Bangkok Airways has announced today that they will cancel all it domestic flights from April 7 – 30. The company’s vice president, Tresarum Sitakalin says the flights that are being cancelled are…

1. Bangkok – Chiang Mai
2. Bangkok – Phuket
3. Bangkok – Trat
4. Bangkok – Sukhothai
5. Bangkok – Samui
6. Samui – Phuket

“The company had previously decreased flight frequencies on these routes and also using some of their smaller ATR aircraft instead of their Airbus 320 aircraft.”

“From April 7 onwards until April 30, we will cancel all flights.”

Requesting for a refund can be done at www.bangkokair.com/refund or contact their ticketing offices at +662 270 6699 or Bangkok Airways Call Centre on 1771 . For passengers who purchased their tickets through travel agencies, please contact their travel agency directly.

SOURCE: The Nation

Phuket Newshawk reports 5 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases on the southern island of Phuket. The details of the new cases are…

1. A 64 year old Swiss businessman
2. A British man, aged 20, who is a caretaker of yachts
3. A 43 year old Thai woman, a masseuse in Patong
4. A 41 year old Thai man, concierge in a Patong hotel
5. A Thai policeman 21 years old, came into contact with foreigners in Patong’s Soi Bangla

It’s unclear whether these 5 are included in the 111 new cases confirmed to the media today. The official number of infections in Thailand, at 1pm Thai time, was 1,045.

Meanwhile, over in the Gulf of Thailand, on Koh Samui, the first official case was announced today, a 49 year old French expat. He had returned from France on March 17. He quarantined himself until March 24 but started feeling sick and reported to a local hospital, then moved to Samui Public Hospital.

The Health Ministry warns that there is likely to be an exponential rise in new infections across Thailand in the near future.

SOURCE: Newshawk Phuket

7 swimmers, including actor and singer Phakhin Khamwilaisak, also know as “Tono”, have begun an 82 kilometre ocean swim for over 18 days to increase public awareness of the environment and the need to reserve Thailand’s marine ecosystem. They are also raising money to buy equipment for hospitals treating rare marine animals. The campaign hopes to raise the profile of the marine ecosystem and the need to stop dumping garbage into the sea.

Director general Sophon Thongdee of ‘Marine and Coastal Resources Department’ together with Surat Thani’s governor Witchawut Jinto launched the campaign “One Man & the Sea’’ at a pier in Don Sak district of Surat Thani province this morning.

The 7 swimmers will stroke their way from the pier to Koh Samui, stopping at 12 small islands, for a distance of 82 kilometres over 18 days, predicting to complete the marathon on April 5.

The 7-member team, who are accompanied by a coach, swam to Koh Likan, a distance of 1.6 kilometres, this morning. It took them about 30 minutes. Today they are heading to Koh Nok Phao, another 6.4 kilometres, and staying overnight on the island, having completed a total of 8 kilometres for the day.

33 year old Tono says he was excited to see pink dolphins swimming near Don Sak pier.

“Almost 100 celebrities had earlier shown interest in taking part, in the mass swimming campaign was cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus.”

On the first day of the campaign, donations quickly reached 1.3 million baht.

Keep updated on the official campaign Facebook page, “Kebruk“. Donations can be made via internet banking or by SMS.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post