Year: 2020

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s abortion laws to be amended

    Thailand’s abortion laws to be amended

    Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a section of the Criminal Code is unconstitutional as it fails to hold men responsible for illegal abortions. The ruling will take effect on Febuary 13, 2021, twelve months after it was made. The court handed down the ruling after pro-abortion activist Srisamai Chueachart petitioned the court to rule whether Sections 301 and 305…

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  • Thailand NewsPro-vaping group to request public hearing to legalise vaping in Thailand

    Pro-vaping group to request public hearing to legalise vaping in Thailand

    The below is the contents of a press release sent to The Thaiger by the consumer group End Cigarette Smoke Thailand. The opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect those of The Thaiger or its subsidiaries. The Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC) revealed results from the meeting of the Ministry of Commerce’s review panel on e-cigarette import…

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  • Bangkok NewsSchoolboy survives 3rd floor fall from escalator in Bangkok mall

    Schoolboy survives 3rd floor fall from escalator in Bangkok mall

    A 12 year old student was seriously injured when he fell from a third floor escalator at CentralWorld shopping complex in Bangkok yesterday afternoon. Police say the student dropped his mobile phone while descending from the third floor, reached out to grab it, over-stretched and fell. The incident occurred about 2:40pm, according to police. The boy, from a school in…

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  • World NewsCoronavirus cases more than double in South Korea to surpass 150

    Coronavirus cases more than double in South Korea to surpass 150

    South Korea has reported its first death from the COVID-19 corona virus. The government reports that a 63 year old man, who died Wednesday, tested positive for the virus in a post mortem examination. The exact cause of his death has yet to be determined. He died in North Gyeongsang province, where he had been hospitalized for over 20 years,…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: S Korea tops 156 cases, Ukrainians attack evacuee bus

    Coronavirus UPDATE: S Korea tops 156 cases, Ukrainians attack evacuee bus

    The total number of infected worldwide cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) stands at over 76,735. At least 2,247 people are now dead from the virus, with all but 11 of those deaths in mainland China. 18,561 people are now registered as ‘recovered’ from the virus. The fatality rate still sits around 2%. • There has been a sharp spike in new cases…

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  • Crime NewsDrink-driving professor crashes, injures 2 police and elderly woman

    Drink-driving professor crashes, injures 2 police and elderly woman

    A university professor has been arrested for drink driving in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, after he crashed into a police motorcycle. Two police officers and an elderly woman were injured in the incident. Police and a rescue team were called to the scene and discovered a police motorbike lying on the road and 2 injured officers. The injured…

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  • Crime NewsDeath penalty sought for Lop Buri gold shop shooter

    Death penalty sought for Lop Buri gold shop shooter

    Thai Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a school director who killed three people, including a two year old boy, in a gold shop robbery in Lop Buri last month. Prasittichai Khaokaew will face execution for his “horrific actions,” prosecutors say. The Thai Criminal Court was asked yesterday to try the 38 year old for premeditated murder over the…

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  • ExpatsUPDATE: Thai immigration scraps TM28 reporting requirements

    UPDATE: Thai immigration scraps TM28 reporting requirements

    Well, for most foreigners anyway (full list of exemptions below)… Thai immigration have scrapped the TM28 form’s change-of-address reporting requirements for all but a few foreigners. The changes came into effect, with little fanfare, on January 28. The TM28 is still listed on the Immigration website but there’s now a long list of exceptions added which means that almost no…

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  • Business NewsChevy’s having a “garage sale” and prices are halved

    Chevy’s having a “garage sale” and prices are halved

    General Motors’ recent announcement that it’s ending production and sales of Chevrolets in Thailand means prices for new Chevrolets have been cut by half. The starting price for the latest SUV, the Captiva, is now just under half a million baht. General Motors announced Sunday that it’s pulling out of “markets that don’t produce adequate returns on investments,” namely Thailand,…

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  • Covid-19 NewsIsrael travel ban rankles Thailand

    Israel travel ban rankles Thailand

    Thailand wants Israel to reconsider its decision, announced Tuesday, to ban Thais from entering the country in a bid to control the spread of deadly coronavirus (Covid-19). Israel banned all non-Israelis who have been in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau in the previous 14 days. Previously, Israel’s health ministry had imposed only a 14-day house quarantine on visitors from…

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  • PropertyMajor condo developers in Bangkok are looking for rental clients

    Major condo developers in Bangkok are looking for rental clients

    As sales have taken a nosedive since last year, major condominium developers in Bangkok are looking for rental clients. As an example, L.P.N. Development, which developed condominiums and houses under the Lumpini brand, is offering newly-launched condos for rent. The company plans to attract tenants by offering lower or slightly lower rents than the market price for a 3 year…

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  • Việt NamHai người tử vong trong ‘ổ dịch’ corona trên du thuyền ở Nhật Bản

    Hai người tử vong trong ‘ổ dịch’ corona trên du thuyền ở Nhật Bản

    Theo Kyodo ghi nhận, hai hành khách nhiễm virus corona trên du thuyền Diamond Princess cách li tại Nhật đã tử vong. Theo Kyodo, hai hành khách là một cụ ông 87 tuổi và cụ bà 84 tuổi đều là công dân Nhật Bản, có bệnh lý nền và nhập viện sau khi rời tàu vào tuần trước. Du thuyền…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsPrincipal beats 10 year old, threatens to kill him and “eat his liver with whisky”

    Principal beats 10 year old, threatens to kill him and “eat his liver with whisky”

    A grandpa in the northeastern province of Surin couldn’t take it anymore and decided to file a police report after a school principal gave his 10 year old grandson a head injury. The statement alleges that the principal threatened to beat the boy to death and to “eat the child’s liver with whisky.” 83 year old “Supon” filed the report…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThree Thais on Yokohama virus ship have COVID-19 coronavirus

    Three Thais on Yokohama virus ship have COVID-19 coronavirus

    Officials today announced that three Thai nationals aboard the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, moored off Yokohama, are infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus, the same day two elderly Japanese passengers are reported to have died from the disease. Foreign affairs spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor said three Thais, one passenger and two crew members, are now being treated in hospital in Japan.…

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  • World NewsTwo passengers of virus-hit cruise ship die in Japan

    Two passengers of virus-hit cruise ship die in Japan

    Two elderly passengers of the Diamond Princess, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship which spent two weeks in quarantine in Japan’s Yokohama Harbour, have died. State broadcaster NHK made the announcement this morning, as a second group of passengers began disembarking after fourteen days quarantined onboard. The passengers were both Japanese, a man and woman in their 80s. More than 620 of…

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  • Economy NewsBaht remains strong despite virus, economic slowdown

    Baht remains strong despite virus, economic slowdown

    The minutes of today’s meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Thailand predict the Thai economy will expand at a much lower rate in 2020 than previously forecast, and far below its full potential. The discrepancy is mainly attributed to the combined impact of the coronavirus outbreak, delay to enactment of the Annual Budget Expenditure Act, and…

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  • Crime NewsAbbot who embezzled 69.7 million baht gets fines, suspended sentence

    Abbot who embezzled 69.7 million baht gets fines, suspended sentence

    An ex-abbot of Wat Sa Ket (Golden Mount Temple), found guilty of embezzling 69.7 million baht in temple funds, has been fined 27,000 baht and given a jail term of 36 months, suspended. The sentence was handed down at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases yesterday. The court found 64 year old Thongchai Sukkho guilty of “malfeasance.”…

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  • Economy NewsAsset World says hotel bookings in Thailand starting to recover

    Asset World says hotel bookings in Thailand starting to recover

    The hotel development unit of billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, Thailand’s richest man, says bookings have begun to recover from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The epidemic has impacted some 60% of the hotel and retail properties in Asset World Corp’s portfolio, deterring tourism and causing events to be cancelled, according to CEO Wallapa Traisorat. “We’re starting to see…

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  • Crime NewsDutchman’s killer, sentenced to death in absentia, arrested after 13 years on the run

    Dutchman’s killer, sentenced to death in absentia, arrested after 13 years on the run

    A former municipal councillor in the southern Chumphon province, sentenced to death in absentia for the murder of a wealthy Dutchman, was arrested yesterday after 13 years on the run. 54 year old Anupong Suthani was arrested in the northern province of Phrae. He was wanted on an murder arrest warrant issued by the Pattaya provincial court in December 2007.…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCORONAVIRUS update: Scientists debunk conspiracies, South Korea cases jump to 82

    CORONAVIRUS update: Scientists debunk conspiracies, South Korea cases jump to 82

    “We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.” China’s National Health Commission reports there has been 114 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak bringing the death toll to at least 2,126. 16,433 people have now fully recovered around the world. Around the world, there are 31 new cases in South Korea…

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  • World NewsHong Kong police on a roll as third suspect in toilet paper heist flushed out

    Hong Kong police on a roll as third suspect in toilet paper heist flushed out

    Hong Kong has been gripped by panic buying since the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, as frightened residents hoard essentials like rice and toilet tissue. Now, a third man man has been arrested there for his role in a bizarre toilet paper heist, as a gang aimed to clean up during a run of frenzied buying in the city. The 26 year…

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  • Việt NamTội phạm truy nã bỏ trốn bất ngờ về Việt Nam đầu thú vì sợ nhiễm corona

    Tội phạm truy nã bỏ trốn bất ngờ về Việt Nam đầu thú vì sợ nhiễm corona

    Một tội phạm truy nã về tội buôn bán ma tuý bỏ trốn ra nước ngoài vừa về đầu thú vì sợ lây dịch corona. Hôm nay, Công an huyện Tương Dương (Nghệ An) cho biết vừa tiếp nhận đối tượng truy nã Lương Văn Tú (SN 1993, trú xã Yên Na, Tương Dương) đến đầu thú sau hơn 3…

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  • Việt NamHàn Quốc có số ca nhiễm virus nCoV tăng đột biến

    Hàn Quốc có số ca nhiễm virus nCoV tăng đột biến

    Hàn Quốc hôm nay có thêm 20 ca dương tính virus corona, trong đó 15 trường hợp được cho là do một bệnh nhân không được cách ly kịp thời lây nhiễm. Trung tâm Kiểm soát và Phòng ngừa Dịch bệnh Hàn Quốc (KCDC) cho biết số ca nhiễm tại đây đã lên 51 ca với 20 ca nhiễm mới.…

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  • Covid-19 NewsAll but one of 138 Thai evacuees from Wuhan return home as quarantine ends

    All but one of 138 Thai evacuees from Wuhan return home as quarantine ends

    137 Thai nationals evacuated from China’s city of Wuhan city, epicentre of the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak were allowed to return to their homes today after two weeks of quarantine. The 137 were certified by the Public Health Ministry yesterday to be free from the virus. One patient is still being monitored at a Chon Buri Hospital. Some of the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsKorea reports 15 more coronavirus cases, total now 46

    Korea reports 15 more coronavirus cases, total now 46

    South Korea today confirmed 15 more cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus bringing its total number of infections to 46, amid growing concerns that the illness is spreading despite tighter quarantine measures. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 13 new patients were found in Daegu, 300 kilometres southeast of Seoul. It’s presumed they contracted the illness…

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  • Covid-19 NewsChinatowns around the world fall quiet over coronavirus fears

    Chinatowns around the world fall quiet over coronavirus fears

    Chinatowns around the world, some centuries old, are quiet, as businesses to survive the effects of global concern over the COVID-19 outbreak. Businesses in Australia’s oldest Chinatown enclave, dating back to the influx of fortune-seekers during an 1850s gold rush, report their earnings have dropped by more than half and they have been forced to cut staff hours dramatically, a…

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  • Crime NewsKorean tourist allegedly attacked in Pattaya after refusing to give money to a Thai woman

    Korean tourist allegedly attacked in Pattaya after refusing to give money to a Thai woman

    UPDATE: The Pattaya News now reports that the suspects in the case have apologised and the matter has been settled amicably. Read the full story HERE. ORIGINAL STORY: A Korean man was allegedly attacked by a group of Thais after refusing to give money to a woman he met at a beer bar in Pattaya. 57 year old Sung Ho…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsPrayut visits Korat, offers compensation to shooting victims, families

    Prayut visits Korat, offers compensation to shooting victims, families

    Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha went to Korat, in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, scene of the shooting rampage earlier this month that left 30 dead and 58 wounded. He met with people and families affected by the massacre and offered compensation totalling tens of millions of baht. He and accompanying ministers met locals after praying for peace at the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsMinistry says no entry for banned cruise ship passengers, even by air

    Ministry says no entry for banned cruise ship passengers, even by air

    The Thai Public Health Ministry announced yesterday that no flights carrying passengers from the barred cruise ship MS Westerdam, whether chartered flights or otherwise, will be allowed to land in Thailand before the end of February. Department of Disease Control deputy chief Dr Thanarak Palitpat says the decision is the result of a discussion among authorities including the DDC, the…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsDrug runners killed in Chiang Rai clashes

    Drug runners killed in Chiang Rai clashes

    Police in Chiang Rai province report that three drug smugglers were killed and another arrested in two clashes with security forces near the Burmese border last night. A total of 400,000 methamphetamine pills and 7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine were seized. The first clash occurred about 9:30pm after a number of pickup trucks and motorbikes were spotted crossing the border…

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  • Covid-19 News137 Thai evacuees head home after 14 day quarantine

    137 Thai evacuees head home after 14 day quarantine

    137 Thai evacuees, repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan on February 4, were given a warm farewell as they started on their journeys back home from the Royal Thai Navy’s Sattahip base, south of Pattaya this morning. The Thai Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutaecha, Chon Buri governor Pakkarathorn Thienchai, naval officers and medical personnel sent the group on…

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  • HealthThailand’s hospitals well equipped to handle Coronavirus patients

    Thailand’s hospitals well equipped to handle Coronavirus patients

    Thailand was the first country outside of China to report novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on 13 January 2020. As of February 19, the number of confirmed cases remains at 35 – 15 of whom have recovered and been discharged, while the other 20 remain in hospital. Thai officials have stated that the Kingdom is one of the most prepared countries in…

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  • Covid-19 NewsPassengers leave Yokohama virus ship, China toll tops 2000

    Passengers leave Yokohama virus ship, China toll tops 2000

    Passengers onboard the Diamond Princess, the coronavirus-wracked cruise ship which has been quarantined in Yokohama’s harbour for two weeks, began disembarking today after testing negative for the disease that has now claimed more than 2,000 lives in China. The ship proved a fertile breeding ground for the COVID-19 coronavirus, with at least 542 positive cases, the largest cluster of confirmed…

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  • Thailand News3 solutions to Thailand’s English teacher shortage

    3 solutions to Thailand’s English teacher shortage

    by Eric Haeg Thailand needs 10,000 English teachers. News of a teacher shortage is no surprise, but news that the Ministry of Education has recently urged embassies to find English teachers has raised eyebrows. The US Embassy confirmed it participated in the meeting, and it has also been reported that over 20 other embassies participated in the discussions. According to Thailand’s…

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  • Road deathsRescue worker struck and killed at accident scene

    Rescue worker struck and killed at accident scene

    A member of a rescue unit is dead after he was hit by a speeding pickup truck while helping victims at an accident scene in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan yesterday. Police identified the victim as Atthawut Nubanko of the Sawang Phae Paisan Thammasathan rescue unit. Another rescuer from the same team, Likit Inklam, told police that he…

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  • Covid-19 NewsWesterdam passengers in Thailand found virus-free

    Westerdam passengers in Thailand found virus-free

    Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has announced that all 27 passengers from the cruise ship MS Westerdam who arrived in Thailand have tested negative for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The passengers, who disembarked in Cambodia on Valentine’s Day and came to Thailand, “…have tested negative and been allowed to continue to their destinations.” Two Thai passengers onboard the luxury cruise also showed…

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  • Bangkok NewsBangkok gunman arrested this morning in Phetchaburi

    Bangkok gunman arrested this morning in Phetchaburi

    A lone, jealous gunman, who killed his ex-wife in her place of employment in a shopping centre near Victory Monument yesterday afternoon, has been arrested. The 34 year old gunman was arrested in a home in Phetchaburi, south west of Bangkok, at 4.30am today. He has been charged with pre-meditated murder, illegal possession of a weapon and carrying a gun…

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