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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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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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Tourism officials push for resumption of Russia flights in last quarter
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says it’s essential that commercial flights between Russia and Thailand be allowed to resume during the last quarter of the year. However, under Thailand’s emergency decree, international flights can only operate as semi-commercial, with limited seat capacity. Khanittha Phanworawat from the TAT’s Moscow office says this means the Russian aviation authority is still not allowing…
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Paris: Can a trial help heal victims of the Bataclan terror attacks?
Ever since November 13, 2015, Sebastien Dauzet has been feeling vulnerable. That night, nine gunmen attacked what he considers the heart of his neighborhood. Theterrorists killed 130 people in attacks at the Stade de France stadium just north of Paris, as well as in several bars and the Bataclan music venue in the capital. It was France’s bloodiest terror attack…
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Why Afghan asylum-seekers are protesting in India
Many Afghan migrants and asylum-seekers, especially single mothers and their children, have been camping outside the office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi for more than a week. They’re demanding recognition as refugees and better economic security for their children. Many of them arrived in India several years ago but are struggling to make…
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Monkey taken to Si Racha veterinary hospital following electrocution and fall from tree
A monkey has been rescued after it received a severe electric shock and plummeted from a high tree in Si Racha, a district in the Chon Buri province. A motorbike taxi driver alerted Si Racha firefighters to the simian’s plight yesterday. Veterinarians from the National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Si Racha Office and officials from the Si Racha Electric…
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Couple held for questioning in connection with missing Chiang Mai toddler
Earlier today, the Thaiger wrote about how officials in Chiang Mai have been searching for a toddler that has been missing since Sunday night. Now, Thai PBS says a couple is being held in police custody for questioning in connection with the search. A 44 year old man, who is a neighbour of the missing girl’s father, and his wife…
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Vietnamese man gets 5 years in jail for spreading Covid
A man in Vietnam has received a 5 year jail sentence for breaking home quarantine rules and spreading Covid. 28 year old Le Van Tri has been convicted of “spreading dangerous infectious diseases to other people” after he went to his home province in Ca Mau from Ho Chi Minh City in July, says the Vietnam News Agency. Le Van…
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Local tour operator, marina and restaurant come together to help Phuket residents
The following is a press release from 5 Star Marine, Ann’s Kitchen and Royal Phuket Marine on their one-day “Fundraising Experience” which raised 65,000 baht to help Phuket residents in need. With the continued economic effect in Thailand from Covid-19, new and innovative charity efforts are needed to engage both expats and locals in order to help the 48,000+ Phuket residents in…
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68 schools to reopen as part of “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” programme
A new school programme, the “Sandbox Safety Zone in School” is being launched to reopen 68 schools across Thailand. The programme is being launched by the Ministry of Education. Education Ministry spokesperson, Kesthip Supawanich, says the schools that are part of the new programme include 44 schools from the Office of the Private Education Commission, 20 schools from the Special…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 13,821 new cases; provincial totals
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says there are now 145,465 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand, a decline over the past several weeks. Yesterday, a spokesperson for the CCSA said Thailand has “passed its peak” in the latest and most severe wave of the virus where more than 1 million confirmed infections have been recorded since April 1. 241 coronavirus-related…
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Proof of vaccine might be needed to enter “high risk” stores in shopping centres
Along with restaurants in “dark red” zones planned to start requiring documents for dine-in services, people may also need to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to enter certain stores in shopping centres starting in October. Employees will also need to be fully vaccinated, according to the Department of Health. A full list of “high risk” businesses…
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Koh Samui to switch from “Samui Plus Model” to Sandbox programme
Next month, Koh Samui will switch from their “Samui Plus Model” to the looser “sandbox” programme. The Koh Samui district chief estimates that there will be over 10,000 nights booked in hotels as a result of this change. The current model has seen Koh Samui opened for fully vaccinated tourists since July 15. District Chief Teerapong Chuaychoo says since July…
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New project aims to mass test vulnerable populations in Bangkok neighbourhood
A new project, involving mass-testing for Covid, is being launched to help look after the homeless and other vulnerable people in Phra Nakhon, a district in Bangkok. The project, “Klong Lod Covid-free”, was started by a group of civil society organisations that are working with the government. The project gets its name from Klong Lod in the Phra Nakhon district.…
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Singaporean who repeatedly refused to wear a face mask jailed for 16 weeks
A Singaporean woman who repeatedly refused to wear a face mask in public spaces has been sentenced to a 16-week jail term. According to a Coconuts report, 54 year old Phoon Chiu Yoke has pleaded guilty to 9 counts of breaching Covid-19 regulations. The woman achieved notoriety when a video of her refusing to wear a mask at the Marina…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 241 deaths and 13,821 new cases
241 coronavirus-related deaths and 13,821 Covid-19 infections were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 16,737 recoveries. There are now 145,465 active cases, a decline over the past several weeks. A spokesperson for the CCSA says Thailand has “passed its peak” in the latest and most severe wave…
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Officials search for missing toddler in Chiang Mai
The combined forces of police, border patrol police, rescue volunteers, and villagers helped search for a missing 1 year and 11 month old girl in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai province, yesterday. The girl has been missing since Sunday night. Heat-seeking drones and sniffer dogs were also used to help scour the area within a 2 to 3 kilometre radius…
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CCSA says easing of restrictions could lead to more infections if public lowers its guard
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has warned that the easing of restrictions could lead to a surge in infections in the coming weeks. Spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin says that if the public gets complacent, mid-October could see infections shoot up again. According to a Thai PBS World report, the doctor has voiced concern after seeing crowds of people at the…
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Hua Hin to re-open to international tourists from October 1
Hua Hin’s re-opening is still on track for October 1, with officials hoping to welcome commercial flights and private jets to the airport. Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the Hua Hin Recharge programme covers 86.3 square kilometres between Hua Hin municipality and the district of Nong Kae. The Bangkok Post reports that once tourists receive a…
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Emergency decree could be coming to an end as infections decline
It’s been with us since March 2020, but the emergency decree declared by the PM at the start of the pandemic may be coming to an end. According to a Bangkok Post report, Natthapol Nakpanich from the National Security Council says the government may decide not to extend the state of emergency as new Covid-19 infections continue to drop. Natthapol…
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Mikhail Khodorkovsky: ‘Dialogue only strengthens Putin’s regime’
DW: About a year ago, Alexei Navalny was poisoned. What impact did this have on political life in Russia and on the country’s opposition? Mikhhail Khodorkovsky: Fortunately, this event hasn’t ended badly so far. Alexei Navalny might be in prison but he is still alive. Nevertheless, the poison attack against him is a move away from normal statehood and towards…
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Guinea’s future uncertain as coup leaders tighten grip on power
The morning after the coup, the capital woke up on Monday to a new reality which has left Guineans with mixed feelings. “There is a great sense of uncertainty,” said DW’s correspondent in Conakry, Bangaly Conde. “Today we saw an image of Guinea we are not used to see. We are very disappointed with the army,” one Guinean told DW.…
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Phuket, the hub of the next global superyacht destination
Sponsored Thailand, and notably Phuket, is poised to become the core of the next major superyacht destination in Southeast Asia. As we learn to live with Covid what better way to promote this wonderful place than the Thailand International Boat Show (TIBS), which will be held from January 6 to 9, 2022, at the award-winning and SHA Plus+ certified Royal Phuket Marina…
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Singapore approves Boeing 737 MAX for return to service
Singapore’s aviation regulator announced today it will approve the return to service for the Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft had been grounded for 2 years following 2 fatal crashes. The approval is owed to operators, such as Singapore Airlines complying with airworthiness directives and extra flight crew training requirements, says the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. The city state’s approval…
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Battling through Ghana’s lean season
The World Food Programme reports hunger has increased by 30% higher since year than last year and it is the highest level in a decade. But one man’s initiative is helping those struggling. Nanleeb Konlan farms large plantations of grains,which he distributes for free to poorer communities in the lean season. SOURCE: DW News
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Nakhon Si Thammarat doctor says teenager suffered from cyst, not black magic
Doctors at a southern Thai hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat operated on a teenager to remove a cyst from her ovary. They want to reassure the public that the cyst just contained hair, bone, teeth, fingernails and an oily material, and the woman did not suffer from black magic, as some residents suspected. Sichon Hospital director, Dr Arak Wongworachat, posted…
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Monday Covid Update: Provincial totals; Thailand ‘passed its peak’
Thailand has passed its Covid-19 peak, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The number of active coronavirus cases has been on a downward trend over the past several weeks. There are now 148,622 people receiving treatment for Covid-19. The CCSA reported 187 coronavirus-related deaths today, a decline over the past month after the daily fatality count was in the…
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Pathum Thani shopping centre apologises after overcrowded vaccination event goes viral
A shopping centre in Pathum Thani, a central Thai province, has apologised for a vaccination event that went awry after large crowds packed into the shopping centre in anticipation of receiving a vaccine. The large crowds resulted in people standing right next to each other with no social distancing being observed. The vaccination event happened over the weekend at Future…
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Couple shot to death in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A couple has been shot to death in their house in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat. The police found the couple’s bodies last night. The duty officer from the Chulabhorn police station says they received a call about the shooting at around 9:30pm. When police and a doctor rushed to the house, they discovered 48 year old Boontham Panarat…
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3 hunters arrested for allegedly possessing endangered species
National park officials in the western province Kanchanaburi arrested three hunters who were allegedly caught with bags containing wild animal carcasses, including black hornbills and monkeys. The arrests happened yesterday in the Khao Laem National Park. Khao Laem National Park chief Thewin Meesap says officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation were patrolling the forest when…
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Proof of vaccination to be required for dine-in service in “dark red” provinces
Proof of vaccination, or a negative antigen test result, will be required to eat in at restaurants in the “dark red” zones from October 1. The Bangkok Post reports that the negative test result must be no more than a week old, while people who’ve had Covid-19 must show health records that prove they’ve recovered from the virus. Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai…
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Tourism ministry wants Thailand fully re-opened, without quarantine, by January
Thailand’s Tourism Minister wants the country to re-open fully, without quarantine, by January, but says this will depend on vaccination efforts. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is citing herd immunity as a condition for the re-opening, pointing out that Bangkok’s re-opening has been delayed from October to November, as most residents are still waiting for their second…
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