Countries around the world are battling to be first out with a sustainable, reliable and cheap vaccine for Covid-19. If they are successful it will be the first time a successful vaccine has been developed for a coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause sickness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). And Covid-19, aka SARS-CoV-2. Here’s the list… 229E (alpha coronavirus) NL63 (alpha coronavirus) OC43 (beta coronavirus) HKU1 (beta coronavirus) MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or […]

An unexploded mortar shell has been discovered at a construction site in Rayong, in the east of the country. Local villagers found the device while clearing land and trees at the site and alerted police. Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit arrived on the scene to examine the device. It was transferred to dense forest nearby and successfully dismantled remotely. Police say the device is a type of mortar which had not exploded on launch, describing it as potentially very dangerous. “This bomb could be a very powerful explosive. We could not be certain if it was going to […]

Protest peacefully, but keep the Thai monarchy out of it – that’s the gist of a warning from the Digital Economy and Society Minister referring to recent political protests that have been raising questions about Thailand’s revered Head of State. Rallies by royalist students and opposition parties have ended without incident at this stage although there have been a number of arrests, charges and “attitude adjustment” lectures. Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta says that while it was “normal for people to hold different political opinions, they must not violate the rights of others nor offend the highest institution in the country”. “Protecting the […]