Year: 2021
- World News
Trying to flee Kabul: ‘We had no information at all’
Ahmad R., software developer from southern Germany I got married in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. We wanted to fly out earlier, but all flights were canceled. I registered with ELEFAND, which is the German Foreign Ministry’s online portal for German citizens in crisis areas, and I got an answer early last week telling us to head to Kabul airport. We…
Read More » - Thailand News
New York TAT says US travellers look for trips without quarantine
The New York Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says that Americans who are fully vaccinated are looking to travel to destinations without complex restrictions. American travellers are looking away from previously popular destinations like Europe and Canada, and when they look for tropical beach destinations, quarantine-free destinations like the Maldives and the Caribbean are drawing the customers that…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thammasat University approved to import Covid-19 vaccines
The Royal Thai Gazette published the announcement yesterday that Thammasat University has now joined a handful of government entities that can import Covid-19 vaccines. The publication of their regulations on medical services and public health management during the pandemic allows them to import medicine and vaccines as an authorized government entity. Thammasat University has already set its sights on importing…
Read More » - World News
Humanitarian situation worsens in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
The United States had already warned that food aid would run out this week for millions of hungry people under a blockade imposed by Ethiopia’s government on the embattled Tigray region. Ethiopia has been embroiled in a conflictthat flared nearly ten months ago in Tigray and which has spilled to other regions. The government has also struggled to contain other…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Flooding in Pattaya over 1 metre deep strands cars, floods homes
Pattaya was battered this morning by heavy rains that caused flooding in rural areas and major city roads in Pattaya and Banglamung. The floods stranded many vehicles on the road with some areas seeing floodwaters reaching up to 1 metre high. Many criticised local authorities as flood management projects were supposed to help avoid situations like this. The heavy rains…
Read More » - World News
South Korean journalists fear new laws will muzzle media
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is pushing ahead with controversial amendments to a law that critics charge are designed to muzzle the media and will give the government wide ranging powers to restrict freedom of the press. Domestic media outlets have been joined by international press organizations and legal experts to condemn the revisions. Opposition parties have vowed to do…
Read More » - World News
‘Sindhustan’: Discover the journey of Sindhi Hindus to India
In her documentary film “Sindhustan,” Sapna Bhavnani tells everyday stories of Sindhi Hindus who were forced to leave Sindh — now Pakistan — for India. Despite decades of separation, their deep connection to Sindh remains. SOURCE: DW News
Read More » - Thailand News
Field hospital raided after reports of Covid patients doing drugs, having group sex
Police raided a field hospital in central Thailand after reports that the Covid-19 patients were doing drugs and having orgies. A staff member at the field hospital in Samut Prakan, just southwest of Bangkok, told police the patients engaging in group sex and getting into fights where some patients were injured. Officers from the Internal Security Operations Command dressed in…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Policeman confessions, UK puts Thailand on red list | August 27
Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka… Joe Ferrari, the policeman who allegedly tortured and killed a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan, surrendered late yesterday afternoon in Chon Buri late. Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket, or elsewhere in Thailand, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK. Packages containing around 1.2 million methamphetamine pills were found floating…
Read More » - Thailand News
Restrictions eased in “dark red” provinces; new “Covid Free” initiative
“Thai officials are shifting their focus to work on ways the public can safely live with the presence of the coronavirus rather than trying to completely eradicate it.” Disease control measures are easing in Thailand’s “dark red” provinces, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today. Starting September 1, the ban on interprovincial public transportation will be lifted, restaurants will…
Read More » - World News
Afghan activist says Ashraf Ghani and Joe Biden caused misery and chaos
Few people have such an insight into the politics and conflicts of Afghanistan: Fatima Gailani was one of only four women engaged in peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar’s capital Doha for the past 11 months. After Kabul fell to the militant Islamists on August 15, those efforts now seem like a distant past. The former president of the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Covid-19 numbers drop slightly to 169, no new deaths
Though today’s Covid-19 numbers in Phuket are lower than yesterday, they do push the rolling weekly total above 900, 10 times the original threshold for reevaluating the Phuket Sandbox. One new Sandbox infection was identified, along with 169 domestic infections yesterday. Now, new deaths have been reported. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office report confirmed the new infections and no…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 18,702 new cases; provincial totals
18,702 new Covid-19 cases and 273 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,139,571 and the Covid death toll in Thailand to 10,587. The latest and most severe wave of infections, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,110,708 of the cases…
Read More » - Politics News
4-day no-confidence debate for PM Prayut set for August 31
Dates have now been set for in-depth debate over the move to censure PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as opposition moves for a vote of no-confidence. The debates are now set to begin on August 31 and continue over the course of 4 days, ending September 3 and will then be followed by a vote on September 4. The decision came from…
Read More » - Thailand video news
Thaiger Bites | Your comments and Feedback | August 27
Corruption, Thai Cop Joe Ferrari, Bangkok sandbox, Vaccination, Auto Sales and Thailand is cheap, yet expensive . Tim and Jay go through your viewer comments and feedback from GMT, TNT and the Thaiger Talk forum on our website.
Read More » - Phuket News
Officials inspect Phuket and consider Covid-19 lockdown extension
As Covid cases surge and weekly infections rates are now over 10 times the original threshold of 90 infections that would prompt a reconsidering of the Phuket Sandbox, officials in Phuket are now discussing an extension of lockdown measures on the island. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn (yes, Big Joke is back!) and his team inspected the Phuket Sandbox and the…
Read More » - Best of
Top HIIT Gyms in Bangkok
If you want to see effective results from your exercise routine, HIIT is a great option. Bangkok has a plethora of HIIT classes on offer that promise to raise your heart rate and boost your post-class endorphins. Never heard of HIIT? Put simply, HIIT is high-intensity interval training; best known for raising heart rates, sweat levels and burning fat quickly.…
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Top 7 Boarding Schools in Thailand
Boarding schools provide a broad education that extends well beyond the classroom. At these schools, teachers and staff work with children to develop qualities such as independence, empathy, a sense of community and social skills. So, if you’re looking for a boarding school in Thailand, we’re here to help. Below, we’ve listed the top 7 boarding schools in the country…
Read More » - Things To Do
Thailand’s most underrated holiday destinations
Thailand has some of the coolest destinations in Asia, and despite the more popular holiday destinations, some are less well-known. If you want to go off the grid a bit and see some of the more hidden gems that this beautiful country has to offer, check out our top 10 most underrated destinations in the Kingdom. Thailand’s Top 10 Most…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Packages of methamphetamine pills found floating in Chiang Rai rivers
Packages containing around 1.2 million methamphetamine pills were found floating in rivers in the northern province Chiang Rai. Apparently, the packages had been floating in the Mae Lao and Ing rivers for three days. Villagers reported the packages of drugs to police. Narcotics suppression officers searched the area and found a total of 1,268,000 methamphetamine pills. Officers suspect traffickers floated the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
US records over 100,000 patients hospitalised with Covid-19
Bad news: 100,000+ people are currently hospitalised with Covid-19 in the US. Good news (if you’re vaccinated): The the vast majority of this wave’s hospitalised patients are yet to be vaccinated. The latest surge of Covid cases sweeping the US is largely driven by the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus. The more than 100,000, currently in US hospitals, in…
Read More » - Thailand video news
GMT | ‘Joe Ferrari’ surrenders, Phuket 7-day cases over 900 | August 27
The policeman at the centre of the alleged torture and killing of a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan, Thitisan Utthanaphon, has surrendered to police in Chon Buri late yesterday afternoon. Today’s Covid-19 numbers in Phuket push the overall total cases above 3000, bring the weekly total to over 900 The Public Health Ministry plans to make a proposal to ease…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
470 kilograms of marijuana seized in Isaan; reportedly smuggled from Laos
Police in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom seized 470 kilograms of compressed marijuana valued at around 10 million baht and arrested a 26 year old man on drug charges. Officers in the province’s Sri Songkhram district stopped a Mitsubishi Pajero which was travelling from Ban Phaeng, a district along the Mekong River bordering Laos. Police searched the vehicle and found…
Read More » - World News
60 Afghans, 13 US troops killed in Kabul attack; Biden vows to fight back
At least 60 Afghans and 13 US troops were killed in an attack yesterday at the Kabul airport involving two suicide bombers and gunmen. Following the swift Taliban takeover after the US started to withdraw troops, crowds of people have flocked to the airport to evacuate Afghanistan. Western officials had warned about a major attack hours earlier, and had urged…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand to be added to UK “red list” from Monday
Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket or elsewhere, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK: the country is being added to the UK’s red list. The British Department of Transport says that from Monday, Thailand joins Montenegro as the 2 new additions to the UK government’s red list. This means UK residents arriving…
Read More » - Politics News
Government asks opposition not to invite public to vote to remove PM from office
A government spokesman has asked the opposition Pheu Thai party to drop its plan to invite the public to vote on the PM’s removal from office. Thai PBS World reports that the opposition party is planning to ask the public to cast their votes online during, or shortly after, a no confidence debate against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 5 of…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
First vaccine dose administered to nearly 90% of Bangkok residents
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says nearly 90% of the capital’s residents have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang from the BMA says 6,717,824 people, or 87% of residents, have now been given the first dose. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says 27% of Bangkok residents are fully vaccinated. Pongsakorn says the BMA still plans…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 18,702 new cases and 273 deaths
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 18,702 new Covid-19 cases and 273 coronavirus-related cases today. Since April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,110,708 Covid-19 infections. In the 24-hour period since the last count, 20,163 recoveries were reported. Thailand now has 185,200 active Covid-19 cases. With the latest and most severe wave on a downward trend, there…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Pfizer vaccine to be rolled out to 4 million students from next month
Over 4 million Thai students, between the ages of 12 and 18, will be inoculated with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine from September. Kanokwan Vilawan from the Education Ministry says officials will roll out 3 million doses of the vaccine, which arrives next month, and is seeking more doses to cover 4 million young people. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
Read More » - Crime News
Runaway cop wanted for alleged murder turns himself in in Chon Buri
A police chief who allegedly killed a suspect while in custody has surrendered to police in Chon Buri, saying he was just trying to protect society from the dangers of drugs. A video of Thitisan Utthanaphon allegedly suffocating a suspect by placing plastic bags over his head has gone viral, leading to the dismissal of 7 officers, including Thitisan. He…
Read More » - World News
Terror in Afghanistan: Who is Islamic State Khorasan
What many had feared happened on Thursday: Scores of people were killed in several explosions at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport. The blast came after Western intelligence agencies warned citizens not to travel to the airport because of a credible terror threat. The Afghan offshoot of the terror organization “Islamic State,” known as ISIS-Khorasan, IS-K or ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the…
Read More » - Crime News
‘Jo Ferrari’ – his arrest, press conference and investigation
Details have now emerged on the arrest of former policeman Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka “Chief Joe” or “Jo Ferrari”, the Nakhon Sawan police station superintendent accused with 6 other officers of torturing and suffocating a suspect in custody, allegedly in an attempt to extort 2 million baht. Despite previous reports originating in Thai media, the fleeing officer was not found just…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Vaccine inequality may see poorer countries lose $2.3 trillion
A new study found that the global economy will lose US $2.3 trillion due to slow Covid-19 vaccinations and that less wealthy countries will suffer disproportionately. The study by the Economist Intelligence Unit stated that because vaccine rollouts are much slower than those of wealthy nations, the developing and emerging countries will see the most loss. The Asia-Pacific Region is…
Read More » - World News
Lebanon: Life without gas and electricity
Lebanon is suffering from the worst economic crisis in its history. Dramatic shortages of electricity, gas and other supplies make life in the country extremely difficult. SOURCE: DW News
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Government says yes, no, yes, no, yes on Chinese ATK deal
If you are a casual reader of The Thaiger you are may have read that the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation made a deal to import 8.5 million antigen test kits at the urging of hospitals desperate to quickly test and treat Covid-19 patients. Perhaps you even followed up and learned about the pause on purchasing after the Rural Doctors Society blasted…
Read More » - World News
German-Africa Summit: Chancellor Merkel’s good-bye and the end of an era
Officially, the event is called the “Compact with Africa Conference.” But in reality, an era is coming to an end this Friday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets a good dozen African heads of state, some of whom will be tuned in virtually. The conference would mark an era in which Africa played a greater role in German politics than…
Read More » - World News
COVID and military coup cripple Myanmar economy
Zaw Min (name changed) is a construction worker in his 30s from the Yangon suburb of Hlaing TharYar in Myanmar. He recounts how he sold his second-hand motorcycle for 150,000 kyat ($91, €77.5) in September out of financial desperation. Min was forced to find new ways to feed his family when he couldn’t find work in his profession amid Myanmar’s…
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