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Thai man takes grandfather hostage in Bangkok standoff
A 70 year old Thai grandfather was taken hostage by his 35 year old grandson in a Bangkok hotel leading to a standoff that ended when police tased the man. The incident took place in the Charoen Krung area of Bang Rak in the capital city. The grandson had recently been released from prison one month prior after serving a…
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Covid-19 forces 70 private schools out of business, 100 to follow
With Covid-19 shutting down classroom learning for months on end, private schools are struggling, with about 70 going out of business in the past 9 months. The Office of the Private Education Promotion Commission has already received notice from nearly 100 more private schools planning on closing. The president of the Association of Private Education Promotion and Coordination Committee explain that…
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Covid-19 clusters prompt lockdown in 3 Korat villages
In Nakhon Ratchasima, aka Korat, 3 villages in the Non Sung and Bua Yai districts are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks causing a lockdown until early November. Ban Don Faek Moo 8 and Ban Faek Pattana Moo 15 in tambon Phon Songkhram and Khuem Muang village Moo 13 in Bua Yai district were ordered into lockdown. The lockdown was put in place…
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Thammasat University says vaccines slowed by government docs
After striking several deals to import vaccines, Thammasat University has expressed frustration with how bureaucratic red tape is delaying the arrival of 3 million Moderna vaccines donated from Poland. They called for the government to expedite the process to get the Moderna vaccine into Thailand. The 3 million vaccines that Poland had donated to the university were scheduled to arrive…
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Thailand reopening roundup: What happens November 1
Things are moving fast towards the November 1 reopening which in the last few days swelled from 10 countries being allowed entry to Thailand to 46 countries, 3 entry plans, replacing the Certificate of Entry, and even an attempt to reopen nightlife. Below is a round-up of the plans as they stand now. “TEST & GO”: COUNTRIES THAT CAN ENTER…
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Thailand is open for tourism again, sort of
OPINION The opening you have when you’re not quite open. Quarantine-free arrival, except that you’ll still need to book at least 1 night of stay in an approved hotel or AQ (alternative quarantine). No bars are open (officially) and, in most parts of the country, most shops remain closed. In tourist-dependent places like Phuket, more than 90% of the formerly…
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Thailand Pass website launching, accepted from November 2
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun the process of replacing the Certificate of Entry with the new Thailand Pass which will be accepted from November 2. The Ministry announced that tp.consular.go.th will be live for people arriving in Thailand after November 2 to register for the Thailand Pass. The information comes from the Ministry of Interior’s Phuket office who…
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Thailand’s chicken industry suffering from lack of migrant workers
Thailand, one of the world’s major producers of chicken products, is struggling to keep up with exports. Japanese food companies, one of the major importers of Thai chicken, are feeling the pinch. Like many industries, it’s a labour shortage causing many of the issues. Around the world, supply chains have been severely disrupted by the Covid pandemic and labourers have…
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Ethiopia: Renewed airstrikes pummel Tigray region
Ethiopian authorities have confirmed that its military launched airstrikes on Tigray’s regional capital Mekele on Friday. It is the fourth wave of airstrikes to hit Mekele since Monday as the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed seeks to regain control of the northern region from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Getachew Reda, a TPLF spokesperson, told Reuters news agency…
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Ecuador grapples with spiraling violence
It was meant to be a fun family trip to an ice cream parlor. But it ended in tragedy. Eleven-year-old Sebastian was standing at the counter; his parents were sitting at a table with his little sister. Suddenly, shots rang out. Two gunemen exchanged fire with the police on the street corner in front of the ice cream parlor. The…
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Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be opening up Thailand to international travellers, but Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan is aiming to open up entertainment venues to those international travellers. The Tourism Minister plans on officially proposing that entertainment venues, bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, pubs and other nightlife venues be reopening in the Blue Zones, the new term for the…
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Turkey’s Osman Kavala case: A break with Europe?
Turkish philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala has never been convicted of a crime — yet he has been in prison for almost four years in Turkey, despite the ruling of a top European court. On September 17, the Council of Europe issued Turkey its final warning to release the 64-year-old entrepreneur, warning that infringement proceedings against Ankara would start at…
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Philippines: What happened to the victims of Marawi’s deadly siege?
The siege had been raging for two days before Gilda could contact her son Jessie. He worked in a bakery in Marawi, a city on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Aged 17, he wanted to help his mother provide for his three sisters. “He said there was no electricity and they had nothing to eat. He said it was…
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Is India’s justice system failing low-caste Dalit women?
India’s 80 million Dalit women and girls at the bottom of the South Asian country’s caste hierarchy experience many forms of violence. But getting justice for such crimes could take years. SOURCE: DW News
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Niger’s Festival of Nomads
The Cure Salee, or Festival of Nomads, takes place at Ingal, northern Niger. Here, nomadic people of the Sahara celebrate their culture, music and animals. The camel race is just one of the event’s highlights. SOURCE: DW News
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EU leaders call for tougher migration controls amid border surge
The divisive issue of refugees and migrants was top of the agenda as European Union leaders met in Brussels for the second day of their summit. Their meeting came amid a surge of migrants and refugees trying to cross the Belarusian border into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia from countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Many EU leaders have accused…
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Biden reaffirms US would defend Taiwan against Chinese attack
US President Joe Biden said that the US would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese attack. He was asked about this hypothetical situation yesterday during a CNN town hall segment. His response is a departure from the typical US stance on the Taiwan issue, but follows the trend of increasingly firm policy approaches towards China. China, historically, considers…
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Curfew lifted October 31 for all or part of 17 Thai provinces
Just ahead of the big November 1 reopening to international tourists, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that curfew will be lifted entirely in all or part of 17 provinces on October 31. The order has already been signed into effect and published in the Royal Gazette late last night. The order means that when the doors are opened to fully…
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Covid-19 Friday: 66 deaths, 9,810 infections, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 9,810 new Covid-19 infections, up 83 since yesterday, and 66 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 7 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,802,526 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,513 recoveries, up 438 from…
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Thai car production expected to grow
Car production in Thailand is expected to grow, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. With the rates of Covid-19 infections falling and the careful management of the semiconductor shortage, the target of 1.6 million units is expected to be surpassed. Lockdowns and other restrictions are being eased in many countries that buy cars produced in Thailand, which means that…
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Man arrested after allegedly raping young girl 18 years ago
A fugitive for 18 years, police just caught up with a man accused of raping a young student 18 years ago. The 42 year old man was arrested in Bangkok after evading police for nearly 2 decades since 2003 when it is alleged that he raped a young girl in Phayao in the north of Thailand. The crime suppression division…
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Pinktober puts spotlight on breast cancer in Middle East
As cancer rates increase in Middle Eastern countries, various NGOs and charities have joined the annual Pinktober campaign to fight stigma, raise money and highlight the importance of breast cancer education and research. “Among Arabs, cancer is growing at an alarming pace,” according to a 2020 paper by the World Health Organization (WHO). “We estimate that the incidence numbers in…
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China to prioritize foreign students returning
The Chinese ambassador said on Wednesday that students from Thailand would be one of the first groups allowed to return to China when the country reopens. This was announced during an online interview with the media, which was also attended by a top Chinese education official. Thailand has more than 30,000 students enrolled in educational programmes in China, the nation…
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Thailand’s focus on wealthy tourists won’t benefit small business
With the November 1 reopening, the government has not been looking to welcome back any and all travellers that want to come to Thailand. Instead, they’ve been narrowly focused on attracting the “right” tourists, attempting to lure wealthy investors and retirees to dump money into Thailand, while often brushing aside the moderate and budget tourists that have for years been…
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“Together Phuket Stepping Forward”: tourism plan after Sandbox
“Together Phuket Stepping Forward” is the new tourism campaign designed to be the successor to the Phuket Sandbox now that the government is firming their plans to open without quarantine to a newly-expanded list of 46 countries. The plan grew out of a town hall meeting yesterday with private and public agencies along with the Phuket Tourist Association. Phuket Governor…
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Indonesia to introduce strict air travel measures for end-of-year holiday period
Anticipating a jump in visitor numbers over the end-of-year holiday period, Indonesia is strengthening its air travel rules. According to a Bloomberg report, the country is anxious to avoid a spike in infections as a result of the increase in tourist numbers. A spokesman for the country’s Covid-19 task force says all airlines serving Indonesia must isolate passengers who develop…
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Southern Thailand to receive 500,000 vaccine doses to combat Covid-19 surge
The head of the Disease Control Department says half a million vaccine doses are being sent to 4 southern provinces. Opart Karnkawinpong says the allocation is to help the region battle a surge in Covid-19 infections. The southern provinces have already received an earlier allocation of 500,000 vaccines doses. According to a Thai PBS World report, the southern province of…
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Expelled monk returns to southern Thailand to celebrate birthday
A former monk who was expelled from monkhood has returned to southern Thailand to celebrate his birthday. Phra Yantra Amaro Bhikku, who is now known as Winai La-Ongsuwan, became disgraced from monkhood after alleged sexual misconduct. Although he has often returned to Thailand after his criminal defamation case against him in 2014, Covid-19 has kept him away for the past…
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Phuket officials confirm island’s recovery plan following sandbox “success”
The southern island of Phuket is looking to the future, with ambitious plans to evolve into a tourism, education, and service innovation hub between 2023 and 2027. The Bangkok Post reports that officials are preparing to launch the “Together Phuket Stepping Forward” campaign, in line with the country’s imminent re-opening. Governor Narong Woonciew says the campaign will follow on from…
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Indonesia cuts Covid-19 quarantine period to 5 days
The Indonesian government has cut the mandatory, Covid-19 quarantine from 8 to 5 days for those entering the country. The 5-day quarantine applies to international travellers, including Indonesian citizens and foreign nationals arriving in the country. The Indonesian National Armed Forces, Indonesian Police, relevant Ministries and Institutions, and volunteers under the Commander of the Regional Defense Command will supervise the…
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