World News
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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Hong Kong re-introduces tough restrictions as virus numbers rise
Hong Kong is toughening up on restrictions as it is experiencing what many are calling a 3rd wave of Covid-19 infections. From tomorrow, customers can no longer dine in at restaurants as eateries will be allowed to open for takeaway service only. This expands an existing rule that banned dining in from 6pm, now making it an all-day stipulation. In…
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Vietnam evacuates 80,000 following 3 new Covid-19 cases in Da Nang
After the surprise appearance of 3 new Covid-19 cases, Vietnam officials announced they are evacuating 80,000 people from the central coastal city of Da Nang, mostly tourists. Any festive activities, celebrations, religious ceremonies, sports activities and crowded events in public places, stadiums and large venues are now banned. “The evacuation will take at least four days with domestic airlines operating…
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Rohingya boat incident leaves 24 feared dead off Malaysian coast
A Rohingya boat incident has left at least 24 people feared to have drowned off the coast of Malaysia after a sole survivor swam to shore on the resort island of Langkawi. The 27 year old, named Nor Hossain was detained by police after arriving on the island. A search and rescue operation was launched using 2 aircraft and 2…
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Hope among Pakistan’s elderly as 103 year old man recovers from Covid-19
Pakistan’s elderly population is finding hope in the news that a 103 year old grandfather in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has recovered from the Covid-19 virus. Aziz Abdul Alim, from the Chitral sub-district, was diagnosed with the coronavirus in early July and hospitalised for treatment. Given his age, his family say they were very concerned about his chances of survival, but Aziz…
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North Korean border city locked down over suspected Covid-19 case
North Korea has, until now, claimed not a single case of Covid-19 within its borders, a claim widely doubted by experts. Today, North Korea state media reports that the secretive nation’s “dear leader” Kim Jong Un has placed the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, under total lockdown after a person was found with suspected coronavirus symptoms,…
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Covid-19 UPDATE: 3 new cases in Thailand, world total passes 16 million
On a day when the number of the world’s total infections zooms through the 16 million mark, and the US total for deaths is about to reach 150,000 people, Thailand again registers a mere 3 new cases, again all imported. The USA, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa are the world’s Top 5 coronavirus hotspots with a host of South…
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First Covid-19 case in Vietnam since April
Health authorities in Vietnam today reported the first first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 in nearly 100 days, in a country whose swift and draconian lockdown won international praise for controlling the spread of the disease. “Patient 416”, a 57 year old retired man in the central city of Da Nang, is the first case of local transmission since April…
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620 baht Covid-19 vaccine could be ready in 2021
The first vaccine against Covid-19 for human use is expected to be available in 2021, and is expected to be available in Thailand for a cost of about 620 baht per dose; this from the secretary-general of the National Vaccines Committee today. Dr Siriroek Songsivilai says the price is based on the 100 million doses, valued at about 2 billion…
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16 Thais, Burmese arrested in raid on illegal Narathiwat casino
Officers of the Crime Suppression Division arrested 16 Thai and Burmese gamblers at an illegal gambling den in Sungai-Kolok, on the Malaysian border in the southern Narathiwat province. The casino reportedly had a monthly cash flow of over 388 million baht, and was operating in an apartment with many games to choose from. Officials got a tip about a location…
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Travel trends define future of world tourism
People still want to travel, even if their options are severely limited at the moment. 84% of respondents to a Hotels.com survey admit that they are “looking forward to travelling again”. But attitudes towards have also evolved as a result of the world Covid-19 pandemic. 49% of those surveyed admit that they would “still be nervous about travelling” even after…
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Overly harsh travel restrictions are destroying aviation: AAPA
More than 6 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines is urging governments around the region to ease what they view as unduly burdensome restrictions on international air travel and re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. The industry is taking initial steps toward restarting international operations by working closely with governments, health…
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Face masks become mandatory in Malaysia’s fight against Covid-19
Even when it was in the grip of Covid-19 in March, reporting daily new cases in triple digits, Malaysia never made the wearing of face masks mandatory. Defense Minister Ismail Sabri says this was to avoid placing financial stress on the country’s poor, given that face masks should be changed at least once a day. However, as the country reports…
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Last Qantas 747 flight draws kangaroo logo in the sky to mark final voyage – VIDEO
The Qantas Boeing 747 has taken to the skies for the last time, marking its final journey by drawing the airline’s famous kangaroo logo in the sky. The design could be seen on flight radar maps as the aircraft, affectionately known as the Queen of the Skies, ascended out of Sydney for the last time. It flew over the Harbour…
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5 killed during heavy flooding in northern Vietnam
Heavy rains and flooding in the far north of Vietnam are causing havoc. So far at least 5 people, including 3 children have died in the Ha Giang Province. The region has experienced heavy flooding over the past 3 days due to torrential rains causing traffic jams, landslides and cutting off some remote areas. Streets in the region’s main towns…
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South east Asia’s budget airline dilemma
South east Asia’s low-cost carriers are staggering as demand plunges, and countries are ever-wary about re-opening their borders, raising questions whether they will be needing any new planes in the short to medium term. Malaysia’s AirAsia Group and Vietnam’s VietJet are publicly canvassing their cashflow and funding problems. Indonesia’s Lion Air has shelved a planned flotation this year. But prior…
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Hong Kong facing prospect of curfew amid rise in Covid-19 cases
Medical experts are warning that a curfew may have to be imposed after Hong Kong has seen nearly 500 new cases of Covid-19 in the last week. Yesterday alone saw 73 new cases with 66 being community transmitted. However, officials say they have only identified the sources of transmission for around 30 of those reported cases. A restaurant at the…
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Cambodian officials deny knowledge of Wanchalearms disappearance
“We know nothing.” Cambodian authorities continue to deny any knowledge of the disappearance of Thai activist in exile Wanchalearm Satsaksit. They claim that Wanchalearm failed tot make any further visa renewal request after his current visa expired at the end of 2017. They say that no Cambodian agencies have any additional information about his whereabouts or disappearance other than what…
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Floods ravage north-eastern India and southern Nepal
Heavy rain lashing India’s northeast is triggering severe flooding and landslides. So far the death toll is up to 221 but is expected to rise. Over 4 million people have been displaced by the floods in the northeastern state of Assam. Parts of southern Nepal and Bangladesh are also being deluged. More than a million people have already moved to relief…
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Sa Kaeo police nab 6 illegal migrants, Thai driver
6 illegal Cambodian migrants were caught at a checkpoint in the western border province of Sa Kaeo this weekend. Such checkpoints are proliferating, designed to stop illegal border crossings and the potential risk imported Covid-19 cases. Sa Kaeo Sa Kaeo has been a particular hotspot, with many illegal migrants attempting to cross the border to work in Thailand. ThaiBorder Control,…
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US surpasses 140,000 Covid-19 deaths as outbreak escalates
US deaths from Covid-19 surpassed the 140,000 mark yesterday as cases have continued to rise in 43 of the 50 states over the past 2 weeks. As of today the tally stands at 142,877. Since late June the US has seen a resurgence in new cases and now, 6 weeks later, deaths are also on the rise, according to a…
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Transit passengers must have health certificate before buying ticket: CAAC
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has ordered the implementation of new regulations for any international flights entering Thailand – All passengers must have a medical certificate showing that they are free of Covid-19 before booking their ticket. The move follows China’s decision to temporarily ban Thai Lion Air from flying the Bangkok-Guangzhou route and Thai AirAsia X from flying…
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Diplomats no longer exempt: will be subject to quarantine
The CCSA announced yesterday that centre has resolved that ambassadors and diplomats entering Thailand will no longer be exempt from Thailand’s quarantine requirements, and will be required to enter “alternative state quarantine” on arrival for 14 days. The announcement follows the discovery of a case of Covid-19 in the daughter of a Sudanese diplomat living in Bangkok. That case ostensibly…
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Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia battling new Covid-19 cases in SE Asia
Indonesia, The Philippines and Singapore are leading the way in South East Asia, contributing the most number of new cases of the coronavirus in the past week (worldometers.info). In the past 24 hours The Philippines (1,841), Indonesia (1,462) and Singapore (327) have added the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in the ASEAN region. In The Philippines the numbers have…
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Hong Kong Disneyland closes the gates, again
Whilst Disney World theme parks in Florida reopened to the public this week, after being closed for four months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Disney theme franchise closed up again. Less than a month since it reopened Hong Kong Disneyland shutdown following a new coronavirus outbreak in the city. The theme park shuttered at the end of January…
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Thailand to allow medical tourism within 2 weeks
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced today that Thailand’s medical tourism and wellness programs will go ahead despite the controversy swirling around 2 Covid-19 cases this week – in Bangkok and in Rayong. CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin says the Ministry of Public Health will announce a list of hospitals that pass its criteria next week, and the first…
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Chiang Rai couple arrested for smuggling more than a tonne of crystal meth
Chiang Rai police have arrested 2 more people for arranging and overseeing the smuggling of more than a tonne of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice” to southern Thailand. The 48 year old man and his 31 year old wife were nabbed at their home yesterday in the province’s Mae Chan district, within 15 kilometres of the Burmese border. They’re charged with…
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Thai Immigration police nab human trafficker
Immigration police have arrested a 55 year old “employment agent” who allegedly trafficked illegal migrant workers from neighbouring countries into Thailand. The Immigration Bureau’s commissioner identified the suspect as Petcharat Sathon at a press briefing. Officers arrested her at a hotel in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo, near the Cambodian border. She’s been charged with smuggling migrant workers into…
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A recovering China faces worst floods in decades
As China is still reeling from economic impacts of Covid-19, a new struggle has ensued as the nation is now seeing the worst flooding in decades which have destroyed the homes and livelihoods of millions. The devastating floods have impacted 38 million people. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, some 2.24 million people have been displaced, with 141 people…
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Singapore drops into an official recession
Singapore, an early success story in Covid-19 containment, has now dropped into technical recession after an official second quarter report of negative growth. The Singaporean economy plunged 41.2% quarter-on-quarter, with the country’s trade-dependent economy battered by the Covid-19 crisis in the South East Asian region. Finance authorities are flagging that they expect Singapore’s GDP to shrink between 4 – 7% this…
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Strict restrictions imposed in Hong Kong as Covid-19 resurgence worsens
Despite appearing to successfully flatten the curve from April onwards, Hong Kong is now fighting its worst outbreak of the Covid-19 virus since January. The new outbreak is escalating, leading authorities to impose strict restrictions once more. Among those is a ban on eating in restaurants in the evening, with eateries only permitted to offer a takeaway service between the…
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