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Sponsored Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Bangkok Hospital Pattaya giving expats free Pfizer vaccines
A new opportunity has been announced for expats in Pattaya who have yet to be vaccinated to get a free Pfizer vaccine. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, who earlier this month offered free AstraZeneca vaccines to the expat and local foreigner community, has opened registration today for foreigners to get inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccination programme is open to any…
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Covid-19 Wednesday: 79 deaths, infections below 9,000
Today, the CCSA reported 8,918 new Covid-19 infections, down 204 since yesterday, the first times the new infections dipped under 9,000 in months. There were 79 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 8 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,782,989 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since…
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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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GPO selling ATKs at 40 baht at 8 centres and online
After a protracted battle over whether or not to purchase 8.5 million antigen test kits from a Chinese company that had been pulled from US shelves after US FDA warnings of inaccuracy, the sale went through and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has been distributing the kits for use across Thailand. The GPO has now announced a supply of 2 million…
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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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93 arrested for alcohol in restaurant across from police station
In what has become a common occurrence, police raided an establishment and arrested people illegally serving and consuming alcohol. In Pathumwan district of Bangkok Monday night, police raided a restaurant within a shopping centre and arrested 93 people with alcoholic beverages. In real estate, as in illegal alcohol sales, location is everything, and the raid occurred on the second floor…
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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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70% of Bangkok residents fully vaccinated as capital prepares for re-opening
As Bangkok gears up for the forthcoming re-opening, the capital’s deputy governor has confirmed that 5.43 million people – 70% of the population – are fully vaccinated. Sophon Phisutthiwong says the capital is ready to re-open to fully vaccinated foreign tourists, in accordance with government policy. From November 1, the government plans to re-open 15 provinces to vaccinated visitors from…
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Banks confirm refunds to recent cyber fraud victims
After the recent cyber fraud scam that affected at least 40,000 individuals in Thailand, banks are now confirming that they will refund money to such victims. The scam saw small amounts of online withdrawals through hacking users’ debit and/or credit card information. Payong Srivanich, chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, says banks will pay back money to the victims of…
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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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Singapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights
It’s designed to ferry lots of people long distances, in an ultra-quiet flying experience. So flyers would be used to flying the huge Airbus A380 from LA to London, Bahrain to Frankfurt, Melbourne to Hong Kong. The massive super jumbo airliner wasn’t designed for a short 1 hour hop. But that’s exactly what Singapore Airlines have planned now they’re getting…
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With dueling downgrades, NATO-Russia diplomacy is at a new low
Though high-level discussions between NATO and Russia have been few and far between in recent years, the Kremlin’s announcement that it would shutter its mission to the alliance, force NATO military officials to leave Moscow and close the NATO Information Office (NIO) there still sent a chill through the already-frosty channels. Robert Pszczel was the last diplomat NATO posted to…
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North Korean defectors struggle adapting to life in the South
For the tens of thousands of North Koreans who have escaped their repressive homeland and completed the often-perilous journey to South Korea, their problems are often far from over. Some defectors face prejudice in South Korean society, according to a recent report looking at the experiences of new arrivals in the South last year — before the North Korean regime…
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Bangladesh: Hindus targeted by violence demand better legal protection
Last week, several Hindu temples were ransacked during violent protests across Bangladesh that were sparked by video of a Quran being placed at the feet of a Hindu statue during celebrations for the Hindu festival Durga Puja. The Quran video provoked outrage in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, and hundreds of Muslims protested violently in more than a dozen districts. Houses belonging to…
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Covid-19 Tuesday: 9,122 new cases, 71 deaths, port of entry data
Today, the CCSA reported 9,122 new Covid-19 infections, down 989 since yesterday. They also reported 71 new deaths, which is up by 8 from yesterday. Since April 1, when the most recent wave of infections began, there have been a total of 1,802,934 reported cases of Covid-19 in Thailand, with 18,407 deaths. Today the Thai Department of Disease…
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Pakistan: Women YouTubers counter sexist slur
On their YouTube channel, four Pakistani women take on sensitive and taboo topics like rape and sexual consent that mainstream media outlets are hesitant to cover. SOURCE: DW News
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How To Meet the Newly Announced Health Insurance Requirements For O-A Visa
Health insurance is required for non-immigrant visa holders O-A and O-X who want to spend their retirement years in Thailand. It has recently be announced there will be change to the regulations for non-immigrant OA visas, visitors will now be required to have a minimum of 3 million baht in health insurance for in-patient care to be eligible for long-term…
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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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Myanmar’s junta government releases prisoners, cancels arrest warrants
In the wake of ASEAN recently announcing it would exclude Myanmar’s representatives from future summits, Myanmar’s junta government made the move to release prisoners. The government is also cancelling arrest warrants for thousands of its people after making the announcement yesterday. The statement said that 1,316 people in detention will be released and that 4,320 cases will be dropped. Citing…
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North Korea continues testing ballistic missiles
The South Korean military reported that North Korea is continuing their testing of ballistic missiles. Today, the North fired a missile from land into the Sea of Japan to the East of the country. This act is only the latest transgression, in a series of many, amidst escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula. Seoul’s Joint Chief of Staff reported that…
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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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Covid-19 pill treatment highly effective at preventing hospitalisation, death
A prominent Thai virologist says the world’s first oral treatment for Covid-19 is highly effective if taken within 5 days of symptoms developing. Dr Yong Poovorawan from the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University made the statement on his Facebook page yesterday. According to a Bangkok Post report, he was citing research published on the health sciences…
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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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Politicians across the world face growing dangers
Death threats, hate mail, anonymous phone calls — politicians in many countries need police protection as they carry out their work. Here are some prominent attacks on lawmakers that have occurred in recent years. Great Britain Conservative MP David Amess is the second British politician in five years to be murdered. Back in June 2016, Labour Party MP Helen Joanne…
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AfricaLink on Air – 18 October 2021
News+++Sudanese protesters demand return to military rule+++Cameroon separatists declare days of national mourning+++Nigeria battles to revive palm oil industry+++mRNA hopes for malaria vaccine+++Sports SOURCE: DW News
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Albania’s Rama decries ‘dangers’ of online media freedom
According to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, online media in Albania can potentially be as harmful as Nazi propaganda, pedophilia and terrorism. Rama voiced this opinion during the 8th OSCE South East Europe Media Conference “Journalism in times of crisis,” which took place recently in the Albanian capital, Tirana. “When you try to imagine what the Nazi propaganda machine would…
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Afghanistan: Taliban road construction projects stall without foreign funding
One day after the last US forces left Afghanistan in August, Taliban official Inamullah Samangani said in a speech that the war was over, and the Taliban would now have to focus on rebuilding Afghanistan’s economy. It looks like road construction is where the group has decided to begin. Since then, the Taliban have announced several road construction projects. These…
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