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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Independence Day holiday is set date for US to achieve herd immunity from Covid-19
US President Joe Biden is setting the national holiday of Independence Day, on July 4, as the date in which he says 70% of American adults should have had at least their first Covid-19 vaccine dose. But, Priya Sampathkumar, chair of Infection Prevention & Control at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, disagrees with that priority. “Vaccinating more people in the…
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Thammanat Prompow is cleared to continue serving as an MP and cabinet minister
Deputy Agriculture Minister, and Palang Pracharat ‘fixer’, Thammanat Prompow, has been cleared by a Thai court to continue to hold office in Thailand despite his previous heroin trafficking charges in Australia in 1993. The Court maintained that, as the case was tried in another country other than Thailand, his conviction has no bearing on his standing as a member of…
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Songwriter, actor and director Chalee Intaravijit dies at 98
Well-rounded, artistic Thai jack-of-all-trades Chalee Intaravijit has died at the age of 98 after a full and diverse life as a songwriter, film director, theatre actor and more. Last night the artist passed away at Sirijaj Hospital. Born on July 6 1923, his prolific career spanned more than 5 decades, and the National Cultural Commission named him a National Artist…
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“Bangkok Hilton” to make field hospitals for Covid-infected prisoners
Klong Prem Central Prison, in Bangkok, is making field hospitals for Covid-infected prisoners to help curb the spread of the virus. The Corrections Department is converting 5 buildings at the “Bangkok Hilton” in Chatuchak district to operate as hospitals, offering 500 beds in total. The prison would act as a home base for new arrivals who test positive for the…
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Food delivery companies and customers receive new Covid health measures to abide by
Thailand’s food delivery services and customers, especially in its capital of Bangkok, are now having to follow 4 additional health measures to help curb the spread of Covid-19. The Director-General of the Department of Disease Control handed down the orders after meeting with food delivery company representatives. The new measures include stricter supervision of employees to ensure that they are…
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Mekong unseasonal water levels endanger nesting birds in Thailand
The following story was written by Tyler Roney for Third Pole, a “multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there.” Just 50 metres from the Mekong, in the shadow of a discarded plastic cup, a lone chick sits camouflaged on the sand. It is a newly hatched small pratincole in…
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Chon Buri’s daily Covid-19 infections slightly increase Wednesday – 110
Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is reporting 110 new Covid-19 infections for today. The number is a slight increase from yesterday, which saw 91 new infections. With today’s reported infections, the total amount in the province, since early April, now stands at 2,965, with 7 deaths. The Department of Public Health reports that 1,620 are still under medical care…
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Foreign Ministry cautions Thais about vaccine travel to the US
While Covid-19 tourism may sound like an oxymoron, people travelling abroad in order to get vaccinated is a growing trend. But now Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is urging Thai people planning to travel to the United States to get a free Covid-19 vaccine to be cautious and do their homework. They stressed that rules vary from state to state, and not…
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Thai ranger and 2 suspected insurgents killed in Thailand’s deep south
In the ongoing violence from the Southern Thailand insurgency, 2 suspected insurgents and a Thai ranger were killed in a clash between security forces and an armed rebel group in Yala’s Krong Pinang district. Known as Thailand’s “deep south,” the provinces Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, along the Malaysia border, have been plagued with violence for years due to the religious…
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3 Covid-19 vaccines approved by Thai FDA, 3 more in registration process
3 Covid-19 vaccines have been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration while 3 more pharmaceutical and biotech companies are in the process of registering Covid-19 vaccines for use in Thailand, according to FDA secretary general Phaisan Dankhum. So far, the FDA has approved the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which was made in partnership with Oxford University in the UK…
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Thailand requires in-person registration for cryptocurrency
Thailand has launched new regulations for anybody opening a cryptocurrency account that requires physical registration and forbids online setup. The Anti-Money Laundering Office created this rule that goes into effect in September 2021 in an effort to reduce money laundering, a practice that plagues crypto. People registering a cryptocurrency account in Thailand will be required to scan their Thai ID…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,112 new infections and 15 deaths, provincial totals
2,112 new Covid-19 cases and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Since April 1, there have been 46,037 confirmed Covid-19 infections in Thailand, making up more than half of Thailand’s cumulative count of 74,900 infections since the start of the pandemic last year. There are 30,222 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand.…
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Pfizer sees 45% increase in net income and revenue, as critics point to disparity in global vaccine availability
After seeing a 45% increase in net income from last year, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant, is largely increasing its projected profits for this year. And, the increase is undoubtedly due to the high amount of Covid-19 vaccine sales, in which the company says is shaping up to provide a “durable” revenue stream. The company says this year’s first quarter profits…
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Monk suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations
A 64 year old monk in the Isaan province Buri Ram is suspected of running off with 70,000 baht in donations made to the temple. The monk, as well as the thousands of baht in cash, have been missing for the past week. The abbot of a temple in the Nangrong district had made a request with the temple committee…
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Pattaya driver whose car burst into flames says he’s lost a million baht in cash
A young Pattaya motorist, whose car burst into flames while he was driving to the bank, says he’s lost 1 million baht in cash in the blaze. The driver, named by the Pattaya News as 24 year old Jirayus Amnuayborisut, says he was on his way to deposit the cash at the bank yesterday when his car spontaneously caught fire…
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Bangkok opening first ICU field hospital for Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms
With the rising number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Bangkok, the epicentre of the new wave of infections, pushing hospitals to their limits, an ICU field hospital is opening in Bangkok. Field hospitals have been used for Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic, or who have mild symptoms. Those with more severe symptoms have been treated at hospitals. Since the…
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Renowned Thai monk investigated for criticising government’s handling of pandemic
One of Thailand’s most prominent Buddhist monks has been accused of meddling in politics after he criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai PBS World reports that the Sangha Supreme Council has found Phra Maha Sompong Talaputto guilty of expressing political views, which is considered inappropriate. The monk and popular preacher from Bangkok’s Soi Thong Temple is renowned…
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Medics concerned about using anti-viral Favipiravir in Covid patients with minor symptoms
Medical experts are voicing their concern over the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s plan to use the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to treat field hospital patients. Field hospitals are currently being used for so-called “green” Covid-19 patients… those with only minor symptoms, or none. Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan.…
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Vaccination ramped up in Klong Toey, PM wants outbreak curbed in 2 weeks
Officials are accelerating vaccination efforts in the Klong Toey district of Bangkok, along with proactive mass testing in an effort to curb transmission of Covid-19. Posting on his Facebook page, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the aim is to inoculate at least 50,000 of the approximately 90,000 residents, stemming the tide of infections within 2 weeks. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,112 new infections and 15 Covid-related deaths
There has been 2,112 new Covid-19 infections announced for Wednesday, according to the Thai health ministry. 15 people have also been reported as dying from Covid-related symptoms in the past 24 hours. 30,222 people are still under state care and observation in hospitals or field hospitals. 1,886 were discharged from care yesterday. 10.042 patients are listed as in serious condition and 343 are…
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6 of Thailand’s top tourist zones WILL start opening for quarantine-free travel in July – TAT
Full steam ahead. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s insists that the sandbox re-opening plans for 6 of Thailand’s most economically sensitive tourist magnets will start on July 1… July 2021. Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai will, according to the TAT, be open to foreign tourists who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine (or 1…
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Thailand News Today | Hotel industry in tatters, Burmese rebels destroy army helicopter | May 4
Today’s Covid stats at the end of the program. A Burmese rebel group is claiming to have downed an Army helicopter in the Kachin province in the far north of the country, poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business, Public Health Minister, Anutin,…
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What will be the most expensive real estate on MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition?
Phromthep Cape… Phuket Old Town… Patong Beach… These are just a few of the landmarks in Phuket that have now been short-listed since it was announced that Phuket will be getting its own edition of MONOPOLY. The top squares of the the locally-themed game board will soon be handed over to Phuket’s most prominent places. With so much around Phuket…
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27 people die from Covid-related illness 1,763 new infections in Thailand
The CCSA has reported 27 deaths and 1,763 new Covid infections over the past 24 hours. Over the past 10 days the daily reports have hovered around the 1,500 – 2,000 mark with the death rate trending upwards. 1,009 patients remain in a serious condition. 311 patients are currently on ventilators with Covid-related symptoms. In other related news… • The Safari…
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Survey finds nearly half of Thai hotels can stay afloat for less than 3 months
A recent poll of the Thai hotel industry shows that 47% of those surveyed only have enough liquidity to sustain less than 3 months of business. The Bank of Thailand has published its confidence index of hotel business operators for April 2021 and the findings make for grim reading. According to a Nation Thailand report, a total of 188 hotels…
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Burmese rebel group claim to have downed military helicopter – VIDEO
Al Jazeera is reporting that a Burmese rebel group is claiming to have downed a military helicopter in Kachin province. The Kachin Independence Army says it shot down the aircraft in response to military air strikes in the province. Myanmar has been rocked by violence and political unrest since a February 1 military coup that deposed of the democratically-elected government…
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Virologist urges government to carry out mass vaccination within 3 months
Prominent Thai virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan is calling on the government to carry out mass vaccination of the population within 3 months, after a study showed that 1 dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine boosts immunity by more than 96%. Dr. Yong has been a persistent critic of the Thai government’s handling of the Covid outbreaks in the country. Posting on…
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Bill and Melinda Gates to divorce after 27 years of marriage
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Bill Gates has announced that he and his wife of 27 years, Melinda, are to divorce. The world’s 4th wealthiest person posted a joint statement from the pair on his Twitter account yesterday, according to an NPR report. Bill Gates is reported to be worth more than US$130 billion dollars, having made his fortune with the Microsoft…
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Covid UPDATE: 27 deaths, 1,763 new infections
This morning the health ministry has reported 27 deaths and 1,763 Covid infections reported in the past 24 hours. Over the past 10 days the daily reports have hovered around the 1,500 – 2,000 mark with the death rate trending upwards. 1,009 patients remain in a serious condition. 311 patients are currently on ventilators with Covid-related symptoms. The Mor Prom app…
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Vaccination to be accelerated following outbreak in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district
The government is accelerating vaccine administration among shantytown dwellers in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district following an outbreak of Covid-19. Thousands of people live in very close quarters within the slums and travel across the city and to neighbouring provinces for work. The cluster of infections has sparked fear the virus could spread further and overwhelm the healthcare system. Bangkok governor…
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