Thailand

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thais will have to find another way to cool off this year after the government called off the annual water festival that celebrates the Buddhist New Year to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Thailand usually celebrates its traditional new year or Songkran from April 13 to 15, when crowds pack the streets in a boisterous festival, spraying water guns and hurling water off pick-up trucks in a free-for-all water fight.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares are steady in quiet Good Friday trading after Wall Street closed out its best week in 45 years thanks to the Federal Reserve’s titanic effort to support the economy through the coronavirus crisis.

Many regional markets were closed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% lower to 19,326.78 and the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.4% to 2,814.52. In South Korea, the Kospi inched 0.1% higher to 1,838.47. Shares also rose in Taiwan and Malaysia.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after a 3.4% gain on Wall Street overnight as investors chose a positive focus for data about the coronavirus outbreak’s trajectory.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4% after the central bank governor said the economy faces “extremely high” uncertainty over the likely impact of the pandemic. Shares rose in Hong Kong, Sydney and Shanghai.

Recent upward swings in markets have dwarfed declines amid signs that deaths and infections may be nearing a peak or plateau in some of the world’s hardest-hit areas.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares and U.S. futures rebounded on Monday as investors grasped at threads of hope that the battle against the coronavirus pandemic may be making some progress in some hard-hit areas.

Markets in Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney gained more than 2% in early trading and Hong Kong was up nearly 1%. New York futures were about 3% higher.

BANGKOK, Apr 4 (NNN-TNA) – Thailand’s state pharmaceutical enterprise told the media that, it is expecting 400,000 sets of N95 masks and 400,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) suits, to arrive from China next week, to assist Thai medical workers in fighting the COVID-19.

“These products are urgent and we will have an airline to fly to China to pick them up,” said Dr. Withoon Danwiboon, managing director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).

BANGKOK, April 1 (NNN-XINHUA) — Thailand’s Ministry of Finance on Wednesday said the Treasury Department will release new coins and collect old ones for a thorough cleanup to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

“In Thailand, cash is the main source of transactions. People still carry cash with them to buy food and items,” said Yuttana Yimgarund, director-general of the department.

BANGKOK, Apr 1 (NNN-TNA) – Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, told media, after the Cabinet meeting, that, he may extend the state of emergency decree for another month or two, should Thailand’s COVID-19 situation does not ease.

“The government is constantly reviewing the situation,” said Prayut, “Looking at the present situation, the government is unlikely to lift the state of emergency soon.”

Prayut announced the state of emergency, which took effect from Mar 26 and goes on until Apr 30.

BANGKOK, March 31. /TASS/: Three Russian nationals with confirmed coronavirus are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Thailand’s Chonburi province, Vladimir Pronin, head of the Russian embassy’s consular department, told TASS on Tuesday.

According to Pronin, three Russian nationals have tested positive for COVID-2019. "They are a man and a woman with her daughter from Siberia," he said. "They are currently undergoing treatment at two hospitals in Pattaya."

"All the three were diagnosed with coronavirus last weekend," he added.

31 March 2020; AFP: Underfed and chained up for endless hours, campaigners warn many elephants working in Thailand's tourism sector may starve, be sold to zoos or shifted into the illegal logging trade as the coronavirus decimates visitor numbers.

Before the virus, life for the kingdom's estimated 2,000 elephants working in tourism was already stressful, with abusive methods often used to 'break them' into giving rides and performing tricks at money-spinning animal shows.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares started the week with fresh losses as countries reported surging numbers of infections from the coronavirus that has prompted shutdowns of travel and business in many parts of the world.

Japan’s benchmark dropped almost 4% and other regional markets were mostly lower. Shares in Australia rose after the government promised more recession-fighting stimulus.

U.S. futures fell slightly more than 1% and oil prices also were lower.