Thailand News
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Songkran a litmus test for Thailand’s economic recovery, tourism industry revival
As Thailand’s annual Songkran festival begins this week, all eyes are on the government to see how its strict Covid-prevention measures will affect tourism spending and mitigate new infections, which are expected to spike after the holiday. As the war in Ukraine continues to hike up global oil and food prices, pundits say how Thailand fares during and after the…
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Russian tourism staff claims interest in Thailand travel has spiked for Russians
More Russians are reportedly interested in venturing down to Thailand. After Russia announced earlier this week it would lift Covid-19 restrictions on flights to 52 countries, starting April 9, some Russian tourism staff claim there was a massive increase in Thailand search inquiries by Russians. Searches for tickets to Thailand reportedly went up by 20%, according to one popular vacation…
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Independent candidate leads Bangkok’s race for a new Governor
An independent candidate is leading the record pack of 31 running in the forthcoming election for Bangkok’s Governor. In Bangkok’s first Governor election in 9 years, Chadchart Sittipunt, a former Pheu Thai heavyweight, is favoured by 38.8% of 1,362 eligible voters polled in the Bangkok area. The poll was conducted from April 5-7. The runner up at the moment is…
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Thailand’s Ministry of Interior urges tight Covid enforcement during Songkran
The Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Interior is calling on provincial governors to “rigidly enforce Covid-19 restrictions” during the looming Songkran annual break. The Permanent Secretary, Suthipong Julcharoe, also suggested 10 “Universal Prevention” methods. These include frequent handwashing and not touching your face, as well as vulnerable groups staying at home. Suthipong also suggested “double masking” (wearing 2 face…
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Phuket Soi Dog volunteer to brave Himalayas to raise money for foundation
A volunteer from Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket plans to brave a trek through the rugged Himalayan mountains to raise money for the foundation. The volunteer, 51 year old Yanisa, wants to reach the summit of the 6,419-metre Mount Chulu West with her husband in 21 days. Yanisa and her husband, 65 year old Rohun, will start from Kathmandu in…
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Thailand tourism authorities target India to offset lack of Chinese tourists
A deputy governor of marketing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says Indian tourists are important for offsetting the loss of Chinese tourists in Thailand, as the TAT aims to attract 500,000 Indian tourists this year. The marketing governor said ever since an air travel bubble started with India last month, Thailand has already seen around 600 Indian arrivals per…
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Starting in May, foreign arrivals to Thailand may only have to take ATK tests
Starting in May, foreign arrivals to Thailand may take antigen tests on arrival, instead of PCR tests. Thailand’s CCSA announced yesterday that it will hold off on adjusting the current entry restrictions for foreign travellers to Thailand until it can evaluate the effects of next week’s Songkran festival, as it continues monitoring the spread of Covid-19 in the country. Thailand’s…
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Thai woman gives birth in pickup truck, after Chon Buri hospital turned her away
A Thai woman gave birth inside a pickup truck near the Ban Ang Wien intersection in eastern Thailand’s Chon Buri province yesterday. The woman’s husband had driven her to the hospital in the morning, but the doctor told her to go home as her cervix had not yet dilated enough. In the afternoon, the woman experienced more pain and decided…
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Crane arm breaks at Bangkok construction site, 1 man killed, another injured
Yesterday afternoon, a crane arm broke and dropped at a construction site on Ratchadamri Road in the Lumphini area of Bangkok’s Pathumwan district, killing one and injuring another. Part of the 20 metre tall crane broke off and landed on the ground. Two workers were seriously injured, both of them from Myanmar. They were rushed to a local hospital, where…
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Thailand ups electric vehicle incentives, after 30% spike in foreign direct investment
Thailand Board of Investment has approved revised conditions and incentives for investing in electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them, specifically charging stations. Today’s BOI announcement comes as Thailand increases its incentives for people to buy and invest in electric vehicles, in an effort to maintain its grip on Southeast Asia’s car manufacturing market, which is transitioning to…
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Songkran: Academics predict 10 year low in festival spending this year
Thailand academics predict the public’s spending during next week’s Songkran holiday will be the lowest in 10 years. An associate professor at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said he expects people to spend around 106 billion baht altogether across Thailand this year. This will be 5.4% less than last year, when public spending was recorded at about…
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US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels
US authorities revealed yesterday that they have arrested three Thai men and a Japanese yakuza organised crime leader in New York City on April 4 – 5. The men are accused of trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, as well as attempting to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Takeshi Ebizawa, Sompak Raksaranee, Somphop Sigsiri and Suksan…
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Phuket hospital and resort launch ‘Prestige Wellness’ tourism campaign
A Phuket hospital and a local resort are teaming up to launch a new campaign called “Prestige Wellness” — offering tourists ‘reboot’ wellness programs, in addition to Phuket’s natural beauty, local cuisine and cultural activities. Now tourists won’t even have to leave the comfort of their hotel to benefit from some of the wellness programmes available under the government’s plan for…
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CCSA delays easing entry restrictions to Thailand… until after Songkran festival
The CCSA has announced today that they will hold off on adjusting the current entry restrictions for foreign travellers to Thailand until after next week’s Songkran festival, as they continue monitoring the spread of Covid-19 in the country. After today’s meeting, CCSA officials said they plan to adjust their measures in May, depending on the Covid situation after Thai New…
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Friday Covid Update: 25,140 new cases; provincial totals
89 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,877 with 4,179 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 25,140 new Covid-19 cases and 24,854 recoveries. There are now 248,254 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Why are Thai Airways leasing 3 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft?
Thai Airways is expanding its fleet by three this month despite going through an ongoing debt restructuring process. The airline is in the process of selling 45 unused jets, yet they are leasing three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this month. Two 777-300ERs, adorned with Thai Airways paint jobs, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport on April 5 and another is expected to…
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BMC candidate reveals transparent ads to reduce car accidents, netizens disagree
One inventive candidate for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council has come up with a new design for campaign ads, saying his transparent banners would reduce car accidents. The candidate said such banners would not block the visibility of drivers, as they can see through the clear plastic material, unlike traditional banners. However, Thai netizens, who have been keen on clearing the…
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Kerry Express delivers FREE Covid care boxes to patients self-isolating at home
Thailand’s popular parcel deliver company Kerry Express is distributing their free “Kerry Care Box” to asymptomatic Covid patients who are self-isolating at home from now until after the Songkran festival. Face masks, paracetamol pills, cough syrup, alcohol, Fa Talai Jon herbal capsules and a thermometer are among the supplies included in the bundle for those who require at-home treatment during…
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ATK solution can cause blindness, Thailand’s fact checking centre confirms
ATK testing solution should NOT be used as eyedrops. That’s the takeaway from a warning Thai netizens are passing around, claiming that a harmful chemical compound called sodium azide found in ATK test kits could make people’s eyes go blind. The Anti-Fake News Centre of Thailand, together with the Department of Medical Science, has investigated the claim and confirmed it…
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CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY
Thailand’s government will meet again today to discuss how to contain the spread of Covid-19 during next week’s Songkran festival, its vaccination rollout for the elderly and whether or not to scrap the on-arrival PCR tests for foreign travelers. Thailand hoteliers and others travel industry professionals have been lobbying for a full removal of PCR testing to attract more tourists,…
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Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@!
The Russian PM, Mikhail Mishustin, has revealed that Russia would open its sky to 52 “friendly” countries from April 9 onwards after being closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And that other matter. On the list is Thailand who says they’re ready to welcome the Russian travellers back. Given the current situation with the ongoing war between Russia and…
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Police arrest Thai OnlyFans star making ฿100K per month
Police arrested a trans woman known as ‘Dreamy Dao’ for producing and disseminating pornographic content in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen on Tuesday. Dreamy Dao was making 100,000 baht every month by posting explicit content on the OnlyFans website. Khon Kaen police raided 20 year old Dreamy Dao’s room to find a large number of pornographic videos and 17…
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International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough
Suvarnabhumi International Airport has seen a significant increase in international travellers since Thailand scrapped its pre-travel PCR test requirement last Friday. Well that’s the general narrative that’s been published in some media, although the published numbers don’t stand up to close scrutiny. Bangkok’s aviation hub saw an average of more than 11,600 daily arrivals from abroad touch down in the…
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Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm
A former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath is now permanently banned from Thai politics for using forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province for her farm. The issues around the MP, Pareena Kraikupt, using land began to surface in 2019. The Royal Forest Department then investigated the land, and concluded that Pareena’s poultry farm encroached on it. The department asked the…
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Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok
The highest ever number of candidates, 31, have registered for Bangkok’s upcoming gubernatorial election on May 22. This will be the 11th gubernatorial election in Bangkok, and the first held in nine years. The chairman of Bangkok’s election commission said all candidates will be invited to the government complex on Chaeng Wattana tomorrow to be briefed on the election guidelines. Right…
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Phuket governor Narong plans road safety campaign ahead of Songrkan
Phuket governor Narong is planning a road safety campaign ahead of Sonkran with a goal of zero casualties during the holiday. The dates for the campaign, called Seven Days of Danger, have yet to be announced. Last year, the campaign focused on ending drunk driving, and inspecting “risk points” where accidents had happened. 21 people were injured, and one person…
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Man in Southern Thailand believed to have drowned after fishing in flooded rice field
The body of a man in Southern Thailand was found yesterday. His mother believes he drowned while fishing in a flooded rice field. The man’s mother said the rice fields near her house were under about 70 centimetres of water after several days of continuous rain. She says her son went to catch fish in the fields. When she noticed…
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Thursday Covid Update: 26,081 new cases; provincial totals
91 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,788 with 4,090 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 26,081 new Covid-19 cases and 26,011 recoveries. There are now 248,057 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery
Police in Phuket reported yesterday that two men in other parts of Thailand have been arrested for allegedly operating an online gambling website. Police have now reportedly seized more than 3.7 billion baht in cash and taken the website down. They also seized dozens of other items of evidence, including three land title deeds and four contracts, eight mobile phones,…
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Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand
Police seized a four month old tiger cub in a car park in the central province of Nonthaburi yesterday. Three men wanted on arrest warrants were arrested on suspicion of possessing and trafficking protected wildlife without permission. All three men confessed to importing the tiger cub from Laos. The cub was found in a basket inside a Honda pickup truck…
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