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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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TAT touts another rosy outlook for 2022 arrivals into Thailand – VIDEOS
Whilst the Ministry of Tourism and Sports approve marketing spending for 2022, their tourism promotion arm, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, have been throwing around more highly optimistic arrival figures for next year. “TAT set the revenue target from tourism in 2022 at 1.5 trillion baht, or about 50% of tourism revenue in 2019 (before the Covid-19 situation)”, according to…
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Belarus crisis: Airlines threatened with sanctions
Once things started to move, they did so very quickly. On Wednesday evening, just 48 hours after the EU introduced new sanctions in response to crisis at the border between Poland and Belarus, the Lebanese Transport Ministry announced that it, too, would allow only Belarusians, Lebanese citizens with valid visas and foreign citizens with permanent residence permits to fly to…
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Sudan’s protest movement: ‘Now we are driven by anger’
The messages came in without prior warning. On Thursday evening, millions of texts, photos and videos about the protests and the violent clampdown finally reached cell phones in Sudan. “The footage is horrific,” Rania Aziz, a 36-year-old activist in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, told DW in a video call. Then she started crying. “We are experiencing a national shock now,” she…
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West Bank: Harvesting olives under rabbis’ protection
On a sunny autumn day, Palestinian Bashar Sharab is busy pouring freshly brewed coffee in small paper cups for Israeli and Palestinian volunteers who are helping him pick olives near the village of Awarta, near the West Bank town of Nablus. Pickers are perched on ladders to reach the small fruits, while others lay plastic sheets underneath the trees to…
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Police “Joe Ferrari” torture case in court today, main charges denied
Today the 7 police officers accused of the suffocation death caught on video of a suspect in custody at the Nakhon Sawan police station had their day in court. Pol Col Thitisan “Jo Ferrari” Utthanaphon admitted that he assaulted the suspect, but claimed his death was an accident and denied the strongest charges of murder and torture against him. In…
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McDonald’s Covid-19 alert: Pattaya area residents cautioned
Following a similar announcement a few days, the Chon Buri Public Health Office issued a new warning today for anyone who attended an area McDonald’s to get tested for Covid-19. The statement released today advised anyone who had eaten at or been inside the Pattaya area McDonald’s located at Mini Siam Pattaya should use an antigen test kit to check…
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Sea gypsies hope better livelihood ahead upcoming local elections
Local elections are coming up and it will be the first time many of Thailand’s Moken tribes, or also known as sea gypsies, will be voting in the Tambon Administration Organisation elections. The indigenous Moken tribes are known for their lifestyle of semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers for centuries in the Andaman Sea. They are known to be able to hold their breath…
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Truck veers off road and smashes through Chon Buri grocery store
A local grocer met with a rude awakening as he slept in a bedroom in the back of his grocery store in Chon Buri. At 2 am, the owner of a grocery store in Bor Thong was woken by a pickup truck smashing through the front of his shop, nearly into his bedroom behind the store. Bor Thong Police responded…
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Pattaya mayor calls for more security on Bali Hai pier
After a number of incidents went viral on social media, the mayor of Pattaya ordered officials to crack down on issues at the Bali Hai pier. Crimes like price gouging and tour boats operating without licenses have been frequently reported, so as of yesterday there will be a significant increase in police and security on the pier. Bali Hai pier…
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Government to expedite the revision of the civil partnership bill for same-sex couples
Following a court ruling on marriage that was seen as a setback for same-sex couples, the Thai government is now expediting the revision of draft law on civil partnerships. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krae-ngam says the law will protect the rights of all genders, according to the Bangkok Post. Wednesday the Constitutional Court upheld the language in Section 1448 of…
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TAT highlights November and December events in Blue Zones
Throughout the Blue Zone, designated as tourist provinces that are welcoming tourists in a 7-day Sandbox scheme, events and celebrations are taking place to welcome people back to Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand compiled a list of activities and highlights in November and December from these 17 zones where fully vaccinated travellers can arrive from around the world with…
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Mali’s dancing plastic monster
Bamako, Mali, has an environmental star. Contemporary dancer Zol uses his constume and dancing skills to highlight plastic pollution. SOURCE: DW News
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China’s lobbying for Myanmar junta to join Xi Summit met with opposition
China’s Special Envoy of Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang has pressed Southeast Asian governments to allow Myanmar’s military ruler to attend a regional meeting hosted by China’s President next week, but has faced heavy opposition, diplomatic sources told Reuters reporters. He visited Singapore and Brunei last week, but was told that Myanmar military junta chief Ming Aung Hlaing would be unable…
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Public transport drivers subject to safety points system from December
The Department of Land Transport is implementing a points-based system to punish public transport drivers for bad behaviours starting December 1. The system will give drivers 100 points to begin with and demerit points for every violation of traffic laws or safety, resulting in a temporary suspension of their license. The Director-General of the department explained the system that will…
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11 inmates climb through hole in ceiling, escape from prison cell in Nakhon Sawan
Nearly a dozen inmates climbed through a hole in a holding cell and escape from the Khlong Pho Temporary Prison in the central province Nakhon Sawan where they were held as a isolation period before being sent to Nakhon Sawan Central Prison. Officers say the inmates have been found. Police Major-General Raphiphong Sukphaiboon from Nakhon Sawan police station said the…
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Pattaya tourism quiet until entry and booze rules are eased
According to the acting president of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, Pattaya is still quiet, and 95% of tourists there are Thai since the reopening to international tourists on November 1. Of the 200 to 300 people per day who do come, the majority are not tourists but businesspeople and expats. And many of the tourists who do come end…
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Thai Foreign Minister reportedly admits to meeting with Myanmar’s military junta
Following reports in Burmese media that Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw last weekend to meet with the military junta and coup leader, the minister has reportedly revealed details about his trip, saying he discussed humanitarian aid for the country’s citizens. Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Pramudwinai, who also serves as Deputy PM, reportedly admitted to meeting with coup…
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Phuket to emphasise safety during Loy Krathong
As Phuket prepares for its Loy Krathong festivities tonight, the governor is imploring citizens to be safe and to respect the Covid-19 protocols in place. Celebrations on the island are scheduled to go forward, despite the lingering concerns over Covid. Governor Narong Woonciew expanded upon the many requirements that are in place this evening to mitigate the chances of the…
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Today’s Loy Krathong breaks traditions, Thais encouraged to celebrate “virtually”
Every year, on the 12th full moon on the lunar calendar, Thais celebrate Loy Krathong, giving thanks to the water goddess by releasing lotus-shaped floating offerings onto the water. Rivers, canals, and other bodies of water are filled with the beautiful offerings, known as krathongs, which are usually made from banana tree trunks and decorated with flowers, leaves, candles, and…
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Schools closed in north-east as shared transport blamed for Covid-19 outbreak
A Covid-19 outbreak has closed 2 schools in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, with students and teachers quarantined. According to a Thai PBS World report, provincial health officials are blaming shared school vans for the spread of the virus. 24 students have tested positive and 295 other students and their teachers have been quarantined for observation. It’s understood a…
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New Covid-19 treatment from AstraZeneca could make “significant difference”
Studies show that a new Covid-19 antibody treatment from AstraZeneca offers 83% protection over 6 months. According to a Reuters report, the pharmaceutical giant says the new treatment could offer hope to people who don’t respond well to vaccines. Executive Vice President Mene Pangalos says the evidence shows it could make a significant difference. “These new data add to the…
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Thai and Cambodian police rescue 99 Thais from forced labour in Phnom Penh
Thai police have worked with their Cambodian counterparts to rescue another 99 Thai nationals working in forced labour conditions in Phnom Penh. It follows the earlier rescue of Thai workers held in similar conditions in the Cambodian border city of Poipet. According to a Bangkok Post report, the workers were rescued from a fenced-off 3-storey building in the Cambodian capital.…
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ChulaCOV-19 vaccine enters a promising third phase of trials
ChulaCOV-19, the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in development by the Centre of Excellence in Vaccine Research at Chulalongkorn University, is expected to be registered by the middle of next year as it enters a promising third phase of clinical trials. The third round of trials on human test subjects is scheduled to see injections at the beginning of 2021, no later…
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Anti-doping agency bans Thailand from hosting international football tournaments
The World Anti-Doping Agency has hit Thailand with a number of sanctions over its failure to comply with WADA conditions. The ruling means Thailand cannot host any international football tournaments and the Thai flag cannot be displayed at such events. It’s understood the ruling is a result of Thailand’s failure to follow WADA’s 2021 code. According to a Bangkok Post…
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Belarus deeply divided over migrant arrivals
It was a spontaneous decision. “I packed a wool coat, vest, warm scarves, mittens, a blanket and jacket,” writes a Minsk-based blogger, who requested anonymity. The items were part of an impromptu donation drive to support migrants holed up in the Belarus capital. She describes in the Facebook post how “grateful” they were to receive the clothing. “The black coat…
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19 year old claims Sinovac vaccine caused his hair to fall out
After getting 2 Sinovac vaccines, a 19 year old student in Phuket claims his hair began falling out in clumps, leaving him bald. The vocational school student is from Phang Nha but stays now in Chalong in order to study at school and told the press that a doctor had verified the condition. The man said he travelled to his…
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China: Detained journalist Zhang Zhan on ‘brink of death’
Detained journalist Zhang Zhan is reportedly on the “brink of death” amid a hunger strike, as international pressure mounts on the Chinese government to release her. Zhang was also unveiled as the recipient of the 2021 Press Freedom Award in the courage category, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on Thursday. She was arrested in May 2020, after posting dozens of…
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China: Detained journalist Zhang Zhan on ‘hanging by a thread’
Detained journalist Zhang Zhan is reportedly on the “hanging by a thread” amid a hunger strike, as international pressure mounts on the Chinese government to release her. Zhang was also unveiled as the recipient of the 2021 Press Freedom Award in the courage category, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on Thursday. She was arrested in May 2020, after posting dozens…
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Greece: NGO workers could face 25 years in prison for helping migrants
When Sean Binder and Sarah Mardini were arrested and put in prison on the Greek island of Lesbos in February 2018, the police report referred to them as “No. 7” and “No. 8.” “I am actually not sure if I am seven or eight, but it was me and Sara in the police station that day, so I am definitely…
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Greece: NGO workers could face prison for helping migrants
When Sean Binder and Sarah Mardini were arrested and put in prison on the Greek island of Lesbos in February 2018, the police report referred to them as “No. 7” and “No. 8.” “I am actually not sure if I am seven or eight, but it was me and Sara in the police car that day, so I am definitely…
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