Thailand
- Covid-19 News
UK variant more contagious but not more deadly – Lancet study
Studies published in the renowned peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet have found no evidence that the so-called UK strain of Covid-19 is more deadly. However, they do confirm that it is more contagious. The B117 variant, to give it its official name, has now been detected in Thailand, originally found in a cluster of infections from Bangkok nightlife venues. It…
- Covid-19 News
Understanding Covid-19 UK variant as it hits Thailand
The so-called UK variant of Covid-19, a strain that is 1.7 times more contagious and deadly, has arrived in Thailand, present in the cluster in Bangkok’s upscale Thong Lor area that has spawned the pandemic third wave. Here’s why you should care. Referred to as the B117 variant, it first emerged in the UK county of Kent, though new research…
- Covid-19 News
Officials say no plan to change mandatory hospitalisation for Covid patients
Health officials insist that, despite rising infection rates, there is no plan to allow people who test positive for Covid-19 to self-isolate at home. Currently, everyone found to be infected is admitted for hospital treatment, even if asymptomatic. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the policy limits the number of patients who go on to transmit the…
- Covid-19 News
Top virologist warns of vaccine limitations against South African, Brazilian variants
A prominent Thai virologist says Thailand must prevent the arrival of the South African (also known as 20H/501Y.V2, B.1.351 lineage) or Brazilian Covid-19 (B.1.1.248) variants, warning that vaccines are not fully effective against those strains, or at least there is not enough conclusive information about their efficacy against the new variants at this stage. Yong Poovorawan from Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University…
- Environment News
Environmentalists criticise Netflix fishing doco for inaccuracies and misinformation
As Thailand accuses a Netflix documentary of using outdated and inaccurate information about the country’s fishing industry, a number of global environmental experts are echoing similar criticisms. According to a report in Coconuts, Seaspiracy has been slammed for being full of inaccuracies and twisting the science behind the damage to the world’s oceans, minimising the role of climate change and…
- Covid-19 News
Thai businesses frustrated over limited choice of vaccines, slow pace of rollout
Business and tourism representatives are expressing growing anger over the slow pace of Thailand’s vaccine rollout and the limited number of vaccines on offer. Their frustration comes as other countries around the world begin to see encouraging results from their vaccination efforts. And, while the latest rise in Covid-19 infections can be partly attributed to the presence of the so-called…
- Road deaths
Thailand road accidents cost 500 billion baht per year
Thailand is notorious for its road and driving conditions, and a disproportionate number of driving accidents. The World Health Organisation now reports that road accidents cost an estimated 500 billion baht in 2019 alone. The WHO report placed Thailand as the number one country in ASEAN with a 32.7 per cent death rate, the highest in Southeast Asia. The Road…
- Covid-19 News
Private hospitals in Thailand to get 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses
In addition to the 70 million Covid-19 vaccine doses reserved by the government, private hospitals in Thailand can acquire another 10 million doses. The additional vaccines are needed to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. Both the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, currently used for the government’s vaccination campaign, require 2 doses to be effective. The 70 million doses procured by…
- Covid-19 News
MP claims 2 Cabinet ministers visited Covid-cluster venue in Thong Lor
With a third of the Thai Cabinet in isolation after coming in close contact with Covid-19, a MP claims 2 Cabinet ministers went to a nightlife venue in Bangkok’s Thong Lor where a cluster of Covid-19 infections have been reported. The chair of the House committee on legal affairs, justice and human rights, Sira Jenjaka, says he has photo evidence…
- Covid-19 News
Around 7,000 people in Bangkok have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19
Only 7,121 residents in Bangkok have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 since the Thai government rolled out its immunisation campaign in late-February, according to a report from Nation Thailand. Bangkok has more than 10 million residents. To reach herd immunity against Covid-19, 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated. More than 100,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been…
- Covid-19 News
16 more Covid infections reported today in Phuket
Phuket is reporting 16 more infections today. It follows visits from Bangkok and last weekend’s Kolour Beachside parties that have resulted in a number of new Covid infections. The number of new infections has reached 26. But deputy governor Vikrom Jakthee says the province has been successful in containing the new outbreak “due to its quick response measures which now include…
- Thailand News
Government helps direct refunds for cancelled holiday trips
For those who are cancelling their holiday trips due to Thailand’s recent Covid-19 outbreak, the government is issuing measures to help with refunds. The Transport Ministry says people who have booked bus and rail-services between the April 9-18 Songkran holiday, can claim full refunds if they want to cancel their trips. But the ministry says people should give at least…
- Hot News
Thai fishing industry officials protest controversial ‘Seaspiracy’ documentary
Thai fishing industry officials are protesting the controversial ‘Seaspiracy’ documentary as they say its information, regarding human trafficking, is outdated. The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre spokesman Pokkhrong Monthatphalin, says the government had been cleaning up the fishing industry for years after its illegal practises were highlighted in 2015. He says Thai authorities have been trying to invited the documentary’s…
- Thailand News
Giant monitor lizard visits Thai 7 Eleven store, video goes viral
A giant, nearly 2 metre long, monitor lizard decided to visit a 7 Eleven store looking for food, with customers and staff wondering what he (or she) was going to do next. The lizard climbed up a fully stacked shelf of dairy products, with apparently no cares in the world, as he clumsily knocked off cartons of milk and other…
- Thailand News
UPDATE: Thai PM orders closure of bars and clubs in 41 provinces
UPDATE: The order to close bars and nightlife venues in 41 provinces will go into effect at midnight, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced this afternoon. Under emergency measures, the local governments in the other 36 provinces have the power to set restrictions and close venues if needed to control the Covid-19 situation. Original story… The order to close…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Rai sees 2 new infections linked to Bangkok, Chiang Mai entertainment venues
Chiang Rai is reporting 2 new Covid infections that are linked to entertainment venue clusters from Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The people who tested positive for the virus have entered a 14 day mandatory hospital quarantine. The governor of Chiang Rai and chair of the Communicable Diseases Committee ordered anyone travelling to the province from a red zone to self-monitor…
- Covid-19 News
All new Covid-19 infections in Chiang Mai are linked to nightlife venues
All of the new Covid-19 infections reported by health officials in Chiang Mai yesterday are linked to local nightlife venues. Over the past few days, 47 cases linked to bars and nightclubs have been confirmed, including the 36 new cases reported yesterday by the provincial communicable disease control panel. With the rise of infections linked to entertainment venues, Chiang Mai…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok could take months to control, health official says
It could take more than 2 months to control the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok which is concentrated around bars and nightclubs in Thong Lor. Health officials suspect the faster-spreading UK variant of the virus has spread at the bars and entertainment venues in Bangkok. The outbreak has reached around 20 provinces. While it may take 1 to 2 months…
- Covid-19 News
25,000 people injected with Covid-19 vaccine this week in Koh Samui
This week, 25,000 people in Koh Samui have been injected with the Covid-19 vaccine. The island plans to vaccinate 70% of its population by July to reach ‘herd immunity’ and reopen the tourist destination to vaccinated travellers, following the Phuket ‘sandbox’ model. The vaccines were offered to the general public, including expats, at Rajabhat University, Bangkok Hospital Samui, Central Festival…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 vaccines from private sector importers allowed
Thailand’s private sector will be allowed to purchase and import Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand, according to a government deputy spokesperson today. She declared that the government will not monopolise the vaccination market and that private enterprises can import Covid-19 vaccines for sale. A lot of confusion exists in the public regarding the situation with vaccines and the spokesperson stated that…
- Covid-19 News
UPDATE: 405 new Covid-19 cases, CCSA considers closing nightlife venues across Thailand
In what a spokesperson calls a “whopping number” of Covid-19 infections in the past few months, 405 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Many of the infections are linked to nightlife venues primarily in Bangkok among a young adult population in their 20s and 30s, according to deputy spokesperson for the Ministry…
- Covid-19 News
Thai Health Minister pictured without mask, sitting next to infected Transport Minister
Do as I say, not as I do… Thailand’s Public Health Minister has been caught without a face mask while sitting next to a Cabinet minister who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. Anutin Charnvirakul, previously considered an enthusiastic proponent of mask-wearing, sat next to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob while attending a merit-making event on Tuesday. Saksayam tested positive for Covid-19…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok prepares to open field hospital as officials warn of a rapid rise in infections
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is considering opening a field hospital in preparation for a rapid rise in Covid-19 infections that could overwhelm medical facilities in the capital. Thai PBS World reports that the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has instructed the BMA and the Ministry of Interior to arrange space in which a field hospital could be set up. The PM says…
- Covid-19 News
UK variant arrives in Thailand, top virologist warns against unnecessary Songkran travel
“Whatever will be, will be. The reason is, it’s a matter that involves a huge number of people. The government will have to try to cope with that later.” – Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. A prominent Thai virologist has confirmed that the so-called UK Covid-19 variant, aka B117, is behind the latest cluster of infections detected at Bangkok nightlife venues,…
- Covid-19 News
Top doctors say Thong Lor cluster might be the UK Covid-19 variant
The UK variant of Covid-19 might be the strain of the virus that broke out at nightclubs and bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area, according to 2 top doctors in Thailand. The B117 variant is said to be faster-spreading – about 1.7 times more contagious than the original strain. Doctors suspect the mutated strain led to the outbreak at the…
- Tourism News
Sony, Amazon Falls to set up amusement park in Thailand
Sony Pictures Entertainment is setting up an amusement park in Thailand that is based on its Columbia Pictures movies. The entertainment giant is working with Thailand’s Amazon Falls to plan the venture, with an opening date set for this October. The water park, named Aquaverse, will be spread out among 14 acres and feature rides and attractions with Jumanji, Bad…
- Tourism News
Thailand tourism leaders come together to discuss the industry’s future
The following story was submitted by Bill Barnett, the managing director for C9 Hotelworks. The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest global crisis tourism has ever faced. Against this unprecedented upheaval, many of Thailand’s leading hotel operators and other key players came together under the #ThaiTourismUnited banner at an event in Bangkok, creating a single unified voice to drive the Kingdom’s…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 update: Spike in cases linked to nightlife in Bangkok and Phuket
Bar and club hopping has led to numerous clusters of Covid-19 infections and a spike in the number of daily infections in Thailand. 334 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Most of the cases are in Bangkok. The steep rise in new infections comes just days before the mass migration of…
- Pattaya News
10 new infections in Chon Buri – many linked to Bangkok nightlife
Chon Buri is reporting 10 new Covid infections this morning, with officials saying all the infections appear to have originated from other areas, including entertainment venues in Bangkok. 5 infections were found in Banglamung, 1 in Mueang Chon Buri, and 4 in Sri Racha. The new infections totalled to less than half of yesterday’s 23, with local officials saying they…
- Covid-19 News
2 Cabinet ministers self-isolating after potential Covid exposure
Thailand’s Transport Minister and the newly-appointed Education Minister are both self-isolating after contact with 2 separate Covid-19 patients. Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong is self-isolating at her home in the eastern province of Sa Kaew, after receiving a visitor who subsequently tested positive for the virus. According to a Nation Thailand report, Treenuch’s visitor came to her home on Sunday to…
