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TAT New York office to host a virtual Songkran from Chiang Mai
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is set to host a virtual Songkran celebration from Chiang Mai next month in its New York office to celebrate the Thai New Year. “Spring into Songkran Splendours” will be broadcast live from Chiang Mai and is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8 from 8pm-9pm Eastern Standard Time. Free registration is available online by following this…
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First death after Covid-19 vaccine reported in Thailand, death not linked to vaccine, health official says
Thailand has reported its first death of a Covid-19 vaccine patient. An investigation has been launched by the Public Health Ministry, but health officials suspect the death is not related to the vaccine and that the death is from natural causes. 10 days after being injected with the vaccine, a 60 year old patient had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which…
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Japan kicks off Olympic torch relay, Thailand launches “Flag of Nation” relay
Japan has officially kicked off its countdown to the postponed 2020 Olympic Games with a torch-lighting ceremony in the prefecture of Fukushima yesterday. The lighting of the torch comes 10 years after a 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdown of 3 nuclear reactors in the prefecture. The Japanese women’s football team, winners of the 2011 World Cup, started the…
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Thai quarantine confusion – do ASQ hotels know about April 1 changes?
A gentleman from Sacramento, California, 43 years old, wanted to come to Thailand for Songkran, and then some further exploration. But, with all the changes announced by the government, the restrictions imposed recently for Songkran celebrations, and the hotels still advertising for 14 day quarantines, he’s found it a complete minefield. His main complaint – people ‘on the ground’ don’t…
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Oldest living cat in the world said to be 34 year old cat in Thailand
A 34 year old Siamese cat in Chanthaburi is the oldest living cat in the world, many claim. The cat, known as “Great Grandmother Wad,” is still very strong, but has trouble walking and her memory isn’t the best, her owner says. She’s a bit senile. Thai media spoke to 57 year old Wanna Kodkarika, the cat’s owner, also known…
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Thai rocker granted temporary bail after court upholds sentence
A Thai rock musician is being released on a temporary bail, after losing his appeal to the Supreme Court. Seksan Sookpimay, known as “Sek Loso,” used his alleged diagnosis of suffering from bipolar disorder as part of his appeal to be let off from serving a 42 month prison sentence for several offences dating back to New Years Eve 2017.…
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Thailand approves Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine
The Food & Drug Administration have approved Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, making the single-dose jab the third vaccine approved for use in the Kingdom. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul took to social media to announce the go-ahead from the FDA. Thailand is currently using China’s Sinovac vaccine and the AstraZeneca jab in its national rollout, but…
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Bangkok police vow to press charges against activists from Wednesday rally
Bangkok’s deputy police chief, Piya Tavichai, says 11 activists who addressed participants at a rally at Ratchaprasong intersection on Wednesday will be charged. He says his officers have already identified 10 of the protest leaders and also plan to charge other participants who used loudspeakers or held up banners with insulting messages about the monarchy. Piya adds that any media…
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Thai lingerie manufacturer ordered to pay workers
A Thai lingerie manufacturer must pay workers that were laid off without compensation, according to the Labour Protection and Welfare Office. More than 1200 employees of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global received no warning when the factory suddenly closed in Samut Prakan province on March 10th. The company blamed Covid-19 for financial failings leading to the closure, but workers were given…
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Accelerated vaccination plan for Phuket, Koh Samui recommended by tourism sector
Those in Thailand’s tourism and airline industries are pushing for an accelerated vaccination plan for Phuket and Koh Samui as well as for those in those in the tourism sector. With Phuket set to reopen under the “sandbox” model in July, tourism and airline representatives also ask for a clear timeline for reopening the country to foreign travellers. In a…
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Thailand News Today | Huge anti-government protest in Bangkok, monks behaving badly | March 25
Protesters gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok yesterday, calling for the release of fellow activists and the resignation of the Thai PM. The anti-government protesters assembled last night and listened to speakers blasting the PM and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The protesters are calling for the law to be abolished, for those charged under the law to be…
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Man arrested for allegedly harassing PM Prayut’s daughters
Officers from the computer crime division arrested a 40 year old man for allegedly harassing PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s twin daughters on the social media platform Twitter. Police say the man posted a Tweet, encouraging anyone who comes across the twins Tanya and Nittha to rape the women. Prayut immediately had his lawyer file a complaint. The man’s name was not…
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Thai rocker to finish prison sentence after losing appeal
A Thai rock musician is to remain in prison after losing his Supreme Court appeal in which he claimed he was suffering from bipolar disorder. Seksan “Sek Loso” Sookpimay was sentenced to a 42 month prison term, along with community service, for drug abuse, resisting arrest, and threatening police with a firearm following an incident at his home on New…
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97 new cases of Covid in Thailand, 5 imported – Covid-19 Update
Today, Thailand is reporting 97 new cases of Covid-19 with 5 cases being imported, raising the total to 28,443 since the pandemic began. This is up from the 69 cases reported yesterday. The government has reported no new deaths, leaving the total at 92 Covid deaths in Thailand. Bangkok logged the most amount of new cases, at 70% of today’s…
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Foreigners seeking 60 day tourist visa extensions crowd Phuket Immigration
Many foreigners seeking to extend what some are calling the “Covid visa” crowded Phuket Immigration this morning. The queue stretched from the second floor, out the door and down the stairs at the front of the building. One man told the Phuket News that many were waiting to file a 60 day tourist visa extension. The visa extensions are intended…
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Phuket’s upcoming reopening aims to help residents avoid poverty
Phuket’s upcoming reopening in July is aimed at helping local residents avoid falling into poverty. According to Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, the average monthly income of local residents before the Covid-19 pandemic sat at 43,000 baht per month. Now, Pichet says it has fallen to only 8,303 baht per month, signaling a drastic fall nearing the poverty line. “If…
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Tour bus operators in Phuket call for government help after a year of no work
Tour bus operators on the southern island of Phuket are calling for government assistance as they face ongoing legal action over missed lease payments on their equipment. Some operators say the threat of bankruptcy looms over them after a year of unemployment. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with tourism on Phuket, but tour bus operators say they have never…
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Illegal gambling den owner in Pattaya arrested again in murder for hire scheme
An illegal casino operator in Pattaya is under arrest again after police are accusing him of murdering the man who snitched on him back in February. 56 year old Somchai Jutikitdecha, or Longjoo Somchai, was detained at his residence on Rat Bamrung Road in Tambon Noen Phra of Pattaya’s Muang district early this morning and is being charged with ordering…
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Protesters call for PM’s resignation, release of activists, abolition of lèse majesté law
Protesters gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok last night, calling for the release of fellow activists and the resignation of the Thai PM. The anti-government activists assembled yesterday from around 5pm and listened to speakers blasting the PM and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The protesters are calling for the law to be abolished, for those charged under the…
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Lazada, Shopee go head to head in attracting more online shoppers
The Internet shopping websites of Lazada and Shopee are going head to head as they are competing for more online shoppers. The economic downturn has prompted more efforts to attract new shoppers just as the festive sales season is right around the bend. Thanida Suiwatana, chief business officer of Lazada Thailand, says the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred a new trend…
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Monk kicks Thai teenager in face after he refuses to buy him food
A monk in northern Thailand’s Lampang Province has allegedly taken matters into his own hands by kicking a Thai teenager in the face after he refused to travel 5 kilometres to buy food for the monk. According to the 16 year old boy’s mother, her son was visiting a young monk at the local temple and was playing games with…
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800,000 doses of Chinese vaccine to go to 22 provinces next month
The Thai government will send 800,000 doses of China’s Covid-19 vaccine to 22 selected provinces from next month. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Sinovac vaccine will be distributed to provinces that fall into 3 groups. The first group consists of 6 provinces that have experienced a resurgence of the virus or where clusters of infections have been reported.…
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North expansion project at Suvarnabhumi will go ahead – Transport Minister
The Transport Minister says expansion plans at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will go ahead and will include the contentious North expansion project. Saksayam Chidchob’s announcement appears to disregard a recommendation from the National Anti-Corruption Commission, who have previously stated that any expansion should be in line with a proposal from the National Economic and Social Development Council. That proposal suggested the…
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Bombs found in stolen truck behind police station in Yala
Police in Yala, one of Thailand’s 3 southern border provinces, are investigating after diffusing a bomb they found in a stolen delivery truck behind a police station. They say the truck was stolen by holding the driver, Baihakee Longluwa, of Kerry Express, at gunpoint. The armed men allegedly pushed Baihakee inside of a house, tied up his hands, and left…
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Thailand drafting new regulations for cannabis and hemp seeds
A new regulations for cannabis and hemp seeds imports is in the works by Thailand’s Agriculture Department. With certain parts of the cannabis plant now off the narcotics list, many are tapping into the market for CBD, or cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive component in hemp and cannabis. With the rising demand for hemp and cannabis, the department is revising regulations to…
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Phuket approves quarantine-free stays for foreign travellers from July 1
Foreign travellers to Phuket can enjoy their stays free from quarantine restrictions starting July 1. Today, the infectious disease committee approved the plan to allow foreign tourists to skip quarantines on the premises that local Phuket residents will be inoculated before then, as part of plans to achieve a herd immunity. The plan was supposed to be originally submitted this…
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Suez Canal blocked by large container ship blown off course
Cargo ships on one of the busiest trade routes in the world, the Suez Canal, came to a stop after a large container vessel got stuck sideways and blocked marine traffic. More than 100 ships were reportedly blocked from transit along the canal, which stretches across Egypt from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean connecting Asia to Europe. Apparently, a…
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Myanmar’s military releases 600 detainees after today’s silent protest by anti-coup demonstrators
The Myanmar military has freed more than 600 detainees after today’s silent protest by those opposing the recent coup. One of those released included 32 year old Thein Zaw, an Associated Press photographer who was arrested while covering the rallies. He was charged with spreading fake news, along with 5 other journalists. The release of the detainees comes after a…
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Ratsadon protester to stay in jail after court denies bail
A member of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group is staying in jail as his requests to be released on bail are being denied by Thailand’s Criminal Court. 30 year old Chukiat “Justin” Saengwong, was charged with lese majeste, inciting unrest, and breaking the Emergency Decree while taking part in protests. Police are accusing Chukiat of placing a paper with offensive words…
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CCSA Update: 69 new Covid-19 cases, most in Bangkok
69 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 1,381 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,346 coronavirus infections and 92 deaths. Most of the cases were found in Bangkok, according to the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foriegn…
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