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Bangkok authorities and hotels prepare for returning travellers
Bangkok authorities and hotels are gearing up to welcome back international tourists on November 1, setting up swab hubs and preparing for an influx of travellers. The Tourism Authority of Thailand said they will set up testing stations outside the airport and are strategising to avoid congestion and bottlenecking as international travellers arrive into Thailand. The plan is instead to…
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Music teacher in Bangkok arrested for allegedly molesting young schoolboys
Bangkok police say they have arrested a male music teacher over allegedly molesting young schoolboys. The man’s surname was only released as being Montree. The 51 year old teacher works at a well-known school in Bang Khae district, outside a housing estate in the Lak Song area in Bangkok’s metro. Police say he is accused of sexually abusing 3 boys,…
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Digital literacy a must for bank card holders after recent cyber fraud incident
In light of the recent cyber fraud incident, in which 40,000 people were victimised in Thailand, a cybersecurity expert is emphasizing the need for digital literacy. Prinya Hom-anek, president of the ACIS Professional Centre, an IT security consulting service, says bank card holders are the most vulnerable in the payment ecosystem. This vulnerability sees criminals targetting the group first, as…
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Thailand requires 3 million baht insurance for ‘retirement’ visas
In a revision to the rules for non-immigrant OA visas, foreigners will now be required to hold a minimum of 3 million baht in health insurance, for in-patient services, in order to be eligible for long-term stays in Thailand, 8 times more than the 400,000 baht that has been previously required. The OA visa is also known as the Retirement…
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Phuket’s Life Home Project Foundation becomes partner of GlobalGiving
Phuket’s Life Home Project Foundation has recently become a recognised global partner of GlobalGiving. The non-profit organisation announced that they had graduated from the GlobalGiving Accelerator program after successfully raising funds for one of their projects. That project called “Help HIV+ Thai Children finish the school year 2021-2022,” saw donations from 43 unique individuals in the amount of US$7,805. The…
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Residents near Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River warned of imminent flood risk
People living near floodgates at the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok are being warned of a significant flood risk between now and the end of the month. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has issued the warning as officials monitor rising water levels. According to a Bangkok Post report, the river’s level is expected to rise between 20 and 40cm as a…
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Arrest made for the 14 year old murder of pregnant girl
An arrest was finally made for the murder of a pregnant girl that happened 14 years ago. This case has been cold since the murder was committed in 2007, and the fugitive has been on the run ever since. But yesterday the suspect was finally tracked down and arrested in the remote Northeastern Loei province. Police from the Crime Suppression…
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Cyber fraud case renews talks over the safety of online banking
After at least 40,000 people in Thailand were victims of online banking cyber fraud, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau is renewing talks over the safety of such online transactions. The losses recently incurred by those using online banking are thought to be over 10 million baht after hackers stole credit and debit card information. Kornchai Klayklueng, the commissioner of the…
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Virtual influencers a rising force in Thailand
Thailand’s virtual influencer marketing niche is expected to increase even more in value this year, as one network says it could account for 9.1% of online media spending. Mindshare, a leading marketing and media network that is under the media agency Group M, says the percentage is equal to around 2.1 billion baht of the 23 billion baht expected for…
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MP queries appointment of army general to oversee Covid-19 in southern Thailand
An MP from the Bhumjaithai Party has called on the PM to review his appointment of an army general to oversee the Covid-19 situation in the south of the country. MP Suphachai Jaismut has questioned the appropriateness of appointing Nattaphon Narkphanit, formerly secretary-general of the National Security Council. “My point of contention is that the PM is adopting ‘security as…
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Former U.S. president Trump sues House committee over records request
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit alleging that an illegal request was made for his White House records. The request by the US congressional committee was part of its investigation into the January 6 Capitol attacks. Trump says that the materials sought by the House of Representatives are covered by a legal doctrine known as executive privilege,…
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Tourism sector not getting its hopes up over domestic travel
Those working in Thailand’s tourism sector aren’t getting their hopes up about a big boost to domestic travel any time soon. Wutthiphum Jurangkool, chief executive at Nok Air, says ongoing concerns about Covid-19, coupled with weak purchasing power, will make this November very different to last. “Domestic tourism reached its peak last November, thanks to low infection rates and the…
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Protector of junta-sponsored constitution to face judgement
A Constitutional Court is expected make a ruling on a protector of the junta-sponsored constitution this Wednesday. Paiboon Nititawan is the MP and legal expert of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party. Paiboon is also the deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party. He is also the legal advisor to deputy PM General Prawit Wangsuwan, who is the party leader. Now,…
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Thailand’s oldest reclining Buddha partially submerged in flood waters
Thailand’s oldest reclining Buddha at Wat Dhammachakra Sema Ram is the latest casualty from the country’s central flooding. Authorities say the statue was partially submerged as a result of flooding by mountain runoff yesterday. The 1,300 year old Buddha is located inside the Muang Sema Historical Park in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Sung Noen district. The Dvaravati-style, sandstone image, which measures 13.3…
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End of skytrain pass may impact Bangkok condo market
Bangkok’s 30-day BTS skytrain pass is coming to an end. As a result, commute prices will rise significantly for those who have to travel long distances on the skytrain each day. This may also have a major effect on Bangkok’s condo market. According to Sena Development PCL, the discontinuation of this skytrain pass is going to increase the demand to…
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Bangkok vocational student dies after falling from BTS station
A Bangkok vocational student has fallen to his death from the Pu Chao BTS station on the Sukhumvit Line. The sad news was reported last night at around 7pm in Samut Prakhan’s Muang district. Police say they arrived to find a young man lying face up on the footpath near a bus stop under the BTS station. Officers say the…
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Thai economist urges government to address inequality, improve education
A leading Thai economist says there are several issues the country needs to address in order to protect the economy in the long term. Dr Somjai Phagaphasvivat is calling on the government to develop human resources, improved the standard of Thai education, and address the serious issue of inequality. According to a Thai PBS World report, he says the Covid-19…
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Dusit Poll: Thailand is not ready for international reopening
A new poll from Suan Dusit Rajabhat University expresses the majority opinion that Thailand is not ready for a reopening to international tourism. The Suan Dusit Poll was conducted October 11 to 14 with 1,329 people from all over Thailand responding online. The poll was conducted to gauge the people of Thailand’s feelings about PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announcing that the…
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Krabi tourism businesses not thrilled about Thailand’s reopening
A prominent local tourism operator in Krabi is speaking out, saying the tourism businesses in Krabi don’t like or want the reopening Thailand has planned for November 1. He asserts that interest from tourists, businesses that can afford to reopen, and vaccinations among locals are all lacking. The operator said that despite the government’s rosy predictions, he fears that not…
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Bangkok prepares swab hubs, rules easing for city reopening
As restrictions ease and Thailand attempts a November 1 reopening, Bangkok is hard at work preparing to welcome back international tourism to the city. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says he intends to follow along with official announcements as they are ratified in the Royal Gazette. The capital city is creating so-called swab hubs to be prepared to efficiently test mass…
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38 countries reportedly on short list for no-quarantine reopening
People were elated to hear that Thailand was launching a select reopening on November 1, but confusion exists over the Thai government’s statement that they would open 17 provinces to 10 low-risk countries, with the list of provinces and countries as yet unspecified just 2 weeks before the launch date. Then again, that’s been the way throughout the pandemic as…
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Tourism operators: Russians and others need clear entry rules
Fed up tourism operators in Thailand are calling on the government to stop flip-flopping and announce clear entry rules for international travellers right away before the high season is here, especially for the lucrative Russian market. Things like the Thailand Pass, set to replace the hated certificate of entry, are often announced but not fleshed out or confirmed, leading to…
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Soi Dog Foundation provides food relief for animals in flood-hit central Thailand
Thailand’s Soi Dog Foundation has this week provided over 40 tons of dog and cat food for 3,000+ animals affected by severe flooding in the central Thai provinces of Ayutthaya and Sing Buri. The food was distributed to stray and domestic animals in five districts… Bang Ban, Sena, Bang Pahan and Tha Ruea in Ayutthaya, and in Buri in Sing…
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Thai Twitter goes crazy as Russell Crowe tweets Sandbox visit
That Thai woman who escaped Phuket and snuck to her hometown in Chon Buri is no longer the most famous person in the Phuket Sandbox. Movie star Russell Crowe blew up Thai media when he posted his positive experience coming to Thailand through the Phuket Sandbox to film his newest movie. The star of such Hollywood hits as Gladiator and…
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Thai woman charged with trafficking women to Bahrain for sex
A Thai woman was arrested today and charged with human trafficking for her part in tricking unwitting women into going to Bahrain under false pretences before being forced into prostitution. The woman is accused of helping to funnel dozens of young women to Bahrain and another unnamed country over the last year or two. Police officers working with the Crime…
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Bill Clinton hospitalised with blood infection
Former US President Bill Clinton is currently hospitalised with a blood infection. A spokesman says he was admitted to a southern California hospital on Tuesday evening. Doctors say the infection is not Covid-related, however, they have not released any other information. Clinton served as the President of the United States from 1993-2001. As the 42nd President of the US, he…
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20 major dams and reservoirs in Thailand present overflow risk
Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources has requested that irrigation officials be ready to manage the discharge of excess water from 20 major dams and reservoirs. The heavy monsoon rains this year have led to potentially dangerous overflow conditions. Officials from the ONWR have instructed people living downstream to prepare for high levels of water being discharged from the dams,…
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Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands relax visitor restrictions today
Joining the rush for restrictions easing as Thailand aims for the big leap to unquarantined reopening (for some) without a certificate of entry (for some) on November 1, the popular tourist islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have eased their entry requirements starting today. The governor of Surat Thani, home to the Samui Plus Sandbox reopening as well as…
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Phuket’s Khai Islands overwhelmed by rubbish
Phuket’s UWC Thailand and 5 Star Marine have collaborated with government departments to help clean up the rubbish stricken Khai Islands off the coast of Phuket. Yesterday, staff and students from UWC Thailand International School and 5 Star Marine collaborated as part of the tourism restart plan and program. The popular islands needed a major clean up before they were…
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5 no-quarantine countries named, 17 Thai provinces reopening
As restrictions are easing and Thailand moves towards a more streamlined and accessible reopening, 5 countries have been named in the plan to waive arrival quarantine for 10 countries. Though true to Thai style, nothing has been officially confirmed just 2 weeks before the grand reopening, the US, UK, Germany, China, and Singapore are more than likely candidates to be…
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