Month: July 2021

  • World NewsDominating delta and an unexpected kiss

    Dominating delta and an unexpected kiss

    Struggling for oxygen in Indonesia, empty streets in Sydney, an unexpected kiss — have a look through the most dramatic photos of the day’s current events. SOURCE: DW News

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  • Covid-19 News

    Embassy of Switzerland in Thailand helps Swiss expats get vaccinated

    The Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok announced that it has secured AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine appointments for 180 Swiss citizens living in Thailand who are at least 55 years old, or who have underlying health conditions. The embassy says Swiss expats living in other provinces in Thailand can also register for a vaccine, but they must travel to Bangkok and be…

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  • World NewsNigerian kidnappings reach crisis point

    Nigerian kidnappings reach crisis point

    Gunmen kidnapped 140 students from a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria on Monday. It was the latest in a wave of mass abductions targeting schoolchildren in Africa’s most populous nation. The assailants opened fire and overpowered security guards after storming the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state before abducting most of the 165 pupils boarding there overnight. ‘Government failure’…

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  • Food

    Top 5 Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Bangkok

    Even a few years ago, a list of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Bangkok would have somewhat lacked. Now, more and more plant-based establishments are appearing in the city, with the vegan movement growing each year. And with good reason – studies have shown that a meat-free diet can be beneficial to both your health and the environment.…

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  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Factory fire aftermath, Phuket taxis, home-made Pattaya porn | July 6

    Early this morning, after 25 hours of battling the initial fire, then flare-ups, the remnants of a polystyrene factory in Samut Prakan are in smouldering ruins. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed it is filing to have bail revoked for 5 pro-democracy leaders accused of breaching their bail conditions. Today, 5,420 new Covid-19 infections and 57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported…

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  • Thailand News

    LATEST: Engineers believe Samut Prakan fire caused by chemical leak

    In a press conference today, the Council of Engineers of Thailand said that a chemical leak is probably the cause of Samut Prakan plastic factory fire that was just put out today after blazing for over 25 hours. A chemic engineering professor, Anchaleeporn Waritswat Lothongkum says the leak could be of the styrene monomer or pentane. The COE says that…

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  • Thailand News

    “At risk” expats in Bangkok can pre-register for vaccines through designated hospitals

    The Covid-19 vaccine registration method for expats in Bangkok has changed and foreign residents can now pre-register for vaccines at one of two designated hospitals in the capital. Pre-registration is open to foreigners who are over 60 years old or who have certain underlying health conditions. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today that the government is shifting its…

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  • World News

    9 Hong Kongers arrested on terror charges, 6 out of 9 teenagers

    Hong Kong police announced today that 6 of 9 Hong Kongers that were arrested on terror charges for allegedly trying to make a bomb were kids. Police say 5 males and 4 females between the ages of 15 and 39 were arrested on suspicion of “conspiracy to use explosives for terrorist activities”. 6 are teenage students and 3 are adults…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Government shifts focus in vaccine rollout after rise of elderly Covid patient deaths

    With the rise of Covid-related deaths involving elderly patients, the Thai government has revised its plan for the next stages of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign to focus first on those in Bangkok who are at a high risk of severe infection if they contract the coronavirus. Those who are at least 60 years old or who have certain underlying…

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  • World News

    16 apprehended near Myanmar border

    From yesterday to today, 16 people were apprehended today near the Myanmar border in Tak, a northern Thai province The apprehended include 11 illegal migrants, 3 Thais who assisted the migrants, and 2 Chinese nationals who had escaped from quarantine. A concealed army patrol saw a pickup truck pull up close to a natural border crossing in the Wang Takhian…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Tuesday Covid Update: 5,420 new cases; provincial totals

    Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 5,420 new cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the total case count since the start of the pandemic last year to 294,653 and the Covid death toll to 2,333. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 265,790 of the total confirmed…

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  • Thailand News

    2 suspected drug cartel leaders arrested in Surat Thani and Phuket

    2 suspected drug cartel leaders whose operations were based in Europe were arrested in the southern provinces of Surat Thani and Phuket this morning. The suspects are Alek Karun, of German/Russian origin and Alexander Wolfien, a German national, says immigration Bureau chief Sompong Chingduang Alek was arrested at a luxury villa on the island of Koh Phangan, in the Surat…

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  • Business News

    Take a trip through Thailand with Sixt Rent a Car

    Sponsored article Searching for a car rental service in Thailand? Look no further than Sixt Rent a Car. Founded in 1912 in Germany with just 3 vehicles, Sixt has since evolved to become an industry leader in mobility. Today, they are the top car rental company in Thailand, Germany, and Austria (and more), due to their strength in customer focus…

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  • Thailand News

    After Samut Prakan fire, hazardous materials new concern

    Earlier today, the Samut Prakan plastics factory was finally put out after over 25 hours. Now, the attention is on possible hazardous materials left in the fire’s wake. The hazardous materials are reported to be harmful to both the environment and people who live near the site of the fire. One of the main concerns is Styrene. Thai media reports…

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  • Thailand News

    Chiang Mai field hospital to reopen

    A Chiang Mai field hospital that closed early last month is reopening today to combat the rising Covid infections. Yesterday, Chiang Mai reported 17 new infections. Local authorities will reopen the hospital, located at the international convention and exhibition centre this afternoon. Beds and other equipment were also put back. Dr Amporn Iamsri, the director of the Chiang Mai field hospital,…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket official says taxi fares have gone down since the pandemic

    Following posts shared on social media on the notoriously high taxi fares amidst Phuket’s reopening under the “Sandbox” model, a provincial transport official is apparently saying the posts are old and the prices do not reflect the current rates. A local transport official says the prices have actually gone down. The Facebook post from a tourist planning a trip to…

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  • Pattaya News

    Police raid pornography shoot at Pattaya home, 5 people arrested

    Police walked into the middle of a pornography shoot during a raid at home in Pattaya, Thai media reports. 5 people were arrested and allegedly told police that they got into the exotic film industry due to financial problems brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Officers say the suspects were wanted for filming sexually explicit content on a smartphone and…

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  • World News

    Northern Thai police seize assets, drugs valued at over 900 million baht

    Northern Thai police have seized assets/drugs valued at $31.127 million US dollars (over 900 million baht) from a drug cartel that has been based out of the Golden Triangle. Secretary General of the Office of the Narcotics Board Wichai Chaimongkol, said yesterday that the cartel moved heroin from Northern Thailand into Malaysia by way of a production centre somewhere in…

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  • Thailand News

    LATEST: Samut Prakan factory fire under control

    LATEST: Around midnight this morning, the Samut Prakan Governor, Wanchai Kongkasem, informed a news conference that firefighters had closed off 3 valves on tanks that stored chemicals. Thus, flames had been put out and the walls of dense black smoke were reduced. Wanchai said that the valves being closed cut off the fuel to the fire. Which also reduced the…

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  • Thailand Protest News

    5 protest leaders to have bail revoked following weekend rallies in Bangkok

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed it is filing to have bail revoked for 5 pro-democracy leaders accused of breaking their bail conditions. The move comes after a number of political rallies in Bangkok last weekend. The Pattaya News reports that Sukhun Prommayon from the MPB says that an investigation into the behaviour of protest leaders attending the rallies shows…

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  • Thailand video news

    Good Morning Thailand | Hotel occupancy, Thai plastics factory explosion, ‘Sandboxer’ drop-in

    Today Tim and Jay talk with Anthony Lark, the president of the Phuket Hotels Association about the declining liquidity of hotels in Thailand, a huge explosion in a Thai plastics factory in Samut Prakan yesterday, Covid latest and a ‘sandboxer’ drops in to visit the Thaiger team at Cafe Waya. Welcome to Day 4 of our week long LIVE program…

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  • Covid-19 News

    1.5 million Pfizer doses donated by US to go to senior citizens, pregnant women

    The Thai government plans to administer 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to people over the age of 60 and to pregnant women. Priority will be given to those in areas with high rates of infection. The doses have been donated to Thailand by the US government. According to a Nation Thailand report, a leaked memo shows that…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Tuesday Covid Update: 5,420 new cases and 57 deaths

    5,420 new Covid-19 cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, 265,790 infections have been recorded by the CCSA since April 1. Out of the new cases confirmed today, 37 were found in correctional facilities. The current wave spread to Thailand’s overcrowded…

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  • Tourism News

    Survey shows most hotels can only cover operation costs for less than 3 months

    A survey by the Bank of Thailand shows that most hotels can only cover their operating costs for less than 3 months. 220 properties were surveyed between June 14 and 27. Of those, 17 are alternative state quarantine facilities, while 3 properties serve as “hospitels”. 68% of those surveyed say they only have enough liquidity to cover their operating costs…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Medic warns that Delta variant will be dominant in Thailand by end of July

    More than half the Covid-19 infections in Bangkok are the Delta variant, with a prominent doctor warning it will become the dominant strain in the Kingdom within weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, Supakit Sirilak from the Department of Medical Sciences says the Delta variant, first reported in India, is set to replace the Alpha variant by the end…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket reports 7,347 “sandbox” hotel bookings for July

    There have been 7,347 hotel bookings made for the southern island of Phuket as its “sandbox” re-opening continues. In the first 4 days of the scheme, the island has welcomed 1,416 international arrivals, most of whom are foreign nationals. Below is the breakdown: Day 1: 479 (303 foreign nationals, 176 Thais) Day 2: 544 (467 foreign nationals, 77 Thais) Day…

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  • World NewsDonald Tusk returns to Poland's political fray

    Donald Tusk returns to Poland’s political fray

    Determined, confident, combative and goal-oriented — that’s how Donald Tusk presented himself at his comeback appearance in Warsaw on Saturday. A man who knows what he wants, which is to defeat the right-wing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS), led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, which has been in power since 2015. The next parliamentary election will be held in just over…

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  • World NewsBangladesh struggling to rein in COVID delta variant

    Bangladesh struggling to rein in COVID delta variant

    Bangladesh has been witnessing an alarming rise in coronavirus cases over the past several days, prompting the government to deploy the military to the nation’s streets to ensure that people stay indoors and don’t violate lockdown restrictions. The surge in the South Asian country’s COVID infections is blamed largely on the highly infectious delta variant first detected in India. Hospitals…

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  • World NewsJournalists under threat: July's 10 most urgent cases

    Journalists under threat: July’s 10 most urgent cases

    Across the world, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exert a toll on the way we live, it has also reshaped the way journalists work. Covering the pandemic and its aftermath has led to direct exposure to the virus, but just as concerningly, journalists have been exposed to the whims of authorities in some countries that use the contagion as…

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  • World NewsCOVID: High medical expenses take toll on poor families in India

    COVID: High medical expenses take toll on poor families in India

    Anindita Gupta, a resident of the eastern city of Kolkata, said she had to sell some of her jewelry to pay for the treatment of her brother-in-law at a private hospital. Her brother-in-law, who had contracted COVID-19, needed the support of an ECMO, which is used to pump and oxygenate a patient’s blood outside the body. So, at the end…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Thailand’s CCSA warns against domestic travel as Covid wave hits record high

    With the number of Covid-19 patients now at a record high, and the fast-spreading Delta variant becoming more prevalent, health officials are urging people not to travel. During the daily press briefing by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, a spokesperson said “the CCSA would like to urge everyone to avoid trans provincial travel at all costs.” “And, if travel…

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  • Central Thailand News

    UPDATE: Rescuer killed, at least 60 injured in Samut Prakan factory explosion

    UPDATE: A rescue foundation firefighter was killed and more than 60 people were in the fire at a chemical factory in Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok. The Ming Dih Chemical Co factory exploded overnight, sending black toxic smoke into the air. Helicopters were deployed to the scene to spray flame retardant foam. By this evening, the fumes were headed toward Bangkok.…

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  • World News

    Indonesia bars unvaccinated foreign visitors as Delta variant spreads

    Foreign nationals who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be barred from entering Indonesia as the Southeast Asian country works to contain the more transmissible Delta variant. The order goes into effect tomorrow. The government made an announcement yesterday saying that along with being vaccinated, foreign travellers must test negative for Covid-19 and undergo an 8-day quarantine upon arrival.…

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  • Phuket News

    Power outages coming to Kathu, again

    Power outages are coming to Kathu, Phuket again. The power will be out in parts of Kathu from 9 am to 4:30 pm. The affected areas will be along the Kathu-Koh Kaew road. This includes the Ban Suan Loch Palm housing estate, Golf Land View housing estate, Red Mountain Golf Club, Phanason Private Home housing estate, Soi Kathu 4 and…

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  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Factory explosion, Covid visa extensions, Samui ‘Sandbox’

    This morning a plastics factory exploded in Samut Prakan, a province just south and east of central Bangkok. rom July 15, the islands of Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Pha Ngan will start on their own versions of Sandbox. Notoriously high taxi rates in Phuket have been looked into after reports of overcharging of early “Sandbox” tourists. Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital…

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  • Technology News

    Top 8 laptops for productivity you can buy in 2021

    A laptop is an essential device for most people. From school and office work to editing videos and creating spreadsheets, a laptop with a decent keyboard and excellent screen can help you get any task done. But there are just so many laptops out there, so choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Whether you need a lightweight laptop you…

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  • Thailand News

    Thailand low on Covid-19 vaccines, priority given to at-risk groups

    Thailand is running low on vaccines, the spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration acknowledged today. With the most severe wave of Covid-19 continuing to rise, and the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant, health officials are giving priority to those most at risk of a severe infection. The elderly and those with certain underlying health conditions, particularly…

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