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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Department of Land Transport will reopen, issue licenses
After suspending services on April 16th due to the third wave outbreak of Covid-19, the Department of Land Transport has announced they will reopen next week. The agency will restart renewing driving licenses in issuing new licenses, as well as giving driving tests. Services are set to resume all across the country at all DLT offices on June 21, according…
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Krabi schedules 82 flights per week from late October
Despite no official legal plans to reopen Thailand to international tourism, and perhaps on the heels of PM Prayut’s surprise announcement in a speech Wednesday that he intends to fully reopen Thailand by mid-October, 8 airlines received slots for international flights into Krabi from the end of October. The allotment was determined as part of the IATA Slot Conference, this…
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Beached sperm whale covered in oil rescued in Phuket
Animal rescue and care facilities often are tasked with coming out and taking a wild, sick, or injured animal into care, but it’s not often that it takes more than 50 people working together to take that animal in. That was the case yesterday, however, as rescue workers managed to collect a beached sperm whale with scratches on its body…
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Unsatisifed with haircut, grandfather goes to police station for help
A grandfather got a haircut he deemed bad enough to go to the police station. The man’s identity was not given. What is known is the man got a haircut that he believed did not make him look “handsome”. He said his hair was cut to different lengths. Logically, the next step was to file a police report. Which is…
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Pattaya security guard dies after crashing into garbage truck
Last night in Pattaya, a security guard drove his motorbike into the back of a garbage truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The 43 year old security guard was driving on Road Number 36 on the Pattaya Rayong Bypass. His name has been withheld from media until his relatives have been notified of his passing. Police say the…
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Over 300 Phuket businesses awarded SHA Plus accreditation ahead of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has declared the southern island of Phuket as “sandbox-ready”, after awarding SHA Plus accreditation to more than 300 tourism businesses. Phuket is gearing up for a much-anticipated re-opening on July 1, although it must be pointed out that this is still subject to official approval. The SHA endorsement confirms that hotels and other tourism businesses…
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Krabi hotels pin hopes on Phuket sandbox success
Hotel operators in the southern province of Krabi will be watching Phuket’s imminent re-opening with great interest. The success of the Phuket “sandbox” will determine what happens in Thailand’s other tourism hotspots. According to the Bangkok Post, a successful re-opening for Phuket would mean Krabi and other destinations can look forward to re-opening their hotels and recruiting workers for the…
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Tourism bodies concerned vaccination uncertainty will disrupt re-opening
Earlier this week, Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, pledged to re-open the country to international tourism within 120 days. But tourism operators aren’t breathing a sigh of relief just yet. Many have voiced concerns over the delays in the vaccine rollout, fearing that if Thailand doesn’t get its act together on vaccination, the re-opening could be affected. According to the Bangkok…
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Famous/infamous murder suspect out on bail wins lottery
A resident of Mukdahan, a northern Thai province, who’s also a: murder suspect, folk hero, actor in music videos, known as”Uncle Phol”, won the lottery yesterday. Chaipol Vipha, AKA “Uncle Phol” gave his happy news with his wife, Pa Taan, on their Youtube channel, Wednesday. They won with the last 2 digits, 17. 17, is Uncle Phol’s birthday. Chaipol’s “fan…
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EU Free Trade Agreement talks resume after 7-year coup hiatus
After a 7-year delay following Thailand’s military coup, talks have resumed to create a Free Trade Agreement between Thailand and the European Union. The Ministry of Commerce hosted a meeting this morning between Thailand’s Commerce Minister, also a Deputy Prime Minister, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Thailand. The two met to have conversations about a variety of…
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Survey: 90+% feel bar ban, restrictions hamper Phuket Sandbox
In an “is water wet?”-style survey conducted by Thai Examiner, about 92% of foreigners polled disagree with the bar and entertainment venue closures during the Phuket Sandbox reopening. This, coupled with the bumbling, haphazard implementation of the reopening is driving foreigners away from coming to Phuket according to the site’s informal survey of 240 people. The Mayor of Patong confirmed…
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TAT asked to make changes to Phuket sandbox before submitting for final approval
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has been asked to make further changes to the Phuket “sandbox” scheme before submitting it to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Apisamai Srirangson from the CCSA says the government’s Covid-19 task force wants clarification on the safety measures aimed at controlling Covid-19 when the plan is implemented from July 1. “The sub-committee is concerned…
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Krabi men arrested after TikTok video of a shark shot and killed goes viral
Police arrested 2 men who allegedly killed a shark near Koh Phi Phi off the coast of Krabi in the Andaman Sea. A video posted on the social media app TikTok shows a man firing his gun at a shark that was hooked on a fishing rod. Men reeled in the line and pulled the injured shark onboard. It bled…
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Thai government apologises for data leak, blames “temporary glitch”
The Thai government has released a statement apologising for the data leak on Monday which saw people who registered for a Covid vaccine have their personal information revealed. The government says there was a “temporary glitch” on the thailandintervac.com vaccination booking website and the error was because of “urgent system maintenance”. Soon after the website launched, multiple expats complained that…
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Thai police chief donates 100,000 baht to Phuket man shot by a drunk officer
Thailand’s national police chief has donated 100,000 baht to support the man in Phuket who was shot and critically wounded by a drunk, off-duty police officer on the island’s Bangla Road, a popular nightlife area in Patong. Aroon Thongplad, a noodle vendor at the Phuket walking street, was grabbing a bowl from a customer when he was shot in the…
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Covid-19, food delivery brings rise in plastic and infectious waste
Often, evolving lifestyles, and the technology it brings, are first regarded for their revolutionary game-changing effect before facing down the road the negative unintended consequences of the change. It was decades between when we celebrated the way air travel allowed you to see the world and when we started talking about “carbon footprints”. Many years went by between seeing the…
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Samsung Galaxy M62; Should You Buy It?
Sponsored Content There are many players in the mid-range smartphone market. Samsung, OPPO, and Xiaomi are few strong names in this segment. If you are looking for a powerful mid-range smartphone that is worth the money, Samsung M62 can be a good choice. Samsung Galaxy M62 is the latest phone in Samsung’s 2021 lineup of M-series smartphones. It was released…
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Location-tracking wristbands and punishments for escapees: Phuket gets ready to welcome vaccinated tourists
As the date of Phuket’s re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists draws closer, officials are busy preparing all necessary measures prior to the influx. The “sandbox” scheme kicks off on July 1 and provincial officials have been rehearsing immigration and Covid-19 control measures at Phuket airport, the island’s ports, and the Tha Chat Chai checkpoint by the bridge onto the island.…
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Australian man arrested for alleged child sex abuse in Thai border town
After being on the run for 6 months, an Australian man who allegedly sexually assaulted Burmese children in the Tak’s Mae Sot district near the Myanmar border was arrested. A warrant had been issued for Adam James Fox back in December of last year after he failed to show up to court. Adam had been arrested in March of last…
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3 dead in 3 truck crash in Surat Thani
3 people are dead and 1 more person is seriously injured following a 10-wheeled truck smashing into the back of a trailer that was carrying trees. A truck full of tires then careened into them, which then burst into flames. The fiery car wreck happened in the southern Thai province of Surat Thai, early today. The crash happened on the…
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Thai amulets come to blockchain, blessed by grandmaster of spells and charms
Thailand is introducing Thai amulets on the blockchain. Crypto Amulets are selling Amulet non-fungible tokens (i.e., NFTs). However, unlike other NFTS, this crypto has been blessed by a grand master monk of spells and charms. The monk is LP Heng and the company’s website that sells Crypto Amulets touts the monk for his mystical powers. The company, Crypto Amulets, praises…
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Taxi driver attacks woman at bus stop, has a history of violence
A taxi driver that attacked a woman standing at a bus stop has been arrested on assault charges. He was arrested yesterday and brought to the Phra Khanong police station, a district in Bangkok. Allegedly, the taxi driver approached the woman at the bus stop, pulled off her face mask, and threatened her with a stick. 46 year old Nana…
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Thai PM ignores demands to step down, insists he’s going nowhere
The Thai PM is fending off near-daily calls for his resignation, insisting he’s going nowhere before the end of his term in office. Prayut Chan-o-cha was speaking during a parliamentary session yesterday, when he declared his intention to see out his 4-year term. Thai PBS World reports that the speech was part of an address to senators, to justify an…
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UPDATE: Police officers, prosecutors may be investigated over acquittal of Red Bull heir
UPDATE Following yesterday’s report that at least 10 senior officials may be investigated for their role in helping Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya escape justice, Thai media outlet Naew Na is reporting that 2 police generals are among the 10. ORIGINAL STORY After the Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya, aka, “Boss”, was allowed to evade justice for a 2012…
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Airlines look to vaccine rollout to restore demand and boost economy
Airlines are pinning their hopes on Thailand’s vaccine rollout as the key to restoring traveller confidence and boosting the economy. All eyes are on Phuket in particular, to see how the much-discussed sandbox re-opening fares. Wutthiphum Jurangkool, chief executive of Nok Air, says June has already seen a slight increase in bookings. “After passenger traffic recorded a whopping 90% decrease…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says drug suppression should to be a national priority
Following the numerous busts involving drugs en route to overseas, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has declared that the suppression of illegal drugs should be an urgent national agenda item. The deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek made the announcement of the prime minister’s behalf, saying Prayut called for government workers to support the efforts to crack down on drugs. The spokesperson says…
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13 teenagers arrested in Chon Buri for partying, gathering
13 teenagers were arrested last night in Nongprue, a town in the Chon Buri Province. Allegedly, they were partying in a luxury resort around midnight. A “concerned citizen” had reportedly alerted police, as they were concerned the gathering could lead to a Covid outbreak in the community. Police got to the Pool villa and arrested the 13 teenagers. The police…
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Crime Suppression Division seizes dozens of illegal firearms in a series of raids
Thai law enforcement officers are cracking down on the illegal firearms trade, primarily on the online sales of guns. The Crime Suppression Division, or CSD, executed a series of raids this month, seizing dozens of illegal weapons and arresting several people on illegal weapons charges. The raids were initiated following the investigation into the online sales of firearms on the…
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Over 1.5 kilos of heroin found hidden in notebooks at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Over a kilo and a half of heroin has been found concealed in notebooks at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, according to a report by Thai Residents. It’s understood the shipment of 1.65 kilos of heroin was discovered after the Airport Interdiction Task Force received a tip-off about a suspicious consignment destined for Australia. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board made…
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Motorbike thieves arrested after a million baht of bikes stolen
This week Pattaya Police arrested a group of motorbike thieves that they say are responsible for about a million baht worth of stolen bikes. The gang were arrested at a condo in Jomtien on Thursday afternoon by the Pattaya City Police Department. The raid captured 3 suspects, all between the ages of 22 and 23. The trio were nabbed after…
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