covid-19
- Covid-19 News
Health officials say hundreds came into contact with Covid-19 infected women
Health officials are trying to track down hundreds of people who may have come in contact with any of the 10 Thai women who tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to Thailand from Myanmar’s border town Tachileik. The women evaded the mandatory 14 day quarantine for returnees and media reports claim they “sneaked” back in the country. More than 600…
- Covid-19 News
7 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
7 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,039 with 3,882 recoveries and 60 deaths. 147 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 35 year old Indian man tested positive for Covid-19. He arrived on November 11 and tested…
- Tourism News
4 years until tourism industry gets back to pre-pandemic levels – Finance Ministry
It could take 4 years for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover after being battered by the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government’s reaction and the economic fallout, according to the Finance Ministry. While local and international experts project Thailand’s economy will continue to recover over the next 2 years, the tourism industry, which directly contributes 12-15%…
- World News
2 infected Thai women took domestic flights after illegal crossing from Myanmar
2 Thai women, both infected with Covid-19, took domestic flights after entering the Kingdom illegally from Myanmar and bypassing health checks and quarantine. It’s understood that a total of 10 Thai women have now crossed illegally from Myanmar, without undergoing any health checks or carrying out mandatory quarantine. All 10 have tested positive for Covid-19, with several having worked in…
- Economy News
Economists say new local Covid-19 cases could slow tourism recovery
Some are concerned about a potential second coronavirus outbreak after 10 Thai women tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from Myanmar’s Tachileik district. Some travelled to Bangkok and Chiang Mai after returning. A second wave of infections will stall the recovery of domestic tourism and Thailand’s overall economy that has been battered by the pandemic, according to the National Economic…
- Economy News
Cabinet approves extension, upgrade of stimulus measures, welfare payments
The government has given the green light to the extension and refinement of a number of economic stimulus schemes and welfare payments. 43.5 billion baht has been set aside to fund an extension of the current co-payment scheme and the welfare card program. It’s understood 22.5 billion baht will go to phase 2 of the co-payment scheme, with 21 billion…
- Covid-19 News
6 more Thai women test positive for Covid-19 after returning from Myanmar, skipping quarantine
6 more Thai women, who crossed the Myanmar border into Chiang Rai, have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Public Health Ministry. 4 other Thai women in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai recently tested positive after returning from Myanmar’s Tachileik district. All 10 women evaded the mandatory 14 quarantine. Some cases trace back to the 1G1 hotel and entertainment…
- Covid-19 News
17 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
17 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,026 with 3,822 recoveries and 60 deaths. 144 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 56 year old Thai woman travelling from Turkey tested positive for Covid-19. She arrived on November…
- Covid-19 News
97 police officers investigated for fiddling Covid-19 payments
97 police officers, from 41 police stations, are currently being investigated for an alleged scam involving Covid-19 payments meant for officers who worked extra shifts during the crisis. The case was assigned by national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk in November, when it came to light that some officers may have fraudulently claimed allowances meant for others. In one incident, an…
- Covid-19 News
Fourth local Covid-19 case reported in Chiang Rai, Thai returnee evaded quarantine
A fourth local Covid-19 case was reported in Chiang Rai today. The patient is a 25 year old Thai woman who recently returned to Thailand from Myanmar by using an unofficial land crossing to avoid quarantine. The woman travelled to Myanmar’s Tachileik district earlier this month to work at a hotel, she told officials. 3 other infected Thai women also…
- Covid-19 News
Health minister pushes to press charges on Covid-19 infected women who dodged quarantine
The 3 Thai women who tested positive for Covid-19 after crossing the Thai-Myanmar border without being screened or undergoing the mandatory 14 day quarantine might face charges. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he has asked authorities to prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law.” Not only could the women face charges for illegal entry, they could also be…
- Covid-19 News
10 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine, all asymptomatic
10 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine including a 7 month old boy, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,008 with 3,811 recoveries and 60 deaths. 137 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. 3 people travelling from the United States tested positive for Covid-19.…
- World News
Phuket officials concerned about virus risk from undocumented migrant workers
The discovery that 3 Thai nationals infected with Covid-19 returned from Myanmar and bypassed health checks and quarantine, has officials in Phuket on high alert. Over the weekend, it was discovered that a 29 year old Thai woman had illegally crossed from Myanmar and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 after admitting herself to a Chiang Mai hospital. 2 other women…
- Crime News
12 people arrested for allegedly illegally crossing Thai-Myanmar border
12 Thais were arrested by Chaing Rai Immigration Police for allegedly illegally crossing the Myanmar border back into Thailand. The arrests follow a small coronavirus outbreak in Northern Thailand while Myanmar reports hundreds of new Covid-19 cases each day. Over the weekend, a 29 year old Thai woman tested positive for Covid-19 in Chiang Mai after visiting the hospital with…
- Covid-19 News
19 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, 2 apparent reinfections
19 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine with 2 apparent reinfections, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 3,998 with 3,803 recoveries and 60 deaths. 135 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 20 year old Thai woman travelling from Switzerland tested positive for Covid-19.…
- World News
2 more cases identified in the northern Thailand Covid-19 mini outbreak
2 more people have been confirmed as infected with Covid-19 in the current mini-outbreak in Northern Thailand. In this case both women had crossed the Thai/Myanmar border and worked at the same bar in Myanmar as the original patient, feared to be a potential super-spreader. The 29 year old is now being treated at a hospital in Chiang Mai. Chiang…
- Covid-19 News
Thai woman tests positive for Covid in Chiang Mai, 72 people found to be in close contact
A 29 year old female Thai returnee from Myanmar has tested positive for Covid in Chiang Mai, after visiting the hospital with flu-like symptoms. She was the only local case reported, out of 5 other positive tests, with officials saying she is believed to have contracted the virus in Myanmar. The positive test on November 27, came after she was…
- Covid-19 News
No vaccine, no entry – the next Covid challenge
OPINION UPDATE: Australia’s national airline Qantas has already said it will impose “proof of vaccine” on all inbound and outbound international flights, a situation that IATA says they will follow. Read more HERE. ORIGINAL POST: The approval of a reliable Covid-19 vaccine will be a game-changer. Over the past 2 weeks there has been several announcements, and a few bumps,…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry teams up with Agoda to offer quarantine hotel packages
Anyone planning a visit or a return to Thailand can now book their quarantine stay through Agoda, following a deal between the Public Health Ministry and the hotel booking platform. Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha announced the agreement yesterday, at a launch event at the Mövenpick Hotel BDMS Wellness Resort in Bangkok, in the company of Tares Krassanairawiwong from…
- Phuket News
Phuket workshop helps residents cope with high stress brought on by the economic crisis
Hundreds of residents in Phuket’s Wichit subdistrict attended a workshop focused on reducing stress from to the pandemic-induced economic crisis. A psychologist was even on site to help those who had extreme mental stress and a Buddhist monk taught meditation techniques to reduce physiological effects of stress. The event was planned in response to an online survey conducted by the…
- Covid-19 News
Questions raised over AstraZeneca “dosing mistake” in vaccine trials
British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced this week that their experimental coronavirus vaccine candidate is, on average, 70% effective. But since Monday’s announcement vaccine experts from around the world have questioned the methodology of the trials and transparency of the announced Phase 3 trial results. The questions and uncertainty of the AstraZeneca vaccine trials will set back the timing for the…
- Tourism News
International travel in 2021 is unpredictable – Tourism Authority of Thailand
The future of Thailand’s travel industry is “opaque”, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. For once the usually over-optimistic TAT has made a completely honest assessment of the current situation. “There are unpredictable factors that come into play when trying to determine how 2021 will pan out, like the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine, the number of…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government to sign vaccine contract with Oxford University, AstraZeneca, today
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has confirmed that Thailand will today sign a contract with Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, for the procurement of their Covid-19 vaccine. The PM says the agreement will mean Thais can access the vaccine once it goes into production. This contract is in addition to the agreement signed for the transfer of vaccine technology…
- Tourism News
Former WTO director cautions against re-opening Thailand too quickly
The former director general of the World Trade Organisation has issued a caution against Thailand throwing open its borders too early. Supachai Panitchpakdi says Covid-19 is still very much a threat, pointing to other countries that appear trapped in a cycle of easing restrictions, followed by renewed lockdowns. His comments come as England emerges from a national lockdown, only for…
- Covid-19 News
Thai virologist says vaccinating 40 million Thais next year will be a challenge
A prominent Thai virologist has admitted that vaccinating 60% of the population against Covid-19 next year will not be easy. Dr Yong Pooworavan says this is because 40 million people receiving 2 doses each means the country needs access to 80 million doses. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand eyes first half of 2021 for production of AstraZeneca vaccine
Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine during the first 6 months of 2021. As part of a technology-transfer agreement signed by the Thai government, Siam Bioscience will be provided with the information for vaccine production. It then hopes to register the vaccine with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration within the next 6 months. The pharmaceutical…
- Tourism News
No vaccine, no flight – Qantas will require international travellers to be vaccinated
Qantas, Australia’s national airline, is announcing a new requirement that all international travellers will need to have a vaccination against Covid-19 in a move that could become the norm for the world’s airline industry. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the Australian flag carrier would implement the measure once a coronavirus vaccine was made available to the public. “We are looking…
- Thailand News
Thailand may have to wait for US vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna
As news that US may acquire its first shipment of Covid vaccines in mid-December, Thailand may have to wait to share the vaccines as they will likely be made available to the US and Japan first, before the rest of the world. Pfizer and Moderna recently announced their vaccines were about 95% effective, with some countries starting to preorder the…
- World News
Singapore – Hong Kong travel bubble delayed due to Covid rise in HK
Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to delay their travel bubble plans as Hong Kong experiences a jump in Covid-19 cases. Although case numbers in both cities are nowhere near as serious as what’s currently being seen in places like Europe and the US, officials are erring on the side of caution and postponing the plan by at least 2…
- Covid-19 News
China imposes community lockdowns in 3 cities with small Covid outbreaks | VIDEO
Millions of people are now being tested in China, with new lockdowns and some districts shutting down schools. On Sunday there were 11 new cases, yesterday another 22 across the country. After a relatively low number of local transmissions for several months now, locally transmitted Covid-19 cases are popping up in 3 cities across the country – Tianjin, Shanghai and Manzhouli.…
