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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…
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Firefighters’ bodies retrieved, 100,000 baht to families
Bodies were retrieved in the early hours of today for the 4 firefighters who lost their lives during yesterday’s building collapse in Bangkok. The director of the Thawi Watthana District Office confirmed that at about 6:30 am rescuer workers were able to remove the bodies of the heroic firemen, most of them volunteers. The bodies were pulled from the wreckage…
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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…
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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…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand aims to attract expat golfers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is poised to organise golf events targeted at Thailand’s expatriate community as part of efforts to restore confidence in domestic tourism under the banner “Stay Play Safe”. Minister of Tourism and Sports Phipat Ratchakitprakarn says that the motivation behind the campaign is “to re-energise a sector that has been badly hit closures and restrictions brought…
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Investigations continue after 5 people die during Bangkok house fire rescue
Police and BMA officials are continuing their investigations today after 5 people – 4 of them volunteer emergency responders – died as a building collapsed while rescuers were trying to find a man trapped inside. Another person was trapped, alive, under the rubble and was the subject of a longer rescue later yesterday. The fire took place early yesterday morning…
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Man’s genitals cut and flushed by jealous girlfriend
Ever felt like your sex life has been flushed down the toilet? A man in Taiwan experienced that literally when his girlfriend cut off his genitals while he slept and flushed them down her toilet on the evening of March 30. The story, first published by the website Mothership the day after the incident, involves a 52 year old man…
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10 rebel groups in Myanmar throw their support behind anti-coup protesters | VIDEO
Myanmar’s most prominent ethnic and political rebel groups are throwing their support behind the country’s anti-coup protesters. Yesterday, 10 of the groups convened a conference call to discuss the military leaders killing protesters and citizens. Nearly 600 Burmese citizens have now been killed in the violent crackdown that started after the February 1 coup that ousted the government of Aung…
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“Mommy, there’s a snake!” – Expat in Phuket shares her story
The following story was written by Amy Sukwan, an American who has been living in Thailand for 7 years. To share a story with The Thaiger, click HERE. “Mommy, there’s a snake!” my 8 year old daughter Eliza said, waking me up in the middle of the night. I came out of our modest bungalow in Phuket at some unholy…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Busy in BKK – dust off the planes, Thais are travelling again! VIDEO
BKK is busy, well, compared to the last 10 months in Thailand. Bangkok’s two airports were closed as part of the 2020 ‘lockdown’ and only reopened at the end of May after about 8 weeks, and only to domestic traffic (with some limited international repatriation, cargo, and a few passenger flights). Over the past 10 months Tim has been flying…
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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…
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Travelling to Thailand right now (April edition)
Finding information about traveling to Thailand at this time can be a bit confusing. Suddenly there’s a lot more paperwork and the Thai government keep updating the situation. But the good news is that the Thai government have at least put out a 4-part plan to totally re-open the country by the end of 2021/start of 2022. You also need…
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Reporter banned from Government House says police aimed a gun at her at rally
A Thai reporter who has been banned from Government House claims a police officer pointed a gun at her, 2 days before the run-in with the PM that led to her removal from the press gallery. Kamonthip Aungsakularporn found her access to Government House revoked after challenging PM Prayut Chan-o-cha over claims that Thailand was forcing Burmese refugees back over…
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Heavy storms to hit many parts of Thailand between today and Tuesday
The Thai Meteorological Department is warning of sudden summer storms, bringing strong gusts and possibly even hail, across many parts of the country. Yep, looks like the wet season has arrive d abut early in parts of Thailand this year. The TMD says the north-east, east, north, central, and upper south of the country will be affected from today until…
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Hong Kong slaps Singapore Airlines with 2 week ban over Covid infractions
Hong Kong has implemented a 2 week ban on Singapore Airlines passenger flights from Singapore, after a passenger tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday. Hong Kong authorities say 3 other passengers on the flight also failed to follow the territory’s Prevention and Control of Disease Regulations. Singapore Airlines have confirmed the ban, which is in place until April 16, but…
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Fears grow in Myanmar as military junta orders internet shutdown
Pro-democracy activists in Myanmar are desperately trying to find alternative communication channels as the country’s internet blackout worsens. On Thursday, the military ordered internet providers to cut off wireless broadband access, despite businesses in the country calling for a halt to the ongoing disruption to service. Internet provider Ooredoo texted customers to inform them that the Burmese military has issued…
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Thailand News Today | Monk dies after C-19 vaccine, Phuket dusts off international airport | April 2
In today’s episode we look at…An elderly monk has died after being vaccinated for Covid-19, Phuket Airport’s international terminal is switching its light on for the first time in nearly a year, and an elaborate banquet set up in Chon Buri… but all the guest were dead. A 70 year old monk has died the day after he was injected…
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Belgian police clash with Covid-19-flaunting park crowd
While the Thai government has decided that spraying water for Songkran may lead to a Covid-19 outbreak, Belgian authorities sprayed water on a crowd to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak in Brussels. What started as an April Fool’s Day prank devolved into pandemonium and violence as throngs of people violating coronavirus restrictions and police trying to enforce the rules. Mounted on…
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Songkran, Thailand’s wettest holiday, dampened by Covid-19
Holiday spending during Songkran, the one time when “raining on one’s parade” is a plus, is projected to be the lowest in 9 years at about 113 billion baht, down 17% from 2019 with people still facing concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism industry has been hoping for a big boost from the celebration, but it is seeming less…
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Personal Data Protection Act might be delayed to give businesses more time to prepare
The launch of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act, set to go into effect in June, might be delayed to allow small and medium-sized more time to prepare for the new regulations. The new Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn says that if the public has negative views about the new legislation, then the ministry might discuss whether to defer…
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Pattaya water drainage system construction completed
A major water drainage system construction project in Jomtien has been completed on schedule according to Pattaya City officials. The construction was needed to resolve frequent problems in the area with flooding by adding more water drainage pipes to the ocean while also widening the pipes already in place in the area. The project covered a lower area in town,…
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Thai baht performs worst of all Southeast Asian currencies
Among common currencies in Southeast Asia, the Thai baht was the worst performing in the first quarter of 2021, mostly due to Covid-19’s effect on tourism in Thailand. This week the baht hit its lowest point in half a year, falling 4% against the US dollar to 31.24. The decline was the sharpest in all of the Southeast Asian nations.…
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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…
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UN Human Rights Office calls for Southeast Asian countries to protect Burmese refugees
With Burmese nationals fleeing to Thailand to escape the violence in following the military coup, the United Nations UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia is calling on all neighbouring countries to protect the refugees and to not force undocumented migrants to return to Myanmar. The UN says the human rights situation in Myanmar is “rapidly deteriorating.” At least 510…
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58 new Covid infections, 2 from entertainment venues
Thailand is reporting 58 new Covid-19 infections today with 2 being from entertainment venues. Thailand’s death toll has remained unchanged at 94. 45 of today’s cases were locally-transmitted and 13 were imported, raising the total in the Kingdom to 28,947 since the pandemic began in early 2020. The spokesman for the CCSA, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, says the 2 cases from the…
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TAT says Phuket beaches have been “revitalised” during the pandemic
Phuket’s beaches are perhaps one of the only silver linings from the Covid pandemic, with marine life visibly rebounding after a long break from tourism, at least that’s what the Tourism Authority of Thailand says. The tourism officials say the huge reduction in tourist traffic has contributed to the Andaman Sea and coastlines becoming clearer than it has been in…
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Phuket International Airport getting ready for reopening
Phuket International Airport is readying for the island’s reopening by beginning the vaccination process of all employees. The mandatory inoculations is hoped to increase confidence among foreign visitors, as many who have received a Covid vaccine, can now enter the island with relaxed quarantine measures. Just yesterday, officials confirmed that 2 flights from Germany will kick off the airport’s reopening,…
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