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Doctor urges Pfizer, Moderna vaccine to fight B.1.351 variant
Reacting to the news that the B.1.351 variant of Covid-19 (commonly nicknamed the South African variant) has now been found in Thailand, a senior doctor at the Siriraj Centre of Research Excellence Management has called upon the government to obtain Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine as quickly as possible. In a Facebook post yesterday, the doctor suggested that…
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Happy Birthday? 7 year anniversary of coup in Thailand
Yesterday markED the 7th anniversary of the coup in which the National Council for Peace and Order took control of Thailand and Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, then chief of the Thai Army, rose to power. Differing opinions persist as regards progress for Thailand in the last 7 years and also the failings of the Thai ‘government’ since the coup. Some argue…
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Pattaya mansion shooting suspect in jail, 6 associates lose visas
The suspected gunman in last week’s Pattaya luxury mansion shooting remains in custody while 6 others believed to be living there have had their visas revoked. Region 2 Police officers confirm that the suspect, who opened fire on two police officers while they were attempting to serve a search warrant at the mansion, is being held in the Nong Plalai…
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B.1.351 South African Covid-19 variant found in Thailand
Like the world’s most morbid bingo game, Thailand can mark off B.1.351 on its Covid-19 scorecard. The strain of Coronavirus, sometimes called the South African variant, has been detected in undocumented migrants working in the southern province of Narathiwat. After studying samples collected May 13 from the cluster in the Tak Bai district, the Covid-19 Network Investigations group and independent…
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Covid Sunday UPDATE: 3,382 new infections and 17 deaths
This morning the public health ministry has announced 3,382 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 new deaths across Thailand. The daily numbers, again, are oddly statistically consistent with the daily toll around 1,900 – 2,500 for the past month (with few variations). Although the daily totals, even without the prison numbers, are slowly creeping up, mostly as a result of…
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Covid-19 outbreak in Phetchaburi factory of 682 employees
682 employees in a Cal-Comp Electronics factory in Phetchaburi have been infected with Covid-19, forcing a 14-day closure. The company has 3,300 employees and results are still pending for 2,000 more employees Covid-19 tested in the outbreak. The factory owners intend to take care of all their employees during this voluntary shutdown. The cluster has widespread repercussions, as the provincial…
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1000+ Covid-19 infections and Indian variant in work camp
A construction site camp in the Laksi district of Bangkok that had found a Covid-19 outbreak recently has spiralled out of control with over 1,000 Covid-19 infections including the dreaded Indian variant. 66% of the camp workers tested positive for Covid-19, with 36 of the 80 samples analyzed revealing the Indian variant, a strain much more contagious than the original.…
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Rawai bar charged for Covid-19 violation, serving alcohol
The Honey Pot, a popular bar in Rawai, Phuket, was raided last night, with the manager being charged for serving alcohol in violation of Covid-19 restrictions. The Chalong Police arrived around 10:20 pm after receiving a tip about a local bar selling alcohol the foreigners. The bar manager was taken into custody and brought to the Chalong Police Station. The…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,052 new cases, 24 Covid-related deaths, provincial totals
This morning the public health ministry added another 3,052 infections and 24 new Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours. Out of today’s new cases, 605 came from the country’s prisons where major clusters have emerged. The daily totals, even without the prison numbers, show a slow upward trend in new cases, the vast majority around Bangkok in high-density housing…
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Thai PM orders a crackdown on Thailand’s leaky borders
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking the country’s security authorities to “step up” surveillance along the country’s four borders – with Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos – to help stem the flow of illegal migrants sneaking into Thailand. Thailand shares a massively long 2,500 kilometre border with Myanmar, most of the area undefined and littered with walking tracks through dense…
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For the 0.81%: Microsoft officially retires Internet Explorer
If you are a tech dinosaur who misses his flip phone and is still mourning the loss of MySpace and AOL, perhaps you’d better sit down before reading on. After a 25 year run, Microsoft announced that it is officially retiring Internet Explorer, once the browser that ruled the internet. Before you fire up your old Netscape Navigator to Ask…
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BTS smash YouTube records with their new song “Butter” and are courted by Rock royalty
On Thursday the internet-of-music went into a minor churn when the band Queen’s Twitter account commented about the forthcoming BTS release of ‘Butter’, the South Korean band’s second full-English track. “Are you ready, hey are you ready for this? Another One Bites The Dust.” Was Queen doing a collaboration with the 21st century’s biggest music act? A quick listen to…
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Details released on how foreigners can sign up for vaccine
According to new details from the ministry of Public Health, Thailand will begin vaccine registrations for foreigners and expats on June 7. With growing outbreaks and Covid-19 spreading through workers and the general population, the government is setting their agenda and targets based on Covid-19 risk, regardless of nationalities. The government had officially set vaccination rollout as a top priority…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 3,052 new infections and 24 Covid-related deaths
This morning the public health ministry has added another 3,052 infections and 24 new Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours. Out of today’s new cases, 605 came from the country’s prisons where major clusters have emerged. The daily totals, even without the prison numbers, show a slow upward trend in new cases, the vast majority around Bangkok in high-density…
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Domestic tourism in China booming despite Covid-19
With international tourism all but dead for many parts of the world as governments keep borders tightly under control, China is experiencing a renaissance in domestic tourism. Perhaps it’s ahead of the curve, as the first country to deal with Covid-19, or perhaps it’s the strict handling of the virus keeping infections to almost nothing for many months, but a…
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Thailand focuses on international, but needs domestic tourism
With Covid-19 closing borders for more than a year, the damage from losing international tourism has revealed a major weakness in Thailand’s overall tourism strategy. With up to 18% of the country’s GDP brought in by tourism, the disproportionate dependence on foreign travellers and lack of attention to domestic tourism has ravaged the industry and the national economy. Thailand had…
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Get vaccinated, win a cow: Chiang Mai district starts vaccine incentive campaign
A district in Chiang Mai has launched a campaign to help entice residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19… a chance to win a live cow. Each week for the rest of the year, the Mae Chaem district will give away a young cow. To enter the raffle, residents have to be vaccinate against the coronavirus. Since the start of the…
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UPDATE: Chinese man arrested after shooting and injuring police in Pattaya
UPDATE: According to Daily News, Pol Capt Phanthep Sribunnak remains in a coma following the shooting. Pol Sen Sgt Maj Kreetha Thipnet was also injured with a shot to his right leg, although reports already say he is “out of danger”. ORIGINAL STORY: A Chinese man, with citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis, is in custody after shooting and injuring 2 Pattaya…
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15 workers in Bangkok test positive for Covid variant first found in India
Workers at a construction camp in Bangkok tested positive for the Covid-19 variant first detected in India. The only other cases reported in Thailand involving the B.1.617 strain were a mother and her 4 year old son who both tested positive for the virus while in quarantine after travelling from Pakistan. Many of the workers at the camp in the…
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Labour Ministry to provide 9.2 million workers with vaccine
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin announced that under Section 33 of the Social Security Act, over 9 million employees will receive a Covid-19 vaccine and don’t need to register on the Mor Prom Line account. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha posted on Facebook Wednesday that these 9.2 million workers would receive priority vaccines as at-risk essential workers. Insured employees that have to work…
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CCSA proposes extending Thailand’s State of Emergency for another 2 months
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is proposing an extension of the nationwide Emergency Decree for another 2 months. At a meeting today, the CCSA and Public Health Ministry noted that it may take until the end of July to bring the latest Covid wave under control. The last declaration of a State of Emergency has been in place since…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,481 new cases and 32 deaths, provincial totals
3,481 new Covid-19 cases and 32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 42,827 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 123,066 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 735 virus-related deaths. Out of the new cases, 1,036 infections were…
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Miscommunication over rules sees Thai man angrily footing bill for Covid test in Phuket
After a Thai man’s angry video went viral over allegedly having to pay for a Covid-19 test in order to enter Phuket, the provincial Vice Governor has responded. Piyapong Choowong admitted that the rule for those entering Phuket had recently changed, nixing the requirement of those arriving to undergo a Covid rapid antigen test. The man says he paid 450…
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Vaccine registration for foreigners in Thailand to open June 7
Foreigners living in Thailand will be able to register for a Covid-19 vaccine starting June 7, the first day of the country’s mass vaccination campaign. Foreigners can register for a vaccine on-site at hospitals. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun recommends that expats register for a vaccine at a hospital that has their health records on file. Expats need…
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Spike in Chon Buri cases as 127 infections reported in migrant worker communities
The eastern province of Chon Buri has reported a big jump in Covid-19 cases today, with 127 new infections found among migrant workers. This is up from just 65 new cases yesterday. The Pattaya News reports that provincial health officials have been ramping up testing at workplaces in the province, which will account for the spike. Of today’s 127 new…
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China provides vaccine doses for citizens living in Thailand
In a global Covid-19 immunization campaign, China has sent vaccine doses to Thailand to have Chinese citizens inoculated under Beijing’s “Spring Sprout” programme. A vaccination site under the programme is already up and running in Bangkok. The Associated Press says China had donated 500,000 doses, and Thailand then agreed to vaccinate Chinese expats. Around 150,000 Chinese nationals live in Thailand. “Spring…
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Chiang Rai introduces strict requirements for travellers from “dark red” provinces
From today, if you’re travelling to Chiang Rai from any of the 4 “dark red” central provinces (Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan) things just got a bit trickier. The northern province has introduced tough disease prevention measures for visitors from the strictly controlled zones, which will also apply to Chiang Rai residents arriving home from those provinces. Thai…
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US President Biden signs hate crimes law to help protect Asian Americans
After multiple incidents of violence against Asian Americans in the US, President Joe Biden has recently signed a hate crime law. As violence against Asians in America has been on the rise since the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden told Asian American politicians and senior members of Congress that racism has long been toxic. He says the Asian American community has been…
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Dog brings owner gift of 2,000 meth pills in Udon Thani
A dog owner is reeling after his beloved pet brought him a “gift” of 2,000 meth pills, known as Yaba in Thai. The owner says the dog brought a mysterious package to a car garage in Udon Thani. He immediately notified police who then came to find the 2 year old, white dog named Sinil at the garage. Police say…
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Chinese man arrested after pulling machine gun on police in Pattaya
A Chinese man is now in custody after shooting and injuring 2 Pattaya police officers who were trying to reprimand him over an online gambling syndicate. 35 year old Jang Yang pulled a machine gun on the transnational crime team as they went to serve him with an arrest warrant. Members of the SWAT special police task force entered the…
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