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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...

  • Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder

    Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder

    An Indian mafia member was arrested in Pattaya after a red Interpol notice. He was allegedly involved in robbery, murder, human trafficking, ransom and money laundering in India. But Thai police have already confirmed that there is no links between the arrested man and the ‘hit job’ on Indian citizen Jimi “Slice” Sandhu on February 4. The Pattaya suspect reportedly…

  • CCSA says no travel restrictions over Songkran this year, but no parties either

    CCSA says no travel restrictions over Songkran this year, but no parties either

    Even though it’s still 7 weeks away, the Thai government is taking the front foot on the forthcoming Songkran “new year” celebrations. The CCSA will meet next week to discuss potential disease prevention measures for the big Songkran holiday. However, it says it will not impose travel restrictions to prevent Thais from heading home for the annual commemoration. Supot Malaniyom,…

  • Asian stocks rise with new Russian sanctions, market volatility increases worldwide

    Asian stocks rise with new Russian sanctions, market volatility increases worldwide

    Asia markets ticked higher at opening on Friday, encouraged by a rebound of the US stock market, after Russia was struck with a flurry of international sanctions. US President Joe Biden has announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, crippling its ability to conduct business in major currencies. Many indexes were in the green on Friday morning, including Tokyo’s…

  • Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams

    Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams

    Pro-democracy protest leader, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, has been freed on 3 months’ bail after proving to the Bangkok South Criminal Court that he needs to sit final university exams. The court had refused to grant bail until the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University issued Parit with a certificate to prove his status. Thai PBS World reports that bail…

  • Dozens killed as Russia launches attacks across Ukraine

    Dozens killed as Russia launches attacks across Ukraine

    Russian forces have reached the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as the US and Europe respond with more sanctions. Dozens of people have died since Russia invaded its neighbour, with missiles and shells striking cities across Ukraine. AFP reports that at least 100,000 people have been displaced, with many seeking shelter in underground metro systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky…

  • Vietnam resumes flights to 20 countries, prepares to welcome international tourists in March

    Vietnam resumes flights to 20 countries, prepares to welcome international tourists in March

    Vietnam has reopened air routes to 20 countries and regions in an effort to resume socio-economic activities – compared to 28 in the 2019 winter flight schedule pre-pandemic – a transport official says. The Vietnam Ministry of Transport says the resumed routes included those to Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, the Vietnam…

  • LATEST: Russia invades Ukraine, attacks in major cities, more than 40 dead

    LATEST: Russia invades Ukraine, attacks in major cities, more than 40 dead

    UPDATE: Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky says his nation’s armed forces are trying to repel the Russian advance in several areas of the country, including eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. But Russia claims it has met weak resistance, with Ukrainian border guards reportedly surrendering, as the two countries further engage in an information war to control the narrative. Russian state media has…

  • Covid-19 cases rising among children in Thailand ages 5 and under

    Covid-19 cases rising among children in Thailand ages 5 and under

    Covid-19 infections are on the rise among young children in Thailand, with more than 100,000 children ages five and under affected since the pandemic began. Last month, around 1,000 children under six years old tested positive for Covid-19. But that number spiked last week to 6,000 children in that age group infected, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of…

  • Malaysian PM visits Thailand to discuss border reopening, deep-south conflict

    Malaysian PM visits Thailand to discuss border reopening, deep-south conflict

    Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yakob is undertaking his first official visit to Thailand today as his nation’s prime minister. During his 3 day visit, he’ll be meeting with his Thai counterpart, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to discuss bilateral cooperation, vaccines, and the reopening of the countries’ shared border, according to a statement from the Malaysian foreign office. “Focus areas include economic…

  • TAT says Russia-Ukraine conflict won’t affect Thailand-UK flight route

    TAT says Russia-Ukraine conflict won’t affect Thailand-UK flight route

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand said today the current tensions between Russia and the Ukraine won’t affect the Thailand-UK flight route since the route doesn’t go through either Russia or the Ukraine. TAT’s governor said its London office will monitor the situation closely and contact airlines and travel agencies if needed. He said TAT will announce immediately if Russia-Ukraine tensions…

  • Trang residents with Covid complain of lack of food in government’s aid packages

    Trang residents with Covid complain of lack of food in government’s aid packages

    A number of locals in the southern province Trang say provincial authorities have skimped on the aid packages for those in home isolation while they recover from Covid-19.  During the 10-day mandatory time in self-quarantine, the residents say authorities have only been giving them instant noodles, canned fish, and rice… not the three meals a day they say they were…

  • UN expert claims Russia, China, and Serbia arming Myanmar junta against civilians

    UN expert claims Russia, China, and Serbia arming Myanmar junta against civilians

    A United Nations human rights expert released a report on Tuesday saying Russia, China, and Serbia are supplying weapons to Myanmar’s junta government, knowing they will be used against civilians. The human rights expert, Thomas Andrews, said Russia and China are providing the junta with fighter jets. Myanmar’s military and Russia’s foreign ministry couldn’t be reached by Reuters on time…

  • Thursday Covid Update: 23,557 new cases; provincial totals

    Thursday Covid Update: 23,557 new cases; provincial totals

    38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,768 with 1,070 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,557 new Covid-19 cases and 16,131 recoveries. There are now 180,993 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Cambodia among first countries to give Covid-19 vaccines to children under 5

    Cambodia among first countries to give Covid-19 vaccines to children under 5

    Yesterday, Cambodia became one of the first countries to give Covid-19 vaccines to children younger than five years old. Children as young as three are now getting vaccines. Most countries haven’t started vaccinating this age group. This month, the United States postponed consideration of vaccinating kids under five. Other countries vaccinating children under five include China, Bahrain, and Cuba. China…

  • Asia News Today | Starving Burmese Refugees & Terrorist groups in Philippines

    Asia News Today | Starving Burmese Refugees & Terrorist groups in Philippines

    South Korea’s PM is calling for calm after a record number of Covid infections, amid warnings that the latest surge is still yet to peak. He says that serious cases and deaths were still at “manageable levels”, after health authorities reported 171,452 new infections yesterday, a sharp increase from the 99,573 cases a day earlier and the previous all-time high…

  • Oil tanker investigated after Thai Navy spots waste off the coast of Chon Buri

    Oil tanker investigated after Thai Navy spots waste off the coast of Chon Buri

    Thai authorities are investigating an oil tanker after waste was found floating near an island off the coast of Chon Buri’s Sattahip district, according to a Royal Thai Navy spokesperson. Yesterday, the Royal Thai Navy’s corvette reported a waste spill about 9 kilometres away from the island and said it spread across a large area of the Gulf of Thailand.…

  • Roof tiler fractures skull after falling through school roof in Sri Racha, Chon Buri province

    Roof tiler fractures skull after falling through school roof in Sri Racha, Chon Buri province

    A man seriously fractured his skull after he fell through a roof on Tuesday in Bang Phra, a sub-district of Sri Racha district in Chon Buri province. The man’s colleagues say he stepped on a broken piece of roof at the auditorium of a school. He fell six metres onto the cement floor. He also bled heavily, although The Pattaya…

  • Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients

    Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients

    A teenager staying in a community isolation centre while recovering from Covid-19 says she was sexually assaulted by a young man staying in the same room, adding that there were no authorities monitoring the patients. Many of Thailand’s field hospitals and isolation centres have numerous beds made from cardboard boxes all in one large room, like a gymnasium. The 15…

  • Universal coverage scheme has spent over 101 billion baht on Covid-19 treatment

    Universal coverage scheme has spent over 101 billion baht on Covid-19 treatment

    Thailand’s Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients has spent more than 101 billion baht on Covid-19 treatment over the past two years. In 2020, the government spent 3.8 billion for treatments, and that number spiked to 97.7 billion last year. This year, the total treatment cost has been 32.4 billion baht. For patients with mild symptoms or no symptoms at all,…

  • Thai Embassy in Poland preparing to evacuate Thai citizens from Ukraine

    Thai Embassy in Poland preparing to evacuate Thai citizens from Ukraine

    The Thai Embassy in Poland says it’s making preparations to evacuate Thai nationals from Ukraine as a result of the escalating tensions with Russia. A spokesman for the embassy in Warsaw says officials have created a special Line group with which to communicate with 250 Thai citizens living in Ukraine. The embassy is preparing to evacuate them to safe houses…

  • Pending bill could help families of disappeared Thai activists take legal action

    Pending bill could help families of disappeared Thai activists take legal action

    A bill awaiting senate approval that criminalises torture and forced disappearances could help parents and partners of missing Thai activists take legal action. Those convicted of political disappearances and torture cases involving death could be imprisoned between 15 and 30 years. After it had been delayed for decades, lawmakers in the house of representatives unanimously passed draft laws on Wednesday.…

  • Laos and Thailand agree to re-open border checkpoints

    Laos and Thailand agree to re-open border checkpoints

    The government of Laos has agreed to re-open border checkpoints with Thailand imminently, according to Thai government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. The decision follows a courtesy call between the Lao ambassador to Thailand, Seng Soukhathivong, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. During the call, the Thai PM said a plan by Lao PM Phankham Viphavanh to make an official visit to Thailand this…

  • Thailand working on 4 Covid-19 vaccines that could be ready by 2023

    Thailand working on 4 Covid-19 vaccines that could be ready by 2023

    Thailand is currently developing 4 different Covid-19 vaccines, which could be ready for public use next year. According to a Nation Thailand report, the CCSA was briefed on the progress of each vaccine at its meeting yesterday. Chula-Cov19 is an mRNA vaccine being developed by a team at Chulalongkorn University and has received over 2.7 billion baht in funding from…

  • Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs

    Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs

    Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to lower the insurance coverage required of overseas arrivals, the health minister says the new figure is enough to cover Covid treatment. The mandatory insurance coverage required to enter Thailand will be reduced from US$50,000 to US$20,000 from March 1. Anutin Charnvirakul says the amount was lowered in order to reduce the costs of travelling…

  • Phuket makes plans to attract more Thai tourists, same day Level 4 alert anounced

    Phuket makes plans to attract more Thai tourists, same day Level 4 alert anounced

    Even after the Test & Go program was rebooted on February 1, along with the additional and unpopular Day 5 PCR test, there hasn’t been a large increase in the number of international tourists visiting Thailand. Indeed the new applications and actual arrivals have fallen well below expectations by Thailand’s tourism tzars. Now, Phuket officials have launched new plans to…

  • Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test

    Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test

    From the start of March, the requirement for the 2nd pre-paid PCR test on Day 5 after your arrival in Thailand will be dropped. But it will instead be replaced with a rapid antigen test you can take yourself (freely and cheaply available at any convenience store). In addition, the required ‘Covid’ insurance will be reduced from $50,000 to $20,000.…

  • Monks and novices caught drinking alcohol and involved in an intimate relationship

    Monks and novices caught drinking alcohol and involved in an intimate relationship

    Thai social media has featured a video showing 8 monks and novices were celebrating and drinking alcohol inside their temple accommodation. Another video and a screenshot of the conversation also indicated that the monk had an intimate relationship with the novice. The party was identified to be happening at the Nikom Kitiyaram temple in the northeast province of Ubon Ratchatani.…

  • Wednesday Covid Update: 21,232 new infections, provincial totals

    Wednesday Covid Update: 21,232 new infections, provincial totals

    39 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,730 with 1,032 of those fatalities since the start of this year, mostly related to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,232 new Covid infections and 16,662 recoveries. There are now…

  • BREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    BREAKING: Thailand Test & Go changes

    Day 5 PCR test for the Test and Go Program has been scrapped and the mandatory Covid insurance has also been reduced. Tim Newton goes live with the breaking news and answers your questions regarding the Thailand Pass.

  • Asia News Today | Covid cases surge in Asia, Sanctions against Russia & Human trafficking

    Asia News Today | Covid cases surge in Asia, Sanctions against Russia & Human trafficking

    Covid cases are still surging in many Asian countries, the US is rallying support from the region to support sanctions on Russia in the wake of yesterday’s incursion into Eastern Ukraine, the Australian PM responds to the Chinese laser targeting of one of its planes last week and a conference in Indonesia to address regional human trafficking. —– Starting off…