Hot News
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Sponsored Common health concerns for expats in Thailand: Prevention and protection
Moving to Thailand as an expat offers adventure, vibrant culture, and an excellent lifestyle, but it also brings some health challenges that might not be familiar to you. From tropical diseases to climate-related conditions, understanding common health concerns and knowing...
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50 dogs rescued from alleged Chiang Mai puppy farm
A raid on an alleged puppy farm owned by an American man in Chiang Mai has resulted in the rescue of some 50 Thai Ridgeback dogs. Non-profit organisation Watchdog Thailand says most of the dogs were found in terrible condition and many more had died from illness and starvation. The owner claimed the dogs were kept as pets and he…
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Thailand growing more expensive for expats
According to Employment Conditions Abroad, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are among the 30 most expensive cities for expats in Asia. The capital of Turkmenistan might not spring to mind when with considering the priciest cities, but according to ECA International it ranks first on both the global and Asian tables, a 5 point rise up the rankings due to an…
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90 minute Covid-19 test at BKK being tested
A Covid-19 test that takes about 90 minutes. This is a new ‘outside the box’ way at bringing people back into Thailand and checking them before they go through Immigration. The new ‘rapid’ tests were unveiled today at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The new tests would be offered for overseas arrivals as the Thai government wrestles with the desire to reboot…
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Hospital director proposes importing overseas Covid-19 patients for treatment
With the Covid-19 situation in Thailand apparently well in hand (there have been no locally transmitted cases for well over a month), a hospital director in Bangkok is proposing flying in patients from abroad for treatment at his hospital. The director of Mongkutwattana Hospital is considering medical flights to bring international Covid-19 cases to the hospital for treatment, in an…
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Visa amnesty extension for foreigners “being considered”
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is considering extending the current visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in Thailand. The Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesperson made the announcement at this morning’s daily Covid-19 briefing by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The Cabinet’s last resolution was to grant an automatic visa extension for foreigners stranded here to stay until July 30. The deputy spokesperson asked…
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Bangkok’s shopping malls struggle under tourist ban, fierce competition
Suvarnabhumi, the name of Bangkok’s second international airport, means “realm of gold,” and was given by His Majesty the late King Rama IX to Bangkok’s eastern outskirts (technically in Samut Prakhan province), once a marshland called Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp). With its overtones of wealth, the name represents the hopes of developers, who are turning the area into a retail…
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Medical, wellness tourists will be first to be allowed in: CCSA
The government plans to allow local tours for overseas medical and wellness tourists beginning this month, and the start of tourism “travel bubbles” in September. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said medical and wellness tourists will be welcomed from this month on. If they are properly handled during their 14 day quarantine and treatment at…
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Chon Buri police hire a steam roller to destroy over 700 illegal motorbike exhausts
Since the national curfew was lifted last month, illegal motorbike racing has returned to Thailand’s streets with increased popularity. From June 20-30, police arrested more than 5,600 racers and seized more than 17,700 motorcycles nationwide. Chon Buri Police yesterday used a steam roller to very publicly crush more than 700 illegal exhaust pipes seized from road racers, known locally as…
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Chiang Mai International Airport sees more traffic
Northern Thailand’s gateway airport is recovering some of its flight and passenger traffic. With the easing of travel restrictions enforced to fight the spread of Covid-19, the director of Chiang Mai’s international airport says traffic is picking up, and more flights and passengers are expected this month. On average, the airport received 40 flights and about 4,000-5,000 passengers per day…
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Department warns women over surrogate motherhood dangers abroad
A string of arrests in what has been dubbed the “wombs for hire” scandal shocked the nation in February; now Thai Women, tempted to earn money by becoming surrogate mothers, are being warned about the potential health and social implications, especially in countries where there are no surrogacy laws to protect them. The director-general of the Department of Health Service…
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Motorway tolls to be waived on two major routes this holiday weekend
As motorists take to the roads over the coming long weekend, the government says it’s doing away with toll fees on two motorways from today until midnight on July 8. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says those using motorways 7 and 9 will not have to pay a toll, a decision that is hoped will reduce congestion, encourage more domestic travel,…
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Thai government offering more aid to rural areas and domestic tourism
The government says it’s looking at expanding its domestic tourism stimulus package to assist rural economies while helping airlines and others in the tourism sector with soft loans. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak says urgent measures are needed to create jobs for those who have returned to their home provinces after losing their livelihoods as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.…
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Draft law would ban online alcohol sales in Thailand
In April, the government imposed a nationwide ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages as part of the Emergency Decree to stem the spread of Covid-19. Now the country’s top alcohol regulator has approved a draft regulation to ban online alcohol sales. The move comes after alcohol watchdog groups urged the government to crack down on the online sales, which…
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Bangkok’s Ying Charoen wet market reopens after fire
Most of the Ying Charoen market in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district reopened after fire destroyed about 160 stalls. Earlier estimates put the number at around 50 stalls. No injuries were reported. The blaze in the 30 rai compound reportedly began at a bakery at about 3am and quickly spread to nearby stalls. It took firefighters about 2 hours to control…
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Thai nightlife grapples with “new normal”
Thailand’s nightlife scene is grappling with a ‘new normal’ as changes upon its recent reopening see facemasks joining the normal bikini wear in red-light districts across the Kingdom. After being forced to close for more than 3 months in order to stop the spread of Covid-19, bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours are in the latest category of businesses allowed to…
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Thai Airways to shed only 5% of employees, while appointing new president
Debt-ridden Thai Airways has confirmed that it will only shed 5% of its 20,000 employees as part of its reorganisation. The former president of the carrier’s labour union says he met with the rehab panel, along with union and airline staff representatives, with the panel now aiming to cut only 5% of the airline’s workforce-down from the initial target of…
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Nightlife operators warned: follow the rules or face closure
Bangkok police have issued a stern warning to nightlife venue operators… follow the rules or be closed again. National police chief Chaktip Chaijinda has instructed officers to make sure entertainment venue operators comply with disease control regulations and that both service providers and customers understand the “new normal.” The warning comes after a meeting of senior city police, the Health…
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World travel business faces slow recovery – UN report
Plenty of businesses are suffering and recovery will be slow, and lumpy. One of the hardest hit, and probably one of the most difficult industries to re-start, is the world travel business. Hotels, airlines, tour companies, travel agencies and online booking systems… and the millions of people employed to make all those work together as a working machine. Now a…
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Italian police seize 14 tonnes of amphetamine valued at 1 billion euros
“We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria, which in the past few years has become the world’s largest producer of amphetamines.” Police in Italy today announced the seizure of 14 tonnes of amphetamines manufactured by the Islamic State in Syria, calling it the “biggest seizure of such drugs in the…
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Up to 2.7 million Thai travel, hospitality and tourism workers unemployed by September
The president of the Thai Tourism Industry Council says confidence among Thailand’s tourism business operators fell to the lowest level in a decade during the second quarter this year, with about 2.6 million workers already unemployed and about another 100,000 expected to be laid off in Q3 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The gloomy forecast is the result…
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“We Tour Together” launched to boost domestic tourism
The government has announced its “Rao Thieu Duaykan” (We Tour Together) program, created as a stimulus boost to domestic tourism and help the travel and hospitality sectors battered by closures and bans in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. From July 15, Thai citizens can apply for a government subsidy to cover part of their hotel and dining expenses when travelling…
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Bangkok Skytrain cancels seat spacing measures
Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain network has cancelled its seat spacing measures in order to increase passenger numbers after schools and colleges reopened today. Bangkok Mass Transit System’s CEO says social distancing measures have been relaxed to boost convenience for passengers. All BTS carriages had crosses on seating to separate seated passengers but had done nothing to keep standing passengers apart. Stations…
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Chon Buri police arrest knife-wielding man allegedly high on methamphetamine – VIDEO
Police in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district have arrested a 48 year old man for allegedly threatening local residents and officers with a knife. The man reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine. The captain of the Nong Prue police told The Pattaya News they arrested 48 year old Sumet Hongjaroen from the northeastern Phetchabun province. He is accused of “erratically brandishing a…
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Thailand sets new guidelines to govern “medical tourism”
Thailand’s medical community is rolling out a set of guidelines for medical tourism as the country prepares to open its borders to international visitors. According to the director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, yesterday’s first meeting of the medical hub committee resulted in 3 decisions. The first outcome from the meeting set a new policy pertaining to quarantine…
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Phuket’s (in)famous “Soi Bangla” district reopens today
Today is the official reopening of Phuket’s famous (or infamous) “Soi Bangla” nightlife district, but only about 20% of venues say they’re reopening during this early stage. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced yesterday that all night entertainment venues may reopen but must strictly adhere to health guidelines set out to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin,…
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Thai government extends contact-tracing app to Bangkok metro, Skytrain services
Thai Chana is coming to an MRT station near you… As social distancing requirements are eased on public transport, the Thai government says that from today, passengers must check in and out of the capital’s metro and Skytrain services through the Thai Chana platform. Officials from both the MRT and BTS services say passengers are also asked to refrain from…
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Two men in custody after British man’s motorbike stolen in Pattaya – VIDEO
Two men are in custody, after being accused of stealing a motorbike from Jomtien Beach in Pattaya. The bike’s owner, 53 year old British national, Davidson Fraser, had parked the bike between Soi Jomtien 6 and 7, in order to go exercising. He returned sometime later to find the bike gone, so he filed a report with the Pattaya Police.…
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International charity exposes Thailand’s abuse of elephants for tourist trade
The international non-profit organisation, World Animal Protection, has released distressing video footage that blows the lid open on the cruelty involved in the use of Thai elephants for the tourist trade. The footage, secretly filmed at several unnamed camps over two years, shows how elephants are beaten into submission so they will perform tricks for tourists. The training begins when…
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New Songkran ‘replacement’ holiday added on July 27
The Thai government has declared July 27 the first of, what will probably be, substitute Songkran holidays. This year’s Songkran holiday was postponed as the April 13 Thai New Year holiday, and the days around it, were right in the middle of Thailand’s outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent ‘lockdowns’. Songkran celebrates the start of Thailand’s wet season. The first replacement…
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6 Thais accused of procuring young girls for sex trade in Ratchaburi
Today the superintendent of Human Trafficking Suppression Division 5, reported that they have arrested 40 year old Sasirat who has been accused of procuring young girls for the ‘flesh’ trade in Ratchaburi province for over 10 years. The woman was named in an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on June 15 for allegedly procured girls aged below 15…
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