World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
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9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Malaysian arrested in Bangkok for wildlife trafficking, claims he came for cannabis
A Malaysian national arrested in Bangkok yesterday for alleged wildlife trafficking claimed he came to the kingdom for cannabis oil business. The man, 58 year old Boon Ching Teo, is allegedly a key trafficker in a global network. He was reportedly dubbed ‘the godfather’ of wildlife trading by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is wanted by US authorities.…
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Indonesian villager catches massive crocodile using only a rope
An Indonesian villager has caught a massive crocodile using only a rope on the island of Sulawesi. A video shows the villager, 53 year old Usman, pulling the rope on each side of the crocodile’s mouth. Later, the giant croc is seen with its mouth and claws completely tied up. The beast was discovered to be 4.3 metres long. But…
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Singapore and South Korea warn Thais not to enter their countries with cannabis products
Following the June 9 announcement about Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis products, other Asian countries have warned Thais and foreigners not to bring Thai weed into their countries. Japan and Indonesia have already made direct announcements to their respective Royal Thai embassies. Now Thai embassies in South Korea and Singapore have joined the list to warn travellers from Thailand not to…
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More fighting between Karen and Burmese army, villagers injured
Another round of violence has broken out between Karen forces and the Burmese army. Now, 2 injured Burmese villagers are being treated at a Thai hospital in the border province of Tak. The men, 30 and 33 years old, have shrapnel wounds to their heads and legs. Sources said Karen soldiers had taken a base from Burmese troops, and a…
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Bar employees in Indonesia accused of blasphemy over new drink scheme
Indonesia’s religious blasphemy law is growing “more dangerous” according to rights groups. Police have charged 6 bar employees in the country with blasphemy over a new drink promotion. Under the PR stunt, bar-goers get free drinks if their names are Mohammad or Maria. Mohammad is the name of the prophet of Islam, although it’s also a common men’s name in…
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Sri Lanka suspends sale of petrol to public for next 2 weeks
The supply of petrol for cars in Sri Lanka has been suspended due to the country’s greatest economic crisis in decades. Only buses, trains, ambulances, and transport needed to deliver food will be permitted to refuel over the next 2 weeks. Authorities revealed that only 9,000 tonnes of diesel and 6,000 tonnes of gasoline are available to support the nation’s…
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British boxer vows to get back in ring after Thai horror crash
A British Muay Thai boxer vowed to get up off the floor and back into the ring after a horror crash in Koh Samui left him fighting for his life. Chris Richardson was crushed by a pickup truck as he pulled out of a coffee shop on his motorbike on April 13 earlier this year. The injuries were so severe…
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Thai man jailed for rape in London massage parlour
London Metropolitan Police is appealing for more women to come forward after a Thai massage therapist was jailed for 11 years for the rape and sexual assault of two women. Kensington-based Mongkhon Thopwan was sentenced on Friday after being convicted on March 21 of 5 counts of assault by penetration, and one count of causing a person to engage in…
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Thais taking Cannabis to Japan will face punishment
Thai nationals heading to Japan should avoid taking cannabis, hemp, and cannabis-related products into the country because they could face being arrested under Japanese laws, according to the Thai embassy in Japan. “The Thai embassy in Tokyo would like to warn Thai people not to bring in cannabis, hemp, or products containing these plants into Japan. Violators could face punishment…
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Boost to tourism industry as China resumes flights to Thailand
Thailand received another boost to its tourism industry yesterday when China gave its blessing to resume flights between the two Asian nations. The gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the scrapping of the Thailand Pass, and the relaxation of mask-wearing have all been much welcomed as the kingdom fights back against two tough pandemic years. And the welcoming of Chinese tourists…
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Filipino transgender woman takes the crown at Pattaya pageant
A Filipino transgender woman claimed the crown at a world-renowned beauty pageant in Pattaya yesterday. Contestants from Columbia and France finished in the runners up places. Altogether, 23 transgender women competed for the title. The newly crowned Miss International Queen, 27 year old Fuschia Anne Ravena, dazzled the crowd in her glittery silver dress, which the bejewelled silver crown matched…
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Man stabs 4 in New Zealand
A violent attack has gripped New Zealand after a man stabbed 4 people in a neighbourhood in Auckland yesterday. All 4 suffered moderate injuries, according to a police commander. But locals didn’t cave in to the attacker. Waitematā District commander Superintendent Naila Hassan, told the press that neighbours jumped in to follow and surround the culprit after he started stabbing…
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‘Elvis’ the movie – all shook up in a blancmange of jump suits and pop tribute
It’s pretentious, over-decorated, and probably overlong. But it’s also a spectacular 2 and half hours which will reconnect you with the 20th century’s most consequential pop icon – Elvis. “Elvis” was released today in Thailand and is now showing at cinemas around the country. If you want to revel in Elvis nostalgia and the music, there’s plenty of that. But…
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Sri Lanka petroleum company in extreme debt, country hitting “rock bottom”
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is snowballing even further. The island nation’s PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka might be falling to “rock bottom” now that its major petroleum corporation is in extreme debt. He said that because of the debt, no other countries are willing to provide Sri Lanka with fuel. “Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $700 million in…
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Burmese refugees left stranded on desert island in Thailand for 3 days
Today, the Thai army picked up 16 Burmese refugees who were left stranded on a desert island off the coast of Ranong province, southern Thailand, for 3 days and 2 nights. The group came to the island from Myanmar by boat and were told to wait for another boat to take them across to the mainland. However, the boat they…
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Monkeypox arrives in Singapore and South Korea
Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Singapore and South Korea. Since the outbreak began in May, Singapore’s case is the first recorded in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s Ministry of Health confirmed that a 42 year old British flight attendant tested positive for monkeypox on June 20. He was in Singapore between June 15 and June 17, and again on June…
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Tourists stuck in cable car for hours climb down by rope in India
Tourists trapped inside 2 cable cars at a mountain range in India were horrified when both cable cars suddenly stopped 1300 feet above the ground on Monday. After being stuck in the air for hours, some of the tourists opted to lower themselves to safety by rope. A total of 15 sightseers, 11 in 1 cable car and 4 in…
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Thailand and UK sign ambitious bilateral trade deal
Thai Deputy PM and Minister of Commerce, Jurin Laksanawisit, met UK Minister of State for Trade Policy, Penny Mordaunt, in London yesterday to explore ways of increasing bilateral trade and committing to an ambitious trading relationship. The 2 politicians concluded business at the UK-Thailand Joint Economic and Trade Committee by signing a programme of work, including Government-to-Government and Government-to-Business activity,…
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Why your flights are getting more expensive, not cheaper
There’s a short-term situation and a longer-term evolution that will make your flights more expensive than they were in the past. If we briefly look back at the past 65 years of world aviation, there has been a slow, incremental decrease in passenger seat prices on flights. That was until the start of 2020. For the modern era (despite the…
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That sinking feeling – the Maldives is building a new ‘floating’ country
Run out of space? No problem. Just build another room. In the case of an entire country that is sinking into the Indian Ocean, the situation becomes a bit more acute. Technically, the Maldives isn’t sinking, the sea levels are rising and slowly swamping the low-lying Indian Ocean nation, scattered south west of India. The Maldives, a country of some…
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ISIS-K murders Sikhs in Afghanistan as “revenge” for insults to prophet
The bloodthirsty savages of ISIS are slaughtering minorities and ‘blasphemers’ in Afghanistan again. A police chief in the country’s city of Kabul said gunmen killed at least 2 people at a Sikh temple there yesterday. The ISIS affiliate group ISIS-K has since claimed responsibility for the attack. An ISIS-K suicide bomber hurled a hand grenade at the temple’s security guard…
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Thailand’s Criminal Court issues warrants for alleged Taiwan murder accomplices
The Thai man who murdered a pregnant woman and her husband in Taiwan might not have acted alone. Thailand’s Criminal Court has now issued arrest warrants for 2 alleged accomplices. Now, police from the Crime Suppression Division are on the hunt for the 2 alleged partners in crime. This news comes after the prime suspect, 35 year old “Santi”, handed…
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Shanghai returns to mass lockdowns and travel restrictions
China’s Zero Covid policy is still causing misery around the country amid a return to lockdowns in parts of the major cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. People are being sequestered of they’ve come into contact with an infected person in high-population areas where the hygiene is generally poor. Beijing has reverted to online teaching in one of its major districts…
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Sri Lankan officials say country has enough fuel for 5 more days
Sri Lanka’s crisis is going from bad to worse. The country’s energy minister announced yesterday that Sri Lanka’s fuel stocks will last for about 5 more days. Fuel shortages have already worsened this week with kilometres-long lines at some gas stations across the country. Some of the horrendously long lines have broken into protests as car owners wait, sometimes overnight,…
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Laotian tourists are flocking to Thailand
Crowds of eager Laotian tourists are flocking to Thailand now that Thailand and Laos have eased travel restrictions this month. Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said yesterday that the checkpoint in Nong Khai, which borders Laos in Northeastern Thailand, is now the fourth most popular entry point into Thailand. The top 3 most popular entry points are Suvarnabhumi and Phuket…
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UPDATE #3: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan
UPDATE #3: The man suspected of murdering a Thai couple in Taiwan last week – the woman pregnant with twins – handed himself in to the Royal Thai Police at 8am this morning. Police arrested 35 year old “Santi” at the Border Police Division 335 in Chiang Dao district in the northern province of Chiang Mai after he made contact…
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Pakistani government tells people “drink less tea” amidst economic crisis
Pakistan is the latest of several countries hit by an economic crisis. In the midst of the crisis, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning and Development has some interesting instructions for citizens: drink less tea. Pakistan is the world’s largest importer of tea, buying more than US$640 million worth in 2020, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. The minister, Ahsan…
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Sri Lanka to start 4 day work week so people can grow food amidst crisis
Amidst Sri Lanka’s unrest, the country’s government announced yesterday that it will start a 4 day work week for public sector workers for the next 3 months. The Department of Government Information said the day off could be a day for people to grow food, since Sri Lanka is expecting a food shortage. The department said… “It seems appropriate to…
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“It’s a hiatus, not a breakup.” Superband BTS announce extended break.
Pop kings BTS, the South Korean band that broke through music’s bamboo ceiling, is having a break after 9 years. The septet have had outstanding global success and amassed, not only the most numerous, but also the most engaged fandom in music history – the BTS ’ARMY’. This year BTS won three of the top awards at the American Music…
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