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Chumphon flood makes main North-South highway impassable
In Chumphon province, the highway connecting Bangkok to the South of Thailand has been hit with a flood so bad it has been impassable. After 300 millimetres of rain fell on the Chumphon districts of Lang Suan, Sawi, and Thung Tako on Tuesday, the main artery travelling the whole of southern Thailand was flooded in several areas. The battered province…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha vows to prevent Omicron from reaching Thai soil
Thailand’s prime minister has urged the public not to panic, but to remain vigilant against the new Omicron virus, according to government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana yesterday. He added that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha also encouraged people to get fully vaccinated in order to boost group immunity and ensure everyone’s safety, as adequate vaccines are now available for all Thais. As foreign…
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Phuket officials order quarantine for more than 100 travellers from South Africa
More than 100 travellers from South Africa who entered Thailand over the past two weeks have been ordered to quarantine for 14 days as a preventative measure following the emergence of the Omicron variant. Nationwide, the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Public Health Ministry are working to track down a total of more than 780 people who travelled from African…
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Malaysia bans travel from African nations amid Omicron fears
Following suit with countries around Asia and around the world, Malaysia has announced a temporary ban on travellers entering from African countries in close proximity to the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Malaysia’s health minister announced the ban on 8 African countries including South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, though it hasn’t banned other countries that have reported cases of Omicron yet.…
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Vietnam signs deal to expand production of Sputnik V vaccine
Vietnam has struck a deal with Moscow to expand their production of the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccines Sputnik V. Vietnam has been producing the Sputnik vaccines already, but a new deal will allow more Sputnik V vaccines to be manufactured as well as the Sputnik Light vaccine. The expanded deal was made during a visit to Russia by Nguyen Xuan Phuc,…
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Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey
Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a…
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Pro-democracy activist Panusaya given temporary release to sit university exam
Political activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been given temporary release to sit an exam and submit university reports. Thai PBS World reports that the activist was freed from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institute at around 8pm last night. She was met by her parents and supporters, having spent 17 days behind bars. The pro-democracy activist is being tried on…
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Muang district in Ayutthaya allow to serve alcohol in restaurants
The CCSA seems to be slowly rolling out the lifting of the alcohol ban in Thailand on a province by province, and sometimes district by district, basis. Muang district in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is the latest district to receive the green light to ease Covid-19 restrictions and allow alcohol to be served in restaurants. The district in Ayutthaya has…
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Thai officials attempt to track down 783 travellers from Africa for Omicron testing
Officials are attempting to trace 783 travellers who’ve arrived in Thailand from various African countries since November 15. Immigration police are working with the Public Health Ministry, who want to test the arrivals for the Omicron Covid-19 variant, according to a Bangkok Post report. However, national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk says the public shouldn’t panic, adding that immigration officers and…
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Idlib: Collapsing Turkish lira makes daily life harder than ever
Khadija lives in Idlib, the capital of the Syrian Idlib province. The burden of responsibility weighs heavily on her shoulders. She has become her family’s main breadwinner, and provides for her twin brothers, who were born with Down syndrome. “I work a lot,” she told DW in a voice message. “My father used to be able to provide for us…
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Angela Merkel leaves a mixed legacy in Africa
During her 16 years as German chancellor, Angela Merkel’s trips to Africa became more frequent as did her meetings with African heads of state. As recently as August 2021, Merkel invited several African presidents to the German capital, Berlin. It was a farewell meeting — and a very pleasant one at that — for there is much praise for the…
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Leaked documents ‘link’ top Chinese leaders to crackdown on Uyghurs
In an exclusive interview, German academic Adrian Zenz offers insight into a new set of documents which he says show that speeches made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders lay a foundation for the crackdown on Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The documents, dubbed as the “Xinjiang Papers,” include three speeches made by Chinese President Xi Jinping from 2014,…
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Ghana showcases technology to tackle big challenges
Using digital and new technologies to tackle Ghana’s problems. That’s the focus for many innovators here. From digital solutions to climate change to greener construction techniques. One app warns of flood risks in Accra. Others want to make health and education more accessible. At Ghana’s digital innovation week video games aren’t just fun. They can also help shift perspectives. Like…
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Marthe Wandou: We need to move from frameworks to action and protect children
Marthe Wandou has been fighting against sexual violence and promoting women’s and children’s rights in Cameroon for decades. Founded in 1998, her nongovernmental organization, Action Locale pour un Developpement Participatif et Autogere (ALDEPA), applies a holistic approach focusing on education, abuse prevention, and providing psychosocial care as well as legal counsel. DW: What does the Right Livelihood Award (RLA) mean…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 4,886 new cases; provincial totals
43 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 20,814 with 20,720 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 4,886 new Covid-19 cases and 6,326 recoveries. There are now 74,190 people in Thailand being…
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Vietnam to welcome fully vaccinated tourists from Thailand this month
Vietnam is setting up a “travel bubble” scheme with Thailand to allow vaccinated travellers to enter the Southeast Asian country. The head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh, today says his department is working with Thai officials to set up the scheme, adding that the first batch of Thai tourists will arrive in Vietnam this month…
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Hospital warns not all PCR tests properly detect Omicron variant
Ramathibodi Hospital Centre for Medical Genomics has warned that some PCR test kits may fail in accurately identifying people infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The hospital says that the new variant has a growth advantage and that some polymerase chain reaction tests may not be able to see the variant. The Hospital posted its findings on Facebook recently…
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Thailand’s exclusion from US Summit for Democracy could impact foreign investment
The exclusion of Thailand from the US’s virtual Summit for Democracy could cause Thailand to lose foreign investment. More than 100 democratic nations were invited to the event hosted by US President Joe Biden while Thailand sits on the sidelines with other nations including Vietnam, Laos, China, and Russia. The summit focuses on three key themes: Defending against authoritarianism, addressing…
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TAT predicts 500,000 travellers before 2022, 133,000 arrived so far
After 1 month of Thailand’s reopening, the Kingdom saw over 133,000 arrivals total from countries around the world, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand is confident that the goal of 500,000 international travellers will be met, despite the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 that has seen countries scrambling to limit or block travel from at-risk countries. In the month of…
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Kanchanaburi park ranger reportedly stabbed co-worker, shot himself
A park ranger reportedly stabbed at co-worker to death before shooting himself. Apparently the two men had to an argument while installing cameras in a Thong Pha Phum district forest to study Bengal tigers. The Khao Laem National Park rangers were so deep in the forest that an army helicopter was sent to rescue the injured ranger. The head chief…
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New variant casts shadow over Thailand Motor Expo, concerns outbreak could affect the industry
The uncertainty of the newly identified Covid-19 variant Omicron looms over today’s opening of the Thailand International Motor Expo as firms promote their new electric vehicle options. Many of the manufacturers at the exhibition worry that the new variant may force countries to return to lockdowns or take other measures that will hurt business as the global economy and Thai…
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Cabinet sets aside over 5 billion baht to improve Bangkok’s public transportation
Yesterday, the two biggest transportation groups in Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Organisation (BMTA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), received subsidies from the Cabinet to cope with the loss as well as increase their liquidity. A total of 5 billion baht was given, with 2.28 billion going to BMTA and 3.38 billion going to SRT. The Cabinet has also…
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Victoria’s Secret Thailand supplier faces labour abuse by laid off workers
Garment workers from Victoria’s Secret supplier Brilliant Alliance Thai Global filed a complaint yesterday with the National Human Rights Commission at the Government Complex in Bangkok. The complaint follows the charges filed against six labour activists for protesting illegally outside the Government House in Dusit district on October 19. The movement was led by the Triumph International Workers Union as…
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Most face masks on sale in Thailand do not meet industry quality standards
The Thailand Consumer Council says that out of 60 face masks available in the country, only a fifth have passed quality tests. According to a Bangkok Post report, the TCC has called on the Thai Industrial Standards Institute to mandate the same safety standards for disposable face masks, which is currently a voluntary requirement. In July, the TCC randomly chose…
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Cha-am permitted to sell alcohol in restaurants from December 1
While tourist areas all across Thailand are fighting to be allowed to sell alcohol, Cha-am will be the next tourist pilot area to get to sell drinks. The Phetchaburi Provincial Communicable Disease Committee is preparing to test allowing restaurants and shops to sell alcohol in the tourist city until 10 pm. The trial run of the new permission will be…
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UN boss says global vaccination is only way out of pandemic
The United Nations secretary-general says the only way out of the Covid-19 pandemic is through global vaccination. According to a Xinhua report, Antonio Guterres has called for greater equality in the global distribution of vaccines, tests, and treatments. “The only way out of a global pandemic and out of this unjust and immoral situation is through a global vaccination campaign.”…
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Hungry Hub Bangkok Rooftop Festival 2021
It’s almost coming towards the end of the year so if you are looking for a great rooftop atmosphere to celebrate, you have come to the right place! Hungry Hub is organizing Bangkok Rooftop Festival 2021 and offering exclusive deals at the finest rooftop bars in the city. Below are the lists of the greatest rooftop restaurants in Bangkok, all…
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Moderna leader says vaccine likely less effective against Omicron
The head of American vaccine maker Moderna said in an interview with Financial Times that their vaccine may not be strongly effective against the new Omicron variant. Stephane Bancel said in an interview published yesterday that it will take months to develop a new version of the vaccine that is tested and confirmed to be effective against the new strain…
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Si Racha sushi restaurant patrons warned to test for Covid-19
Following in a string of Covid-19 outbreak warnings, the Chon Buri Public Health Office released a new bulletin for anyone who visited sushi stalls in a Si Racha market where Covid-19 infections were identified. Unlike other warnings over the past several weeks that gave one- to two-week date ranges for exposure, this alert is very time and location-specific. Health officials…
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Is Jordan doing Syrian dictator’s dirty work?
Earlier this month, a Syrian journalist working in Jordan was arrested. Freelance journalist Ibrahim Awwad was taken to Azraq, a United Nations-run refugee camp, east of Amman, where he apparently remains under house arrest. “He is now threatened with deportation to Syria, where he would face probable reprisals,” said media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), expressing concern about the…
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