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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Typhoon Rai death toll raises to almost 400, 83 still missing in the Philippines
Following the destruction caused by Super Typhoon Rai in the Philippines last week, the death toll has risen to 397 and 83 are still missing, according to the official figure released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council today. Almost 561,500 people have been displaced and 1,147 individuals injured as rescuers from the ground, adding that over half…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 2,305 new cases; provincial totals
32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,630 with 21,536 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 recorded 2,305 new Covid-19 cases and 3,070 recoveries. There are now 33,639 people in Thailand being…
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Vietnam reports first case of Omicron
Vietnam’s first Omicron infection was reported by the country’s Health Ministry today, adding that the person had travelled from the UK to Hanoi and is now quarantined at the 108 Military Hospital. The patient arrived in Hanoi on December 19 and was tested for the virus the next day. Her result came back positive for Omicron, or B.1.1.529 variation, according…
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51 electric motorbike taxis go for a test run, project by Electricity Generating Authority
Thailand’s future in transportation looks electric. Motorbikes that run off a three-kilowatt battery are being tested with hopes that the electric bikes will be used as taxis in the future. Off a single charge, each bike can go around 100 kilometres. The bikes can reach a speed of 80 kilometres per hour and hold 150 kilograms. Each electronic motorbike costs…
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Does Thailand recognise legal gay marriage from other countries?
Does Thailand care about civil partnerships or gay marriage? Does Thailand recognise legal gay marriage from other countries? When will parliament implement changes? Tim sits down with Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal to talk about Civil Partnerships in Thailand.
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UN praises Vietnam over its participation in peacekeeping missions
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has praised the country’s collaboration with the UN, as well as the country’s efforts throughout 2021 since it joined the 100 member bloc’s missions in 2014. Lacroix praised Vietnam’s provision of level-2 field hospitals to South Sudan, adding that this is the kind of capacity that the UN needs its member countries…
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TUI Nordic continue their European flights into Phuket
Yesterday it was reported that Europe’s largest travel firm TUI Nordic announced it had cancelled scheduled chartered flights to Phuket from December to April next year. The Thaiger has since been contacted by TUI Nordic to say that the information, originally published by The Nation, was incorrect. European travel giant TUI, with their headquarters in Sweden, have now confirmed that…
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Pattaya residents and expats accuse bank manager of fraud, hold protest
Around 50 to 100 Thais and foreigners in Pattaya held a protest last Friday accusing the assistant manager of a local Kasikorn Bank branch of scamming them out of more than 300 million baht. A report was filed back in February accusing the assistant bank manager of defrauding people out of millions of baht, for some it was their life…
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Thai woman faces charges over fake job posts for masseuse positions in Japan
A woman in Thailand’s Isaan region is being accused of posing as a job broker by using Facebook to make fake recruitment posts for masseuse positions in Japan. According to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, 37 year old Pawinee Yomseedum was arrested and charged with fraud at her house after using to advertise the recruitment service on social media and…
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Evacuation drills run for students in Thailand’s border region as violence in Myanmar escalates
With clashes just across the border between the Myanmar state military and the ethnic army troops so close that bullets are landing on Thai soil, students in Mae Hong Son are being trained on how to escape if the gunfire reaches the school grounds. Soldiers and teachers ran drills over the weekend for students at the Baan Ta Fang school.…
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Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed
Rising Omicron infections, together with poor winter weather, are wreaking havoc on US airlines with nearly 1,000 flights affected yesterday – some cancelled, other postponed. The chaos is also hitting other parts of the world as tens of thousands of Christmas/new year travellers try to keep up with the dynamic situation. Yesterday’s cancellations and postponements mark a fourth day of travel…
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700 inmates fight at Isaan prison, 3 seriously injured
A fight involving around 700 inmates broke out at a prison in the Isaan province Sisaket over the weekend, seriously injuring three of the prisoners. Ten other inmates were also injured. At around 9am on Sunday, as they were finishing breakfast, more than 700 prisoners divided into two sides and started fighting, some using toothbrushes they had sharpened as a…
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Phuket prepares to welcome Andrea Bocelli, attendees need negative Covid test
The southern island of Phuket is getting ready to welcome renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will help to ring in 2022 at the Saphan Hin public park. According to a Bangkok Post report, tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the island’s New Year countdown event will go ahead under strict disease prevention measures. All attendees will need to show proof…
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New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant
The normally optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling slightly more downbeat amid concerns about a potential Omicron outbreak. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak is affecting travel sentiment. According to a Bangkok Post report, he expects New Year travel to generate just 8.04 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. “Concerns over a possible outbreak…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry outlines plan to tackle potential Omicron outbreak
Thailand is preparing for a potential outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, with plans to revive the home isolation programme. Dr Somsak Akksilp from the Public Health Ministry’s Medical Services Department says home isolation can be used for most infected people, along with community isolation facilities in Bangkok. According to a Thai PBS World report, Somsak is confident that home…
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No cutoff date for those approved to enter Thailand under Test & Go, Sandbox
There is no travel cutoff date (for now) for those approved to enter Thailand under the Test & Go or Sandbox entry schemes. Following the decision to close Thailand Pass registration for the two schemes, the government announced the last group of approved travellers would arrive on January 10. That date was never posted in the Royal Gazette, and a spokesperson…
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Monday Covid Update: 2,437 new cases; provincial totals
18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,598 with 21,504 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 recorded 2,437 new Covid-19 cases and 3,845 recoveries. There are now 34,436 people in Thailand being…
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Vaccination required for foreign workers as Singapore tightens restrictions
Foreigners who intend to work, study, or relocate long-term in Singapore will be required to be vaccinated starting February 1, as the country tightens restrictions in response to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, according to the Ministry of Health. Children under the age of 12 and those who are medically ineligible for the vaccinations will be exempt from…
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Discover MontAzure, Asia’s Ultimate Beachfront Community
Sponsored Article Nestled against the soft sands of Kamala Beach, on Phuket’s pristine west coast, MontAzure is the ultimate destination for those seeking a privileged lifestyle or an attractive investment opportunity. Exuding elegance and exclusivity, with international amenities and a timeless sense of style, this breathtaking residential development has elevated the standard of tropical living in Southeast Asia. Spanning 72…
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Singapore lifts travel ban for 10 African countries
Singapore eased restrictions for 10 African countries which were initially considered to be high risk for the Omicron variant and travellers from those nations, or who have been to those countries 14 days before travelling can now enter or transit through the Republic. Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are now classified by the…
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Camps set up in Tak for more than 5,000 refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar
The governor of the Tak province, bordering Myanmar, set four temporary camps supporting victims who escaped the escalating violence between the Myanmar military and the armed wing of the Karen National Union. The camps are all located in Maesot Districts of Tak spreading to four sub-districts including Mae Tao, Mae Ku, Mahawan, and Phop Phra. Around 5,358 refugees who fled…
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Christmas and New Year travel woes continue around the world
Worldwide, the travel misery lingers with Christmas in the rear view mirror but the new year holiday ahead. Another 1,300+ flights have been cancelled for Monday – Chinese and US destinations are the worst affected, according to FlightAware. The majority of the flights cancelled in China include 366 flights by China Eastern and another 127 from Air China. The most…
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Local mosque leader shot and killed in Pattani
Police are investigating the murder of a local mosque’s leader who was shot and killed while driving his motorcycle in Sai Buri in Southern Thailand’s Pattani province on Sunday night. The religious leader was shot twice, in the head and in the abdomen. The gunman is still at large. Police say a gunman shot Abdulloh Walor, a member of the mosque’s…
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17 year old drowns on Christmas while swimming at Southern Thailand beach
On Christmas Day, a 17 year old drowned while swimming at a beach in southern Thailand. His body was found yesterday about 500 to 600 metres from shore. The teenager went to the Nai Pret beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Khanom district with two of his friends. The current was strong on Saturday and were around two to three metres…
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Thai medic says most Omicron cases mild or asymptomatic, expects jump in numbers
The head of the Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis at Siriraj Hospital says most of Thailand’s Omicron infections are mild or asymptomatic. However, Dr Nithipat Jearakul has warned of a surge in case numbers, according to a Nation Thailand report. To date, around 200 Omicron infections have been confirmed in the kingdom, but Nithipat says we will soon see…
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UN urges authorities in Myanmar to investigate Christmas Eve massacre
A high-ranking United Nations official is urging authorities in Myanmar to investigate the massacre in Kayah State, where local sources report that the Myanmar military killed at least 35 civilians, including at least one child, on Christmas Eve. Two staff from the non-profit organisation Save the Children also went missing in the attack by the Myanmar military soldiers, according to…
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Best places in Phuket to countdown for New Year 2022
Say goodbye to 2021 and say hi to 2022! Let your countdown begin at one of the most beautiful venues on the island! The following hotels in Phuket are offering exclusive New Year packages for you to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. So, we have compiled a list of the best 5 venues in Phuket to celebrate…
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China reports highest-daily rise in new Covid-19 infections since pandemic began
An outbreak of Covid-19 infections in the south-western city of Xian has led to a 21-month high in China’s daily case numbers. According to a Reuters report, the city has become the country’s latest hotspot in the pandemic. Its 13 million residents are now entering day 5 of lockdown, with 155 new cases of community transmission. Xian reported 485 symptomatic…
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Health ministry to outline 3 best and worst-case scenarios as more infections reported
Following the discovery of more cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Public Health Ministry says it will outline worst-case scenarios in a statement expected tomorrow. On Sunday, 2 probable Omicron infections were reported in Chiang Mai, with 1 infection in the north-eastern province of Loei and another in the southern province of Songkhla. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
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South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid champion, dies aged 90
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the anti-apartheid icon who championed human rights in his native South Africa has died at the age of 90. Announcing his death, President Cyril Ramaphosa described Tutu as a patriot without equal, according to an AFP report. “Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight…
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