News
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Prawit is confident Thailand will rise to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report
Thailand has done a lot to combat human trafficking and deserves to move up to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s next Trafficking In Persons report, says Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Prawit addressed Thailand’s progress in tackling human trafficking in a press conference yesterday. In the latest annual TIP report, published in June 2021, the US demoted Thailand…
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In Chiang Rai, monk novices receive condoms as an offering
Teen novice monks in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province received some rather unholy offerings in their alms bowls, according to another monk at their temple. The monk posted on Facebook last week saying that the novices found condoms in their alms bowls. The monk, Phra Chingchai, believes someone might have snuck the condoms in the bowls because there are many…
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Al Jazeera accuses Israeli forces of fatally shooting journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh
Al Jazeera has accused Israeli forces of fatally shooting Shireen Abu Aqleh while she was covering an Israeli military operation in the city of Jenin in the West Bank yesterday morning. Abu Aqleh was considered by many to be “the voice of Palestinians” after reporting about the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation for over two and a half decades.…
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Travellers will still have to wear face masks post-endemic phase in Thailand
As the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand continues to decrease, the National Communicable Diseases Committee has started talking about post-pandemic measures or lingering preventative measure when the coronavirus is declared endemic in Thailand, including any requirement for travellers to wear face masks, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Speaking to Thai media yesterday, he claimed that, with public collaboration…
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Chon Buri gold shop robber threatened staff with fake gun
A man who robbed a gold shop in the main city district of Chon Buri province yesterday is now reported to have used a fake gun to threaten the shop’s staff. CCTV footage shows that the suspect, 23 year old Kamjan Ratchsombat, first pretended to be interested in buying something from the store, and he asked staff to show him…
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Man allegedly assaults another man for mocking his girlfriend, Chon Buri
Yet another incident of violence has come to light in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province this week. On Tuesday night, a man allegedly assaulted another man who he said mocked his girlfriend’s looks. A video by an eyewitness reportedly shows the suspect, 23 year old Kittithat Thongtae, and his girlfriend, charging at a motorcycle taxi rider and…
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UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation
THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…
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Man who released cobras at Bangkok intersection slaps political activist in the face
A man who made headlines two months ago for releasing cobras and cutting his wrists at a busy intersection in Bangkok has gained more attention for slapping a political activist in the face at a protest in Bangkok. ‘K Hundred Million’, a real estate businessman, said he slapped the woman because she insulted Thailand’s royal family. The incident happened on…
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German tourist missing in Phuket
After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…
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Man stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand
A man stabbed another man to death at a wedding party in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last night, according to police in Nopphitam district. Witnesses told police that the victim, 58 year old Diam Yangkaew, had been drinking with other guests at a table, when another man showed up on a motorcycle. They say the man walked…
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UPDATE: Thai woman spends 300k baht on wedding but groom doesn’t turn up
UPDATE: Today, Namthip got stood up by her no-show groom Ek for a second time. Namthip and her lawyer went to Nadi Police Station in Prachinburi this morning to try and get some money back from Ek after he didn’t turn up to his wedding, leaving Namthip’s family to foot the 300,000 baht bill for the wedding arrangements. Lt. Cl.…
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Popular Italian chef dies in motorbike crash in Pattaya
A well-known Italian chef died in a motorbike accident in the early hours of this morning in Pattaya. He was driving at a very high speed when he crashed into a power pole, according to witnesses. The body of 40 year old Matteo (surname withheld) was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood at around 12:30am this morning.…
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Man allegedly threatens ex-girlfriend with gun in Chon Buri
A man allegedly pointed a gun at his ex-girlfriend’s face in the middle of a street in Chon Buri province earlier this week. The 18 year old woman and her 22 year old sister say that on Monday night, the ex-boyfriend followed them on a motorcycle before he pointed the gun at her face. They say he brought up their…
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Australia’s Great Barrier Reef facing “mass bleaching”
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the most famous natural sites in the world, is suffering a mass bleaching event. Due to bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020, 66% of the reef’s coral was damaged. Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures cause corals heat stress, and drain them of their colours. The UN threatened to lower the reef’s World Heritage…
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‘Yellow shirt’ leaders facing possible prison sentence
The Thai Appeals Court has upheld a previous court decision over the involvement of 5 key Thai politicians and activists in violent 2008 demonstrations. A Thai TV news presenter and 3 former leaders of the disbanded People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), widely known as the “Yellow Shirts”, face a year in jail without suspension over their involvement in the 2008…
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Thai kindergarten forces students to wear military uniform, sparks outrage
A Thai kindergarten has been slammed online for forcing students to wear 4 different uniforms, including a “military uniform” on Thursdays. The public school in the western province of Kanchanaburi informed parents they must purchase the new uniforms before the new term begins on May 17. The preschool wants children aged 4 – 6 to wear 4 different uniforms: ‘normal’…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,650 new cases; provincial totals
56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,252 with 7,554 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,650 new Covid-19 cases and 9,322 recoveries. There are now 78,274 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Bomb-sniffing dog receives medal for saving lives in Ukraine
A small but mighty dog named Patron has been awarded the Medal for Dedicated Services for his military work in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Patron the dog with the “medal of courage” on Sunday. Patron has sniffed out over 200 undetonated landmines planted by Russian soldiers in Ukraine so far. Patron – which means “ammo”…
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On May 14 and 29, children can get Pfizer vaccines at Phuket airport
Phuket International Airport will have walk-in Pfizer vaccinations for children 5-11 years old on May 14 and 29. Parents can bring their children to get vaccinated at Terminal X (south of the international terminal) from 9am to noon on both dates. The Phuket Provincial Health Office’s Facebook post about the vaccinations includes a graphic that only mentions “shots 1, 2”…
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Some Thailand Post services to China suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions
Thailand Post says it’s had to suspend some postal services to China, as a result of the country’s strict Covid-19 measures. The service cites airline restrictions and strict lockdowns in China as the reason for the suspension. For the time being, according to a Nation Thailand report, no letters or parcels can be sent to China via EMS World or…
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“Get ready for Covid-19 to be declared endemic”
The Thai PM has ordered all provincial administrations to prepare for Covid-19 being declared endemic, by creating operation plans for their own provinces. According to government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the PM’s order follows the decision to downgrade Thailand’s Covid-19 alert from Level 4 to Level 3, with the prospect of declaring the coronavirus ‘endemic’ sometime soon. Nation Thailand reports that…
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Police expand investigation into 11 bodies found at Isaan temple cult
Police are widening their investigation into a cult at a temple in north-eastern Thailand, where 11 bodies were kept. According to a Bangkok Post report, the bodies were discovered during a raid on the temple in the Khon San district of Chaiyaphum province. A 75-year-old man, named as Tawee Nanra, and allegedly the cult leader, has been arrested. Bail was…
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Thailand’s government will likely keep diesel subsidies
After much drama and anxiety over announcements that Thailand’s diesel price could eventually jump to 40 baht per litre, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced yesterday that the government will likely extend its subsidy programme that is due to end on May 20. The current subsidy has helped keep the price at about 32 baht per litre, even though the actual…
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Phuket targets 1 million foreign tourists for last quarter of 2022
The president of the Phuket Tourist Association says the island hopes to attract a million foreign tourists in the last quarter of the year. Bhummikitti Raktaengam says things are looking up since the cancellation of Test & Go, and he’s hopeful the southern island could receive a total of 3.5 million visitors this year. Since May 1, the number of…
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Minister of Digital Economy and Society wants 42 websites banned
Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, has asked the court to ban access to 42 websites including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook pages that are spreading the controversial Lazada advert. He was responding to a contracted ad on e-commerse platform Lazada, where 2 influencers, Nara Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang wear hi-so clothing, who royalists deemed to be…
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Man steals ฿300,000 from his stepmother and gives it away “to make merit”
A man from the Isaan province of Buriram allegedly stole ฿300,000 from his stepmother because he wanted to “make merit” by giving it away. He gave away ฿109,000 cash at a local market and bought products valued at ฿200,000 which he gave away to locals for free. CCTV footage shows 39 year old Wuttisak sitting on a motorbike and spreading…
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“Doctor loses”: Mor Chana Covid-19 application to be discontinued from June 1
Thailand’s once-mandatory Covid-19 tracking application “Mor Chana”, or Doctor Wins, will be discontinued from June 1. Mor Chana was once commonly used to track coronavirus cases and notify people if they had been exposed to Covid-19. Mor Chana, which was launched on April 29 2020, used GPS and Bluetooth to track the movement of users, who were expected to use…
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Elderly woman killed by toddy palm fruit in northeast Thailand
The body of an elderly lady was found lying face down beneath a palm tree in a rice paddy in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima this morning. The woman, 78 year old Dee Namchanad, was out cutting down toddy palm fruit to sell at the market when the fruit hit her in the head and killed her. A 6…
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Opening ceremony of SEA Games set for Thursday
After a 6-month hiatus, the Southeast Asian Games, or SEA Games, is now set to kick off on Thursday in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city. The sports tournament, which takes place every 2 years, attracts thousands of athletes from South East Asian countries, who will compete for over 500 gold medals. The SEA Games are under the regulation of the Southeast…
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Thailand “War Elephants” beat Singapore 5 – 0 at SEA Games
Yesterday, Thailand’s under-23 team beat Singapore 5 – 0 at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. The landslide win gained the War Elephants their first 3 points at the SEA Games 2022 at the Thien Truong Stadium. The Thai team’s win was well received after the team lost their first match in the competition 2 – 1 to Malaysia…
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