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There’s no better way to experience Thailand than through its cuisine. In the rainy season, flavours bloom alongside the landscape, steam rises from market pots, the snap of chilli echoes through alleyways, and rain makes every bite more vivid. “I...
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Trump threatens US TikTok ban
Donald Trump said yesterday that he plans to sign an executive order – perhaps as soon as today – banning the Chinese-owned short-video app TikTok from the US. Such a ban would mark the culmination of national security concerns over the safety of personal data handled by TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, which became 1 of only a handful of…
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Korean man in Phuket suicide
In an apparent suicide, the body of a South Korean man was found in a pickup truck in the city district of the southern resort province of Phuket yesterday, his head covered in a plastic bag. Police found the white pickup, with Phuket licence plates, in the car park of the Golden Triangle Been Co. in tambon Vichit after being…
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House agrees to Constitutional amendment
Apparently acquiescing to the demands of anti-government protesters who have held demonstrations across the nation for 2 weeks, a parliamentary committee formed to study problems with Thailand’s Constitution has resolved to change Section 256 of the charter, to clear the way for broader amendments. The protesters, mainly university students, have demanded a rewritten Constitution, a new general election and an…
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Duterte tells Filipinos to clean masks with petrol
Stressing that his advice is not a joke, bombastic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday told his people to use petrol as a disinfectant for protective facemasks. The outspoken leader made a similar remark last week which his spokesman said was a joke, reminding the public that Duterte often says things in jest. But in a televised address yesterday, Duterte declared:…
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Sa Kaeo couple in murder/suicide
Police in the eastern Sa Kaeo province, along the Cambodian border, say a 61 year old man and his 44 year old wife are dead after what they’re calling a murder/suicide. The incident in the Ban Mai Nong Sai subdistrict was reported at around 6am yesterday. Authorities arrived at the scene to find 44 year old Nuengthai Klomkraok dead in…
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Road carnage mounts as couple killed in Nonthaburi crash
Thailand’s road carnage continues to mount: police and rescue services were called in Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, after an incident in which an Isuzu pickup truck collided with a barrier then crossed over a metal fence at 6:30 yesterday. 2 people, 45 year old Adisak, and his 46 year old wife Suchada, were thrown out of the vehicle and…
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South Korean cult leader arrested for hiding Covid-19 data, embezzlement
Authorities in South Korea this morning arrested the founder of a secretive Christian sect at the centre of the country’s largest outbreak of Covid-19 infections for allegedly concealing crucial data from contact-tracers, and other offences. Police nabbed Lee Man-hee, the powerful head of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is linked to more than 5,200 coronavirus infections, or about 36%…
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Vietnam records first Covid-19 deaths
Vietnam announced today that 2 people have now died of Covid-19 complications, just a day after it recorded its first-ever coronavirus death, as it struggles with a renewed outbreak after 99 days without a locally transmitted case. Both patients died in hospital in Da Nang, a hotspot with more than 100 cases in the past week, more than half of…
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Protesters attempt to “wash away” government double standards
Continuing the wave of anti-government demonstrations which has swept the country for nearly 2 weeks, protesters calling themselves “Democracy June 24” gathered outside Government House in Bangkok yesterday and symbolically washed dishes carrying various political messages. The last dish, carrying a photo of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was dramatically smashed when protesters were “unable” to scrub it clean. (October 24 is…
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Korat police offer bounty for drug dealer who shot officer
Police in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasisma province, aka Korat, are offering a 30,000 baht reward for information leading to the arrest of a drug dealer who escaped after shooting an undercover agent in a sting operation gone bad. 38 year old Phadungsil Lohakart allegedly shot officer Song Tuaykrathok, who was posing as a buyer of crystal methamphetamine, in Korat’s Khong…
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Gold shop heist foiled as owner locks thief inside
Police in Bangkok’s Klong Sam Wa district yesterday arrested a woman after she showed up at a local gold shop, dressed in pink Muslim garb and armed with a pistol, evidently intending to rob the place. Unfortunately for her, the caper was foiled when the owner of the “Yaowarat Gold Department Store” locked her in, called police and waited outside…
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Covid-19 update: 6 new imported cases, deaths still at 58 (July 31)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 6 new cases of Covid-19 among returnees from Egypt and the Netherlands, lifting the national total to 3,310 since the outbreak began in January. Spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin announced the new figure at this morning’s daily press briefing. Taweesilp said 5 of the new patients recently returned from Egypt; 4 are male students,…
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Pattaya police say insults led to fatal shooting
2 suspects, arrested early yesterday and accused of the fatal shooting in broad daylight of a motorbike taxi driver in Pattaya, have been charged with murder. Police traced and arrested the 2 prime suspects, named as 39 year old Manat Imamu and 45 year old Niphon Panthong, in Chon Buri’s Bangsaen district, as they attempted to withdraw money from an…
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First Lady of Brazil has Covid-19
The First Lady of Brazil tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday after her husband spent 2 weeks in quarantine with the virus. The announcement comes just 5 days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and had resumed his normal work routine. His office says 38 year old Michelle Bolsonaro “is in good health and will follow all…
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Nok Air will survive despite bankruptcy: CEO
Thai budget carrier Nok Air is insisting that its business will be able to return to solvency despite filing a business rehabilitation request with the Central Bankruptcy Court, shortly after national flag carrier Thai Airways did the same. Nok Air CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool said yesterday that the impact of Covid-19 is preventing the airline from flying its 18 international routes,…
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Europe bans US travellers for 2nd time in a month
The EU extended its travel ban on Americans yesterday for the second time in a month, as Covid-19 continues to ravage the US. The EU began lifting its travel restrictions on July 1, welcoming visitors from 14 countries, including Canada, South Korea and Australia. The US was left off of that list, and the EU extended its ban on travellers…
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Facebook post from Bangkok restaurateur shows the power of social media
A Bangkok restaurateur has been left surprised by the power of social media, after his online complaint led to workers rushing back to fill a gaping hole they’d left outside his premises 3 months ago. Donald Woo, a Hong Kong expat who runs a noodle shop in the capital, took to Facebook to voice his frustration after workers abandoned a…
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Hong Kong reverses daytime ban on restaurant dining after workers forced to eat in the street
Hong Kong officials are rowing back on a decision to extend a ban on restaurant dining to daytime hours and will now allow tables of up to 2, until 6pm. The move comes after photos went viral of workers having to balance takeaway boxes on the backs of cars, or on narrow ledges along the side of buildings. Some were…
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Tycoon’s prison term for attempted bribery upheld
The 1 year prison sentence for construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta for attempted bribery has been upheld by Thailand’s appeals court. Premchai’s case captured national attention in February when the high profile CEO and 3 associates were found surrounded by animal carcasses and guns in a protected wildlife sanctuary. Premchai, president of Italian-Thai Development Corp, was later released by the court…
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What’s behind Hong Kong’s third wave of Covid-19 infections?
Hong Kong has had its ups and downs throughout the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic but its reaction was considered a text book response as it contained the virus quickly. But then there was a smaller 2nd wave, and now a 3rd. Despite being a part of China and sharing a border with the mainland to the north, Hong…
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Heart damage in Covid-19 patients found months after recovery – Study
New medical reports are showing that Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is having lasting impact on the heart of some patients. The report confirms the fears of cardiologists who have been concerned about potential long-term heart injury from the coronavirus. Two German studies, published this week in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Cardiology, indicated heart “abnormalities” in Covid-19 patients months after they had…
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Key witness in the Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya case dies in motorbike incident
One of the key witnesses of the 2012 hit and run incident, involving Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, died this morning as a result of a motorbike incident in Chiang Mai. He was one of two main witnesses identified by police in the case. The incident happened this morning just after 2am in the main city area of Chiang…
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Still no word on abducted activist as UN deadline passes
Despite a UN deadline, the family of abducted activist Wanchalerm “Ta” Satsaksit says that authorities have yet to offer any explanation of his fate. He is believed to have been kidnapped in front of his Phnom Penh apartment on June 4. His sister, Sitanan Satsaksit says she has yet to hear any word from either the Cambodian or Thai governments…
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Thai Vietjet passengers treated to surprise “concert in the sky”
Thai Vietjet Air today launched its maiden flight VZ210, from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. To celebrate the inauguration, the airline delivered a surprise “concert in the sky” with famous Thai singer Ying Lee, featuring a full team of dancers and cabin crew, along with souvenirs for all passengers. The carrier will operate 2…
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Drug dealer shoots policeman, escapes in Korat
Police are hunting for a drug dealer who shot an undercover agent yesterday and fled after realising he was caught in a sting operation in Khong district of the lower northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, aka Korat. The officer was seriously wounded and rushed to hospital. 38 year old Phadungsil Lohakart allegedly shot the agent, who was posing as a buyer…
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Anti-coup activist acquitted of sedition, cybercrime charges
A pro-democracy activist was acquitted today of sedition and cybercrime charges for criticising the ruling junta back in 2014. He was accused of violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act by posting messages against the 2014 coup that deposed PM Yingluck Shinawatra. The messages were posted between May 30 and June 4, 2015, when martial…
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Ukrainian man in fatal fall from abandoned Surat Thani hotel
A Ukranian fell to his death from the roof of an empty hotel in the central business district of the southern province of Surat Thani this morning. The 36 year old man, identified by Matichon as Tomak Mykola, was found lying face up on the ground in front of the abandoned Southern Star Hotel on Chon Kasem Road. Police were…
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Student flash mob in Chiang Mai as anti-government protests keep popping up
By Will Langston For the second time in less than a week, activists took over Chiang Mai’s famous landmark Tha Pae Gate last night around 5pm. Their message was clear in banners and in slogans showed by the group: Freedom. Police watched closely as hundreds of people gathered, dressed in cosplay attire, wearing masks and holding signs expressing their individual…
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Pro-monarchy students plan Bangkok rally
A group of pro-royalist vocational students and their supporters are planning a rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument today, possibly provoking a confrontation with pro-democracy students. The student group, calling itself “Vocational Students to Protect the Nation” said on their Facebook page that they will be demonstrating at Democracy monument and voice their opinions on the current surge of pro-democratic student…
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Driver seriously injured after becoming trapped under bus in Chon Buri
A bus driver in the eastern Thai province of Chon Buri has been seriously injured after becoming trapped under his vehicle while trying to repair it. The Pattaya News reports that 50 year old Samrit Phetphunok was attempting to fix a broken axle when the bus collapsed on him. The incident occurred in the Ban Bueang area of the province.…
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