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PM Prayut insists former police investigator into human trafficking in Thailand can return from exile
Following the human trafficking of Rohingya people at the border of Thailand and Malaysia reported yesterday, PM Prayut declared that Thailand “was serious about human trafficking”, and the situation was “improving”. He also said that the former Thai policeman in exile in Australia, who shared the story about the case back in 2015, left the country “by himself “and insisted…
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Phuket police feel public backlash over arrest of foreign tourists in “scooter-gate”
Some members of the public have reacted with anger after Phuket police arrested a number of foreign tourists who were riding electric scooters. According to police in the normally busy tourist area of Patong, the tourists were charged with using unregistered vehicles on the road. Officers confiscated the scooters, threatening legal action against those who rented them out. However, photos…
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Health minister tries to allay fears over changes to universal health care scheme
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme is not being done away with, he’s merely making some changes. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin Charnvirakul says he approved some amendments to the scheme on February 18, which are aimed at streamlining the UCEP scheme and improving how the budget is management. “We have to…
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Putin sends ‘peacekeeping’ troops to Ukraine after recognising breakaway provinces
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent troops to eastern Ukraine, after recognising two breakaway regions as independent entities on Monday. The move against Ukraine’s sovereignty puts the region one step closer to the brink of conflict, which the West has urgently tried to avoid in recent weeks through diplomatic talks and threats of sanctions. After Putin ordered the defense ministry…
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Prosecutors decide today if officer who fatally struck pedestrian will stand trial
Prosecutors will today decide whether to indict a police officer who fatally struck a pedestrian while riding a Ducati motorbike at speed. Norawich Buadokw was off duty and riding the un-licenced superbike when he hit Bangkok ophthalmologist Dr Waraluck Supawatjariyakul on a pedestrian crossing. The incident happened on Phaya Thai Road in the Ratchathewi district of the capital on January…
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Thailand’s Covid alert back at Level 4, CCSA says no lockdowns
As infections continue to rise sharply across the country, the government has raised the Covid alert to Level 4 nationwide. The move comes as the number of severe cases and deaths also continues to rise, with most of the deaths reported in the elderly, the unvaccinated, and those with underlying health conditions. However, the CCSA has stated that lockdowns will…
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Winter Olympics end in controversy, as IOC praises athletes’ ‘solidarity and peace’
The closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics took place on Sunday night in Beijing, bringing the games to an official close — though the controversy surrounding them is far from over. Norway finished first overall with a total of 37 medals, Germany came in second, raking up 27 medals, followed by the United States with 25 medals in total. Meanwhile,…
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Vietnam’s vaccine passport pilot programme for international travellers enters phase 2
Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has released guidelines for implementing the second phase of its COVID-19 vaccine passport pilot programme to welcome international tourists. Phase 2 will continue from now until the country’s full reopening of arrival and departure tourism activities via air, land, and sea routes, which is set for March 15. Read: Tourism officials in Vietnam…
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Monk allegedly fires shots at residents in Northern Thailand
A monk allegedly fired shots at residents nearby a temple in the northern province Mae Hong Son yesterday. Reports say the monk fled the scene, but was later found and forced to leave monkhood. Officers searched the monk’s living quarters and found airsoft guns with equipment to modify the pellet guns as well as ammunition. The monk had gotten into…
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Public bus hits motorbike stopped for pedestrians at zebra crossing in Bangkok
A motorbike driver who stopped at a zebra crossing to yield pedestrians the right of way was hit from behind by an oncoming public bus. Thais on social media have been sharing a CCTV video clip of the accident. Pedestrian safety has been in the spotlight in Thailand after the fatal accident last month where a police officer sped and…
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How to do Marketing and Advertising in Thailand? Top 7 Tips
Press Release Are you curious about how to make your business thrive in the dynamic world of marketing and advertising in Thailand? Well, you’re definitely not alone! Countless marketers are grappling with the same question, eager to unlock the secrets of success. The thing is, when it comes to marketing and advertising in Thailand, you can’t simply rely on the…
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Monday Covid Update: 18,883 new cases; provincial totals
32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,656 with 958 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 18,883 new Covid-19 cases and 14,914 recoveries. There are now 166,397 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand’s long road back to ’normal’
OPINION Thailand is lagging behind the rest of the world with its turn tackling the Omicron variants of the coronavirus. The sudden surge, peaking, then dropping numbers of cases that define the waves of Omicron around the world have had their peaks at different times, in different countries. For the world, the peak was on January 21, for the US…
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Taiwan to impose athlete code of conduct in wake of controversy at Beijing Winter Olympics
The Taiwan Sports Administration announced yesterday that national team athletes must abide by a new code of conduct to compete in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September. The rules are being drafted in response to Taiwanese speedskater Huang Yu-ting’s (黃郁婷) seemingly unpatriotic behavior on the international stage. Huang, who was the flag bearer for Taiwan at the…
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Celebrity, influencer mothers to be hired by Health Ministry to inspire couples to have babies
Thailand wants women to have more babies and authorities plan to hire influencer mothers and celebrity parents to help inspire young couples to have children. The Public Health Ministry is leading the effort following reports that the birth rate in Thailand dropped to its lowest level in the past 50 years. In the past, the average Thai woman would have…
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MP sheds light on high-profile human trafficking case, head officer in exile in Australia
The story of a major human trafficking case involving Rohingya people being trafficked through Thailand and to the Malaysian border was brought back to light after an MP told another side of the story. During a general debate in parliament, he discussed how a former police officer, who is now living in exile in Australia, led the investigation which then…
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Malaysia says its borders could re-open fully by second quarter of 2022
The Malaysian government is considering a full re-opening of international borders by the second quarter of this year. According to a Bloomberg report, the Malaysian PM, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has given the country’s Health Ministry 2 weeks in which to prepare re-opening guidelines. However, the country’s health minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, has stated that doesn’t mean the borders will re-open soon…
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Provincial governors ordered to ramp up disease controls as Covid cases surge
Bangkok has ordered all provinces to ramp up their Covid-19 prevention measures as infections continue to surge across the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that Sutthipong Chucharoen, a senior official at the Interior Ministry, has instructed all provinces to up their game when it comes to curbing the spread of the virus. Sutthipong says all officials, from village heads to…
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Hospitals warned against rejecting patients before changes to UCEP scheme take effect
The government has warned private hospitals not to reject Covid-19 patients before planned changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme come into effect. Under the UCEP scheme, patients can be treated at any hospital for the first 3 days, after which they are transferred to the hospital where their state welfare or insurance scheme is registered. However, from…
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Thailand’s daily Covid cases could hit 100,000, according to leading virologist
One of Thailand’s most respected experts in virology says daily new infections in the country could reach 100,000. Dr. Yong Poovorawan from the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University says the rapid spread of the Omicron sub-variant, BA.2, has taken daily infections to 15,000 in Singapore, where the population is a tenth that of Thailand. If the…
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Four migrants in Songkhla discovered to have Covid-19, treated in hospital
Police arrested 22 migrants from Myanmar in Songkhla last night, and four tested positive for Covid-19. They are now being treated at a hospital, while the rest of the migrants in the group await legal measures on charges of illegal entry, and pending deportation. District officials found the 22 men hiding in bushes, and reporters at the Bangkok Post said…
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Ukraine-Russia crisis, western leaders “convinced” Russia will invade
The British PM Boris Johnson claims he has evidence that Russia is planning “the biggest war in Europe since 1945”. Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Jonhson said “all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun”. “People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail. Asked if a Russian invasion is imminent, Mr…
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Baby turtles hatch in Phang Nga national park
A female green turtle laid eggs on a beach in Phang Nga province in December, and last week, her babies hatched. The turtle laid 75 eggs altogether, and park officials confirmed yesterday that 66 had hatched and have been released into the ocean. Seven eggs were unfertilised, and two baby turtles had died. The 90.7% of hatchlings that survived spent…
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Saudi Arabia will have flights to Thailand available starting February 28
After Thailand and Saudi Arabia patched things up last month after decades of cold relations, flights from Saudi Arabia to Thailand will be available starting on February 28. Thai International Airways also plans to have direct flights between Bangkok and Riyadh in May. Thai tourism authorities have set a lofty goal of 20 billion baht from an expected 200,000 Saudi…
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Songkhla man arrested on suspicions of trafficking Burmese migrants to Malaysia
Following last month’s arrest of 31 Burmese migrants trying to cross through Songkhla province into Malaysia, police have now caught a man suspected of trafficking them. Yesterday, police in Sadao district arrested Saiyid Ratdaewa after finding him in a house he was renting. Police say they found that Saiyid was a job broker for migrants seeking jobs in Malaysia. Police…
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The Role of Embassies For Foreigners in Thailand
What is the role of embassies in Thailand and when do we need them as a foreigner or expat in Thailand? Are some embassies better than others? Tim sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find out the use of embassies in Thailand.
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Korean hotel exec found dead in Kanchanaburi, cause not yet known
A Korean hotel executive was found dead in a a hotel in Tha Muang district of Kanchanaburi province yesterday morning. The medical team hasn’t yet found the cause of his death, and his body showed no signs of struggle. The executive, Kim Kyoung Cheon, was 38 years old. The person to find Kim was a hotel cleaner who had knocked…
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Patong tourists charged after driving unregistered electric scooters
Four tourists in Patong were charged with using unregistered and untaxed vehicles after they drove electric scooters near a beach resort. Several people had complained that the tourists were driving the scooters recklessly, threatening the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike. One of the tourists was stopped near a police booth on Pee Road last Wednesday evening, and the other…
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Thai tourism industry demands Covid restrictions to be lifted, PM urges caution
The Thai Prayut Chan-o-cha is calling on all 77 provincial governments to do everything they can to reduce the spread of the latest Covid surge in Thailand. There has been more than 18,000 new infections over the past 2 days. Today, Thailand logged 18,953 official new cases with numerous additional un-official cases which have been registered from ATK tests. So…
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Thailand will purchase stealth jets if United States okays
Thailand will purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth jets if the United States approves it. In January, Thailand set aside US$413 million for four jets, but one Thai air marshal said Thailand wants to buy as many as eight. A US State Department spokesperson said the department doesn’t confirm or comment on proposed transfers or sales until congress has been formally…
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