CCSA

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today I Still no idea what “endemic” in Thailand means

    Thailand News Today I Still no idea what “endemic” in Thailand means

    As the west holds concerts in packed stadiums without masks, here in Thailand we still have no idea what endemic means for us. According to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the National Communicable Diseases Committee has STARTED talking about post-pandemic measures when the coronavirus is declared endemic in Thailand, and whether travellers should still wear face masks. Speaking to Thai…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Pattaya officials discuss re-opening bars and night life

    Thailand News Update | Pattaya officials discuss re-opening bars and night life

    Pattaya officials and stakeholders have been meeting to discuss the dropping of curfews and an official reopening of bars and the city’s vibrant nightlife. กุลชาติ กุลชัย the superintendent of Chon Buri Police, chaired the meeting. Bars around Thailand, particularly in tourist magnet areas, have been forced to convert to ‘restaurants’ in order to reopen and serve alcohol. From May 1, restaurants,…

  • Thailand NewsBREAKING: Thailand drops PCR test on arrival, no SHA hotel, ATK test ‘optional’

    BREAKING: Thailand drops PCR test on arrival, no SHA hotel, ATK test ‘optional’

    Thailand’s CCSA has just announced major changes to the county’s Test & Go program, part of the broader Thailand Pass. International travellers will no longer need to take a PCR test on arrival. The requirement to book an SHA+ hotel as part of the Test & Go entry scheme is also dropped under today’s CCSA decision. On April 1 pre-travel…

  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA meets today to consider further easing of Covid entry restrictions

    CCSA meets today to consider further easing of Covid entry restrictions

    The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to consider the further easing of Thailand’s entry restrictions. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will also discuss the possible re-opening of all land border checkpoints, as well as reviewing the colour-coding of provinces based on their infection rates. Nation Thailand reports that Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says officials will consider a…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Thunderstorm destroys brand new passenger building at Don Mueang Airport

    Thailand News Update | Thunderstorm destroys brand new passenger building at Don Mueang Airport

    The Thai public health ministry says it intends to stick to its schedule of declaring the Covid situation in Thailand ‘endemic’ by July 1. Since April 1 the number of new daily infections has fallen sharply but a ministry spokesperson yesterday noted that the number of daily deaths is continuing to rise and has been over 100 people each day…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Academic says Omicron may have already peaked

    Thailand News Today | Academic says Omicron may have already peaked

    Last week, as some Thai doctors were having fun predicting a ‘doomsday’ scenario with up to 100,000 new Covid infections per day post-Songkran, one academic just had to kill the party by citing..whoops… “real data”, that indicates Omicron may have already peaked in Thailand. In a Facebook post over the weekend, a science lecturer from Chulalongkorn University Jessada referred to…

  • Thailand TravelThai tourism officials will propose cancellation of Test & Go at next CCSA meeting

    Thai tourism officials will propose cancellation of Test & Go at next CCSA meeting

    At least two terms travellers will be glad to hear anymore – Test & Go and Thailand Pass. Now tourism officials plan to present a proposal to cancel Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme at the next meeting of the CCSA. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, will present the proposal at the…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for sixth straight day

    Thailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for sixth straight day

    As people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the nation’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 6 consecutive days from Sunday to today. This morning, the Public Health Ministry reported 119 new Covid-related fatalities and nearly 20,300 new infections nationwide, besides around 9,300 positive ATK results since Thursday morning, for a total of more than 29,600 cases,…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for fifth straight day

    Thailand’s daily Covid death toll breaches 100 for fifth straight day

    As people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the nation’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 5 consecutive days from Sunday to today. This morning, the Public Health Ministry reported 115 new Covid-related fatalities and more than 24,100 new infections nationwide. Yesterday, 106 deaths and more than 23,000 cases were reported. The ministry reported 108, 105 and…

  • Thailand NewsThai government plans to procure Covid-19 antibody drug for immunocompromised

    Thai government plans to procure Covid-19 antibody drug for immunocompromised

    The Thai government is planning to procure a long-acting antibody drug for people who have conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a Thai government spokesperson. “Evusheld” is an injectable Covid-19 drug developed by AstraZeneca. The drug may even replace some doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand in the future, according to the Centre for…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s daily Covid death toll exceeds 100 twice in 24 hours as Songkran begins

    Thailand’s daily Covid death toll exceeds 100 twice in 24 hours as Songkran begins

    As people throughout the country begin their Songkran celebrations, Thailand’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark twice in the past 24 hours — with 108 deaths and 105 deaths reported for yesterday and today, respectively. Sunday marked the first time the nation recorded a hundred daily deaths from the virus this year. The Public Health Ministry…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thai Airways mysterious Boeing 777

    Thailand News Today | Thai Airways mysterious Boeing 777

    The CCSA has announced today that they will hold off on adjusting the current entry restrictions for foreign travellers to Thailand until after next week’s Songkran festival, as they continue monitoring the spread of Covid-19 in the country. After today’s meeting, CCSA officials said they plan to adjust their measures in May, depending on the Covid situation after Thai New…

  • Thailand NewsCCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY

    CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY

    Thailand’s government will meet again today to discuss how to contain the spread of Covid-19 during next week’s Songkran festival, its vaccination rollout for the elderly and whether or not to scrap the on-arrival PCR tests for foreign travelers. Thailand hoteliers and others travel industry professionals have been lobbying for a full removal of PCR testing to attract more tourists,…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Thailand’s inflation highest jump in 13 years, 5.7% year on year.

    Thailand News Update | Thailand’s inflation highest jump in 13 years, 5.7% year on year.

    Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, senior chairman of CP Group, Thailand’s largest private company, has dropped from number 103 in last year’s ranking of Forbes’ new World’s Billionaires to number 137. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has topped the list for the first time. He ranks Number 1 with an estimated net worth of US $219 billion. This year, the total net…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand doctors question ATK test accuracy, after alarming spike in positive cases

    Thailand doctors question ATK test accuracy, after alarming spike in positive cases

    If you’ve ever questioned the accuracy of an antigen testing kit, aka ATK test, then you’re in good company. Thailand’s Rural Doctor Society, or RDS, has pointed out an alarming spike in ATK-detected cases of Covid-19 collected by the CCSA for it’s daily Covid count, raising questions about how accurate the nifty testing kits really are. In a post on their…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Songkran this year: what you can and can’t do

    Thailand News Today | Songkran this year: what you can and can’t do

    no foam parties or powder smearing will be allowed in Bangkok during Songkran next month, but when it comes to water splashing on the Thai New Year the rules are a bit vague. Quote unquote “Traditional water sprinkling” is allowed, but officials did not go into detail about what exactly that means. The Bangkok Communicable Disease Committee decided to allow…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Covid Visa Extension pushed back to May 24th

    Thailand News Update | Covid Visa Extension pushed back to May 24th

    Starting April 1, that’s next Friday, the mandatory quarantine period for unvaccinated travellers entering Thailand will be reduced to five days. International travellers will also no longer need to take a pre-travel PCR Covid-19 test. The new requirements are pending publication in the Royal Gazette and the official announcement is expected to be published before the end of the month.…

  • Thailand video newsPut your water pistols away for Songkran 2022 | GMT

    Put your water pistols away for Songkran 2022 | GMT

    Songkran water splashing is not looking good for 2022. A Vietnamese man travelling thousands of miles for his wife was catfished. Albino water buffalo sold for millions in Thailand. Is riding on a motorbike in Thailand worth the risk. All this and more on today’s Good morning Thailand with Jay and Tim.

  • Thailand video newsDecision day for Songkran in Thailand 2022 | GMT

    Decision day for Songkran in Thailand 2022 | GMT

    The BMA and CCSA will have a meeting today to decide on whether there will be water splashing this Songkran. An explosion in the chao phraya. Thai university hazing incident update, Thai political election leaders and Arrests over pattaya night life. All coming up on todays Good Morning Thailand with Jay and Tim.

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Easing of entry restrictions possible after Songkran

    Thailand News Today | Easing of entry restrictions possible after Songkran

    Thailand’s tourism minister says entry restrictions could be eased further IF there is no surge in Covid cases following next month’s Songkran holiday. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says Test & Go and Thailand Pass could be scrapped from June 1, if there is no spike in Covid cases or deaths after the Thai New Year holiday. Phiphat is anxious for the country…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | More competition for thai taxis!

    Thailand News Today | More competition for thai taxis!

    A leading epidemiologist has questioned Thailand’s rush to declare Covid endemic as infections and deaths surge. Dr. Chakrarat, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology, is suggesting officials slow down a bit, as he casts doubt on the wisdom of trying to declare the virus endemic by July 1. Despite raising the country’s alert level to level 4 on February 21,…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | Tourism officials call to end all entry restrictions in Thailand

    Thailand News Update | Tourism officials call to end all entry restrictions in Thailand

    Thailand’s tourism officials want an end to all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers by June 1. That means no quarantine, no Test & Go rules, no Sandbox zones, no Covid-19 tests. A plan to gradually lift restrictions over the next few months, leading up to the removal of all restrictions by June 1, has been drafted by the Tourism and…

  • Thailand NewsTourism officials push for all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers to be lifted by June 1

    Tourism officials push for all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers to be lifted by June 1

    Thailand’s tourism officials want an end to all entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers by June 1. That means no quarantine, no Test & Go rules, no Sandbox zones, no Covid-19 tests. A plan to gradually lift restrictions over the next few months, leading up to the removal of all restrictions by June 1, has been drafted by the Tourism and…

  • Thailand NewsPolice order shutdown of 3 go-go bars, nightclubs in Bangkok’s Thonburi

    Police order shutdown of 3 go-go bars, nightclubs in Bangkok’s Thonburi

    Police are shutting down three bars for five years in the Thonburi area of Bangkok without much explanation. The three “satan borikan,” or “service places” (a Thai genteelism for prostitution venues) have been closed down for committing offences that violate Thailand’s “Entertainment Act” of 1966 and a government order from 2015. New Jazz, Lan-Lao and Poseidon Pub in Thonburi committed…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Update | SongKran in Thailand for 2022?

    Thailand News Update | SongKran in Thailand for 2022?

    A woman has stabbed a man to death in Samut Prakan over the weekend, claiming the man chased her son with a wooden stick. She said she first tried to stop the man from hurting her son, but then he hit HER with the stick. The woman’s son, Vorakan, told police he’d been drinking with the man and a group…

  • South Thailand NewsForeign affairs ministry reminds tourists Thailand’s land borders mostly still closed

    Foreign affairs ministry reminds tourists Thailand’s land borders mostly still closed

    After the CCSA announced yesterday that Thailand will scrap requirements for pre-travel PCR tests for foreign flyers, the foreign affairs ministry reminds wannabe international travellers that most land border crossing points remain closed to them. The CCSA also says that only four land border posts are open to tourists and expats: Nongkhai and Udon Thani (near the Laos border) and…

  • Songkran NewsSongkran 2022 might be back on in Thailand, but…

    Songkran 2022 might be back on in Thailand, but…

    UPDATE A Songkran with water MAY end up being a thing for 2022. This moist bombshell floating around the Thai media this afternoon. But you’ll need a face mask, an ATK tests and only at designated zones. The change of mind surprised everyone at this afternoon’s CCSA daily briefing. According to a post on the Khaosod English Facebook page, it…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s State of Emergency extended, again

    Thailand’s State of Emergency extended, again

    Two years into Thailand’s reaction to the Covid pandemic, Thailand’s State of Emergency will remain in effect after being extended for another two months. The emergency decree allows the Government to tackle the outbreak through its Covid-19 task force – the CCSA. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration makes decisions, relating to internal Covid policy and government reaction, on the run…

  • Songkran NewsAnother dry Songkran. No water fights for the Thai New Year

    Another dry Songkran. No water fights for the Thai New Year

    It’s going to be another dry Songkran. For the third time, water fights have been banned for the Thai New Year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The holiday, which is April 13 to 15 this year, is celebrated with massive water fights with crowds shooting water guns, spraying water hoses, and dumping buckets of water on each other. Everyone gets…

  • Thailand NewsZoning revised: Chiang Mai open to tourism, restrictions ease in several provinces

    Zoning revised: Chiang Mai open to tourism, restrictions ease in several provinces

    Restrictions are easing across Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai. The northern province is now fully open to international tourism and can welcome travellers entering under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. Restaurants in Chiang Mai can also serve alcohol until 11pm. A number of provinces have been reclassified on the Thai government’s colour-coded zoning scale based on local Covid-19…