THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 7 Jan 2021

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Air quality unhealthy in 11 areas of Bangkok, surroundings

By The Nation

 

 

Air pollution in 11 areas around Bangkok and its vicinity hit unsafe levels on Thursday morning, with PM2.5 readings coming in at 55-87 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), the Pollution Control Department reported.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200474-air-quality-unhealthy-in-11-areas-of-bangkok-surroundings/

 

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Massage parlours plead for govt help

By THE NATION

 

 

The Charawi Association for the Conservation of Thai Massage on Wednesday handed over a letter at Government House addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also chairman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, urging the government to help spa and massage parlour entrepreneurs who have been forced to shut down their businesses to prevent the new wave of Covid-19 from spreading.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200475-massage-parlours-plead-for-govt-help/

 

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Koh Samui: Alcohol banned in bars and pubs, some ferry services suspended

 

 

Thai media reported that the police were out in force in Koh Samui ensuring midnight closing and that no alcohol was being served in pubs, bars and karaoke establishments. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200477-koh-samui-alcohol-banned-in-bars-and-pubs-some-ferry-services-suspended/

 

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Pattaya: Brazen thief carries off market trader's sacks of tamarind and veg

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

Sophon Cable TV went to investigate at the Mahachon Market in Nong Prue after a trader there called Chollarat, 52, told them CCTV had caught a thief stealing her things. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200480-pattaya-brazen-thief-carries-off-market-traders-sacks-of-tamarind-and-veg/

 

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Thailand reports 305 new COVID-19 cases, one more death

 

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

Thailand confirmed 305 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

 

Full report: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200482-thailand-reports-305-new-covid-19-cases-one-more-death/

 

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Covid-19 cases likely to rise sharply due to holiday travel: Chula lecturer

By The Nation

 

Thira Woratanarat

 

The number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand is expected to rise sharply at the end of this week due to people travelling during the New Year holidays, Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200484-covid-19-cases-likely-to-rise-sharply-due-to-holiday-travel-chula-lecturer/

 

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Contact tracing apps now COMPULSORY in Thailand - possible penalties for people not using them

 

 

Contact tracing applications are now compulsory for people living in Thailand and those who do not use them and later test positive for COVID-19 could face legal action.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200487-contact-tracing-apps-now-compulsory-in-thailand-possible-penalties-for-people-not-using-them/

 

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Two top White House officials resign after Capitol violence, more on the way -sources

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham listens to U.S. President Donald Trump talk to reporters as he departs for travel to Georgia from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., November 8, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two top aides to first lady Melania Trump resigned on Wednesday in the wake of violence on Capitol Hill, and more top White House officials were considering resigning, including national security adviser Robert O'Brien and his deputy, Matthew Pottinger, sources familiar with the matter said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200488-two-top-white-house-officials-resign-after-capitol-violence-more-on-the-way-sources/

 

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Gay couple caught for ‘hiding’ dead man

By THE NATION

 

 

Police officers in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district arrested a gay couple on Thursday for dropping off a corpse on Mahacharoen Road on Wednesday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200502-gay-couple-caught-for-‘hiding’-dead-man/

 

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Over a million Thai gamblers racked up Bt11.4 billion in debts in 2019

By THE NATION

 

 

The majority, or 76 per cent, of 44,050 respondents aged over 15 years across Thailand said they have gambled before, while about half said they had started when they were less than 20, with the lowest starting age recorded at 7 years, said a study by the Centre for Gambling Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Economics.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200505-over-a-million-thai-gamblers-racked-up-bt114-billion-in-debts-in-2019/

 

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Buriram reports first new Covid-19 case, Chiang Mai sees four more

By THE NATION

 

 

Buriram reported its first new Covid-19 case on Thursday, while Chiang Mai saw the number of its patients increasing by four.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200508-buriram-reports-first-new-covid-19-case-chiang-mai-sees-four-more/

 

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MBK Centre installs air disinfection system to keep virus at bay

By The Nation

 

 

MBK Group has invested Bt1.3 million to set up a UVC air disinfection system at MBK Centre in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 and gain customer confidence.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200509-mbk-centre-installs-air-disinfection-system-to-keep-virus-at-bay/

 

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UPDATE:

 

CCSA announces 305 new cases, mostly contracted domestically

By The Nation

 

 

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced 305 confirmed cases and one death on Thursday (January 7).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200482-thailand-reports-305-new-covid-19-cases-one-more-death/?do=findComment&comment=16146746

 

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Canned fish is safe to consume, says FDA

By THE NATION

 

 

Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that canned fish is perfectly safe to consume. This announcement was in response to concerns raised after people heard rumours that 914 workers at a canning factory in Samut Sakhon had tested positive for Covid-19.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200511-canned-fish-is-safe-to-consume-says-fda/

 

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Pheu Thai questions safety of vaccines from China

By THE NATION

 

 

Leading opposition party, Pheu Thai, voiced concerns about the 2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses the government is set to order from China’s Sinovac Biotech, after side effects from the vaccine were reported in Brazil about two months ago.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200512-pheu-thai-questions-safety-of-vaccines-from-china/

 

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Phuket officials defend school closures, closing businesses would be too damaging

By The Phuket News

 

Officials have defended closing all schools in Phuket, while keeping all businesses open. Image: Phuketanticovid19 (under the Ministry of Interior)

 

PHUKET: Phuket’s leading officials have defended the decision to order all schools in Phuket to close but not enforce any closures of any other businesses, saying there was sufficient risk among children returning from trips to high-risk areas with their families to endanger all students but that shutting down businesses would have a too damaging impact on the island’s economy.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200514-phuket-officials-defend-school-closures-closing-businesses-would-be-too-damaging/

 

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‘Red zone’ arrivals face quarantine in Phuket

By The Phuket News

 

The news was announced at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 6), but will not come into effect until a provincial order has been issued. Photo: PR Phuket

 

PHUKET: All people arriving from any of the 28 provinces currently declared ‘red zones’ will be asked to undergo swab tests for COVID-19 and will face a 14-day quarantine after arriving on the island, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has announced.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200516-‘red-zone’-arrivals-face-quarantine-in-phuket/

 

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U.S. Congress accepts Electoral College result; clears way for Biden to become president

By Reuters Staff

 

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden speaks about the protests taking place in and around the U.S. Capitol in Washington as the U.S. Congress held a joint session to certify the 2020 election results, at a news conference at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200520-us-congress-accepts-electoral-college-result-clears-way-for-biden-to-become-president/

 

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Thai economy may lose $10 billion in Q1 from new virus outbreak

By Orathai Sriring and Satawasin Staporncharnchai

 

FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks shop inside the Sampheng wholesale market as Thai government eases isolation measures, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 10, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's economy could lose as much as 300 billion baht ($10 billion) in the first quarter after its largest coronavirus outbreak saw consumer mood sink to a five-month low in December, according to the commerce university.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200529-thai-economy-may-lose-10-billion-in-q1-from-new-virus-outbreak/

 

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DPM Prawit ridiculed on social media as gambling dens/Covid spread fallout spirals

 

Image: Reuters  file photo

 

Social media has launched scathing and mocking attacks against deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwon who has been forced to backtrack on claims there were no gambling dens in Bangkok.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200532-dpm-prawit-ridiculed-on-social-media-as-gambling-denscovid-spread-fallout-spirals/

 

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Prince of Songkla University team designs ‘easy, fast, accurate’ Covid-19 test kits

By The Nation

 

 

A research team from Prince of Songkla University’s (Hat Yai Campus) Faculty of Medical Technology has successfully designed Covid-19 detection kits under the concept of "easy, fast and accurate" testing, using 2-3 drops of blood from a person’s fingertips, with results being obtained within 15 minutes and at 99 per cent accuracy, according to the university.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200533-prince-of-songkla-university-team-designs-‘easy-fast-accurate’-covid-19-test-kits/

 

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Not installing tracing app is not a crime, but concealing information is

 

 

Anuthin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s Public Health minister, said that, although it is a requirement, under a newly issued directive, for everyone to download and use the country’s tracing application, he understands that there are cases of people do not have smartphones. So, someone not using the Mor-Chana or Thai Chana application will not be charged with a crime. Concealing information of their whereabouts is, however, a crime, punishable under the directive.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200487-contact-tracing-apps-now-compulsory-in-thailand-possible-penalties-for-people-not-using-them/?do=findComment&comment=16147416

 

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Keeping coronavirus at bay, Vietnam revs up economy to race ahead of rivals

By James Pearson

 

FILE PHOTO: Labourers work at Hung Viet garment export factory in Hung Yen province, Vietnam December 30, 2020. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo

 

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's success in curbing the coronavirus so far, while its Southeast Asia neighbours struggle, is helping the country power ahead in economic growth and attracting funds, foreign investors, experts and analysts say.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200534-keeping-coronavirus-at-bay-vietnam-revs-up-economy-to-race-ahead-of-rivals/

 

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How security failures enabled Trump mob to storm U.S. Capitol

By Joseph Tanfani, John Shiffman, Brad Heath and Mark Hosenball

 

FILE PHOTO: Pro-Trump protesters react amidst a cloud of tear gas during clashes with Capitol police at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

 

(Reuters) -The bloody chaos inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday came after the police force that protects the legislative complex was overrun by a mob of Trump supporters in what law enforcement officials called a catastrophic failure to prepare.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200535-how-security-failures-enabled-trump-mob-to-storm-us-capitol/

 

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Lunacy or great leap forward? Thailand’s first moon mission ignites fierce debate

 

Picture of the waxing gibbous moon as seen from Montevideo on Christmas Eve on December 24, 2020. (Photo by Mariana SUAREZ / AFP)

 

Thailand’s first lunar exploration programme is scheduled to launch on January 13, though public debate on the moon mission has been raging since mid-December when it was unveiled by a minister.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200537-lunacy-or-great-leap-forward-thailand’s-first-moon-mission-ignites-fierce-debate/

 

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Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons weighs in on straight actors playing gay characters

By Annabel Nugent

 

Jim Parsons as Michael and Matt Bomer as Donald (Netflix)

 

Jim Parsons has offered his opinion on the casting of straight actors in LGBTQ+ roles.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200541-big-bang-theory’s-jim-parsons-weighs-in-on-straight-actors-playing-gay-characters/

 

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Denmark launches children’s television show starring man with the world’s longest penis

By Sally Guyoncourt

 

Denmark’s new children’s programme John Dillermand, the man with the world’s longest penis. (Photo: https://www.dr.dk/drtv/se/john-dillermand_-john-vil-vinde_227289)

 

The animated world of children’s television has a new member, John Dillermand.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200543-denmark-launches-children’s-television-show-starring-man-with-the-world’s-longest-penis/

 

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Netflix subscription costs to rise by up to £24-a-year while Disney Plus charges are also heading higher

By GRACE GAUSDEN

 

Price hike: Netflix is increasing its prices for Standard and Premium customers this year

 

Some households are to see another price hike from February as Netflix increases its monthly subscription costs.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200545-netflix-subscription-costs-to-rise-by-up-to-£24-a-year-while-disney-plus-charges-are-also-heading-higher/

 

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CCSA spokesman clarifies threat of jail for not using MorChana app

By The Nation

 

CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin

 

Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin apologised on Thursday for sparking public uproar with his threat of prison for people who conceal their travel information.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200553-ccsa-spokesman-clarifies-threat-of-jail-for-not-using-morchana-app/

 

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Govt pushing to cut more business costs after halving company registration fee

By The Nation

 

Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol

 

The Commerce Ministry has urged the Business Development Department to find more ways of reducing costs for the private sector amid the Covid-19 crisis, deputy minister Weerasak Wangsuphakijkosol said on Thursday.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1200554-govt-pushing-to-cut-more-business-costs-after-halving-company-registration-fee/