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New Year holiday brings crowds to Hua Hin By Paul Andrews The crowds returned to Hua Hin this weekend as domestic tourists visited in large numbers to celebrate the New Year. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245460-new-year-holiday-brings-crowds-to-hua-hin/

By Paul Andrews The crowds returned to Hua Hin this weekend as domestic tourists visited in large numbers to celebrate the New Year. Thai language media reported that scores of people visited Huay Mongkol Temple to make merit and pay respects for the New Year. Meanwhile, at Hua Hin beach, many Thai and foreign tourists could be seen swimming in the sea, horse riding and eating seafood from the beachside restaurants. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/new-year-holiday-brings-crowds-to-hua-hin/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Abused Capybara in Khon Kaen sparks outcry on social media The owner of a zoo in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province has posted disturbing pictures, on the zoo’s official Facebook page, of a Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) being abused, urging visitors not to harm them as such creatures are friendly and do not harm others. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245458-abused-capybara-in-khon-kaen-sparks-outcry-on-social-media/

The owner of a zoo in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province has posted disturbing pictures, on the zoo’s official Facebook page, of a Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) being abused, urging visitors not to harm them as such creatures are friendly and do not harm others. The owner of the Khon Kaen Exotic Pets & The Fountain Show zoo, located in Sila sub-district in Muang district of Khon Kaen, told a reporter that, on New Year’s Day, many visitors flocked to the zoo and were all given baskets of vegetables with which to feed the animals. One visitor, however, was surprised when a Capybara approached them. The visitor struck the creature with the basket until the creature bled. Staff members at the zoo quickly treated the animal’s wounds after the shocking incident. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/abused-capybara-in-khon-kaen-sparks-outcry-on-social-media/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Health ministry re-organizing resources in preparation for rise in daily Covid figures By: Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - People returning from the New Year holidays are being encouraged to take ATK tests as a precaution against COVID-19. Meanwhile, public health authorities are re-organizing healthcare resources in preparation for an expected increase in daily Covid infections. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245457-health-ministry-re-organizing-resources-in-preparation-for-rise-in-daily-covid-figures/

By: Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - People returning from the New Year holidays are being encouraged to take ATK tests as a precaution against COVID-19. Meanwhile, public health authorities are re-organizing healthcare resources in preparation for an expected increase in daily Covid infections. Dr. Chawetsan Namwat, the director of the Emergency Health Hazard and Disease Control Division, Department of Disease Control, said the most recent meeting on the COVID-19 situation has deemed that infection numbers remain on a downward course. However, public health authorities remain focused on an expected rise in infections, especially in the second week after New Year’s when the daily number of new infections could reach as high as 30,000 in the worst-case scenario. Dr. Chawetsan said the meeting of the Ministry of Public Health’s emergency operations center this morning (3 Jan) analyzed information relevant to Covid infection clusters in Ubon Ratchathani, Kalasin, and Chonburi, and determined that the main contributing factor for the outbreaks was mass crowding. The number of people in Thailand infected by the Omicron variant of coronavirus reached 1,551 on Sunday (2 Jan) and 47 provinces have reported Omicron cases. Despite the rising share of Thai Covid patients infected by the Omicron variant, none of these patients have had to be put on ventilators. According to Dr. Chawetsan, there are about 170,000 beds within the public health infrastructure and expansions can be made to make roughly 200,000 more beds available for Covid patients. The home isolation model and lessons learned from past outbreaks will also be applied. Nonetheless, businesses, as well as public agencies, are being asked to implement the Work from Home model for their employees for the time being. People who are returning from New Year holidays or other trips are urged to take ATK tests for Covid, and to monitor themselves if they have visited high-risk venues. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright NNT 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Two men in pick-up die in south as their vehicle hits a tree and is bent in the shape of a "U" Picture: Daily News Khao Chaison police were called yesterday morning to the scene of a one vehicle accident on the Phatthalung to Hat Yai section of the Petchkasem Highway. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245456-two-men-in-pick-up-die-in-south-as-their-vehicle-hits-a-tree-and-is-bent-in-the-shape-of-a-u/

Picture: Daily News Khao Chaison police were called yesterday morning to the scene of a one vehicle accident on the Phatthalung to Hat Yai section of the Petchkasem Highway. They found two men dead in a Vigo pick-up that was wrapped around a tree. Daily News said the vehicle was almost unrecognisable and was in a "U" shape. Dead inside the vehicle were driver Jirawat, 31, and Thaworn, 57. Picture: Daily News It took rescue teams an hour to extricate the vehicle and the victims who were taken away for autopsy. Relatives who arrived at the scene needed medical attention after fainting. Witnesses said they heard a loud bang after midnight but due to the dark and their being a lot of undergrowth the fact of the accident was not discovered until daybreak. Picture: Daily News Relatives said the men had gone out but had not indicated where they were off to. Police said that it was caused by high speed and they probably swerved to avoid something. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Health chief advises ATK tests before going home and before going back to work Picture INN Dr Kiatphum Wongjarit at the Ministry of Public Health said that Covid-19 cases were slightly more than expected and that deaths were slightly less in the latest stats. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245455-health-chief-advises-atk-tests-before-going-home-and-before-going-back-to-work/

Picture INN Dr Kiatphum Wongjarit at the Ministry of Public Health said that Covid-19 cases were slightly more than expected and that deaths were slightly less in the latest stats. But of paramount concern at the moment are clusters at New Year. To assuage the affect he urged Thais to get ATK tests before returning home from their holidays. Once home they should work from home for 14 days if possible. If they have to go back to work in person then they should take an ATK test first then two more tests three days apart, reported INN. He said that a bubble and seal approach will mean that factories will not need to be closed. Everyone should be on a symptoms watch for 14 days after mixing with others during the holidays. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Companies warned not to make false claims that their ATK kits can identify Omicron variant By: Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that there are no ATK test kits on the market that can accurately detect the Omicron variant and any companies who make this claim could be charged with false advertising. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245454-companies-warned-not-to-make-false-claims-that-their-atk-kits-can-identify-omicron-variant/

By: Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that there are no ATK test kits on the market that can accurately detect the Omicron variant and any companies who make this claim could be charged with false advertising. According to FDA Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Surachoke Tangwiwat, an online advertisement claiming that its Antigen Test Kit, or ATK, can detect the Omicron coronavirus strain was discovered recently. He stated that the FDA sent a notice to the company and warned them not to make such a claim because the ATK test is merely a preliminary measure to detect the virus and cannot identify the strain that the tester has infected. The Deputy secretary-general said that there are currently no studies on the differences in the quality of test kits from each manufacturer. However, he stated that these FDA-certified ATK kits can detect the virus regardless of mutations, as certain kits approved during the spread of the Delta variant have detected the virus despite being a different strain. He also guaranteed that regulators would thoroughly test these goods before allowing them for market usage. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright NNT 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thailand expecting 200 million air passengers by 2031 - 9th biggest hub in world, says transport minister Picture: Manager Thailand's transport minister Saksayam Chidchob said that studies show that Thailand will be the 9th biggest aviation player in the world in terms of passenger numbers within ten years. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245447-thailand-expecting-200-million-air-passengers-by-2031-9th-biggest-hub-in-world-says-transport-minister/

Picture: Manager Thailand's transport minister Saksayam Chidchob said that studies show that Thailand will be the 9th biggest aviation player in the world in terms of passenger numbers within ten years. He reckoned that Thai airports - and Suvarnabhumi in particular - will be handling 200 million passengers by 2031. Consequently with this anticipated rise he is pressing ahead with terminal, runway and ancilliary service expansion plans. He called this an action plan. In latest developments reported by Manager the minister said that he was ready to present IATA surveys to Anutin Charnvirakul the DPM who is chairing a committee on the matter. This relates to the Eastern Expansion of Suvarnabhumi. To follow will be the Northern Expansion of the Bangkok airport as per an ICAO survey currently underway. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

New Year: As the carnage on the roads continues RTP deputy says he's "happy" with 20% less accidents Picture: Naew Na After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245444-new-year-as-the-carnage-on-the-roads-continues-rtp-deputy-says-hes-happy-with-20-less-accidents/

Picture: Naew Na After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. After stepping out of a helicopter following surveys of traffic returning to Bangkok yesterday Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat claimed that there were 20% less accidents this year. This was reported as fact by Naew Na who made no attempt to question the general or grind down into the details. Their report was a PR exercise as they followed the top brass on an "eye in the sky" tour around Nakhon Sawan. They praised the general for taking immediate action to open an extra lane on a road instead of taking the opportunity to ask awkward questions. The general gave the usual rhetoric saying that the prime minister and deputy prime minister cared about all road users and wanted them to be safe and sound advising careful driving. He said that on New Year's day 520,000 vehicles were on the move, 600,000 on the 2nd and 600,000 more returning to Bangkok anticipated yesterday. He handed out gifts at a tent by the roadside thanking officers for their diligence and New Year sacrifices. Meanwhile the morgues were full with accident victims as they are on any given day in Thailand - 25,000 are reportedly killed annually, suggest ASEAN NOW. And the courts are handling record numbers of DUI cases according to probation department figures. The New Year and Songkran action to limit death on the roads and reduce accidents has been criticized as mere lip service by NGOs with far wider and more sustained action needed 365 days a year to address the appalling toll on the nations' highways. Without a concerted effort to do something more concrete a million Thais will perish before forty more New Year holidays are celebrated. Happy indeed. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Picture: INN Huay Khwang police raided the Khao Soi restaurant at 4 am on News Year's Day, reported INN. It is located in Soi Ratchadaniwet, sub-soi 10. The media said there were many Thais and foreigners drinking and taking drugs at the establishment when Pol Col Yingyot Suwanno and other officers came calling. They found eight ecstasy pills in a bag, five grams of ketamine in nine bags and drug taking straws all strewn on the floor. In attendance were 40 patrons - 23 men and 17 women. Urine tests showed the presence of drugs in 17 men and ten women. Sorawuth Khongkham identified himself as the manager and was charged with contravening infectious disease laws, serving alcohol when forbidden and opening after hours. The patrons were all charged under the infectious disease laws and for drug taking if they tested positive. The media suggested that the place was more than a restaurant and in fact prostitution was taking place. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Dozens of Thais/foreigners positive for drug taking in raid on Huay Khwang restaurant Picture: INN Huay Khwang police raided the Khao Soi restaurant at 4 am on News Year's Day, reported INN. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245439-dozens-of-thaisforeigners-positive-for-drug-taking-in-raid-on-huay-khwang-restaurant/

Omicron set to delay reopening of bars and pubs Daily News Thai caption: Delay to opening pubs - bars A key figure at the Thai Ministry of Public Healthy indicated yesterday that pubs, bars and nightlife entertainment were likely to remain shut after the middle of this month. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245438-omicron-set-to-delay-reopening-of-bars-and-pubs/

Daily News Thai caption: Delay to opening pubs - bars A key figure at the Thai Ministry of Public Healthy indicated yesterday that pubs, bars and nightlife entertainment were likely to remain shut after the middle of this month. The sector was expected to open on January 16th but Dr Kiatphum Wongjarit indicated to Daily News that this is unlikely to happen. Meetings are taking place today between the MoPH and the CCSA, Thailand's Covid-19 response committee. Health Minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirakul had confirmed that the Test and Go scheme - suspended until today - will be delayed in restarting until the end of January. On the matter of pubs and bars he said it had not been discussed but intimated somewhat cryptically that infections in the sector would drive a decision. The opening of Thailand's entertainment industry has already been put back from December with the sector warning of more permanent closures if they are unable to open in January, notes ASEAN NOW. The emergence of the Omicron variant is the driver of the expected further delays. Today's decision will be anxiously awaited with many tourists abroad also using it to inform their decision about whether to come to Thailand - or delay once again. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Thailand reports 3,091 new COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths, 2,688 recoveries File photo Thailand on Tuesday (January 4) reported 3,091 new COVID-19 cases, 2,88 recoveries and 12 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245436-thailand-reports 3091-new-covid-19-cases-12-deaths-2688-recoveries/ //CLOSED// /Admin

Thailand reports 3,091 new COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths, 2,688 recoveries File photo Thailand on Tuesday (January 4) reported 3,091 new COVID-19 cases, 2,88 recoveries and 12 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245436-thailand-reports 3091-new-covid-19-cases-12-deaths-2688-recoveries/

File photo Thailand on Tuesday (January 4) reported 3,091 new COVID-19 cases, 2,88 recoveries and 12 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. ▶︎ Infections outside prisons: 3,089. Prisons: 2 ▶︎ Recoveries: 2,688 ▶︎ Total infections since April 1: 2,206,713 ▶︎ Total recoveries since April 1: 2,152,895 Tuesday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 2,235,576 with 21,750 deaths. The news comes as medical researchers have indicated that while the Omicron coronavirus variant is unlikely to replace the Delta variant due to genetic differences, it is also expected to be less severe. Dr Anan Jongkaewwattana, director of the Veterinary Health Innovation and Management Research Group unit of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), said Delta is like a sibling to the Alpha and Beta strains. However, this is not the case with the Omicron strain and so someone infected with the Delta variant can still contract the Omicron variant and carry both simultaneously. He added that this year could see vaccines developed to safeguard against both variants through a single shot, similar to seasonal flu vaccines. Dr Chakkarat Pittayawong-anont, director of the epidemiology division at the Department of Disease Control (DDC), meanwhile said he was confident that the Omicron variant would not cause as many critical illnesses as the Delta variant. *NNT contributed to this report Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-04 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

'You joking?': UK woman's Thailand holiday turns to quarantine horror Emily Lefroy Ms Meeks was forced into hotel quarantine after returning a positive Covid test when arriving in Thailand. Source: Instagram A UK woman's trip to Thailand turned into a holiday nightmare after she returned a positive coronavirus test and was immediately whisked away to hotel quarantine. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1245425-you-joking-uk-womans-thailand-holiday-turns-to-quarantine-horror/