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With Pattaya’s Covid-19 surge, city PR “requests” no events with over 50 people
Pattaya City Public Relations announced yesterday that people shouldn’t hold gatherings or parties with more than 50 people. This news came after Chon Buri province reported 1,419 new Covid infections, and 2 new deaths in the province, yesterday. The Pattaya News noted that the announcement is not a legal order from the Chon Buri governor at this stage, but a…
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60% Covid-19 hospital beds in Thailand are taken
Thailand’s director-general of the Department of the Department of Medical Services said yesterday that 60% of 180,000 Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied. This is a sudden increase from Wednesday, when 49.1% of beds were occupied. The Public Health Ministry reported that as of Thursday there were 42,044 beds beds for patients in “level 1”, with 89,141 beds occupied. There were…
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Driver of speedboat missing Thai actress fell from likely to be charged
After Thai actress Tangmo fell into the Chao Phraya river from a speedboat on Thursday night, Bangkok police will likely charge the boat driver for negligence. If Tangmo is found dead, the charge will be negligence causing death. The driver’s full name is unknown right now, and he is only identified as Mr. Por. An unnamed source told the Bangkok…
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LATEST: Russian troops heading to Kyiv, US congress asked to approve US$6.4 billion in funding
Tracking the latest with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia… Russian forces are continuing to advance towards Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in what’s seen as a direct attack on the capital and seat of Ukrainian government. President Zelenskyy claimed in a recorded broadcast that Russian troops “would attempt to take” the capital city Kyiv during the night. “This night will…
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BTS score their second win as ‘Global Recording Artist of the Year’ from International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
Superstar K-pop band BTS have won the The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s 2021 Global Recording Artist of the Year award, again. It’s the second year in a row for the seven-member group. BTS again received the award based on their worldwide performance across digital and physical music formats over the past 12 months. Around the world, BTS were…
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Ethnic group in Southern province complains losing residence due to tourism
Representatives of the Mani ethnic group in the Southern province of Satun in Thailand have handed a letter to the authorities complaining that they would lose their residence and couldn’t access a better quality of life due to the local tourism industry. The representatives told the authorities they didn’t even have a right to replace a thatched roof with a…
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Thailand’s vehicle exports affected by world chip shortage, Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Automotive Industry Club have reported a decline in Thailand car production for January, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a global shortage of semiconductors (microchips). Last month’s car production reached around 151,700 vehicles nationwide, a 2.45% increase year-on-year, but a 1.7% decline since last December, according to AIC spokesperson Surapong Pisitpattanapong. About 74,700 of the vehicles were produced for the…
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Bangkok to open 9 community isolation centres with 970 beds for mild patients
Authorities from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration visited the new community isolation centre in the Thawee Wattana district of Bangkok. They were checking the centre before it officially opens. Nine more isolation centres will open, and are expected to offer 970 beds for Covid-19 patients in Thailand’s capital. The authorities also said the Bangkok Emergency Medical Centre improved its contact system to…
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Tourism authorities claim Russia-Ukraine conflict will affect industry
After yesterday claiming that the situation in Ukraine wouldn’t affect UK to Thailand flights, officials from the Tourism Authority of Thailand now say the Russia-Ukraine conflict WILL impact tourism to Thailand. TAT’s deputy governor for marketing communications has now told the Bangkok Post that people might decide to cancel trips to Thailand because many airlines have had to divert or cancel…
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Asia News Today | Asia’s stocks fluctuate, gold and Bitcoin rally
In the Asia Pacific region, only Japan, South Korea and Australia have so far officially condemned the actions of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine yesterday. They’ve said they will join with the US in imposing international sanctions but have so far declined to add unilateral sanctions. Indonesia has taken a slightly different tack and is calling for negotiation and…
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Thai actress missing after falling off a Chao Phraya speedboat
A Thai actress, who goes by the name Tangmo (water melon), fell from a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII Bridge last night. Authorities are still searching for her body. The speedboat had five others who were travelling with her. She fell in at around 10 pm, in Nonthaburi’s Muang district, just north of Bangkok. She was…
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Public health secretary says “drugs are not snacks, no Favipiravir given if not necessary”
Previously, the Public Health Ministry had decided to provide the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to more groups of Covid-19 patients, including patients who had only mild symptoms or no symptoms. However, the ministry secretary told Thai media yesterday that the direction has changed, and Favipiravir will be given to Covid-19 patients “only if necessary”. The authorities also warned of side effects…
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UK hits Russia hard with economic sanctions for Ukraine invasion; targets banks, oligarchs, airlines
In an address to members of parliament, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced what he is calling “the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen”. The new sanctions target Russian oligarchs and banks, which will now be excluded from UK’s financial system. Additionally, the Russian national airline Aeroflot will be banned from landing flights…
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Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder
An Indian mafia member was arrested in Pattaya after a red Interpol notice. He was allegedly involved in robbery, murder, human trafficking, ransom and money laundering in India. But Thai police have already confirmed that there is no links between the arrested man and the ‘hit job’ on Indian citizen Jimi “Slice” Sandhu on February 4. The Pattaya suspect reportedly…
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CCSA says no travel restrictions over Songkran this year, but no parties either
Even though it’s still 7 weeks away, the Thai government is taking the front foot on the forthcoming Songkran “new year” celebrations. The CCSA will meet next week to discuss potential disease prevention measures for the big Songkran holiday. However, it says it will not impose travel restrictions to prevent Thais from heading home for the annual commemoration. Supot Malaniyom,…
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Asian stocks rise with new Russian sanctions, market volatility increases worldwide
Asia markets ticked higher at opening on Friday, encouraged by a rebound of the US stock market, after Russia was struck with a flurry of international sanctions. US President Joe Biden has announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, crippling its ability to conduct business in major currencies. Many indexes were in the green on Friday morning, including Tokyo’s…
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Thailand’s health ministry wants to declare Covid-19 endemic within 4 months
Thailand’s health ministry wants to declare Covid 19 as endemic in the next 4 months, according to a Bangkok Post report. Senior ministry official Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Omicron variant has resulted in a much lower fatality rate than in previous waves and while lung infections are increasing, cases of severe illness are still lower than earlier waves of the…
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Dozens killed as Russia launches attacks across Ukraine
Russian forces have reached the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as the US and Europe respond with more sanctions. Dozens of people have died since Russia invaded its neighbour, with missiles and shells striking cities across Ukraine. AFP reports that at least 100,000 people have been displaced, with many seeking shelter in underground metro systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky…
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Vietnam resumes flights to 20 countries, prepares to welcome international tourists in March
Vietnam has reopened air routes to 20 countries and regions in an effort to resume socio-economic activities – compared to 28 in the 2019 winter flight schedule pre-pandemic – a transport official says. The Vietnam Ministry of Transport says the resumed routes included those to Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, the Vietnam…
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LATEST: Russia invades Ukraine, attacks in major cities, more than 40 dead
UPDATE: Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky says his nation’s armed forces are trying to repel the Russian advance in several areas of the country, including eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. But Russia claims it has met weak resistance, with Ukrainian border guards reportedly surrendering, as the two countries further engage in an information war to control the narrative. Russian state media has…
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Pattaya Music Festival postponed due to a rise in Covid-19 cases
Next month’s Pattaya Music Festival 2022 is being postponed due to the surge in Covid-19 cases which hit 1,250 new infections in Chon Buri today. With the recent decision to hold off the music festival, some are worried authorities may also yet again cancel April’s Songkran festival, the massive water fight celebrating the Thai New Year. Pattaya Music Festival was…
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Malaysian PM visits Thailand to discuss border reopening, deep-south conflict
Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yakob is undertaking his first official visit to Thailand today as his nation’s prime minister. During his 3 day visit, he’ll be meeting with his Thai counterpart, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to discuss bilateral cooperation, vaccines, and the reopening of the countries’ shared border, according to a statement from the Malaysian foreign office. “Focus areas include economic…
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TAT says Russia-Ukraine conflict won’t affect Thailand-UK flight route
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said today the current tensions between Russia and the Ukraine won’t affect the Thailand-UK flight route since the route doesn’t go through either Russia or the Ukraine. TAT’s governor said its London office will monitor the situation closely and contact airlines and travel agencies if needed. He said TAT will announce immediately if Russia-Ukraine tensions…
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Trang residents with Covid complain of lack of food in government’s aid packages
A number of locals in the southern province Trang say provincial authorities have skimped on the aid packages for those in home isolation while they recover from Covid-19. During the 10-day mandatory time in self-quarantine, the residents say authorities have only been giving them instant noodles, canned fish, and rice… not the three meals a day they say they were…
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7 men arrested for allegedly posing as monks, asking for cash donations
Seven men are accused of posing as monks to scam residents in the eastern province Rayong by asking for cash donations. Reports say police found the men carrying fake monk identification cards. The seven “monks” were seen as unconventional as they refused to accept food and other offerings, and only accepted money. A local monk then reported them to the…
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Thursday Covid Update: 23,557 new cases; provincial totals
38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,768 with 1,070 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,557 new Covid-19 cases and 16,131 recoveries. There are now 180,993 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Cambodia among first countries to give Covid-19 vaccines to children under 5
Yesterday, Cambodia became one of the first countries to give Covid-19 vaccines to children younger than five years old. Children as young as three are now getting vaccines. Most countries haven’t started vaccinating this age group. This month, the United States postponed consideration of vaccinating kids under five. Other countries vaccinating children under five include China, Bahrain, and Cuba. China…
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Asia News Today | Starving Burmese Refugees & Terrorist groups in Philippines
South Korea’s PM is calling for calm after a record number of Covid infections, amid warnings that the latest surge is still yet to peak. He says that serious cases and deaths were still at “manageable levels”, after health authorities reported 171,452 new infections yesterday, a sharp increase from the 99,573 cases a day earlier and the previous all-time high…
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Cabinet approves the use of chemical castration on repeat sex offenders
The Thai Cabinet approved a bill aimed at preventing repeated sexual offense cases, which includes chemically castrating sexual predators, if at least two medical professionals agree with the procedure and the offender gives consent. MP and spokesperson from the Palang Pracharath Party, Pacharin Sumsiripon, and Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin had proposed the so-called “Sex Act” to prevent repeated sexual offense…
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Roof tiler fractures skull after falling through school roof in Sri Racha, Chon Buri province
A man seriously fractured his skull after he fell through a roof on Tuesday in Bang Phra, a sub-district of Sri Racha district in Chon Buri province. The man’s colleagues say he stepped on a broken piece of roof at the auditorium of a school. He fell six metres onto the cement floor. He also bled heavily, although The Pattaya…
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