Year: 2021
- Phuket News
Phuket sandbox has welcomed 42,000 international arrivals since July 1
Since the launch of the Phuket sandbox scheme on July 1, the southern island has welcomed over 42,000 foreign visitors to its shores. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has got the calculator out again and according to TAT Phuket director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, over 2 billion baht has been generated for the economy. “We set the target at 100,000 visitors because…
Read More » - World News
UK ditches “non-essential travel” alert for 32 countries, Thailand remains on red list
The British government has amended its advice to avoid non-essential travel to 32 countries. The Bangkok Post reports that the move comes as countries around the world continue to make progress in fighting the pandemic. However, according to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Thailand remains on the red list, along with South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. “The Foreign,…
Read More » - Events
Thammasat University Massacre – 45 year on | VIDEO
Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of the infamous October 6 massacre at Thammasat University in Bangkok in 1976, when 4,000 police and military forces blocked all exits from the university before firing machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers, and other military-grade weapons on the students after increased anti-government protests. Officially, some 45 people were killed and over 145 injured, but…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicks off, poles raised to call spirits down from the heavens
The famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival kicked off yesterday, with its traditional ceremony to welcome spirits to descend from the heavens, but under Covid-19 restrictions. Go Teng poles were raised at participating shrines as a call for the Jade Emperor and Nine Emperor Gods to come down to earth. During the festival, some will practice self-mutilation, such as tongue slicing or…
Read More » - World News
EU summit: No firm timeline for Western Balkans accession
EU and Western Balkan leaders have wrapped up a one-day summit in Brdo Castle in Slovenia with promises for greater integration but didn’t commit to a solid timeline for the six countries to join the 27-member bloc. “The Western Balkans are part of the same Europe as the European Union. The EU is not complete without them,” EU Commission President…
Read More » - World News
Africalink 06.10.21 – 16 UTC – MP3-Stereo
Ethiopia’s PM Abiy names new cabinet +++ UN warns of ‘human catastrophe’ in Tigray +++ Amnesty report accuses Namibia of neglecting Indigenous San people SOURCE: DW News
Read More » - World News
How the US invasion changed Afghanistan
On October 7, 2001, the US invaded Afghanistan to avenge the al-Qaida-orchestrated September 11 terrorist attacks. The primary aim of the US invasion was to hunt down Osama bin Laden and punish the Taliban for providing safe haven to al-Qaida leaders. It took little effort on part of the US to dismantle the Taliban regime. Bin Laden, however, managed to…
Read More » - World News
COVID: How is India vetting its vaccines for children?
A COVID-19 vaccine developed in India will soon be available to adults and children over 12 years old. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) recently approved Zydus Cadila’s needleless, three-dose vaccine for emergency use. The shot, known as ZyCoV-D, will be the first vaccine to be administered to adolescents in India. It is also the world’s first vaccine built…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Pfizer Vaccine protection after 6 months: Covid 47%, Hospitalisation 90%
New data this week shows that the Pfizer vaccine which has proven to be 88% effective against Covid-19 dropped to just 47% efficacy six months after the second dose. The report published Monday in the Lancet public medical journal had originally been released in August before being peer-reviewed, and lays clear the need for booster shots as efficacy drops. Data…
Read More » - World News
Will Myanmar junta leader be given a seat at ASEAN summit?
A summit of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will take place later this month and delegates are debating whether to include Myanmar or not. The troubled nation is a member of the association, but other nations are debating whether to recognise and invite the military junta leader that overthrew the elected government in Myanmar in February…
Read More » - Hot News
Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival schedule 2021
Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival, also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, has arrived. Spanning 10 days from October 5 to the 15, the festival is iconic for those who like exotic and very, very unique cultural events. It’s a commemoration that invites ancient Chinese spirts to come down from the heavens to witness almost 8 days of fire walking, noisy…
Read More » - World News
Facebook under fire — will lawmakers now get tough on Big Tech?
The world’s largest social media company is having a rough week. First, a cascade of technical errors brought down Facebook’s services and made it impossible for billions of users to communicate with each other. A day later, a former employee presented US lawmakers with tens of thousands of pages of internal researchthat she had copied while working at the company.…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today| Legalizing e-cigarettes, Petition to end emergency decree, Vax donations| Oct 6
In today’s report, Thai activists are petitioning the Civil Court to abolish the government’s use of the emergency decree to crack down on freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Iceland and Germany have donated more vaccines to Thailand, and a debate ensues over whether to legalize e-cigarettes. Details on these stories and many more coming right up.
Read More » - Sponsored
Travel Around Thailand & Abroad with Tadoo’s New Travel Insurance Packages
Tadoo, Thailand’s rising comparison platform, has announced the launch of a new line of travel insurance products in collaboration with recent partner AXA. Following the success of earlier online products such as Thailand Entry Insurance, Cancer and Tropical Disease Insurance, the company has decided to expand its online offerings. With more and more goods being produced at a rapid pace,…
Read More » - World News
AirAsia Malaysia requiring all passengers to be vaccinated
AirAsia, the Southeast Asian budget airline carrier based in Malaysia, has announced that they will only allow passengers to travel on their flights if they have been fully vaccinated. It is unclear if this will apply to all regional AirAsia divisions, but it appears to be implemented first in Malaysia. The announcement made today said that the Malaysian unit will…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Man neglects cigarette, burns down home, is beaten by neighbours
Even more expensive than the new cigarette tax, a burning cigarette left unattended caused a man’s home in Si Racha to burn down and his relatives and neighbours to physically attack him after learning he caused the fire. The cigarette was reported to have been left burning which resulted in a fire that quickly spread and destroyed the entire home.…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Vigil to mark 45th anniversary of Thammasat University massacre
Today marks the 45th anniversary of the infamous October 6 massacre at Thammasat University in Bangkok in 1976, when 4,000 police and military forces blocked all exits from the university before firing machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers, and other military-grade weapons on the students after increased anti-government protests. An alms-giving ceremony this morning started the day of remembrance. Organizations…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 9,866 new cases; provincial totals
103 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 17,305 with 17,211 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 9,866 new Covid-19 cases and 10,115 recoveries. There are now 108,022 people being treated…
Read More » - World News
Why Cuban baseball players fled their country
The Florida Marlins baseball stadium in Miami is located a mere 150 nautical miles (278 kilometers) from Cuba. Many young Cubans dream about playing for teams in the US top division, Major League Baseball (MLB). Baseball, after all, is Cuba’s number one national sport. A number of leading MLB players in the US today grew up playing the sport on…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Covid pills, Thai rain coats, Tourist tax, Tims love child | Thaiger Bites | Ep. 33
Jay and Tim go through viewer comments from our Youtube shows and the Thaiger talk forum and choose between the red or blue pill.
Read More » - Thailand News
A synopsis of Thailand’s educational system
Many expats who decide to settle in Thailand are curious about the public schools’ status. As Thailand is a popular destination for many worldwide, those with kids may be looking to immerse their children in the culture. So, enrolling them into the country’s government-sponsored schools may be an option. However, further research into this reveals that the quality of education…
Read More » - Phuket News
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…
Read More » - Bangkok News
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…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
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…
Read More » - Thailand News
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…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Prayut welcomes PM nomination, Visa on Arrival for Sandbox | Thailand Top Stories | October 6
Prayut welcomes PM nomination, Visa on Arrival for Sandbox | Thailand Top Stories | October 6 | Caitlin gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Prayut welcomes nomination for prime minister, Phuket “Sandbox” to allow travellers to apply for “Visa on Arrival”, Monkeys rescued from smugglers…
Read More » - Crime News
Chiang Mai couple arrested for selling outdoor sex show online
In the continued crackdown in Thailand against sexually explicit material being sold on the internet, a Thai couple has been arrested in Chiang Mai for having sex in public and selling videos of it online. The couple was arrested over an incident that took place in May where they are accused of having sex in public in front of a…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Prayut mulling nomination for next PM, Media freedom of speech | Good Morning Thailand | Ep.104
In today’s episode Jay and Tim talk about Phuket Sandbox to allow visa on arrival, PM Prayut to be nominated for prime minister by Palang Pracharath Party, an alert for places in Bangkok regarding the floods, media freedom of speech and a cat abortion debate.
Read More » - World News
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…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
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…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
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…
Read More » - Thailand News
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.…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 9,886 new cases and 102 deaths
Today, the CCSA reported 9,866 new Covid-19 cases and 102 coronavirus-related deaths. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, the CCSA has reported 1,638,234 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,115 recoveries. There are now 108,022 people being treated for Covid-19 in Thailand. Out of the new cases reported…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
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…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
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…
Read More » - World News
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
Read More » - World News
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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