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Blazing opportunity: Four Twenty Thailand offers franchise programme
Did you know that Four Twenty, Thailand’s premier cannabis brand, has a franchise programme? That’s right, you can now join their efforts to bring high-quality cannabis products and a vibrant community experience to more locations across Thailand. Four Twenty has...
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Locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine will be available by June
AstraZeneca Thailand has released a statement to confirm that doses of its locally-produced vaccine will be available by June. Siam Bioscience has been given the sole rights to manufacture the vaccine within Thailand, with an AstraZeneca representative saying the manufacturing process has progressed significantly. The Bangkok Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration has worked with the government to…
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Locals threaten to burn hall if converted to field hospital
Citing fears of Covid-19 spreading, terrified locals threatened to burn down a Nakhon Si Thammarat conference hall authorities were preparing as a possible field hospital. The hall in the Muang district was one of several locations provincial authorities were readying as potential makeshift medical care facilities if the Covid-19 outbreak worsens. As of now, the governor chose 3 sites at…
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PM Prayut proposes private sector partnerships for vaccinations
In an effort to speed up Covid-19 vaccinations, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha plans to work closely with the private sector to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of the year. The Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will work alongside the government to help import and distribute vaccines after Thailand is off to a particularly slow…
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Thai border town evacuated after Karen army attack on Burmese military outpost
Around 450 villagers in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province near the Myanmar border evacuated the area after a Karen army attacked and took over a Burmese military camp. The attack was so close to the Thai village that residents could hear the gunshots and explosions. One evacuee was shot in her knee by a stray bullet, the governor says. Since…
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National Vaccine Institute head says Thailand never turned down an offer from Pfizer
After reports claiming that the Thai government turned down an offer from Pfizer for 13 million vaccine doses, the director of the National Vaccine Institute is debunking the claims saying the reports are false and the country is still looking into acquiring doses from the company. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is negotiating with several Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to acquire more…
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Balding, once a Caucasian problem, grows in Asian men
While around half of Caucasian men will experience hair loss by middle age, Asian men had largely escaped balding, until now. In Korea only 14% of men experience hair loss, in China, 13% of 30-something men will lose hair, and Japanese men start losing their hair 10 years later than Europeans. But these figures are changing, not due to genetics,…
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Thailand News Today | Scrap THAI and rebuild, Phuket promises expats will be vaccinated | April 28
Plans to create a new national airline to replace the struggling Thai Airways are meeting opposition from the national airlines’ employee union, Phuket’s resident foreigners are being called out again over their alleged failures to comply with Covid-19 safety measures. Phuket Governor re-promises that expats and foreigners will be vaccinated. 2,012 new Covid-19 infections and 15 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported…
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Bangkok places biohazard bins throughout the city for used face masks
To help combat the spread of Covid-19 in Bangkok where cases have soared past 10,000 over the past month, more biohazard garbage bins are being placed throughout the city to dispose of used face masks and other waste that could be contaminated with the virus. Medical waste in Bangkok has increased to 20 tonnes per day since the start of…
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Covid UPDATE: 2,012 new infections, provincial updates
2,012 new Covid-19 infections and 15 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control this morning. Over the past month, more than 32,000 Covid-19 infections have been reported. There are currently 27,119 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. 695 patients are in critical condition with 199 of those patients on ventilators. Out of the 2,012…
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Phuket closes Sarasin bridge at night to give fatigued health workers a break
Phuket is closing the Sarasin bridge nightly to give fatigued health workers a break after working nonstop to screen travellers for Covid-19. Only those operating emergency service vehicles will be allowed to use the bridge from 11pm to 5am. The checkpoint was previously open 24 hours a day, but since there were only a few travellers during the night, Vice…
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Miss Grand helps “inefficient” government find Covid-19 beds
Miss Grand International Thailand has jumped in to help find hospital beds, citing an inefficient government response to the newest Covid-19 outbreak. The beauty pageant has launched the “Covid Patients Must Be Treated” campaign, pledging to use their resources to connect Covid-19 infected patients with available hospital beds for treatment. Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil was moved by the…
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Nuns arrested for allegedly scamming hundreds out of a total of 10 million baht
Police arrested 3 Buddhist nuns at a meditation centre in Thailand’s Isaan region for allegedly scamming more than 400 people, promising returns to those who invested in a fund for the poor. Victims say the nuns took off with a total of around 10 million baht. A nun at the centre claims those who made merit would receive returns, but…
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MRT train station employee diagnosed with Covid-19
Despite strict adherence to Covid-19 safety measures, a staff member of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority in Bangkok has tested positive for the virus. The MRT made an announcement today about the employee, whose gender was not revealed. They confirmed that the Covid-19 infected staff member worked on the MRT Chalong Ratchadham line – the purple line – at the…
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Chon Buri province sees 108 new infections today
Thailand’s Chonburi Province, which features the city of Pattaya, is confirming 108 new Covid-19 infections today. Now, the province has seen a total of 2,153 infections since the third wave of Covid began in early April. 1,590 are still listed as undergoing medical care, with 1 death recorded this week. 562 have now been released from medical treatment and have…
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Thai Airways employee union push against forming a new airline
Plans to create a new national airline to replace the struggling Thai Airways are meeting oppositions from the employee union. The union insists that Thai Airways is a known brand worldwide and has contributed significantly to the economy of Thailand and deserves aid and rehabilitation. In the past, Thailand’s flagship international airline spent years as a state-owned property until the…
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Initial investigation finds woman’s death not related to receiving 2nd Sinovac dose
Officials say a 23 year old woman’s death, after recently receiving a second Sinovac jab, is not related to the Covid-19 vaccine. The findings are from an initial investigation into her death by the Ministry of Public Health. The woman received the second dose of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine in Samut Sakhon province at her workplace on April 21. 1…
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Dozens of Burmese migrants arrested at Thai-Myanmar border for entering illegally
As many flee Myanmar to escape violence following the February military coup, Thai border patrol arrested 60 Burmese migrants yesterday for crossing the Thai-Myanmar border illegally into Kanchanaburi. Another 52 migrants in the province were arrested on Monday. Officers suspect many entered Thailand in search of jobs. The migrants were charged with illegal entry as well as violating emergency orders…
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63 of 77 Thai provinces require public to wear face masks, curfews in 8 provinces
63 of 77 provinces in Thailand are now requiring the public to wear face masks while outside to help curb the spread of Covid-19. The rule has been extended from the previous 56 provinces, to now include those provinces of: NORTHEAST: Nakhon Ratchasima Bung Kan Nong Bua Lam Phu Roi Et CENTRAL PLAINS: Sing Buri Nakhon Sawan SOUTHERN: Chumphon The…
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Britney Spears asks to address court over controversial conservatorship case
US pop singer Britney Spears has requested to speak in court in the controversial legal battle over her father’s conservatorship. The 39 year old was placed under conservatorship of her father back in 2008 when she apparently had a mental breakdown, which was widely publicised. Now, after 13 years, adamant fans are demanding for her conservatorship to end amid speculations…
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Company of Covid-infected workers who broke “work from home” rules refuses to pay salaries
A company is refusing to pay 4 of its Covid-infected Thai workers who allegedly broke its work from home rules by venturing outside. The issue has alerted social media users who criticised the company after one of the workers said he was being denied payment after contracting the virus during the work from home period. But that man didn’t say…
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PM takes over Thailand’s vaccine roll out. Public Health Minister found under bus – OPINION
OPINION I went to register my name at a local private hospital in Phuket last Saturday for a place in the Covid vaccine queue. It was at the Bangkok Hospital Phuket. The first response from the reception area after the customary welcoming wai was “do you have insurance?” I said yes, but that was not relevant to why I was…
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Petition calling for Anutin’s resignation exceeds signature target, new target set
A petition hosted on Change.org, demanding the resignation of Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has surpassed an initial target of 200,000 signatures. The target has now been increased to 300,000, with over 211,600 having signed at the time of writing. Anutin has been widely criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with signatories demanding the reins be handed over…
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Myanmar preparing to shut down import of Thai soft drinks via land transport
Thailand’s Commerce Minister is preparing to hold urgent talks with Myanmar following the news that Burmese officials are planning a ban on the import of Thai soft drinks over land. Jurin Laksanawisit says the reason for the ban is not known, with Myanmar insisting only imports via ship will be allowed. This ramps up the cost for Thai businesses and…
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Samples of locally-produced AstraZeneca jab pass the test
The Department of Medical Sciences has approved samples of the AstraZeneca vaccine which have been produced locally by Siam Bioscience. Supakit Sirilak from the DMS says 5 models of vaccine were submitted for approval. The 5 had been tested for consistency during production. The AstraZeneca jab is one of only 3 so far to be approved by Thailand’s Food and…
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Thailand News Today | 15 Covid deaths, school postponed?, Super Moon | April 27
A new wave of Covid-19 infections this month is leading to a drastic drop in occupancy rates at Thailand hotels, 2,179 new Covid-19 cases and 15 coronavirus-related deaths reported today by the CCSA, Thailand’s government schools may see another delay in reopening if the current rate of infections continues., Hua Hin is working on a proposal to welcome vaccinated foreign…
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BTS Skytrain to take Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to court over 30 billion baht debt
With the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration unable to pay its 30 billion baht debt for the BTS Skytrain’s Green Line extension, the Bangkok Mass Transit System is preparing to take the issue to court. The 30 billion baht owed to the Skytrain operator includes costs incurred while operating the Green Line as well as other related expenses dating back to 2018,…
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3 people infected at Thai Government House while Thai PM fined over not wearing mask
3 people at Thailand’s Government House have been infected with Covid-19, prompting the facility to shut down for cleaning. The adviser to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha made the announcement that the building would be closed from April 29 to May 7, with all publications to be distributed online via Facebook and the LINE app. About 95% of officials who work at…
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Covid-19 patients in Bangkok sent to other provinces due to overcrowded hospitals
To help ease overcrowding at hospitals in Bangkok, where more than 10,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since April 1, some coronavirus patients are now being sent to the neighbouring provinces Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, just south of the capital, for treatment. Field hospitals are reopening in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the last wave of infections in…
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Face masks now required in 54 provinces in Thailand
So far, 54 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have imposed orders requiring the public to wear face masks while in public in an effort intended to slow the spread of Covid-19 which hit a record high this month. Violators face a fine of up to 20,000 baht. Since April 1, there have been 30,824 Covid-19 infections reported in Thailand, making up…
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Check-in counters at Bangkok airport now used for Covid-19 vaccine screening
Following the drastic slowdown of air travel due to the pandemic, empty check-in counters at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are now being used to service those registering for a Covid-19 vaccine including frontline workers, Airports of Thailand employees, and staff at the airport. On the airport’s fourth floor for departures, 42 of the check-in desks are now run by local healthcare…
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