News
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5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Chiang Rai quarantines 26 returnees from Phuket
26 returnees from Phuket back to Chiang Rai arrived home on 2 passenger coaches today and were immediately placed in 14 day quarantine. The 26 arrived at the Wiang Indra Riverside Resort in Chiang Rai province (by the way, it looks VERY nice!). The Deputy provincial governor of Chiang Rai welcomed them and asked them to adhere to the precautionary…
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Murdoch closes all his regional and local newspapers in Australia
Australia’s largest media group, News Corp, has ditched its 100 local and regional newspapers, blaming the collapse of the businesses on a collapse advertising, migration of advertisers online, all made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch, announced on April 1 it was stopping printing of around 60 community newspapers “temporarily”. The collapse will cause the…
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Fishermen abuse and slavery cases solved “off-the-record”
Many cases of alleged abuse and slavery at sea are not being reported to the Thailand government. The Thomson Reuters Foundation did an analysis on the claims of slavery and abuse on Thai fishing boats and found that the majority of complaints are not documented with labour ministry officials who solve issues “off-the-record”. Many fisherman agree to mediation because they…
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Massage shops, boxing stadiums may be allowed to reopen next week
But we won’t know until tomorrow. Phase 3 of the easing of Covid-19 emergency measures could finally see boxing stadiums, massage parlours, spas, cinemas and tutorial schools allowed to reopen next month. Pubs, bars and nightlife venues are expected to remain closed, well that’s the rumours for now anyway. The deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department says activities and…
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Low cost carrier Thai AirAsia ponders merger
The CEO of Thai AirAsia says it may merge with another low-cost carrier to avoid cutthroat pricing wars once flights resume after the Covid-19 crisis subsides, and has admitted to conversations with other airlines. He says if tourism doesn’t resume by July, TAA will be forced to begin laying off employees, downsizing the company and its fleet to keep its…
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Thailand’s Covid-19 figures (May 28)
Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has announced 11 new cases of coronavirus disease for Thailand. All confirmed cases were reported as quarantined repatriates from overseas. This brings the national numbers to 3,065 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Dr. Taweesilp , the spokesman for the CCSA, says “of the new cases 1 was a 32 year old Thai woman, who returned…
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Man arrested after firing shots at coworker, shoot out with police
A man has been tracked down and arrested after he shot at a coworker and later fired shots at police, one bullet accidentally hitting his brother-in-law. The coworker was not harmed after 27 year old Thirawat Thamkhanthee fired shots at him outside a Rayong factory on Tuesday, the Bangkok Post reports. Rayong is a province to the east of Bangkok.…
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Thailand developing level 4 “gold standard” biohazard suits
In order to reduce the nation’s reliance on imported personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 crisis, Thai scientists are developing a Level 4 biohazard suit, dubbed the “gold standard” by the organisers working on the project. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the textile industry are collaborating on the the suits after successfully developing Level 2 suits. The GPO, together with…
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Central buys Family Mart Thailand
Shopping centre operator Central Retail Corporation has bought 100% of Family Mart, one of Thailand’s major convenience store chains, as it “moves forward to develop a new business model to cater to modern consumers”. CRC’s chief executive officer says the acquisition will strengthen Central’s hold on the food market and convenience store business in Thailand, which is burgeoning. Since 2012,…
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High speed railway linking Thailand and China takes another step
A high speed rail link between Thailand and China is closer to becoming a reality, according to Thai Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. The signing of “Contract 2.3″ for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima section is expected in October this year. China has become a major player in the railway industry and, as a result, many countries, including Thailand, are working with China…
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More people charged in illegal surrogacy scandal
More people involved in the surrogacy scandal turned themselves in yesterday and are now facing charges. According to the Bangkok Post, 4 doctors and a scientist are looking at charges for their alleged involvement in the illegal ring which uses Thai women to carry babies for people in China. A report yesterday says a Thai doctor faces charges for human…
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Villagers in central Thailand in a tangle over cables
Frustrated residents in the village of Pong Kham Fak, in the central province of Phetchabun, are demanding answers to stray power cables invading their homes, roads and farming areas. It’s understood that the problem has been ongoing since November, when 500 metres of cable was installed by a private company operating on behalf of the Provincial Electricity Authority. Now angry…
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Government looks to domestic travel in phase 3 of easing Covid restrictions
A committee has been convened to agree which restrictions can be lifted as Thailand enters the third phase of its exit from lock-down. Addressing a press conference on behalf of the committee, General Somsak Roongsita says re-starting domestic tourism is one of the main priorities of the committee, which comprises public health officials, doctors and business leaders. While interprovincial buses…
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Hope for overseas foreigners separated from families in Thailand
“We appreciate the sacrifices and regret the inconvenience caused.” For weeks now, foreign nationals who normally reside in Thailand but find themselves stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 travel ban, have been pleading with the government to be allowed to return to their families. Now, there may finally be some hope on the horizon. At least their plight is now…
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Mayor’s statement sparks hope Chonburi beaches may reopen soon
A Facebook post from the mayor of Saen Suk, home to the renowned Bangsaen beach, says beaches “may” reopen from June 1. (Before you ask, there is currently no official information on when Bangsaen, Pattaya or Phuket’s beaches may actually reopen.) Beaches in the eastern province of Chonburi were closed nearly two months ago as authorities enacted strict lockdown measures…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, May 27
Covid-19 update: 9 new cases, all imported 9 new cases of Covid-19 announced this morning – all 9 were ‘imported’ cases by Thai nationals returning from overseas. • 2 recently returned from the US • 18 and 27 males, flew back on May 12 • found to be infected yesterday, the last day of quarantine • 6 students, aged…
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Emergency Decree extended through June amidst accusations of political motivation
As widely predicted, the Cabinet yesterday extended the Emergency Decree for a third month, to its limit at the end of June. Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, quickly explained that the decree was enforced because it enabled more than 40 laws to be tied together to allow for quick enforcement at the national level.…
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Government to provide more financial aid to small and medium-sized businesses
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance has been tasked with coming up with plans for additional financial aid to small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Government Spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat made the announcement yesterday. “The Ministry of Finance will estimate the budget to be used as well as the loan limit and interest rate, and will present to the Cabinet…
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Thai Doctor faces charges in “wombs-for-hire” scandal
A Thai doctor faces charges of human trafficking and involvement in a Chinese-funded cross-border surrogacy service, using Thai women to carry babies for Chinese couples. Police say that the doctor, whose name is being withheld, previously worked at a state hospital in the Victory Monument area of Bangkok and allegedly provided “assisted-reproductive services” to surrogate Thai mothers, usually at clinics…
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Elephant injures 2 Burmese men in Kanchanburi
2 Burmese men were attacked and critically injured by an elephant in a forest in the western province of Kanchanaburi’s Thong Pha Phum district last night, according to Thong Pha Phum National Park officials. They had only patchy details of the incident. 35 year old “Tun” and 60 year old “Ngae” had gone into the forest to pick mushrooms in…
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2 dead, over 1,000 ill in Korat dengue fever outbreak
2 people have died and more than a thousand have fallen ill since the beginning of the year in an outbreak of dengue fever in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The head of the provincial public health office yesterday said that all people in the province infected with Covid-19 have fully recovered and been discharged, and there have been no…
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Central Thailand prepares for return of thousands of Burmese workers
The central province of Samut Sakhon is preparing for the return of over 5,000 migrant labourers from Myanmar over the next month. The workers had returned to their home country to obtain the required paperwork and officials now say their employers must take responsibility for their quarantine. Employers are being asked to arrange accommodation to house the workers for the…
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Baby born after mother gives birth at checkpoint in Chai Nat
A baby boy was born at a checkpoint in Chai Nat, Central Thailand yesterday morning after a mother in labor made an emergency stop at one. The road block had been set up to check on travellers for Covid-19. The 30 year old mother and her husband were headed for the local hospital in Chai Nat, but couldn’t make it…
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Gunman kills 3 at Northern Thailand radio station
Thai media reports 3 people are dead after a shooting today at the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand radio station in Phitsanulok, Northern Thailand. One other person is injured. Khaosod English reports that the suspected gunman, Win Sonsuk, has already been arrested. He was a staff member at the radio station. He was working as a transmitter engineer. One of…
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Alleged drug runner busted with methamphetamines valued at 18 million baht
Police in Issan’s Maha Sarakham province yesterday announced the seizure of more than 600,000 methamphetamine pills from an alleged drug runner making deliveries. Officers stopped and searched a man seen tossing a plastic bag from his car, and more more than 600,000 methamphetamine pills were found in more bags inside the vehicle. 43 year old Somphan Sri-ubon was arrested after…
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Unemployed elephants: Some return to the wild, others sent to work in logging business
The drop in tourism has had a huge impact on the elephants in Northern Thailand, leaving many elephants, you could say, unemployed. While some elephants are out of business and been taken back to their natural habitat, others are struggling in captivity and might be sent off to work in animal labour which some people may deem as unethical. A reporter…
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5 Thai students test positive for Covid-19 after returning from Saudi Arabia
5 students, who returned to Thailand from Saudi Arabia via Malaysia, have now been confirmed as being infected with the Covid-19 virus. The students are part of a group of 39 returning citizens who arrived back in the country via the Padang Besar road checkpoint at the Malaysian border. All 39 are reported to be in mandatory state quarantine at…
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Dozens get hospitalised after eating raw meat salad
Dozens of Northern Thailand villagers became sick after eating raw buffalo meat and were treated for food poisoning at local hospitals. All 79 people treated ate the raw buffalo meat. The meat was sold in beef stalls at wet markets in Phayao Province next to Chiang Rai, Thai media reports. Some people bought the meat, possibly thinking it was beef,…
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Bank report predicts extended timeframe for Thai tourism recovery
As the severity of the current situation facing Thailand’s lucrative tourism industry starts to sink in, Kasikorn Bank Research Centre have released a report with some stark predictions. Thailand’s tourism and hospitality industry faces losses of 1.69 trillion baht in 2020 and recovery “may not be clearly evident” next year. The report also foreshadows strict ‘new normal’ procedures as government measures…
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Thailand News Today – Tuesday, May 26
Bangkok woman dies of salmonella poisoning after eating ‘death dumplings’ Following the death of a Bangkok woman who fell ill after eating dumplings, lab tests have now come back proving there were detected traces of salmonella bacteria. The Samut Prakan provincial health office confirms that several members of the woman’s family also fell ill after eating the dumplings, which were…
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