Tara Abhasakun
- Bangkok News
Bangkok instant noodle shop draws thousands of teens
A Bangkok instant noodle shop that opened in October last year has drawn thousands of teenagers since its opening. The shop, called Good Noodle, is stocked with noodles from Indonesia, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Good Noodle doesn’t just sell noodles, though. It also allows customers to to prepare their meals and eat there, even though the noodles…
- World News
UPDATE: Russia claims it destroyed Ukraine ‘weapons depot’ with hypersonic missile
UPDATE: In their daily fact-checking segment, France 24 has debunked Russia’s false claim that it struck an underground weapons depot with a hypersonic missile. Their journalist explains that, while the Russian military might have indeed used a hypersonic missile, they actually struck a farm, NOT a military target… “The Russian Ministry of Defence claims that they launched hypersonic missiles against…
- Crime News
Drug trafficking suspect who allegedly shot at police last year arrested, South Thailand
Police in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat arrested an alleged drug trafficker and his girlfriend last night. The two were hiding in a rented house in Muang district. Nakhon Si Thammarat police found 80 meth pills, drug paraphenalia, and nearly 300,000 baht cash. They also found bank account books showing deposits of several million baht, guns and ammunition…
- Phuket News
Upcoming seafood festival at Nai Yang Beach this Friday and Saturday, Phuket
Phuket’s Roi Rim Lay seafood festival will be hosted at Nai Yang Beach this coming weekend on Friday and Saturday. The festival will start at 4pm on Friday, and end at 11pm on Saturday, March 25-26. The festival will host over 100 food stands, live ‘Luk Thung’ Thai folk music, and cooking competitions with chili paste and grilled seafood. The…
- World News
Myanmar calls US Rohingya genocide accusation “far from reality”
The United States announced on Monday it will classify Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya ethnic group in 2017 as a genocide. Now, Myanmar has hit back. Its foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday that the United States’ remarks are “far from realities”, claiming the United States made the decision based on “unreliable and unverifiable” sources. In 2018, the US…
- Phuket News
Phuket governor presents campaign to create 10,000 new minimum-wage jobs
As Phuket struggles to pick up its disheveled tourism economy, provincial Governor Narong has a plan for recovery. In a meeting with local government agencies yesterday, Narong presented his plans on a whiteboard. He said the provincial government will work with local government organisations to create 10,000 vacancies. The vacancies, he said, would pay the minimum wage of 336 baht…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s FDA warns sausages could cause serious illnesses
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration warns people that eating a lot of sausages might cause food poisoning, as well as more long-term health problems. The FDA secretary-general urges consumers to check packaging to make sure sausages have official FDA seals before they buy them. This news comes after 14 children throughout Thailand were hospitalised for a blood disorder after eating…
- Thailand News
Award winning Thai author and journalist dies
An award winning Thai author who fled Thailand in 2014 has passed away in France due to health reasons, according to his daughter. The author, Wat Wallayangkoon, wrote the novel Transitor Love Story, which was adapted into a film in 2001. The story is about a rural man who dreams of becoming a singer. Wat won a prestigious Thai award in…
- Crime News
Samut Prakan woman kills son’s friend in bloody fight
A woman stabbed a man to death in Samut Prakan last night, claiming the man chased her son with a wooden stick. She said she first tried to stop the man from hurting her son, but then he hit her with the stick. The woman’s son, Vorakan, told police he been drinking with the man and a group of their…
- Bangkok News
Top Bangkok virologist compares not getting vaccinated to “walking into traffic”
In a Facebook post yesterday, Thailand’s most renowned virologist compared remaining unvaccinated from Covid-19 to walking into speeding Bangkok traffic. He commented on how elderly Thais have had reservations about being vaccinated, even though they are a high-risk group. “… like inviting an accident by stepping off the pavement into the busy traffic on Silom Road.” The virologist, Yong Poovorawan,…
- Thailand Travel
UNESCO awards Petchaburi culinary scene, now it’s a hotspot in Thailand
UNESCO named Petchaburi a Creative City of Gastronomy in November last year, as part of its creative cities network. Now, the city continues to draw income from food tourism and locally produced ingredients. The Petchaburi provincial governor said ingredients local artisans use in their food are entirely produced in the province. “That means all the production capital used to create…
- South Thailand News
Foreign affairs ministry reminds tourists Thailand’s land borders mostly still closed
After the CCSA announced yesterday that Thailand will scrap requirements for pre-travel PCR tests for foreign flyers, the foreign affairs ministry reminds wannabe international travellers that most land border crossing points remain closed to them. The CCSA also says that only four land border posts are open to tourists and expats: Nongkhai and Udon Thani (near the Laos border) and…
- World News
Singapore’s foreign minister wants China to use influence to pressure Russia
As Singapore imposes unilateral sanctions on Russia, the country’s minister of foreign affairs is calling on China to use its powerful influence to pressure Russia to stop its invasion and violence in Ukraine. The minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, said China’s “characteristics” would help it reason with Russia. “I hope they will assert their influence with Chinese characteristics, which means quietly and…
- World News
Satun border between Thailand and Malaysia to reopen in April
The Satun border between Thailand and Malaysia will reopen on April 1 to all cross-border traffic. Thailand’s CCSA announced yesterday that more entry points will also be opened under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. These entry points include the sea port in Surat Thani for registered Thai vessels and Thai crews, as well as the airports in Hat…
- Covid-19 News
Iconic Thai rockstar writes song “Let go of Covid”, calls to end Covid-19 restrictions
An iconic Thai rockstar released a song this week calling on Thailand’s government to lift all Covid-19 restrictions. The song is titled “Let go of Covid”. The singer, known to Thais as ‘Aed Carabao’, said in a post that he went to a football tournament in the UK, and was shocked by how much life had returned to normal compared…
- World News
Over 100 Thais apply to give stranded Ukrainians shelter, donate 5 million baht
Ukraine’s charge d’affaires to Thailand announced at a press conference yesterday that over 100 Thais have applied to give free accommodation to Ukrainians stranded in Thailand. The charge d’affaires added that there are over 3,000 Ukrainians stranded in Thailand. He said the Ukraine launched a website to provide free accommodation to Ukrainians stranded abroad. Thais submitted over 100 proposals on the…
- World News
Myanmar to reopen April 17 to travellers from abroad
After two years, Myanmar will finally allow international tourists to enter the country starting April 17. Visitors must be fully vaccinated, and will be required to quarantine for a week, according to the country’s health ministry. They will also have to take two RT-PCR tests. Apart from the ongoing violence against its own citizens and the current military government unrecognised…
- Pattaya News
Monkeying around in Chon Buri: Rare ‘albino’ monkey resembles Chinese legend
One of two rare twin monkeys, known by locals as ‘albino’ monkeys, was spotted on a mountain in the Saensuk district of Chon Buri province. Locals told The Pattaya News that although the monkeys are friendly, they’re usually very hard to spot, since they live high up on the mountain. The caretaker of a shrine on the mountain, on the…
- China News
Shenzhen now has more billionaires than New York, China has most in world
Shenzhen in China now has more billionaires than New York City. Meanwhile, China has 1,133 listed “billionaires”, more billionaires (measured in USD) than any other country in the world. These 1,133 Shenzhen billionaires make up 34% of the world’s 3,381 billionaires. This is despite the fact China lost 160 of its billionaires in a government crackdown last year. The crackdown…
- Thailand Travel
Thailand to scrap pre-arrival Covid-19 tests from April
The CCSA has announced that starting April 1, travellers arriving in Thailand from abroad won’t have to take pre-arrival Covid-19 tests (before they travel to Thailand). The scrapping of pre-arrival tests will also apply to Hat Yai airport, in addition to the current Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai and U-tapao airports. A CCSA spokesman said the CCSA…
- World News
Bleaching damages Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, corals drained of colour
Bleaching has damaged Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, including in its marine park. Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures drain corals of their colours. Marine park authorities say the bleaching is “widespread” across multiple regions, ranging from minor to severe. High sea temperatures have caused bleaching in the reef since 1997, and many corals struggle to survive. Meanwhile, starfish also eat…
- World News
Tourism school helps stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui
A tourism school is helping stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui stay in a hotel for about 4,000 baht a month. This is for up to 30 rooms at a hotel on Chaweng beach. Many Ukrainians can’t return home due to the violence from Russia’s invasion, while many Russians’ flights home have been canceled. Many Russians also can’t access…
- Economy News
Thailand’s electricity tariff expected to surge higher than ever
After Thailand’s Energy Regulation Commission announced yesterday that the electricity price could rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, the ERC now says it will rise to a record high above that. The ERC says this will be the first time the price has surged this high. The fuel tariff is expected to be 0.24 baht per unit between May…
- Phuket News
Phuket man posts photos of teen girls in underwear on Facebook
A man in Phuket posted photos of teenage girls in underwear on an unnamed “popular Phuket Facebook page”. The girls allegedly ranged from early to mid teens. One girl wore shorts and a training bra, and another wore a bra and unbuttoned jeans. Online viewers accused the man of “deceiving” the girls into taking off their clothes, according to The…
- World News
Kanye West blocked from Instagram for a day
Instagram has blocked Kanye West from posting, commenting, and sending messages for 24 hours, the social media company announced yesterday. Instagram also deleted some of West’s content. A spokesperson for Instagram said the content violated rules on hate speech, bullying, and harassment. American media said the post deleted targeted talk show host Trevor Noah, after Noah called West “belligerent” over…
- Economy News
Thailand’s power will be more expensive in May
From May until August, Thailand’s electricity price will rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, going up by 0.23-1.3 baht per unit. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission is raising fuel tariffs following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. An ERC spokesman said another reason for the price surge is the declining supply of natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand. Russia’s…
- Phuket News
Club Med Phuket reopens after over 2 years
After closing its doors for over two years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Club Med Phuket is now back in business. The resort reopened yesterday following efforts to clean up the area and bring back tourists. The island province’s Vice Governor Pichet, who attended the reopening, said the reopening should help Phuket’s disheveled tourism economy. “Club Med is known around…
- World News
Japan earthquake kills 4, injures almost 100
A 7.4 earthquake hit the northeast coast of Japan late last night, killing at least four and injuring almost 100. About 36,400 houses had no electricity this morning, although an electricity firm said most houses are expected to have electricity again later today. Japan issued a tsunami warning, but canceled it early this morning. Parts of Tokyo also lost power…
- World News
Iran frees captives held for 5, 6 years
Today, Iranian authorities freed two British-Iranian nationals imprisoned in the country for five and six years. One captive, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested in 2016. The other captive, Anoosheh Ashoori, was arrested in 2017. Nazanin was a project manager for Thompson Reuters Foundation when she was arrested, and Anoosheh was a businessman. Iranian authorities accused Nazanin of trying to “overthrow” the…
- Thailand News
Official assigned to “investigate” anyone who shares Lisa Blackpink’s whisky ads
The director of Thailand’s Office of the Alcohol Control Committee has been assigned to investigate anyone who shares photos of a famous Thai celebrity promoting a whisky brand. He was assigned by the Department of Disease Control, according to reporters. The celebrity, Lisa from Blackpink, is a brand ambassador for the Scotch whisky company Chivas. In Thailand, it’s illegal to…
