Thailand

137 Wuhan returnees got discharged earlier quarantined at the Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province while the returnee under observation for possible infection remained, pending retests. Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said at the naval base that the quarantine on the returnees was successful as 137 people returned home as planned. The other returnee under observation remained at …

The Diamond Princess has proved a fertile breeding ground for the virus with at least 542 positive cases, and there is mounting criticism of Japan’s handling of quarantine arrangements as passengers ready to disperse into the wider world. Relieved passengers began leaving a coronavirus-wracked cruise ship in Japan on Wednesday after testing negative for the disease that has now claimed …

A man accused of shooting dead his ex-wife and wounding another woman at a cosmetic clinic inside a shopping mall in Bangkok on Tuesday has been arrested. Danusorn Numcharoen, 28, was taken into custody about 4.30am on Wednesday in tambon Huay Mae Phiang of Kaeng Krachan district, Phetchaburi province, by Phayathai and Metropolitan Division 1 police under a court warrant. …

The Public Health Ministry’s new travel advisory for Japan and Singapore is sparking concern among Thai tourists, many of whom are asking tour operators to refund their tickets. The ministry on Tuesday advised people to delay travelling to Japan and Singapore while the two countries grapple with deadly coronavirus (Covid-19). Those who cannot avoid visiting the two countries should take …

US car maker General Motors confirms that roughly 1,500 workers from its Thai operations have to be laid off this year once Chinese maker Great Wall Motors takes ownership of the Rayong facilities. But the government hopes the new owner can invigorate the country’s fledgling electric vehicle (EV) industry and spur a transition away from internal combustion engines. On Monday, …

A hospital director at the epicentre of China’s virus epidemic died Tuesday, state media said, the latest medical worker to fall victim to the new coronavirus spreading across the country. Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died Tuesday morning after “all-out rescue efforts failed,” state broadcaster CCTV reported. China said last week that six medical workers had …

Public health authorities on Monday raised measures against Covid-19 to level 3, in preparation for a surge in transmissions. Level 3 means medical staff have to undergo screening for the virus. Within the next two months, every province will have at least one hospital capable of testing for Covid-19. The Department of Medical Sciences is also developing a coronavirus test …

When Cambodia’s prime minister greeted passengers on a cruise ship amid a coronavirus scare on Valentine’s Day, embraces were the order of the day. Protective masks were not. Not only did Prime Minister Hun Sen not wear one, assured that the ship was virus-free, his bodyguards ordered people who had donned masks to take them off. The next day, the …

The army has struck a deal with the Finance Ministry’s Treasury Department on the management of its commercial welfare projects and its commercial use of state land to ensure transparency and regulation compliance. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Monday will pave the way for the transfer of state land and commercial businesses to the Finance Ministry and allow most …

More than 300,000 Chevrolet cars in Thailand risk losing maintenance services after the US car maker General Motors (GM) announced a halt in sales of the Chevrolet brand locally by 2020. GM is selling manufacturing facilities in Rayong under a purchase agreement with Chinese car maker Great Wall Motors. Both parties want to close the deal and hand over the …