THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 8 Feb 2021

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Chinese New Year’s day declared a special public holiday in Thailand

 

 

The government has declared Chinese New Year’s day, which falls on Friday February 12th, a special public holiday and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is encouraging Thai people, not just those of Chinese descent, to spend during the long weekend, as a boost for the economy, said Ms. Traisulee Traisoranakul, deputy government spokesperson, on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205139-chinese-new-year’s-day-declared-a-special-public-holiday-in-thailand/

 

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Why Skytrain fare hike may end up wrecking Bangkok’s mass-transit success story  

 

Photo by SAEED KHAN / AFP

 

Bangkok commuters are crossing their fingers and hoping that the Central Administrative Court will stop the maximum BTS Skytrain fare being raised from Bt65 to Bt104 on February 16.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205142-why-skytrain-fare-hike-may-end-up-wrecking-bangkok’s-mass-transit-success-story/

 

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Myanmar coup to take big toll on trade with Thailand, the world: Experts

 

In this image made from video provided by the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a protester holds a sign that says ‘Free Aung San Suu Kyi’ with an image of the deposed Myanmar leader as they march in Yangon, Myanmar Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. (DVB via AP)

 

Thai and other foreign companies are expected to delay their investments in Myanmar following a military coup that threatens Thai border trade and migrant labour.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205145-myanmar-coup-to-take-big-toll-on-trade-with-thailand-the-world-experts/

 

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Sex, drugs and Sia Po: Thailand’s bad boy rocked by more legal trouble      

 

 

Born to a wealthy family, Apirak “Sia Po” Chat-anon could have made money without courting legal trouble. But this 28-year-old macho internet celebrity chose a different path – one that led to heavily armed police officers showing up at his home this week.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205148-sex-drugs-and-sia-po-thailand’s-bad-boy-rocked-by-more-legal-trouble/

 

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Commerce Ministry Tackles Global Shortage of Cargo Containers

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Commerce Ministry is tackling the container shortage and opens more border checkpoints to increase trade, aiming to reach the ministry’s goal of export growth of 4% this year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205150-commerce-ministry-tackles-global-shortage-of-cargo-containers/

 

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Thailand Reluctant to Join Covax Program on Strict Conditions

By Suttinee Yuvejwattana

 

video screenshot

 

The Thai government won’t procure Covid-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization-backed Covax program for now because the conditions are too strict. The move may put the country at risk of getting delayed vaccines at higher prices.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205152-thailand-reluctant-to-join-covax-program-on-strict-conditions/

 

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Golf: Johnson holds on to clinch second Saudi International title

 

FILE PHOTO: January 9, 2021; Maui, Hawaii, USA; Dustin Johnson hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort - The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

 

(Reuters) - World number one Dustin Johnson carded his worst round of the tournament but did enough to win the Saudi International on Sunday for a second time in three years.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205153-golf-johnson-holds-on-to-clinch-second-saudi-international-title/

 

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Police seize $60 million of bitcoin! Now, where's the password?

By John O'Donnell

 

FILE PHOTO: A representation of virtual currency Bitcoin is seen in front of a stock graph in this illustration taken January 8, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

 

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German prosecutors have confiscated more than 50 million euros ($60 million) worth of bitcoin from a fraudster. There's only one problem: they can't unlock the money because he won't give them the password.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205154-police-seize-60-million-of-bitcoin-now-wheres-the-password/

 

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Ether seeks to escape bitcoin's shadow with CME futures launch

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

 

FILE PHOTO: Representation of the Ethereum virtual currency standing on the PC motherboard is seen in this illustration picture, February 3, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Futures on ether, the second largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization and daily volume, will launch late Sunday on derivatives exchange CME, as investors seek to take advantage of mounting institutional interest in this evolving asset class.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205157-ether-seeks-to-escape-bitcoins-shadow-with-cme-futures-launch/

 

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Trump quits U.S. actors union. Union responds 'Thank you'

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump looks on at the end of his speech during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump on Thursday resigned his membership in the American actors union before it met to decide whether to expel the former TV reality star from its ranks.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205158-trump-quits-us-actors-union-union-responds-thank-you/

 

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Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz dies at 100

By Will Dunham

 

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz arrives with his wife Charlotte for the state dinner hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for President of China Hu Jintao at the White House in Washington, January 19, 2011. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Shultz, the U.S. secretary of state who survived bitter infighting in President Ronald Reagan's administration to help forge a new era in American-Soviet relations and bring on the end of the Cold War, died on Saturday at age 100, the California-based Hoover Institute said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205159-former-us-secretary-of-state-george-shultz-dies-at-100/

 

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Himalayan glacier breaks in India, around 125 missing in floods

By Devjyot Ghoshal and Manoj Kumar

 

People walk past a destroyed dam after a Himalayan glacier broke and crashed into the dam at Raini Chak Lata village in Chamoli district, northern state of Uttarakhand, India, February 7, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

 

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Around 125 people were missing in northern India after a Himalayan glacier broke and swept away a small hydroelectric dam on Sunday, with floods forcing the evacuation of villages downstream.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205161-himalayan-glacier-breaks-in-india-around-125-missing-in-floods/

 

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Box Office: Denzel Washington's 'The Little Things' repeats No.1 with $2 million

By Rebecca Rubin

 

FILE PHOTO: Actor Denzel Washington accepts the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award at the gala honoring him in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 6, 2019. Picture taken June 6, 2019. REUTERS/Monica Almeida

 

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Denzel Washington's crime thriller "The Little Things" led domestic box office charts again, pulling in $2.1 million in its second weekend of release.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205165-box-office-denzel-washingtons-the-little-things-repeats-no1-with-2-million/

 

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Iran takes 'final' stance on nuclear deal, says U.S. must lift sanctions before Tehran rejoins

By Parisa Hafezi and Arshad Mohammed

 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a televised speech, in Tehran, Iran January 8, 2021. Official Khamenei Website/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION

 

DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that Tehran's "final and irreversible" decision was to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal only if Washington lifts sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Iranian state TV reported.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205167-iran-takes-final-stance-on-nuclear-deal-says-us-must-lift-sanctions-before-tehran-rejoins/

 

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UK says COVID-19 booster and annual vaccinations very probable

By Costas Pitas

 

FILE PHOTO: Health workers administer a COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination centre at Batchwood Hall, amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in St Albans, Britain, February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Paul Childs

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A COVID-19 booster in the autumn and then annual vaccinations are very probable, Britain's vaccine deployment minister said on Sunday as countries race to administer injections in the face of new variants.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205168-uk-says-covid-19-booster-and-annual-vaccinations-very-probable/

 

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Minister Confirms to Close Hua Lamphong Main Station

 

 

BANGKOK (TNA) - Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob confirmed the old Hua Lamphong railway terminus will be closed when the Bang Sue Grand Station is opened.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205169-minister-confirms-to-close-hua-lamphong-main-station/

 

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Covid-19: Thailand implements 'seal and bubble' strategy to curb transmission in factories

Linda Khoo/Bernama

 

 

BANGKOK: Thailand is implementing the “seal and bubble” strategy to curb the spread of Covid-19 in factories in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the latest outbreak in the kingdom.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205171-covid-19-thailand-implements-seal-and-bubble-strategy-to-curb-transmission-in-factories/

 

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Biden says challenging for U.S. to reach herd immunity by summer's end

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden listens to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Director Col. Andrew Barr while meeting with staff members during a visit to the facility in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., January 29, 2021. REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said that it will be difficult for the United States to reach herd immunity, at least 75% of the population inoculated against the coronavirus, by the end of this summer.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205172-biden-says-challenging-for-us-to-reach-herd-immunity-by-summers-end/

 

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Saudi Arabia commutes death penalty for young Shi'ite to 10 years in prison

By Raya Jalabi

 

Ali al-Nimr is seen in this undated handout photo. Courtesy of Reprieve/Handout via REUTERS

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's state-backed Human Rights Commission said on Sunday that three young Shi'ite Muslims sentenced to death when they were minors have had the penalty reduced to 10 years in prison.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205173-saudi-arabia-commutes-death-penalty-for-young-shiite-to-10-years-in-prison/

 

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U.N. envoy Griffiths in Iran for first time to discuss Yemen crisis - TV

 

FILE PHOTO: Martin Griffiths, United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, speaks as he attends the closing plenary of the fourth meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Prisoners' Exchange Agreement in Yemen, in Glion, Switzerland, September 27, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Nations special envoy on Yemen is visiting Iran for the first time to discuss Yemen's crisis, Iranian state TV reported on Sunday, days after Washington announced an end to its support for Saudi-led military operations in Yemen.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205174-un-envoy-griffiths-in-iran-for-first-time-to-discuss-yemen-crisis-tv/

 

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Thailand lures golf enthusiasts with 'dream quarantine' plan

Program aims to revive a tourist activity badly hit by COVID-19

 

Quarantine packages at Mida Golf Club in Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok, are set to start at around 90,000 baht ($3,000), more than double the price of quarantine packages at more budget-oriented hotels in Bangkok. (Courtesy of Mida Golf Club)

 

YUKAKO ONO, Contributing writer

 

BANGKOK -- Just like the infamous traffic jams of Bangkok, long queues of golf carts at the teeing grounds were once a common sight on Thailand's numerous golf courses.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205182-thailand-lures-golf-enthusiasts-with-dream-quarantine-plan/

 

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Data privacy concerns over Thailand's COVID-19 contact tracing app amid new wave of cases

By Pichayada Promchertchoo

 

Mor Chana or Doctors Win is a contact tracing mobile app used by the Thai government to control the spread of COVID-19. (Photo: Department of Public Relations)

 

BANGKOK: There have been concerns over data privacy in Thailand’s COVID-19 contact tracing app, as the country battles a new wave of infections.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205185-data-privacy-concerns-over-thailands-covid-19-contact-tracing-app-amid-new-wave-of-cases/

 

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Thais point to illegal migration and casinos for Covid spread - legal casino gets lukewarm response

 

Image: Daily News

 

A Suan Dusit university poll has shown where most Thais put the blame for the spread of Covid-19.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205193-thais-point-to-illegal-migration-and-casinos-for-covid-spread-legal-casino-gets-lukewarm-response/

 

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Woman shocked by 500THB pad kapow at Koh Chang resort, fearful of defamation laws

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A Facebook poster who asked if 500 baht was too expensive for two basic Thai dishes at a Koh Chang resort didn't answer the phone after journalists started calling. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205197-woman-shocked-by-500thb-pad-kapow-at-koh-chang-resort-fearful-of-defamation-laws/

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Three arrested after using cutting equipment to steal 700k baht from Kabinburi ATM

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Three metal platers were soon caught by the Kabinburi police for using cutting equipment to steal 700,000 baht from an SCB ATM by a local fresh food market in Prachinburi province last Thursday night.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205200-three-arrested-after-using-cutting-equipment-to-steal-700k-baht-from-kabinburi-atm/

 

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Australia urges calm over AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspends use

By Colin Packham

 

A vial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is pictured at Basingstoke Fire Station, in Basingstoke, Britain February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

 

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia on Monday moved to reassure its citizens over the efficacy of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspended use of the shot because data showed it offered limited protection against a new strain of the virus.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205201-australia-urges-calm-over-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-after-south-africa-suspends-use/

 

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Thai man who found rare and valuable pearl arrested on drugs charges

 

Picture: Sanook

 

One of two brothers who last week found a multi million baht rare pearl on the beach in the south of Thailand is now behind bars. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205207-thai-man-who-found-rare-and-valuable-pearl-arrested-on-drugs-charges/

 

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Second wave of Covid all under control except for Bangkok and two provinces, top doc

 

Source: Sanook

 

Thailand's top Covid doctor Opas Kankawipong has declared that everything is under control except for Samut Sakhon, Bangkok and Tak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205208-second-wave-of-covid-all-under-control-except-for-bangkok-and-two-provinces-top-doc/

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‘Supermum’ leatherback turtle lays eggs at Thai Muang

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phuket Nga last night (Feb 7) is believed to now have laid five nests in the area since laying its first nest on Kata Beach on Jan 1. Photo: Jan 1

 

PHUKET: Marine wildlife officers believe that a large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phuket Nga last night is that same turtle that has laid four other nests in the area, including on Phuket’s Kata Beach on Jan 1.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205211-‘supermum’-leatherback-turtle-lays-eggs-at-thai-muang/

 

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Higher TV Viewership during COVID-19 Outbreak in 2020

Daran Charoenvong

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Average viewing hours of both digital and terrestrial television during the second quarter of 2020 were 5.37% higher compared to the same period in 2019.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205216-higher-tv-viewership-during-covid-19-outbreak-in-2020/