14 days

  • World News

    Malaysia heads into another 2 week full lockdown

    Malaysia is going back into a full lockdown for 2 weeks, starting this Tuesday. The Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin announced the nationwide “total lockdown” as the country battles with a new surge of Covid-19. The lockdown will run from June 1 – 14 and only essential and emergency services would remain in operation. According to the prime ministers office, the…

  • Covid-19 News

    UPDATE: Phuket announces restrictions for travel to Phuket

    Thailand: ‘Real world’ versus the ‘rules’, Part 378. Arriving in Phuket this morning (Sunday), nearly 24 hours after the introduction of new restrictions for travellers back to the island from around Thailand, we’ve had 4 people contact The Thaiger saying that ‘nothing has changed’ from recent weeks. On 2 of the flights the passengers were asked, before boarding’ to download…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket governor announces new restrictions for travel to Phuket, effective now

    Travelling to Phuket? You need to be aware of the changed circumstances for arrivals, depending where you’re travelling from. A 3 page announcement was released by the Phuket PR department this afternoon with the new restrictions for arrivals on the island. The announcement splits up travellers into 5 potential groups. All arrivals from the “highest-risk” areas within the ‘red zone’…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand – the Covid vaccine and quarantine | VIDEO

    Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has issued an official statement stating that, in the short to medium term, “everyone entering Thailand has to do at least a 14 day quarantine”. “The quarantine will apply, even those people who have been vaccinated.” The Public Health Ministry says the reason is because the vaccination process has only just begun in some countries around…

  • Visa Information

    Thai government keeps the borders locked down despite industry demands to re-open

    Despite progress in vaccines and the hard lobbying from Thailand’s tourism and hospitality industries, the Kingdom is destined to miss out on the 2019/2021 high season. The Thai Minster for Sports and Tourism, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, says that the government is looking to March/April in 2021 as the earliest date for any return to general tourism. For now travellers still have…

  • Visa Information

    Thailand will remain closed to general tourism until at least the 2nd quarter of 2021 – Minister

    Kiss any resemblance of general tourism to Thailand goodbye, at least until march next year, at the earliest. That’s the outlook for Thailand’s beleaguered tourism industry from the usually optimistic Minster for Sports and Tourism, Pipat Ratchakitprakan. So, apart from the STV and the modified 60 day Tourist Visa, and a few other options – all involving quarantine and a…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Protesters v Police, Quarantine reduction, VietJet passenger arrest | Nov 17

    A busy day of news with the protests underway as we were preparing today’s program. We will keep you up to date with the latest at thethaiger.com Police use tear gas and water cannons against protesters outside Thai parliament this afternoon Police in riot gear and gas masks have deployed water cannons and tear gas on protesters out the front…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | More Thai Airways debt, Korean soldier, TripAdvisor warning | November 12

    Today’s Thailand News Today coming to you from the 17th floor of The Thaiger Bangkok offices. Thai Airways adds another 21.5 billion baht in debt in Q3 report Thai Airways has accumulated more losses, on top of a decade of annual losses, for the latest quarter. At the moment the national airline’s debt is four times higher than last year’s…

  • Covid-19 News

    CCSA update: 1 local Covid case detected in Krabi, another case in ASQ in Phuket

    A 38 year old Dutch man has tested positive for Covid-19 in Phuket. The man was staying at an Alternative State Quarantine venue in Phuket. And an Indian restaurant worker in Krabi has also tested positive, this time a case of apparent local transmission. 10 other positive cases were detected today, including 8 people in quarantine and 2 Burmese truck…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Immigration deadline, quarantine update?, arrests averted | October 30

    Last day of the week and all the main stories from around Thailand. Thailand News Today, a bit late today but here it is… Some immigration offices open tomorrow for last minute visa extensions The latest amnesty is up tomorrow (October 31) and some immigration offices will be open for those who still need sort out their visa extensions. Those…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | German Embassy rally, permanent residency prospect, crowds in Pattaya | Oct 26

    Today’s latest news from The Thaiger, looking at the latest in the protests, a surge of crowds in Pattaya and the latest proposals from the Thai government to increase a new stream of revenue. Permanent residency, changes to quarantine period – Government mulls strategies to revive economy Thailand’s energy minister has outlined a number of new strategies the government is…

  • Thailand News

    UPDATE: Covid-19 detected on gym equipment, Koh Samui covid case

    The Department of Disease Control has provided some updates relating to the Koh Samui-based 57 year old French woman who tested positive on Thursday for a case of Covid-19, the first case on the Gulf island in 7 months. Quite swiftly authorities have been able to come up with a possible reason for the case after claiming they detected the…

  • Tourism News

    From 40 million visitors to 41: first STV tourists arrive

    In 2019, almost 40 million tourists arrived in Thailand. Yesterday, it was 41. As the Thais say, cha cha… Thailand is slowly, slowly, re-opening its borders after the Covid-19 pandemic forced a total shutdown in March. Yesterday, the Kingdom welcomed its first tourists in 7 months, with the arrival of 41 Chinese tourists from Shanghai. The group landed at Bangkok’s…

  • Visa Information

    Thailand’s Special Tourist Visa to be approved tomorrow

    The Special Tourist Visa will be ticked off and added to the Immigration department’s list of available visas on Monday. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting at the start of the business week will pass the much-discussed STV which is hoped to be the first step of a wider re-opening to general tourism in Thailand. CCSA spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul…

  • Visa Information

    Special Tourist Visa – now officials want you to ‘quarantine’ in your home country before coming to Thailand

    On one hand the Thai government unveils its big ‘plan’ for a Special Tourist Visa, allowing minimum stays of 90 days, extendable to 270 days (almost 9 months). On the other hand they have put up a list of restrictions that, at best, will severely restrict any return to ‘normal’ tourism in the country. Apart from the local 14 day…

  • Covid-19 News

    Trials and tribulations 2. Returning to Thailand in the Covid era – a personal view

    by guest writer David Jackson Part II in the series of articles from David who has been writing from his quarantine room. David waxes lyrical as even the tiniest moments seem larger than life in his 25 square metre cocoon… I begin writing this second article on Day 7 of my quarantine in a Bangkok hotel, so the sentence of…

  • Covid-19 News

    Trials and tribulations of returning to Thailand in the Covid era – a personal view

    A series of articles by David Jackson Sunday morning and I am sitting inside my viewless window in a Bangkok Hotel waiting in anticipation for a trip down to reception where, after five lonely days, I get to experience my first brief contact with a human – a nurse who will presumably force a swab up my nose. Welcome to…

  • Covid-19 News

    All foreigners will have to serve 14 day quarantine “in the foreseeable future” – Minister

    Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, is reassuring Thais by explaining that all foreigners, regardless of their status or origins, will have to serve a mandatory 14 day quarantine, at least “in the foreseeable future”. Thailand officials are currently prepares phase six of the re-opening of the country, loosening the restrictions imposed in April when the country closed…

  • Covid-19 News

    Upgrades to ‘luxury quarantine’ available for returnees

    Mandatory 14 day state quarantine for Thai returnees may not be so bad – if you’re prepared to pay for it. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration revealed yesterday that there’s an upgrade option. CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin says state officials are providing the alternative quarantine arrangements for people “who need more options.” Returnees are currently sent either to…

  • Covid-19 News

    People returning from Phuket to Krabi greeted with 14 day quarantine

    Some Krabi residents, joining the exodus from Phuket after the Phuket opened its only land border at Sarasin Bridge last week, were greeted with a mandatory swab-test yesterday. 76 Krabi residents returned from Phuket yesterday, Krabi’s governor, Kitibadee Prawit, joined public health officials and Krabi Hospital’s director in overseeing collection of swab samples from a group of 76 returnees on…

  • Covid-19 News

    Those heading home to the provinces face 14 day quarantine

    Those ignoring the PM’s request to travel only for essential reasons and heading to their home in the provinces for the long weekend may be in for a shock. The Interior Ministry has issued an order for people returning to the provinces to be quarantined for 14 days. The order, signed by Permanent Secretary for the Interior, is to prevent…

  • Covid-19 News

    Quarantine awaits passengers at 5 reopened airports

    It’s all in the fine print and passengers, eager to get to certain provinces, are being met with an unannounced surprise today. Yesterday 4 domestic airlines – Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and VietJet Air – resumed flights to 14 provincial airports across Thailand. Now the the Department of Airports director-general Tawee Gasisam-ang says travellers landing at 5…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket eyes lifting restrictions on Tambons that are virus-free for 14 days

    Phuket’s outgoing governor Pakkapong Tawipat recently extended emergency measures in the southern province until April 30, including severe travel restrictions on the island. Now there is speculation the incoming governor, Narong Namsouw, currently the governor of the northeastern Chaiyaphum province, will extend them, though there has been no confirmation of this. Governor Pakkapong says the provincial government is seeking opinions from…

  • Covid-19 News

    Bars, clubs and cinemas closed, but only in Bangkok and only for 14 days

    Such is the speed of the news cycle at the moment, we can hardly keep up with the updates and changes in the ongoing reactions by the Thai government to the Covid-19 story. This morning the Thai PM was ‘thinking’ about closing down bars and entertainment venues, now it’s actually happened, but only in and around Bangkok. The Cabinet has…

  • Covid-19 News

    Mandatory sim and app used to track down movement

    A free sim card valued at 49 baht is being provided by The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) to every foreigner as well as Thais who had have travelled from countries that have have been designated as ‘high risk’ of Covid-19 infections. These countries include China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, and Macau (as of the time of publishing).…

  • Covid-19 News

    “My experiences with Coronavirus in Bangkok”

    Today, the owner of Ohana Poké restaurant ‘Mr. Jay’ in Bangkok, has recently been placed in quarantine after been confirmed with the Covid-19 coronavirus. Feeling concerned, Jay decided to blog about his experiences battling the disease and his personal experiences in quarantine, in an honest and open fashion. Rumours spread after Mr. Jay travelled from Singapore to Bangkok on February…