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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Phuket received 139,375 ATKs to test quickly for Covid-19
As part of over 800,000 antigen test kits allocated to the South of Thailand, Phuket has received 139,375 ATKs to support the fledgling tourism relaunch on the popular travel destination island. The National Health Security Office reported the delivery to Phuket today from the Zone 11 office based in Surat Thani. The nearly 140,000 test kits to Phuket was the…
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2 year old nearly loses eye after work camp dog attack
In Bang Khen, Bangkok, a two year old girl has nearly lost her eye completely after an attack from what appears to be an abandoned dog at a factory camp. a couple reported that a stray dog at a cement factory camp had attacked their two-year-old daughter doing severe damage to her left eye. The little girl’s mother had been…
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Its likely too late for herd immunity, but vaccines still vital.
With Thailand finally on track to reach its vaccination goals having now administered 56 million vaccines across the nation, scientists are warning that it may be too little too late for the possibility of herd immunity. Virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan at the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University believe that herd immunity may never be achieved at…
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New star-shaped flower found at national park in southern Thailand’s Ranong
A new flower was reportedly discovered at a national park in the southern province of Ranong. The white star-shaped flower with six to seven points was named the “Cute Star Flower,” or “Dara Pilas” in Thai. The flower was found at the Ngao Waterfall National Park. Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced on its Facebook page…
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Extinction Rebellion protesters disrupt Paris Fashion Week show
Climate change activists from the Extinction Rebellion group have disrupted a Louis Vuitton catwalk show during Paris Fashion Week. According to an AFP report, a protester invaded a catwalk in the Louvre art gallery to slam the fashion industry for its negative impact on the environment. An activist carrying a banner that read, “”Overconsumption = extinction”, managed to climb onto…
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Thailand to finalise procurement contract for new Covid-19 drug within 2 weeks
The Health Ministry says a contract to purchase supplies of the first oral Covid-19 treatment will be completed in the next 2 weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, the first batch of pills could arrive as soon as November. Somsak Akkasilp from the Department of Medical Services says the government has ordered enough to treat 200,000 people, adding that…
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Vaccine donation from Iceland and Germany confirmed
Both Iceland and Germany have each agreed to a donation Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand and the Thai Cabinet has now endorsed receiving the vaccine shipments. A government spokesperson expressed gratitude for the two donations totalling 446,100 vaccine from the two European nations. The spokesman said that the vaccines represented the good relations Thailand have with the countries of Europe as…
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Government considering legalising e-cigarettes amid outcry from health groups
The government is looking at ways e-cigarettes could be legalised, in order to offer a less harmful alternative to smoking regular cigarettes. The Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, says he believes vaping is safer for people trying to quit smoking, but his comments have been met with fierce opposition from health campaigners, according to a Bangkok Post report.…
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Activists petition to stop emergency decree being used to curtail freedom of speech
A human rights NGO has petitioned the Civil Court to abolish the government’s use of the emergency decree to quash freedom of expression. The Internet Law Reform Dialogue group filed the petition against the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and the relevant authorities. According to a Bangkok Post report, iLaw manager Yingcheep Atchanond, feminist activist Chutima Tangkliang, and Atthapol Buapat from the…
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Flood warning issued for Bangkok
Despite officials hoping for a reduction in the heavy rainfall and flooding affecting many parts of Thailand, it seems the situation is not easing yet. Residents in Bangkok, along the capital’s Chao Phraya River, have been put on high alert over potential flooding. The Bangkok Post reports that the warning comes as 3,000 cubic metres of water per second flows…
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Africalink on Air – 05 October 2021
Impact of Facebook outage in Africa +++ The Gambia registers 30 presidential aspirants +++ Nigeria seeks to cash in on avocado farming SOURCE: DW News
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COVID: How is an emergency fund stirring controversy in India?
Major corporate houses, the Indian armed forces and even the Dalai Lama have contributed to India’s PM-CARES fund — a reserve set up to bolster India’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The fund, which stands for Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations, has been the subject of controversy in India, largely due to a lack of transparency…
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Vietnam’s COVID woes trigger supply chain issues for EU firms
Optimism has been returning for European investors after Vietnam’s communist government began rolling back lockdown measures in mid-September, and the majority of restrictions in the southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City were lifted on October 1. Last year, Vietnam was heralded as one of the few global success stories amid the pandemic. The country of 96 million people recorded…
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Pandora Papers: How will the revelations impact Pakistan’s politics?
Several people surrounding Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, including ministers and family members, have been named in the Pandora Papers leaks. The papers, which were shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), reveal that many of the country’s powerful military generals, businessmen and media owners have transferred millions of dollars through offshore companies. More than 700 prominent Pakistanis…
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UK fuel crisis: Measures branded ‘sticking plaster solutions’ as army deployed
The long-awaited images of military personnel driving fuel tankers follow almost two weeks of misery and chaos for British consumers. Panic buying of fuel amid the shortage of truckers has led to chaotic scenes across major cities with queues of drivers lining up outside gas stations. A perfect storm of labor shortages as a result of Brexit and the continued…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 9,869 new cases; provincial totals
92 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 17,203 with 17,109 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 9,869 new Covid-19 cases and 11,152 recoveries. There are now 108,373 people in Thailand…
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Phuket bar owner arrested for allegedly serving booze after 10pm
The owner of a bar in Phuket was arrested for allegedly selling alcohol after 10pm, a violation of the provincial order limiting alcohol sales in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 through socialising. Phuket News reports that the 29 year old who ran the bar was arrested after midnight yesterday at the City Bar on the outskirts of…
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Four suspected insurgents on the run killed in clash with “Deep South” soldiers
In the “Deep South” province Narathiwat, four suspected insurgents were killed in a gunfire exchange with soldiers on Sunday and an army officer was killed in another clash with insurgents the night before, according to the Bangkok Post. Reports say the insurgents killed in the incident were all wanted on court warrants, most of them facing charges for deadly attacks.…
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Several political parties name candidates for PM, ruling party reportedly supports Prayut
In the heat of calls and protests pushing for PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign or be removed from office, political parties are now starting to name prime ministerial candidates for the next election, which will be in 2023. Prayut and his government also faced a no-confidence hearing last month. Although the vote ruled in Prayut’s favour, many issues were raised…
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Phuket “Sandbox” slow start for tourism; Philippines police investigated over “war on drugs” | Thailand Top Stories | October 5
Phuket “Sandbox” slow start for tourism; Philippines police investigated over “war on drugs” | Thailand Top Stories | October 5 |Caitlin gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Phuket Sandbox slowly reviving the tourism industry, Police seek court approval to extend detention for American rape suspect, …
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Tuesday Covid Update: 9,869 new cases and 92 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 9,869 new Covid-19 cases and 92 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 1,628,368 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 11,152 recoveries. There are now 108,373 people in Thailand currently being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Bali to partially re-open to travellers from select countries next week
A government minister in Indonesia has confirmed the island of Bali will partially re-open to arrivals from certain countries. However, the list does not currently include Australia, a significant tourism market for Indonesia prior to the pandemic. According to an AFP report, Luhut Panjaitan says that from October 14, Ngurah Rai International Airport will open for arrivals from South Korea,…
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Former cop accused of torture and murder was involved in seizure of over 400 luxury cars
A man accused of murder and fired from his role as police chief in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan was involved in the confiscation of over 400 luxury cars. According to deputy national police chief, Suchart Thiraswasdi, disgraced former cop Thitisan Utthanaphol was involved in the seizure of 410 high-end vehicles that had been smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia…
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Our take on the new GWM Haval H6 ULTRA
The recent launch of Great Wall Motor’s 2021 Haval H6 ULTRA Hybrid SUV in Thailand, has definitely set car lovers’ tongues wagging. Around 3 months ago, GWM announced it would be introducing the new H6 Haval ULTRA (the top model for the Thai range) with an accompanying theme of ‘It’s Time to CHANGE.’ The SUV is a true hybrid, including…
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Pandora Papers find holes in EU’s fight against tax evasion
European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant appeared cautious in Brussels as she was questioned about the Pandora Papers. “We have seen that in the media as you have,” she said in response to questions from reporters. “We are not in a position to make any comments on individual names or individual entities mentioned in those papers.” It is likely that the…
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Iran clamps down on teachers demanding fair pay
Aziz Ghasemzadeh is a spokesman for the teachers’ union in Iran’s northern province of Gilan. Last week, he was arrested while he was doing an interview on his phone with a Persian-language broadcaster. The phone’s camera was still on and captured footage of the arrest at his parents’ home; you can hear his mother’s voice pleading with the officers not…
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Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram are down as the Facebook data centre crashes
Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram are all down on this Monday evening. Users of Facebook’s suite of social media platforms are all non-responsive as millions of users try to access their accounts. Users on mobile, desktop and tablets are all affected. Issues started around 22:44 Thai Time and are currently impacting users worldwide with the hashtag #facebookdown trending on Twitter. We’re…
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Bangladesh: Who killed Rohingya leader Mohibullah?
Mohibullah, a high-profile figurehead for the Rohingya who have fled Myanmar, was killed by unidentified gunmen last week, in an event which has left investigators looking for a culprit. Mohibullah was shot last Wednesday, Sept. 29, in one of the sprawling camps in the coastal Bangladeshi city of Cox’s Bazar. The leader left for Bangladesh when over 730,000 Rohingya Muslims…
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COVID: Will India see a third wave in winter?
India has seen a significant dip in its coronavirus caseload over the past few weeks. However, health care workers and policymakers are warning of a possible third wave during the winter months. As of Monday, the country’s active case count stood at 271,550, marking the lowest figure in 199 days. The R-value, the number which measures the rate of transmission,…
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Monday Covid Update: 9,930 new cases; provincial totals
97 Covid-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 17,111 with 17,017 of those fatalities during the country’s latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 9,930 new Covid-19 cases and 12,336 recoveries were reported. Thailand now has 109,748 active cases. Since the…
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