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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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Monday Covid Update: 8,008 new cases; provincial totals
16 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,173 with 475 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,008 new Covid-19 cases and 8,215 recoveries. There are now 84,319 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Survival Guide: How much does it cost to live in Thailand?
Thailand gets a lot of attention as a fantastic travel destination in Southeast Asia; it’s also a great place to call home. The most common questions before moving to a new country include, “How much is it going to cost me?” and, “Is X amount enough each month?” While there are no fixed amounts, we are here to help paint…
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Kerry joins forces with Grab to introduce two new delivery services in Bangkok
Just in time for an influx of deliveries for Valentine’s Day, two delivery giants in Thailand joined forces to launch two new pick-up services in the Greater Bangkok area: instant pick-up and express pick-up. Kerry Express, the top delivery service in Thailand, and Grab Thailand have teamed up for the services. Items can be picked up by a Grab driver…
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Traveller calls police over high fare charged by Phuket taxi driver
If you’ve been to Phuket, you’ve probably paid way too much for a taxi. Now, one Thai traveller claims a Phuket taxi driver ripped him off by charging a fare of 600 baht and even got the police involved to sort out the situation. He filmed confrontations with the police and taxi driver, posting the videos on Facebook and drawing…
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Pattaya braces for reopening of “Walking Street” ahead of the US troops visit
Pattaya City’s officials met with more than 30 local business owners on Saturday to discuss preventive measures and regulations to reopen the famous “Walking Street” ahead of a planned US troops visit weeks ahead. Around 2,000 soldiers are expected to visit this month for the Cobra Gold military exercise. The discussions come just as Chon Buri prepares to welcome an…
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Beijing sees an increase in Covid-19 cases as Winter Olympics approaches
Just days before the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese capital reported a spike in Covid-19 cases with Sunday reaching 20 new infections, the highest daily count in the past 18 months. While the number is low in comparison to other cities around the world, neighbours are being sealed off and residents are being screened for Covid-19. A total of…
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Regional low-cost carriers expand routes in Southeast Asia as travel slowly resumes
International flights in the Southeast Asia region continue to resume, with low-cost carriers expanding their routes as countries re-open. According to a TTR Weekly report, the Singapore Airlines subsidiary, Scoot, is resuming the Singapore – Ho Chi Minh route, with 4 round-trip flights a week. A twice-weekly service connecting Singapore and Hanoi is planned from February 22. Last week, Vietnam…
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The show must go on: House to meet this week, despite 12 MPs having Covid-19
Parliamentary meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Friday of this week will go ahead, despite 12 MPs and 13 parliamentary officials being infected with Covid-19. Thai PBS World reports that House Speaker, Chuan Leekpai, says the meetings will take place, as his advisor, Dr. Sukit Atthopakorn, has stated, “the House must be able to function”. Sukit added that additional preventative measures…
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Tomorrow, Thailand opens its borders to the world (terms & conditions apply)
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme returns tomorrow after a short hiatus, during which it’s had a makeover. The scheme is now open to travellers from every country in the world and not just the previous 63 approved countries. Great news! However, travellers will now have to take not 1, not 2, but 3 PCR tests in order to participate…
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Nadal defeats Medvedev in Melbourne, wins record 21st grand slam title
Rafael Nadal has done the impossible — coming back from 2 sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev and win the Australian Open in an epic championship match that spanned more than 5 hours. Nadal, who was the 6th seed entering the tournament in Melbourne Park, came back from behind to defeat his Russian opponent 2-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 7-5…
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Countdown to February 1, one day to go before Test & Go resumes
“The recent 3 months of total international arrivals were around 3.4% of the arrivals at the same time 2 years ago.” The Test & Go program of the Thailand Pass is set to start again this Tuesday, a rebooted version with some additional costs and paperwork. Travellers will need to book an extra pre-paid SHA+ room and PCR test for Day…
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Dr Yong: I don’t think “endemic” means what you think it means.
Dr Yong Poovorawan, the country’s outspoken top virologist, is raining on Thailand’s endemic parade. The chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University pointed out that while the nature of Covid-19 may be evolving over time to be less of a threat, it will never by definition be endemic. It seems…
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4th vaccine for 25,000 Suvarnabhumi staffers by end of February
The director of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport said in a press release today that all 25,000 people working at the main hub of Thailand will receive their fourth vaccination by the end of February. The announcement comes as airports and staff around the country gear up for the reopening of the Test & Go programme in just 2 days. The second…
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TAT predicts Hua Hin Wellness Sandboxers to spend 2x average
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, well known for its glowing predictions, says that international travellers coming for the new Hua Hin Wellness Sandbox will spend on average twice as much as other tourists coming to the country. They believe that visitors to the first Wellness Sandbox of Hua Hin and Cha-Am will attract higher-spending tourists that will spend an average…
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Dusit Poll: 83% believe government can’t solve soaring prices
A new survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University finds that most people don’t feel that the government is capable of effectively dealing with the soaring prices of consumer goods with many saying they won’t be able to last 3 months with the current inflation levels. 82.69% of the people polled said they have either no confidence or very little confidence…
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Man barely survives attack by 3 tigers in Kanchanaburi
After the horrific story that spurred multiple headlines about poachers killing 2 tigers in Kanchanaburi 2 weeks ago, the tables have turned as a local man barely survived an attack by 3 tigers that took the life of 2 of his dogs. A Karen tribal man was out herding his 9 buffalos as they grazed in the Samathor forest inside…
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Controversy for Khao Yai National Park Chief over wild party
After a video surfaced showing a wild party with sexy girls in tiny outfits held in Khao Yai National Park, the Park Chief has been transferred while a full investigation is conducted. The party was held on January 26 and seemed to be in violation of both the Covid-19 control laws and the National Parks Act. The event was a…
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Thailand is 26th on Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking
The Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking this month places Thailand in the middle of the pack, 26th out of 53 countries on the list, and PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is satisfied with the rank. The government expressed satisfaction over the ranking after Thailand previously placed much lower at 44th on the list. The spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said that PM…
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Anutin trolls US handling of Covid-19, compared to Thailand
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul praised the way Thailand handled Covid-19 in comparison to the US over the past 2 years. In comments he made this week he said that in the US, many were still unvaccinated and death tolls remain very high, while in Thailand people are following Covid-19 safety rules and bringing the numbers down. GRAPH: Daily…
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Thailand’s Rayong province declares emergency as oil slick reaches beach
Attempts since last Tuesday morning have failed to avert the oil spill reaching the Gulf of Thailand’s east coast beaches. Yesterday the oil started washing up on the Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong, an hour’s drive south of Pattaya. Up to 200 people were patrolling the stricken beach using back hoes to try and scoop up the oil. Other volunteers…
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Fundraiser for survivor, funeral for victim of the attack on 2 British men
After a shocking stabbing attack in Kanchanaburi that left one British man dead and another severely wounded, an online fundraiser has begun to help pay the medical costs of the survivor. After being stabbed and left in critical condition, 55 year old Shaun Dagnan is still recovering from his wounds. A crowdfunding campaign has been created on JustGiving to raise…
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Pope Francis calls Covid-19 fake news a violation of human rights
While the church hasn’t always been on the same side as science, Pope Francis spoke out strongly against vaccine disinformation and Covid-19 fake news. In a statement Friday, he condemned any news source, including Catholic news media, that perpetuated misinformation about the pandemic, calling it a violation of human rights. In a talk with members of a group of Catholic…
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Body of unknown dead man found floating in sea near Pattaya
A local fisherman had a morbid catch when he stumbled upon the body of an unidentified man floating in the waters off the coast of Pattaya. The lifeless body was discovered yesterday afternoon in the ocean between Koh Larn and Koh Sarn. Pattaya City Police were notified of the floating man and they brought rescue divers along with them to…
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Asia’s second largest drug bust: 36 million meth pills in Laos
After a record-breaking bust in October, police in Laos have just captured 36 million meth pills, the second-largest Asian drug bust on record. A United Nations official confirmed the bust earlier today and say it points to changes in the patterns of drug smuggling in Southeast Asia. In the bust earlier this week, 36 million meth pills were found along…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY: 19 deaths, over 200,000 infections in 2022
Today, the CCSA reported 8,618 new Covid-19 infections, up 168 since yesterday, and 19 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 9 from yesterday. Since April 1, 2021, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,395,217 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported, with 22,145 total deaths from the pandemic. Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 200,655 new…
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Pattaya shop reports old foreign man dies during massage
While receiving a massage at a shop in the Pattaya area, an older foreign man died midway through. The incident took place yesterday in Bang Lamung at a massage shop in the late afternoon, and emergency responders were notified of an unidentified foreigner, believed to be an expat around the age of 70, who had passed away in the middle…
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Covid-19 vaccine does not kill athletes, despite consistent rumour
An apparently false conspiracy theory that the Covid-19 vaccine is killing athletes has once again been pushed by prominent “anti-vaxxers.” US Senator Ron Johnson claimed that 22,000 people have died from the vaccine including many athletes. And Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton contended that over 100 athletes had died after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine. Neither of these statements were…
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Police charge motorbike rider for excessive speed through crosswalk that killed doctor last week
After a reflective week of Thai social media mulling over the death of the ophthalmologist Dr. Waraluck Supwatjariyakul last Friday, police have reported new circumstances surrounding the incident. Investigations have revealed that the policeman rider was well in excess of the speed limit when he struck, and killed, the doctor. Police now say that 21 year old Pol Lance Corporal…
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Philippines reopens Feb 10 for the vaccinated from most countries
After nearly 2 years of closed borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines plans on reopening to some fully vaccinated tourists on February 10. Officials made the announcement today that travellers from most countries will finally be allowed to enter, after plans to reopen on December 1 were scrapped due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The announcement…
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Woman steals 10,000 baht in lottery tickets from vendors in Isaan
A woman in the Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima allegedly stole more than 100 lottery tickets, which cost a total of around 10,000 baht. CCTV footage from a local lottery shop shows a woman, who appears to be around 60 years old, talking tickets from the shop. The woman walked into the shop pretending to look at the numbers, but was…
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