- Thailand News
Health Minister to propose cancelling Test & Go entry at Cabinet meeting today
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will propose the cancellation of the Test & Go quarantine exemption programme to the Cabinet during the meeting today, according to reports in Thai media. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, and an official order will need to be published in the Royal Gazette before the scheme…
- Thailand News
Sex workers mail high heels to government, continue to call for financial support
Earlier this year, sex workers and others in Thailand’s nightlife industry lined high heels up in front of the parliament building in Bangkok. Each pair of heels had a note calling for the government to compensate redlight district workers who are out of work due to the pandemic. Six months later, with bars and nightclubs still ordered to remain closed,…
- Thailand News
Thai officials to review list of low risk countries, possibly ban travellers from high risk
In addition to discussing whether to cancel the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme due to the uptick in Omicron cases, the Thai government will also review its list of countries considered to be at low risk for Covid-19 and consider whether to ban travellers from high risk countries. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told Thai media today that the…
- Thailand News
Customer says a fish was swimming in a sealed jug of drinking water
Thais are questioning the cleanliness of their drinking water after one person found a small fish swimming around their sealed jug of drinking water. The customer video of the little silver fish swimming in the jug before returning it to the shop. The customer posted the photo on Facebook, but did not mention where they purchased the water or what…
- Covid-19 News
Monday Covid Update: 2,525 new cases; provincial totals
31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,408 with 21,314 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,525 new Covid-19 cases and 4,190 recoveries. There are now 40,097 people in Thailand being…
- Thailand News
Body found 3 months after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya
After a months-long search, dive and rescue teams have recovered the bodies of both a husband and wife who drowned when a tugboat capsized by a confluence, where the Chao Phraya River and Pasak River meet. The boat sank back in September in front of the Phanan Choeng Temple in Ayutthaya. The captain’s body was later found near the Rama…
- Covid-19 News
First local Omicron case, officials consider cancelling quarantine exemption Test & Go
Thailand’s first local transmission of the Omicron variant was reported today by public health officials. The confirmed case comes as the government considers cancelling the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme due to increasing reports of Omicron cases involving those arriving in Thailand from overseas. So far, health officials have reported more than 60 imported Omicron cases. The first local…
- Thailand News
Long-distance bus passengers travelling for New Year’s asked to take an ATK test
Travelling by bus during the New Year holiday? You might need to take an ATK test for long-distance trips. The state-run Transport Company is in discussions with both the Public Health Ministry and the Transport Ministry about Covid-19 prevention measures during the end-of-year holiday, according to the director-general of the Department of Disease Control Opas Karnkawinpong. Opas says that passengers…
- Thailand News
Prison riot “under control” after hundreds of inmates lashed out over Covid-19 treatment
The prison riot in Krabi is now “under control,” according to a government spokesperson. Dozens of inmates started rioting last night at around 9pm, starting fires and destroying property to demand equal treatment for prisoners infected with Covid-19. Hundreds of officers were deployed to the scene and the director-general of the Department of Corrections even travelled to Krabi to help…
- Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 3,537 new cases; provincial totals
41 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,327 with 21,233 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,537 new Covid-19 cases and 5,459 recoveries. There are now 43,479 people in Thailand being…
- Thailand News
Two Thai suspects in Taiwan’s largest heroin bust on record arrested in Pathum Thani
In the largest heroin bust in Taiwan on record, two Thai men were arrested yesterday for allegedly hiding hundreds of kilograms of heroin in lumber shipments and trafficking the drugs to Taiwan. Late last month, officers in Taiwan’s New Taipei City reported that they found over 446.8 kilograms of heroin, with a street value of around 6 billion baht, hidden…
- Thailand News
Riot erupts at Krabi prison over inmate Covid-19 treatment, 300 officers deployed
Hundreds of police have been deployed to control an ongoing riot at the Krabi Provincial Prison off the Andaman coast. Around 70 inmates started rioting at around 9pm last night, throwing objects, setting fires, and smashing tiles and plates. Prisoners reportedly threw the riot because an inmate was offered Covid-19 treatment off prison grounds while others infected with the virus…
- Thailand News
Thursday Covid Update: 3,684 new cases; provincial totals
26 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,286 with 21,192 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,684 new Covid-19 cases and 4,531 recoveries. There are now 45,442 people in Thailand being…
- Bangkok News
New park in Bangkok to open by Christmas
A new Bangkok park will be open on Christmas day. The area along Chong Nonsi canal is being renovated to be the Klong Chong Nonsi Public Park. The park is separated into five parts spreading over 12 kilometres along Silom to Rama 3 road. The first part of the park around Silom to Surawong road will be open on December 25.…
- Phuket News
Royal Thai Navy sinks three old battleships during “goodbye” ceremony
Royal Thai Navy sank three old battleships during a ceremony to say goodbye to the retired vessels. Phuket’s PR department says aiming it to be a marine ecosystem learning park, habitat for fish population and coral reef as well as a destination for divers visiting Phuket in the future. The suitable ways of disposing of old ships is still up…
- Thailand News
Thailand and Cambodia to discuss reopening borders along Sa Kaeo
Thai officials plan to hold talks with their counterparts in Cambodia to discuss reopening the land borders between the two countries. The governor of the border province Sa Kaeo held a meeting yesterday to discuss plans for reopening entry checkpoints. Four border crossing spots are in the plan included with permanent crossing point Ban Khlong Luek – PoiPet in Aranyaprathet…
- Thailand News
US Secretary of State Blinken cancels Thai visit, meeting with PM due to Covid concerns
The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cancelled the Thai leg of his Southeast Asia tour and his meeting with PM Prayut chan-o-cha after a journalist with the travelling press corps tested positive for Covid-19. Blinken had arrived at his second destination in Southeast Asia, Malaysia, on Tuesday for a two-day visit after he left Indonesia. The US embassy issued…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 3,370 new cases; provincial totals
29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,260 with 21,166 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,370 new Covid-19 cases and 4,557 recoveries. There are now 46,315 people in Thailand being…
- Thailand News
Candidate for Bangkok governor under fire after claim he studied under Einstein’s grandson
A candidate for Bangkok governor is under fire after he claimed to have studied engineering under Albert Einstein’s grandson, and even went as far to say he’s the only one in Thailand that has studied under an Einstein. But a Thai reporter decided to fact check the claims and found that the American professor has no connection to one of…
- Thailand News
Thais poke fun at TAT’s “fly the kite” event, the phrase has another meaning in Thailand
Thais are having a laugh over the headline for a kite festival promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in the Isaan province Buriram. In Thai, the phrase “flying a kite” can mean two different things… One is literally flying a kite, while the other means male masturbation. TAT Buriram is promoting the event with the headline “ชักว่าว เคาน์ดาวน์ ปีใหม่…
- Phuket News
Fisherman’s body found by Saphan Hin Beach in Phuket
Rescue teams and the Royal Thai Navy found the body of a 60 year old fisherman by Saphan Hin Beach in Phuket who had drowned after a fishing boat capsized over the weekend. The boat sank at around 8pm on Saturday. The captain and another fisherman were able to swim to safety after hours in the water and got to…
- Thailand News
“Gay Toilet”: Thai temple aims to be more welcoming, misses mark on gender neutral
One Thai temple trying to be a bit more progressive missed the mark when it comes to gender neutral restrooms. Instead, they designated restrooms for gay men and lesbian women. A picture of toilet sign saying ห้องน้ำตุ๊ด which means “Gay Toilet”’ and ห้องน้ำทอม which means “Tomboy Toilet” went viral among Thai netizens. The sign and toilet are located at Sarikaram…
- Thailand News
Health Ministry looks into fake vaccine certificates after social media post goes viral
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is looking into fake vaccine certification sales after a post advertising bogus certifications went viral on Facebook. A photo of what looks like a vaccine certificate issued by the Thai government with a caption saying “Get a vaccine certificate from us. No need to waste your time getting vaccinated.” Get a vaccine certificate from us. No…
- Covid-19 News
Tuesday Covid Update: 2,862 new cases; provincial totals
37 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,231 with 21,137 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,862 new Covid-19 cases and 4,818 recoveries. There are now 47,531 people in Thailand being…
- Bangkok News
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha pressures the public to get vaccinated before the New Year
“Everyone should get the vaccine as soon as possible.” PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on the public to get vaccinated as soon as they can to participate in New Year’s countdown events. New Year’s events were given the “okay” by the CCSA yesterday with alcohol consumption allowed until 1am on January 1, but festival organisers need to abide by “Covid…
- South Thailand News
Passenger train bombed in Thailand’s Deep South, 3 injured
A passenger train carrying around 300 people was bombed in Thailand’s Deep South, injuring two train officials and one passenger. The Defense Ministry says insurgents detonated the explosive along a railway in Pattani, a province by the Malaysian border with ongoing violence and attacks related to the religious separatist insurgency. The Defence Ministry of Thailand chastised the insurgents for attacking…
- Thailand News
New Year’s events under “Covid Free” measures, attendees must be vaccinated
Get vaccinated if you want to party on New Year’s. The Thai government is loosening restrictions on alcohol and events, but just for New Year’s… and for those who have been vaccinated. In all provinces, New Year’s countdown events will be allowed to offer alcohol drinks until 1am on January 1, but venues need to abide by “Covid Free Setting”…
- Thailand News
Thailand to reopen Malaysian border crossings under Test & Go in mid-January
Thailand’s land crossings along the Malaysian border will reopen in mid-January under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme for fully vaccinated travellers. At its general meeting yesterday, the CCSA approved a measure to set up Test & Go checkpoints at the land crossings in the provinces bordering Malaysia including Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun. Under the Test & Go scheme,…
- World News
Vietnam’s Hanoi Metro faces boycott, lacks of passengers
The Cát Linh-Ha Dong line of the Hanoi Metro, Vietnam’s first mass transit train service, which was launched on November 6 this year, is reportedly facing a public boycott for cooperating with China despite its initial excellent service and high expectations. It came to attention as local media reported last month that the service is lacking passengers, at around 12,000…
- Thailand News
“Sandbox” entry scheme to remain at 7 days, CCSA reverses move to cut down stay
The period of stay under the “sandbox” entry scheme will continue to be seven days. The CCSA approved to cut the period down to five days but tightened measures after the emergence of the Omicron variant. Under the entry scheme, travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can enter and roam freely in a designated province or area, such as…
