COVID

  • Songkran NewsSongkran fully cancelled in Bangkok amid Covid-19 outbreaks

    Songkran fully cancelled in Bangkok amid Covid-19 outbreaks

    All Songkran festival activities throughout every district of the Bangkok province have been officially cancelled to prevent more outbreaks of Covid-19. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced this difficult decision today in light of a rise in Coronavirus infection clusters around the country. Many of these outbreaks have been directly linked to entertainment venues, nightclubs and bars, including in Bangkok’s Thong…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket bars and nightclubs ordered to close for 10 days

    Phuket bars and nightclubs ordered to close for 10 days

    Bars, pubs and nightlife venues in Phuket are ordered to close for the next 10 days while 3 venues on the island where Covid-19 has been reported are ordered to close for at least 14 days. The closure is ordered after the massive events hosted by Kolour where an attendee tested positive for Covid-19. All partygoers are asked to go…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket orders 10-day closure for entertainment venues

    Phuket orders 10-day closure for entertainment venues

    This morning the government of Phuket has ordered the closure of all entertainment venues, bars, and nightclubs on the island of Phuket for 10 days. This shutdown will effectively cancel the upcoming Songkran festival for the popular holiday destination. Three entertainment venues have been closed for 14 days starting tomorrow aside from the blanket closures, as these venues were previously…

  • Pattaya News40 Covid-19 infections in Chon Buri area; list of exposure sites

    40 Covid-19 infections in Chon Buri area; list of exposure sites

    An outbreak of Covid-19 mostly related to bars and entertainment venues has brought 40 new cases to the Chon Buri province today. Provincial health department staff say entertainment venues in Pattaya, Si Racha and Bangkok are hubs for spreading the virus. 510 people considered to be at high risk of infection have been tested and are currently awaiting results. Walk-ins…

  • Phuket NewsIf you went to a Kolour party in Phuket, go get tested for Covid-19

    If you went to a Kolour party in Phuket, go get tested for Covid-19

    Partygoers who went to any of the Kolour Beachside parties in Phuket last weekend are asked to go to a local hospital for a Covid-19 test. The parties hosted more than 3,000 people, drawing concern after an attendee tested positive for Covid-19. The Phuket Provincial Government and Phuket Provincial Public Health Office released a statement yesterday advising all partygoers to get…

  • Covid-19 NewsTop doctors say Thong Lor cluster might be the UK Covid-19 variant

    Top doctors say Thong Lor cluster might be the UK Covid-19 variant

    The UK variant of Covid-19 might be the strain of the virus that broke out at nightclubs and bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area, according to 2 top doctors in Thailand. The B117 variant is said to be faster-spreading – about 1.7 times more contagious than the original strain. Doctors suspect the mutated strain led to the outbreak at the…

  • Tourism NewsSony, Amazon Falls to set up amusement park in Thailand

    Sony, Amazon Falls to set up amusement park in Thailand

    Sony Pictures Entertainment is setting up an amusement park in Thailand that is based on its Columbia Pictures movies. The entertainment giant is working with Thailand’s Amazon Falls to plan the venture, with an opening date set for this October. The water park, named Aquaverse, will be spread out among 14 acres and feature rides and attractions with Jumanji, Bad…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 update: Spike in cases linked to nightlife in Bangkok and Phuket

    Covid-19 update: Spike in cases linked to nightlife in Bangkok and Phuket

    Bar and club hopping has led to numerous clusters of Covid-19 infections and a spike in the number of daily infections in Thailand. 334 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Most of the cases are in Bangkok. The steep rise in new infections comes just days before the mass migration of…

  • Thailand NewsThailand eyes travel bubbles again with low-risk countries

    Thailand eyes travel bubbles again with low-risk countries

    Thailand is eyeing travel bubbles once again with low-risk countries like Singapore, Laos and Vietnam. Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says officials from Thailand and Singapore are discussing forming travel bubbles, as Singapore already has experience forming green routes with other asian countries. “We have acknowledged that Singapore has previously run the travel bubble with Australia and New Zealand.…

  • Covid-19 NewsAnother 50,000 Covid-19 vaccines arrive in Phuket

    Another 50,000 Covid-19 vaccines arrive in Phuket

    50,000 more doses of the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine are now in Phuket, arriving yesterday, bringing the total number of Sinovac jabs received to 100,000. This amount had been promised by Bangkok officials as part of the Thailand reopening plan that begins with Phuket reopening to international travellers on July 1st. In order to do this, 70% vaccination needs to be…

  • Pattaya NewsThailand’s Songkran headache – Bangkok entertainment venues closed days before holiday

    Thailand’s Songkran headache – Bangkok entertainment venues closed days before holiday

    In the day’s before Thailand’s biggest annual party begins there’s been fresh clusters breaking out in Bangkok and Chon Buri’s nightlife. Already the BMA has closed nightlife venues in three popular districts “as a precautionary measure” for at least two weeks, as of last night. Officials will meet today to mull a blanket closing time for entertainment venues and restaurants…

  • Bangkok NewsPossible 9 pm closing of Bangkok bars to curb Covid-19

    Possible 9 pm closing of Bangkok bars to curb Covid-19

    In order to limit outbreaks of Covid-19 before the upcoming Songkran holiday, the Health Ministry is eyeing more restrictive rules, including possibly shutting Bangkok bars at 9 pm. This week, new infections were found in the Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas of Bangkok, popular for evening entertainment such as bars and nightclubs. Entertainment venues are an easy target for Coronavirus spread…

  • Covid-19 NewsKhon Kaen hospital’s 2 Covid-19 infected doctors limit services

    Khon Kaen hospital’s 2 Covid-19 infected doctors limit services

    Health officials say 2 doctors who work at Khon Kaen University’s Srinagarind Hospital are now infected with Covid-19. The hospital is now responding to the situation by suspending the acceptance of new patients and postponing scheduled operations. According to the provincial public health office chief, the 2 doctors worked in the hospital’s Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine. All hospital…

  • Covid-19 NewsDeputy PM says he doesn’t have Covid-19, despite rumours

    Deputy PM says he doesn’t have Covid-19, despite rumours

    Today Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow has quashed a rumour that he contracted Covid-19 in an entertainment venue on March 25. Alerts were raised as the Minister attended a cabinet meeting several days later. The minister denies that he has put anyone at risk of exposure and has already been tested for Covid-19 and is planning to be…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone following new Covid clusters

    Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone following new Covid clusters

    Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19 following the rise of infections linked to bars and entertainment venues, primarily off Sukhumvit Road in Thong Lor and Ekkamai. Thailand’s top virologist Yong Poovorawan says the recent Covid-19 clusters, along with Thailand’s slow rollout of vaccines, is “worrying” and fears that…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Bangkok nightspot Covid clusters, Tesco/CP merger goes to court | April 5

    Thailand News Today | Bangkok nightspot Covid clusters, Tesco/CP merger goes to court | April 5

    We’ll start off with a Covid whip around… some minor clusters popping up around parts of Thailand…. Thailand’s Chon Buri province, which includes Pattaya, has revealed 7 more Covid-19 infections today. There were another 8 yesterday. The new infections are worrying officials, who say they are the most the province has seen in 3 months. Japanese nationals are among the…

  • Covid-19 NewsSome Bangkok international schools close following rise of Covid-19 cases in the area

    Some Bangkok international schools close following rise of Covid-19 cases in the area

    Some international schools in Bangkok are temporarily closing down due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the area with 71 cases linked to bars and entertainment venues in parts of the city – primarily Thong Lor and Ekkamai along the Sukhumvit strip, and around Chatuchak, to the north of the city centre. Regent’s International School Bangkok sent out a…

  • Bangkok NewsNew Covid-19 clusters at bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas

    New Covid-19 clusters at bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas

    New Covid-19 clusters have been reported at several bars and pubs in Bangkok, primarily off Sukhumvit Road. So far, 40 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting entertainment venues in Bangkok. Those who have visited bars in the Thong Lor, where most of the infections were reported, are asked to go to the website “BKKcovid19” and fill out an…

  • Covid-19 NewsJapanese Ambassador to Thailand infected with Covid-19

    Japanese Ambassador to Thailand infected with Covid-19

    Among the new infections of Covid-19 reported yesterday in Thailand was Kazuya Nashida, the Japanese Ambassador to Thailand. The Japanese Foreign Ministry released a brief statement yesterday confirming the Ambassador has contracted the Coronavirus in Bangkok. Mr. Nashida is currently receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Bangkok, and the information provided indicates that the ambassador is showing signs of…

  • Phuket NewsTravellers around the world eager to return to Phuket

    Travellers around the world eager to return to Phuket

    Travellers of 28 nationalities have indicated that they would like to come to Phuket after mandatory quarantine is done away with for those that have received their Covid-19 vaccination. This according to the Phuket Tourist Association. The popular destination for foreigners will be the first location in Thailand to remove quarantine restrictions in the government’s long-term plan to reopen the…

  • Covid-19 NewsVaccine certificates in the works for Thailand

    Vaccine certificates in the works for Thailand

    With vaccination finally underway in Thailand, some uncertainty still exists regarding vaccine certificates and official paperwork after receiving your Covid-19 jabs. The Public Health Ministry says that they are waiting for the World Health Organisation to release a standardised format for a vaccine certificate before they start issuing them. That form is expected to be released in June according to…

  • Covid-19 News6 Covid-19 infections in Surat Thani from prison

    6 Covid-19 infections in Surat Thani from prison

    Today, 6 people contracted Covid-19 infections in the Surat Thani province after an event that hosted prisoners from Narathiwat Central Prison. On April 1, 5 inmates and 3 staff members from the prison, located in the south of Thailand, travelled to Surat Thani. The supervisors stayed in the Diamond Plaza Hotel in Surat Thani City, while the 5 prisoners stayed…

  • Thailand NewsCCSA Update: 84 new Thai Covid-19 infections, 1 death

    CCSA Update: 84 new Thai Covid-19 infections, 1 death

    Thailand saw 84 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death as reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. This brings Thailand’s total infections above 29,000 to 29,031 and 95 deaths, with 1,268 active cases being treated currently.   Today’s death, a 29 year old woman living in Bangkok, had been mistakenly told she tested negative on March 21, and…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket Airport welcomes first 7 day quarantine travellers

    Phuket Airport welcomes first 7 day quarantine travellers

    In the early hours of Saturday, a flight arrived at Phuket International Airport welcoming the first travellers to benefit from the reduced mandatory quarantine launched on April 1. The reduction of the isolation period is part of the 4 stages of fully reopening Thailand to international tourism, planned to roll out over the next 8 months (and probably into early…

  • Tourism NewsTaiwan and Palau launch the first travel bubble in Asia

    Taiwan and Palau launch the first travel bubble in Asia

    The island nations of Taiwan and Palau have created Asia’s first travel bubble yesterday, allowing citizens of the two countries to fly back and forth without quarantine. After a year of Covid-19 blocking the majority of global travel, this bubble is a promising first step in the new normal of international tourism. Palau, the tiny Micronesian archipelago of 500 islands…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Health Minister “confident” the monk’s death is not related to the Covid vaccine

    Thai Health Minister “confident” the monk’s death is not related to the Covid vaccine

    Following the death of a monk just a few hours after being vaccinated against Covid-19, Thailand’s public health minister expressed his sympathy, but says he is confident that the vaccine is not the cause of death. Anutin Charnvirakul says the 71 year old monk had underlying conditions of severe diabetes and high blood pressure. An autopsy is being conducted to…

  • Covid-19 NewsMonk dies after getting Covid-19 vaccine, 3 others treated at the hospital

    Monk dies after getting Covid-19 vaccine, 3 others treated at the hospital

    UPDATE: Reports now say the monk died just a few hours after receiving the vaccine. A 71 year old monk died just a few hours after he was injected with the Covid-19 vaccine while 3 other monks at the same temple, Wat Samphanthawong Moranaphap in Bangkok, were taken to the hospital sometime after being injected with the vaccine to be…

  • Tourism NewsVaccinated against Covid-19? Quarantine is cut down to 7 days

    Vaccinated against Covid-19? Quarantine is cut down to 7 days

    Travellers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can now undergo a reduced quarantine period of 7 days upon entering Thailand. The new, shorter quarantine period goes in effect today in Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya. Those who are not vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days, which ends up being 11 nights, while those from countries with mutated strains of…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s aviation authority requests 40,000 vaccine doses to cover airline workers

    Thailand’s aviation authority requests 40,000 vaccine doses to cover airline workers

    Airline operators in Thailand are calling for 40,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to cover staff and crew members before July, in time for the reopening plans in Phuket and Koh Samui. The 40,000 doses would cover 20,000 people in the airline industry who will come in close contact with foreign tourists when they start arriving in July, or whenever…

  • World NewsCovid-19 spike feared during India’s Holi holiday

    Covid-19 spike feared during India’s Holi holiday

    As Covid-19 still surgess in India, many fear a sharp increase in Coronavirus infections during the Indian holiday of Holi. Infection rates just saw their sharpest increase since last October, exceeding 60,000 cases a day in the past week up from only about 10,000 in February. Many fear that the upcoming Holi holiday, where Hindus gather and revel by spraying…