Hong Kong
- 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…
- Thailand News
Thai Airways offers ‘semi-commercial’ flights to 7 international destinations
After a major slowdown in both international and domestic travel due to coronavirus travel restrictions, Thai Airways is now offering flights to and from 7 international destinations over the next 2 months, according to the airline’s chief executive Wiwat Piyawirot. These flights are “semi-commercial.” Wiwat says return flights are intended for Thais returning home from overseas, those with families in…
- Covid-19 News
13 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine
13 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine including 4 Thai students, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is at 3,759 with 3,561 recoveries and 59 deaths. 139 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 49 year old Frenchman travelling from France tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday,…
- World News
Hong Kong and Thai protesters form the “Milk Tea Alliance”
Links to continue to grow between the core Hong Kong protest movement and the current Thai protests. The alliance is being called “The Milk Tea Alliance”…milky orange-coloured sweet tea is popular in both Thailand and Hong Kong. Democracy supporters in Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan are sharing their criticisms and demands for change against “regimes” they claim are stymying attempts…
- World News
Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…
- World News
International travel slow to take off, Covid-19 restrictions evolving
While Thailand is working on safely, and slowly, reopening its borders to foreign tourists after a 7 month border closure, other countries are also adapting to new, pandemic-induced, travel measures and restrictions. Now some are slowly lifting restrictions and resuming flights, while some remain grounded. What’s happening in your part of the world? In all cases, check your local travel…
- Covid-19 News
5 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine, including a 2 year old girl
5 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine from Thais returning home after being in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of reported cases now at 3,641. 2 people travelling from the United Kingdom tested positive for Covid-19. A 52 year old Thai, who had…
- World News
UPDATE: Covid-19 visitor entry around the region
Around the region there are many countries starting to re-open their borders to allow some business or diplomatic visitors, even tourists, to enter their national borders. The situation is changing frequently and we’d urge you to contact the national embassies in your countries before making any concrete arrangements or paying money for airfares or accommodation before you clarify the situation,…
- Covid-19 News
10 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, all reported as asymptomatic
Thailand health officials reported 10 new Cvoid-19 cases detected mandatory state quarantine for those entering the country, adding up the total number of reported cases to 3,600. All cases were reported as asymptomatic at the time the results were confirmed. The cases came from Hong Kong, the United States, Kuwait and Russia, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.…
- Business News
Thai Airways to provide flights to some international destinations this month
Thai Airways, the beleaguered national carrier currently undergoing a “rehabilitation” process (code for bankruptcy and restructure proceedings), says it’s laying on a number of special flights to destinations outside the Kingdom this month. Nation Thailand reports that the airline is introducing flights to Hong Kong, Taipei, London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Executive Vice President Wiwat Piyawiroj says the flights are being…
- Crime News
Police arrest 7 for alleged face mask scam
Police arrested 7 people allegedly involved in a multi-million baht scam selling face masks online and not delivering them. The Royal Thai Police teamed up with police in Seoul and Hong Kong for the investigation. Police say 3 Thai women and 4 Cameroon nationals were arrested on fraud charges. The transnational investigation started when complaints were filed by people in…
- Covid-19 News
216 Thai nationals return from Hong Kong on Thai Airways repatriation flight
Over 200 Thai nationals returned to the Kingdom from Hong Kong at the weekend. The 216 repatriating passengers were flown by Thai Airways, landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport at 10.24 pm on Saturday. They are now in state quarantine for 14 days. Nation Thailand reports that the repatriation flight is the result of an arrangement between the Foreign Ministry and…
- Covid-19 News
Thai Airways launching direct flights to Phuket for “Safe & Sealed” campaign
Thai Airways is dusting off its fleet and getting ready to relaunch international travel, with direct flights to Phuket from 6 countries planned to take off in the next few months. It’s all designed to co-incide with the announced “safe & sealed” campaign which the Thai government hope will re-boot tourism for the beleaguered island. Thai Airways flights have been…
- World News
Hong Kong resumes travel bubble discussions with Thailand and Japan
Hong Kong’s commerce chief, Edward Yau, says the Special Administrative Region is once again chatting to Thailand authorities, and Japan, regarding the possible formation of “travel bubbles”. The talks were suspended last month as Hong Kong battled a third wave ‘spike’ of the Covid-19 virus. Now, the idea of mutually beneficial travel agreements is back on the table, subject to a…
- World News
Pro-Beijing activists fined for mass gathering while celebrating arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon
A group of pro-Beijing activists have been fined for violating social distancing rules after they gathered to celebrate the arrest of Hong Kong media boss, Jimmy Lai. Coconuts reports that around a dozen people came together outside the offices of Lai’s Apple Daily newspaper, toasting his arrest with champagne and party poppers. One woman accused Lai of colluding with foreign…
- World News
Hong Kong officials arrest high-profile media boss under new national security law
The arrest of the Hong Kong media tycoon, Jimmy Lai, is the latest in a number of arrests carried out under the controversial national security law introduced by Beijing at the end of June. Thai PBS World reports that 71 year old Lai stands accused of colluding with foreign forces. He has been a longtime critic of the Beijing administration…
- Bangkok News
Facebook post from Bangkok restaurateur shows the power of social media
A Bangkok restaurateur has been left surprised by the power of social media, after his online complaint led to workers rushing back to fill a gaping hole they’d left outside his premises 3 months ago. Donald Woo, a Hong Kong expat who runs a noodle shop in the capital, took to Facebook to voice his frustration after workers abandoned a…
- World News
Hong Kong reverses daytime ban on restaurant dining after workers forced to eat in the street
Hong Kong officials are rowing back on a decision to extend a ban on restaurant dining to daytime hours and will now allow tables of up to 2, until 6pm. The move comes after photos went viral of workers having to balance takeaway boxes on the backs of cars, or on narrow ledges along the side of buildings. Some were…
- World News
What’s behind Hong Kong’s third wave of Covid-19 infections?
Hong Kong has had its ups and downs throughout the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic but its reaction was considered a text book response as it contained the virus quickly. But then there was a smaller 2nd wave, and now a 3rd. Despite being a part of China and sharing a border with the mainland to the north, Hong…
- World News
Hong Kong re-introduces tough restrictions as virus numbers rise
Hong Kong is toughening up on restrictions as it is experiencing what many are calling a 3rd wave of Covid-19 infections. From tomorrow, customers can no longer dine in at restaurants as eateries will be allowed to open for takeaway service only. This expands an existing rule that banned dining in from 6pm, now making it an all-day stipulation. In…
- World News
Hong Kong Disneyland closes the gates, again
Whilst Disney World theme parks in Florida reopened to the public this week, after being closed for four months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Disney theme franchise closed up again. Less than a month since it reopened Hong Kong Disneyland shutdown following a new coronavirus outbreak in the city. The theme park shuttered at the end of January…
- World News
Strict restrictions imposed in Hong Kong as Covid-19 resurgence worsens
Despite appearing to successfully flatten the curve from April onwards, Hong Kong is now fighting its worst outbreak of the Covid-19 virus since January. The new outbreak is escalating, leading authorities to impose strict restrictions once more. Among those is a ban on eating in restaurants in the evening, with eateries only permitted to offer a takeaway service between the…
- World News
Hong Kong shutters schools again amid new virus transmissions
Hong Kong’s education minister says that all schools will close again from Monday after a spike in locally transmitted Covid-19 infections. The move will bring forward the start of the summer holidays, after the city recorded an “exponential growth” of locally transmitted cases in the past few days. The city recorded 38 new confirmed cases yesterday alone, 32 of which…
- Covid-19 News
In the midst of re-opening, there are now new lockdowns around the world
Countries that appeared, only a few weeks ago, to have their local Covid-19 outbreaks under control – Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore for example – are now seeing new waves of the virus drawing immediate attention from officials, locking down the affected areas. They know, for now, it’s the only solution to counter new outbreaks. These mini-outbreaks in formerly ‘low-risk’ areas…
- World News
Facebook blocks Hong Kong’s user data requests after China’s new security law
Facebook is blocking requests from Hong Kong to receive user data after China’s passing of a new national security law that reportedly aims to crack down on government critics. WhatsApp and Twitter are also included in the blocking of data requests with Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone saying it is stopping the review of such requests until it evaluates the new…
- World News
HK man arrested for allegedly stabbing officer in security law protests
Police in Hong Kong arrested a man aboard a flight to London this morning on suspicion of stabbing a police officer during protests of the Chinese territory’s new security law. About 370 people were arrested during and after yesterday’s protests against the new laws, imposed by China to curb activities surrounding the anti-government protests that have racked Hong Kong for…
- World News
Australia and UK may offer a safe haven to Hong Kong citizens
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is “actively considering” providing a safe haven for Hong Kong citizens to migrate to the country after controversial national security laws enforced by China have come into effect. Yesterday, hundreds of people were arrested after protesters took to the streets to protest the new laws introduced by China to suppress dissidents. When asked…
- World News
Beijing passes new Hong Kong security law
China has passed the controversial new national security law for Hong Kong in what critics believe could be the start of a wave of ‘mainland’ political repression. The National Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, approved the legislation. The passing of the new law has been reported on Now TV, RTHK and the South China Morning Post. Chinese officials maintain…
- World News
Hong Kong documentary sees scene removed after new law
A pro-democracy Hong Kong documentary saw a scene removed after a new law criminalized anything that is seen as “insulting” China’s national anthem. The director of the documentary, Evans Chan, says he had to delete the scene which featured an artist playing the national anthem, which reveals how the new law is already censoring artistic creativity. Hong Kong is considered a…
- World News
Asia stocks rise along with coronavirus cases
Asian stocks are rising along with the number of coronavirus cases after the WHO reported the highest daily rise since the pandemic began. The fine line between a second wave in cases and the removal of lockdowns seems to favour a more conservative approach in the stock market as caution is being taken. The Nikkei 225 ranked 0.3% higher in…
