Coronavirus Update for Phuket & Thailand
Thursday 13th of January, 2022: As of January 12th Phuket has had 452 new local infections confirmed across the island, but no new deaths, bringing the total number of people recognised as infected with COVID-19 in Phuket since Apr 3 to 24,968. Phuket is still open to...
Indonesians celebrate Vesak at world’s largest Buddhist temple
MAGELANG, INDONESIA (AFP) - Hundreds of lanterns were released into the sky by Indonesian Buddhists celebrating Vesak day at the temple of Borobudur for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. More than a thousand Buddhists from across the...
No closure of class or school in Thailand if COVID-19 infection is detected
The Department of Health has clarified that no class or school will be shut down if a student, teacher or member of school staff is found to be infected with COVID-19 or if a high-risk person is exposed to an infected individual, according to the department’s Deputy...
Thai Commerce Ministry to put child car seats on “products under watch” list
The Ministry of Commerce is to include car safety seats in their “product under watch” list to prevent profiteering, after the Land Traffic Act has made it mandatory for children under 6 and those whose height is 135cm or less to be placed in safety seats and secured...
Sri Lanka stumbles toward its first default on foreign debt
COLOMBO (BLOOMBERG) - Sri Lanka is sliding inexorably into default as the grace period on two unpaid foreign bonds nears an end, the latest blow to a country rattled by economic pain and social unrest. The island nation could be formally declared in default if it...
Thailand’s regional strategies revealed at the ASEAN-US summit
Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, participates in the US-ASEAN Special Summit at the US State Department in Washington, DC, on May 13, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) Prime Minister Prayut Chan-cha, speaking at the special...
Kazakh man hailed a hero for risking own life to save toddler hanging from eighth floor window
A man in Kazakhstan who saved a toddler dangling from a window of an eight-floor house from falling from a height of 100 feet, has been hailed as a hero.The video capturing the stunning rescue showed the three-year-old, reported to be alone at the house at the time of...
Concern over side effects means parents unwilling to vaccinate young children
Many parents are not taking their children to be vaccinated because they are concerned over the possible side effects, said Health Services Department Director-General Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai today (Sunday), citing the results of an opinion survey conducted...
Three children, three soldiers killed in Pakistan suicide blast
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - A suicide bomber killed three children and three soldiers in an attack on a military vehicle in Pakistan's restive northwestern region bordering Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday (May 15). The mountainous frontier separating Pakistan and...
Walk-A-Tif: Mimouna party, a festival of good neighbours
It is not that common to experience Jewish traditions in Thailand, so this is a very good chance to observe a celebration taking place at the residence of the Israeli ambassador to Thailand. We are attending the Jewish celebration dinner, called “Mimouna”....
North Korea reports more deaths, says taking ‘swift measures’ against Covid-19 outbreak
SEOUL (REUTERS) - North Korea said on Sunday (May 15) a total of 42 people had died as the country began its fourth day under a nationwide lockdown aimed at stopping the impoverished country’s first confirmed Covid-19 outbreak. North Korea’s admission on Thursday that...
US-Asean summit more a pledge of commitment than a showcase of substantive action
BANGKOK - There was a wide range of agendas at play at this week's special summit in Washington DC between United States and Asean leaders, but it was fundamentally a pledge of US commitment to South-east Asia.It gave a teaser of Washington's initiatives rather than...
More reporters suspended over coverage of alleged sexual harassment by senior monk
Two more broadcast reporters were suspended and one online influencer has been fired as the backlash over the apparently “staged” video, featuring a supposed sex abuse victim of an ailing senior monk in Yasothon province, intensifies. In a statement issued today, Thai...