Thailand

  • Pattaya News20 people arrested at Pattaya restaurant for allegedly violating alcohol ban

    20 people arrested at Pattaya restaurant for allegedly violating alcohol ban

    Police in Pattaya arrested 20 people last night at a local restaurant where alcohol was reportedly being sold. While Chon Buri recently eased disease control restrictions, now allowing restaurants in the province to offer dine-in services again, alcohol sales and consumption at restaurants are still prohibited. Saewana restaurant was raided at around 11pm last night by officers from Pattaya and…

  • Covid-19 NewsActive Covid-19 clusters reported in 16 Bangkok districts

    Active Covid-19 clusters reported in 16 Bangkok districts

    Bangkok residents living in any of the 16 districts in the capital with active Covid-19 clusters are being advised to strictly follow disease control measures. Spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin made the warning during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing. In the latest wave of Covid-19 infections, more than 28,000 cases have been reported in Bangkok. Taweeslip says there have been…

  • Thailand NewsPublic Health Minister says no need for lockdown in Bangkok

    Public Health Minister says no need for lockdown in Bangkok

    While Bangkok remains the epicentre of the latest wave of Covid-19, with more than 28,000 coronavirus cases in the capital since April 1, Thailand’s public health minister says there’s no need to impose a lockdown. Restrictions are already tight in Bangkok, which is classified as a “dark red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Public Health…

  • Crime NewsMan arrested for allegedly exchanging fake US bills for 1.2 million baht

    Man arrested for allegedly exchanging fake US bills for 1.2 million baht

    A man was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly exchanging counterfeit foreign bank notes at a currency exchange kiosk, taking off with 1.2 million baht. Police say Thanat Amatawimut, a 42 year old building contractor, exchanged 360 fake $100 USD bills for 1.2 million baht at a kiosk in Bangkok back in 2019. The staff accepted the cash, but later realised…

  • Thailand NewsEducation Ministry launches online platform as schools’ reopening plans delayed

    Education Ministry launches online platform as schools’ reopening plans delayed

    Thailand’s Education Ministry is launching an online platform for public school students who are, once again, being forced to learn at home due to restrictions and limitations imposed by the government. The third wave of the virus has prompted authorities to postpone the reopening of government schools from May 17 (yesterday) to June 1. However, as daily infections keep rising, that…

  • Thailand NewsThai students to get free unlimited internet to help with online learning

    Thai students to get free unlimited internet to help with online learning

    Thai government school students are set to get free unlimited internet to help students move their studies online after the third wave of Covid-19 has forced schools’ reopening date to be postponed to June 1 from May 17. Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn, in along with the Education Ministry, said the internet packages will be powered by Thailand’s…

  • Thailand NewsKoh Samet reopens after being closed for 3 weeks due to Covid-19

    Koh Samet reopens after being closed for 3 weeks due to Covid-19

    Koh Samet off the coast of Rayong has reopened to visitors after being closed for 3 weeks. The Gulf of Thailand island is safe to visit and disease control measures are being enforced, according to the Koh Samet tourism association chairperson told the Bangkok Post. On April 27, the Rayong governor ordered for Koh Samet to be closed to visitors…

  • Covid-19 NewsThose under 60 years old can make vaccine appointments at end of month

    Those under 60 years old can make vaccine appointments at end of month

    Those residents between 18 and 59 years old can now plan on registering for a Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the month. The deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, made the announcement, giving the date of May 31 as the opening day for those in that age group to register through the Mor Prom app, Line chat, or at hospitals.…

  • Thailand NewsJustice Minister says 50,000 inmates will be released following Covid-19 outbreaks

    Justice Minister says 50,000 inmates will be released following Covid-19 outbreaks

    With thousands of inmates now infected with Covid-19 at several Thai prisons, shedding light on the country’s longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons, Thailand’s justice minister says around 50,000 inmates will be released next month. So far, the Department of Corrections has reported 10,384 Covid-19 cases in Thai prisons. Following the last week’s outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central…

  • Thailand NewsBritish tourists come forward about being attacked on Koh Tao in 2013

    British tourists come forward about being attacked on Koh Tao in 2013

    Many continue to contend that Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, the 2 Burmese young men convicted for the 2014 murder of 2 tourists on Koh Tao’s Sairee Beach, are innocent. Now 2 tourists who were attacked on the same beach, just a year before the murder, are now coming forward to help prove that the conviction could have been unreliable.…

  • Phuket NewsFishermen find space debris off the coast of Phuket

    Fishermen find space debris off the coast of Phuket

    Local fishermen found space debris, possibly from a satellite or space shuttle, on the seabed just 6 metres below the surface by Koh Ael in Phuket. At first, no one knew exactly what it was. Specialists from a Navy explosive ordinance disposal unit were first called to look at the round, hollow metal object which was about 45 centimetres in…

  • Thailand NewsPM Prayut Chan-o-cha announces 20 year plan to take action against corruption

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announces 20 year plan to take action against corruption

    Action against corruption in Thailand is now a “national agenda” and a 20-year plan, backed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, is set to be rolled out to promote transparency in the Thai government, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced today. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being “highly corrupt” and 100 being “very clean,” Thailand’s score is 36, according…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 spreads to 12 Thailand prisons infecting 9,789 people

    Covid-19 spreads to 12 Thailand prisons infecting 9,789 people

    Over the past week, 12 prisons in Thailand have reported Covid-19 infections infecting thousands of inmates. Out of the 9,789 Covid-19 infections reported by the Department of Corrections, nearly 4,000 cases were reported at the Chiang Mai Central Prison. Outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution were first reported last week after a pro-democracy protest leader…

  • Thailand NewsBritish health secretary tells Brits to bypass Thailand for summer holidays

    British health secretary tells Brits to bypass Thailand for summer holidays

    The British health secretary is telling Brits to bypass countries that are labelled amber, like Thailand, for their summer holidays. Matt Hancock, says those countries labelled by the government’s traffic lights travel guide include Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The colours denote the Covid situation in each country. He says, instead, for Brits to vacation at home…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand to get Moderna vaccine by this October

    Thailand to get Moderna vaccine by this October

    Thailand is expecting to get the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine by this October as an alternative to AstraZeneca and Sinovac. The secretary-general of the Private Hospital Association, says 5 to 6 million doses will be shipped to Thailand in the second half of this year. Last week, the Moderna vaccine was approved for emergency use in Thailand by the Food and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police search for foreigners who were seen drinking beer at a restaurant

    Phuket police search for foreigners who were seen drinking beer at a restaurant

    Phuket officials are serious about disease control orders banning parties and gatherings with friends, especially when alcohol is involved. They’re so serious, that apparently they’re searching for 4 foreigners who were seen drinking beers at a restuarant in Rawai. Police raided the restaurant yesterday at a complaint from a woman who works for the local district office. She was out…

  • Covid-19 NewsPediatrician says lucky 1 month old baby has recovered from Covid-19

    Pediatrician says lucky 1 month old baby has recovered from Covid-19

    A pediatrician is saying a 1 month old baby is incredibly lucky after recovering from the Covid-19 virus in Surat Thani province. Infectious disease doctor Suchada Ruenglerdpong says the baby boy was the youngest patient in the Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital. He allegedly contracted the virus from a family member who was infected at a funeral cluster in the province.…

  • Covid-19 NewsFourth prison Covid-19 outbreak: 1,725 inmates infected at Thonburi prison

    Fourth prison Covid-19 outbreak: 1,725 inmates infected at Thonburi prison

    Thailand’s Department of Corrections is now tackling Covid-19 outbreaks at 4 prisons. Over the weekend, more than 1,700 Covid-19 infections were detected at the Thonburi Remand Prison, adding to the more than 3,000 infections at the Klong Prem Central Prison, Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution. Prior to the recent prison Covid-19 clusters, hundreds of inmates at prisons…

  • Covid-19 NewsWalk-in vaccination centre to open at Bangkok’s Bang Sue railway station

    Walk-in vaccination centre to open at Bangkok’s Bang Sue railway station

    Thailand’s Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has confirmed that a walk-in vaccination centre will open at Bang Sue railway station in Bangkok, from next month. The centre will serve the capital’s residents and those in the surrounding provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that 13,500 square metres of space is being transformed into a Covid-19 vaccination centre, with the goal of administering…

  • Covid-19 NewsNo more face masks for speakers at government meetings – PM

    No more face masks for speakers at government meetings – PM

    The PM has signed into law a waiver on the mandatory face mask rule for officials addressing Parliament. However, MPs will still be required to wear face masks, unless they are speaking. The announcement has been published on the Royal Gazette website, making it official. According to a Bangkok Post report, the new waiver also applies to local administration meetings.…

  • Thailand NewsThe Boys in Brown go 2-tone khaki – Thailand’s new police uniform on trial

    The Boys in Brown go 2-tone khaki – Thailand’s new police uniform on trial

    Elastic waistband and fitted baseball caps – the new height of Thai constabulary haute couture to grace the streets of Thailand. Some law-enforcement super models are currently strutting the streets parading some of the ‘nouveau’ police uniforms. The boys in brown are morphing into the boys in 2-tone khaki with black accessories and utility accents. The move is towards greater…

  • Covid-19 NewsFamily sues Thai PM, CCSA after Covid-infected relative dies

    Family sues Thai PM, CCSA after Covid-infected relative dies

    The family of a man who died while infected with Covid-19 is demanding the Thai PM, as well as other government officials, pay millions of baht in compensation, citing “negligence” after calls to Covid-19 hotlines went unanswered or were not of help. 35 year old Kunlasub Watthanaphon died on April 23. Kunlasub is said to have contracted the virus from a…

  • Thailand NewsIs Thailand the best country for digital nomads?

    Is Thailand the best country for digital nomads?

    Is Thailand the best country in the world for digital nomads? Some think so. The French travel and tourism operator Club Med recently did a study and found that Thailand tops the list of best countries for digital nomads with Phuket as the number one ‘city’ to live in while working remotely. (We acknowledge that Phuket can hardly be regarded…

  • Thailand NewsInmates in Thai prisons to get vaccinated against Covid-19 next month

    Inmates in Thai prisons to get vaccinated against Covid-19 next month

    All inmates in Thai prisons will be vaccinated against Covid-19 starting next month. The announcement of the nationwide prison vaccination campaign follows this week’s outbreaks infecting nearly 3,000 inmates at 2 Bangkok prisons. There have also been outbreaks at prisons in Chiang Mai and the southern province of Narathiwat. At the Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok, more than 1,000…

  • Crime NewsKrabi police search for 3 murder suspects after body and car found buried at plantation

    Krabi police search for 3 murder suspects after body and car found buried at plantation

    Police in Krabi are searching for 3 brothers suspected of shooting a man before dousing his body in acid and setting him on fire. The body of 54 year old Suchart Khaoluan was found buried in a rubber plantation after he was reported missing for 2 weeks. Suchart had been missing since May 3. One of the suspects, 32 year…

  • Covid-19 NewsCCSA to discuss Covid-19 zoning tomorrow, restrictions likely to loosen in some provinces

    CCSA to discuss Covid-19 zoning tomorrow, restrictions likely to loosen in some provinces

    Thailand’s colour-coded zoning for Covid-19 control will be discussed tomorrow by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Some restrictions are likely to be lifted in some provinces, such as the ban on dine-in services at restaurants in “dark red” zones. The colour scale goes from green to dark red, with green provinces reporting no recent Covid-19 infections. Under the current…

  • Thailand NewsThai factory owners warned over not following disease control measures

    Thai factory owners warned over not following disease control measures

    Factory owners in Thailand are being warned to strictly adhere to disease control measures set forth by The Department of Disease Control as the risk of spreading Covid-19 is high in such densely populated buildings. The DDC director-general says the Thai Stop Covid Plus platform has surveyed 1,386 factories so far, finding that 76% of them complied with the measures.…

  • Bangkok NewsCovid UPDATE: 2,256 new infections and 30 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 2,256 new infections and 30 deaths, provincial totals

    2,256 new Covid-19 infections and 30 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 33,186 active Covid-19 cases with most patients are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 96,050 Covid-19 infections and 548 coronavirus-related deaths. Out…

  • Crime NewsInmate escapes from hospital in Rayong after Covid-19 test, arrested in Chanthaburi

    Inmate escapes from hospital in Rayong after Covid-19 test, arrested in Chanthaburi

    Still dressed in a hospital gown, a prison inmate hopped on a motorbike and fled a hospital in Rayong after being tested for Covid-19. He was arrested in the neighbouring province Chanthaburi and now faces theft charges for stealing the motorbike. The results from his Covid-19 test have not been released. Thailand has reported numerous Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons in…

  • Thailand NewsPrivate hospitals in Thailand working to offer more choices in Covid vaccines

    Private hospitals in Thailand working to offer more choices in Covid vaccines

    The Private Hospital Association is now working to offer a variety of Covid-19 vaccine brands to Thais in an effort to help boost herd immunity. Thailand currently has only 2 Covid-19 vaccine brands that are currently available and covered by the Thai government’s free inoculation programme. AstraZeneca and Sinovac are on the list, but recipients have no choice in which…