Thailand

Thailand’s total number of Covid-19 patients rose to 2,613 with 34 new cases confirmed over a 24-hour period, and one more death, Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, as of April 14, 2020. This compares with 54 new cases on Thursday, 50 on Friday, 45 on Saturday, 33 on Sunday and 28 on Monday. He …

The US Consulate in Chiang Mai has reported the U.S. DEA assisted the Thai Government in a large-scale operation to take down 5 drug trafficking networks with money laundering operations worth over 3 billion baht. With support from U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chiang Mai Sensitive Investigative Unit (SIU), the Royal Thai Government arrested 15 suspects who are involved in …

A 51 year-old Muslim man from southern Thailand who was due to be released from Covid-19 quarantine has jumped to his death. He jumped from the 5th floor of a state hospital in Samut Prakan on Monday morning, police said. Police found the body of a man in a pool of blood on the terrace of the second floor. He was wearing …

The bodies of two teenage girls who went missing on Friday in the Kwae Noy river in this western Thailand were recovered on Sunday, Kanchanaburi authorities said. The first body was found on Sunday morning stuck at a fish basket near Wat Chorakhae Phuak in tambon Chorakhe Phuak of Dan Makham Tia district by villagers. The second was found by …

Somchai Jitsuchon, research director at TDRI, an independent think-tank, is pondering the resumption of city life when the nationwide curfew and lockdown ends on April 30. He said many people are sceptical that cities will return to full functioning after the month of lockdown, as it may take longer to get the Covid-19 pandemic under control. Lockdown is a tool …

According to Labour Ministry criteria, employees affected by Covid-19 fall into two groups. The first covers those whose businesses were forced to shut by order of the government. “They will be compensated under Section 33 of Social Security Act with 62 per cent of daily wages based on a maximum monthly salary of Bt15,000 for a maximum period of 90 …

Public transport operators to be increased frequencies of their trips before 10pm to make sure no passengers are left behind when the nationwide curfew begins at 10pm, according to curfew decrees. Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob said on Thursday (April 9) that “increasing trips will not only facilitate commuters during rush hours, but also promote the social distancing policy in the …

The consumer confidence index dropped to 50.3 points in March from 64.8 points in February, said Thanavath Phonvichai, president of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). In addition, the economic confidence index in March stood at 41.6 points, down from 52.5 points in February, while the confidence index on job opportunities contracted from 61.4 points to 49.3 …

The deputy governor of Krabi province has called on residents of Phi Phi Island to allow the 300 or so foreign tourists to continue staying on the island so the spread of Covid-19 can be contained. Deputy governor Somkuan Khan-ngern met the villagers on Thursday (April 9) after learning that they were concerned about tourists spreading the virus. “We spoke …

In 2019, the value of the Thailand medical device market rose to 176 billion baht (US$6 billion) – a 70 percent increase in the past decade, according to official figures from Thailand’s Office of Industrial Economics. Thailand ranks ahead of Singapore as the most important importer and exporter of such products in the ten-member Associations of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), …