Thailand
- Thailand News
Thai and Chinese officials come together for Chinese New Year
Thai and Chinese officials are coming together to celebrate the Chinese New Year by marking 46 years of diplomatic relations with each other. The ceremony in Bangkok was led by Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports and China’s Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand. The ceremony also included other high-ranking government officials who…
- Thailand News
126 new cases, 116 local transmissions-Covid-19 Update
Thailand is reporting 126 new cases of Covid-19 today over the last 24 hours with 116 of those cases being locally-transmitted. The death toll remains unchanged at 80 deaths since the pandemic began. Of the 116 locally-transmitted cases, 37 were found by testing at medical facilities and 79 were found by proactive testing. Most of the cases found through proactive…
- Covid-19 News
Chulalongkorn University in lockdown following discovery of Covid cluster
Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University has closed until the end of February in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, following the discovery of 16 cases on campus. The university is urging all staff and students to remain in their accommodation and not to go out or meet others between now and February 28. 16 university employees have tested positive for…
- Pattaya News
12 year old Chon Buri girl finds king cobra in her home
A 12 year old girl is safe after finding a king cobra in her home in the eastern province of Chon Buri. The unnamed girl told rescue workers that she was doing laundry at the back of her house in the Ban Bueang district. When she entered another room in the house, she discovered the king cobra and notified her…
- Covid-19 News
Samut Sakhon to re-open 22 fresh markets from Monday
The central province of Samut Sakhon, where the Covid-19 virus first re-surfaced in December, is to re-open 22 wet markets from Monday. However, the seafood market where the outbreak began is not one of them, and it is not yet known when that might re-open. The 22 markets have been closed since December 19 as a result of the virus…
- Tourism News
Samui tourism operators push for faster vaccination programme
Tourism operators on the island of Samui are calling for the national vaccine rollout to be accelerated, in a bid to re-start international tourism by the third quarter of 2021. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says domestic tourism alone cannot support the sector and it won’t recover without a vaccination programme. He adds that despite the…
- Events
Chinese New Year celebrations stark reminder of Covid’s impact on Phuket
The hope of Phuket reviving tourism for the Chinese New Year is dimming with each passing hour today as streets remain quiet with only locals visiting the area’s Chinese shrines in a stark reminder of the Covid pandemic having lasting effects on Thailand. Even decorations seem to be less vibrant than previous years as Thai-Chinese placed minimal decor outside their…
- Thailand News
175 new cases of Covid-19, 167 local- Covid Update
Thailand is reporting 175 new cases of Covid-19 today with 167 of those cases being locally-transmitted. Of those local infections, 120 were found via pro-active testing and 47 were found through tests at medical facilities. The pro-active testing cases were mostly found in Samut Sakhon (95 cases) where the 2nd wave of the virus initially broke out. Such cases were…
- Thailand Protest News
Bangkok police threaten to use full riot-control equipment at future rallies
Following confirmation that several officers were injured at a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police Bureau says it may resort to using full riot-control equipment in future. This would imply a return to the water cannon and tear gas deployed by police late last year. Pakapong Pongpetra from the MPB says 7 police officers were injured by…
- Northern Thailand News
Head of army band shot dead at military base in north-east Thailand – VIDEO
An army band leader has been shot dead at a military camp in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Phanom, with police launching a murder investigation. 34 year old Rungchalerm Pansawasdi was shot 3 times in the head and neck, at the Phra Yod Muang Kwang army base on Wednesday evening. He had just returned from having dinner with his wife,…
- Thailand News
Chinese New Year – The Year of the Ox – Thailand 2021 | VIDEO
The Thaiger visited the Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town this morning where the island’s huge Thai-Chinese community flock to commemorate Chinese New Year. So what’s the annual Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, all about? Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar and takes place in January…
- Tourism News
Despite lack of vaccine clarity, TAT still aiming for Q3 revival of foreign tourism
Despite there being no definitive date for when everyone in Thailand might be vaccinated against Covid-19, officials say they’re still planning for the return of foreign tourists later this year. Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the plan to welcome international travellers in the third quarter of 2021 is still on track. The optimistic Yuthasak says foreign…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry says 2 million vaccine doses to be administered by April
Thailand’s Health Ministry says it hopes to have vaccinated over 960,000 people across 10 provinces come April. The Bangkok Post reports that Sopon Mekthon from the government’s Covid-19 vaccine task force says the initial rollout will target high-risk groups, such as those over the age of 60, those with underlying conditions, as well as frontline healthcare workers and disease control…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Home-made Thai vaccine ready to start trials | February 11
Thailand’s Health Minister, Anutin, is now claiming that the first stage of human trials of a locally-produced vaccine brew will get underway next month. The local Thai vaccine is a joint collaboration between the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the Faculty of Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University. It’s understood the vaccine has performed satisfactorily in animal testing, showing an ability to…
- Thailand News
Human Rights Watch says Thailand abuses lèse majesté law to silence protesters
The Human Rights Watch is speaking up against Thailand’s use of the lèse majesté law after 4 prominent pro-democracy activists were denied bail by the Bangkok Criminal Court and ordered into pretrial detention for allegedly insulting or defaming the Thai Monarchy. The HRW says the activists could be in detention for years until their trials are concluded. At a time…
- Thailand News
PETA calls on Thai officials to ban photos with exotic animals due to Covid-19
After reports that some exotic cats and primates in captivity have tested positive for Covid-19, animal rights activists are calling on Thailand’s public health minister to ban all photo opportunities with the exotic animals to avoid potential coronavirus outbreaks either from human to animal, or from animal to human. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA,…
- Crime News
Police arrest alleged gambling den boss in Rayong
An alleged gambling den boss in Rayong has been arrested in the Muang district of the province this morning. The man, Somchai Chutikidecha, aka Longchu Somchai, allegedly operated a large illegal gambling den, which was thought to be the source of a major Covid-19 outbreak. Police say he was found in a house surrounded by high walls, in Soi Ratsamakhi…
- Crime News
DSI raids Thai model agency, finds 500,000 photos and videos of child pornography
Around a half a million pornographic photos and videos of children allegedly from a Thai modelling agency were seized by officers from the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI. Officers raided the modelling agency, which is run from a home in a Pathum Thani neighbourhood, and arrested the owner of the agency. Police say the home had a studio with…
- Thailand News
201 new cases, 185 locally transmitted- Covid-19 Update
Today, Thailand has reported 201 new Covid-19 cases, with 185 being locally-transmitted. 16 of those cases were imported, raising the total number of cases in the country to 24,104 since the outbreak began. An assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, says 96 new cases were confirmed at hospitals and 89 others through active case finding. Samut Sakhon,…
- Thailand News
Top travel destinations grapple with re-opening during the pandemic
Tourism, not only in Thailand, but all over the world, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Hotels shut down. Tour companies closed. Airplanes grounded. Millions lost their jobs. Before diving into Thailand’s tourism situation, here’s a quick look at what’s going on in some of the world’s top tourist spots… DUBAI Dubai, with its huge chunks of expats and…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s tourism representatives petition PM over ban on local vaccine purchase
Representatives from various tourism associations on the southern island of Phuket have reacted with dismay to a government ban on local administrations and the private sector purchasing Covid-19 vaccines. In January, the Public Health Minister stated that the government was not opposed to local authorities purchasing their own vaccine supplies, provided the jabs had been approved by the Food and…
- Thailand Protest News
Pro-democracy groups vow to intensify rallies in 2021, aim for 2 million protesters a day
Pro-democracy activists have pledged to continue and increase their protest action this year, aiming for 2 million protesters a day. The Bangkok Post reports that protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, confirmed the intention yesterday, a day after 4 fellow activists were denied bail by the Criminal Court in Bangkok. Around 1,000 protesters gathered at the Pathumwan intersection in the…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Violence in soap operas and SPM Shopping Mall scam update | February 10
The governor of the eastern province of Rayong has given the go-ahead for bars and other entertainment venues to re-open after they were closed at the start of January to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The province has now gone 9 days without any new Covid-19 infections. On February 1 Rayong’s Covid zone status was changed from red to orange.…
- Bangkok News
No Valentine’s Day marriage licenses will be issued in Bangkok due to Covid-19
Couples in Bangkok wishing to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day will have to wait. Bangkok officials have banned the issuing of marriage licenses on Valentine’s Day in all 50 districts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the holiday. District offices are packed every year on February 14 with hundreds of couples queuing up to get marriage licenses, especially…
- Covid-19 News
CCSA Update: 157 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death
157 new Covid-19 cases and 1 new death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,909 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 23,903 Covid-19 infections and 80 coronavirus-related deaths. Out of the 157 new cases, 106 cases were detected in active…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai Public Health Ministry starts cannabis cultivation project in Buri Ram
A cannabis cultivation project is being launched by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry in the Isaan province Buri Ram. 6 cannabis plants will be given to each member of the local Non Malai Community Enterprise as a pilot project on commercial cultivation of cannabis, according to the director of the ministry’s cannabis research group, Kitti Losuwannarak. Cannabis flowers and buds will…
- Thailand News
Outrage on Twitter as rape scenes continue to be portrayed in Thai soap operas
It’s a debate that’s been raging in Thailand for years now, and yet, little appears to have changed. The portrayal of rape in Thai soap operas, done in a manner which critics say normalises sexual assault and victim blaming, is once more under fire. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday, the hashtag #ข่มขืนผ่านจอพอกันที (#NoMoreRapeOnScreen) became the fastest trending hashtag on…
- Thailand Protest News
Bangkok police say over 1,000 officers to be deployed at MBK Skywalk rally today
The deputy chief of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police says 1,085 police officers have been lined up to deal with today’s planned rally at the MBK Skywalk over the Pathumwan Intersection in the capital. Piya Tawichai says 7 companies of officers will be deployed to manage the 5pm gathering, which has been organised by pro-democracy group Ratsadon. “3 of the companies will…
- Thailand Protest News
Court refuses bail applications for 4 pro-democracy activists
4 prominent members of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group have had their bail applications rejected at a court hearing in Bangkok. The Criminal Court denied bail for activist and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, and for fellow activists, Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, and Patiwat Saraiyam, aka, “Bank”. The 4 activists are being charged with sedition under section 116 of…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister hits back at accusations of vaccine “failure”
Thailand’s Public Health Minister has refuted accusations that the government has failed to procure Covid-19 vaccines in a timely manner, demanding that the media stop confusing the public. A somewhat vexed Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand cannot be compared with other countries as the Kingdom now has a deal to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine locally. This will make it easier to…
