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Indonesian cleric barred from Singapore over alleged extremism
Singaporean authorities have announced yesterday that officials had barred a popular Indonesian Muslim cleric from entering their country due to his allegedly extremist teachings. Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs claims in a statement that the Abdul Somad Batubara, has called suicide bombings “legitimate” and “martyrdom” in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The MHA also claims that the cleric has…
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New Krabi Airport terminal scheduled to open in November
Krabi International Airport is hoping to double its passenger capacity when a new passenger terminal opens, car parking areas increased and renovations are completed on the old terminal. The terminals were expected to officially open in October, but the schedule is now postponed until November due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic in Thailand (although The Thaiger notes the…
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Risk of dengue fever is higher in rainy season, warns Thai doctor
The risk of contracting dengue fever in Thailand is higher in the rainy season, because pools of water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, warns Songkhla Provincial Public Health Doctor Songkran Maechum. Monsoon season began last Friday, and intermittent rain is expected to cause a spike in dengue fever cases in Thailand, so be prepared. In Songkhla province in southern Thailand,…
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Black box data on crashed China Eastern 737 suggests possible “intentional nosedive”
Some preliminary findings have now been released in relation to the crash of the China Eastern Airlines 737-800 on March 21. The plane crashed, nose-first, into mountains in southern China. Investigators are now examining further if the crash was due to “intentional action on the flight deck”. The early reports say that there is, so far, no evidence of a technical…
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UPDATE: Phuket’s Narong visits recovering German tourist in hospital
UPDATE As Barbara Lange recovers in Bangkok Hospital Phuket after she went missing for a week, Phuket’s Governor Narong has paid Barbara and her family a visit yesterday. The governor reportedly went to the hospital with other officials, and the group presented Barbara and her family with flowers. The 76 year old woman first went missing from a hotel in…
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Mixed fortunes for Thai Airways but nation’s flag carrier confident of financial take off
Financial figures released yesterday by Thai Airways International revealed mixed fortunes for the Bangkok-based airline. Thailand’s flag carrier airline declared a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue of 11.2 billion baht in Q1, an improvement on the 11.2 billion baht net loss from the same period last year, but on the positive side the company also noted…
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Songkhla woman charged with trafficking young girl
A woman in Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla has been charged with trafficking a young girl, forcing the girl into prostitution at her karaoke shop. The woman was arrested last week, but police announced the arrest yesterday. The woman arrested is 48 year old Nattha Meenche. The 13 year old girl says she was forced to provide sex services to…
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Outdoor mask mandate to be ditched in Indonesia as infections continue to fall
From today, people in Indonesia are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, as Covid-19 infections continue to fall. According to a Reuters report, Indonesian President Joko Widodo says “the pandemic is getting more and more controlled”, removing the need for an outdoor mask mandate. However, he goes on to say that a mask mandate on public transport and other…
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Thai officials visit Saudi Arabia for roadshow, push for more tourists
As part of a push to draw more Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand, tourism officials visited Saudi Arabia on May 15-16 in a roadshow. There, the Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation with Almosafer, the biggest OTA in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The TAT also signed an MoC with Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, to promote a…
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Flooding in Bangkok after 10 hours of torrential rain
Bangkok has flooded in many areas after 10 hours of torrential rain beginning at 3pm yesterday and continuing into the early hours of this morning, according to the Department of Drainage and Sewage. The most affected areas are Chatuchak, Lak Si, Don Mueang and Lat Phrao. In some places, the water level has reached higher than 1 metre. The floods…
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Thai aviation industry says international flights at only 20% of pre-pandemic level
The Thai Airlines Association says that in the first 4 months of this year, domestic flights have returned to nearly 100% of their pre-pandemic level. However, international flights have still only reached 20% of pre-Covid-19 levels. TAA president, Putthiphong Prasatthong-Osot, says the lifting of some travel restrictions has led to an increase in passenger numbers, but adds that it will…
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Police hunt foreigner wanted in relation to violent assault at Pattaya gym
Police in Pattaya are searching for a foreign man wanted in relation to a violent assault on another foreigner at a local gym. According to a Pattaya News report, 46-year-old British national, Gary Reed, was assaulted with a dumbbell in a row over gym equipment. The victim says that he was exercising at the gym when a foreign man started…
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Students ride elephants to school in northern Thailand
Some might take a bus, others ride their bike, some will walk. But some Thai kids arrived at school via elephant this morning in Tak province, northern Thailand. Today was the first day of nationwide on-site classes in Thai schools after almost two years of online, remote studying. To mark the occasion, parents from Baan Ya Por School in Phob…
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Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV
On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…
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Superstitious Cambodian PM to change his date of birth
Superstitious Cambodian PM, Hun Sen, announced today that he will change his legal date of birth from April 4, 1951, to his actual date of birth on August 5, 1952. The 69 year old former military commander decided to change the date of his birth after his older brother passed away earlier this month from a heart attack. Cambodia’s longest-serving…
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Top 10 Best Ways To Avoid Condo Hotel Property Rip-Offs
One recent topic of discussion in Thailand’s real estate circles has been about how possible defaults in the condo hotel or investment sector can have a negative impact on the industry. Based on my own two decades of experience with C9 Hotelworks in branded residences in Thailand and throughout Asia Pacific, I thought it might be helpful to give some…
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Thailand to welcome one millionth tourist this year by end of May
Thailand expects its one millionth foreign tourist this year to arrive by the end of May, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The kingdom has seen a sharp increase in tourists since the Test & Go programme and other entry requirements were scrapped at the start this month. However, the current influx of tourists still has nothing on pre-pandemic…
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Newest and widest Chao Phraya cable-stayed bridge to open in 2022
The Expressway Authority of Thailand has provided an update on the development of the newest and widest Chao Phraya cable-stayed bridge, saying the new bridge is expected to open for use sometime later this year. The department would ask HM King Vachiralongkorn to officiate at the opening and provide his auspicious name to the bridge, Rama 10. EXAT says that…
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Laos experiencing a petrol crisis due to high inflation
The Lao government denied there was a national petrol crisis despite calling an emergency meeting and hours’ long queues witnessed throughout the country’s filling stations. The government, who import the majority of its petroleum from Thailand, scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the country’s inflation, panic buying and why a large number of petrol stations were closed last week in…
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14 year old student takes her own life after teacher expels her from school
A 14 year old female student in the southern province of Songkhla has committed suicide after a teacher expelled her from school because of her financial and family problems. Thai media reported that a 14 year old female student decided to hang herself at a house in Songkhla province on May 13. Her friends told police that she had problems…
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450 charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2022
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) plans to increase its electric vehicle (EV) business by adding more charging stations in the nation’s shopping malls by the end of the year. Terminal 21, Fashion Island, and The Promenade are next in line to get the charging stations under the PluZ brand. Five more stations, two in Bangkok, two in Pattaya and…
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Thai woman complains after Pattaya laundry service overcharges for foreign BF – VIDEO
A Thai woman is complaining about a local laundry overcharging for services on social media. Her foreign boyfriend was charged 500 baht for only 11 pieces of clothes at a laundry shop in the city. On May 15, the woman posted in a Facebook group named พัทยา or ‘Pattaya’, saying… “My boyfriend bought 7 shirts, 2 short pants, and 3…
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Northeast Thailand sees worst floods in 10 years
Many areas of Thailand have experienced heavy rain and flash flooding since monsoon season began on Friday. Yesterday, two hours of continuous heavy rain caused flash flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. A pottery village in Chok Chai district experienced the heaviest flooding to occur in 10 years. Hook 31 Rescue Team deployed boats to evacuate villagers and their…
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6 million baht worth of gold stolen in Northern Thailand
Police are on the lookout for an armed robber who fled the crime scene with nearly 6 million baht worth of gold from a Big C Supermarket in Tak, Northern Thailand, on Sunday. The robber burst into the popular superstore, withdrew a handgun, demanded cash and several trays of gold jewelry, before making his escape on a white Yamaha motorbike…
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Family Pit Bull attacks 8 year old girl in central Thailand
An 8 year old girl was seriously injured after she was attacked by her family dog at around 4pm yesterday in Samut Prakan province, central Thailand. The child said she was skateboarding in the kitchen when the Pit Bull – Thai mixed breed dog suddenly got up and repeatedly bit her head and hands. Grade 3 student Apichada Khampan was found…
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Ronald not ‘Lovin’ It’ as fast-food giant McDonald’s legs it from Russia
Shares in McDonald’s restaurants plummeted yesterday losing billions on the stock exchange following the US fast-food giant’s decision to pull out of Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. The US multinational temporarily closed all of its outlets in March after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, setting off a chain of unrivaled economic sanctions against the former Soviet…
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Thai woman struck dead by lightning in cow field
A farmer was killed by a lightning strike in a cow field in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday evening. The 53 year old woman was herding her cows into their cowshed to escape the storm when she was struck. Wanida (surname reserved) was out working in the fields with her 53 year old relative Thongbai (surname reserved) when it started…
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Kremlin says Russia willing to supply North Korea with Covid-19 vaccines
A Kremlin spokesperson says Russia is willing to consider any request from North Korea for Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Reuters report, Dmitry Peskov says that if such a request is made, it will be responded to promptly. “North Korean comrades are well aware of our various inoculations; they are aware of our extensive experience with Covid. If there are…
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Government says relaxed travel restrictions have led to tourism surge on Phuket, Samui
The Thai government is patting itself on the back for the decision to ease entry restrictions, which officials say has boosted tourism in places like Phuket and Koh Samui. “All this is due to the government’s move to ease travel restrictions during the country’s high season between March and May.” So says government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, pointing out that up…
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Thai schools will no longer have to close if Covid-19 infection detected
Thai schools will no longer have to close if a student, teacher, or staff member tests positive for Covid-19, according to the Department of Health. The department’s deputy director-general, Sarawut Boonsook, has confirmed the new policy as the new school term gets underway today. According to a Thai PBS World report, if a student, teacher, or school staff member is…
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