Phuket

  • Covid-19 News

    Hungarian tourist dies in Phuket after failing to reveal Bangla Road visits

    Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, the director of Phuket’s Vachira Hospital, has revealed details of a Hungarian tourist who recently died of Covid-19, but had earlier withheld details of his visits to the island’s red light district in Bangla Road, Patong. Bangla Road has been the island’s hotzone for new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The case has resulted in more than…

  • Covid-19 News

    UPDATE: Phuket announces 4 new cases, 5 hotels allowed to remain open

    New cases announced for Phuket this morning. There are now 123 cases around the island, 4 new patients announced today. 98 people are still awaiting their test results. (5 hotels allowed to remain open – below) Patong was locked down on Saturday, with checkpoints at all entry points, restricting travel in and out of the seaside city, except for essential services and travel. People…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket shuts down two more southern subdistricts

    Last night at 10pm Phuket’s Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana, announced the ‘lock down’ of Rawai and Karon districts to contain the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. The proclamation starts today until further notice. “People are asked to say in their homes at all times, while public health teams will be deployed to check any common area for the virus.” “All nonessential…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket reports 9 new coronavirus cases

    Phuket has reported 9 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases today (Saturday), bringing the total number to 109. Of the total, 17 have made a full recovery and been discharged from hospital; 92 are still in hospital, with 1 patient remaining in critical condition. 1,423 people are considered at high risk due to contact with confirmed cases. 221 people are in hospital,…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket governor orders all hotels to close

    The Phuket Governor has ordered all accommodation establishments on the island to shut down as of tomorrow. The order includes: Hotels still with guests are allowed to remain open, but they are not to accept any more guests. The order warns that breaches of the order under ‘Section 12’ of the Communicable Disease Act 2015, will be fined up to…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket reports 13 new coronavirus cases, total now 100

    The southern island province of Phuket confirmed 13 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus today (Friday), bringing the total there to exactly 100. Most appear to have originated in the island’s Patong area, largely from the Bangla Road red light district. The town of Patong was placed on unofficial curfew Wednesday as its governor issued a public decree urging residents…

  • Covid-19 News

    Bangkok, Phuket order convenience stores closed overnight to battle virus

    To fight the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, Bangkok’s convenience stores, food shops and stalls are to be closed from midnight to 5am, effective from now until end of April, by order of City Hall (the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, or BMA). A BMA spokesman says that all public and private parks in communities, housing estates and condos will also be…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket rooftop party busted, drugs seized

    Police arrested 9 foreigners and 5 Thai women for partying in Patong in violation of orders against gathering in crowds, to control the spread of coronavirus disease. They were arrested on the rooftop of a rental house on Sirirat Road in tambon Patong of Kathu district last night after police received a complaint about a loud party. Those arrested included Australians,…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket’s Patong all but shut down

    A notice from Patong municipality is urging Patong’s residents to stay at home and not venture out of doors, including the Soi Bangla entertainment area, which has become the hotbed of Covid-19 coronavirus in the island province of Phuket. The announcement, on government letterhead, says citizens who need food and water can contact authorities for delivery. The notice, seen below,…

  • Covid-19 News

    Bangkok Airways cancels all domestic flights from April 7

    Bangkok Airways has announced today that they will cancel all it domestic flights from April 7 – 30. The company’s vice president, Tresarum Sitakalin says the flights that are being cancelled are… Bangkok – Chiang Mai Bangkok – Phuket Bangkok – Trat Bangkok – Sukhothai Bangkok – Samui Samui – Phuket “The company had previously decreased flight frequencies on these…

  • Covid-19 News

    Urgent repatriation notice for Swiss and German citizens as immigration rules tighten

    An urgent repatriation notice has been issued for Swiss and citizens in Thailand. According to Richard Barrow’s Twitter feed, flights are being urgently chartered to evacuate citizens of both nations: A notice posted on the Embassy of Switzerlad’s website reads… For Swiss travellers in Thailand: Swiss charter flights from Thailand to Switzerland/update… Bangkok – Zurich – Good news: seats are…

  • Covid-19 News

    Canadian family of 4 among Phuket’s coronavirus infections

    Authorities in the southern island province of Phuket today announced that 3 more members from a Canadian are among 7 new confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus infections. The new cases include a 37 year old Canadian woman, her 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter. All are believed to be infected by the woman’s husband, and children’s father, also a…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket records 7 new cases, total 69 (Tuesday)

    The southern island of Phuket, closed to land and sea, and inter-provincial public transport yesterday to stem the spread of the disease, has reported 7 new cases today (Tuesday). It brings the total in Phuket to 69 confirmed cases. Details of today’s new cases are as follows… Case 63: An Australian man, aged 69, a manager at a Khao Lak hotel.…

  • Covid-19 News

    127 new coronavirus cases in Thailand (Tuesday), total 1651, 10 deaths

    The Department of Disease Control of the Ministry of Public Health today (Tuesday, March 31) confirmed 127 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases in its daily press briefing. 1 more death was reported, bringing the national total to 10 since the outbreak began in January. The latest number raises the total number of confirmed infections in Thailand to 1,651 The southern island…

  • Covid-19 News

    30,000 Thai hotels to lose all revenue during April

    According to the Thai Hotels Association, out of the 32,564 hotels registered in Thailand, 95% will lose all revenue during April as the temporary lockdown escalates around the country. Adviser to the THA, Surapong Techaruvichit says that the number of hotel closures is growing every day as more provinces have imposed stricter lockdown policies. “Phuket is the latest major tourism destination…

  • Covid-19 News

    Government aims to limit travel around Thailand by 90%

    It won’t do much for oil prices, but it will flatten Thailand’s Covid-19 ‘curve’ and help with the country’s air pollution problems. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is aiming to cut public transport use by as much as 90% around the country in order to stem the rise of Covid-19 coronavirus infections. Just yesterday, Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced that…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today – Monday, March 30

    136 more virus cases confirmed in Thailand as outbreak spreads out of Bangkok A spokesman for the country’s newly formed Covid-19 Situation Administration Thailand confirmed 136 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases today. This raises the total number of infections to 1,524. Deaths in the Kingdom remain at 7. As of yesterday, 54% of Covid-19 infections were found outside Bangkok with a…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket airport to ban flights April 10-30 over virus fears

    The southern island province of Phuket has sealed its borders by land and sea, and yesterday provincial governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat announced that air transport to Phuket will also shut down beginning April 10 until at least April 30 in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. “Shutting down the air transport route requires seven days notification in advance…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket reports 9 new coronavirus cases

    9 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been reported in the southern island province of Phuket, bringing the total to 62 cases. Most of the new cases originated in the Patong district, again, and many in the area of the Bangla Road red light district. Details of the new cases… Case 54: A 35 year old Canadian man working at…

  • Covid-19 News

    Wear a mask and avoid crowds – Phuket Governor

    A announcement from the Phuket Governor is asking people, now almost marooned on the island since midnight last night, to take extra precautions to slow the spread of the Covid-10 coronavirus around Phuket. Probably the main message to take from this new announcement is that you are expected to wear a face mask any time you are in public spaces…

  • Covid-19 News

    6 new coronavirus cases in Phuket

    Phuket island officials have reported 6 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus as of today (Sunday, March 29), bringing the total to 53 on the southern island. The details as known at time of publication are… Case 48: A 42 year old Thai woman, a gift shop owner in Patong. Case 49: A 32 year old Ukrainian woman who runs…

  • Covid-19 News

    Drug party raided in Chiang Rai for defying public gathering ban

    Authorities are cracking down and enforcing the ban on on public gatherings under the the state of emergency declared to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic last week. 22 people were arrested at a drug party in Chiang Rai yesterday for “gathering in defiance of the Emergency Decree”. 10 men and 12 women between the ages of 20 and 30 were nabbed…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket residents told to stay home from 8pm – 3am ‘until further notice’

    A virtual curfew has been announced for the island of Phuket which will restrict residents to their accommodation or homes from 8pm – 3am until further notice. The only exceptions would be URGENT errands. The announcement takes effect from today until further notice, according to the notice signed by the Phuket Governor. The notice “seeks the collaboration of local residents and…

  • Covid-19 News

    6 new cases in Phuket, most of them from Patong

    The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee announced 6 new Covid-19 cases in Phuket today, bringing the total number of official cases to 47. 4 of the 6 new cases were from Patong, the other 2 from Kata and Karon.8 out of 18 new cases on the island since last Thursday had been visiting or working around Bangla Road. “879 people have been…

  • Covid-19 News

    Chinese tourists arrested for breaking quarantine rules in Phuket

    Four Chinese citizens have been arrested, after having their temperatures checked, in the Saku area, Phuket, after “defying coronavirus quarantine rules”. They spent Thursday night at Saku police station for leaving their rented accommodation without notifying authorities of their move from their previously registered address. Two of them were found at a house in Phuket Town, the other two had headed to…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket reports 7 new coronvirus cases (Friday March 27)

    7 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Phuket, bringing the total confirmed cases on the southern resort island to 41. All appear to originate from the Soi Bangla walking street entertainment area of Patong district. None of the cases is considered critical at this stage. The new cases comprise… • Case 35: A 22 year old Thai woman…

  • Covid-19 News

    Human Rights Watch blasts the arrest of Phuket artist over online comments

    A local artist and art gallery owner in Phuket, Danai Ussama, better known as “Mr Zen”, was arrested at his home on the island this week, on the day before Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced a state of emergency would soon go into effect (which happened on Thursday, March 26). The 42 year old street artist was arrested Monday afternoon and…

  • Covid-19 News

    5 new coronavirus cases reported in Phuket, first in Koh Samui

    Phuket Newshawk reports 5 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases on the southern island of Phuket. The details of the new cases are… A 64 year old Swiss businessman A British man, aged 20, who is a caretaker of yachts A 43 year old Thai woman, a masseuse in Patong A 41 year old Thai man, concierge in a Patong hotel A…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket declares ‘lockdown’ of all but essential services

    A lockdown of all but essential services has been declared for Phuket, echoing the ‘lockdown’ in Bangkok and surrounding provinces over the weekend. The Thaiger has just received an English version but awaiting an internet-friendly version which we will publish ASAP. Here are the main things you need to know.

  • Covid-19 News

    Australian consul general in Phuket confirms letters for stranded Aussie expats

    The Australian Consulate General in Phuket says it will provide visa support letters to any Australians in Thailand who can prove long-term residency in Thailand. The Australian consul general in Phuket confirms that letters for expats caught by Non-Imm O visa requirements will be provided. “Please email Consular.Phuket@dfat.gov.au with your personal particulars page of your passport and a copy of your…