lockdown
- China News
People of China protest on streets over mainland’s zero-Covid policy
The people of China appear to have had enough of the mainland’s zero-Covid policy. Incredibly, the usually deferential Chinese people were on the streets calling for their nation’s leader, President Xi Jinping, to stand down. It wasn’t anarchy on the mainland streets over the weekend but it wasn’t far off as hundreds of people in several major cities clashed with…
- Health
Ebola outbreak locks down 2 districts in Uganda
An Ebola outbreak in Uganda has forced a three-week lockdown for two districts. The outbreak has recorded 58 infections with 19 deaths already, though authorities suspect that there are many more unseen infections and fatalities. Mubende is the epicentre of the outbreak and that district, along with the Kassandra district next to it, has been locked down. Yesterday Ugandan President…
- Covid-19 News
China locks down 21 million people in Chengdu
The city of Chengdu in China, home to over 21 million people, will go into lockdown at 6pm today to control another Covid-19 outbreak. The country’s President Xi Jinping has committed to a ‘Covid Zero’ approach, despite the detrimental economic effects of lockdowns. Residents of the capital of Sichuan province must stay home at all times, except for mandatory Covid…
- China News
Thailand targets Europe’s big guns to boost tourism as lockdown rules out China
With China still under lockdown measures and showing no signs of opening up any time soon Thailand is focusing on the big spenders of Europe and India to boost tourism and its ailing economy. China was Thailand’s biggest source of tourists in the pre-Covid-19 era but with 40 cities still under lockdown it is unlikely the country will see any…
- Video
Thailand News Update | Tourism Tax for Foreigners pushed back
Thailand’s PM has pushed back the introduction of a 300 baht ‘entry fee’ for international tourists arriving in the kingdom. Since Test & Go, Sandbox and other entry restrictions were dropped on May 1, Thailand has experienced a surge in international arrivals. If tourism levels continue to climb and significantly improve national income this year, it might not be necessary…
- Video
Thailand News Update | Thailand ready for an Influx of tourists
Thailand slid into 8th place in a survey of 1 thousand 500 Americans on the world’s safest travel destinations but is still in the world’s top 10. Canada snagged the winning spot during this survey in 1st place, followed by Iceland, Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed the ranking,…
- China News
Beijing’s strict Covid-19 policies limit holiday acitivties
This year’s May Day may not have been so fun for Beijing residents. The country’s ultra-strict so-called ‘zero-Covid’ policies mean buildings and housing complexes with Covid-19 cases are on lockdown. In Beijing, parks and tourist attractions are only allowing 50% of their normal capacity. All restaurants in the capital city are only serving customers take-out, with no dine-in services, from…
- Thailand News
Asia News Today | Both black boxes now found on China plane & lockdown in Shanghai
The latest from the crash site of the Boeing 737 in southern China, more threats from the Burmese Junta, one of the largest cities in the world heads into a Covid lockdown and vanishing glaciers in Indonesia, yes Indonesia. Recovery crews at the site of the China Eastern Boeing 737 that crashed last Monday, have found the second black…
- Thailand News
Asia News Today | China plane crash latest & HK looking to relax restrictions
Investigators are now trying to piece together the final moments of a Boeing 737 flight in southern China yesterday before it plummeted into a hilly area as it was approaching Guangzhou. The China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 jet, flight MU5735, carrying 132 people crashed in Wuzhou. The sudden nosedive of the plane has left aircraft accident specialists baffled as authorities…
- World News
Asia News Today | More North Korea missiles, ‘genocide’ in Myanmar
North Korea has conducted another missile launch, this time using a multiple rocket launch system, the latest in a busy time for North Korean missile testers. The statement from the South Korean military didn’t specify how far the rocket got, the direction it was fired, or the exact type of rockets or weapons launched, but said they’re constantly monitoring the…
- World News
Asia News Today | North Korea missile fail, Japan seeks to stop crypto payments to Russians
https://youtu.be/9KWCYD7RofY Japanese authorities are ordering crypto exchanges not to process transactions involving any crypto assets as it maintains a stringent asset-freeze against Russia over their invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine. The G7 announced on Friday that Western nations “will impose costs on illicit Russian actors using digital assets to enhance and transfer their wealth.”There are growing concerns that cryptocurrencies…
- Video
Asia News Today | China locks down 17 million, earthquake in Indonesia
Families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea are calling on an early meeting of leaders from the two countries to retrieve their relatives. They are pushing on the Japanese government to approach North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to swiftly resolve the issue of abductions… this comes from the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea.The association…
- Thailand News
Changes in Covid-19 laws impact house plant sales
Changes in Covid-19 have impacted house plant sales, and plant growers bear the brunt of this across the country. Growers say now that lockdown rules have lifted, people don’t have time to care for plants anymore, and their sales have gone down. One plant company owner told Thai PBS in an interview that his sales have dropped between 20-30% since…
- Thailand News
Government wants to closely monitor eateries following extension of alcohol curfew
Now that Thailand’s alcohol curfew has been extended in many provinces, the government is on its toes about cracking down on venues serve past the 11pm cutoff time. A government spokesperson stated today that he wishes for authorities to take sharp measures against eateries violating the new 11pm curfew. Venues that break it will face arrests and loss of operating…
- Expats
Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions
The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general…
- Video
More military planes, Tourist taxes and locking down harder | Thaiger Bites
Jay and Tim go through your messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and the Thaiger Talk forum on the website. Thaiger Bites, Ep.82
- Covid-19 News
Thai industry body confident government will curb spread of Omicron variant
The Federation of Thai Industries says it believes the government can slow the rate of Covid-19 infection, despite the alert level being raised yesterday. The level moved from 3 to 4, with officials asking people to work from home if possible and to avoid all non-essential travel. However, Kriengkrai Thiennukul from the FTI is confident Thailand will cope. “The FTI…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya Mayor says there will be no lockdown despite Covid uptick in Chon Buri
Despite Chon Buri topping the chart of the highest new Covid-19 cases yesterday and an uptick of Omicron cases in the area, the Pattaya City Mayor says there will be no lockdown. Beaches will remain open, Mayor Sontaya Kunplome says, but individual businesses, not entire sectors, will be closed if they do not meet the mandatory Covid-19 measurements. The announcement came…
- Covid-19 News
Austria to enter lockdown Monday, Germany may follow
As Europe is increasingly engulfed in another wave of Covid-19 infections, Austria announced it will go into a full lockdown on Monday, and Germany in a national emergency is considering following with a lockdown of its own. The announcement makes Austria the first country in Western Europe to go back into a lockdown in the face of a worsening Covid-19…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 clusters prompt lockdown in 3 Korat villages
In Nakhon Ratchasima, aka Korat, 3 villages in the Non Sung and Bua Yai districts are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks causing a lockdown until early November. Ban Don Faek Moo 8 and Ban Faek Pattana Moo 15 in tambon Phon Songkhram and Khuem Muang village Moo 13 in Bua Yai district were ordered into lockdown. The lockdown was put in place…
- Covid-19 News
Amended communicable disease law includes powers to retain curfew, order lockdowns
As the government prepares to debate the future of the emergency decree, set to expire next Thursday, a new legal amendment means some of its powers could remain. The Bangkok Post reports that the amended Communicable Disease Act gives officials the power to retain the current curfew and to impose new lockdowns. The government says the law will be used…
- Krabi News
Krabi starts partial lockdown, curfew; Phi Phi closure extended
After a rash of Covid-19 outbreaks over the last two days, Krabi province has gone into a partial lockdown with a curfew from today, and the closure of Koh Phi Phi has been extended until September 24. The announcement by the Krabi Provincial Health Office stated that from today anyone travelling into Krabi must have at least one AstraZeneca dose…
- Thailand News
Poll shows many Thai residents don’t think the lockdown has been successful
According to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, most respondents think the partial lockdown to curb the spread of Covid has been unsuccessful. The NIDA poll was done through phone interviews between August 23 and August 26 with 1,312 respondents that were 18… and older. They had a variety of education levels, vocations, and reside throughout the…
- Phuket News
Officials inspect Phuket and consider Covid-19 lockdown extension
As Covid cases surge and weekly infections rates are now over 10 times the original threshold of 90 infections that would prompt a reconsidering of the Phuket Sandbox, officials in Phuket are now discussing an extension of lockdown measures on the island. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn (yes, Big Joke is back!) and his team inspected the Phuket Sandbox and the…
- Asia News
Vietnam Covid-19 surges, Ho Chi Minh enters lockdown Monday
With soaring Covid-19 infections, Ho Chi Minh City has issued a stay-at-home order enacting a strict lockdown that bans people from leaving their home starting Monday. The megacity of 9 million people has accounted for a full 80% of all Covid-19 deaths and 50% of Covid-19 infections in Vietnam and less harsh lockdown restrictions aren’t making headway. The deputy head…
- Covid-19 News
Village under Covid-19 lockdown after old woman lies
The dishonesty of an old woman led to an entire village in Buriram being sealed off on lockdown due to a Covid-19 outbreak she created. The woman lied about her visiting daughter and son-in-law to avoid the 14-day quarantine set in place to allow enough time to avoid a Covid-19 outbreak. The 75 year old woman lives in the village…
- Covid-19 News
16 new dark red provinces and restrictions extended to August 16
16 more provinces will be added to Thailand’s dark red zones and all will see partial lockdown restrictions extended until August 16 according to a statement this late afternoon by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The announcement extended the lockdowns set to expire August 3 for an additional 2 weeks, and expanded the number of provinces classified as dark…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA considers extending restrictions in “dark red” zones for another 14 days
With Covid-19 cases hitting record highs, despite the strict disease control measures in place, the Thai government is considering extending the current order in the 13 “dark red” provinces, including Bangkok, for another two weeks. Yesterday, Thailand had hit record highs of both daily Covid cases and fatalities with 17,669 new cases and 165 coronavirus-related deaths. The order imposing nightly…
- Tourism News
Thai tourism likely to hit rock bottom this year
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says both international and domestic tourism are likely to drop to an all-time low this year. The Bangkok Post reports that the TAT predicts international arrivals may only number 1 million, with domestic tourism dropping to just 50 – 60 million trips. Yuthasak Supasorn from the TAT says the target of 3 million foreign arrivals…
- Covid-19 News
Government meeting to address rising Covid-19, action to take
With Covid-19 growing and record numbers being reported, the government is on edge and considering stricter measures to try to contain the spiralling pandemic. Yesterday saw 2 morbid benchmarks surpassed as daily infection numbers crept past 10,000 for the first time and daily Covid-19 deaths were over 100 for the first time. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will be…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA clarifies what shops can and can’t open in Bangkok
With the lockdown restrictions launched Monday that shut down all but the most essential businesses, some shops are unsure of if they are essential or not. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration added some clarification today on what shops could and could not open for lockdown. They released details for Bangkok and the surrounding 5 provinces of Nakhon Phathom, Nonthaburi,…
- Covid-19 News
Lockdown tomorrow: What to expect in Bangkok and beyond
Though the government won’t use the word, tomorrow sees 10 dark red zone provinces going into, essentially, a lockdown. Here’s a rundown of what to expect during the 2 week period beginning tomorrow (Monday). The restrictions apply to all 10 provinces, but the information below is focused on the lockdown in Bangkok. INSIDE BANGKOK Things are about to quieten down.…
- Tourism News
The Sandbox Guarantee – taking the ‘what ifs’ out of travelling to Thailand
OPINION “The ‘Sandbox Guarantee’, or a similar style of guarantee for incoming passengers, is an important step if the Thai government is honest about restarting the country’s vital tourism economy.” In Bangkok they are preparing to lock down the city, well, add extra layers of restrictions and a curfew, and stop people getting out and heading back to their provinces.…
- Covid-19 News
Preparing for Bangkok lockdown measures from today on
The CCSA announced yesterday sweeping new Covid-19 lockdown measures for Bangkok and surrounding provinces, as well as 4 southern provinces, and now people and businesses are scrambling to prepare before provisions go into effect from now until Monday. Airlines have quickly implemented emergency measures for domestic travellers to handle the wave of cancellations and rescheduling due to Bangkok and other…
- Transport
All Thai AirAsia July flights cancelled; airlines cope with lockdown
In light of Bangkok’s new Covid-19 lockdown measures, Thai AirAsia has cancelled all their domestic flights in Thailand, while Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Smile, and Vietjet have introduced emergency measures for flight rescheduling. AirAsia, the popular budget airline based in Malaysia, has suspended all domestic flights operated by Thai AirAsia effective immediately. They hope to resume service on August…
- Bangkok News
BREAKING: Stay at home orders, travel restrictions in Bangkok and 9 other provinces
Tight restrictions limiting travel and ordering residents to stay at home are being set in Bangkok and 9 other “dark red” provinces to control the spread of Covid-19 as the Delta variant of the virus becomes more prevalent. Many have been calling it a “lockdown,” but the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has been avoiding the word to describe the…
- Covid-19 News
Sangkhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi enters 14 day lockdown
The Sankhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi, a western Thai province is locking down for 14 days and people are ordered to remain at home from 10 pm to 4 am to help prevent Covid outbreaks. The order was signed by Governor Jirakiat Phumsawat, who also acts as chairman of the provincial communicable disease control committee. Other restrictions include barring the…
