government
- Covid-19 News
Thailand imports chemicals from China to commence local production of antivirals
“We need to make sure we have at least 1 million pills of Favipiravir in store.” The Managing Director of Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation Dr. Withoon Danwiboon says, “we have made contact with China to buy ‘Favipiravir’ (an antiviral drug) to start the production of the drugs locally as one of the treatments of Covid-19 virus in the country.” “We…
- Covid-19 News
PM Prayut seeks ideas and resources from Thailand’s top 20 richest people
Last night in a special 10 minute broadcast on national TV PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that he will write an open letter to Thailand’s top 20 richest people to seek their assistance and help for the government and Thai citizens in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that he’s doing it to gather their input and ideas to…
- Covid-19 News
Government proposes plans on how to stablise Thailand’s GDP
In a bid to tackle the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Thai economy, a proposal has been put forward by the Government’s Monetary and Fiscal Committee to preserve the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product by raising the budget cap and/or adjusting debt settlements. Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says “after a meeting with the committee yesterday, they…
- Covid-19 News
Migrant workers in Thailand can now stay until November 30
Yesterday the Thai government officially announced a blanket extension for the country’s migrant labourers. They will now be permitted to stay until November 30 this year and will be exempted from any sort of overstay penalty. Government Spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat says that the government has backed the Ministry of Labour’s review of the Cabinet resolution on March 24 on the…
- Covid-19 News
600 billion baht will be used to aid Thai farmers
Thailand’s farmers and other citizens who have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 situation will be getting help, as the government has designated a 600 billion baht budget to help Thai people in need. The urgent budget of 600 billion baht is intended to help employers and freelancers who have been affected by the virus crisis, to support the public…
- Covid-19 News
UK suffers largest one day increase in Covid-19
The United Kingdom has recorded 708 new deaths from coronavirus today, the largest one day rise since the outbreak began. Figures released yesterday by the Department of Health and Social Care, suggest a total of 4,313 people have now died in the UK. In a press briefing yesterday, UK cabinet minister Michael Gove opened by saying “Our thoughts today are…
- Covid-19 News
Ministries will give up 10% of their 2020 budget to fight Covid-19 in Thailand
The third round of government measures are set to apply 10% of the country’s fiscal 2020 budget allocated to each ministry, and put into a central funding pool to battle against the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the rehabilitation of the economy. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says that the central fund will be overseen by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. “The measures…
- Covid-19 News
Government says they won’t allow Thai Airways to collapse
“All rumours about a lay-off aren’t true. News involving Thai Airways that didn’t come from the Finance Ministry should be considered false.” Thailand’s deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says the government won’t allow its struggling national airline Thai Airways to collapse. He dismissed rumours of impending lay-offs due to the virus outbreak. Thai Airways has been a financial basket-case for the…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s airlines line up for 16 billion baht lifeline
Thai airlines are mostly grounded, basically due to lack of traffic from government restrictions to stop people from travelling. But they still have staff and regulations that require them to be paid. So 7 Thai airlines are seeking a 16 billion baht lifeline from the Thai Finance Ministry so they can keep employees whist their planes remain on the ground.…
- Covid-19 News
Hundreds of Thai hotels seek aid to protect employees
Will the Thai Social Security Office compensate hundreds of hotels pursuing emergency assistance? Hotels are doing it hard as tourism has come to a virtual halt inside Thailand and hotels are either closing or scaling back their operations substantially. Yesterday, The Thai Hotel Associations sent a letter to the Thai Chamber of Commerce notifying them that hundreds of hotels are…
- Covid-19 News
PM asks cabinet for emergency decree
PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha formally asked the Thai Cabinet this afternoon for the declaration of a national emergency to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in Thailand. The decree, which the Cabinet is currently discussing, will likely be enacted for a month. A decision is expected to be announced later today. The decree would allow authorities to impose curfews,…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 coronavirus questions and answers
Everything you wanted to know which we answer to the best of our current knowledge…. 1. How does the virus/infection spread? Mostly spread through contact with an infected person through coughing, sneezing, nasal secretion and saliva. It is understood that the virus can be airborne for at least a short time. So just being in the same vicinity as an…
- Economy News
Thai government planning more economic stimulus packages
Economists have urged the government to expand the fiscal deficit to up to 600 billion baht, while more stimulus packages are hopefully on course to counter the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. Secretary to the Council of Economic Ministers, Kobsak Pootrakool, says that the economic ministers would consider extra packages as relief for certain sectors, that were hit…
- Covid-19 News
Europe is the new epicentre of Covid-19 coronavirus – WHO
The World Health Organisation has now put Europe as its current “epicentre” for the global coronavirus pandemic, warning that it was impossible to know when the pandemic would peak. In the past 24 hours there has been a swift rise in new cases and deaths, compared to past months, primarily in Europe, as well as Iran and the US. WHO…
- Economy News
Thai PM Prayut quashes 2,000 baht handout package
Easy come, easy go. Well that was quick. Last Friday’s announcements for 2 x 1000 baht handouts to poorer Thai citizens has been quashed by the PM. Prime Minister Prayut officially shelved plans to hand out the cash to low income earners. Last Friday the Finance Ministry made the announcement for a new round of stimulus packages to prop up…
- Politics News
Thai minister Thammanat Prompao tells parliament he “never pled guilty” or “served time” over heroin drug charges
The Thai deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao has re-ignited the controversy over his drug convictions in Australia by continuing to insist he “never pled guilty or served jail time for drug charges in Australia”. His claims are contrary to the evidence provided by the Australian courts. The ministers’s denial follows the disbanded Future Forward Party publishing an Australian court ruling on…
- Northern Thailand News
Government officials wear black today, Korat residents grieve
Thailand’s cabinet ministers and officials at Government House will be wearing black clothing today as the Kingdom wakes to the first full work day since the Korat massacre – a mass shooting that has left at least 30 people dead, including the gunman. Government officials will officially mourn the innocent people killed in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and…
- Covid-19 News
Thai Health Minister apologises for his comments that ‘farang’ should be kicked out
UPDATE: The Thai Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has had a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease since this morning, after being panned in social media for his comments at a government PR gathering to promote the wearing of face-masks following the coronavirus outbreak in China. The minister has apologised for his earlier comments about ‘farang’ , when he said that they…
- Covid-19 News
Kick foreigners, not wearing face-masks, out of Thailand – Minister
Thailand’s mercurial Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has slammed foreign tourists who aren’t wearing face masks, or refuse to wear them when offered a free one offered by the government, says they “should be kicked out.” He was handing out government freebies this morning at the Siam BTS station as part of the Thai government’s education about coronavirus. “They don’t…
- Transport News
Deputy transport minister says Thai Airways must increase revenue, cut costs
Thai Airways International is in the process of slashing costs and restructuring. Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam discussed Thailand’s open sky policy and stressed the importance of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure to turn the airline around and make it sustainable. Thaworn, along with the assistant secretary at the Ministry of Transport and other officials visited Thai Airways’ HQ to…
- Politics News
Opposition will ask NACC to probe Thai PM on three counts
Seven of Thailand’s opposition parties are demanding that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigate Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for allegedly breaching the law on three issues. They claim… • The Prime Minister failed to state the sources of the Government’s revenue in its policy statement presented to parliament last year. • The process of selection of senators was illegal due…
- Thailand News
Activists propose amendments to same-sex marriage bill in Thailand
Activists from Togetherness for Equality and Action are broadening their push for an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code that would to allow people to legally marry, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Ekkawat Pimsawan, from the group, has submitted a proposal to amend the Code to Mukda Pongsombat, chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on children, youths, women,…
- Politics News
Bad report card for PM Prayut after 6 months in office
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scored poorly in an opinion poll by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA, after his first six months in office. The poll ran from November 29-December 3 and included 1,278 adults from across Thailand with varying occupations and education levels. The purpose of the survey was to gauge satisfaction with the Thai PM’s…
- Politics News
Thai PM will sit down with rebel members of coalition
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is again being forced to sit for chats with leaders of the 20 coalition parties to patch up differences ahead of a no-confidence debate being brought against the fragile government. The no-confidence debate is likely to happen early next month. Given the close numbers between the multi-party government and the opposition, a full quorum for the…
- Politics News
Proposal: New law that will allow six cannabis plants per Thai household
PHOTO: Campaign posters before the last election for the Bhumjaithai Party who continue to push further legalisation of cannabis The Bhumjaithai Party, a party in Thailand’s coalition government, is now proposing a law that would allow Thais to grow a limited amount of cannabis at home. This takes laws, passed less than a year ago that legalised the drug for…
- Politics News
Seri Ruam leader says he told Sydney Morning Herald to investigate Thammanat Prompao
PHOTO: Seri Ruam Thai party leader Gen Seripisut Temiyavet “The Seri Ruam Thai party leader said that he was not afraid that he might be sued for providing information to the Australian media.” Seri Ruam Thai party leader Gen Seripisut Temiyavet claims that he was the source who tipped off the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in Australia to investigate the…
- Politics News
Government loses another MP as member heads to prison
Another blow to the ruling Palang Pracharath party and coalition after the MP for Kamphaeng Phet province, Pol Lt-Col Waipote Arpornrat, lost his Member of Parliament status after the Supreme Court upheld the 4 year prison sentence handed down by the Appeals Court for his involvement in the disruption of the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya back in 2009. As the…
- Politics News
Coalition considers demoting clumsy deputy agriculture minister, Thammanat Prompow
Key members of Palang Pracharath are now discussing the future of deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompow’s as ‘fixer’ or coordinator of the coalition’s minor parties. The coalition’s smaller parties, some of them just single MPs, are in uproar following the controversial minister’s “monkey keeper” weekend remarks, potentially causing new rifts in the shaky coalition government. At the weekend the minister…
- Politics News
Government not tackling Thailand’s economic woes – poll
Most people regard the government of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as lacking the capacity to tackle economic woes – this, the latest results from yesterday’s NIDA poll. The NIDA Poll, prepared by the National Institute of Development Administration, asked 1,260 respondents nationwide about their opinions on the current state of political play. The Nida Poll found that 46.7%t of the…
- Politics News
Constitutional court turns down request to lift Thanathorn’s suspension
Future Forward’s Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has hit another hurdle with the Constitutional Court rejecting his requests to rescind an earlier court order suspending him from performing his duties as an MP. According to yesterday’s Constitutional Court’s bulletin, the court had not found “any change in behaviour on the part of Mr. Thanathorn that would justify the court lifting the suspension”. The…
