Thailand
- Crime News
Legal proceedings expected this week for “Joe Ferrari” death in custody case
Officers from the Crime Suppression Division have completed their investigation into the former police chief known as “Joe Ferrari” who is accused of suffocating a suspect to death while demanding a 2 million baht bribe. Nation Thailand reports that prosecutors will launch legal proceedings this week against the station chief of rural province Nakhon Sawan and six of his subordinates.…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 8,452 new cases; provincial totals
57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 18,922 with 18,828 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,452 new Covid-19 cases and 8,449 recoveries. There are now 98,096 people in Thailand being…
- Bangkok News
Russell Crowe bids Bangkok goodbye after much-praised tweets
Hollywood movie star Russell Crowe has been causing a sensation among Thai social media, first visiting and praising the Phuket Sandbox, and later travelling around Bangkok. Now his much-celebrated trip is coming to an end as he posts a goodbye message to Bangkok on Twitter. Crowe first got attention as he arrived in Phuket on September 18 to do his…
- Thailand News
Thai government forms panel to probe the export of used medical gloves
The Thai government has formed a panel to investigate the export of millions of used medical gloves from Thailand to the US. The investigation follows a recent CNN report into the international trade of substandard medical equipment, with an underground industry having emerged in Southeast Asia, seeking to capitalise on Covid-fuelled global demand. Reporters found that tens of millions of…
- Property News
Thailand makes top 5 list of places to buy real estate overseas
Thailand has made number 4 on the list of best places to buy real estate overseas, according to LiveandInvestOverseas.com. As the overseas property market is booming, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the website says such property stands out among others, as it is a hard asset that provides diversification of asset class and likely currency. What this means, essentially, is…
- Transport News
Used car market set for further growth following Covid-19 pandemic
While local industries have broadly suffered in the wake of the Covid pandemic, apparently the used car market in Thailand has been doing fairly well. According to the Bangkok Post, the Association of Used Cars says the pandemic has contributed to strong market growth. With commuters fearful of catching the virus on public transport, many have decided to buy a…
- Property
Chinese entrepreneurs betting on real estate ahead of reopening
Thailand’s scheduled reopening is just around the corner, and Chinese entrepreneurs have already begun placing bets on prized real estate. Some are plowing money into acquiring hotels, land, and other properties with record-low prices, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nancy Chen, a Fujian native, joins the growing number of Chinese who have decided to take a chance and invest in…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 8,452 new cases and 57 deaths
8,452 new Covid-19 cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. Thailand’s latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,846,452 confirmed Covid-19 infections. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 8,449 recoveries. There are now 98,096 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new…
- Covid-19 News
Expert says Delta Plus could be up to 15% more transmissible than Delta Covid variant
The Delta Plus coronavirus subvariant, which has recently been detected in Thailand, could be up to 15% more transmissible than the original Delta strain, according to the vice chairman of the Thai Senate health committee. As reported by Thai PBS World, Dr Chalermchai Boonyaleephan says that preliminary studies indicate Delta Plus cases account for 6% of new infections in the…
- Thailand News
Digital platforms to be subject to new regulations following draft decree
Digital platform businesses will be required to observe a number of new regulations in Thailand following cabinet’s recent approval of a draft decree. As reported by Reuters, a government spokesperson has confirmed the decree, which will apply to business both in and outside of Thailand, is aimed at maintaining financial and commercial stability, in addition to preventing damage to the…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport prepares for November reopening
With the November 1 reopening approaching, Bangkok officials visited the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to review the procedures and Covid-19 preventative measures. Under the reopening plan, the quarantine period will be waived for travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, travelling from countries classified by the Thai government as a “low risk” for the coronavirus, and test negative for the virus.…
- Covid-19 News
Tuesday Covid Update: 7,706 new cases; provincial totals
7,706 new Covid-19 cases were reported by the CCSA today, a record low over the past several months. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,532 recoveries. There are now 98,150 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded 1,866,863 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The latest…
- Thailand News
November reopening concerns majority of Thais, Department of Health survey shows
While many seem excited with the plan to reopen the country to vaccinated travellers on November 1, apparently the majority of Thais are concerned with how the Covid-19 situation will be with an influx of visitors from overseas. Thailand’s Department of Health conducted a survey from October 14 to 20 and found that 94% of participants are concerned with how…
- Thailand News
British divers say they risked arrest for giving boys ketamine during cave rescue
Rescue divers who saved the 12 football players and their coach trapped in a flooded cave say they risked getting arrested for giving the boys ketamine to sedate them for the two and a half hour underwater journey out of the cave. The Sun reported that British divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen say they warned that if any of…
- Thailand News
Prayut orders investigation into used medical gloves exported to the US
Following a CNN investigation into the export of millions of substandard medical gloves from Thailand, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked his deputy with delving further into the matter. According to a Bangkok Post report, Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit will take the reins of a probe, looking into the issue which has attracted global headlines since the CNN…
- Bangkok News
Chulalongkorn students drop royal parade on grounds it promotes “authoritarianism”
The Student Union of Chulalongkorn University has controversially ditched its tradition of holding a royal parade ahead of its annual football match with Thammasat University. The decision to scrap the Phra Kiew parade, which students say promotes authoritarianism and inequality, has sparked fierce debate between Thailand’s progressive thinkers and its traditional conservatives. The Chulalongkorn student body has issued a statement…
- Covid-19 News
Tuesday Covid Update: 7,706 new cases and 66 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported another low of 7,706 new Covid-19 cases and 66 coronavirus-related deaths. In the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded a total of 1,838,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,532 recoveries. There are now 98,150 people in Thailand…
- Environment News
Bangkok and surrounding provinces warned to prepare for dust pollution
Now’s a good time to shore up your collection of PM2.5 masks and make sure your air purifier is running smoothly, with dust pollution forecast to hit Bangkok and its surrounding provinces from the end of October. According to a Thai PBS World report, weather conditions – namely the arrival of high atmospheric pressure – will be ripe for the…
- Pattaya News
“Free parking” signs placed at Pattaya pier after complaints of scammers
After numerous complaints that people were soliciting money for parking spaces at Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier, some reportedly asking for up to 500 baht, city officials have installed signs announcing that parking is free and to report if they are being charged for a space. The Pattaya News has reported that the free spaces are located at the blue field…
- Thailand News
Bangkok land prices rising, but still below pre-pandemic average
While Bangkok land prices are hardly on a tear, they continue to rise even amid the economic uncertainty brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Figures from the Real Estate Information Centre, known as REIC, show a quarterly rise of 0.5%, and a yearly rise of 7.6%, in the land price index in Greater Bangkok in the third quarter. As reported by…
- Thailand News
Huge quantities of used medical gloves shipped from Thailand to US
Huge quantities of used medical gloves have been shipped from Thailand as shady operators seek to cash in on Covid-fuelled demand for personal protective equipment, or PPE, according to a report from CNN following a months-long investigation. With demand having skyrocketed around the world, an underground industry based around reusing PPE has emerged in Southeast Asia, with the shoddy medical…
- Thailand News
Thai government presents actor Russell Crowe with “thank you” gift basket
Hollywood actor Russell Crowe has met with Thai government officials during his much-publicised travels around Bangkok. The Bangkok Post reports that Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome presented the actor with a gift and flowers to thank him for his positive promotion of Thailand. Crowe, who is filming a movie in Thailand, has tweeted his 2.7 million followers about the friendliness of…
- Covid-19 News
First batch of Moderna doses to arrive Monday
560,000 long-awaited doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will finally arrive in the kingdom on November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, their arrival has been confirmed by Dr Chalerm Harnpanich, president of the Private Hospital Association. He says once quality checks have been completed, they will be distributed to the hospitals and other institutions who ordered them. The…
- Covid-19 News
Monday Covid Update: 8,675 new cases and 44 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 8,675 new Covid-19 cases and 44 coronavirus-related deaths. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 9,589 recoveries. There are now 100,042 people in Thailand receiving treatment for Covid-19. Since April 1, in the country’s most severe wave of the virus, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,830,294 confirmed Covid-19 cases.…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 Saturday: 74 deaths, 9,742 infections, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 9,742 new Covid-19 infections, down 68 since yesterday, and 74 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 8 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,812,268 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,182 recoveries, up 331…
- Tourism News
Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of
OPINION The opening you have when you’re not quite open. Quarantine-free arrival, except that you’ll still need to book at least 1 night of stay in an approved hotel or AQ (alternative quarantine). No bars are open (officially) and, in most parts of the country, most shops remain closed. In tourist-dependent places like Phuket, more than 90% of the formerly…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 Friday: 66 deaths, 9,810 infections, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 9,810 new Covid-19 infections, up 83 since yesterday, and 66 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 7 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,802,526 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,513 recoveries, up 438 from…
- Thailand News
Thai car production expected to grow
Car production in Thailand is expected to grow, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. With the rates of Covid-19 infections falling and the careful management of the semiconductor shortage, the target of 1.6 million units is expected to be surpassed. Lockdowns and other restrictions are being eased in many countries that buy cars produced in Thailand, which means that…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 infected patients to receive vaccine after recovering
Covid-19 infected patients who have had at least 1 month to recover are now approved to get a Covid-19 vaccine. The Public Health Ministry says it will provide AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. Sophon Mekthon, assistant to the public health minister, announced the decision this week. Those who have been infected that have yet to be vaccinated or who have received only…
- South Thailand News
Expelled monk returns to southern Thailand to celebrate birthday
A former monk who was expelled from monkhood has returned to southern Thailand to celebrate his birthday. Phra Yantra Amaro Bhikku, who is now known as Winai La-Ongsuwan, became disgraced from monkhood after alleged sexual misconduct. Although he has often returned to Thailand after his criminal defamation case against him in 2014, Covid-19 has kept him away for the past…