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Last US troops leave Afghanistan, ending 20-year war
Ending the 20-year war, the longest in American history, the United States completed its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan yesterday, leaving the country in hands of the Taliban. The Islamic militant group swiftly took over the country’s capital, Kabul, earlier this month. Gunshots were fired in celebration after the last US soldiers left Afghanistan. In an Al Jazeera TV yesterday, Taliban…
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Illegal timber seized in Kanchanaburi, 1 person arrested
A young man was arrested and an undisclosed amount of Siamese Rosewood logs were seized at a temple in the western province of Kanchanaburi yesterday. The endangered wood is protected under Thai law and those charged with illegal logging can face up to 20 years prison and an up to 2 million baht fine. Officials had received reports that the Nong Pla…
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Police issue warning over rumoured death of officer who leaked custody killing footage
Thai police have hit back at unsubstantiated rumours of the death of a police officer who leaked footage of a suspect allegedly being killed in custody. National police spokesperson Yingyong Thepjamnong has described the claims as, “fake news” and warned that those behind them could face prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. Claims that a junior officer named as Tossaporn…
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UN agency says North Korea appears to have re-started nuclear reactor
A UN atomic agency has described as “deeply troubling” the news that North Korea seems to have re-started its plutonium-producing reactor. The International Atomic Energy Agency says the re-starting of the nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon complex could mean the regime is expanding its arsenal of banned weapons. “Since early July, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling…
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Anti-government protesters arrested after police officer injured at weekend rally
Following Sunday’s anti-government protest in Bangkok, 2 activists have been arrested after video footage allegedly showed them injuring a police officer. The Bangkok Post reports that the pair are among a total of 27 protesters arrested, according to Pakapong Pongpetra from the Metropolitan Police Bureau. He says 13 of the detainees are minors and 2 are women. Sunday’s rally began…
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Vaccination not required for dining in at restaurants in dark red provinces
In a contradiction of earlier reports, patrons will not need to be fully vaccinated in order to dine in at restaurants in the dark red zones. The announcement by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has been published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The Bangkok Post reports that restaurant customers will not need to pass a Covid-19 test…
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Art expo preserves Tanzania’s indigenous legends
The contemporary art expo has brought the legends and beliefs of the indigenous people of the Southern Highlands to life in order to preserve this rich, but slowly fading heritage. SOURCE: DW News
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“Dark red” interprovincial transport ban lifted, flights and bus services resume Wednesday
The ban on public transportation out of “dark red” zones has been lifted. Following the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s decision to ease the restrictions, both the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and the state-run Transport Company announced domestic flights and interprovincial bus services will resume on Wednesday. While domestic travel from the “high risk” provinces, like Bangkok, there are…
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Thailand tourism officials call for restrictions on Indian tourists to be lifted
Tourism officials say Thailand should allow Indian tourists to visit the country again as the Covid-19 situation in India has significantly improved. There have been no commercial flights between Thailand and India since April when Thai authorities suspended the issuance of Certificates of Entry, which are mandatory to enter the country, to Indian nationals due to the emergence of the…
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Mahidol University’s Faculty of Dentistry patents mouthwash they claim reduces chances of spreading Covid
There may be a new way to reduce your risk of contracting Covid besides washing your hands, social distancing, and following Covid safe sex guidelines. Mahidol University’s Faculty of Dentistry has recently patented a mouthwash that reduces the user’s chances of spreading Covid by targeting their saliva. The mouthwash was created by researchers at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine…
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Man allegedly shoots and kills co-worker because he wouldn’t turn down the radio
A man at a golf cart repair shop allegedly shot and killed his co-worker who had told him to turn down his radio. 46 year old Pongthep Phloiprasong was listening to his radio at the shop run by the Thai police in Phitsanulok’s Phrom Phiram district Sunday night. Witnesses say 37 year old Te Aw, a Burmese national, told him to…
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More than 600 mine explosions have taken place in Myanmar since February
Myanmar officials have arrested over 300 suspects connected to over 600 mine explosions that have taken place in Yangon since February, says a spokesperson for the State Administration Council. 59 other suspects have been arrested for violent acts which resulted in the deaths of 84 civilians in Yangon from February 1 to August 26, the head of the council’s Information Team,…
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Monday Covid Update: 15,972 new cases; provincial totals
15,972 new Covid-19 cases and 256 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 1,190,063 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, has accounted for 1,161,200 of those cases. The daily…
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Khon Kaen pleads for more blood donations as demand surpasses supply
Khon Kaen, a northeastern Thai province, is in desperate need of blood donations as demand for blood transfusions is surpassing the blood supply, says the Thai Red Cross Society. The TRCS requested more blood donations at the society’s 6th regional national blood service that spans Kohn Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu, Bung Kan, Sakhon Nakhon, Loei, Kalasin,…
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Ho Chi Minh lockdown impacts global coffee supplies
Vietnam’s lockdown of its largest city and exporting hub, Ho Chi Minh, has resulted in global concerns about coffee supplies as the country is a major producer of robusta, a bean known for its bitter taste which is often used in instant coffee. The southern city under strict travel restrictions following an uptick of cases involving the highly transmissible Delta…
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9 year old Israeli boy on Koh Phangan dies from box jellyfish sting
Officials are warning swimmers in Koh Phangan of the presence of box jellyfish after a 9 year old Israeli boy died after being stung while he was at a popular beach with his family. Thai authorities say they are now coming up with a long term plan to prevent potentially deadly encounters with box jellyfish. The Israeli boy and his family…
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Daily protests to continue indefinitely until PM resigns, according to protesters
Anti-government activists have vowed that protests will take place around the country every day and go on indefinitely until the Thai PM resigns. Protest leaders Sombat Boonngamanong and Nattawut Saikuar were speaking following the conclusion of a peaceful “car mob” rally, which ended in the central province of Pathum Thani. The rally had begun at the Kasetsart intersection near Kasetsart…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat man rushed to the hospital after crab claw pieces got stuck in his throat
A grandfather in the southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was rushed to the hospital after he swallowed a crab claw and sharp pieces got stuck in his throat. The man’s doctor shared the story to his Facebook. Dr Arak Wongworachat says the man came into the Sichon Hospital over the weekend after the man’s family rushed him to…
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Government says rate of Covid-19 infections on the decline
A government spokesman says there are signs the daily rate of new infections is on the decline, with recovered patients outnumbering new cases for the last 10 days. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says that while the Delta variant is contributing to the high infection rate, he’s confident the number of daily new cases will continue to fall. Today, Thailand has reported 15,972…
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Monday Covid Update: 15,972 new cases and 256 deaths
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 15,972 new Covid-19 cases and 256 coronavirus-related deaths today. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 17,281 recoveries. Thailand now has 176,137 active Covid-19 cases. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 1,161,200 Covid-19 cases.…
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Friends find body of man trapped under motorbike for 8 days
The discovery of the body of a man who died after a motorbike accident was made more tragic as police believe the victim survived the crash, but was trapped under his heavy motorbike, obscured by tall grass, just a few metres from a busy road. Nong Kham Police in Si Racha were notified this week after friends went looking for…
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Cambodia upset over Thai temple’s resemblance to Angkor Wat
Temples are generally known to inspire peace and tranquillity, but a new 100 million baht temple complex in Northeastern Thailand has launched a feud with Cambodia which claims the temple is copying Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world and the pride of Cambodian history and culture. The cultural official in Buriram, the site of the new temple,…
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Porn may open the door to the mainstream for cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has grown a strong following of hardcore supporters but has yet to gain widespread acceptance and ease of use. But now another hardcore faction might help bridge the gap and open the doors to wider usage: porn. After OnlyFans became the latest website/porn service to see its value and success hanging in the balance of a battle between its…
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CCSA Covid-19 plan: domestic vaccines, “learning to live with it”
Facing the emergence of the Delta variant and surge of Covid-19 infections, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha seems to be accepting the idea that Thailand may never be rid of the Coronavirus. He proposed a shift in focus for the government at a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting on Friday, suggesting a “learn to live with it” strategy. Sources at Government…
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Koh Larn to reopen next week, beaches still closed until further notice
Koh Larn, the small island off of Pattaya, has announced via social media last night that they plan to reopen the island for visitors next Tuesday. 3 Ferries will also be running a day, one at 7am, then another at 12pm, and the last one at 5:30pm. The same Covid rules that apply to Chon Buri will be applied to…
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Thailand to get Covid-19 foreign aid from China and Korea
While a government spokesperson announced that Thailand expects to have 140 million Covid-19 vaccines received in the country by the end of the year, many wondered with the slow rollout so far exactly where all these vaccines are coming from. Today we received a hint as foreign aid was offer by both China and South Korea who announced donations of…
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UK residents cancel reservations, flee Phuket, following Thailand’s inclusion on the “red list”
Phuket hotels are reporting a rise in cancellations from England, as well as current guests checking out early to eschew expense self-quarantining when they go back to the U.K. Last week, the country famous for James Bond and Jack the Ripper announced its plans to move Thailand from its amber list to its red list, starting tomorrow. The move is…
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Poll shows many Thai residents don’t think the lockdown has been successful
According to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, most respondents think the partial lockdown to curb the spread of Covid has been unsuccessful. The NIDA poll was done through phone interviews between August 23 and August 26 with 1,312 respondents that were 18… and older. They had a variety of education levels, vocations, and reside throughout the…
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Covid UPDATE: 264 deaths, provincial totals
16,536 new infections over the past 24 hours across Thailand. New infections in Bangkokl continue to drop although other provinces are still worrisome for officials, including Samut Prakan, Chon Buri and Rayong, to the east of the city. In the southern region, Phuket features with the province having the most new infections, over 200 new cases for the first time…
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140 million Covid vaccines expected this year, says Government
Up to 140 million Covid vaccines are anticipated to arrive in Thailand this year as the nation pushes to vaccinate more residents, says a government spokesperson today. The spokesperson adds that the pandemic is showing some signs of easing. Currently, Thailand is struggling with the Delta variant which has proven more transmissible than the Alpha variant. Although Covid cases are…
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