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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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Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
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Thai Buddhist monk hosts funeral for himself as lesson about death
A Buddhist monk made headlines in Thailand when he invited residents in the northern province Phittanulok to a funeral… his funeral. The abbot at a local temple is alive and well, but wanted the ceremony to send a message to his followers that death is normal and just a part of life. The funeral at the Pothiyan Temple followed traditional…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,197 new cases; provincial totals
45 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,021 with 1,323 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,197 new Covid-19 cases and 19,093 recoveries. There are now 218,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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38 Thais evacuated from Ukraine to Bangkok, 58 more arriving today
The first group of 38 Thai citizens evacuated from the Ukraine arrived in Bangkok this morning. Thailand’s embassy in Warsaw, Poland, posted on Facebook yesterday saying another 58 Thais will arrive midday today from Warsaw. Those who arrived this morning were taken to be isolated and an infectious diseases institute in Nonthaburi. There they wait for the results of Covid-19…
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Asia News Today | Japanese government “on alert” for local provocations, here comes 6G”
The Japanese government says it’s on alert for any provocations in East Asia… specifically from China, Russia and North Korea. In addition to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan last Sunday, military exercises conducted by China and Russia are becoming more active in the waters and airspace around Japan over the past 3 months,…
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Thai couple arrested for allegedly running fake travel agency advertising trips in Krabi
A couple was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a fake travel agency advertising tour packages in the southern province Krabi off the Andaman coast. Reports say the couple had been doing the scam for seven years, scamming tourists out of a total of 100 million baht. Tour packages with accommodation included were advertised on Facebook for costing 2,500 baht…
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Autopsy report shows TV actress Tangmo drowned
An autopsy report indicates that TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong drowned. Forensic examiners also noted that there the large cut on her leg was likely caused by the speedboat’s propeller. (Bangkok Post and Thai PBS have published differing facts about which leg was cut) The other people on the speedboat last Thursday night when Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
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Biden condemns Putin, praises Ukrainian people in State of the Union address
Read the opening pages of US President Joe Biden’s prepared speech for his State of the Union address to lawmakers on Tuesday night at the Capitol, in which he addresses the most urgent situation: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threat on the free world… PRESIDENT BIDEN: Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of…
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Australian officials find $55 million worth of meth and heroin in shipment from Thailand
Border police in Australia have uncovered AU$55 million worth of smuggled meth and heroin in a shipment from Thailand, according to a report from the Australian Associated Press. The shipment was concealed in boxes of green tea and magnets and discovered at Melbourne Airport. The 27 boxes had been shipped from Thailand on February 19 and came to light when…
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Spokesperson says Covid-19 treatment budget adjustment will not affect quality of care
Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, a spokesperson explained the decision to decrease the budget covering Covid-19 treatment costs, saying the price of some medical supplies have gone down. He told reporters that the budget adjustment will not affect the quality of care for Covid-19 patients. Thai media reports do not mention how much the budget is, but say medical centres and…
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Thais can now work in Saudi Arabia
As of yesterday, Thai workers can now work in Saudi Arabia, and will be protected by Saudi laws. Thailand’s cabinet approved two draft agreements about this yesterday, which will last for five years. They will be extended for another five years unless one or both parties decide against it. Both countries will cooperate to make sure recruitment and employment is…
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National park officers rescue 5 German tourists lost in Koh Phang Ngan forest
Officers from the Than Sadet National Park on Koh Phang Ngan have rescued a group of 5 German tourists after they got lost yesterday while on a forest hike. The 4 women and 1 man had been doing the Khao Ra hike, which takes in the highest peak on the island, when heavy rainfall caused them to get lost. A…
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Tourism authorities greet first Saudi direct arrivals, plan new schemes
The Tourism Authority of Thailand greeted Saudi tourist arrivals with traditional Thai performances and a water salute on Monday. The flight was the first direct flight to Thailand from Saudi Arabia in 32 years landed in Bangkok, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This flight symbolised the recent reconciliation between Thailand and Saudi Arabia after decades of frosty relations following the Blue Diamond…
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Thailand to remain neutral on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says Thailand will keep a neutral stance toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Speaking to MPs during their cabinet meeting yesterday, Prayut said they must consider Thailand’s the long-standing relations with Russia and tread carefully, an unnamed government official told the Bangkok Post. “We need to be composed and make decisions carefully. Thailand must maintain a neutral stance…
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Government launches outpatient service as it prepares to make Covid-19 endemic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has launched a new outpatient treatment scheme for Covid-19, as it prepares to transition the virus to endemic status. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Outpatient under Self-Isolation scheme should replace the current home isolation programme for most patients. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum says around 95% of cases are now either asymptomatic or have…
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Ukraine Embassy in Thailand asks for donations to support its citizens, save lives
The Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand is seeking donations to support Ukraine and to save lives following Russia’s invasion. The embassy made a post on its Facebook page saying two special accounts in Thai baht have been opened to support the efforts. Donations can be made to Bangkok Bank account 911-0-20757-9. The embassy says “each donation matters.” Both Ukrainian and…
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Cabinet approves budget to make Phuket a “world class health destination”
Thai officials plan to make Phuket a “world class health destination.” The Cabinet just approved a 1.411 billion baht budget to develop health and wellness centres on the island and improve medical services. Over 45 acres of state-owned land in Phuket will be used to develop health centres and facilities. The project was expected to take four years to complete…
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LATEST: Massive Russian convoy nears Kyiv, Kharkiv bombed, as peace talks falter
On the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, satellite images show a mammoth convoy of Russian armoured vehicles with militia about 64 kilometres long is slowly slithering down from the north toward the capital of Kyiv. The serpentine convoy is now less than 30 kilometres away. Air raid sirens have been sounded again, with Russian strikes on the…
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Indonesia evacuates citizens from Ukraine to safety in Poland, Romania
Indonesia has evacuated 31 Indonesian nationals residing in Ukraine into neighbouring Poland and Romania, where they are awaiting repatriation flights, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day. A group of 25 Indonesians were evacuated from Odessa in southern Ukraine and arrived in Romania on Sunday, The Jakarta Post reported. Another group of 6 Indonesians and 1 foreign spouse…
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First flights of Thai evacuees from Ukraine to arrive on Wednesday
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says around a hundred Thai citizens evacuated from the country are set to arrive in Thailand on Wednesday in a first round of repatriation flights. The ministry said the first group of 38 Thai evacuees would depart from Bucharest today and arrive in Thailand on Thai…
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Foreigner’s body found on Koh Larn beach off the coast of Pattaya
A man’s body was found on a beach on Koh Larn, an island off the coast of Pattaya, this morning. Police have not identified the body, but claim the man “is a foreigner”. At around 8am, the man’s body was found on the island’s Tien Beach. There were wounds on his right eye and eyebrow, and he was wearing two…
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Russian Ambassador meets with Phuket officials, discusses establishing a sister city
Impeccable timing! The Russian Ambassador to Thailand met with officials in Phuket to discuss establishing Russia’s Kamchatka Krai Administrative Region as a sister city and other matters that affect the roughly 8,000 Russian citizens on the island. Vice Governor Pichet Panapong says Thai authorities are in the process of reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding with the region, adding that it…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 20,420 new cases; provincial totals
43 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,976 with 1,278 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 20,420 new Covid-19 cases and 18,297 recoveries. There are now 215,725 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Asia News Today | Asian countries start ramping up pressure on Russia
Asia-Pacific market have risen today as investors navigated the changing situation in Russia and Ukraine.Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.4%. The S&P 200 in Australia was up 1.2%. In South Korea markets are closed for a holiday today. Chinese tech giant Baidu is also expected to announce its fourth-quarter results today…. pundits are expecting a softer Q4 than expected.China’s official manufacturing…
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Thai scientists say “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray will be available later this year
A new “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray is being developed by Thai scientists and the medication, which is said to prevent a coronavirus infection, is expected to be available to the public later this year. In studies using lab animals, the nasal spray has been shown to block the virus from entering the body. The Health Systems Research Institute, Silpakorn University, Chulalongkorn University,…
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French expat with Alzheimer’s rescued after getting lost in Chiang Mai forest
More than 200 people teamed up for a rescue effort to find a French expat with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing in Chiang Mai. He was found the next morning in an abandoned temple in a forest. The 70 year old man says he was driving to the French Embassy in Chiang Mai when he forgot the way home. His…
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Hoteliers asked to issue refunds to Test & Go travellers for Day 5 packages
With the government scrapping the Day 5 requirements for Test & Go travellers, more than 2,000 hotels and their partner hospitals or test centres are being asked to refund the costs of a night stay with Covid-19 RT-PCR testing. Under the revised entry requirements, travellers can take a self-administered antigen test instead of a PCR test on the fifth day…
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Hong Kong officials eye China-style lockdown, as bodies pile up in hospitals
Hong Kong officials have not ruled out imposing a strict lockdown, similar to those imposed in China at the start of the pandemic. Officials are facing an increasingly desperate situation as the Omicron variant has run amok in the territory, destroying any hope of attaining the so-called zero-Covid status. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that Reuters reports…
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Health officials admit ongoing surge in infections affecting Favipiravir supply
Thailand’s Department of Medical Services says it’s struggling to maintain adequate supplies of Favipiravir tablets, due to the ongoing surge in Covid-19 infections. DMS chief Dr Natthaphong Wongwiwat says the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is both producing and importing the pills, but the increase in demand is outstripping available resources. He says the situation should stabilise this week, with additional supplies…
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