Thailand

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has shelved a plan to hand out more money to low income earners in a bid to prop up a sagging economy now reeling under the added impact of the coronavirus epidemic. Gen Prayut said on Monday the proposed 2,000 baht handout will not go into the cabinet on Tuesday, but other measures were on course …

The Songkran party on Khao San Road and activities in two neighbouring communities have been cancelled this year to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus disease. Piyabutr Jeewaramonaikul, president of the Khaosan Business Association, on Monday announced the decision to scrub the April water-splashing festival there this year. Such a large gathering of revellers could expose holidaymakers to the Covid-19 …

Thailand’s aviation regulator said airlines should ask passengers coming from high-risk territories for health certificates to establish they are free of the new coronavirus. Travellers who can’t provide documentation should be prevented from boarding flights to the Asian nation, according to a Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand notice posted Monday. Carriers are liable for treatment costs if they fly in …

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow admitted on Monday that his assistant had met a man who was said to be hoarding face masks, but he denied they discussed the mask trade. Mr Thamanat was responding to a report on Facebook alleging  that his close aide had a hoard of 200 million medical masks for resale to China. His …

Michael Heath, the US embassy’s charge d’affaires, said the annual Cobra Gold military drill ensures US and Thai soldiers can join forces in every situation, ranging from humanitarian assistance to disaster relief. Despite the spread of the Covid-19 disease, US Army Brig Gen Josh Rudd, the Deputy Commanding General for Operations of the 25th Infantry Division, said the US military …

Central banks in Thailand and the US are expected to further slash their policy interest rates in the hope that monetary stimulus will help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, economists say. They also provided a grim forecast for Thailand’s economic outlook this year, expecting GDP growth to arrive at no more than 2%. The US Federal Reserve on …

The Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has unveiled a plan to allocate Sor Por Kor land in Ratchaburi province’s Chom Bung district, including 682 rai previously occupied by Palang Pracharath Party MP Pareena Kraikupt, to landless farmers. Alro secretary-general Vinaroj Sapsongsuk said the land allocation plan is in line with the Feb 21 announcement concerning land reform areas in Chom …

There will be no water splashing during Songkran — at least in Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Bang Saen — as the coronavirus outbreak has forced organisers to scrap activities that could expose more people to the bug that is bringing the world to a standstill. Khon Kaen Municipality on Thursday announced the cancellation of the Khon Kaen Songkran Festival, leaving …

Authorities scrambled on Friday to ease worries about new self-quarantine measures for arrivals from six virus-hit countries and territories, a day after announcing compulsory isolation. But confusion persists over whether the government is ordering or merely “recommending” self-quarantine for 14 days, with punishment for travellers who ignore the “advice”. Public Health Ministry spokesman Rungrueng Kiphati told Reuters on Thursday that …

The number of cases from the new coronavirus reaches 100,000 worldwide as the United States battled to contain an outbreak on board a stranded cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive. The World Health Organization called the spread of the virus “deeply concerning” as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease — which has now …