Thailand News

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  • Saturday Covid-19 UPDATE: Select provincial totals

    Saturday Covid-19 UPDATE: Select provincial totals

    Aftern0on Update: 122 Coronavirus-related deaths and 14,109 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, down slightly from yesterday’s totals. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 13,280 recoveries. Thailand now has 130,128 active Covid-19 infections. Since April 1, in the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, the CCSA…

  • CCSA announces vaccination goals for October; 50% inoculated

    CCSA announces vaccination goals for October; 50% inoculated

    Today the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration released a statement outlining the vaccination goals for Thailand in October in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of their list items seem to contradict each other, with the CCSA vaccination plan calling to inoculate people 50% and then 70% and then “fully”. The main intention of Thailand’s vaccine efforts is to…

  • Saturday Covid Update: 122 Deaths 14,109 new infections

    Saturday Covid Update: 122 Deaths 14,109 new infections

    122 Coronavirus-related deaths and 14,109 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, down slightly from yesterday’s totals. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 13,280 recoveries. Thailand now has 130,128 active Covid-19 infections. Out of the new cases, 1,357 were detected through proactive case finding and 854 were found…

  • No “October reopening” plan has been approved – CCSA

    No “October reopening” plan has been approved – CCSA

    While there have been numerous reports on the proposed October 1 reopening date for 5 provinces, many quoting the tourism minister, a spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says nothing has been approved. No date on the potential reopening was announced.  Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the CCSA report in English, says the current measures for a 14-day quarantine…

  • Friday Covid Update: 14,555 new cases; provincial totals

    Friday Covid Update: 14,555 new cases; provincial totals

    171 new coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, 15,124 people infected with Covid-19 have died. 15,030 of those deaths were during the country’s latest and most severe wave of virus, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 14,555 new cases…

  • Torture and forced disappearances bills pass House vote 368-0

    Torture and forced disappearances bills pass House vote 368-0

    4 bills on torture and forced disappearances have now successfully passed the House of Representatives in a triumph for human rights in Thailand. One member of parliament abstained from voting while the rest voted unanimously in favour of the 4 bills in a vote of 368 to 0. The bills include 34 sections covering a wide range of facets of…

  • Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 17 |

    Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 17 |

    Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand as well as looking at the provincial totals across Thailand.

  • Thai government officials offered special promotional fares on Air Asia

    Thai government officials offered special promotional fares on Air Asia

    Thai Air Asia has launched a promotional deal targeting government officials, members of the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, as well as employees of state enterprises. The perks will also apply to their travel companions. The thinking behind the deal is that government officials were some of the first to be vaccinated and are not…

  • Thai FDA approves Moderna vaccine for ages 12 to 17

    Thai FDA approves Moderna vaccine for ages 12 to 17

    The Moderna vaccine has just won approval from the Thailand Food and Drug Administration to be given to teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. ZP Therapeutics, a division of Zuellig Pharma, distributor of the Moderna vaccine, made the announcement yesterday. In a statement, the company expressed gratitude to the Food and Drug Administration for approving the…

  • Desperate hotel operators look to Bangkok re-opening for signs of hope

    Desperate hotel operators look to Bangkok re-opening for signs of hope

    Even with plans still up in the air and nothing confirmed, Thai hotel operators are pinning their hopes on Bangkok’s proposed re-opening next month. The president of the Thai Hotels Association says that while hotels don’t expect a huge uptake in bookings immediately, they are hopeful that average occupancy might reach 15 – 20% in the last 3 months of…

  • Friday Covid Update: 171 deaths and 14,555 new cases

    Friday Covid Update: 171 deaths and 14,555 new cases

    171 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,555 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 13,691 recoveries. Thailand now has 129,421 active Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases, 1,156 were detected through proactive case finding and 790 were found in correctional facilities. Covid-19 infections at…

  • Will it, won’t it? October re-opening in doubt as Anutin defers to medical experts

    Will it, won’t it? October re-opening in doubt as Anutin defers to medical experts

    Thailand’s public health minister has responded to comments from top medics who have questioned the wisdom of re-opening the country next month. Anutin Charnvirakul says any re-opening will need the go-ahead from the Department of Disease Control, adding that nothing has been confirmed yet. “No one said the country will re-open on October 1.” The Bangkok Post reports how, back…

  • Epidemiologists dispatched to Phuket to help curb the spread of Covid

    Epidemiologists dispatched to Phuket to help curb the spread of Covid

    Epidemiologists from Thailand’s Disease Control Department have been dispatched by the Ministry of Public Health to Phuket. The move is intended to help curb the spread of new Covid infections on the island; Phuket has regularly seen 200 cases a day over the last couple of weeks and hospital beds have reached 90% occupancy. Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattibhoom…

  • Phuket Vegetarian Festival gets “green light” to run from October 6 to 14

    Phuket Vegetarian Festival gets “green light” to run from October 6 to 14

    WARNING: The content below contains photos and videos of self-mutilation that some people may find disturbing. The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival has been given the “okay” to be held from October 6-14. For those who haven’t heard of the festival, it’s not exactly known for the vegetarian food. It’s actually a very spiritual celebration where some practice self-mutilation to enter…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 13,897 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 13,897 new cases; provincial totals

    188 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 14,953. Out of those fatalities, 14,859 were during the country’s latest and most severe wave of the virus, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 13,897 new…

  • Covid-Free Setting zones require all staff vaccinated by October 1

    Covid-Free Setting zones require all staff vaccinated by October 1

    Starting October 1, Thailand will roll out their Covid-Free Setting measures in an effort to safely reopen businesses. Yesterday Department of Health Chief Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai announced that as part of that rollout, shopping centre employees and staff at other at-risk businesses must be fully vaccinated by that October 1 launch. The Department of Health head made the declaration while visiting the…

  • Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 16 |

    Thailand Daily Covid Update | Thursday, September 16 |

    Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand.

  • Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money

    Man allegedly poses as famous DJ on Facebook to get donations for Covid, keeps the money

    A man who posed as a famous disc jockey, DJ Poom, on Facebook is being investigated by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau after 2 banks lodged complaints against him for allegedly soliciting donations for Covid and then allegedly pocketing the money. He is also accused of stealing data and cash after making a site that sells products. The 2 banks are the…

  • Parents must decide by September 24 if they want their children to get Pfizer vaccine

    Parents must decide by September 24 if they want their children to get Pfizer vaccine

    Before schools reopen, parents will have to decide if they want their children inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine. They have until September 24 to make up their minds, says the Education Ministry. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration provided the vaccination timeline yesterday. 12 to 17 year olds will have access to the Pfizer vaccine if they wish to get…

  • PM orders government officials to get ready for Thailand’s re-opening

    PM orders government officials to get ready for Thailand’s re-opening

    The countdown is on to the October re-opening of Bangkok and 4 other provinces and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the tourism, health, and interior ministries to get ready. According to a Bangkok Post report, the PM has instructed officials to prepare to boost tourism while still living with Covid-19 restrictions. However, not everyone agrees with the October re-opening, with…

  • Advertisements and messages that could cause harm or danger to Thais to fall under greater gov scrutiny

    Advertisements and messages that could cause harm or danger to Thais to fall under greater gov scrutiny

    The Thai Cabinet Committee has decided to take a firmer stance on advertisements that they say could instigate social harms and messages that reference the monarchy. They plan to issue laws and regulations to control such harmful advertisements. Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul says the committee has approved the draft ministerial regulations toward advertisements or services that might cause danger…

  • Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Following a meeting between the Bangkok governor and the tourism minister, officials have decided to delay the re-opening of the capital by 2 weeks. Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the capital’s re-opening will be pushed back to October 15, as most residents are still waiting for their second vaccination. Currently, just 37% of residents are fully vaccinated. The Bangkok Post…

  • Wednesday Covid Update: 13,798 new cases; provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 13,798 new cases; provincial totals

    144 coronvirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 14,765. Out of that number, 14,671 were recorded after April 1, during the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 13,798 new Covid-19 cases and 14,133 recoveries were…

  • Booster for those with 2 Sinovac vaccines coming by October

    Booster for those with 2 Sinovac vaccines coming by October

    Those already vaccinated in Thailand may be getting a shot in the arm by next month or even sooner, as Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared that booster shot administering will begin imminently for those who received 2 Sinovac vaccines already. He stressed that the actual timing will be up to the Disease Control Department but predicted it will be…

  • Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting

    Deputy inspector of police booze smuggling case not commenting

    The deputy inspector on a case that is investigating police officers involved in smuggling illegal bootleg alcohol into Bangkok is remaining curtly tight-lipped regarding the case. When asked about the recent investigation, he refused to comment, telling reporters they should ask the main inspector directly. He said the inspector could provide more information and commentary and making remarks to the…

  • Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain

    Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain

    A 40-ish year old construction worker was killed in Phuket yesterday after he got stuck under a section of a storm drain; he eventually downed after rescue efforts failed. The man had been working at a construction site for a flood protection project near the Patong Hospital. He has been identified only as “Mr Mahana” and the Pattaya news says…

  • “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” says 85% vaccination to reopen

    “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” says 85% vaccination to reopen

    In order to safely reopen schools for on-site learning, the Department of Health has declared that, for red and dark red zones, a minimum of 85% of all students, teachers, and staff in the school must be fully vaccinated before reopening. The issue of Education has become a quandary worldwide as countries weigh the need for children to receive an education…

  • Daily Covid Update | Wednesday, September 15 |

    Daily Covid Update | Wednesday, September 15 |

    Caitlin gives you the daily covid 19 figures while going through the upward and downward trends in Thailand.

  • Department of Airports to lose 3 facilities to Airports of Thailand

    Department of Airports to lose 3 facilities to Airports of Thailand

    Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has confirmed that 3 airports under Department of Airports management are to be transferred to Airports of Thailand in a bid to boost tourism. Udon Thani, Krabi, and Buriram airports will all be managed by AoT in the hope that they can be transformed into hubs that can handle higher tourist numbers. According to a Bangkok…

  • Up to 20% of Thais report suffering from lingering Covid effects, says Department of Medical Services

    Up to 20% of Thais report suffering from lingering Covid effects, says Department of Medical Services

    The Department of Medical Services has announced that 10% to 20% of Thai Covid patients suffer from lingering Covid effects, a post-syndrome that is also known as “long Covid”, but the department adds that multiple terms have been used to characterise the syndrome. Long Covid can persist for weeks, and sometimes months after a patient has recovered from the virus. Dr…