Bangkok
Party Covid-Cluster: Celebrity says alcohol was “secretly” brought to rooftop bar, breaking Bangkok’s booze ban

Alcohol was “secretly” brought to DJ Techin Ploypetch’s birthday party in Bangkok, the celebrity says. The January 9 party became a notorious Covid-19 cluster when the DJ and at least 25 other people tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the party. The celebrity, also known as DJ Matoom, has been criticised by many Thais for acting like he is “above the law” while many others abide by Covid-19 disease control measures.
With a new wave of the coronavirus infecting hundreds in Bangkok, city officials tightened disease control restrictions just after the New Years holiday weekend, ordering bars and entertainment venues to close as well as prohibiting alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants in an effort to limit social gatherings and slow the spread of the virus.
DJ Matoom held his birthday party at the Vertigo rooftop bar and restaurant at the top of the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok’s Sathon district. The celebrity says his friend brought the alcohol to the party because the Vertigo bar staff refused to serve alcohol, following the government’s restrictions. Nation Thailand says the DJ has apologised for his irresponsible behaviour.
Many social media users in Thailand have critised the celebrity’s behavior, some comparing his infection to the Samut Sakhon governor, who had a serious Covid-19 infection after working to on efforts to contain the virus in the coastal province where thousands tested positive.
The DJ has been undergoing treatment for the coronavirus for the past 15 days. Doctors say Matoom is well enough to go home, but the celebrity has decided to stay at the hospital until he has fully recovered.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Thailand acknowledges wildlife markets could be dangerous to humans

The Thai Ministry of Public Health is being praised after seemingly doing an about face over whether Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market could be the source of Covid‐19. After health officials denied that the World Health Organisation was investigating the market, a recent Facebook live press conference saw the Ministry acknowledging that wildlife trades may endanger public health.
The recent investigation by the WHO of Wuhan, the province in China where Covid19 is thought to have originated, has concluded that the virus most likely did not come from a laboratory, and instead, came from animals supplied by Chinese wildlife breeding farms, or from infected animals traded somewhere in Southeast Asia. As Chatuchak Market is arguably the region’s largest illegal wildlife trade market, a Danish virologist on the WHO investigation team pointed towards the Bangkok market as a potential source of the Covid19 virus.
Now, the Thai Ministry of Public Health is going to collaborate with the Ministry of Environment and its Department of National Parks to closely inspect Chatuchak market, and roll out a joint plan to increase wildlife protection and stop the wild animal trade in markets.
Southeast Asia has historically supplied most of China’s wildlife trade, which the virologist sees as worrisome. As commercially traded animals can carry pathogens that could compromise a human’s immune system. For example, in 2019, zebras that were legally imported into Thailand, carried a small fly species that jumped to local horses, causing African Horse Sickness. The mortality rate was over 90%, causing over 600 horse deaths.
Some animals are especially susceptible to viruses hosted by bats, such as the SARS virus. That virus jumped from a civet cat that was infected by a bat. Other viruses that are thought to have jumped from bats to other animals include rabies and Ebola. Minks and Pangolins have also been discovered to carry a coronavirus and are still being commercially traded in Southeast Asia today.
In a spotcheck carried out by Freeland, a global nonprofit organisation, Chatuchak Market is still selling ferrets, coati, civets, polecats, mongoose, raccoons, meerkats, scarlet macaws, capybara, african gray parrots, cougars, multiple species of turtles, snakes, rodents and lizards from Latin America, Africa and Australia.
SOURCE: Freeland
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Health officials deny WHO investigation into Bangkok’s Chatuchak market as potential origin of Covid

Health officials in Thailand are denying reports that the World Health Organisation is investigating Chatuchak market in Bangkok in ongoing efforts to establish the origin of Covid-19. The reports have surfaced in Danish media, following a WHO visit to Wuhan last month, with doubt hanging over the theory that the pandemic started in the central Chinese city.
Nation Thailand reports that the Department of Disease Control has held a press briefing in which it refutes suggestions the virus could have come from wildlife traded at Chatuchak market. The market has previously come under fire from animal welfare and wildlife protection organisations. In 2016, research by wildlife protection group Traffic pointed to the market’s ongoing illegal trade in protected bird species, while an earlier report highlighted the market’s role in the illegal trade of freshwater turtles and tortoises.
Despite several conservation experts pointing to the risks associated with the wildlife trade, Chawetsan Namwat from the DDC denies the suggestion the WHO is investigating the market for potential links to Covid-19. He says the media reports are based on evidence that the Thai horseshow bat carries another SARS virus that shares over 91% of its genetic code with the Covid-19 virus. He adds that this virus cannot be transmitted to humans, saying the DDC’s advice continues to be that humans should not consume wild animals.
“This is just an academic assumption, not absolute truth. We are constantly monitoring the animal-trading zone in Chatuchak weekend market. Even if there is no clear evidence on the origin of this virus, we still need to be vigilant and maintain strong disease-prevention measures.”
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Tourism
Thai temple tour, via a jet ski on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya | VIDEO

In this brief video, Chris our Thaiger ‘adventure’ Vlogger, takes you on a ride through the Chao Phraya River…on a jet ski! There are plenty of ways for tourists to take the well-trodden path of temple-hopping whilst in Thailand. THIS is a very fresh view of some of the famous river’s lesser known temples.
You can stop off and a look around (make sure you’re dressed appropriately) during your very-own river trip. The Chao Phraya River is the main river that runs through Thailand, and for 2,500 Thai baht you can rent out a jet ski and do some temple hopping as well as speeding your way around Ko Kret.
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dispensed
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 12:44 pm
OMG, people living their lives… that’s so selfish! Give up your life! Old people are our future. There should be no life for the young!
Bill
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 8:03 pm
I agree with dispensed here. If the old geezers like Isaan John can squeeze a few moreB years utilizing vaccines and pills then everyone else should isolate until he can get his vaccine.
Fred glue
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 12:45 pm
It’s been going too long, get the vaccine into people’s arms. The children & kids of the world have had enough.
They want too cut loose & enjoy themselves, they want too PARTY and hard too.
I know health & safety comes first, I like all things. Roll up them sleeves & start the procedure of the vaccine.
I really don’t understand what’s the hold up, here in oz it’s the same. If it was the tax man that wanted $50 off each person, we all would have paid it in full. Going down the pub, for a few & the raffle.
Mdott
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 2:38 pm
I guess you’ve not been on to the WHO website and seen how many people have suffered adverse reactions to the vaccine and even death. Yes let’s just get the vaccine into people’s arms as you say, who cares if they die, right?
Ben
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 7:28 am
I guess you haven’t noticed that 2,310,000 have died from COVID as of today.
Some have died after taking the 2 vaccine shot and those can’t be 100% verified as to death causation. Many were over 75 or had health problems. If you have extreme allergies then be careful and have your epi-pen handy.
So what are you trying to say with your comment? You sound like an anti-vaxxer. If you don’t want to take the vaccine then that’s your personal choice but stay out of everyone else’s way that wants it.
poorkiddo
Friday, February 5, 2021 at 2:44 pm
These kids are rich but didn’t bother to pay off the police first??? Bars in Bangkok on Sukhumvit 7 are already open and I heard they paid the police around 10k for their “silent approval”.
Leo Z
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 4:16 am
A 20-something dumb..s DJ should not be a “celebrity” in the first place.
Klondike Bob
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 9:18 am
Amusingly enough this is considered a big story by Thaiger! (OH MY) a cluster was formed shut down the country immediately!there’s still more people to drive into Bankruptcy!