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EU escalates row with Gambia over expelled migrants
According to initial plans, the first batch of the over 2,000 ‘failed Gambian asylum seekers’ was expected to arrive in Banjul on September 1. But an official from Gambia’s Foreign Ministry responsible for diaspora affairs told local media that Gambia’s new position is not to accept requests for deportations. The Gambia has cited security concerns and the inability to reintegrate…
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4.6 million methamphetamine pills found on som tam vendor turned smuggler
If you like your spicy papaya salad with a little extra kick, a som tam vendor in Nakhon Phanom was arrested today with 4.6 million speed pills. The woman was apprehended when border patrol police in Tambon Saenphan searched her pickup truck and discovered 10 big fertiliser bags holding 4,622,000 speed pills. The woman told police she earned her money…
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Gold shop robbed by officer from investigating police station
A policeman’s swagger was the downfall that led to the identification and subsequent arrest of a gold jewellery shop robber today in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima. A man dressed in a food delivery outfit robbed a gold shop and shot the shop owner on Wednesday and was later identified as a local police officer. The robber entered…
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India to allow women to join top defense institutions
The Indian Supreme Court ruled last month that female students will now be allowed to train at one of the country’s elite military training institutions, the National Defence Academy (NDA). In another move aimed at creating gender balance in the armed forces, the Sainik Schools (soldier schools) will be opened to female students. These schools, while also teaching a standard…
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Digital vaccine certificates available on MorProm app… If you can figure it out
Digital vaccine certificates for domestic travel in Thailand can be obtained through a mobile application run by the Ministry of Public Health… That is, if you can figure it out. To register on the MorProm application, you need a 13-digit ID number. For foreign residents, the number can be found on a “pink ID card” issued by the Labour Ministry, according…
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Belarusian Cyber Partisans want to overthrow the regime through hacking
In July and August, a group of hackers that go by the name of Belarus Cyber Partisans claimed responsibility for a number of cyberattacks on government and police databases in Belarus, including those of the Interior Ministry. It recently said that it now had access to the passport details of all Belarusians, as well as internal security plans, and also…
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Coalition of parties said to be plotting for PM Prayut’s removal
Members of some of the parliament’s smaller parties confirmed the existence of a rumoured plot brewed amongst a coalition of parties to unseat PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The revelation and confirmation of this plot details the effort of several parties to come together and remove the Prime Minister from power. The New Palangdharma Party said that it will take a coalition…
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Friday Covid Update: Provincial totals; pregnant women urged to get vaccinated
271 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 12,374 with 12,280 of those fatalities recorded since April 1 in the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand. The infection rate has declined over the past week, but the daily fatality count remains high. A spokesperson…
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80% of condos in Thailand sold to foreigners, 50% China
A real estate firm is predicting that the market for condos in Thailand hot spots like Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya will be rebounding soon with the continued trend of foreign investment, a majority of which are Chinese. China has long been a driving force in purchasing condos in Thailand. The business development manager of Saensiri is predicting the uptick once…
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Phuket daily Covid-19: 235 infections, no death, no Sandboxers
As Phuket prepares to carefully allow domestic tourists back onto the island, Covid-19 numbers remain relatively stable. Daily infections were 235 today, with 6 of the last 7 days reaching above 200. No new deaths were reported and no new Sandbox infections were identified. With the influx of new hospital beds yesterday, the bed occupancy rate remained around 70% though…
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Vaccinated domestic travellers allowed to enter Phuket starting next week
Domestic travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to enter Phuket starting on September 8, Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew announced. Travellers from overseas have been able to enter the island province under the “Sandbox” model, but with the rise of Covid-19 cases, Phuket officials imposed tight restrictions on domestic entry. Travellers will need to book and pay for…
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Thailand’s spa operators optimistic business will pick up in last quarter
The president of the Thai Spa Association says he’s hopeful things will improve in the last quarter of the year, if the country re-opens and domestic tourism picks up. Krod Rojanastien says the industry has suffered badly under Covid-19 restrictions, with most of the 8,000 registered facilities closed and 70% – 80% of staff out of work. And, while restrictions…
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Friday Covid Update: 271 deaths and 14,653 new cases
271 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,653 new Covid-19 infections were reported today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The infection rate has declined over the past week, but the daily fatality count remains high. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 18,262 recoveries from the coronavirus. There are now 159,800 people receiving treatment for Covid-19. The…
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Thai PM defends pandemic management strategy during no-confidence grilling
The Thai PM has come under fire on day 3 of a no-confidence debate against Prayut Chan-o-cha and his administration. In responding to the criticism, the PM has defended the government’s handling of the pandemic and its vaccine procurement policy. According to a Bangkok Post report, the PM says that Thailand’s management of the Covid-19 crisis could be considered above…
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Shocked New Yorkers survey the damage following torrential rainfall
New Yorkers are shaking their heads in disbelief and trying to pick up the pieces following torrential rainfall in the Big Apple. Homes and businesses have been flooded and at least 8 people have died. Speaking to AFP, Metodija Mihajlov, whose restaurant has been flooded, said he’s never seen anything like it. “When the rain started to get bad, my…
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PM Prayut accused of cash bribes to MPs for censure support
On the third day of the censure debate in Parliament, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha responded to charges that he gave cash bribes to MPs to secure their support to vote in his favour at the end of the debate. Pheu Thai MP Visarn Techateerawat levelled the accusation, saying that in a third-floor room of the parliament building PM Prayut met privately…
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Langkawi plans reopening amid high vaccination, Covid-19
Taking a cue from the Phuket Sandbox, Malaysia is launching a plan to reopen the tropical resort island of Langkawi in a similar fashion. The plan calls for a travel bubble to begin on September 16 in an effort to begin to restart the economy for Langkawi island which relies so heavily on tourism revenue and has been damaged so…
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Extorted women held in chicken fighting dog kennel by fake police
A woman went out for a shopping trip but ended up at the centre of a bizarre story after she alleges she was arrested by fake police and detained in a dog kennel while being extorted for 50,000 baht. The woman was reported missing on Monday by her mother after she never came home from her shopping trip and today police arrested…
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AfricaLink on Air — 02 September 2021
Anti-government sentiment in S.Sudan: Where does the youth stand? +++ Mozambique’s “tuna bonds” corruption trial +++ New coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa +++Do beauty standards reflect colonial attitudes +++ Controversy over TV rape demonstration in Ivory coast SOURCE: DW News
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Phuket entry rules relaxed to allow residents to exit and return
A slight modification to the rules for entering and exiting Phuket will now allow people who live or work in Phuket to exit and re-enter the island more freely. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong explained that a special permission letter that was previously required in order to leave Phuket and gain re-entry after would no longer be needed. With strict…
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UAE’s new human rights institute: Real change or ‘image washing’?
The United Arab Emirates announced earlier this week that it would set up an independent national human rights organization. The new institution will open an office in Abu Dhabi and, according to the UAE’s state media, “aims to promote and protect human rights and freedoms” in accordance with the local and international laws and guidelines. The new organization — official…
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Police search 2 rooms Thitisan and subordinated used; unknown powder and drugs allegedly found
Police investigating the now-infamous case of the man who died in police custody in Nakhon Sawan, a northern Thai province, have searched a condominium room used by former police station chief, Thitisan Utthanaphon, and a subordinate’s apartment, today. The search was conducted by local police and investigators from the Crime Suppression Division. The investigators say they found a suspicious powdered…
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Malaysia removes ban on Boeing 737 MAX following improvements to aircraft
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia has removed a ban on operating Boeing’s 737 MAX passenger jet that was in place for over 2 years, the CAAM said in a statement today. Previously, there had been a moratorium on using the aircraft since March 2019 following 2 fatal crashes. CAAM dropped the ban as it released a new safety directive…
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Young Ugandans develop anti-rape bracelet
SafeBangle Technologies in Kampala, Uganda have developed a prototype bracelet to report sexual and gender-based violence. SOURCE: DW News
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Bangkok ranked #1 best “workation” city in the world, Phuket #10
Bangkok has been ranked as the number one city in the world for a ‘workation’ – a portmanteau combining work and vacation – with Phuket also ranking in the top 10. The two Thai destinations ranked among the top cities in the world where people can get a break from their office life and have a holiday while still actively…
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Over 1,000 cats abandoned by owners on Koh Phi Phi, donations needed
More than 1,000 cats have been abandoned on Koh Phi Phi, the small collection of islands that are part of Krabi’s province. The cats were stranded by their owners after Covid played havoc with Phi Phi’s tourism. Thai PBS says the owners worked on the island or were entrepreneurs that had to leave the islands due to Covid, under the…
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Hat Yai immigration officer investigated for alleged extortion
Immigration police are investigating an officer in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district for alleged extortion after an audio clip of an officer asking an immigrant for a monthly fee was shared on a watchdog Facebook page. A committee has been set up by Immigration Division 6 to investigate the case and to determine whether an immigration officer was involved. The division says the…
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Blood donations urgently needed by Red Cross; northeast stores hit critical level
Thailand’s Red Cross Society is still in desperate need of blood donations. The society says their stores are limited to a critical level. In fact, the society was unable to supply 70% of the blood donations requested by hospitals, says chief of the Nakhon Ratchasima based 5th National Blood Centre, Sirilak Piakkhunthod, today. The problem is notably critical in the…
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Thursday Covid Update: 14,956 new cases; provincial totals
262 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 12,103. Out of that number, 12,009 fatalities were reported during latest and most severe wave of the virus, which was first recorded on April 1. The CCSA also reported 14,956 new Covid-19 infections today, raising the total case count…
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Phuket Fishing Port to reopen tomorrow
The Phuket Fishing Port on Koh Siray will reopen tomorrow. Officials performed a mass cleaning of the port yesterday ahead of the reopening. The port had been closed for 2 weeks after a Covid outbreak from fisherman who had come ashore following a period of weather that rendered them unable to catch fish. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew scrutinised the cleaning…
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