THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 9 Apr 2020

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PM Prayuth signs order to grant visa amnesty to foreigners in Thailand

 

 

Thailand’s Prime Minister on Wednesday signed the order to grant visa amnesty to foreigners left stranded in Thailand due to COVID-19.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158449-pm-prayuth-signs-order-to-grant-visa-amnesty-to-foreigners-in-thailand/

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Phuket Songkran allowed, but stay in your subdistrict, says Governor

By The Phuket News

 

People in Phuket wil be allowed to celebrate Songkran on the streets, but must stay within their subdistrict, the Governor explained. Photo: Seed Church Thailand

 

PHUKET:-- All subdistricts in Phuket will be under “lockdown” orders by this coming Monday (Apr 13) and people will be allowed to celebrate Songkran on the streets, but not travel to other parts of the island, the Phuket Governor has announced.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158458-phuket-songkran-allowed-but-stay-in-your-subdistrict-says-governor/

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Virus drains Thailand of 8.5 million visitors

By THE NATION

 

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has revealed that the number of international visitors arriving in Thailand between January and March fell by 8.54 million, or 35.3 per cent, to 15.67 million, compared to the same period last year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158442-virus-drains-thailand-of-85-million-visitors/

 

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10 items you should carry when stepping out

By The Nation

 

 

Though we are all practising social distancing and trying to stay at home, here are 10 items that should be kept handy:

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158464-10-items-you-should-carry-when-stepping-out/

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7-Elevens battle virus with temperature guns

By The Nation

 

 

The nationwide chain of 7-Eleven stores has launched in-store temperature testing, mask-wearing and a limit on customers in stores at any one time, as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158469-7-elevens-battle-virus-with-temperature-guns/

 

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Sanders drops out of U.S. election race, setting up Biden battle with Trump

By Simon Lewis and John Whitesides

 

Democratic U.S. Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders announces to supporters that he is suspending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in a livestream broadcast from his home in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. April 8, 2020. Bernie Sanders 2020 Campaign/Handout via Reuters

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist whose progressive agenda pushed the Democratic Party sharply to the left, ended his White House campaign on Wednesday, clearing the way for a Nov. 3 election battle between former Vice President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158521-sanders drops-out-of-us-election-race-setting-up-biden-battle-with-trump/

 

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Army vows to delay military purchases amid contagion crisis

By The Nation

 

 

The Army will delay the purchase of military equipment in order to prioritise national recovery efforts in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday (April 8 ).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158522-thai-army-vows-to-delay-military-purchases-amid-contagion-crisis/

 

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Kalasin hotels ordered to shut

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

Kalasin governor Chitavat Niamsiri has ordered all hotels in the northeastern province to close from Wednesday (April 8 ) until further notice to curb the escalating Covid-19 outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158523-kalasin-hotels-ordered-to-shut/

 

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Yala’s Betong district eyes banning arrivals from April 12

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

The authorities of Yala’s Betong district plan to call on the provincial governor to ban all arrivals and outside vehicles to the district from April 12 to 30 or until further notice in a move to curb the transmission of Covid-19, district chief Anant Boonsamran said on Wednesday (April 8 ).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158524-yala’s-betong-district-eyes-banning-arrivals-from-april-12/

 

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SCB sees viral spike in online banking

By THE NATION

 

 

Driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers are now avoiding cash and non-essential commutes. As a result, they are turning to digital channels for financial transactions.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158526-scb-sees-viral-spike-in-online-banking/

 

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Kerry denies parcel deliveries hit by staff quitting

By THE NATION

 

 

Delivery service Kerry Express (Thailand) has denied online rumours that parcels are going undelivered because its staff are quitting amid the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158527-kerry-denies-parcel-deliveries-hit-by-staff-quitting/

 

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Bank deposits get Bt5m insurance for one year

By The Nation

 

President of the Deposit Protection Agency (DPA) Songpol Chevapanyaroj

 

The Cabinet has extended the period of Bt5 million insurance on bank deposits by a year, president of the Deposit Protection Agency (DPA) Songpol Chevapanyaroj said on Tuesday (April 7).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158528-bank-deposits-get-bt5m-insurance-for-one-year/

 

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PM visits hotel based state quarantine facility

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha today visited a group of Thais who have recently returned from the United States, including several exchange program students, at a designated state quarantine facility based in an adapted Bangkok hotel.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158529-pm-prayut-visits-hotel-based-state-quarantine-facility/

 

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Ex-con ‘Evil Eye’ blames COVID-19 for need to sell drugs

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Attaphon was found to be in possession of 520 ya bah pills and 32.28 grammes of crystal meth. Photo: Muang District Internal Security Committe

 

PHUKET: A 30-year-old man just one month out of prison has told police that he resorted to selling drugs because he could not find work due to the COVID-19 crisis.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158531-ex-con-‘evil-eye’-blames-covid-19-for-need-to-sell-drugs/

 

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WHO head defends handling of coronavirus pandemic against Trump criticism

By Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge

 

FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization gave a strident defence of his agency's handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism and suggestion that Washington could review its funding for the agency.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158533-who-head-defends-handling-of-coronavirus-pandemic-against-trump-criticism/

 

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Large number of Thai returnees from Indonesia carry Covid-19

By THE NATION

 

 

Forty-two of 76 Thais who returned from Indonesia on Monday (April 6) are Covid-19 patients, a report on Tuesday said.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158534-large-number-of-thai-returnees-from-indonesia-carry-covid-19/

 

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Premier League footballers launch fund for NHS charities

 

A person wearing a protective face mask walks past a billboard with a message reading "Thank you NHS" in Kilburn, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 8, 2020. REUTERS/Paul Childs

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Premier League footballers, facing pressure to accept wage cuts during the coronavirus outbreak, have launched a fund to raise money for National Health Service (NHS) charities to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158535-premier-league-footballers-launch-fund-for-nhs-charities/

 

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Popular Pattaya based YouTuber Kev in Thailand passes away

 

File photo

 

A British expat and popular vlogger has died after a 12 month battle with cancer.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158541-popular-pattaya-based-youtuber-kev-in-thailand-passes-away/

 

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English translation regarding automatic visa extensions and suspension of 90 day reporting

 

 

On Tuesday (7 April), Thailand’s Prime Minister signed the order confirming a visa amnesty for foreigners in Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158544-english-translation-regarding-automatic-visa-extensions-and-suspension-of-90-day-reporting/

 

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Clinton sex scandal whistleblower Linda Tripp dies at age 70 - reports

 

Linda Tripp is accompanied by her son Ryan (L) and her daughter Allison as they arrive at U.S. District Court, June 30, 1998. REUTERS/Win McNamee

 

(Reuters) - Linda Tripp, the former U.S. civil servant whose secretly taped telephone conversations with a former White House intern documented the sex scandal that led to then-President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment, died on Wednesday at age 70.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158545-clinton-sex-scandal-whistleblower-linda-tripp-dies-at-age-70-reports/

 

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Australian police take 'black box' off cruise ship in coronavirus homicide probe

 

FILE PHOTO: The Ruby Princess cruise ship, the subject of a criminal investigation with Australian authorities after allowing passengers infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to disembark in Sydney the prior month, docks with crew only onboard at Port Kembla in Wollongong, Australia, April 6, 2020. AAP Image/Dean Lewins via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police have spoken to the captain of a cruise ship which disembarked hundreds of passengers infected with the coronavirus in Sydney, as part of a homicide investigation into the country's deadliest single source of infection.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158550-australian-police-take-black-box-off-cruise-ship-in-coronavirus-homicide-probe/

 

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Coronavirus crisis could plunge half a billion people into poverty - Oxfam

By Karin Strohecker

 

FILE PHOTO: Migrants workers rest inside a workshop after it was shut due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai, India, April 7, 2020. REUTERS/Prashant Waydande

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The fallout from the coronavirus spread that has killed more than 83,000 people and wreaked havoc on economies around the world could push around half a billion people into poverty, Oxfam said on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158552-coronavirus-crisis-could-plunge-half-a-billion-people-into-poverty-oxfam/

 

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Russia, Saudi to debate oil output cuts as U.S. resists joining

By Rania El Gamal, Olesya Astakhova and Ahmad Ghaddar

 

FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S. November 24, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant/File Photo

 

DUBAI/MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC and Russia meet on Thursday to try to agree to record oil output cuts but their efforts to address the slump in prices wrought during the coronavirus pandemic have been complicated by mutual animosity and the reluctance of the United States to join the action.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158554-russia-saudi-to-debate-oil-output-cuts-as-us-resists-joining/

 

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Formula One considering closed races once season starts

By Alan Baldwin

 

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 13, 2020 General view of the starting lights after it was announced the Australian Grand Prix would be cancelled due to the novel coronavirus. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Formula One is considering holding closed races without spectators, most likely at European circuits, once the season is able to start after being stalled by the new coronavirus pandemic.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158558-formula-one-considering-closed-races-once-season-starts/

 

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Exclusive: Airbnb to restrict bookings on its platform in Britain

By Alistair Smout

 

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of diplayed Airbnb logo in this illustration taken March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Home rental firm Airbnb will block British bookings on its platform for the vast majority of customers on Thursday, allowing only key workers to stay in properties for as long as emergency government coronavirus restrictions are in place.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158563-exclusive-airbnb-to-restrict-bookings-on-its-platform-in-britain/

 

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Pattaya: Immigration gets its act together - finally!

 

 

Chonburi's immigration department has finally got its Covid-19 act together, at least so far as social distancing is concerned. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158566-pattaya-immigration-gets-its-act-together-finally/

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Gambling with their health as well as money: 108 Thais arrested at Hi-Lo casino near Bangkok

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Residents concerned about the potential spread of Covid-19 contacted the Department of Provincial Administration to tell them there was a gambling den in their soi. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158570-gambling-with-their-health-as-well-as-money-108-thais-arrested-at-hi-lo-casino-near-bangkok/

 

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Pattaya: It's official - city in lockdown from today - ALL to wear masks outside

 

 

The Chonburi governor Pakathorn Tienchai has put his name to the lock down order shutting Pattaya.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158572-pattaya-its-official-city-in-lockdown-from-today-all-to-wear-masks-outside/

 

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First case in Samut Sakhon - Thai man out without mask faces 20K fine

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Traffic police in the province of Samut Sakhon south west of Bangkok announced they had arrested a man for being outside his house without a mask. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158574-first-case-in-samut-sakhon-thai-man-out-without-mask-faces-20k-fine/

 

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Cabinet okays compensation for employees of suspended hotel, lodging businesses

By THE NATION

 

Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn

 

The Cabinet has approved compensation for employees of hotel and lodging businesses who are under the social security scheme for their loss of income either due to the government’s shutdown order or their employer’s decision to suspend operations.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158577-cabinet-okays-compensation-for-employees-of-suspended-hotel-lodging-businesses/