World News
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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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UPDATE #2: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan
UPDATE #2: The Thai man who went on the run after murdering a Thai couple in Taiwan last week asked a middleman to contact the Royal Thai Police on his behalf to inform them that he wants to hand himself in. Apparently, he feels guilty and wants to surrender to police. The police have not spoken to the suspect directly so…
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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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Malaysian cockfighter sneaks across border and gets shot in southern Thailand
A Malaysian man who illegally crossed over the border into Thailand for a cockfighting match got shot in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat province, last Saturday night. His chicken won the fight, but his luck soon changed when a group of Thai nationals shot him in the hand on his way home. Scared of getting into trouble with the authorities, the injured man…
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Men brutally attack group of women at restaurant in China
Several men attacked a group of women at a restaurant in northern China last week after one of the women rejected a man’s advances. Security footage shows a man in a restaurant in the city of Tangshan approach a woman dining with 2 of her friends. The man puts his hand on the woman’s back, and she pushes him away.…
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Laos to ban public from holding foreign currencies
The Central Bank of Laos plans to ban residents from holding foreign currencies to address problems such as inflation, and the depreciation of the Kip. The Laotian Times yesterday reported that the Governor of the Central Bank of Laos, Sonexay Sitphaxay, promised to solve foreign exchange problems during a press conference on May 27. The governor acknowledged public concern regarding…
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Shopee fires 50% of its Thai staff
E-commerce platform Shopee today announced 50% of its Thai staff are being fired alongside employees from Indonesia and Vietnam. The company, under the Singaporean tech group Sea, did not give a reason for the mass redundancies. DealStreetAsia reported that Shopee has informed all staff on the redundancy hit list to pack up their stuff and wait for an official termination…
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UPDATE: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan
UPDATE: Last week, A Thai man murdered a Thai couple in Taiwan – the woman pregnant with twins – and stuffed their bodies into the trunk of a BMW in Taoyuan city near the capital Taipei. The prime suspect, a Thai man from Ubon Ratchathani, fled Taiwan to his home in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Thursday. By the time…
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Cryptocurrency crash: what is happening?
The global market of cryptocurrency dipped below US$1 trillion to $962 billion for the first time yesterday since 2020. Bitcoin fell below US$23,000, hitting its lowest point since December 2020. Over the weekend, Ethereum collapsed by 24%, falling to its lowest level in more than 14 months. Meanwhile, crypto lending company Celsius froze withdrawals for its customers yesterday, claiming it…
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China opens naval base in Cambodia, officials go swimming together to celebrate
Despite experts predicting that ASEAN nations would not pick sides between the US and China, Cambodia seems to be cozying up to its powerful Chinese neighbour, with officials even going for a dip in the sea together. Cambodia’s Minister of Defense Tea Banh and Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian were spotted bathing in the sea together after the opening ceremony of…
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Malaysians flood back to Phuket
Daily AirAsia flights from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket are fully booked as Malaysians flock back to the island paradise in their thousands. The island is a popular beach getaway location for Malaysian families, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT. Alongside AirAsia, Scoot, Indigo, Emirates and Thai Airways also fly into Phuket from various locations in Malaysia. Other…
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Surprise! Additional luggage fees on a budget airline ruin family holiday
Yikes. How much were you charged recently for late checked baggage fees? All but some of the larger legacy or national airlines charge for checked in luggage these days and arriving at the airport check-in, without having paid for your checked luggage, when you booked the cheap seats online, will likely provide an unhappy surprise. So HOW unhappy? Have a…
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Thai special envoy to Myanmar warns not to ‘cancel’ Burmese military
Thailand’s new special envoy has spoken out as an apologist for the Myanmar military by urging the international community not to “get stuck in cancel rhetoric” when dealing with the Burmese Junta that seized power 16 months ago. She spoke in support of ‘moving on’ from the past and towards a different style of engagement with the military leaders. Pornpimol…
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Meta downgrades commitment to Facebook News service, tech giants don’t want to pay for News
Meta, aka Facebook, are looking to review commitments to pay publishers for their news articles. The payments, said to be 100s of million US$ a year to mostly larger news publishers, have shown little return to the Facebook platform or gained them many extra users. Some of the larger publishers, both in the US and elsewhere, are going to have…
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Thailand seals the deal for emergency support loan from Japan
The Thailand deal for a long-term multi-billion baht loan with Japan was formally announced today. Last month the government made the announcement to approach Japan for the loan. On May 3, the Thai Finance Minister, Akom Termpittayapaisit, explained to Thai media that he signed the agreement on Covid-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan with a representative from JICA Morota Takahiro.…
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Thai and Laotian officials discuss border trafficking
Thai and Laotian officials met in Bangkok today to discuss trafficking along their countries’ borders, among other subjects. Last week, the 2 countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to work together on a wide range of issues, among them drug and human trafficking. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, and Laotian Deputy Prime Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, also discussed…
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China-Laos-Thailand railway already ‘exceeded expectations’
Former Thai Deputy PM Pinit Jarusombat believes the extension of the China-Laos Railway into Thailand “has exceeded expectations” and will eventually provide the kingdom with a number of investment and business opportunities. The China-Laos Railway, which opened only six months ago, connects Kunming in China with the Laotian capital Vientiane and stretches out around 1,035 kilometres. The route has delivered more…
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50 years today – anniversary of an iconic photo
It’s June 8, 1972 and bombs come raining from the sky in a village called Trang Bang, just 50 kilometres northwest of Ho Chi Minh City (then it was called Saigon). 50 years ago, today, a photo was snapped featuring a 9 year old called Phan Thi Kim Phuc. The photo became not only an indelible image representing the worst…
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Canada launches vaccine campaign against monkeypox
Quebec is the first Canadian province to launch a vaccine campaign against monkeypox, specifically aimed at ‘high-risk’ people who have been exposed to the virus. Over 800 Quebecers have been vaccinated with the Imvamune smallpox vaccine so far, which can build immunity against monkeypox, according to Canadian public health officials. So far, 90 cases of monkeypox have been recorded in…
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Cambodia officially becomes ‘Covid-Free’
Cambodia now claims it is now completely free of Covid-19, according to a statement released by the country’s health ministry yesterday. The last recorded case has recovered and Cambodia has entered a state of “Covid Zero.” The southeast Asian nation – which has a population of 16.7 million – recorded a total of 136,262 cases, 133,206 recoveries and 3,056 Covid-19…
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Quarantine waivered allowing 160,000 migrant workers to enter Thailand
In an effort to stop illegal border crossers looking for work, a newly signed memorandum of understanding will allow more than 160,000 migrant workers to enter Thailand without having to go through the quarantine procedure. Workers from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos have been given a free pass from tomorrow through the MoU signed if they have been fully vaccinated with…
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French Thai kickboxer makes a dick of himself
French Muay Thai Kickboxer, Jimmy Vienot, unintentionally made a bit of an idiot of himself after his recent triumph over Petchmorakot Petchyindee at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. The Frenchman, who defeated Petchmorakot on May 20, wanted, มวยไทย, meaning Muay Thai, inked on his arm, but the result came back not just wrong, but terribly wrong. Instead, a communication…
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Indonesia jumps ahead of Thailand with new 5 year digital nomad visa
Yes, remote workers have finally got a break with Indonesia’s announcement of a visa specifically for the digital nomad crowd. In the post-Covid world, with world office and work habits going through such profound changes, the option for a digital nomad visa, where remote workers could work in a south East Asian resort location rather than a dank office, will…
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Indonesia opens office doors to remote workers with 5 year visa offer
Temping tourists to travel to Indonesia shouldn’t be a difficult task. After all, the largest archipelago in the world is rich with cultural gems, stunning beaches, and every kind of natural beauty. But the Indonesian government has decided against taking the scenic route, instead they are tempting the business community with an appetising 5 year visa. The nation’s Tourism Minister,…
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Singapore is looking to Thailand and other countries for its chicken supplies
Singapore’s chicken supply is depending on Thailand, plus a few other countries, after Malaysia banned poultry exports last month. Before the ban, about a third of Singapore’s chicken came from Malaysia. In a country that takes its Chicken Rice meal VERY seriously, the situation has become an acute supply chain shortage in the island nation. Singaporean Minister of State for…
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Three charged over rape of a mother of two on a train in Pakistan
Three men in Pakistan have been arrested over the rape of a woman on a train from Karachi to Multan on May 27. Pakistan’s railway ministry reported that the men asked the woman to move to a carriage with air conditioning, before they attacked her on the moving train. One of the accused is a ticket checker for the train.…
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Starving Rohingyas found in South Thailand national park
The chief of a national park in south Thailand announced yesterday (Saturday) that 59 Rohingya migrants had appeared on a beach there .The chief, Phanpong Kongkaeo, said his assistant alerted him that the 59 people appear to be starving and had no food or supplies with them. Phanpong said he has ordered food and drinking water for them. Tarutao National…
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Japan facing rise in ‘Long Covid’ cases
Japan is seeing a number of people report having so-called ‘Long Covid’ symptoms, including fatigue, coughing and memory memory loss. Tokyo’s metropolitan government found that of the 2,039 people reporting Long Covid symptoms, 97% only had mild symptoms when they were infected with the coronavirus between January and April. 74% had no underlying disease, and more than 70% were aged…
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World Health Organisation says two-thirds of population has Covid-19 antibodies
The World Health Organisation says over two-thirds of the population will have significant Covid-19 antibodies, thanks to either vaccination or prior infection. The WHO cited a summary of global studies that shows the rate of seroprevalence jumped from 16% in February 2021 to 67% in October. According to a Bloomberg report, officials say that the rapid spread of the Omicron…
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