World News
Explore the latest global news with The Thaiger’s World News page, your comprehensive source for international updates. We’ve got breaking news, insightful analysis, and exclusive stories from around the globe, covering politics, business, technology, and culture. Stay informed about the world’s most pressing issues, emerging trends, and influential events, as well as updates on travel, lifestyle, and entertainment.
The Thaiger is your go-to platform for staying connected with the ever-changing world we live in. To keep up with the most reliable international news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
-
Business class bird stowaway in Singapore Airlines flight
by The Straits Times – Asia News Network A Singapore Airlines flight headed to London’s Heathrow Airport found it had an unintended passenger – a mynah bird. Business-class passengers found themselves greeted by the stowaway about 12 hours into the flight. A typical Singapore-London flight takes about 14 hours. In a statement yesterday, a Singapore Airlines spokesman confirmed that a bird…
-
Burmese journalists lose appeal, and the article that put them there
PHOTO: Washington Post A Myanmar court has rejected the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act, saying the defence had not provided sufficient evidence to show they were innocent. 32 year old Wa Lone and 28 year old Kyaw Soe Oo were convicted by a lower court in…
-
Paralyzed from rare disease, Caroline returns home from Thailand
Original report by Karina Bolster and David Hylton. PHOTOS: Facebook/Jim Brader A 22 year old woman from Virginia, US, who was paralyzed after her diagnosis of a rare auto-immune disease while teaching in Thailand, has arrived back home in the US. Caroline Bradner was hospitalised in Thailand ever since. A travel insurance company had agreed earlier this month to help…
-
Chinese foreign policy – On track
by Nikkei Asia Review “When Japanese trading house Itochu and train maker Hitachi withdrew from a soon-to-be-decided $7 billion tender for a high-speed rail project near Bangkok, it appeared to be another victory for China and its grand plans to connect Southeast Asia with railways. Thailand has for decades been the centerpiece of Tokyo’s strategy for Southeast Asia, and long-discussed plans…
-
Malaysia choses new sultan, will be elected king January 24
Malaysian officials announced that the country has a new sultan who is now expected to be elected king after the former monarch abdicated following his reported marriage to a Russian former beauty queen. Tengku Abdullah Shah replaces his father, Sultan Ahmad Shah as the ruler of Pahang state, the official Bernama news agency said, citing a senior palace official. Local…
-
Thai cabinet extends visa-fee-waiver until after Songkran
Tourists from over 21 countries will continue to benefit from an extension to the visa fee waiver introduced in November last year. In a move to boost tourism, the cabinet has extended the 2,000 baht visa-on-arrival fee waiver, according to Tourism and Sport Minister, Veerasak Kowsurat this morning (Tuesday). The waiver was set to end on Sunday, January 6, 2019,…
-
Myanmar Court rejects appeal of imprisoned Reuters journalists
A court in Myanmar yesterday decided to uphold the convictions of two Reuters journalists who were sentenced to seven-year prison sentences. The case that has drawn international criticism. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were found guilty last year of violating the Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act. They were investigating the massacre of Rohingya men amid a military crackdown on the country’s…
-
Man takes a naked stroll in Sabah, Malaysia
by The Star – Asia News Network A naked man, wearing only a wide-brimmed hat (sun smart!) has been caught on camera walking along a road near Pavilion Bundusan in Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia. This comes after a couple were photographed skinny-dipping in a water fountain at the start of this week in the famous Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu. The photo…
-
Australian minister says Saudi teen will get “very serious consideration”: Thaiger Bite
The Australian Government has given its strongest hint yet that the 18 year old Saudi woman in Bangkok would be granted humanitarian asylum. This is despite efforts by Riyadh and her family to force her return home. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun has documented her bid to flee her allegedly abusive family with minute-by-minute Twitter updates, intensifying the global spotlight on Saudi…
-
Trump’s appointed Ambassador to Cambodia misses shutdown deadline: Thaiger Bite
by The Phnom Penh Post The US Senate has returned the nomination of Patrick Murphy as Ambassador to Cambodia to US President Donald Trump as the American government shutdown enters its third week. The US Senate website announcement said it returned Murphy’s nomination as ambassador as his appointment was not approved by the close of the 115th US Congress period…
-
UPDATE: Saudi embassy in Bangkok distances itself from al-Qunun story
“Al-Qunun says she doesn’t want to meet with her father or brother.” The Thai immigration police chief yesterday met with Saudi Embassy officials in Bangkok as Saudi Arabia tried to distance itself from accusations that it tried to block a young woman trying to flee her family and seek asylum in Australia. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from…
-
Jobless rate rises – December figures in South Korea *Thaiger Bite
PHOTO: Yonhap South Korea’s jobless rate rose slightly in December from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, as the finance minister vowed to create 150,000 jobs this year. The unemployment rate stood at 3.4 percent last month, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number of employed people reached…
-
Malaysia’s monarch abdicates the throne
Malaysia’s King has abdicated the throne in a first for the country ending weeks of speculation about his future. In recent months the Monarch has taken medical leave and married a Russian former beauty queen, although the marriage has never been confirmed by Malaysian palace officials. Read more about the marriage HERE. Sultan Muhammad V’s decision is the first time…
-
Thai oil ship battles with ‘PABUK’ off southern Vietnam – VIDEO
VIDEO: Peerayut Koombunsong A Thai ship carrying palm oil has been battling with seas kicked up by tropical storm ‘PABUK’ off the coast of southern Vietnam. A Video clip has been posted by ‘Peerayut Koombunsong’ on his personal Facebook. Thai media CH7 HD News and CH3 news are reporting that the ship is a Thai ship name ‘Taree Rattana’ which…
-
Pabuk: Vietnam Air Services call off flights in southern Vietnam
The Vietnam Air Services has adjusted flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho city, and Con Dao island in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau due to storm ‘Pabuk’. Flights from Can Tho to Con Dao, along with nine flights between Ho Chi Min City and the island on January 2 and 3 have been cancelled.…
-
Pabuk: Moving past the southern coast of Vietnam
Vietnam has experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds as Pabuk hovers off the southern coast heading into the Gulf of Thailand. vnexpress.net reports that, as of Wednesday, tropical storm ‘Pabuk’ was stationed around 360 kilometers (223 miles) to the southeast of Con Dao Island off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, with wind speeds of up to 75 kilometers…
-
Orchard road bans smoking
From The Straits Times – Asia News Network Singapore’s shopping paradise, Orchard Road is now smoke-free. A smoking ban kicked in on January 1 which prohibits smokers from lighting up in public areas. However there are designated smoking areas along the famous shopping strip. Enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency, dressed in white No Smoking Zone polo T-shirts, are on patrol in…
-
Six reasons Thailand’s English skills are the lowest in SE Asia
by tastythailand.com An article, compiled by tastythailand.com, chronicles some of the key reasons Thailand’s education system battles with the teaching of English. An unnamed author poses the premise…. “In the last few years, as countries like Vietnam and Laos now have English skills surpassing Thailand’s, it’s become obvious Thailand’s education system is to blame. But why?” Thailand’s education is a…
-
Tropical storm ‘Usman’ kills 22 in Philippines
Another tropical storm, this one called Usman has so far killed at least 22 people as it passed through several provinces. The storm has triggered floods and landslides forcing villagers to flee to safer areas. The death toll is expected to rise. More than 6,600 people have been stranded in various locations, while Cebu Air and national carrier Philippine Airlines…
-
Malaysians citizens being warned about travelling to Thailand’s south
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry is advising Malaysians residing in Thailand or travelling to the Kingdom to “remain vigilant and exercise caution at all times”, in the wake of bomb explosions and shooting incidents in the country’s southern provinces. Officials say bomb explosions and shootings had been reported in different parts of Narathiwat and Songkhla. No Malaysians were affected by the…
-
Tsunami advisory in Philippines after 7.1 quake off Davao Oriental
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has made a public warning to Filipinos on Saturday to temporarily stay away from beaches and not go to the coast after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Davao Oriental. In its Tsunami Information No. 1, Phivolcs said, “Minor sea level disturbances such as strong currents and rapid rise and fall of seawater…
-
UK honours given to British divers for Thai cave rescue
PHOTO: CNN, The Nation The seven British cave divers who took part in the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue operation have been awarded during Britain’s traditional New Year Honours announced Friday. Out of the seven, four received awards of exceptional bravery, three were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). The two divers who made…
-
Top 10 party countdowns for new years eve in Phuket 2019
New years eve is just around the corner. Are you ready? There are lots of options for dinner around the island. But what are you doing after that on December 31?– when the kids go to bed and the adults can go out, where there is bubbly to be found and music to dance to. In case you’re not sure,…
-
6.1-magnitude earthquake jolts West Papua
by Ivany Atina Arbi – The Jakarta Post A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has jolted West Papua this morning. The news comes from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The earthquake struck at around 10am local time, with its epicentre located some 55 kilometres southeast of South Manokwari and predicted to be 26 km deep. “It did not trigger a tsunami,”…
-
Toll rises, officials warn of potential for more tsunamis
Dateline: Tuesday, December 25, 9am (Local Time) A threat looms of more potentially deadly tsunamis in between the island’s of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, this according to the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. 5,600 people are now reported as officially displaced. That’s on top of 373 killed, 1,459 injured and 128 missing. The toll continues to rise as searches…
-
With a ‘whoosh’ his village was gone – Tsunami Update
Asep Sunaria says he heard a loud “whoosh” just moments before a wall of water pushed him off his motorbike. The surging waters swallowed up his house and the village he called home until the Saturday night calamity. new.yahoo.com reports that rescuers hunted for survivors of the volcano-triggered tsunami that killed at least 281 people along Indonesia’s coast. At the…
-
No tsunami warning system for Sunda Strait
by The Jakarta Post – Asia News Network The Indonesian government says, following a “volcanic tsunami” in the Sunda Strait on Saturday evening, the country did not have any early warning system for tsunamis not caused by earthquakes, since 2012 when vandalism rendered the system inoperative. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman, says was no warning…
-
From condoms to condos – Southeast Asia’s sex tourism journey
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com “One thing I can assure them is that business will never be the same. Never.” This is a story that has all the epic elements of military power, big oil, sleaze, real estate, greed and ultimately transformation. Southeast Asia’s sex tourism journey on a broad scale goes back to the 1960’s and the Vietnam War.…
-
UPDATE: Indonesian tsunami toll reaches 222
• The tsunami was only 1 metre high but hit coastal areas where hotels and shops reached the shoreline • Vulcanologists believe the tsunami was probably caused by the underwater collapse of a side of a volcano • The worst affected areas included popular beach holiday destinations At least 222 people have now been confirmed dead and another 843 injured…
-
UPDATE: Indonesian tsunami: Toll reaches 168, more expected – VIDEO
• Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed by the waves • Current death toll stands at 168 people, more expected • “I just prayed and ran as far as I could” A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed at least 168 people when it slammed without warning into popular beaches around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday night, cutting a swathe…
Broke? Find employment in Southeast Asia with JobCute Thailand and SmartJob Indonesia. Rich? Invest in real estate across Asia with FazWaz Property Group or get out on a yacht anywhere with Boatcrowd. Even book medical procedures worldwide with MyMediTravel, all powered by DB Ventures.