THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 3 Feb 2021

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Thailand reports 795 new COVID-19 infections

 

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

Thailand reported 795 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204520-thailand-reports-795-new-covid-19-infections/

 

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6,800 UNSOLD condo units in Hua Hin/ChaAm, says Knight Frank

 

Hua Hin

 

Thai business media quoting a senior executive from property consultants Knight Frank Thailand who revealed that there is a huge glut of unsold condos in Hua Hin, Cha-Am and Khao Tao. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204522-6800-unsold-condo-units-in-hua-hincha-am-says-knight-frank/

 

 

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Thai and foreign tourists begin returning to Koh Larn - operators bullish about the future

 

Picture: Manager

 

Thai media Manager went to Koh Larn off the coast of Pattaya and found that tourists were beginning to return to the holiday island.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204525-thai-and-foreign-tourists-begin-returning-to-koh-larn-operators-bullish-about-the-future/

 

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Video: Rogue elephant kicks reporter's bike down the street like it's a toy!

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

A reporter sent to cover a story about two rogue elephants terrorizing downtown Sa Kaeo in Thailand's east got a nasty shock.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204470-video-rogue-elephant-kicks-reporters-bike-down-the-street-like-its-a-toy/

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The Peaks owner defends action, promises to ‘take care’ of buyers

By The Phuket News

 

Manassanan Nararattanawee, CEO of developer Kata Beach Co Ltd, at the press conference yesterday (Feb 2). Photo: PR Phuket

 

PHUKET: The owner of The Peaks Residence condo project has promised to “take care” of people who have already paid deposits for units, following the Supreme Administrative Court last month ordering the project to be demolished within 30 days for illegally occupying state land.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204528-the-peaks-owner-defends-action-promises-to-‘take-care’-of-buyers/

 

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Annual Veterans’ Day ceremony hit by Covid-19 crisis

By THE NATION

 

 

Covid-19 has prevented officials from holding a remembrance ceremony at Victory Monument on the occasion of Veterans’ Day, or February 3 each year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204529-annual-veterans’-day-ceremony-hit-by-covid-19-crisis/

 

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Bezos to give Amazon reins to cloud boss Jassy as sales rocket past $100 billion

By Jeffrey Dastin and Akanksha Rana

 

FILE PHOTO: Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, speaks at the Economic Club of Washington DC's "Milestone Celebration Dinner" in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO and become executive chairman, naming the head of its lucrative cloud computing division as successor in a sign of the company's transformation from web retailer to internet conglomerate.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204536-bezos to-give-amazon-reins-to-cloud-boss-jassy-as-sales-rocket-past-100-billion/

 

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Thonglor police break up party, arrest 10 for violating control measures, taking drugs

By THE NATION

 

 

The suspects were charged with possessing and consuming the controlled substance ketamine. They were also charged with violating the law by holding a gathering that may cause the spread of Covid-19.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204537-thonglor-police-break-up-party-arrest-10-for-violating-control-measures-taking-drugs/

 

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Bangkokians expected to spend less this year during Chinese New Year

By The Nation

 

 

Covid-19 is a major factor that is pressuring Chinese New Year spending in Bangkok, leading to an expected 10.4 per cent decline in spending this year, Kasikorn Research Centre said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204538-bangkokians-expected-to-spend-less-this-year-during-chinese-new-year/

 

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Video: Resort owner's son gunned down in front of construction workers by hitman

 

Picture: Sanook

 

CCTV showed the moment when a hitman arrived to shoot a resort owner's son at a construction site in Suphanburi.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204541-video-resort-owners-son-gunned-down-in-front-of-construction-workers-by-hitman/

 

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OPINION

 

Quarantines are killing Thailand’s tourism industry, and not even a long holiday can offset 14 days of isolation

• Despite reopening to long-stay tourists in October, Thailand attracted relatively few arrivals
• By comparison, the Maldives, which is quarantine-free, has recorded relatively respectable visitor numbers

Mercedes Hutton

 

For many prospective tourists, the prospect of spending 14 days in a hotel room is enough to put them off travelling altogether. Photo: Shutterstock

 

In the halcyon days of 2019, Thailand welcomed almost 40 million holiday­­makers from overseas. The average international hotel guest’s length of stay that year was 9.26 days, according to data platform Statista

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204543-quarantines-are-killing-thailand’s-tourism-industry-and-not-even-a-long-holiday-can-offset-14-days-of-isolation/

 

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Officials check vehicles for black smoke emissions in greater Bangkok

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Officials are enforcing measures to reduce levels of particulate matter of 25 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5), one of which is restricting the number of vehicles emitting black exhaust fumes on the roads in Bangkok and surrounding areas. In the last four months, more than 60,000 were inspected, with 400 found to exceed emission standards.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204546-officials-check-vehicles-for-black-smoke-emissions-in-greater-bangkok/

 

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Thai central bank keeps policy rate at record low, as expected

 

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

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.50% on Wednesday, as widely expected, preserving its limited monetary policy room even as the economy confronts risks from the latest wave of coronavirus infections.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204548-thai-central-bank-keeps-policy-rate-at-record-low-as-expected/

 

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Mae Sot to monitor strangers in their communities as 10 new COVID-19 cases are recorded

 

People line up to have their temperatures taken as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus at the Ministry of Transport at the border crossing over the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot in Tak province on October 29, 2020. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

Health officials in Thailand’s western province of Tak are seeking cooperation from members of the public to identify strangers, especially illegal Myanmar migrant workers, and to report them to authorities after seven members of a Myanmar family were found to be infected with COVID-19 in Mae Sot district.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204549-mae-sot-to-monitor-strangers-in-their-communities-as-10-new-covid-19-cases-are-recorded/

 

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Cash-handout scheme for social security members gets go-ahead

By THE NATION

 

Photo credit: Prayut Chan-o-cha's Facebook

 

The prime minister on Wednesday gave the green light to a new remedial measure – “Rao Rak Kan” (We Love Each Other) – for beneficiaries of the state social security system.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204550-cash-handout-scheme-for-social-security-members-gets-go-ahead/

 

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Inside Bang Sue Grand Station: Thailand's new state of the art transportation hub

 

 

It is the most significant transportation or infrastructure project Thailand has undertaken since the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport and is set to bring a much needed revitalisation to the country’s outdated railway network.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204571-videos-inside-bang-sue-grand-station-thailands-new-state-of-the-art-transportation-hub/

 

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Thailand's Phuket plans private vaccination drive, aims for October reopening

By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat

 

FILE PHOTO: Empty chairs are seen on a beach which is usually full of tourists, amid fear of coronavirus in Phuket, Thailand March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's resort island of Phuket is planning private coronavirus vaccinations for 250,000 residents in the hope the government will allow it to fully reopen to foreign tourists by October and save its battered economy, industry officials said.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204585-thailands-phuket-plans-private-vaccination-drive-aims-for-october-reopening/

 

[snoop1130]

Former deputy PM Pong Sarasin dead at 93

By THE NATION

 

 

Former deputy prime minister and businessman Pong Sarasin died on Wednesday at the age of 93.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204586-former-deputy-pm-pong-sarasin-dead-at-93/

 

[snoop1130]

Thai men given chance to join the Army freely

By The Nation

 

 

Thai men who haven’t been conscripted or recruited but want to join the military can register online via www.rcm64.rta.mi.th until February 28.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204587-thai-men-given-chance-to-join-the-army-freely/

 

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April eyed for launch of driving licence points-deduction system

By The Nation

 

 

Thailand’s delayed points-deduction system for driving licences should finally be launched in April, said the Department of Land Transport (DLT) on Tuesday.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204588-april-eyed-for-launch-of-driving-licence-points-deduction-system/

 

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Wild birds draw crowds to Krabi

By THE NATION

 

 

People flocked to the Khlong Ya reservoir in Krabi’s Plai Phraya district on Wednesday to snap the perfect picture of a rising cloud of thousands of white egrets.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204590-wild-birds-draw-crowds-to-krabi/

 

[snoop1130]

Customers will never go hungry

By THE NATION

 

Photo credit: Pradit Saengdee

 

A deliveryman became a small celebrity online when he proved that he would go to any lengths to ensure customers get their food.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204591-customers-will-never-go-hungry/

 

[snoop1130]

Myanmar police file charges against Aung San Suu Kyi after coup

 

Protesters from Myanmar residing in Japan hold portraits of leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's President Win Myint at a rally against Myanmar's military after it seized power from a democratically elected civilian government and arrested the duo, outside Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, Japan February 3, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

 

(Reuters) - Myanmar police have filed charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and she will be detained until Feb. 15 for investigations, according to a police document.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204595-myanmar-police-file-charges-against-aung-san-suu-kyi-after-coup/

 

[snoop1130]

WHO team probing COVID-19 visits Wuhan lab, meets 'Bat Woman'

By Martin Quin Pollard and Thomas Peter

 

Peter Daszak and Thea Fischer, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), sit in a car arriving at Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 3, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

 

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization visited a virus research laboratory in China's central city of Wuhan and met with a prominent virologist there in its search for clues to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204599-who-team-probing-covid-19-visits-wuhan-lab-meets-bat-woman/

 

[snoop1130]

With tears and flowers, Britain mourns 'hero' Captain Tom Moore

By Ben Makori

 

FILE PHOTO: Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore, 99, raises money for health workers by attempting to walk the length of his garden one hundred times before his 100th birthday this month as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Marston Moretaine, Britain, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

 

MARSTON MORETAINE, England (Reuters) - With flowers and lights, Britain paid tribute on Wednesday to Captain Tom Moore, 100, who touched the hearts of millions by offering a simple message of hope and self-sacrifice during the COVID-19 lockdown.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204601-with-tears-and-flowers-britain-mourns-hero-captain-tom-moore/

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UK asks EU for Brexit grace period extension to 2023, BBC reports

 

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has asked for an extension until 2023 of a grace period on checks that would be conducted on trade moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom to soften the Brexit impact on the province, the BBC reported.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204602-uk-asks-eu-for-brexit-grace-period-extension-to-2023-bbc-reports/

 

[snoop1130]

Thais in US Warned of Criminals

 

 

BANGKOK, Feb 3 (TNA) – The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Thai people in the United States to watch out for criminals following the death of an elderly Thai man who was attacked by a young suspect.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204603-thais-in-us-warned-of-criminals/

 

[snoop1130]

Policy Interest Rate Still at 0.5%

 

 

BANGKOK, Feb 3 (TNA) – The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously resolved to maintain the policy interest rate at 0.5% annually.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204605-policy-interest-rate-still-at-05/

 

[snoop1130]

Severe side effects to COVID-19 Vaccination cases very rare

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Chualongkorn University’s Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development has reported a marked decline in patients worldwide who suffered severe side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204606-severe-side-effects-to-covid-19-vaccination-cases-very-rare/

 

[snoop1130]

Thailand placed 4th in ASEAN on the Democracy Index 2020

 

 

Thailand has been placed fourth in ASEAN, and 73rd in the world, while categorized as one of the world’s “Flawed Democracies,” on the Democracy Index 2020 by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204607-thailand-placed-4th-in-asean-on-the-democracy-index-2020/