Thai traffic back to gridlock as coronavirus measures ease

By Jiraporn Kuhakan

 

A traffic is seen during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Cars, trucks and motorcycles jostled on Monday in a return of the Thai capital's familiar gridlock as commuters headed back to work in the second phase of easing coronavirus restrictions to get the economy back on track.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164766-thai-traffic-back-to-gridlock-as-coronavirus-measures-ease/

 

Prayut says kids must study online until pandemic eases

By The Nation

 

Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has emphasised that students must study online until the Covid-19 situation improves and schools can reopen, government spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Monday (May 18).

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164752-prayut-says-kids-must-study-online-until-pandemic-eases/

Many parents finding online lessons ‘far too expensive’

By The Nation

 

 

Parents in Chiang Mai are calling on the government to reopen schools soon because online classes can be unaffordable for some families.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164757-many-parents-finding-online-lessons-‘far-too-expensive’/

Thai central bank seen cutting key rate to help economy in recession

By Orathai Sriring

 

FILE PHOTO: The Bank of Thailand logo is seen in Bangkok, Thailand April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s central bank is widely expected to cut its benchmark interest rate to a new low at its policy review on Wednesday to cushion the economy from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164767-thai-central-bank-seen-cutting-key-rate-to-help-economy-in-recession/

Thai Airways faces privatisation if it declares bankruptcy

By The Nation

 

 

It is expected that the Cabinet will give the go-ahead to the rehabilitation of Thai Airways International (THAI) as per the Bankruptcy Court’s procedure at its meeting today (May 19). This could potentially result in the airline losing its status as state enterprise.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164797-thai-airways-faces-privatisation-if-it-declares-bankruptcy/

 

Protection hard to find as top condom maker closed under lockdown

By The Nation

 

 

There is a severe shortage of condoms globally as the largest condom manufacturer in Malaysia was forced to stop production due to lockdown measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, Somdet Susomboon, director-general of the Department of International Trade Promotion, said on Monday (May 18).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164798-protection-hard-to-find-as-top-condom-maker-closed-under-lockdown/

 

Food-delivery firms making most of Covid-19 crisis

By THE NATION

 

 

Many food-delivery operators have been found to be taking advantage of the fact that restaurants can’t serve meals in their premises in line with measures to curb Covid-19 and charging restaurants unfair amounts for their services.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164799-food-delivery-firms-making-most-of-covid-19-crisis/

 

Ex-deputy commerce minister indicted on murder and other charges

 

 

Former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn, and five other individuals, were indicted today in connection with the abduction and murder of the brother of a senior judge handling a case against Banyin.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164800-ex-deputy-commerce-minister-indicted-on-murder-and-other-charges/

 

UPDATE:

 

Second forensic probe finds evidence of assault on body of abducted child

 

 

Thailand’s Institute of Forensic Medicine has found signs of assault on the body of the three-year old girl, who went missing from her home in a village in Dong Luang district in Thailand’s northeastern province of Muk Dahan on May 11th.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164293-body-of-girl-3-found-on-mukdahan-mountain/?do=findComment&comment=15426174

 

Bangkok-Phuket buses slated for June 1

By The Phuket News

 

Officials at the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 in Rassada held a meeting on Friday (May 15) to prepare for the resumption of bus services. Photo: Phuket Bus Terminal 2 / Facebook

 

PHUKET: Long-haul buses out of Phuket to Bangkok are set to start rolling again on June 1 as the state transport company Transport Co, better known by its Thai initials “BorKor Sor”, today resumed its long-distance buses out of Bangkok to Northern Thailand and the Northeast.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164801-bangkok-phuket-buses-slated-for-june-1/

 

Thailand’s extended flight ban draws mixed trade reactions

By Anne Somanas

 

Thailand has reopened 14 airports, including Suvarnabhumi Airport

 

While Thailand has scaled back its evening curfew by an hour, reopened malls and allowed 10 types of businesses and activities to resume, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has chosen to extend its ban on international flights until June 30.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164802-thailand’s-extended-flight-ban-draws-mixed-trade-reactions/

 

Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine as hedge against virus

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump talks about taking daily doses of hydroxychloroquine pills as he addresses a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic meeting with restaurant executives and industry leaders beneath a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he is taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that he has touted despite medical warnings about its use, as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164803-trump-says-he-is-taking-hydroxychloroquine-as-hedge-against-virus/

 

Conditions in UK autumn and winter may see pick up in coronavirus spread: government adviser

 

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam speaks at the daily digital news conference on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain May 18, 2020. Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Handout via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Conditions in autumn and winter may provide an evironment in which the spread of the coronavirus picks up again, England's deputy chief medical officer said on Monday, warning the country may have to live with the virus in the long-term.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164804-conditions-in-uk-autumn-and-winter-may-see-pick-up-in-coronavirus-spread-government-adviser/

 

U.S. savages WHO as it promises pandemic review, but China pledges $2 billion

By Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge

 

FILE PHOTO: A logo is pictured on the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of a meeting of the Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Geneva, Switzerland, January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Monday an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible and it received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164807-us-savages-who-as-it-promises-pandemic-review-but-china-pledges-2-billion/

 

FBI phone probe links al Qaeda to Saudi who killed 3 at Florida base, Barr says

By Sarah N. Lynch and Mark Hosenball

 

Traffic on and off base is restricted after a member of the Saudi Air Force visiting the United States for military training was the suspect in a shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in Pensacola, Florida, U.S. December 6, 2019. REUTERS/Michael Spooneybarger

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI cracked the iPhone encryption of the Royal Saudi Air Force trainee who killed three American sailors in a December attack at a naval base in Florida, and found evidence linking him to al Qaeda, Attorney General William Barr said on Monday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164808-fbi-phone-probe-links-al-qaeda-to-saudi-who-killed-3-at-florida-base-barr-says/

 

Trump fired watchdog who was probing Saudi arms sales - lawmakers

By Patricia Zengerle

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs after briefing House and Senate Intelligence committees at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump may have fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick because he was investigating U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia, Democratic lawmakers said on Monday, although Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he sought Linick's removal because his work was undermining the department.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164810-trump-fired-watchdog-who-was-probing-saudi-arms-sales-lawmakers/

 

More Americans emerge from lockdown; markets buoyed by virus vaccine potential

By Maria Caspani and Rajesh Kumar Singh

 

A "We're Hiring" sign advertising jobs is seen at the entrance of a restaurant, as Miami-Dade County eases some of the lockdown measures put in place during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Miami, Florida, U.S., May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Marco Bello

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The phased reopening of U.S. business and social life gained traction on Monday with more Americans emerging from coronavirus lockdowns and financial markets rising on promising early results from the first U.S. vaccine trial in humans.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164816-more-americans-emerge-from-lockdown-markets-buoyed-by-virus-vaccine-potential/

 

Global aviation in crisis

by Andrew J Wood

 

 

BANGKOK: Global aviation has been battered and air traffic remains largely grounded as countries enforce their lockdowns and restrict travel, with few signs that the end is in sight. For the largest of carriers like IAG, United, American Airlines, Emirates Lufthansa and many more (see summary below) all have been forced to seek help from their governments.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164819-global-aviation-in-crisis/

Thailand No 1 exporter of computers, components in Asean

By THE NATION

 

 

Thai exports of computers and components in the first quarter of 2020 rose to nearly $4 billion (Bt128 billion), placing it at the top among Asean nations, said Department of Trade Negotiations director-general Auramon Supthaweethum.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164820-thailand-no-1-exporter-of-computers-components-in-asean/

 

Netizens give Seacon Square pat on the back for anti-virus measures, including foot-operated lifts

By THE NATION

 

 

Seacon Square shopping mall on Bangkok’s Srinakarin Road has come in for praise by netizens for employing a series of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 after the government relaxed its lockdown restrictions and allowed malls and other businesses to reopen on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164824-netizens-give-seacon-square-pat-on-the-back-for-anti-virus-measures-including-foot-operated-lifts/

 

Police make quick arrest of Chiang Saen bank raid suspect

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Police in Chiang Rai have arrested a 33 year old man who they say was one of two who robbed the Bangkok Bank in Chiang Saen of just over a million baht.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164828-police-make-quick-arrest-of-chiang-saen-bank-raid-suspect/

 

Not one but THREE Nigerians stranded at Suvarnabhumi for months

 

Picture: Thai PBS

 

The authorities at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport have admitted that three Nigerians have been hunkering down in departures for two months.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164830-not-one-but-three-nigerians-stranded-at-suvarnabhumi-for-months/

 

Hua Hin hotels officially allowed to re-open - now just waiting for tourists

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

The lifting of restrictions that means hotels in Hua Hin could open yesterday has been met with a lukewarm response from the industry.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164832-hua-hin-hotels-officially-allowed-to-re-open-now-just-waiting-for-tourists/

 

Yikes! Snake catcher finds a 1.5 meter cobra under a rice basket

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

A video on 77kaoded showed the moment that a snake catcher in Krabi in the south of Thailand discovered a 1.5 meter cobra curled up under an overturned sticky rice basket.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164833-yikes-snake-catcher-finds-a-15-meter-cobra-under-a-rice-basket/

 

Laos national arrested with 481 day overstay

 

Picture: Naeww Na

 

Naew Na continued their reporting of the arrest of overstaying foreigners under the policy of immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang to clear up Thailand.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164836-laos-national-arrested-with-481-day-overstay/

 

Video: So now it's illegal to have dinner at home after curfew!? Clip astounds Thais

 

Picture: Manager

 

A video clip from CCTV doing the rounds of Facebook showed a police officer threaten to arrest two motorcycle mechanics

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164837-video-so-now-its-illegal-to-have-dinner-at-home-after-curfew-clip-astounds-thais/

Skeletal remains found on Phuket beach

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The remains were found washed ashore at Sai Kaew Beach, on the northwest tip of the island. Photo: Tha Chatchai Police

 

PHUKET: Police are hoping to identify the skeletal remains of half a body that was found washed ashore at Sai Kaew Beach, at the northwest tip of the island, yesterday afternoon (May 18).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164838-skeletal-remains-found-on-phuket-beach/

 

Mall, business operators advised to clean toilets every two hours

By THE NATION

 

Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn

 

The Department of Health has urged business and mall operators to clean public toilets every two hours to prevent Covid-19 from spreading after the government relaxed its lockdown restrictions and allowed malls and other businesses to reopen since Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164840-mall-business-operators-advised-to-clean-toilets-every-two-hours/

 

Residents evacuated after ammonia gas leak at Samut Prakan ice making factory

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

77kaoded reported that police, rescue and fire services were called after a leak of ammonia gas at an ice making factory in Samrong.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164842-residents-evacuated-after-ammonia-gas-leak-at-samut-prakan-ice-making-factory/

 

Heavy weather warning for Phuket

By The Phuket News

 

Tropical Cyclone Storm ‘Amphan’ in the Bay of Bengal has gained maximum sustained winds of about 220km/h. Image: TMD

 

PHUKET: The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a heavy weather warning for Phuket and the rest of the upper Andaman coast as Tropical Cyclone Storm “Amphan” in the Bay of Bengal gains speed and heads towards Bangladesh.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1164846-heavy-weather-warning-for-phuket/