World News
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Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
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Thai policeman arrested as key suspect in human trafficking of Rohingya
Police have arrested a man who they believe has trafficked at least 200 Rohingya refugees into Thailand on their way to Malaysia. 56 year old Charin Chuenchom was arrested over the weekend at a house in Ratchaburi, east of Bangkok. Chanin consequently confessed and was handed over to authorities for prosecution The Rohingya are a stateless, mainly Muslim ethnic group…
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Thai baht hits highest level against the USD in six years
The baht finished in spectacular fashion after a year as one of the world’s most stable currencies, when it reached 30.15 baht against the US$, its highest level in six years. Kasikornbank Bank is forecasting that the Thai baht could move into a range of 30-30.30 baht to the dollar this week (up to January 3). Investors have been selling USD…
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New research poses grim projections for world’s coastal cities
GRAPHIC: The New York Times • More than 20 million people in southern Vietnam, nearly a quarter of the total population, currently live on land that will be underwater by 2050. • In Thailand, more than 10% of the population live on land that will be inundated in 30 years. Bangkok is already suffering inundations, complicated by the city sinking…
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Asia leads the way in travel technology over next decade
In an industry already heavily “disrupted” by technology, tourism and travel will see even more of the business-side move online. Singapore-based travel booking company Agoda says that single one-stop-shop apps for all travel needs, passport free travel, and mobile app check-in are the top three new travel trends expected by travellers. Their report indicates travellers now expect a lot more from their travel experience…
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At least 21 killed by typhoon Phanfone in Philippines
PHOTO: bbc.com A deadly Christmas typhoon has swept across the central Philippines region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and killing at least 21 people. With much of the area’s communications remain cut off, the full extent of the damage or fatalities is not yet known. Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, made landfall on Eastern Samar…
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Thai court upholds life sentence for Lao drug kingpin
PHOTO: SCMP A Thai court has upheld a life sentence for Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha, who’s charged with smuggling a huge number of methamphetamine pills, known as yaba in Thailand, into the kingdom in 2016. The Thai Court of Appeals found that Xaysana arranged for the drugs to be smuggled from Laos in a vehicle with a false roof compartment.…
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The Chinese sneezed and south-east asian tourism caught cold
PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com Things have gone a bit quiet on the tourist front. Thai authorities and people affected by the downturn are wringing their hands as the rise and rise of tourism in the Land of Smiles has seen it first sustained reversal in fortunes for two decades. But it’s not just in Thailand. It’s not as if the tourists are…
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One billion baht in assets seized during Phitsanulok drug bust
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Police in the central Thai province of Phitsanulok have seized assets valued around one billion baht from a gold shop and its related businesses. The store was suspected of being the ‘shop front’ to a larger drug trading network. An arrest warrant was issued for the shop’s owner, his son is already in custody. A team of…
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Vietnam extends 15 day visa-free travel for some countries
Vietnam’s tourism operators are welcoming the Vietnam government’s decision to extend the visa-free stays for citizens from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark and Belarus for another three years. The eight countries have already enjoyed visa exemption (for a stay up to 15 days) since 2015, but it was due to expire at the end of this year.…
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Top 10 Feng Shui master tips to re-organise your home
The ancient wisdom of Feng Shui looks at how the life energy or “qi” in the environment, like our homes, affect our life, health, relationships, and prosperity. In this article, we want to share tips that some famous Feng Shui masters, who are sought after by celebrities, tycoons, politicians, and big brands, recommend to help you re-organise your house. Even…
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Thailand’s U-turn on agri-chemical ban shows US hitting where it hurts
PHOTO: matichon.co.th The US is piling the pressure on Thailand over its agri-chemical ban, and it appears to be working. A report by the Nikkei Asian Review claims the Kingdom’s proposed ban on three agri-chemicals – Paraquat, Glyphosate and Chlorpyrifos – would have affected American agricultural exports into Thailand. But the US President has weighed into the issue. Following news…
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Thai man’s campaign to find his aunt, allegedly kidnapped by North Korea 42 years ago
Persistence. A Thai man, who believes his aunt was abducted by North Korea several decades ago, says he’s encouraged by Japan’s efforts to track down its citizens also thought to have been kidnapped by the rogue state. Thai PBS World reports that Banchon Panjoi was invited to a meeting in Japan organised by relatives of missing people believed to have been…
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UK heads towards Brexit and Thailand ponders an FTA with Britain
Thailand is pondering the possibilities of creating a free trade agreement with the UK after British PM Boris Johnson’s historic victory in the UK election last week, which is expected to pave the way for the passage of the ‘Brexit’ separation form the EU soon. The UK will then have to make separate agreements with each individual country. Traditionally these…
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Forecasts are in negative territory for south east and wider Asia
PHOTO: asiahouse.org The Asian Development Bank has trimmed its forecasts for economic growth in developing Asia this year and next as growth in the People’s Republic of China and India are weighed down by both external and domestic factors. Closer to home, south east Asia’s growth projections have also been revised down slightly to 4.4% for 2019. Economic woes of…
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Aung San Suu Kyi shows contempt for case against Myanmar army in international court
PHOTO: LA Times Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has shown contempt for UN judges investigating the genocide case relating to the Myanmar army’s attacks on the Rohingya in 2017. In her speeches she defended the generals she once defied, for their genocide against the muslim minority living in the Rhakine state, west of the country. Her supporters gathered…
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So you want to move to Vietnam?
“Whilst Thailand is often nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand 7-elevens’, with a convenience store on just about every corner, there are very few of these in Vietnam, for now.” With the Thai Baht on a high at the moment, along with stricter enforcement of visa rules, some expats say they’ve had enough and are heading to Vietnam, or some…
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More direct flights between Vietnam and Thailand amid growth in tourism
PHOTO: Asia 361 Thailand is gearing up to welcome more Vietnamese visitors, with a number of airlines increasing direct flights between both countries and adding some new routes too. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the additional routes should help boost the number of first-time visitors from Vietnam. The Nation reports that several carriers are launching new services from beyond…
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You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.” – Taiwan
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.” It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to…
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Thai army takes delivery of Chinese battle tanks
Thailand’s Army has taken delivery of Chinese tanks and armoured personnel carriers, just three months after receiving armoured infantry vehicles from the US. The army received 10 shiny new tanks and 38 armoured personnel carriers from China. All the hardware was taken to the Adisorn Cavalry Centre in Saraburi province for inspection. The government hasn’t officially acknowledged its Chinese acquisitions…
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Artist eats $120,000 banana at exhibition
A performance artist shocked a crowd at the Art Basel show in Miami by eating a very expensive snack: an art exhibit that had already been sold for US$ 120,000. The exhibit, a banana duct-taped to the wall at Galerie Perrotin, was a work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Comedian,” and had already been sold to a French collector.…
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Booming regional meth industry – Thailand, Myanmar, China and Laos
“At the same time significant investment has been made in new highways and bridges in an out of Myanmar, Thailand, China, Laos, Bangladesh and Vietnam. This has provided a boom in movement of products like food and clothing. And drugs.” A UN Drugs and Crime report released this year states that the methamphetamine trade is now worth a staggering US$30-61…
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Family of Burmese rebel leader arrested in Thailand
PHOTO: Major General Tun Myat Naing and his wife Ma Hnin Zar Phyu – The Irrawaddy Thai Immigration police arrested the wife and children of a top commander, Major General Tun Myat Naing of the Arakan Army, an active insurgent group fighting for greater autonomy in western Myanmar. Officials at the Thai Immigration Bureau’s Chiang Mai office arrested Ma Hnin Zar…
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Thailand delays introduction of new visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists
…and other proposed nationalities as well. Thailand has decided to postpone the requirement for Taiwanese travellers to present financial statements when applying online for a visa. The Taiwan News is reporting that the new requirements are being delayed until at least March, 2020. The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei has announced that online Taiwanese applicants for travel to…
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Taiwan challenges Thai government over new visa requirements for their citizens
The Taiwanese government says it’s concerned about new Thai government visa rules being imposed on its citizens travelling to Thailand. A new application scheme launched on November 29 by the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei now requires applicants to show evidence of sufficient funds for their trip. The requirement, which asks Taiwanese nationals to submit bank statements from…
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China retaliates on pro-democracy bill by imposing sanctions on US
PHOTO: South China Morning Post Following US President Trump’s signing of a bill to protect the rights of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners, China has hit back, with foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announcing a suspension of US warship visits and sanctions against American NGOs. “In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to…
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Hong Kong Finance Chief warns of first budget deficit since 2004
Hong Kong’s Finance Chief, Paul Chan, says the city is about to record a budget deficit as a result of the protests that have rocked the territory since June, coupled with the ongoing US-China trade war. It will be the first budget deficit in fifteen years, the last one having been caused by the SARS crisis that hit the region hard,…
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The baht keeps surging – and other predictions for the Thai economy in 2020
The last time the Thai baht’s value against theUSD touched 29 baht/US dollar was back in 2013. But the currency appreciation situation was quite different then. Today it’s floating around 30 baht in its 22nd year as a floating international currency. How will all that affect the Thai economy in 2020? Now the strong baht is a result of the…
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Thai border troops placed on alert as Mon rebels prepare attack
Troops deployed at the western Thai border with Myanmar have been placed on alert in anticipation of renewed fighting between Burmese government troops and ethnic-Mon rebels. Fighting broke out a last week when a Mon National Liberation Army base in Ban Bor Yeepoon was taken over by Burmese troops. About 1,000 Mon refugees fled across the border into Kanchanaburi. Shelters…
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Thailand’s Pulse Clinic now opens in Hong Kong
PHOTO: Jonathan Wong Today is World Aids Day. Whilst the treatments and social acceptance of HIV and AIDS has come a long way since those scary days in the early 80s, stigmas remain, particularly in Asia. The Thaiger would like to commemorate the day by featuring a story about local Thai hero Dr Deyn Natthakhet Yaemim who has made knowledge about…
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Thailand and Hong Kong sign five trade agreements
PHOTO: TNA.mcot.net Thailand has signed five MoUs (memoranda of understanding) with Hong Kong, in a commitment to forge “greater economic ties between various creative, technological and development agencies” in both countries. The Nation reports that the MoUs were signed by Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak and Hong Kong CEO Carrie Lam, as they co-chaired the 1st Thailand-Hong Kong Special Administrative Region…
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