China

  • Covid-19 NewsChina closes its borders, only allowing Chinese nationals, diplomats and C visas to enter

    China closes its borders, only allowing Chinese nationals, diplomats and C visas to enter

    How the tables can turn within a month or so. Due to the rapid global spread of the Covid-19 virus, China’s Foreign Ministry has announced that they will temporarily suspend all entries into China. This will also include foreign nationals holding valid visas or residence permits in China. Doors closed, but with a few minor exceptions. “The suspension will be starting…

  • Covid-19 NewsUS surpasses China with most coronavirus cases

    US surpasses China with most coronavirus cases

    The United States has overtaken China and now has the highest number of cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in the world, with 85,505 at 9:10am (Thai time). That number is expected to spike. China has 81,782 cases, and Italy 80,589. But the death toll in the US lags behind China’s 3,291 and Italy’s 8,215. The turning point comes as US…

  • Covid-19 NewsYour democracy is killing you and how China suppressed Covid-19

    Your democracy is killing you and how China suppressed Covid-19

    OPINION On January 25, 2020 the Chinese government started locking down around 930 million citizens over the following few weeks, starting with the city centres of Hubei province, the probable ground zero of the outbreak, and spreading outwards. Most of these Chinese citizens are still quarantined in their homes. About two weeks later, in the second week of February, the…

  • World NewsChina expels American journalists in tit-for-tat response

    China expels American journalists in tit-for-tat response

    The Chinese government is revoking the press credentials of US journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. It’s the biggest crackdown on American journalists in the past two decades. The move comes as the two superpowers feud over the narrative on the Covid-19 virus and both try to politicise the issue. US…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Airways passengers, flying from ‘at risk’ destinations, now require health certificates

    Thai Airways passengers, flying from ‘at risk’ destinations, now require health certificates

    Thai Airways is now demanding passengers, departing on their planes from China, Italy and South Korea, to Thailand, provide the national airline with health certificates before they can receive their boarding passes. The announcement was the airlines’ latest reaction to the growing coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. Here’s The Thaiger’s daily Coronavirus update HERE. The new compliance relates to Thai flights out…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: China stabilises, Asian markets recover slightly, Italy goes into ‘lockdown’

    Coronavirus UPDATE: China stabilises, Asian markets recover slightly, Italy goes into ‘lockdown’

    More than 4,000 people have now succumbed to the Covid-19 coronavirus as it continues spreading around the globe. As of 12pm today, 4,027 have died from the virus, there are 114,422 cases confirmed around the world and 64,081 people have fully recovered. Whilst most of the cases and deaths are still in mainland China but the numbers of new cases…

  • Covid-19 News7 dead, dozens trapped in China quarantine hotel collapse

    7 dead, dozens trapped in China quarantine hotel collapse

    China’s state media are reporting that seven people died when a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine centre collapsed last night in southeastern China’s Fujian province. The Ministry of Emergency Management says 80 people were in the building when it came down; nine escaped, while about 70 people were trapped. Of those, 43 have been pulled from the rubble and…

  • Covid-19 NewsBriton becomes Thailand’s 48th confirmed coronavirus case

    Briton becomes Thailand’s 48th confirmed coronavirus case

    Thailand’s Ministry of Health announced today that a British man flying from Hong Kong is the latest Covid-19 coronavirus patient in Thailand. The ministry’s permanent secretary Sukhum Kanchanapimai says the Briton became the 48th confirmed case after he tested positive and was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday after he developed symptoms associated with the virus. The patient, who was…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: China cases ease, 42 cases now in Thailand

    Coronavirus UPDATE: China cases ease, 42 cases now in Thailand

    The total confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) is now 85,217, with 2,924 people having succumbed to the disease. 39,554 people have fully recovered, approaching 50% of total cases. In Thailand there are now 42 confirmed cases with 28 people listed as “recovered”. The latest Thai victim is a 21 year old salesman whose job is said to have exposed him to foreign…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: World cases exceed 80,000, Italy tries to contain outbreak

    Coronavirus UPDATE: World cases exceed 80,000, Italy tries to contain outbreak

    The number of reported cases from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has risen to 80,150 across the world, resulting in 2,701 deaths. 27,595 people have recovered from the virus, the death rate is still hovering below 2%. The rate of new cases in China is starting to flatten while there are some new global hotspots outside of China, principally central South…

  • Covid-19 NewsChina reports further reduction in new coronavirus cases, down to 397; Korea has a second death

    China reports further reduction in new coronavirus cases, down to 397; Korea has a second death

    China’s National Health Commission announced today that the country had 397 new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus infections as of yesterday, down from 889 cases a day earlier. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 76,288. The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 2,345. Hubei province, the epicentre…

  • Business NewsThailand’s General Motors plant sold to China’s Great Wall Motors

    Thailand’s General Motors plant sold to China’s Great Wall Motors

    China’s Great Wall Motors has agreed to buy the General Motors’ Thailand manufacturing plant in Rayong. It’s expected than the transaction will be completed by the end of this year. GM announced this week that it is accelerating a retreat from “unprofitable markets”, becoming more dependent on the US, China, Latin America and South Korea for its manufacturing. Read more about…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand Post boosts anti-coronavirus measures

    Thailand Post boosts anti-coronavirus measures

    Thailand’s postal service announced this week that it’s employing health and safety measures to protect customers and staff from the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to Thai Post CEO and acting managing director Kalong Subsa-ard: “We will be using disinfectant spray at stations that receive inbound parcels from overseas. This applies to all parcels from all countries, not only China, as a…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: WHO fights the ‘infodemic’, recession fears in Europe

    Coronavirus UPDATE: WHO fights the ‘infodemic’, recession fears in Europe

    A total number of 67,100 cases of Coronavirus (covid-2019) have now been confirmed worldwide, along with 1,526 deaths reported and 8,193 people recovered. The number of reported full recoveries is now over 5 times the rate of reported deaths, and continues to rise each day. The infodemic… On top of the spread of the virus, there has been increasingly dangerous…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: Vietnam village quarantined, worldwide cases reach 64,448

    Coronavirus UPDATE: Vietnam village quarantined, worldwide cases reach 64,448

    Latest coronavirus stats Infected patients worldwide reaches 64,448 whilst the death toll from the coronavirus has plateaued in the past 24 hours to 1,383. According to the Chinese National Health Commission, the current number of infections of coronavirus (aka. covid-2019) in mainland China is 63,8591, up some 5,000 from the day before. 7,101 patients have now full recovered. There are at…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – sharp increase in cases, UK officials battle to contain a new threat

    Coronavirus UPDATE – sharp increase in cases, UK officials battle to contain a new threat

    There’s been a sharp spike in new cases of coronavirus, principally in the central Chinese province of Hubei. There are now 60,373 world cases, 59,805 in China. 1,369 people have died and over 6,000 recovered. 242 new deaths were recorded yesterday, the deadliest day since the start of the outbreak. So what’s behind the big rise? It’s not actually a spike…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: Chinese keep arriving in Thailand, UK man spreads virus to 11 others

    Coronavirus UPDATE: Chinese keep arriving in Thailand, UK man spreads virus to 11 others

    The world death toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to climb. Official figures put the Chinese figure at 1,016 deaths, up 108 from the day before, 1,018 worldwide. Outside of China there has only been 2 deaths reported – one in The Philippines and another in Hong Kong. The number of cases of infection has also grown to 43,104. That’s up…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: 7 more cases in Thailand, WHO battling fake virus news

    Coronavirus UPDATE: 7 more cases in Thailand, WHO battling fake virus news

    The number of worldwide coronavirus deaths has now reached 813, exceeding the number of those killed during the SARS outbreak in 2002/2003. In Hubei province, the centre of the outbreak in mid-December, the death toll has reached 780. Significantly, all but one of the overall total deaths deaths reported have been in mainland China and Hong Kong. 37,553 people are currently infected…

  • Covid-19 NewsDr Li Wenliang, the face of the Wuhan Coronavirus, and failed censorship

    Dr Li Wenliang, the face of the Wuhan Coronavirus, and failed censorship

    In a country where media, especially social media, is tightly controlled, the events surrounding the death of young doctor Li Wenliang have been particularly surprising. An outpouring of frustration, grief and anger, directed at the Chinese government, made its way onto the Chinese social media platforms and was shared by millions before, as expected, finally being taken down. Such is…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 31,481 infections world-wide, the search for a cure

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 31,481 infections world-wide, the search for a cure

    “…the coronavirus has proven itself to have higher infection rates and lower fatality rates when compared with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)” As the coronavirus outbreak in China surges past the 30,000 mark, having infected 31,481 people, the global scientific community are racing to find a reliable treatment and vaccine. Most of the people…

  • Environment NewsThai government scraps Mekong blasting project

    Thai government scraps Mekong blasting project

    The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 28,276 confirmed cases, many people continue to recover

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 28,276 confirmed cases, many people continue to recover

    The month-long outbreak of the novel coronavirus shows no sign of letting up with the death toll rising, along with the list of new cases and an increasingly long list of full recoveries. Chinese health officials have raised the death toll to 565, with a total of 28,276 cases identified around the world. The number of full recoveries now exceeds…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 492 people now dead, spread to 25 countries

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 492 people now dead, spread to 25 countries

    The latest toll for the Coronavirus outbreak has now reached 25,552, of which just over 3,000 are reported to be in a critical condition. 492 people have died from the disease and 907 have recovered. Outside of China there are now 25 countries with infected patients – Thailand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and Germany with the most cases. Meanwhile,…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases surpass 20,000

    Coronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases surpass 20,000

    There are now 20,638 cases of the Novel Coronavirus . So far, there have been 427 deaths, all but one in China. There have also been 688 people recovering from the virus. Importantly, the death rate has been only 2%, a low rate compared to similar outbreaks of flu-like viruses in the past. Even though the outbreak has spread around…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths

    Coronavirus UPDATE – Confirmed cases exceed 17,000, 362 deaths

    The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide. There are 17,387 confirmed cases and 362 deaths as of this morning. Welcome to our Monday morning update as we enter a new month with the coronavirus still growing , both inside China and outside, with the first death outside China over the weekend – a 44…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases

    Coronavirus UPDATE – first death outside China, 14,559 confirmed cases

    Deaths from the coronavirus outbreak have now reached 305 today, including the first outside China, a 44 year old Chinese man in the Philippines. 14,559 people are now confirmed with the virus, the vast majority in China. Whilst the fatality rate remains at 2% with the current level of cases, many have also recovered and returned home. Many remain in…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE – 14,551 confirmed cases, first death outside China

    Coronavirus UPDATE – 14,551 confirmed cases, first death outside China

    “The Philippines has confirmed this morning the second coronavirus case in the country and, notably, the first death in the country and the first outside China” Philippines’ Health Secretary Francisco Duque III Deaths from the coronavirus outbreak have now reached 304 today. 14,551 people are now confirmed with the virus. An increasing number of countries are also imposing restriction on travel…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s King sends message of support to China

    Thailand’s King sends message of support to China

    “Myself and the Thai people stand by the Chinese people and wish you success in overcoming this crisis, with the expectation that the situation will be restored to normal as quickly as possible.” His Majesty Maha Varichalongkorn, the King of Thailand has expressed his concern over the novel coronavirus outbreak in China and is wishing the Chinese government success in…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: Thai cases up to 19, US declares coronavirus a public health emergency

    Coronavirus UPDATE: Thai cases up to 19, US declares coronavirus a public health emergency

    Total confirmed worldwide cases: 11,374 Total confirmed cases in China: 11,221 Total conformed cases in Thailand: 19 Total deaths: 259 And, as the weeks wear on, it is clear that most people are recovering from their symptoms and getting on with their lives. No one, outside of China, has died from the coronavirus infection. Many countries have now issued strict…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand considers suspending visa-on-arrival for Chinese

    Thailand considers suspending visa-on-arrival for Chinese

    The Cabinet committee responsible for “preventing emerging diseases” will meet today to roll out various measures in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak affecting the region, according to Thai Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul. One proposed measure is the temporary suspension of visa-on-arrival for Chinese nationals, in line with the Chinese ban on outbound group tours. Anuthin stressed that the…