<p>Representatives from the sex worker rights group Empower Foundation went to Government House on Tuesday morning (29 June) to demand assistance from the government for sex workers and service sector workers affected by the closure of entertainment establishments during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>U Aung Thien, 43, a hired boatman from Dawei, died in Bangkok&rsquo;s Wat Phai Tan community on 28 June. The cause of death is still under examination, amid concern in this multinational community over the lack of medical assistance, Covid-19 testing and state relief which they have not been able to access.</p>

<p>Suicides have been a controversy since the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The significant rise in the number of cases warrants attention.</p>

<p>A network of nightlife and entertainment professionals have petitioned the government for support for workers and business owners affected by the Covid-19 lockdown.</p>

<p>As vaccinations around the country lag behind targets, questions are being asked about queue-jumping in Nakhon Ratchasima, Bangkok and Samut Prakan.</p>

<p>Conflict and historical mistrust between the Malay Muslim in Thailand&rsquo;s southernmost border provinces (Patani)&nbsp;and the Thai State have taken their toll on the government&rsquo;s effort to carry out Covid-19 vaccinations, said on 4 June by Artef Sohko, President of The Patani, a political action group advocating rights to self-determination for the people living in this conflict-affected region bordering Malaysia.</p>

<p>Levels of toxic Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) air pollution have rebounded in cities around the world, Bangkok included,&nbsp;one year after initial Covid-19 lockdowns went into effect, a new <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-southeastasia-stateless/2021/06/377a9664-reboundreport.pdf">report</a> from Greenpeace Southeast Asia finds.&nbsp;</p>