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Health Minister to propose cancelling Test & Go entry at Cabinet meeting today
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will propose the cancellation of the Test & Go quarantine exemption programme to the Cabinet during the meeting today, according to reports in Thai media. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, and an official order will need to be published in the Royal Gazette before the scheme…
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Sex workers mail high heels to government, continue to call for financial support
Earlier this year, sex workers and others in Thailand’s nightlife industry lined high heels up in front of the parliament building in Bangkok. Each pair of heels had a note calling for the government to compensate redlight district workers who are out of work due to the pandemic. Six months later, with bars and nightclubs still ordered to remain closed,…
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Tourism operators express frustration over rumours Test & Go may be dropped
Thailand’s tourism operators have expressed frustration and concern over the possibility that the Test & Go entry scheme could be scrapped. However, Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand has rushed to reassure them, pointing out that nothing has been decided yet and that all viewpoints will be taken into consideration. “We still have to hear from the CCSA…
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Ready and willing: Anutin says he’s prepared to be next PM and lead Thailand
Thailand’s somewhat controversial health minister, Anutin Charvirakul, says he’s ready to lead the country and become the next PM. According to an ASEAN NOW report, Anutin was addressing a gathering of his Bhumjaithai Party in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. His comments have been picked up by the Thai media, with Sanook posting a photo…
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3 passengers test positive for Omicron when they arrive on Koh Samui
Three recent arrivals on the Gulf island of Koh Samui have been detected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 – 2 British citizens and 1 Belgian. The 3 include a 54 year old British woman, a 55 year old Belgian man and a 56 year old British man. The 3 new cases are the first, not only for the holiday…
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5 places to enjoy Christmas Brunch in Phuket 2021
If you want to celebrate Christmas Day with your family or loved ones in an elegant setting, you’ve come to the right location! We’ve hand-picked some of the best restaurants, so come drool over the delectable cuisines on offer at the restaurants listed below. Top 5 places to enjoy Christmas Brunch in Phuket 1. XANA Christmas Family Fun Brunch Join…
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Thai officials to review list of low risk countries, possibly ban travellers from high risk
In addition to discussing whether to cancel the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme due to the uptick in Omicron cases, the Thai government will also review its list of countries considered to be at low risk for Covid-19 and consider whether to ban travellers from high risk countries. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told Thai media today that the…
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“Chat girls” in Laos forced into prostitution at a Golden Triangle casino
Inside China-run Golden Triangle Economic Zone next to the Mekong River in far northern Laos, many young women from neighbouring countries come to look for jobs to make a decent income to support their families back home. Many of the vacancies would advertise as “chat girls” to sell shares in the new company to casino patrons, but many struggled to…
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Customer says a fish was swimming in a sealed jug of drinking water
Thais are questioning the cleanliness of their drinking water after one person found a small fish swimming around their sealed jug of drinking water. The customer video of the little silver fish swimming in the jug before returning it to the shop. The customer posted the photo on Facebook, but did not mention where they purchased the water or what…
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Myanmar deposed leader faces another postponement of her verdict
Pressures from the West and human rights groups may impede Myanmar generals’ decision to seek longer jail terms for deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the court under the military junta has postponed her another verdict for illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies today. Despite her lawyers being barred from speaking to the media and journalists barred from attending her…
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Earthquake in Laos shakes Thailand, cracking 425 year old Buddha statue
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Laos shook Thailand and caused a 425 year old Buddha statue in the northern border province Nan to crack. The shake could be felt by those in Thailand’s northern and northeastern provinces. The earthquake struck at 4:06am this morning with a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division. It was…
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Monday Covid Update: 2,525 new cases; provincial totals
31 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,408 with 21,314 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,525 new Covid-19 cases and 4,190 recoveries. There are now 40,097 people in Thailand being…
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Body found 3 months after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya
After a months-long search, dive and rescue teams have recovered the bodies of both a husband and wife who drowned when a tugboat capsized by a confluence, where the Chao Phraya River and Pasak River meet. The boat sank back in September in front of the Phanan Choeng Temple in Ayutthaya. The captain’s body was later found near the Rama…
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Will there ever be another Concorde?
We’d flown in propeller-powered planes, then jets. Supersonic was the next evolutionary step in flying people around the world as the 1960s came to a close. Now, 52 years after Concorde’s early flights supersonic flight is, again, an aviation pipe dream as we pack into our cheap ‘flying buses’ which are not much different from the first successful commercial jets that…
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First local Omicron case, officials consider cancelling quarantine exemption Test & Go
Thailand’s first local transmission of the Omicron variant was reported today by public health officials. The confirmed case comes as the government considers cancelling the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme due to increasing reports of Omicron cases involving those arriving in Thailand from overseas. So far, health officials have reported more than 60 imported Omicron cases. The first local…
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Hallelujah, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli confirmed to perform at Phuket Countdown party
After the mix-up over whether Blackpink’s Thai-born star had confirmed to perform, Thai officials now say that – for sure – the famous Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, will perform at Phuket’s New Year countdown at Saphan Hin public park. With funds from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the private sector, a 63-year old multi-instrumentalist will be the leading artist…
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Long-distance bus passengers travelling for New Year’s asked to take an ATK test
Travelling by bus during the New Year holiday? You might need to take an ATK test for long-distance trips. The state-run Transport Company is in discussions with both the Public Health Ministry and the Transport Ministry about Covid-19 prevention measures during the end-of-year holiday, according to the director-general of the Department of Disease Control Opas Karnkawinpong. Opas says that passengers…
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Bangkok street food vendors welcome return of tourists to Khao San Road
Street sellers on Bangkok’s Khao San Road are celebrating the welcome return of foreign tourists and say life is finally beginning to return to normal. The Bangkok Post has spoken to a number of tourists and the street food vendors serving them. 51 year old Wan Suripar is one of them and she hopes this is the beginning of the…
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Thai government to consider cancelling Test & Go entry scheme – Health Minister
Nearly two months after Thailand opened its doors to international tourism, the country may tighten restrictions and cancel the quarantine exemption scheme, Test & Go. In an interview on Channel 9 this morning, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the Thai government will discuss whether to cancel the entry scheme due to the uptick in Omicron cases. A meeting…
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UPDATE: Philippine’s Typhoon Rai – death toll reaches 208
An emerging human tragedy as at least 208 people have now been killed in the Philippines by Typhoon Rai (locally known as Typhoon Odette). And that toll is expected to rise as emergency and armed services get to the communities in the central Philippines area hardest hit. There are fears widespread landslides and floods have probably claimed many more lives.…
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21,000 people rescued in Malaysia as torrential rain causes severe flooding
Emergency services personnel, helped by civilian volunteers, have rescued 21,000 people from severe flooding across 7 states in Malaysia. According to a Reuters report, over 66,000 police officers, military personnel, and fire department staff were deployed, with people having to be pulled from cars stranded in rising waters or from flooded streets outside their homes. It’s understood 21,000 people have…
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Majority believe convicted criminals shouldn’t get a Royal pardon
In the wake of Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsuthin initiating a Royal pardon for many people convicted of corruption, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes, the National Institute of Development Administration polled 1,317 people and found overwhelming opposition to the proposed pardon. The NIDA poll was done by phone between December 13 and December 15 and respondents from around the…
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Jane Seymour will tour Thailand to promote several causes
Jane Seymour, the famous British-American actress, is heading to Thailand with her family to promote and support several causes including pandemic prevention and fighting trafficking. She will tour the country with her family as a part holiday and part advocacy for Freeland, a charity centred in Bangkok. While Seymour will take time to explore the beaches of Thailand on her…
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Karen refugees returning to Myanmar as fighting eases
After fleeing Myanmar amid conflicts between the military junta and rebel forces, thousands of Karen refugees are choosing to return to their homes, according to a military source. The refugees were being housed in a temporary shelter in the Mae Sot district in Tak province. This is seen as a positive step in the ever-evolving conflict, as fighting between the…
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5 Omicron variant infections identified in Phuket
Phuket province has now identified 5 cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 according to health officials on the island. All 5 infections were identified from the RT-PCR test that all international arrivals are administered as soon as they land in Thailand. The Omicron infections were found in people who arrived on December 13 and December 14. One infection was…
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Typhoon Rai rips through the Philippines – at least 89 people dead
Super Typhoon Rai has now been responsible for the deaths of at least 89 people in the Philippines as is ripped through the centre of the island archipelago nation. The typhoon, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, almost immediately knocked out communications and power in the areas directly in the path of the west-moving storm, ripped off roofs,…
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5 Free Tools To Find Profitable Condos in Thailand
If you invest in real estate in Thailand without using real market data to drive your decisions, you’re bound to overpay for a property and who knows when you’ll ever break even. But if you use the 5 free data driven tools that I’m going to show you in this video, you’ll be able to assess with statistical certainty that…
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SUNDAY COVID-19: 22 deaths, daily infections below 3,000
Today, total Covid-19 infections dipped below 3,000 for just the second time since the surge seen from the third wave of Covid-19 beginning in April. December 14 was the first time this occurred as daily infection numbers have been steadily falling. The CCSA reported 2,899 new Covid-19 infections, down 233 since yesterday, and 22 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 6 from yesterday.…
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Is Omicron less or more dangerous than earlier Covid variants?
A month after the first cases of the Covid-19 variant, Omicron, were officially detected in South Africa, we know a bit more about the potential dangers, but not a lot. Anecdotally, there have been plenty of doctors saying that the new variant appears to produce milder symptoms than earlier variants, as is often the case with these viruses. But they…
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Can Men & Women Have A Platonic Relationship? | The Stinky Food challenge
Can you have a conversation while eating extremely stinky and spicy Thai food. Join Natty as she challenges Forrest to a stinky food challenge. Can he handle the smell and more importantly the spice that comes along with it?
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