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Thai PM walks out of parliament, accusing MPs of not listening to him
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has walked out of a parliamentary debate in an apparent huff that MPs were laughing instead of listening to him. Thai PBS World reports that the incident happened in parliament yesterday afternoon, while the PM was explaining the southern economic zone project as part of the censure debate. Accusing some of those present of not paying…
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Officials consider easing Bangkok restrictions, may allow alcohol in restaurants, re-opening of boxing venues
The government’s Covid-19 task force is set to meet on Sunday to discuss the easing of restrictions in Bangkok, a move which may include allowing alcohol in restaurants and re-opening boxing stadiums. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will review current restrictions and if any are lifted, that is expected to take effect immediately or early next week. According to…
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Government think tank says vaccine rollout vital to tourism recovery
The National Economic and Social Development Council says the recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector is heavily dependent on the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and the establishment of herd immunity in the Kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that Danucha Pichayanan from the NESDC says the government needs to come up with a better plan for the rollout, including prioritising workers in…
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12,000 police officers to be deployed at pro-democracy protests this weekend
Over 12,000 officers will be on duty for planned anti-government protests set to take place outside parliament today and at other significant locations in Bangkok over the weekend. Tomorrow, MPs will vote in a no-confidence motion against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 9 members of his administration. The Bangkok Post reports that the “Mob Fest” Facebook page carries a message urging…
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Thailand News Today | Protest leader gets Time magazine nod, foreign teacher crackdown | February 18
A prominent protest leader and human rights lawyer in Thailand, who is currently in court detention, was named in Time magazine’s “Time 100 Next” as an influential leader, calling him “the lawyer who broke the silence around Thai Monarchy.” Traders at 2 wet markets in the central province of Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, have expressed their frustration at…
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Police, military deny knowledge of mystery men at rally site
Nearly a week after demonstrators clashed in Bangkok, police and defense ministry spokesmen say they have no idea who the 40 men were that appeared alongside riot police officers. The men, who donned military-style buzz cuts and civilian clothing allegedly assisted security forces during the crackdown on protesters. At first, police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong denied that the men were even…
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Burmese nationals in Bangkok gather at US Embassy, call for action after military coup
Burmese people living in Thailand are calling on the United States government to step in and protect their fellow citizens after the military coup in Myanmar. A group of Burmese nationals gathered outside the US Embassy in Bangkok to submit a letter addressed to the US president. A demonstrator told Nation Thailand that they are worried about their families back…
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Soi Dog sets up mobile clinic on Koh Samui to neuter and vaccinate stray animals
The following is a news release submitted by the Soi Dog Foundation on its new mobile clinic in Koh Samui and plans to neuter and vaccinate thousands of stray animals on the island. Soi Dog Foundation has set up a mobile sterilisation and vaccination clinic on Koh Samui in collaboration with Koh Samui Municipality and local animal rescue groups. Together,…
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US charges 3 North Korean officials with stealing cryptocurrencies
The US Justice Department is accusing North Korea of stealing crypto and traditional currencies and is charging 3 military intelligence officials with the alleged crime. President Joe Biden is calling the incident a “global campaign of criminality.” The accusations include hacking and malware operation cyberattacks to steal $1.3 billion US dollars from banks and other institutions. The actions were allegedly…
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PETA calls for Thai and US militaries to stop killing animals in Cobra Gold training
Animal rights activists are urging PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to stop the practice of soldiers drinking snake blood and killing live animals during the Cobra Gold multinational training exercises which are held in Thailand and co-sponsored by the United States. PETA, or the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also filed a petition with the US government to stop the…
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Thailand reports first physician to die of Covid-19
Thailand is reporting its first physician to die of the Covid-19 virus. The doctor, Panya Hanphanitphan, in the central Maha Sarakham province, passed away this morning as confirmed by his family and a healthcare foundation in which he served as a senior advisor. Panya supposedly caught the disease from a patient who tested positive for the virus and sought treatment…
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Detained protest leader Arnon Nampa named as influential leader in “Time 100 Next”
A prominent protest leader and human rights lawyer in Thailand, who is currently in court detention, was named in Time magazine’s “Time 100 Next” as an influential leader, calling him “the lawyer who broke the silence around Thai Monarchy.” The recognized activist Arnon Nampa is being held at Bangkok Remand Prison along with 3 other prominent protest leaders on lèse…
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Hackers take aim at Myanmar government website
Myanmar’s government website is recuperating after hackers took aim in retaliation of the recent military-backed coup. The cyber war ignited after the internet was shut down for a 4th straight day by authorities, as thousands took to the streets to rally against the coup that brought down revered democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government from power. The group…
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Quarantine hotel threatens to sue over complaint about cockroach in food
A quarantine hotel in the eastern province of Chon Buri is threatening legal action after a Thai returnee lambasted the facility on social media. It is the second Thai hotel to appear hyper-sensitive to criticism. In October 2020, a hotel on Koh Chang threatened to sue an American guest if he did not apologise for his negative review of the…
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Monk’s image on American brand shirt draws criticism from Thai Buddhists
The American clothing brand Supreme is under fire for using an image of a revered monk as well as several Buddhist “yant” designs on a line of shirts they’re calling “Blessings Ripstop Shirt.” Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism says they plan to submit a letter to the clothing company for using the image of the well-known and respected monk without…
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Australians wake up to Facebook news blackout
Facebook is under fire as Australians accuse the social media giant of censoring news along with emergency services in an apparent blackout. This morning, residents logged in, saying they weren’t able to post links to news articles or view the Facebook pages of any news outlets worldwide. The move that has essentially blocked Australia from being in the loop, comes…
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PM hits back at criticism of vaccine rollout, threatens to hold critics responsible for delays
The Thai PM has hit back at opposition politicians who have criticised the national vaccine rollout, warning them that any delays with delivery will be their fault. Responding to Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an MP from the Move Forward Party who questioned delivery timescales, Prayut Chan-o-cha warned critics not to politicise the matter. “I am concerned that comments on the vaccines will…
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Some Thai Airways employees accused of faking death certificates for funeral allowances
In yet another case of alleged corruption linked to Thai Airways, some employees are accused of using fake death certificates to receive funeral allowances provided through the company’s savings cooperative, causing an estimated 14 million baht in damages. A complaint was filed today with the Crime Suppression Division by 20 members of the Savings Cooperative for Employees of Thai Airways…
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Thailand News Today | PM parliamentary rebuke, ‘OnlyFans’ Covid alternative | February 17
Thai airlines and hotels say that the tourism crisis in the year ahead is set to dwarf last year’s in terms of its impact, a lack of customers, and an absence of government aid. Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, is warning that when international tourism eventually does resume, there may not be enough suppliers to meet demand…
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70 wealthy foreign tourists will be the first to undergo “villa quarantine” at Phuket luxury resort
Thailand is targeting a specific group of tourists. The rich. 70 foreign tourists are set to arrive on Sunday and a government spokesperson says they’ll be the first to undergo “villa quarantine.” They’ll spend their mandatory quarantine at a luxury resort in Phuket. The group of 70 visitors from Brazil, Canada, France, Denmark, Ukraine and the United States are all…
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Park rangers inspect the controversial Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo after criticism
Photos of malnourished animals kept at zoo just southeast of Bangkok spread online and prompted an inspection by national park rangers. The Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Samut Prakan has long been heavily criticised by animal rights activists and was called a “hell on Earth for animals” by PETA, or the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The zoo is…
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Rescue workers called to remove iron ring from man’s “finger” – VIDEO
Rescue workers in Bangkok received an unusual call for help from a hospital in the Nong Khaem district of the capital on Sunday. A caller from the Luang Phor Taweesak Chutinataro Uthit Hospital reported that they needed help treating a man who’d got his finger trapped in a metal ring. However, Nation Thailand reports that when rescue workers arrived at…
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Thai Airways to deliver first doses of Covid-19 vaccine on February 24
Thailand’s national carrier, Thai Airways International, is being tasked with transporting 200,000 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine from China to Bangkok, arriving next week. The CoronaVac jab from Chinese manufacturer, Sinovac, will be the first Covid-19 vaccine to be administered in the Kingdom. Nation Thailand reports that Thai Airways flight TG675 will take off from Beijing at 6.50am local time…
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A further 18 pro-democracy activists, including 3 protest leaders, may face prosecution
A human rights lawyer says a further 18 political activists, including 3 leaders of the Ratsadon pro-democracy group, may face prosecution. Noraseth Nanongtoom from the Centre for Human Rights Lawyers says the activists will appear before prosecutors today, where they face charges related to the September 19 and 20 protests at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang in Bangkok. 3 protest…
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Airlines, hotels say 2021 likely to be even worse than last year
Thai airlines and hotels fear that the tourism crisis in 2021 is set to dwarf last year’s in terms of its impact, as they appeal for government aid. The Bangkok Post reports that Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, has warned that when international tourism eventually does resume, there may not be enough suppliers to meet demand as…
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Human trafficking ‘gang’ arrested over Samut Sakhon outbreak | VIDEO
But are they scapegoats? Nearly 2 months after the Samut Sakhon outbreak put Thailand’s previously excellent Covid 19 record to the test, a series of people are now being rounded up and arrested as the key people behind the outbreak. A 45 year old Thai woman, known as Jay Phet, has been arrested for acquiring illegal Burmese migrants, getting them…
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DSI releases more information about major child pornography seizure at modelling agency
More information has been released about the major seizure of child pornography at a Pathum Thani modelling agency. The Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, held a press conference today and said they arrested 28 year old Danudet “Nene” Saengkaew, who ran “Nene Modeling.” Last week, police raided the modelling agency, which was based in a neighbourhood in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district,…
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Thailand News Today | Pyramid scammer arrested, first vaccines arrive next week | February 16
A 45 year old Thai woman, known as Jay Phet, has been arrested, along with several Burmese accomplices and nearly 400 of the trafficked migrants. She was arrested for acquiring illegal Burmese migrants, getting them over the border… undetected, and then sending them to the Central Seafood Markets along the coast of Samut Sakhon province, just south west of Bangkok.…
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Thailand becomes more cannabis-friendly after leaves removed from narcotics list
With cannabis leaves now off Thailand’s narcotics list, the once taboo and criminalised plant is making its way into daily life in Thailand. Since the government decision in December to remove certain parts of the cannabis plant from the narcotics list, Thailand’s first cannabis cafe “Taste of Ganja” opened in Prachin Buri and another called “420 Cannabis Bar” just opened…
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Health Minister says first vaccine doses will be here on February 24
Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says the first doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in the Kingdom on February 24. Nation Thailand reports that the first batch of 200,000 doses will leave China on February 20. Anutin’s statement comes after weeks of uncertainty, with the government coming in for criticism over the slow pace of the vaccine…
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