News
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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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Blaze destroys part of historic Si Ayutthaya temple
Wat Chang Thong, built in the Ayutthaya period, has suffered severe fire damage last night as a blaze gutted one of its teak pavilions. Damage is estimated at 20 million baht. Police say the inferno at the temple in tambon Ko Rian, Si Ayutthaya district was reported about 9pm. The area is about 2 hours north of Bangkok city. Some…
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Guinean man held for alleged rape of a minor in Bangkok
A man from the western African nation of Guinea was arrested at a McDonald’s in Bangkok’s Bang Rak area for allegedly raping a 17 year old girl. 58 year old Mamady Keita, reportedly a ruby trader, is accused of luring the girl to a hotel in the Phya Thai area and assaulting her. The girl told police that she’d been…
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In the midst of re-opening, there are now new lockdowns around the world
Countries that appeared, only a few weeks ago, to have their local Covid-19 outbreaks under control – Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore for example – are now seeing new waves of the virus drawing immediate attention from officials, locking down the affected areas. They know, for now, it’s the only solution to counter new outbreaks. These mini-outbreaks in formerly ‘low-risk’ areas…
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Russian man found hanged in Pattaya shophouse
A 45 year old Russian man has been found dead in a Jomtien shophouse. The man was discovered just after midnight today, hanging from the doorknob of his third floor rented apartment. Police say he was due to leave Thailand today bound for Russia. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident just after midnight by the landlord in Jomtien, just…
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Outgoing army chief says no plans for US base on Thai soil
Outgoing army chief Apirat Kongsompong, is denying that the US is seeking to establish a military base on Thai soil. At a press briefing, Apirat said that Thai and US troops have only carried out joint military drills, code-named Cobra Gold, and nothing more. The drills are a multinational exercise held annually in Thailand. Apirat insisted the US did not…
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Mother and son rescued as car swept away in Pattaya’s flash floods – VIDEO
A woman and her son have had a lucky escape after the vehicle, which they were travelling in, was carried away by floodwaters in Pattaya. The city reported extensive flash flooding as a result of heavy downpours, with the worst of it around Soi Khao Noi, Pattaya Beach Road, and Pattaya Third Road. The heavy rains lasted for up to…
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Student activists gather in Bangkok to oppose emergency decree
Members of the Student Union of Thailand have come together to protest the government’s extended emergency decree, gathering outside Pathumwan police station in Bangkok. Officials extended the decree by another month after it was originally set to expire at the end of June. Now human rights activists and critics of the government have slammed the extension as politically motivated. The…
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US Covid-19 cases surge past 3 million
Over 3 million people in the US have now tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak (3,158,932 as of midday Thai time). Nearly 135,000 deaths have been recorded and the country is now facing an acceleration of new cases in a number of key states, notably Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and Tennessee. On a positive note,…
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AOT considering joint venture with Thai Airways to keep services running
The company that runs 6 of Thailand’s airports says it wants to work with Thai Airways to ensure airport services can continue while the national carrier goes through a “rehabilitation” process and struggles with the loss of business caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Airports of Thailand president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says the AOT board is in talks about a joint venture…
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Doctors say Covid-19 first wave may be over, but warn against complacency
A spokesman for the Department of Disease Control says the “first wave” of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand is over after the country seeing no cases of community transmissions for 44 straight days. Dr Anupong Sujariyakul warned, however, that the kingdom must be prepared for the possibility of a second wave, as the contagion is still spreading in many parts…
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UK’s Kew Green Hotels launches 7 properties in Bangkok
Despite a quickly changing business environment for the world hospitality industry, some companies are accelerating expansion plans in anticipation of the eventual recovery. Kew Green Hotels, one of the UK’s leading hotel management companies with over 55 hotels in its portfolio, has now announced plans to expand into the south east Asian market through a joint venture with Siamese Asset.…
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Phuket officials visit Kamala restaurant after customer charged 6,750 baht
A seafood restaurant in Kamala, a west coast town in Phuket, has received strong criticism on social media after trying to charge a customer 6,750 baht for a takeaway meal. 3,000 baht of the bill was a “cooking fee”. Lalita Chaiyasit took to social media to vent her disbelief after receiving the bill. She says she was on holiday with…
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Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai highway closed by flooding again – VIDEO
There seems no end in sight for the construction of the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai highway as yet another night of severe rains caused massive flooding in the Doi Saket district. The bypass and the road were underwater, creating a traffic pandemonium. The police came to the scene and began suggesting alternative routes. As the waters subsided the road was opened again,…
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UPDATE: Thai Cabinet approves civil partnership bill
The Thai cabinet has today endorsed a bill allowing registration of same-sex couples, as well as legal amendments to ensure same-sex couples have the same rights and privileges as opposite-sex couples. The bill and the amendment will now be put to a vote in the Thai parliament. The government’s deputy spokeswoman says the new Civil Partnership Bill and the amendment…
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900 million budget for MotoGP gets Cabinet nod
The Cabinet today gave the green light (pun intended) to the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s proposal to earmark 900 million baht for MotoGP race from 2021-2025. The ministry predicts the races will generate at least 3 billion baht in revenue. The licences for holding the motorbike races cost the government 100 million baht annually. Authorities paid 300 million for licences…
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AirAsia’s wings may be clipped permanently
Malaysia’s budget airline AirAsia could become the next casualty of the Covid19 pandemic, which has grounded fleets around the world and already forced the demise of NokScoot, another regional budget carrier. AirAsia’s auditor is warning that the airline’s future is in “significant doubt” due to the collapse in demand for air travel caused by the coronavirus and regional governments closing borders.…
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Thai activist cries foul on government over US diplomat skirting quarantine
A transparency campaigner dubbed ” Thailand’s complainer-in-chief ” is accusing the government of negligence for allowing the chief of the US army to enter the country without having to go through a mandatory quarantine upon arriving. Activist Srisuwan Janya says he fears the visit of a delegation from the country with by far the most Covid-19 cases (not to mention…
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Volunteer ranger shot dead in Yala
Police report that a volunteer ranger has been shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle in the Raman district of the southern border province of Yala this morning. According to a radio report called into the Thathong police station, the attack occurred about 8:45am in front of Prachanukroh 41 School on the Kotabaru-Thung Yang Daeng road. Witnesses say 43…
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Millions of meth pills, tonnes of marijuana seized in 3 major drug hauls
In what is becoming an increasingly common story, police have announced the seizure of millions of methamphetamine pills (ya ba) and more than 2 tonnes of marijuana, among other types of illicit drugs, in 3 major anti-drug operations last week. The head of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau told a press briefing that drug agencies confiscated nearly 1.5 million methamphetamine pills,…
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First post-Covid flight from China lands in Bangkok
The first charter flight from China to Thailand has landed in Bangkok, after Thailand partially lifted its 3 month ban on foreign arrivals on July 1. Yesterday, a Spring Airlines flight flew 31 Thai nationals and 21 members of a Chinese company in Thailand from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International airport. All foreigners, except those with work…
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Trump announces withdrawal from WHO over China claims
The UN has announced that the US is leaving the World Health Organisation effective July 6, 2021, after official notice from US President Donald Trump, who has been sharply critical of the agency’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. He had accused the WHO of being “a puppet of China”. The WHO has denied assertions by President Trump that it promoted…
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Progressive Movement hits back at allegations of donation mismanagement
Members of the recently formed Progressive Movement have hit back at suggestions that party donations have been mismanaged. The party, rising from the ashes of the now-disbanded Future Forward Party, says the allegations are nothing more than politically-motivated slander. Its critics accuse the Progressive Movement of the misappropriation of more than 7.7 million baht of public funds. In a statement…
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One drowned, another still missing off Surat Thani
One person is still missing, one has been recovered and another person has drowned after a search for coastal molluscs and cockles went wrong in Surat Thani yesterday. A woman was reported as being washed out to sea and her daughter-in-law is still missing, while collecting molluscs at a Laem Pho beach in Chaiya district, north in Surat Thani province. There…
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Government defends “monkey business” after PETA call for boycott on Thai coconut products
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the US-based animal rights group, is no stranger to controversy and has been accused of double standards in the past. Now it faces accusations of “cultural racism” after its open call to ban all Thai coconut products because some of the coconuts may have been harvested by monkeys. In a statement issued this…
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Thailand producing over 4 million face masks a day
An increase in production facilities means Thailand is now producing 4.2 million face masks a day, leading to a growing surplus. A report in Nation Thailand says Internal Trade Director Vichai Pochanakit says producers in China are once again exporting the raw materials needed for mask production. The Thai government is now looking at ways to manage a daily surplus…
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Massive flash flood brings Pattaya to a crawl
Heavy thunderstorms in and around Pattaya yesterday caused major flooding and brought much of the resort town to a virtual standstill. The rains hit around 2pm and lasted for about 2 hours. The heaviest flooding was reported on Soi Khao Noi, Pattaya Beach Road, and Pattaya Third Road. A video of the flooding can be seen HERE. Water on some…
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Thai government “more confident” after recent re-openings see no new Covid cases
A week after the re-opening of Thailand’s schools and nightlife venues, the government says it’s feeling more confident as the country records no new locally-spread cases of Covid-19. The final phase of re-opening was seen as the riskiest, involving venues such as pubs and nightclubs, where social distancing might prove more of a challenge. Thailand has now gone more than…
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“Travel bubble” scheme likely to be delayed
Thailand’s “travel bubble” scheme, which would allow limited numbers of certain groups of tourists from nations or areas deemed Covid-19 free by the World Health Organisation, now appears likely to be delayed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has announced the delay after several countries, that were considered for the scheme, have now seen resurgences of the virus. The CAAT’s…
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Thai teacher gives “ugly” haircut as punishment for student’s long hair
A Thai teacher has reportedly angered a student’s mother after cutting her daughter’s hair when she showed up to school with long hair which, until recently, was against government school rules. The mother says her child was given the “ugly” haircut as a punishment in front of her peers and says the teacher was trying to humiliate the girl. Education…
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The transformation of Thai hotels under the ‘new normal’ – CBRE
The full impact from Covid-19 could be prolonged, even after the actual virus is finally brought under control. CBRE, an international property consultant, expects Thailand’s hotel industry will undergo inevitable changes as part of the ‘new normal’. A new report says there will be an added emphasis on hygiene, a redefined restaurant concept, new partnerships and design alterations in line…
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