.5 million doses…

  • Thailand NewsPolice seize clouded leopard rug after it was posted for sale on Facebook

    Police seize clouded leopard rug after it was posted for sale on Facebook

    Police seized a rug made from wildcat fur last week after it was posted for sale on Facebook for 7,500 baht. The rug appears to be from a clouded leopard and investigators now suspect it may have come from one of the two clouded leopards recorded on hidden camera in a rare sighting last December at the Erawan National Park in…

  • Bangkok NewsMan arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman during a live stream

    Man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman during a live stream

    Police arrested a 31 year old man for allegedly sexually assaulting a Canadian woman while she was recording a live stream video near Bangkok’s Lumpini Park. In the video, a man runs up from behind the woman and appears to reach his hand below her waist. The woman made a post on Twitter after the incident saying she was going…

  • Thailand NewsAmerican suspect in Bangkok kidnap for ransom case arrested at airport

    American suspect in Bangkok kidnap for ransom case arrested at airport

    Police arrested an American man, another suspect in the kidnap for ransom case in Bangkok, at the Suvarnabhumi Airport just as he was preparing to leave the country. 38 year old Matthew Wilson is the tenth suspect to be arrested for alleged involvement in the abduction of a Taiwanese businessman after a failed business deal. Other suspects include 2 other American…

  • World NewsASEAN delegation to visit Myanmar to help find a solution to ongoing crisis

    ASEAN delegation to visit Myanmar to help find a solution to ongoing crisis

    To help find a solution to the ongoing situation in Myanmar following the military coup, an ASEAN delegation will visit Myanmar tomorrow to meet with the leaders of the junta’s State Administrative Council, which has taken the place of the elected civilian government led by the National League of Democracy. Since the February military takeover, an estimated more than 800…

  • Covid-19 NewsWHO assigns alternative names for Covid variants based on Greek alphabet

    WHO assigns alternative names for Covid variants based on Greek alphabet

    After criticism over naming new variants of Covid-19 based on the country it was first detected, the World Health Orginisation has announced alternative names for the “variants of concern” based off the Greek alphabet… Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, etc. Last week, media outlets in the UK released reports last week saying more than 100 people had tested positive for the…

  • Crime NewsONCB to investigate transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand

    ONCB to investigate transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand

    Following the news of the Thai national arrested in South Korea for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into the country, Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board is now investigating transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand. Thailand’s Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin ordered for the investigation, advising authorities to investigate to see if drug traffickers in Thailand have been involved in operations…

  • Thailand NewsArrest warrant issued for murder suspect who became a minor celebrity during the investigation

    Arrest warrant issued for murder suspect who became a minor celebrity during the investigation

    A murder suspect, who became famous in Thailand during the investigation, now has a warrant for his arrest over the death of his 3 year old niece. With the continuous and overdramatised media coverage on the case, the 44 year old suspect Chaiphol Wipha became a minor celebrity and gained a fan base, some who have raised donations to help…

  • Crime NewsThai man faces charges for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into South Korea

    Thai man faces charges for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into South Korea

    A 32 year old Thai man is facing charges for allegedly trafficking $12.1 million USD worth of methamphetamine into South Korea. The man was arrested earlier this month for allegedly smuggling around 4 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in bags of protein supplements on a flight from Thailand to South Korea, according to Korean media. The man was allegedly paid 200,000 baht…

  • Visa Information60-day “Covid” visa extension now allows stays until late September

    60-day “Covid” visa extension now allows stays until late September

    Foreigners who are stuck in Thailand, either by choice or because they cannot return to their home country due to the pandemic, can now stay in the “Land of Smiles” until late September. The Thai Immigration Bureau recently announced that the deadline to apply for the 60-day “Covid” visa extension has been pushed from May 29 to July 29, now…