Thailand's health ministry sounded the alarm over Bangkok's dire lack of hospital beds and isolation facilities on Thursday as COVID-19 cases and deaths soared to a new record.The Southeast Asian country is struggling to contain its latest outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, with infections and deaths skyrocketing and the healthcare system stretched thin.Despite the hardest-hit provinces being placed under severe restrictions and a night-time curfew, Thailand on

Tuk-tuks and garishly coloured taxis that once weaved through chaotic Bangkok traffic are sitting idle in storage as a fresh coronavirus surge scuttles hopes of relief for Thailand's tourism-dependent economy.The kingdom is currently undergoing its worst-ever stretch of the pandemic after largely keeping COVID contained when the illness first emerged last year. Bangkok is subject to a night-time curfew and a ban on gatherings as authorities advise residents of the capital to sta

Over 10 million people were placed under fresh COVID-19 restrictions and a curfew in the Thai capital Monday, as the kingdom battles a surge of cases worsened by the highly infectious Alpha and Delta variants.Thailand has so far recorded more than 345,000 cases and 2,791 deaths – with the bulk of them coming in this latest wave that kicked off in April.First detected in clubs frequented by the Thai elite and politicians at an upscale Bangkok nightlife district, the surge in infections has bee

Thai beauty queens who took part in a pageant last month could face criminal charges for not wearing masks, police warned Sunday, after a cluster of 22 infections emerged from the event.13 contestants and nine others associated with the Miss Grand Samut Sakhon pageant, which was held at a Bangkok venue late June, have tested positive for the virus, officers said.Thailand is grappling with a deadly third wave of infections with 9,539 new cases announced Saturday and 86 deaths."There are l

An explosion near Thai capital Bangkok's international airport Monday left a plastics factory in flames, killing at least one firefighter and wounding 29 people, officials said.Heavy plumes of black smoke could be seen rising up to the sky from the city's downtown 35 kilometres (21 miles) away, as helicopters continued to dump fire suppression foam from the air on the site.The blast occurred around 3:00 am at Taiwan-based Ming Dih Chemical Co., located on the outskirts of Bangkok ne

Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters rallied in Bangkok on Thursday to call for the government's resignation, defying warnings from authorities about the kingdom's soaring coronavirus cases.The marches came on the 89th anniversary of the Siamese Revolution – the uprising that transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.Bangkok was rocked by near-daily protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government in the second half of 2020, but the pro-de

Surrounded by children in a Bangkok slum, Miss Universe Thailand handed out lunch boxes prepared by Michelin-starred chefs on Monday – a project to help some of the capital's worst COVID-hit communities. The kingdom is currently battling a third wave of coronavirus – an outbreak that authorities traced in April to a nightlife district frequented by Bangkok's uber-rich and politically connected.The government slapped restrictions on businesses and public spaces – much to the

A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand's prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom's overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin.More than 22,000 people have tested positive inside jails, where inmates living cheek by jowl have been encouraged to keep wearing their masks even while they sleep.Authorities have floated plans to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions and have announ

After muttering a prayer, Thai taxi driver Sopee Silpakit strings a chain of amulets around his neck then jumps behind the wheel – buoyed by the peace of mind the ritual gives him against COVID-19.The 65-year-old's job driving a cab in Bangkok puts him in contact daily with the public, and his way of life is now plagued with worry, with the Thai capital the epicentre of a third wave."I pray to these amulets every day: 'Don't let the virus come near me," he says.

Thailand reported its largest ever spike in coronavirus infections Thursday, with more than half coming from two Bangkok prisons where prominent democracy activists have been detained.The kingdom is battling a third wave of the virus that has forced the government to impose restrictions on movement, rules on mask-wearing and close public spaces.Alarm bells sounded this week when an activist at the forefront of Thailand's democracy movement announced she had tested positive for COVID-19 f