News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Covid-19 delivers another brutal quarter for airlines
As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, airlines experienced another terrible quarter, with less passengers and less revenue year-on-year. The president of Bangkok Airways reported dismal numbers saying that the airline is adjusting its flight plans to try to match the depressed market. Only 151,900 travellers flew on Bangkok Airways in the first quarter of 2021, an 88.5% drop over last…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,394 new infections, provincial totals
3,394 new Covid-19 cases and 29 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing, raising the culumative count since the start of the pandemic last year to 116,948 confirmed infections and the death toll to 678. Out of the 3,394 new cases, 1,498 were detected in prisons. Thousands of inmates in at least 12…
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Thai company offers travel packages to the US with Covid-19 vaccine included
With the recent wave of Covid-19 hitting record highs and increasing the demand for vaccines, some Thais are looking to get inoculated overseas. There are now tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination. The company Unithai Trip is now advertising trips from Thailand to the United States that include a Covid-19 vaccine. Starting at $2,300 USD, travellers can go on…
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Phuket reopens mass-vaccination campaign with goal of 14,000 jabs a day
Phuket’s mass Covid-19 vaccination program has kicked off again, with the goal of administering 14,000 shots a day to see 70% of the province’s population vaccinated by July 1. The Vachira Phuket Hospital Director says 85,000 of the 200,000 Sinovac vaccine doses for May have already arrived, with 115,000 doses more scheduled to arrive today. Up to last weekend only…
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Chon Buri to start mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign tomorrow
A mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign is set to start in Chon Buri this week. Local health officials will administer 45,000 doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to residents in the province tomorrow and Friday. Two doses are needed for the vaccine to be effective. Pattaya News notes that expats cannot yet register for a vaccine through the Chon Buri Health…
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Despite a better performance in first quarter, Thailand’s GDP may not impress in second
Despite performing better than predicted in the first quarter, Thailand’s gross domestic product may not be as impressive in the second quarter. As the first quarter saw a contraction of 2.6% year on year, analysts say the contraction was better than predicted. Now, an Oxford Economics report says the recent third wave in Covid-19 may prevent the GDP from seeing…
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Thailand reports youngest death from Covid-19: 2 month old baby
Thailand has seen its youngest death relating to the Covid-19 virus, with a 2 month old baby succumbing to complications with the infection. Doctors say the baby had a heart condition, which could have contributed to its death. Another baby, however, beat the virus recently as a pediatrician says the 1 month old was incredibly lucky. Infectious disease doctor Suchada Ruenglerdpong…
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More wet weather on the way, heavy showers forecast for the South
Most parts of the country, including Bangkok, the north-east, the south, and the east, are in for more rain from today. The Thai Meteorological Department says some areas will experience heavy rainfall as a result of the prevailing strong south-westerly monsoon. Areas on the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand can expect heavy showers, while in the north of…
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Koh Larn extends closure to end of May
Koh Larn, a popular tourist destination in the eastern province of Chon Buri, has extended its closure order until the end of May. The island is currently closed to non-residents, but this order was set to expire tomorrow. According to the Pattaya News, local officials have confirmed the extended closing on social media. While the Covid-19 situation is showing signs…
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Closure order in Bangkok set until May 31, restaurants can now offer dine-in services
To control the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok, where more than 28,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the latest wave of infections, the closure order in the capital has been extended a second time, now set to be in place until May 31. While many entertainment and recreation businesses and venues are ordered to remain closed, some…
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Thai tourism minister re-iterates Phuket’s re-opening on July 1
The Thai government has again reiterated its plan to reopen Thailand, specifically Phuket, to foreign tourists and travellers. The southern island province, under the so-called “sandbox” plan, is Thailand’s pilot program for re-opening the country to general travel by July 1… just 6 weeks away. The government has consistently said that the island’s residents will have to be 70% vaccinated by the…
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Australian arrested in southern Thailand on suspicion of international criminal activity
Officers from the Royal Thai Armed Forces have arrested an Australian national in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on suspicion of international criminal activity. 47 year old Samuel James Norton Cook was arrested when his Toyota car was stopped in the Nai Muang sub-district on Monday night. Security force officers cooperating with immigration officials and the local police…
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Some Covid-19 restrictions relaxed across Thailand, fewer “dark red” provinces
The Thai government has relaxed some Covid-19 restrictions across the country, while downgrading the risk level of a number of provinces. The number of provinces designated as “strictly controlled” areas, or “dark red” zones, has been reduced from 6 to 4. They are Bangkok and the central provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. So, what, if anything, has…
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Covid UPDATE Wednesday: 3,394 new infections and 29 deaths
Today the public health department has reported 3,394 new cases and 29 new Covid-related deaths. 1,498 of today’s cases come from Thailand’s prisons (more below). Taking the shameful inmate toll out of the equation and the trend is still steady with around 2,000 – 2,500 new cases each day over the past 3 weeks across Thailand. Around the world the…
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Phuket sets quarantine requirement for those entering the province, some exempt
A 14-day period in quarantine is required for those entering Phuket who are either not vaccinated against the coronavirus or have not been tested for Covid-19 within 72 hours of arrival. Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong made the announcement yesterday, adding they will no longer require Covid-19 tests on arrival. Phuket News notes that the required tests were problematic, particularly…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,473 new infections and 35 deaths, provincial totals
2,473 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. The majority of the new cases are local transmissions, primarily in Bangkok. 680 of the new cases were detected in prisons. Thailand now has 42,988 active Covid-19 cases, a record high for the country. Out of those cases, more than…
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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…
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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…
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Sinovac and AstraZeneca: The 2 primary Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand
Since Thailand started its mass Covid-19 immunisation campaign in late February, the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine, made in partnership with the UK’s Oxford University, have been used to vaccinate residents in Thailand. The local firm Siam Bioscience is now producing the AstraZeneca vaccine and the first Thai-made batch is expected to be rolled out next month. Type…
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New report confirms what many have thought: Covid probably spreads through air
So does this study confirm what the general public and researchers have been thinking since the pandemic started… that Covid-19 spreads through the air? The new Australian report suggests that ventilation systems can spread the virus through the air. Lidia Morawska, a professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, led a team of 39 scientists from 14 countries to…
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Bangkok Covid clusters prompt inoculation goal of 5 million by end of July
As 28 new Covid-19 clusters hit Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, The Public Health Ministry says it is planning to vaccinate 5 million people by the end of July. The capital yesterday saw the highest number of daily new infections at 1,843 out of the nationwide high of 9,635. The unusually high amount of infections comes after 12 prisons in Thailand…
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Sniffer dogs trained to detect Covid-19 in Bangkok communities
Specially trained dogs will soon be deployed on the streets of Bangkok to sniff out cases of Covid-19 infection. Led by volunteers, the dogs will screen communities in the capital in the latest initiative to fight the resurgence of the virus. Nation Thailand reports that the project is being run by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.…
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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…
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Hong Kong imposes tougher quarantine requirements on arrivals from Taiwan
The Hong Kong government has confirmed that residents returning from Taiwan will face stricter quarantine requirements, effective immediately. The move comes as a result of the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in Taiwan, which reported 333 new infections yesterday, its highest ever. The authorities say anyone who has spent 14 days in Taiwan before flying to Hong Kong must show evidence of…
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Hua Hin aiming for mass inoculation ahead of October re-opening
The holiday destination of Hua Hin, in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, is hoping to launch a mass vaccination programme ahead of its October re-opening. The proposal comes after the National Tourism Policy Committee agreed that popular tourist destinations such as Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Buriram, and Bangkok would re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists from October 1. A…
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Burmese junta hit with additional US sanctions
The US has confirmed additional sanctions against Myanmar in response to the February 1 military coup that ousted the democratically-elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. CNN reports that the latest round of sanctions, which have been introduced in coordination with the UK and Canada, are aimed at the State Administrative Council, or military junta. In particular, they target…
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