THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 30 Mar 2020

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Thailand's tourist haven Pattaya devastated as coronavirus hits travel

By Vorasit Satienlerk and Juarawee Kittisilpa

 

People sleep in a closed restaurant following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pattaya, Thailand March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

PATTAYA, Thailand (Reuters) - Beaches are deserted, go-go bars stand empty and cabarets have shut their doors in Thailand's tourist haven of Pattaya, as business has ground to a standstill after worldwide travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156582-thailands-tourist-haven-pattaya-devastated-as-coronavirus-hits-travel/

 

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ALERT! ‘Bar Beer Soi 6 Pattaya’ and 2 restaurants listed in COVID-19 alert spots

 

 

PATTAYA:--‘Bar Beer Soi 6 Pattaya’ and 2 Pattaya restaurants were added to a list of places in Chonburi, including some shopping malls, private offices, restaurants, snooker halls, and more, in Friday’s COVID-19 supervision order issued by Chonburi Gov. Pakarathorn Thienchai which included a warning to people who have visited these areas to self-quarantine.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156497-alert-‘bar-beer-soi-6-pattaya’-and-2-restaurants-listed-in-covid-19-alert-spots/

 

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Attempted breakout at Buriram prison

 

 

Inmates at a prison in Buriram province were reportedly involved in a shootout with prison officers on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156527-attempted-breakout-at-buriram-prison/

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UPDATE:

 

Coronavirus fear sparks Thai prison riot as cases reach 1,388

 

A police officer wearing a protective face mask and a face shield due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is seen at a police station in Bangkok, Thailand, March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Prisoners set fire to the canteen of jail in northeastern Thailand and several inmates escaped during a riot on Sunday that was sparked by rumours of a coronavirus outbreak, a senior justice ministry official told Reuters.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156527-attempted-breakout-at-buriram-prison/?do=findComment&comment=15227949

 

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Pattaya supermarkets boom during Covid-19 economic crisis

Don’t panic, there are still plenty of eggs

 

While huge swaths of businesses are closed or hurting amid the coronavirus crisis, grocery stores are booming.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156496-pattaya-supermarkets-boom-during-covid-19-economic-crisis/

 

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Bt150 discount for M-Pass online top-up to stop Covid-19 spreading

By The Nation

 

 

The Department of Highways is offering a Bt150 discount for a Bt1,000 top-up of M-Pass electronic toll collection, to encourage people to avoid paying cash, which might carry the new strain of coronavirus.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156584-bt150-discount-for-m-pass-online-top-up-to-stop-covid-19-spreading/

 

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14 million register for cash handouts

By The Nation

 

 

Some 14 million people have registered for the government's cash handout programme for those whose livelihoods are impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156585-14-million-register-for-cash-handouts/

 

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Lamphun reports its first two Covid-19 cases

By The Nation

 

 

Lamphun province has reported its first two Covid-19 cases. Provincial Governor Pongrat Piromrat on Sunday (March 29) issued a statement regarding the situation in Lamphun.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156586-lamphun-reports-its-first-two-covid-19-cases/

 

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Phuket locks down, brings all transport to standstill until April 30

By The Nation

 

 

Phuket is locking down from Monday (March 30) until April 30 as the number of Covid-19 patients over the country is growing.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156588-phuket-locks-down-brings-all-transport-to-standstill-until-april-30/

 

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Banks set to reopen on Monday

By The Nation

 

 

Banks will reopen on Monday March 30) after closing during the weekend in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19, a statement issued by the Bank of Thailand, Thai Bankers’ Association and a club of the state-owned banks said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156589-banks-set-to-reopen-on-monday/

 

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GSB opens low-interest loans for self-employed people hit by Covid-19 outbreak

By The Nation

 

Chatchai Payuhanaveechai

 

Freelance self-employed people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic can avail of ultra-low interest loans offered by Government Savings Bank by applying through the bank's website.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156591-gsb-opens-low-interest-loans-for-self-employed-people-hit-by-covid-19-outbreak/

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Parents of AFS students to seek PM’s help to return their children to Thailand

 

Cr.@prayutofficial

 

The parents of about 200 Thai students, currently in the USA under the American Field Service (AFS) exchange program, will meet with Thailand’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister tomorrow (Monday) to seek government support to bring their children back to Thailand.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156592-parents-of-afs-students-to-seek-pm’s-help-to-return-their-children-to-thailand/

 

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Phuket bridges and ports closed

By The Phuket News

 

Only rescue vehicles and trucks delivering essential supplies will be allowed onto the island while the bridges onto and off Phuket are closed. Photo: Wanlop Boonjan

 

PHUKET: All bridges onto and off the island will be closed to all traffic except emergency service vehicles and trucks delivering goods, and all ports and piers will be closed to general traffic, at midnight tonight (00:01am, Mar 30).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156593-phuket-bridges-and-ports-closed/

 

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Nearly 300 Thais stranded at the southern border, paperwork issues

By The Thaiger

 

 

Around 300 Thais trying to return to Thailand are stranded at the Wang Kelian immigration checkpoint in northern Malaysia’s Perlis State. On the other side is Thailand’s Wang Prachan checkpoint in Satun’s Khuan Don district. They’ve been denied entry after failing to comply with the strict new regulations set by the Thai authorities.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156594-nearly-300-thais-stranded-at-the-southern-border-paperwork-issues/

 

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UPDATE: 

 

Fortress Phuket. The island closes off Sarasin Bridge and boating traffic, except supplies

By The Thaiger

 

 

Phuketians, you are marooned on a tropical island. Well, almost…

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156593-phuket-bridges-and-ports-closed/?do=findComment&comment=15228015

 

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Trump says U.S. will not pay for security protection for Prince Harry

By David Shepardson

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States would not pay for security protection for Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who, according to media reports, have settled in Los Angeles.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156595-trump-says-us-will-not-pay-for-security-protection-for-prince-harry/

 

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UK lockdown must be lifted gradually, could last six months - medical official

 

A sign is seen at a building merchants, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Hertford, Britain, March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons may be subject to some form of lockdown measures for six months or longer, England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said on Sunday, warning the country faces a second wave of coronavirus if they are lifted too quickly.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156596-uk-lockdown-must-be-lifted-gradually-could-last-six-months-medical-official/

 

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With PM Johnson ill, coronavirus strikes at heart of British politics

By Elizabeth Piper

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears on a monitor for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) meeting in London, Britain March 28, 2020. The prime minister chairs the morning update meeting on the coronavirus remotely from Number 11 Downing Street, since self-isolating after testing positive for the virus. Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Handout via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed on Friday he had the coronavirus, his health minister said he did too, and England's chief medical officer announced he also had symptoms.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156597-with-pm-johnson-ill-coronavirus-strikes-at-heart-of-british-politics/

 

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Coronavirus deaths fall again in Italy but lockdown extension looms

By Giulia Segreti

 

FILE PHOTO: A man jogs at an empty Navona square as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome, Italy March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Alberto Lingria

 

ROME (Reuters) - The number of deaths from coronavirus in Italy fell for the second consecutive day on Sunday but the country still looked almost certain to see an extension of stringent containment measures.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156598-coronavirus-deaths-fall-again-in-italy-but-lockdown-extension-looms/

 

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German health institute warns pandemic could overstretch system: paper

 

A general view of the almost empty street Kaiserdamm, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Berlin, Germany, March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

 

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's health system could face strains similar to those in Italy if the coronavirus outbreak in the country worsens, the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the federal agency responsible for disease control, told a newspaper.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156599-german-health-institute-warns-pandemic-could-overstretch-system-paper/

 

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North Korea says it conducted successful test of multiple rocket launchers

By Hyonhee Shin

 

A view shows the testing of what local media call a super-large multiple rocket launcher in North Korea, in this undated photo released on March 28, 2020 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's latest test of super-large multiple rocket launchers a day earlier was a success, state media said on Monday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156601-north-korea-says-it-conducted-successful-test-of-multiple-rocket-launchers/

 

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Coronavirus lockdowns give Europe's cities cleaner air

By Kate Abnett

 

A general view shows the South Tower during the lockdown imposed by the Belgian government to slow down the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Air pollution has decreased in urban areas across Europe during lockdowns to combat the coronavirus, new satellite images showed on Monday, but campaigners warned city-dwellers were still more vulnerable to the epidemic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156602-coronavirus-lockdowns-give-europes-cities-cleaner-air/

 

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COVID-19: Immigration proposes extending visas for people stranded in Thailand to 30 June 2020

 

 

The Immigration Bureau has proposed allowing foreigners who have had their travel plans disrupted by COVID-19 to extend their visas to 30 June 2020.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156604-covid-19-immigration-proposes-extending-visas-for-people-stranded-in-thailand-to-30-june-2020/

 

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Trump backs off plan to reopen businesses by mid-April amid coronavirus warnings

By Doina Chiacu and Dan Whitcomb

 

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses while speaking during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago

 

WASHINGTON/ LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Sunday extended his stay-at-home guidelines until the end of April, dropping a hotly criticized plan to get the economy up and running by mid-April after a top medical adviser said more than 100,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156609-trump-backs-off-plan-to-reopen-businesses-by-mid-april-amid-coronavirus-warnings/

 

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China sees drop in new coronavirus cases; none in Hubei for sixth day

 

A man wearing a face mask walks at a park in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicenter of China's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - Mainland China reported 31 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including one locally transmitted infection, the country's National Health Commission said, dropping from 45 cases a day earlier.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156611-china-sees-drop-in-new-coronavirus-cases-none-in-hubei-for-sixth-day/

 

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Covid-19: Don't believe online fraudsters who can process your visa extension, say immigration

 

Pictire: Naew Na

 

Thailand's immigration Bureau issued emergency advice to tourists about extending their visas amid the coronavirus crisis. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156616-covid-19-dont-believe-online-fraudsters-who-can-process-your-visa-extension-say-immigration/

 

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Prison breakout in Buriram: Lifers possibly on the run after prisoners take advantage of Covid-19 situation

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that around 100 prisoners rioted at Buriram prison in the north east of Thailand late yesterday morning.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156617-prison-breakout-in-buriram-lifers-possibly-on-the-run-after-prisoners-take-advantage-of-covid-19-situation/

 

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New streaming app launches in Thailand to save you from COVID-19 boredom

 

File photo

 

The prospect of having to spend much of the foreseeable future indoors suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156620-new-streaming-app-launches-in-thailand-to-save-you-from-covid-19-boredom/

 

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Vietnam PM asks major cities to prepare for lockdown to stop virus

 

A man wearing protective clothing sprays disinfectant during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hanoi, Vietnam March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Kham

 

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's prime minister on Monday asked major cities to prepare for possible lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country reached nearly 200.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156625-vietnam-pm-asks-major-cities-to-prepare-for-lockdown-to-stop-virus/

 

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Canada's army not needed right now to help combat coronavirus spread, Trudeau says

By David Ljunggren

 

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 29, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is not planning for the moment to use troops to help combat a spreading coronavirus outbreak, although the option remains on the table, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1156627-canadas-army-not-needed-right-now-to-help-combat-coronavirus-spread-trudeau-says/