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Sponsored Where to shop for sports gear at Jungceylon Phuket
Phuket might be known for its beaches and nightlife, but the island also has a thriving fitness culture. From Muay Thai gyms to beach runs at sunrise, staying active is part of daily life for many who live here (as...
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Covid-19 Thursday: 112 deaths, 11,276 infections, provincial totals
Today, the CCSA reported 11,276 new Covid-19 infections, a change of +1,212 since yesterday, and 112 Coronavirus-related deaths, a change of +30 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,722,841 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,407…
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Cobra Gold expected to be back to normal by 2022
The military exercise known as Cobra Gold is expected to be back to it’s normal size by 2022. This massive joint military training operation between Thailand and the United States has been scaled down due to concerns over Covid-19. The exercise is one of the longest running military training events in the world that is has been held annually since…
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Flights returning to Asia with airlines launching routes and sales
With Covid-19 restrictions and international border closures finally starting to ease around Asia, airlines in the region are prepping for their resurgence, relaunching their flights and promoting with sale fares. Domestic flights have been increasing in Thailand and travel agencies are reporting growing interest now that countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia are allowing domestic flying to resume as well.…
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Critics believe Singapore’s new ‘foreign interference law’ will further stifle free speech
Critics of Singapore’s new foreign interference law are worrying about how the island-nation’s government may weaponise the new Bill to stifle free speech. But the Singaporean government maintains that its new Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act “is needed to prevent outside meddling in the city state’s domestic affairs”. Singapore’s strict regulatory and licensing environment, sweeping censorship and libel laws, has pushed…
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Pandemic, climate change and conflict fuel sharp rise in global hunger
World hunger was set to end by 2030 — that was a goal set by United Nations in 2015. After years of progress reducing numbers of undernourished people since 1960, reaching zero hunger by 2030 sounded like an attainable target for the international community. But now, “the fight against hunger is dangerously off track,” the latest Global Hunger Index indicates.…
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Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries
It appears there’s dissension amongst the ranks once more, as Thailand’s Health Minister disagrees with restricting the PM’s proposed re-opening to just 10 countries. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand should re-open to vaccinated tourists from MORE than 10 “low risk” countries. On Monday night, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha carried out a televised address in which he…
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Violence continues between military and insurgents in Thailand’s deep south
The fighting between the military and insurgents in the Southern border provinces of Thailand continues. Yesterday the Thai military killed a suspected insurgent after a shootout in a peat swamp in the Bacho district of Narathiwat, a province on Thailand’s southern border. This marks the sixth insurgent killed in the area in the last week. A combined force of Thai…
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Pattani Covid-19 spike fills nearly all field hospital beds
In the Deep South province of Pattani, health officials are reporting that field hospital beds are about full with 4,000 patients in care as Covid-19 numbers surge in the region. The Pattani Provincial Public Health Office is racing to create community isolation treatment centres to house up to 10,000 patients as Covid-19 infections continue to mount. The region is imposing…
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Covid-19 in Southern provinces prompts Songkhla checkpoints
As Thailand’s Deep South faces surges in Covid-19 infections, people crossing from the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala will face checkpoints when crossing into Songkhla. The checkpoints will stop travellers crossing the southern provincial border to do random Covid-19 screening. Pattani recorded 566 new Covid-19 infections yesterday, the most cases out of the southern provinces, and…
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Curfew reduction, easing more restrictions on CCSA agenda today
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets later today to debate a further easing of restrictions ahead of the country’s planned re-opening on November 1. The Bangkok Post reports that the CCSA is set to discuss a reduction in curfew hours, as well as reducing the number of provinces in various coloured zones. Among the proposals to be discussed is the…
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Return of the tar balls on Phuket’s northern beaches
The tar balls are back. During a scheduled beach clean yesterday along Phuket’s north-coast Nai Yang Beach, volunteers noticed the return of the mysterious tar balls that were washing up along the coast in the weeks before Phuket’s Sandbox started on July 1. Michelle from Sustainable Mai Khao Foundation contacted The Thaiger this morning with the news of the return…
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Inside the EU’s offer to scrap most Northern Ireland checks
The European Union says its new proposals to solve the post-Brexit Northern Ireland conundrum go far beyond tinkering around the edges: halving customs paperwork on goods entering Northern Ireland from the British mainland and scrapping the majority of checks on food. EU officials are already in London to discuss their suggested changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, but, with big…
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Benin: An Afro-descendant in the land of her ancestors
“I was absolutely told through my research, through what I’ve talked to people about that you definitely have to come and visit Ouidah. And so coming here into the Sacred Forest has been eye-opening. Getting to see the rituals, getting to understand a lot more about the religion of Vodun, it also helps me as a tourist and a visitor…
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World in Progress: How Niger is fighting radicalization with education
This report by Bettina Rühl is presented by Ineke Mules. SOURCE: DW News
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What is the future of Indian investment in Afghanistan?
New Delhi spent billions of dollars on infrastructure and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan after the United States toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. From building highways to transporting food and building schools, India “invested time, money and effort” into rebuilding Afghanistan, according to an Indian business expert. The expert, who asked not to be named, said Indian projects in Afghanistan…
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Minister of Tourism is sure tourists will flood Thailand November 1
Though often criticised for its overly-optimistic tourism predictions seemingly pulled out of thin air, this time the Thai government is sure people will be flooding back in as the borders reopen on November 1. Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan said that Thailand needs to brace itself for an onslaught of international travellers flooding into the country come November…
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Remembrances of King Rama IX held at Siriraj Hospital, Rajabopit Temple
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (also known as King Rama IX), Thailand’s leader and the second-longest ruler of any country of all time. Across the nation, people are paying their respects to the much-loved previous King and commemorating the anniversary of his death. The dean of the Faculty of Medicine at…
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2 Thai women arrested transporting 7 Burmese migrants
At a checkpoint in Sangkhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi, 2 Thai women were arrested smuggling 7 Burmese migrants and a child, apparently attempting to transport them back to Myanmar. The stop took place at around 7 am this morning and the women were arrested in violation of provincial communicable disease committee orders to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Officials at…
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Samut Prakan prison teams up with industrial sector for work release programme
More than 100 prison inmates are going to work in the industrial sector as part of a vocational programme through the Samut Prakan Central Prison, which is southeast of Bangkok. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin says it aims to provide inmates with “an opportunity to improve their industrial skills and increase the chance of employment after they finish serving their sentence.”…
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Pattaya police respond to call reporting a “ghost”
Police in Pattaya responded to a call for a ghost… Yes, a ghost. Locals heard crying and howling coming from an abandoned shophouse. It was so disturbing that they called the police, worried that the empty shop was haunted. Turns out the ghost was actually a homeless man who seemed to be having an emotional breakdown. Officers responded to the…
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Remembering Thailand’s beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Today is the national memorial day for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand’s beloved monarch who served for just over 70 years and died in October 2016. At the time of his passing in October 2016, King Bhumibol was the world’s longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. Amongst his many other gifts, he was was…
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Thai government to review law after World Anti-Doping Agency non-compliance ruling
Following the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision last week, ruling Thailand non-compliant with the agency’s requirements, the Thai government is now putting more focus on regulating banned substances at international sports competitions. The National News Bureau of Thailand reports that authorities are working on issuing laws that correspond with the agency’s national standard. Thailand, Indonesia, and North Korea were ruled non-compliant…
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Ministry defends Pfizer vaccines against radiation accusations
Pfizer mRNA vaccines are facing accusations of being contaminated with radiation, and Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is fighting back against the allegations. The Ministry reassures that all the vaccines in use currently in Thailand are tested and safe for use. At the Department of Disease Control, Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Emergency Health Hazard and Disease Control Division,…
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Thailand Top Stories | Thai PM vows to reopen the country to fully vaccinated tourists from November 1 | October 13
Natty gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Thai PM vows to reopen the country to fully vaccinated tourists from November 1, police crack down on street racing, adult pleasure toys seized by Thai police, China to set up a 230 million USD to finance efforts…
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Scandal-hit Austria: New chancellor, same policies
After being engulfed in political drama over the last few days, Austria has a new head of government; however, apparently, a reluctant one. Alexander Schallenberg, who has taken over from Sebastian Kurz, describes himself as being “chancellor against his will.” At his inauguration in the chancellery on Vienna’s Ballhausplatz, the former foreign minister said the post was an honor that…
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Phuket, Samui to ease entry restrictions for domestic tourists from this weekend
From this weekend, entry restrictions for the islands of Phuket and Samui are being eased for fully vaccinated domestic tourists. Local travellers who can show proof of being fully vaccinated will no longer need to submit to Covid-19 testing to enter Phuket and will no longer have to quarantine after arriving on Samui. The move comes as the government launches…
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Anutin warns Nov 1 reopening could close again if Covid-19 surges
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul may have dampened the excitement over Thailand’s November 1 reopening when he announced that it is possible that the country could close up its borders in the event of a serious Covid-19 outbreak. The announcement on Monday by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha that he had told the Ministry of Public Health and Centre for Covid-19…
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Prosecutors to decide Thanathorn’s fate on November 4 following vaccine comments
On November 4, prosecutors will decide whether or not to indict Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit over comments he made about Thailand’s AstraZeneca technology-transfer deal. At the start of the year, the founder of the Progressive Movement criticised the government for being overly-reliant on Siam Bioscience for Covid-19 vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that Thanathorn faces charges of violating Thailand’s defamation law and…
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Covid spike in Khon Kaen, more field hospitals to open
Covid-19 is on the rise in the Isaan province Khon Kaen and local authorities have agreed to open two more field hospitals after new cases hit around 300 over a few day period with many of the infections linked to social gatherings like funerals and ceremonies at temples to make merit. Governor Somsak Jangtrakul said that the provincial communicable disease…
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Thai industry bodies encouraged by tourism re-opening plan
The chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries has welcomed the plan to re-open Thailand to vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries. Supant Mongkolsuthree says the planned November 1 re-opening will accelerate economic growth and increase business confidence. According to a Bangkok Post report, Supant predicts the return of foreign tourism could see GDP growth achieve its target of 0% –…
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