On November 18th a government official announced that Thailand's Prime Minister, Dictator, Songwriter and a man of many words Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the extension of the nationwide state of emergency through January 15th, 2021, to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections during the peak New Year's travel period and to help the authorities to enforce mandatory quarantines and streamline disease-control plans. The emergency was imposed late March and gives Prayut Chan-o-cha sweeping powers, including a ban on large gatherings that prevents anti-government protests.

Yingluck's rice purchasing scheme is now Prayut Chan-o-cha's scheme as cabinet approved the National Rice Policy Committee's proposal to raise the budget for the rice farmers' income guarantee scheme from 28.711 billion baht (948 million USD) to 46.807 billion baht (1.54 billion USD). The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions found Yingluck guilty for failing to stop the corruption-plagued sale of rice from her rice-pledging scheme, and sentenced her to a five-year jail term in absentia.

Independent Thai Court? Think again! On December 2nd, 2020, Thailand's highest court acquitted Dictator Prayut Chan-o-cha of breaching ethics clauses in the country's constitution, ruling that Prayut is allowed to stay in his army paid house even though he is not in the army anymore.

Education minister Nataphol Teepsuwan on December 2nd, 2020, threatened a legal action against high school activists who run a website where students can report abuses at their school.

After Liberia, St. Lucia, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Venezuela, Thailand ranks sixth in the list of countries with the most traffic fatalities per 100'000 inhabitants. The Thai government seems to be dissatisfied with the ranking. In order to reach the top in this discipline, the Thai Parliament has decided to increase the speed limits on Thailand's rural Highways & 4 lane Roads as follows: 120kph for cars
90kph for trucks over 2.2 tonnes and buses over 15 passengers
Minvans and buses from 7-15 people 100kph
cars towing 65kph
small motorbikes 80kph
big bikes 100kph
school buses 80kph Stupidity apparently dies last

IATA, the International Air Transport Association, which represents almost 300 airlines worldwide, is in the final stages of developing a travel pass, a digital health passport that proves that passengers have tested negative for Covid-19 and/or have received a vaccine. According to IATA the new app could help boost international travel. The launch of the app is sheduled for the first quarter of 2021. Most International Airlines plan to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly. Dear Mr. Dictator, an IATA survey showed that 83 percent of people would not travel if quarantine was required.

Just weeks after Twitter closed hundreds of accounts related to an army sponsored disinformation campaign against government opponents, a tech expert traced the source of two apps announced on Google Play and found that they were developed by a Thai company on behalf of the Royal Thai Army. According to the army, the apps were used to train army personnel in the constructive (!) use of social media. Just one hour after the discovery was published, the two apps were removed from Google Play. For additional information please read

• The Nation Thailand: Programmer links two apps to Army's propaganda operation
• Bangkok Post: Army denies hiring firm to do IO after data leak
• Bangkok Post: Twitter suspends royalist account linked to influence campaign
• The Nation Thailand: Twitter suspends pro-monarchy account

• Bangkok Post: Twitter takes down Thai army IO network
• The Thaiger: Twitter takes down 926 accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army
• The Star: Thai army denies Twitter disinformation campaign after takedowns
• Reuters: Thai army denies Twitter disinformation campaign after takedowns
• Khaosod English: Army Denies Twitter's Claim of Secret I.O. Campaign
• Bangkok Post: Army should clear air on info ops claims
• Bangkok Herald: Thai Army Proves as Inept at Online Propaganda as It Is at Governing

During the last few months not only pro-democratic protesters filled up Bangkok's Street but also Thailand's Royalist could be seen supporting the monarchy on the street. Some royalist even showed their limited education. For example an ultraroyalist group in Songkhla presented some of their fake news under the flag of Costa Rica. Hardline royalist groups and individuals also accused the US of funding the pro-democracy rallies, waging a Hybrid War in Thailand and even claimed that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, is approving the asylum requests for multiple protest leaders to flee prosecution in Thailand. They also claim that foreign governments are meddling in Thai politics and engineering the protests against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. In addition, some ultra-royalists are calling on the military to stage another coup d'état to stop the pro-democratic movements. A business woman even called for parents to disown their children if they attended pro-democracy protests.

On November 11th, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, known as the man of 'borrowed' luxury watches, told its people that the country is developing its technological infrastructure to pave the way for becoming a digital hub in the region. According to General Prawit, Thailand is one of the first countries in Asean that developed 5G technology for commercial use. In fact, the country does not even fully exploit 4G technology. For example, if a lot of people get together during a festival, it is almost impossible to send a picture or video with your mobile phone. The international connection is so slow that it is almost impossible to watch a streamed movie from a Western country. It shows once again that these military heads do not really know what they are talking about. PS: in 2015 Thailand's Dictator already announced Making Thailand a digital hub in the ASEAN region

In September 2020, a professor at Mahidol University in Bangkok announced that Thailand will be the rising star in Asia as a centre for biotechnology and medicine. Since General Prayut Chan-o-cha took power in Thaliand in 2014, the government has instilled in the population that the Kingdom is at the forefront of technology. When Thailand presents a new project, it always has to be the best, the greatest or the most advanced project in the region or the world:

• Making Thailand a digital hub in the ASEAN region (2015)
• Laem Chabang to be Rotterdam Port of Asean (2016)
• Thai Airways International to develop the most state-of-the-art smart hangar in Southeast Asia (2016)
• Thailand to be Regional EV Hub of Asian (2020)

Nevertheless, Thailand usually fails to reach its goal and gives the world the opportunity to have a laughing fit. In the region, Thailand is already known as the country of failed hubs.

A majority of sausage products offered in Thailand are inedible for westerners in the long run. They are either completely tasteless or they taste like sugar. Exceptions to be commended are some sausages from a company known as BMS located in Rayong. In Pattaya, the sausages are available in the branches of Big C and Tops (CentralFood). Big C in North Pattaya (CentralMarina) sells the Beergarden sausage from BMS in its original packaging (6 pieces) for 89 Baht. At Big C Extra! you get Beergarden sausages that are a little shorter and thicker in a neutral packaging, 5 pieces for 89 Baht. BMS usually sells these sausages as Debrecener - and of course they taste different from BMS' original Beergarden sausages ...

There have been 61'662 cases of dengue fever in Thailand with 41 deaths in the first 9½ months of this year. While Thailand seems to have the corona virus under control, the situation with dengue fever, another viral disease, is extremely worrying in the Kingdom. Thailand's Public Health Officials advise people to make sure that there is no standing water around their homes, as this is a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus.

October 11th: Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand has reported the highest incidence by far with nearly 500 per 100'000 population. This is followed by Rayong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum and Chainat provinces.

Another dangerous virus in this area is the Chikungunya virus. It is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms of infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. The Chikungunya virus was found for the first time in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean in late 2013. The virus was imported by infected travellers into new areas such as Thailand. Currently there is no vaccine for prevention or medication to treat a Chikungunya virus infection.

October 16th: Health officials in Thailand are reporting 10'101 chikungunya cases in 72 provinces through October 5th. No deaths have been reported so far.

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than 40°C, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. Small white spots may form inside the mouth two or three days after the start of symptoms. A red, flat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body typically begins three to five days after the start of symptoms. Measles is an airborne disease which spreads easily from one person to the next through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. No specific treatment is available but the measles vaccine is effective at preventing the disease and is exceptionally safe. Through May 2nd, Thailand has seen 765 measles cases in 55 provinces. Narathiwat, Chiang Rai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket and Chiang Mai have been hardest hit by the measles.

• Wash your hands with a good soap.
  Hands are one of the most common ways that a virus spreads from one person to the next.
  Most viruses and some bacteria have lipid membranes that resemble double-layered micelles. These membranes are studded with important proteins that allow viruses to infect cells and perform vital tasks that keep bacteria alive.
  These lipid (fatty) bilayer are the weakest link of a virus.
  When you wash your hands with soap and water, you surround any microorganisms on your skin with soap molecules. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart.
• The coronavirus is spread from person to person when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes. So people in close contact are at high risk.
  The influenza virus is spread in a similar way. A study shows when healthcare workers are within 1.8 metres of patients with influenza, their risk of being infected is increased.
  We therefore recommend to stay away from mass gatherings and to keep a distance of 2 meters to other people.
  Nowadays this behaviour is called social distancing and is a tool to slow down the spread of a disease that is passed on from person to person.
• There have been reported outbreaks of COVID-19 in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing.
  In these outbreaks, aerosol transmission, particularly in these indoor locations where there are crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected persons spend long periods of time with others, cannot be ruled out.
  Aerosols are very small droplets that can contain the COVID-19 virus and are able to stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time.
• A virus can not enter your body throught the skin. The virus get into your body through your eyes, nose or throat.
  Therefore it is important to protect your eyes, nose and mouth, at least if you are one of those people who likes to touch the face with the hands.
  Keep in mind, that the average person touches the face 23 times per hour.
• Avoid the polite but unsanitary greeting by shaking hands.
  Rather nod your head or use the WAI that is common in Thailand.
• Do not kiss your partner or any other people
• Refrain from sex or use a condom!
• Wear a face mask and/or a face shield
• Stay at home - and wait for better times!