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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Malaysia’s Covid infections hit record high, exceed Delta wave of last year
Covid-19 infections in Malaysia have surged to a record high, surpassing the numbers seen during the Delta wave last year. Yesterday, Malaysia reported 27,831 new cases, the highest since August 2021, when daily infections reached 24,599. Officials say the current spike is being driven by the highly-contagious Omicron variant, as is the case in many other Asian countries. According to…
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Bangkok officials set up another 1,000 isolation beds amid surge in infections
As Covid-19 infection numbers surge in Bangkok, officials have set up another 1,000 beds in isolation facilities across the capital. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has instructed all 50 district offices to create more community isolation facilities. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the additional isolation facilities will help ease the burden on hospitals and the…
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Despite Covid-19, tourism authorities still optimistic about this coming year
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is keeping its chin up, and has high hopes for tourism income this year. The TAT governor told the Bangkok Post today he hopes to target wealthy travellers, skilled professionals, and remote workers. The target age groups include millenials and retirees alike. He says the goal for tourism this year is to earn the country…
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Amnesty says Thailand’s attempts to expel it should serve as a warning to other NGOs
The human rights organisation Amnesty International says the government’s attempts to kick it out of the country should serve as a warning to other non-governmental organisations operating in Thailand. Kyle Ward, Amnesty’s deputy secretary general, says the calls for expulsion can be linked to a new draft law that seeks to intensify scrutiny of NGOs operating in Thailand. He says…
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The tale of two Covids – the world diverges
OPINION There are two Covid conversations going on at the same time, depending where you live in the world. In one Covid universe, countries are lowering restrictions, reopening borders, letting their citizens walk around with out face masks and, generally, get on with things. In the parallel Covid universe, countries are gingerly re-opening their borders but still with restrictions, expensive…
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Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws explained
Thailand’s recent changes to the laws around cannabis have sparked confusion across the country, with many questioning, “Is weed legal now?” Well.. not the weed that will cause a high. There’s a limit on the plant’s psychoactive component, known as THC, so you won’t get stoned when you order a cannabis-infused tea or dish topped with a pot leaf. Those…
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Taiwan to ease entry restrictions, cut quarantine to 10 days in March
Taiwan plans to relax its strict COVID-19 quarantine policy beginning in March, in order to reopen to the world and gradually resume normal life, the government said on Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, Taiwan has enforced a blanket two-week quarantine on everyone arriving to the island, even while its neighbours in Asia began implementing reopening strategies last year,…
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Bangkok to be officially named “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”
The official for Thailand’s capital is in the process of being changed to its more formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,” but its common name “Bangkok” will still be recognised. The Thai Cabinet approved the name change in principle, but the order still needs to be vetted by government officials. Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, or “Krung Thep” as most Thais…
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Amnesty faces being kicked out of Thailand for not meeting “legal requirements”
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, risks being expelled from Thailand, with the government accusing it of failing to comply with legal requirements. According to a Bangkok Post report, Boonchob Suthamanaswong from the Labour Ministry says officials are considering whether to renew the organisation’s operating licence. He says Amnesty’s request will be reviewed by a panel whose remit is to…
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Security ramped up at Ukrainian, Russian embassies in Bangkok as tensions mount
Bangkok police say they have increased security in the areas surrounding the Ukrainian and Russian embassies as tensions between the 2 countries mounts. Conflict broke out when Russia threatened to avenge any move by Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The ongoing tension, with Russia amassing troops at the Ukrainian border, has world leaders on edge. Kritsana Patanacharoen…
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Omicron subvariant BA.2 accounts for 18% of Covid-19 infections in Thailand
The Department of Medical Sciences says the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 makes up 18.5% of Covid-19 cases in Thailand. However, department boss Supakit Sirilak says that while BA.2 appears to be faster spreading, there is no indication it results in more severe illness or is more likely to evade vaccines. According to a Bangkok Post report, the DMS examined…
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Interpol Red Notices issued for 2 Canadians wanted for Phuket hit job
Interpol has issued Red Notices for both suspects wanted in the targeted killing of an Indian national in Phuket. Alleged gang member Jimi “Slice” Sandhu was gunned down in the car park of his villa near Rawai beach on the evening of February 4. Police are searching for 2 ex-servicemen from Canada in relation to the killing, believed to be…
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Asia News Today | Japan to ease border controls & Fears of Cambodian surveillance
A new internet gateway in Cambodia, set to be launched today, is being delayed, apparently due to issues related to Covid 19 in the country. When enacted, all Internet traffic in Cambodia will be routed through the government-run National Internet Gateway, allowing authorities to monitor online activity, intercept and censor digital communications, and collect users’ personal data. But the Telecommunications…
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Thai woman’s OnlyFans content stolen, officers say she could face pornography charges
A Thai woman who posts sexually explicit photos and videos on her OnlyFans account says her content, which was intended only for those who pay for a subscription to her page, was taken without permission and spread for free on a gambling website. She reported the incident to the Thai police, but officers have now put the 25 year old…
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Six police officers investigated for allegedly demanding bribes, not reporting drug seizure
Six Thai police officers were transferred from their positions and now face disciplinary action after they allegedly demanded a bribe and for not reporting their drug seizure with the department. The officers in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom allegedly demanded a bribe from a man running a delivery service for the release of two of his employees who had been…
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Travel Guide: Top places to retire in Asia 2022
Retiring in Asia is a dream for many, with fond memories of short or longer travel to some of the humid and exotic countries in the region. All that exquisite cuisine, diverse sceneries, fascinating histories, intriguing temples, tropical adventures, colourful nightlife, and markets and malls for shopping. Lots of shopping. So it’s easy to become enamoured with all things “Asia.”…
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Asia News Today | Daily news from around Asia in 10 minutes
US prosecutors have accused a former Goldman Sachs banker of taking 35 million USD in kickbacks on the first day of a trial over the multibillion-dollar looting of the infamous 1MDB Malaysian government fund.Roger Ng, Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, stands charged with conspiring to launder money. The trial is renewing scrutiny of Goldman Sachs’s role in…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 14,373 new cases; provincial totals
27 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,489 with 791 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,373 new Covid-19 cases and 11,551 recoveries. There are now 132,728 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Snake on a plane forces Malaysian AirAsia flight to make an emergency landing
Like a scene of the cult-classic Samuel L. Jackson film “Snakes on a Plane,” (but far less dramatic), a snake slithering loose in an AirAsia passenger airplane led the pilots of the Malaysian budget carrier to detour from the scheduled route and make an emergency landing. A video from the aircraft’s cabin shows the silhouette of a long snake slithering…
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How cross-border payments fintechs like DeeMoney are empowering the gig economy
Press Release Even before COVID-19 changed the world of work forever, there was a trend towards a greater reliance on freelancers. In fact, they now make up 35 per cent of the global workforce – that’s about 1.1 billion people. Unsurprisingly, that number has been skyrocketing during the pandemic, with a growth of 24% recorded in just a single quarter…
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Chon Buri barbershop goes viral after haircut for the nephew of Brunei Sultan
Men are flocking to a barbershop in Chon Buri after the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei came in for a haircut. Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, who is also a professional footballer, recently started playing for the Chon Buri Football Club and has become very popular among Thais, many saying he is friendly. The owner of Chang Tee Barbershop says many…
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4 Thai tourists hospitalised after wooden pier breaks in Koh Larn off Pattaya coast
Four Thai tourists were injured when the railing of a pier broke and they fell onto the rocks around two metres below. The tourists were taking a photo and leaning against the railing of the pier on Koh Larn, an island off the Pattaya coast, when it broke. Three of them are being treated for serious injuries. Reports say those…
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Top paediatrician says 2 doses of mRNA vaccine enough to protect children
One of Thailand’s top paediatricians says there’s no need to give children a cocktail of an inactivated vaccine dose and an mRNA dose. Instead, Somsak Lolekha from the Paediatric Society of Thailand says 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine are enough to protect children from becoming severely ill with Covid-19. He adds that booster doses are not necessary for most…
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23 hotels in Thailand sold for a total of 13.2 billion baht in 2021
The following is a press release from JLL, a professional services firm specialising in real estate and investment management. Ease of travel restrictions will lead to a brighter tourism market outlook and more participation of foreign investors this year The latest report from property consultant JLL reveals that Thailand saw 23 hotels sold in 2021 with approximately 3,000 keys and…
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Mother in Sa Kaeo allegedly drives a motorbike drunk, drops 4 month old baby
A four month old baby was found in the middle of a road in the eastern province Sa Kaeo, which borders Cambodia. Reports say the mother was drunk and accidentally dropped her baby while on a motorbike, but didn’t realise until she had driven home. Locals found the baby lying in the middle of the Suwannasorn Road at around 9pm…
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Indonesia considers ditching all quarantine rules for international arrivals from April
A government official in Indonesia says the country could lift all quarantine requirements for international arrivals from April, as the Covid-19 hospitalisation and death rates are now under control. According to a Bloomberg report, the suggestion was made by Luhut Panjaitan, who oversees the government’s pandemic response on the islands of Java and Bali. He went on to say that…
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Covid-19 infections will soon begin to level off and drop for most of the country – CCSA
The government’s Covid-19 task force expects overall case numbers to level off and start dropping soon, but 10 provinces could still see rising numbers. Yesterday, Thailand reported 14,900 new infections and 26 Covid deaths, compared to 15,882 cases and 25 deaths the day before. Bangkok reported 2,892 and 10 deaths, with daily infections doubling during the first 6 weeks of…
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Domestic travel demand weakened by rising Covid infections, high prices
A spike in daily new infections, coupled with high prices for goods and services, has stymied the recovery of domestic tourism. La-Iad Bungsrithong from the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association says this is despite government schemes such as We Travel Together and other incentives designed to attract visitors, such as local events. “Bookings from the fourth phase of…
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Koh Phi Phi officials say keep sea clean after pregnant shark trapped in hat dies
The head of Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park is advising people to keep the Andaman Sea clean after divers found a pregnant blacktip reef shark dead, her body stuck in what appears to be part of a woven straw hat that had unravelled and gotten tied up in coral. In a video from the divers, the brim and top…
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Thailand is revising surrogacy laws to allow foreigners to hire Thais to bear children
Thailand is revising surrogacy laws to allow foreigners to hire Thai surrogate mothers without requiring one partner to be Thai. Under the proposed changes, foreigners will also be allowed to bring the eggs and sperm out of Thailand for surrogacy overseas. Revisions to the law are aimed at promoting Thailand as a medical hub, gaining more income for the country.…
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