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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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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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Cambodia leads Asia for highest percentage of fully-vaccinated population
Cambodia is topping the list in Asia for the country with the highest percentage of fully-vaccinated individuals in its population. The country’s 16 million-plus population has seen around 82% receiving at least 2 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine since November 3, according to ourworldindata.org. The percentage of those fully-vaccinated has beat out Singapore, Brunei and South Korea by 1%. And,…
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Deepavali holidaymakers leave popular Malaysian cities full of rubbish
Popular tourist spots in Malaysia are resembling rubbish dumping grounds as the recent 4 day Deepavali holiday, ended in mounds of litter. The Deepavali, or Diwali, holiday last week saw the Penang Island City council cleaning up an estimated 5,256 tonnes of garbage. Xavier Sebastian, the city council urban services department director, told the Straits Times that the increase was…
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Phuket seafood festival and promotional event aimed at drawing in tourists
In another attempt to draw tourists back to Phuket, a seafood festival with live music is being held at the end of the month, which local tourism officials say will make the island’s attractions and activities more “colourful.” The Phuket tourism office is also holding a promotional event early next month focused on boosting tourist confidence with information on health…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 6,904 new cases and 61 deaths
6,904 new Covid-19 cases and 61 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 8,024 recoveries. There are now 97,244 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the the CCSA has reported a…
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Thai officials seize illegally imported medical goods worth around 5 million baht
The Food and Drug Administration and Thai police have confiscated a large quantity of illegally imported medical supplies, according to a Bangkok Post report. The seizure happened yesterday, during a raid on 2 warehouses in the Bang Kapi district of Bangkok. In total, the authorities seized products worth around 5 million baht, including Covid-19 test kits. Anan Nanasombat, chief of…
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Thai government to stock up on new Covid-19 treatments
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry plans to order 2 types of antiviral oral treatment in its fight against Covid-19. The Bangkok Post reports that the ministry wants to order supplies of the Molnupiravir antiviral pill, as well as Pfizer’s new oral treatment, Paxlovid. Dr Atthasit Srisubat from the Department of Medical Services has confirmed the decision, following the recent order from PM…
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These EU countries have managed to keep COVID numbers down
For the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, Germany’s nationwide seven-day incidence rate has crossed the 200 threshold. On Monday, it stood at 201.1. The rate, which indicates the number of new COVID-19 infections diagnosed per 100,000 people over a seven-day period, had previously peaked at 197.6 in December 2020. In other words: The fourth wave has crashed on Germany’s…
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Afghanistan: People struggle to make ends meet amid economic turmoil
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August, the conflict-stricken nation has been dealing not only with political turmoil but also a severe economic crisis and increasing poverty. The Taliban takeover saw billions of dollars in central bank assets frozen and international financial institutions suspend access to funds. Some $9.5 billion (€8.2 billion) in central bank reserves remain blocked…
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Flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan along Chao Phraya river during high tide
Bangkok residents who live near the Chao Phraya river are being warned to watch out for rising water levels after the river overflowed in areas in Bangkok and the neighbouring province Samut Prakan. The water is expected to rise this evening and tomorrow morning. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang visited a road in Samphanthawong district today where there was heavy flooding…
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Thai Red Cross urges government to formalise humanitarian assistance to Myanmar
Thailand’s Red Cross organisation is calling on the government to formalise humanitarian aid to Myanmar refugees. The request was made at the 3rd Thai foreign policy webinar series on “ASEAN’s Future and Crisis in Myanmar.” The Surin Pitsuwan Foundation, Chiang Mai University’s School of Public Policy, Thai PBS and Asia News Network, all jointly hosted the webinar. Former editor of…
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Public Health Minister says cannabis is a step closer to becoming a cash crop
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he wants to make cannabis a cash crop… just not the parts of the plant that get you high. Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, made a visit to a cannabis learning centre in the northeastern province Bueng Kan, which borders Laos, and posted photos on Facebook of himself walking through…
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Monday Covid Update: 7,592 new cases; provincial totals
39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,703 with 19,609 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,592 new Covid-19 cases and 7,495 recoveries. There are now 98,425 people in Thailand being…
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Taiwanese food chains show interest in Thai market
Taiwanese food and dessert chains see potential for growth in Thailand and the Bangkok Post reports that more than 20 different chains from the Asian country are looking into business opportunities in Thailand. This source from the Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion Taiwan, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Bangkok Post how conditions in Thailand are becoming increasingly…
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Tax to promote electric vehicles forecasted
Thailand is hopping on the electric vehicle bandwagon. An anonymous source within the Finance Ministry told the Bangkok Post that the Thai government is mulling over providing tax benefits aimed to encourage electric vehicles. This move is coming in the wake of recent promises by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to increase Thailand’s focus on tackling climate change. The source told the…
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Thai reporter killed in wild elephant attack in Chanthaburi
A wild elephant stomped a Thai reporter to death in Chanthaburi on Friday. The reporter was on the scene taking photos of a mission to administer medical treatment to the animal which had been severely injured in a fight with other elephants. The wounded elephant panicked and charged after being shot with a dart filled with antibiotics, killing 46 year…
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Thailand to welcome British Foreign Secretary as part of Southeast Asia visit
The British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, will visit Thailand as part of a Southeast Asia trip that will also see her travel to Malaysia and Indonesia. According to a Reuters report, the purpose of the week-long trip is to strengthen the UK’s economic and security ties in the region. The UK is increasingly looking to countries beyond Europe as it…
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Aide to Thai PM says repealing lèse majesté law would be “impossible”
A representative of the PM’s Secretariat Office has described Thailand’s controversial lèse majesté law as untouchable, amid calls for it to be repealed. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thipanan Sirichana says repealing the law, formally known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, would contravene the constitution. She says Thailand’s constitution dictates that the king’s position is one of…
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“We’re fixing it” – Government responds to Thailand Pass complaints
A government spokesman says efforts are underway to fix glitches that have affected the Thailand Pass system since its launch. Social media has been awash with criticism from both Thais and foreigners attempting to use the system. Many have complained about delays in receiving the QR code required for travel, while others say they never received it at all. The…
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Monday Covid Update: 7,592 new cases and 39 deaths
7,592 new Covid-19 cases and 39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the CCSA. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 7,495 recoveries. There are now 98,425 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded…
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Burmese, Cambodian jobseekers caught entering Thailand illegally
Unscrupulous people smugglers are taking advantage of Burmese and Cambodian workers who are desperate to find employment in Thailand. With the re-opening of the country to international tourism, migrant workers are paying illegal brokers to secure employment and transport into the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that yesterday, police in the western province of Kanchanaburi arrested 97 Burmese nationals who…
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Tension in Ethiopia as Tigrayan forces advance
When Adam* returned to his home after a haircut on the morning of Saturday, November 6, he saw his parents and sister being forced into a police van. With them were two other families living in the compound – all of them of Tigrayan origin. Before leaving, Adam’s mother was able to lock the house, he said, taking with her…
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WHO: Global pandemic exposed unpreparedness and inequality
A new report by the World Health Organisation Global Preparedness Monitoring Board says that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the world’s lack of preparedness, accountability, and equality. The first year of Covid-19 showed that so many countries failed to be serious about preparedness and taking action on scientific data, while national Covid-19 responses ignored the interconnectedness of the world, revealing massive…
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New ferry route Chon Buri-Songkhla, new speedboat Chumphon-Samui
Several new ferry services are launching to connect Thailand, with a long-haul route from Chon Buri to Songkhla and a new boat service launching from Chumphon to the islands of Ko Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. The new routes will be run by Seahorse Ferries Company for the cross country route, and Marine Passion through the islands. CHON BURI…
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How realistic is Bangladesh’s climate prosperity plan?
At the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on wealthy nations to fulfill their pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions and provide the promised $100 billion (€86 billion) annually in financial aid to less wealthy countries to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further rises in temperature. Only a tiny fraction of…
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Thailand reopening: 20,000 total entered, 50,000 Passes approved
Following reports that 16,595 foreigners total have entered Thailand during the first 5 days of the grand reopening that began on November 1, here are the latest arrival stats for people coming to the Kingdom or at least attempting to come to the country: THAILAND PASS Many people have struggled to obtain their Thailand Pass to enter the country, but…
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Successes and failures in the Thailand Pass programme
Now that the Thailand Pass has been open for about a week, some successes and failures of the revised system replacing the Certificate of Entry are noticeable. The government has issued a warning against a fake registration site, Hotmail accounts not working, and why you might not receive your confirmation, while at the same time applauding more than 50,000 Thailand…
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Illegal border crossing on the rise along with tourism reopening
While Thailand is eager to see foreigners entering the country after Monday’s reopening, not all foreigners are as welcome as others. A crackdown on migrants crossing land borders illegally and entering the country without quarantine caught more than 3,000 people in this past week. A spokesperson for the Internal Security Operations Command correlated Thailand’s reopening to international tourism with the…
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Body of dead man found in Chon Buri lagoon by shell collector
A woman in Chon Buri was shocked when she went out searching for shells in a lagoon and instead stumbled upon a dead body. The incident took place in Bor Thong district of Chon Buri on Thursday afternoon, as the woman visited the lagoon to find and collect shells. The lagoon is in the Tat Thong sub-district and Bor Thong…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: 53 deaths, 7,960 infections, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 7,960 new Covid-19 infections, down 507 since yesterday, and 53 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 16 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,939,126 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 6,950 recoveries, up 1,338 from…
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PM Prayut pushes for pre-ordering of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid
The Ministry of Public Health has been pushed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to pre-order Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, the anti-viral drugs that have proven effective in treating Covid-19. The drugs, produced by Merck and Pfizer respectively, have been shown in testing to reduce the severity of Covid-19 symptoms, hospitalisations and death due to the virus. Molnupiravir recently became the first approved…
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