Year: 2021

  • World NewsPresident Pedro Castillo has radical plans for Peru

    President Pedro Castillo has radical plans for Peru

    Only one road leads to Puna. The village in Tacabamba District consists of two dozen houses scattered around a few fields and paths — and a school where Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones taught until 2017. From here it takes a whole day to travel to the regional capital, Cajamarca, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) away. Born in Tacabamba in 1969,…

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  • Best of

    Best beachfront restaurants in Koh Samui

    As a tropical island, Koh Samui is renowned for its serene white beaches. As such, there are also plenty of restaurants along its coastline with direct access to its sandy shores. These beachfront restaurants offer delectable worldwide fare, while the ocean views add a touch of sophistication. Therefore, if you find yourself wondering which beachfront restaurant to try, here is our list of the…

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  • Thailand News

    FDA says don’t buy South Korean Covid home test kits

    Thailand’s FDA is cautioning people against ordering the South Korean manufactured Covid home test kits sold online. The FDA says they have not approved them, yet. The seller, who is offering the Covid tests on their Facebook, says their kits have already been approved in South Korea. And by the World Health Organization! Also, the test kits can tell the…

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  • Travel

    Top 5 budget hotels in Phuket

    Phuket is a beautiful island with so many exciting things to do. From stunning beaches and beautiful nature to lively nightlife and delicious food, it’s easy to see why people keep coming back to this island. While Phuket is well-known as one of the most expensive places to travel to in Thailand, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a…

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  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Foodpanda boycott? Airlines self-grounding, 32K Covid cases per day? | July 20

    Foodpanda is facing a public backlash and calls for a boycott after they said they planned to fire a rider who they branded a terrorist. Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, says the latest partial lockdown is critically threatening their financial status, with no government aid on the horizon, or even being discussed. Empty or unused school buildings…

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  • Phuket News

    Baccarat bust fall out, Phuket City police under investigation

    Over the weekend, an illegal game of Baccarat was busted, Now, Phuket city police are under investigation for their lack of intervention Vis-à-vis gambling in their jurisdiction. The Region 8 Police Commander, Kitrat Panpetch gave an order yesterday to transfer the 5 officials from Phuket City Police Station. They will temporarily work out of the Region 8 headquarters at a…

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  • Best of

    Phuket’s best local seafood restaurants

    If there’s one thing you have to do in Phuket, it’s sampling the local-style seafood. With fishermen bringing in local catches daily, there’s never a shortage of restaurants on the island that serve up mouthwatering seafood cooked in authentic Thai style! From beachfront restaurants to hidden venues set on the edge of mangrove swamps, here are our picks of the…

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  • Phuket News

    All domestic travellers entering Phuket need to be vaccinated against Covid-19

    All domestic travellers entering Phuket must be vaccinated against Covid-19 and also test negative for the virus. The new rules imposed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew go into effect today and will be in place until at least August 2. The island province reopened to foreign tourists who are vaccinated against the coronavirus on July 1, amid the most severe…

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  • Environment News

    Tak landslides blocks highway 105, army helps clear

    Highway 105 in Northern Thailand’s Tak province was blocked by trees/landslides between the Mae Ramat and Tha Song Yang district due to result of heavy rains last night. The highway had to be closed at approximately the 81 kilometre marker in the Tha Song Yang district, also between Ban Samae and Mae Tuen. Tha Song Yang and Mae Ramat chiefs…

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  • Travel Guides

    Best Hua Hin Hotel Deals

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  • Northern Thailand News

    Korat governor Kobchai Boon-Orana urges residents to self-quarantine

    “Many people are still careless”, says Korat governor Kobchai Boon-Orana Inhabitants of the northeastern province Nakhon Ratchasima (AKA Korat) are being encouraged to self-quarantine by their governor Kobchai Boon-Orana. The measure is to keep residents safe from Covid. The advice is in keeping with the fact that vaccinated inhabitants are not close enough to the number needed to build herd…

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  • Crime News

    Police open murder investigation after worker’s body found underneath home

    Police have opened a murder investigation after the remains of a 42 year old building contractor were found under a home he was doing construction on. The man’s face was severely injured and his skull cracked open, police say. The body had been stripped down to the underwear and wrapped in a curtain. The body was decaying and officers suspect…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Motorbike taxis allegedly hiking up fares at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station

    Yesterday, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, said motorcycle gangs have been offering people who are attempting to use Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grandstation’s parking lot rides at exorbitant prices. Damrongsak says the duplicitous drivers claimed the parking lot is full and then offered people rides at inflated rates. The commander says they have made multiple arrests pertaining to the…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Tuesday Covid Update: 11,305 new cases; provincial totals

    11,305 new cases and 80 deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 397,612 infections. Out of the new cases recorded today, 595 were detected in correctional facilities. The latest wave of infections spread to…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Thai start up’s “Subunit” vaccine almost ready for production/use in mid 2022

    The government has announced that a new Covid vaccine may be ready for “production” as early as a couple of weeks. The new vaccine, the “Subunit vaccine” comes from plant protein and uses the same technology as Novavax. Novavax, as reported back in March has previously been shown to be 100% effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalisation or death from…

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  • Crime News

    Police detain all 4 inmates who escaped from Phetchabun prison

    Police detained all 4 inmates who broke out of the Phetchabun Provincial Prison early yesterday morning. The inmates, all facing drug charges, escaped from the prison in province north of Bangkok at around 2:30am yesterday. The escapees did not run off too far and were all found within the district later that day. Just hours later at around 6am, officers…

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  • Thailand News

    Foodpanda rider arrested on lèse majesté charges

    Recently, Foodpanda faced public backlash and calls to be boycotted after they said they planned to fire a rider who was branded a terrorist. Yesterday, the same rider was arrested in Pathum Thani, a central province near Bangkok, on lèse majesté charges, arson and violation of the Emergency Decree’s ban on gatherings. The rider has been identified as 25 year…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Unused Thai schools to be transformed into field hospitals as infections surge

    Empty or unused school buildings across Thailand are to be converted into field hospitals as Covid-19 cases surge and the hospital bed crisis continues. Amporn Pinasa from the Office of the Basic Education Commission has issued an order for all unused buildings to be repurposed as makeshift field hospitals to increase the number of treatment facilities available. With hospitals in…

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  • Thailand video news

    Good Morning Thailand | Sandbox report card, Flightus Interruptus, poll results

    (Sorry, internet cut out near the end of the program) Jay and Tim present the Sandbox and Samui Plus report card. Has the Sandbox been a success? Whilst the cases pile up in Thailand’s Dark Red Zones, Samui and Phuket battle on in a parallel Covid world. Jay also presents the poll results about the main issue that should concern…

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  • Business News

    Thailand’s airlines feeling the pinch with no government support

    Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, says the latest partial lockdown threatens TAA’s financial status, with no government aid forthcoming. AA executive chairman Tassapon Bijleveld says the industry has been limping along without any help for over a year now and wants to know how the government expects to collect tax once large businesses collapse. In a Bangkok…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Worst case scenario? 32,000 cases a day, says research

    The CCSA, referencing research by a professor from Mahidol University, says it’s possible, in a worst-case scenario, that Covid infections could hit 32,000 cases a day in 3 months. Dr Nuanchan Singkran’s research uses data as current as of July 17. It posits that if the handling of the situation is not improved, the daily infection rate could hit about…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Thailand in talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines

    A spokesman for the Thai government says talks are ongoing with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines that can handle virus mutations. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anucha Burapachaisri says such vaccines are vital in order to effectively control the pandemic, as strains such as the Delta variant take over. In addition to holding talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines aimed…

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  • World NewsPeru: Pedro Castillo declared president

    Peru: Pedro Castillo declared president

    Former school teacher Pedro Castillo has won the disputed election in Peru and will become the country’s next president, election officials said on Monday. The presidential vote, which had taken place on June 6, had been held up by claims of election fraud by his right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori. Why were the results held up? Castillo had led unofficially by…

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  • Covid-19 News

    European nations accelerating vaccination, mandatory inoculation considered for some

    As European nations gradually emerge from the ravages of the pandemic, some governments are getting tough on those who refuse to be vaccinated. In particular, French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for accelerated vaccination, including mandatory inoculation for some. A Bloomberg report says the European Union has gone from trying to manage limited vaccine supplies to having more than enough,…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Despite chaos and confusion, hundreds of foreigners vaccinated in “one-off” event

    Following a series of last-minute announcements from a number of foreign embassies, over 1 thousand American, Australian, Indian, and New Zealand nationals in Bangkok lined up to be vaccinated on Sunday. According to a Coconuts report, foreign residents queued for up to 4 hours to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, in what has been described as a “one-off”…

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  • World NewsCommercial space cowboys reach for the stars

    Commercial space cowboys reach for the stars

    In the wake of NASA’s Apollo and space shuttle missions, it seemed that the halcyon days of space exploration had had their run. Interest waned and many people no longer saw the point. More recently, however, interest has been piqued again, not least by the myriad of international missions to Mars. The latest craze is commercial space tourism as offered…

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  • Thailand video news

    Good Morning Thailand | Fortress Bangkok, Samui and Phuket Sandbox update

      Today Tim and Jay talk with Friso and Greg regarding the covid situation in Bangkok working spaces and high density communities. 80,000 people suffering in locked down worker camps, some in desperate situation. Samui and Phuket Sandbox update. Your questions and comments are always welcome. Link to Bangkok Community Help here… https://www.facebook.com/BkkCommunityHelp

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket officials concerned over “Sandboxers” who test positive for Covid on arrival

    Out of the so-called “Sandboxers” who tested positive for Covid-19 since the Phuket reopening started on July 1, half of the infections were detected after the first test taken at the airport on arrival. The positive results conflict with the travellers’ negative results issued no more than 72 hours before departure, a requirement under the “Phuket Sandbox” model. Noticing a…

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  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Samui plus, Phuket Sandbox, BKK protests, Pattaya aid | July 19

    Officials in Pattaya have pledged to offer each registered family in the city 2,000 baht in financial aid, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. 915 international travellers arrived on 6 flights to Phuket yesterday. Police in Bangkok resorted to using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters yesterday, after thousands of people rallied in the capital. The…

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  • Crime News

    Surat Thani police arrest 2 suspected drug dealers

    Police have arrested 2 suspects in southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province. Over 100 thousand methamphetamine pills were sized and assets valued at 2 million were impounded for “examinations, says Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto, today. The governor previously spoke at a press briefing on Saturday. Wichawut said that a team of police with backup from border patrol and defence volunteers…

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  • Thailand News

    No.1 Health Insurance Plans for Elderly Expats in Thailand

    Sponsored Article Looking for low-cost medical coverage in Thailand? You have come to the right place! As an elderly expat living in Thailand, choosing a health insurance plan for retirement in Thailand can be a daunting task. But don’t worry, Tadoo is here to help you relax and enjoy your retirement with many insurance options available just for you. Through…

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  • Crime News

    Cybercrime police arrest suspects who allegedly sold cannabis through Facebook

    Thailand’s cybercrime police seized 76 kilograms of cannabis and arrested 2 Thai men for allegedly selling cannabis. Officers say the suspects used Facebook to connect with customers and delivered the cannabis by mail through the delivery service Kerry Express. Thai media identified the suspects as 43 year old Natthapong and his alleged accomplice, 25 year old Peerapong. Police say buyers…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Stricter measures and lockdown may be coming

    Health officials say stricter measures may need to be imposed in the next 2 weeks, including a complete lockdown of cities. This intensified lockdown could happen in the next 2 months if the rate of infection does not decrease, said the Director General of the Department of Disease Control Dr Opart Karnkawinpong, yesterday Dr Opart says if the new infection…

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  • Thailand News

    Tight restrictions, curfews in 13 “dark red” provinces until August 2

    Despite tight restrictions imposed last week in “dark red” zones, the Covid-19 situation has not improved. To combat the spread of the Delta variant, the government classified 3 more provinces as “dark red” zones and updated the disease control restrictions. An order was published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The new zoning and updates on restrictions will go…

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  • World News

    Philippines coast guard says they chased off Chinese warship

    The Philippines Coast Guard says they chased off a Chinese warship in the South China Sea. The square off is yet another aggressive encounter between the two nations in what is considered disputed waters. In an official statement today, relating to a July 13 report, the Philippines Coast Guard says they had sent a verbal challenge to the Chinese warship…

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  • Transport News

    Flights from dark red zones prohibited from Wednesday, July 21

    UPDATE: Thai Smile are cancelling all of their domestic flights for 2 weeks. Thai Smile is the domestic subsidiary of Thai Airways. “Thai Smile Airways would like to announce the temporary suspension of service on all domestic flights effective from July 21, 2021 – August 3, 2021”. The result of the ban is that most airlines are just grounding their…

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  • World News

    8 women arrested in Tak for Myanmar river crossing

    8 women were arrested for allegedly crossing the Moei River in Myanmar into northern Thailand’s Tak province, early this morning. The women carried “personal baggage” and were apprehended in a corn plantation by a 4th Infantry Regiment patrol. Local villagers had alerted officials to the crossing which led to the arrests. The women’s ages ranged from 22 to 32. They…

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