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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Phuket & Koh Samui face financial ruin in the short to medium term – VIDEO
Phuket and Samui are both islands, fed mostly by arrivals at their international airports. Of course, both remain closed and the islands are trying to survive on a dribble of domestic tourists. And there’s no sign of hope any time soon for the future. Bill Barnett is ‘Mr Hotel & Hospitality’ for Thailand and the region. What does he see…
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The Phuket ‘light rail’ may end up being an electric bus instead
The Phuket mass rapid transport system, aka. Phuket Light Rail and Phuket Tram, is receiving more attention as the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand mull more changes to the design. The initial route, which would run from the Phuket Airport, follow the main north/south artery, Thepkasattri Road, then through Phuket Town and on to Chalong circle, has a projected…
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Vietnam plans to keep borders closed and not rely on vaccine strategy
The Vietnamese Covid-19 task force says it plans to maintain its strategy of containing the coronavirus rather than “rush into a vaccine”, even if a successful vaccine becomes available, that could pose a financial burden the country. Vietnam, despite a month-long surge around Da Nang, has been able to largely contain the local outbreak. Yesterday the world’s Covid numbers reported…
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Police brace for large anti-government rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Sunday
A protest rally planned for the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue tomorrow afternoon is shaping up to be the largest gathering up to date. Since July, anti-government rallies have been building, in number and frequency, with a consistent list of demands outlined in a 10 point manifesto. These, broadly, call for the resignation of Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the dissolution…
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Financial hardship spiking Thailand’s suicide rate
Thailand’s police and health workers continue to work with online influencers such as Drama Addict, Mam Po Dum and More Lab Panda, to help identify, and if necessary intervene, in people sharing distressing messages over their battles in the current Covid era. Police have also been recruited specialist to help to prevent suicides and provide counselling. Thailand’s Department of Mental…
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UPDATE: Biden pulls ahead in key battleground states as vote counting continues
Former vice president Joe Biden currently sits at 264 electoral votes, in the race for the magic ‘270’ vote finish line. He’s also ahead in the count, by slim margins, in the battleground states Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada. If any one of those states gets called in his favour, he will pass the 270 electoral votes to become president (if he maintains…
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Thailand News Today | Shorter quarantine, STV update, THAI jets for sale | November 6
Last day of the week and a day full of news about the STV, Chinese travel bubbles and the PM saying he’ll step aside if there’s someone better to take his job. Thailand News Today, with Tim Newton. Retired Thai official with Covid-19 dies after returning to Thailand A 66 year old retired Thai official, diagnosed with Covid-19, died yesterday…
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Phuket police investigate alleged teacher abuse
Police are investigating a teacher at a central Phuket school after a complaint was filed accusing the teacher of kicking a pre-school student in the face. The Pavena Foundation for Children and Women reported the incident to the Wichit Police. The 5 year old student’s grandmother initially reported the alleged abuse to the foundation. In an interview with police, the grandmother…
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Man shot and killed, bomb explosion in deep south
A man was fatally shot and later, as rangers were patrolling, a bomb exploded – both incidents were in the Southern province of Narathiwat, an area plagued with violence from the more than two-decade-long insurgency. Around 6am this morning, 48 year old Sorpree Arma was shot dead in the Sri Sakhon district just as he was leaving his home to go…
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Taiwan rejects ChaTraMue Thai tea shipment due to insecticide levels
Taiwan sent back a 5-tonne shipment of Thai tea mix after the country’s Food and Drug Administration found traces of insecticide that exceed the limit. The ChaTraMue mix for the orange-coloured milk tea is widely available in Thailand. The company Cha Thai International says the products are safe and the level of pesticide residue is within safe limits, in line…
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Thai TV debate: Royalist accuses Jewish Americans of funding pro-democracy protests
A debate between a royalist and a pro-democracy supporter got heated and turned into shouting during a broadcast on a Thai news channel. In one bizarre exchange, the royalist spokesperson accused Jewish Americans of backing the pro-democracy movement. The ongoing political protests, calling on government and monarchy reformation, has led to a divide in Thailand with a split between those…
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10 day quarantine proposal passes first stage of approval
A health sub-committee of the government’s Covid-19 task force has approved a reduction in quarantine from 14 days to 10, for visitors arriving from “safe” countries. They would be those that are at a similar risk level to Thailand, or slightly higher. Those arriving from countries considered “high risk” will still need to carry out 14 days’ quarantine. The proposal…
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Pattaya police stage fake brawls as part of training drill
Police and rescue workers in Pattaya have carried out a training exercise that involved simulating fake brawls in a nightclub and a hospital. Officers were taking part in a drill to prepare them for such incidents, with an increase in domestic tourists expected in the coming high season months. Pattaya has a number of large events coming up, including a…
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Thai Airways to auction off 34 used passenger aircrafts
Anyone want to buy an airplane? In the midst of tackling bankruptcy, Thai Airways is auctioning off 34 old passenger aircrafts. The aircrafts are around 12 to nearly 30 years old and are sold on an “as-is, where is” condition. The airline has been strapped for cash. As part of a debt rehabilitation plan, nearly 5,000 employees – a fourth…
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PM says he’d be happy to step aside if someone better comes along
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says he’d have no problem stepping down if someone better could take over, adding that he’s tired of all the power now. “If in the future, there is a person who is better, more capable and more honest than me, similarly honest, (he or she) would continue the work and be in charge of the…
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Thailand considering no-quarantine travel bubble with China
With no new Special Tourist Visa applications for November, the Thai government is considering a no-quarantine travel bubble plan with China. Officials hope that if approved, the scheme could be put into operation in time for Chinese New Year in February. China currently has 22 low-risk provinces, as they have not recorded a Covid-19 case in over 150 days. The…
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Foreign minister meets with Phuket-based diplomats to discuss the island’s future
The Thai Foreign Minister and Deputy PM, Don Pramudwinai, has met with a group of European and Asian diplomats based in Phuket to discuss the future of the southern island province. Attendees came together to talk about economic stimulus measures that could help Phuket, which has been hit hard by Covid-19 travel restrictions and the closure of Thailand’s borders. According…
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UPDATE: President Trump repeats fraud claims, counting continues in too-close-to-call election
The US President Donald Trump has again repeated unproven and outlandish claims that widespread voter fraud has marred the US presidential election. In a handful of crucial states the results are too close to call as votes continue to be counted. Speaking at the White House, the President was defiant, accusing pollsters and the Democratic Party of engaging in fraud. It’s…
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New rules at Bangkok police checkpoints after bribe complaints
Police at Bangkok’s Thong Lor station have set up what they say is a “new style” of checkpoints in response to complaints saying drivers were forced to pay police officers. Along with new rules to prevent corruption and bribery, the officers also need to be “polite.” The Thong Lor police station has accumulated a reputation over recent decades. It was…
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Thailand News Today | Political homes, Adult site bans, Nok Air rehab | November 5
Thailand News Today, the most-watched English-speaking Thai TV news service in the world. Short, sharp, to the point. Make it a part of your day. Young Thais say political divide has caused conflict with their parents The ongoing political protests have led to a new, raw divide in Thailand with a split between a younger generation demanding democracy and an…
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First group of Special Tourist Visa travellers complete quarantine
The first group of foreign tourists to enter Thailand after a 7 month ban due to the pandemic have completed the mandatory 14 day quarantine and are ready to travel the country. Some of them will be visiting beaches, but Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yutthasak Supasorn says their exact whereabouts are confidential. Thai PBS reports 33 tourists, who arrived…
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Homeless hermit crabs in Koh Lanta need seashell donations
Hermit crabs on Moo Koh Lanta Marine National Park have been seen making homes out of broken glass bottles and other pieces of trash. With the shortage of shells on the Krabi beaches, park officials have launched a project called “Returning Homes to Hermit Crabs.” The park made a post on Facebook with photo a hermit crab that appears to…
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Lottery winning monk leaves temple because so many people asked for money
The monk who recently won 18 million baht in the lottery and decided to give the winnings away apparently had to leave his temple because people kept coming by asking him for money. He’s now at a temple at another province, but he’s keeping the location a secret. A monk at Wat Thinnakorn Nimit in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok, says…
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Young Thais say political divide has caused conflict with their parents
The ongoing political protests have led to a new, raw divide in Thailand with a split between a younger generation demanding democracy and an older generation trying to protect Thailand’s Monarchy. Student-led protests continue to call for reform of the government and the country’s monarchy. They’ve spoken up about topics considered “unprecedented” in Thai society. Royalists, generally an older generation,…
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Cambodian PM tests negative for Covid-19 after meeting with Hungarian foreign minister
Cambodian PM Hun Sen says he tested negative for Covid-19, but he will be in self-quarantine for the next 14 days. On Tuesday, the prime minister met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijarto, who tested positive for Covid-19 while in Bangkok, Thai officials announced yesterday. The Hungary delegation had a 1-day visit in Phnom Penh on Tuesday before…
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3 stores investigated for potential fraud in government co-payment scheme
Officials are investigating 3 businesses for possibly de-frauding the government under the “Let’s Go Halves” stimulus scheme introduced last month. The co-payment plan launched on October 16 in an effort to boost domestic spending. Under the scheme, 10 million citizens can avail of discounts on purchases at participating stores of up to 150 baht a day, capped at 3,000 baht…
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Human rights activists file defamation lawsuit against PM and army
A civil defamation lawsuit has been filed by Thai human rights activists against the Office of the Prime Minister for allegedly publishing distorted information on a blog website. The government’s Information Operation allegedly ran a website called puliny.blogspot.com, which is now offline. It published news stories about southern Thailand, but also allegedly shot down claims of human rights violations. The…
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Anti-government activists reject idea of a “reconciliation committee”
Thailand’s pro-democracy activists have rejected the government’s suggestion of a reconciliation committee, saying it is merely aimed at keeping PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in power. The Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Movement) group say the ongoing political conflict cannot be resolved as long as the current PM remains in power. They claim his position is illegitimate and has been from the start,…
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Second Thai airline hit by Covid fallout as Nok Air to prepare rehab plan
The Central Bankruptcy Court has approved Nok Air’s petition to begin a rehabilitation process, as the low-cost airline struggles with losses incurred due to the Covid-19 economic fallout. The Bangkok Post reports that Nok Air has debts of up to 26 billion baht, with 23 billion baht in assets. In the first half of 2020, it reported revenue of 3.4…
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UPDATE: No clear winner in US Election, but pollsters got the result very wrong, again
Although there’s currently no clear winner, officially reaching the magic 270 Electoral College votes and claiming the US Presidency, there’s already plenty of losers – most with the words “poll’ in their name. US pollsters, largely, got the election result wrong, again. They’d promised to refine their models following the 2016 embarrassment but have just repeated their errors this time…
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