Thailand
- Thailand Protest News
Thai Constitutional Court official files contempt charge against protest leader
A student protest leader is facing charges of contempt after he made statements on Facebook critical of the Constitutional Court ruling to acquit PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, allowing the Thai prime minister and former Army General to continue occupying a military-owned residence. Critics have argued that allowing Prayut, a retired general, to say at the Army residence is a conflict of…
- Thailand Protest News
Schoolgirl bursts into tears meeting Panasaya, fearing for activist’s safety
Protest leader Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been pictured consoling a young schoolgirl who broke down in tears, concerned about the activist’s safety. Rattapol Kaiipah Promsuwan, who witnessed the exchange, has shared a photo of the moment on social media. She says the girl, who is in Grade 6 (making her around 11 years old), had gone to the organisers’…
- Thailand News
Top medic says Thailand can become Southeast Asia’s foremost medical hub
One of Thailand’s most prominent doctors says the country should aim to become the leading medical hub in Southeast Asia, before any future pandemics arise. Prasit Watanapa, from Siriraj Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine, has called on the Kingdom to seize the opportunity, in a speech at “Thailand’s Mega Trends Forum 2020” in Bangkok. The event was organised by Forbes Thailand.…
- Covid-19 News
Chiang Rai man tests positive for Covid-19 after contact with infected returnees
A 28 year old Chiang Rai man tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. Health officials believe the man contracted the virus from one of the 10 infected Thai women who recently returned from Myanmar’s border town Tachileik, evading the mandatory 14 day quarantine. So far, at least 699 people came in contact with the women after they returned, according to permanent…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to start Covid-19 vaccinations in May 2021
A possible end to the pandemic is in sight. Thailand will start Covid-19 vaccinations in May 2021, according to the Department of Disease Control. The department released a plan on administering the vaccine produced by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Thailand recently signed a 6 billion baht deal to buy 26 million doses of the vaccine which would be…
- Thailand Protest News
K-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters
K-Pop fan-funded “happy birthday” billboards are moving from mass transit stations in Bangkok to tuk tuks after the BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok Metro temporarily shut down services during pro-democracy protests last month. The world’s K-Pop fans are weaponising their huge numbers and online ‘power’ by supporting Thailand’s pro-democracy movement. In 3 days last month, Thai and overseas K-pop fans…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Thai Airways corruption, Southern floods, Border Covid outbreak | Dec 3
Thursday’s edition of Thailand News Today, including the latest in the local cases popping up in Northern Thailand. Thailand’s most watched English language news. 20 more people suspected of being involved in corruption at Thai Airways 20 people are now under suspicion of corruption and mismanagement within Thai Airways as accountants unravel the massive losses for the airline, spanning a…
- Bangkok News
Man shot and killed outside Bangkok restaurant
A man was shot to death at a parking lot outside a restaurant in Bangkok’s Noi district. Police, accompanied by a doctor from the Siriraj Hospital, arrived at the scene around 2am this morning and found 49 year old Damrong Taweekkhet with 2 gunshot wounds in his chest. Damrong, a fruit vendor, was chatting with his friends in the parking…
- Covid-19 News
Health officials say hundreds came into contact with Covid-19 infected women
Health officials are trying to track down hundreds of people who may have come in contact with any of the 10 Thai women who tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to Thailand from Myanmar’s border town Tachileik. The women evaded the mandatory 14 day quarantine for returnees and media reports claim they “sneaked” back in the country. More than 600…
- Covid-19 News
7 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
7 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,039 with 3,882 recoveries and 60 deaths. 147 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 35 year old Indian man tested positive for Covid-19. He arrived on November 11 and tested…
- Tourism News
4 years until tourism industry gets back to pre-pandemic levels – Finance Ministry
It could take 4 years for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover after being battered by the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government’s reaction and the economic fallout, according to the Finance Ministry. While local and international experts project Thailand’s economy will continue to recover over the next 2 years, the tourism industry, which directly contributes 12-15%…
- Thailand News
20 more people suspected of being involved in corruption at Thai Airways
20 people are suspected of corruption and mismanagement within the national airline that led to massive losses for Thai Airways International. The news, announced by police and deputy head of the commission investigating the airline, Saroj Nimaroen, comes as little surprise to anyone who has been following the demise of Thailand’s legacy airline over the past decade. The airline is…
- Covid-19 News
6 more Thai women test positive for Covid-19 after returning from Myanmar, skipping quarantine
6 more Thai women, who crossed the Myanmar border into Chiang Rai, have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Public Health Ministry. 4 other Thai women in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai recently tested positive after returning from Myanmar’s Tachileik district. All 10 women evaded the mandatory 14 quarantine. Some cases trace back to the 1G1 hotel and entertainment…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Prayut acquitted, Chinese probe, Speed limit 120 kph | December 2
The Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha has been acquitted by the Constitutional Court. Full story HERE. Thai Airways to resume flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket After nearly 9 months on the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with problems balancing their accounts, Thai Airways will resume flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Bangkok…
- Covid-19 News
17 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine
17 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,026 with 3,822 recoveries and 60 deaths. 144 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. A 56 year old Thai woman travelling from Turkey tested positive for Covid-19. She arrived on November…
- Bangkok News
Court acquits PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, allowing him to stay on at military residence
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will be staying in office and at his military residence. Bangkok’s Constitutional Court ruled today that the prime minister and former Thai general and commander of the Thai Army has not violated the charter by occupying a military-owned residence. The court says under military regulations, former officers can remain at their Army residence after their retirement at…
- Thailand News
Thai Airways to resume flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket
After nearly 9 months on the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with problems balancing their accounts, Thai Airways will resume flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Bangkok and Phuket later this month. The flights will start back up on Christmas day. Flights from Bangkok to the 2 key tourist provinces have been grounded since April…
- Covid-19 News
97 police officers investigated for fiddling Covid-19 payments
97 police officers, from 41 police stations, are currently being investigated for an alleged scam involving Covid-19 payments meant for officers who worked extra shifts during the crisis. The case was assigned by national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk in November, when it came to light that some officers may have fraudulently claimed allowances meant for others. In one incident, an…
- Thailand News
6 million baht lottery winner chose ticket number after a dream
A grand prize Thai government lottery winner, taking home 6 million baht, says she chose the ticket number after a dream she had. 56 year old Ratri Kadnok, the Krabuangnoi village chief in Nakhon Rachasima, had a dream that she was driving her motorbike and the key broke. When she woke up, she told her son to find a ticket…
- Thailand News
“ASQ… Paradise?” TAT launches search website to find hotels for a “happy quarantine”
“Quarantine paradise” sounds like an oxymoron, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand put the two contradictory words together for the new project “ASQ Paradise.” Under the project, a website was launched allowing users to search for alternative state quarantine hotels in Thailand for a “happy quarantine.” TAT partnered with the Thailand-based company Locanation for the website which features 107 ASQ…
- Thailand Protest News
Protesters switch today’s rally venue, will now take place at Lad Phrao intersection
A planned protest outside the Constitutional Court in Bangkok this afternoon will now take place at the Lad Phrao Intersection, in the Chatuchak district. The Ratsadon (People’s Party) group have announced the change on the Facebook page of fellow activists, the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration. The rally is expected to kick off at 4pm. It was originally due…
- Thailand News
Health officials urge locals in Phichit to avoid eating raw pork after 4 deaths
Public health officials are urging locals in the Phichit province to avoid eating raw pork after 4 people died this year from a zoonotic disease originating from pigs while 22 residents were infected. The province, about 330 kilometres from Bangkok, has the highest number of deaths related to raw meat consumption. The province also has the second highest number of…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | No ‘tourism’ until Q2, Tiger smuggling, Win drivers jailed | Dec 1
Thailand will remain closed to general tourism until at least the 2nd quarter of 2021 Kiss any resemblance of general tourism to Thailand goodbye, at least until march next year, at the earliest. That’s the outlook for Thailand’s beleaguered tourism industry from the usually optimistic Minster for Sports and Tourism. So, apart from the STV and the modified 60 day…
- Covid-19 News
Fourth local Covid-19 case reported in Chiang Rai, Thai returnee evaded quarantine
A fourth local Covid-19 case was reported in Chiang Rai today. The patient is a 25 year old Thai woman who recently returned to Thailand from Myanmar by using an unofficial land crossing to avoid quarantine. The woman travelled to Myanmar’s Tachileik district earlier this month to work at a hotel, she told officials. 3 other infected Thai women also…
- Thailand News
Ferry operators offer discounted trips to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao
Tourist boat operators, Seatran Ferry and Lomprayah High Speed Ferries, are offering discounted trips for groups travelling on the weekdays to the Surat Thani islands Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. From now until December 31, groups of at least 4 people can purchase discounted tickets for inbound trips from Sunday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. 30 baht…
- Covid-19 News
Health minister pushes to press charges on Covid-19 infected women who dodged quarantine
The 3 Thai women who tested positive for Covid-19 after crossing the Thai-Myanmar border without being screened or undergoing the mandatory 14 day quarantine might face charges. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he has asked authorities to prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law.” Not only could the women face charges for illegal entry, they could also be…
- Northern Thailand News
Isaan woman saves her husband from elephant attack
A woman saved her husband from a wild elephant attack by screaming and banging objects together, driving the elephant away with the loud noises. 33 year old Supat Klonsalab, a rubber tapper in the Isaan province Bueng Kan, is being treated at a local hospital. Luckily, his injuries from being stomped by the elephant are not severe. 37 year old…
- Covid-19 News
10 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine, all asymptomatic
10 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine including a 7 month old boy, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is raised to 4,008 with 3,811 recoveries and 60 deaths. 137 people are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. 3 people travelling from the United States tested positive for Covid-19.…
- Covid-19 News
No lockdown in Chiang Mai after local Covid-19 case
There will be no lockdown in Chiang Mai after the recent Covid-19 case where a woman tested positive at a local hospital after returning from Myanmar. Director general of the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, says the locals in Chiang Mai are taking health precautions and he doubts the case will cause an outbreak. “Widespread Covid-19…
- Politics News
Election Commission to investigate charges that Progressive Movement is run as a political party
Political activist Srisuwan Janya is accusing the Progressive Movement of being run like a political party, with its leaders campaigning for members in local elections, in violation of the Political Party Act. The claim has prompted the Election Commission to launch an investigation into the movement. The movement was formed by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich, after their…
