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  • Covid-19 NewsChina now battling an outbreak of bird flu in Hunan | Thaiger

    China now battling an outbreak of bird flu in Hunan

    On top of the growing Coronavirus outbreak and efforts of authorities to contain the spread, Chinese officials have now reported a case of the potent H5N1 bird flu in Shaoyang city in central China’s Hunan province. The province is south of Hubei but the outbreak of bird flu is unrelated to the Wuhan coronavirus. Avian influenza, aka. H5N1, avian flu…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths

    The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide. There are 17,387 confirmed cases and 362 deaths as of this morning. Welcome to our Monday morning update as we enter a new month with the coronavirus still growing , both inside China and outside, with the first death outside China over the weekend – a 44…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases

    Deaths from the coronavirus outbreak have now reached 305 today, including the first outside China, a 44 year old Chinese man in the Philippines. 14,559 people are now confirmed with the virus, the vast majority in China. Whilst the fatality rate remains at 2% with the current level of cases, many have also recovered and returned home. Many remain in…

  • Road deathsThree people dead in road incidents south of Bangkok | Thaiger

    Three people dead in road incidents south of Bangkok

    Three people are dead following two separate accidents in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, south and east of Bangkok’s centre. The first incident occurred around 7.30pm on Saturday night on the Bang Na-Trat highway. A married couple were killed after their motorcycle was run over by a six wheeled truck. The couple were identified as 58 year old Somchai…

  • South Thailand NewsMan walks into his own funeral in southern Thailand | Thaiger

    Man walks into his own funeral in southern Thailand

    It was the double-take of the year. In the middle of a funeral at a local temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand, the man, who was the main attraction at the event, walked into his own funeral. After attendees got over their surprise, and relief, that their relative was actually alive, the question arose, “who is the person inside…

  • Business NewsThai Airways considers leasing planes and outsourcing cabin staff | Thaiger

    Thai Airways considers leasing planes and outsourcing cabin staff

    In its attempts to restructure the legacy national airline, senior staff of Thai Airways may lease aircraft and cabin staff. The plans are part of fleet and service improvement options as demanded by the Thai Government who had to find 11.1 billion baht over the first 9 months of 2019 to keep the national airline in the skies. According to…

  • Environment NewsHazy days and Sundays – Bangkok has fifth highest air pollution in the world | Thaiger

    Hazy days and Sundays – Bangkok has fifth highest air pollution in the world

    “Unhealthy”. That about sums up the air Bangkokians are breathing this morning, a situation almost completely avoidable but allowed to continue by the Thai Government. Bangkok is in bad company today with other polluted cities in Asia – Lahore, Hanoi, Delhi and Dhaka – as the fifth most polluted city in the world, a headline the Thai Government would prefer…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop | Thaiger

    Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop

    The 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the official name for the Wuhan or Novel Corononavirus, is resulting in dozens of high-season flights to Thai southern beach resorts being cancelled. The virus is already deemed an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. “While Patong survived and thrived after SARS, the tsunami and a few army coups, this virus is stripping our…

  • Covid-19 NewsNo confirmed coronavirus cases in Phuket, six tourists under observation | Thaiger

    No confirmed coronavirus cases in Phuket, six tourists under observation

    A this stage, no one in Phuket has been confirmed as infected with the coronavirus. Director of Vachira Hospital’s Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol brought local media up to date in his media scrum at the hospital yesterday. But he announced that 6 more tourists are currently under observation but are, as yet, unconfirmed to be carrying the novel coronavirus. One of…

  • Covid-19 NewsChiang Mai confirms first coronavirus case | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai confirms first coronavirus case

    Chiang Mai health officials have confirmed the first positive case of the coronavirus in the northern city. The patient had come for treatment from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital and later tested positive for the virus. The Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday that five more people in Thailand had been confirmed as carrying the novel coronavirus, and one of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – Taxi driver first human-to-human infection in Thailand | Thaiger

    Coronavirus – Taxi driver first human-to-human infection in Thailand

    Four Chinese airline passengers from China’s Hubei province, and one Thai citizen – a taxi driver – have now been confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus. The announcement came from the Permanent Health Secretary Sukhum Karnchanapimai says in a briefing in Bangkok. The latest announcement brought the current toll of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Kingdom to 19. Of…

  • OpinionBrexit – a personal diary | Thaiger

    Brexit – a personal diary

    Opinion by David Skelcey Friday, June 24, 2016 I woke up in my caravan at Glastonbury Music Festival, headed to the toilet and while doing my business read the news I was dreading. The Leave campaign had won the Brexit referendum by 51% to 49%. After getting dressed and kissing my sleeping partner and kids goodbye I headed off to…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand charters civilian plane to repatriate stranded Thais in Wuhan | Thaiger

    Thailand charters civilian plane to repatriate stranded Thais in Wuhan

    The Thai government will charter a plane from a commercial airline to evacuate Thai citizens trapped in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says they’ve opted not to use a military transport plane as the Chinese government declined to permit a military aircraft repatriate the Thais earlier this week. It was reported that there remains about…

  • Covid-19 NewsFirst human-to-human case of Coronavirus confirmed in Thailand | Thaiger

    First human-to-human case of Coronavirus confirmed in Thailand

    Thailand health officials have confirmed the first case of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus. The confirmed case hasn’t travelled outside of Thailand. Reuters report that the case is a Thai taxi driver, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Tanarak Pipat. “The Thai person who got infected does not have the record of traveling to…

  • Tourism NewsPattaya tour group businesses shutting up shop for a month | Thaiger

    Pattaya tour group businesses shutting up shop for a month

    Tourism businesses in Pattaya, that cater specifically to the Chinese market and tour groups, are preparing to shut down for a full month. Despite technically being the high season for tourism, and the middle of the Chinese New Year annual holidays, the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak has already had a profound impact. The Chinese tourists who managed to get…

  • Covid-19 NewsNo confirmed cases in Phuket, 10 remain in hospital awaiting tests | Thaiger

    No confirmed cases in Phuket, 10 remain in hospital awaiting tests

    Ten patients in Phuket were still waiting for test results confirming if they had the coronavirus or not yesterday. Up to yesterday afternoon there have been no confirmed cases detected on the island in southern Thailand. The director of Vachiraphuket Hospital in Phuket Town, Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, confirmed that since January 5 health officials had identified 23 people with “suspicious…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – confirmed cases exceed SARS outbreak, death toll reaches 213 | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE – confirmed cases exceed SARS outbreak, death toll reaches 213

    The last day of January and the number of coronavirus cases now heads towards 10,000, confirmed cases in China, as of Friday morning, is 9,692. Confirmed deaths, all in China, are now 213. The number of confirmed cases now exceeds the total number of SARS cases during the outbreak in 2002/2003. 42 of the new deaths occurred in Hubei province,…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – Total virus cases surpass 7,000 | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE – Total virus cases surpass 7,000

    The statistics keep rising, a mathematical tally of a human dimension. The world is trying to come to grips with a new, largely unknown, viral strain with flu-like symptoms that attacks the respiratory system. The good news, if any, from the latest outbreak is that most people are either ending up with “mild symptoms” and most recovering. 20% of current…

  • Tourism NewsThe rise of the e-bicycle in Thailand, a bit of motorised assistance | Thaiger

    The rise of the e-bicycle in Thailand, a bit of motorised assistance

    by Nicole Kash Cycling tours offer a unique way to explore Thailand. Faster than walking but slower than driving, cycling tours cover plenty of ground while allowing cyclists to immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and culture of Thailand without the boundary of a car window. Cycling tours can cover up to a heart-pumping 150 kilometre a day. Though exciting…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 6,057 confirmed cases, 132 dead, Wednesday 11.30am | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 6,057 confirmed cases, 132 dead, Wednesday 11.30am

    The Coronavirus has now infected a confirmed 6,057 people who are undergoing treatment, and the death toll has reached 132. 125 of those deaths are isolated to Hubei Province in central China. The largest city of Hubei is Wuhan, the epicentre of the current outbreak which first came to light in mid-December last year at a fresh meat market. Germany…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – six new cases confirmed in Thailand | Thaiger

    Coronavirus – six new cases confirmed in Thailand

    Six new cases of of the novel coronavirus are now confirmed for Thailand by the Ministry of Public Health. That brings the total number of cases detected to 14. The six new cases have all been hospitalised. Dr. Suhum Kanchanapimai, the Public health permanent secretary, confirmed that five of the six confirmed cases were members of the same Chinese family…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – WHO says it remains unclear when people become contagious | Thaiger

    Coronavirus – WHO says it remains unclear when people become contagious

    The World Health Organisation has announced that… “it remains unclear if the deadly coronavirus, which broke out in Wuhan, China five weeks ago, is contagious during its incubation period before symptoms appear. The virus, causing a pneumonia-like respiratory infection, has killed more than 100 people and infected over 4,500 in China, while cases are now identified in more than a dozen…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: 107 dead, more cases in Singapore and 1 in Cambodia | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: 107 dead, more cases in Singapore and 1 in Cambodia

    The death toll in China from the respiratory illness called the Wuhan Coronavirus or the Novel Coronavirus, has now reached 106, according to Channel News Asia. There are no deaths reported outside China and the vast majority of deaths are in the province of Hubei (76) where Wuhan is the capital. The number of total confirmed cases has risen to…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus v SARS, a quick comparison | Thaiger

    Coronavirus v SARS, a quick comparison

    SARS, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, was a viral respiratory disease caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Between November 2002 and July 2003, the eight month outbreak in southern China infected a total of 8,098 people, resulting in 774 deaths in 17 countries. Two years ago Chinese scientists traced SARS’ origins through the intermediary of civets (cat-like small mammals) to…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: More Chinese cities restrict travel, Thailand checking land borders | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: More Chinese cities restrict travel, Thailand checking land borders

    The death toll from the novel coronavirus has grown to 80 today. The entire Hubei Province is now in the largest health ‘lockdown’ ever mounted in modern medical history with tight controls of who or what is inbound or outbound from the central Chinese province, plus severe restrictions on movement in place in several other Chinese cities. The number of deaths…

  • Technology NewsEverything you need to know about 5G | Thaiger

    Everything you need to know about 5G

    by Live Tiles 5G literally refers to the fifth-generation of wireless technology, following on from 3G and 4G. The biggest changes will bring users higher speeds, lower latency, and the chance to connect more devices at once. Speed, for example, will provide almost instantaneous transfers across the internet, faster than the human reaction time. So something like a livestream of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus – Thai officials meet for evacuation contingency of citizens in Wuhan | Thaiger

    Coronavirus – Thai officials meet for evacuation contingency of citizens in Wuhan

    Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is hosting a meeting today to review plans to repatriate Thais marooned in China as a result of the cessation of flights and lockdowns in many Chinese cities. The Thai Rapid Response Centre, along with the Public Health Ministry, will also be updated by local Thai Embassy staff and consular officials in China to find ways of…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: 2,700+ infected, 80 dead, 8 cases in Thailand | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: 2,700+ infected, 80 dead, 8 cases in Thailand

    We bring you all this morning’s key updates in news about the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. Whilst there is plenty of speculation and rumours in social media, The Thaiger will only be publishing news that has been corroborated by authorised medical and scientific organisations or quoted with attribution in leading world media. As the story is developing quickly we…

  • Technology NewsOnline grocery shopping gains popularity in Thailand | Thaiger

    Online grocery shopping gains popularity in Thailand

    Squeezing the avocados and smelling the mangoes, in person, may well become a thing of the past as online grocery buying quickly gathers pace. The intense competition in online grocery sales is expected to surge in 2020. Online Apps like Line, Grab and Lazada are making major inroads into the Thai grocery market valued around 30 billion baht. Pushing the growth…

  • Phuket NewsTop 10 islands to visit in Thailand (2020) | Thaiger

    Top 10 islands to visit in Thailand (2020)

    Thailand is famous for its outstanding island experiences and there are many to choose from. From sweeping stretches of clear golden sands to islands where you can dive, snorkel and stay, Thailand’s islands and beaches are as diverse as they are plentiful. Let’s count them down… 10. Koh Tao & Koh Nang Yuan Koh Tao is an island that is…