World News
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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The unmasking of Jodi-Levonne Griffin: a scammer’s deception exposed
In a world where trust and integrity are paramount, the story of Jodi-Levonne Griffin serves as a cautionary tale for businesses and consumers alike. Griffin, a 47-year-old American national born in New Zealand, has been exposed as a scammer who committed chargeback fraud after undergoing extensive plastic surgery in Istanbul, Turkey. In March 2023, Griffin, of Jacksonville, FL, traveled to…
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G7 ministers issue urgent warning of ‘severe costs’ for supporting Russia
In a recent meeting at Karuizawa, Japan, G7 foreign ministers warned of “severe costs” for those aiding Russia in its war with Ukraine. The discussions primarily focused on China, with a united front addressing its increasing military and economic power. Although the G7 did not announce any new sanctions against Moscow over its invasion, they promised to crack down on…
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China’s economy reaches new highs after zero-Covid restrictions
Official data released today revealed that China’s economy grew by 4.5% year-on-year in the first quarter, recovering after the conclusion of zero-Covid restrictions in late 2021. This is the first indication since 2019 of the world’s second-largest economy making progress without the strict health measures that effectively controlled the coronavirus but heavily impacted businesses and supply chains. Retail figures, which…
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BTS’ J-Hope answers call of duty, enlists in South Korean military amid fanfare
BTS sensation J-Hope is set to commence his obligatory South Korean military service today, according to local media, becoming the second member of the immensely popular K-pop group to enlist, leading to an overwhelming show of support from fans. The spectacularly successful septet has generated a global cultural impact, selling out stadiums internationally and topping major US charts while contributing…
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Greg Norman’s LIV rebel tour breaks barriers, sells out in Australia
Despite facing opposition from traditionalists and sparking a civil war within the sport, the rebel LIV Golf tour has been embraced by many in Australia, evidenced by tickets selling out for the nation’s inaugural event this week. Greg Norman, the tour boss, has long desired to see top-level golf become a regular feature in his home country. Australia has experienced…
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Former Kiwi PM commends Thailand for cannabis decriminalisation
Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister and a current member of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty, applauded Thailand for decriminalising cannabis. However, she also urged the country to put an end to capital punishment, particularly for drug-related offences. During the Harm Reduction International Conference 2023 (HR23), Clark commended Thailand as one of the countries that has managed…
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Cambodia bestows citizenship to Brazilian boxer and Polish wife
The King of Cambodia bestowed citizenship to Brazilian kickboxer Thiago Teixeira for sticking up for the Khmers in the recent origins of Muay Thai dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. His Polish wife was also granted citizenship. The royal ceremony follows the World Muaythai Organisation’s (WMO) decision to ban the 30 year old mixed martiaul arts fighter Thiago Teixeira from competing.…
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New York State celebrates Songkran
The state of New York in the US officially celebrated Songkran this year. New York State Representative Steven Raga proposed a bill to celebrate the Thai Songkran festival, the Thai Post reported. Raga wrote a letter to the leaders of the Thai and Asian communities in New York, informing them of the successful resolution to celebrate the festival. Several New…
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International drug ring busted in Thailand: NCB seizes 100kg of narcotics, 3 arrested
A major international drug bust took place in Thailand yesterday with more than 100 kilogrammes of narcotics intercepted, and a group of suspects from three countries arrested, the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) reported. NCB secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhon stated that Thai authorities received an anonymous tip-off on Tuesday about a heroin shipment heading from Thailand to Australia. Collaborating with a joint…
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Zoos in Thailand and Vietnam collaborate to protect endangered cranes
The Zoological Park Organization (ZPO) is joining forces with the Vietnam Zoos Association to increase the Eastern Sarus Crane population in Vietnam. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the collaboration will also involve the People’s Committee of Dong Thap Province in Vietnam and the International Crane Foundation. Since 2009, ZPO has been reintroducing Eastern Sarus Cranes to Thailand by breeding…
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12,000 refugees from Myanmar depart Tak
Around 12,000 Myanmar refugees returned to their homeland in Myawaddy this week after seeking temporary refuge on Thai territory over the past week, according to the Royal Thai Army (RTA). Maj. Gen. Sirichan Ngathong, the RTA deputy spokesperson, confirmed yesterday that the last 89 Myanmar refugees who were sheltering in tambon Mae Kasa of Mae Sot district departed on Wednesday.…
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Beware of passport scam targetting British nationals in Thailand warns UK Foreign Office
The British Foreign Office issued a warning to both UK residents and expats in Thailand about a passport scam that is currently targetting British nationals in the kingdom. Fraudsters are attempting to capitalize on the recent strikes by government workers in the UK, which have caused delays in passport renewals, by promising to bypass the three-month waiting period for a…
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Notorious Aussie drug lord sentenced to 20 years in jail
The notorious head of a South Australian drug-trafficking network has been sentenced to almost 20 years in jail. Robert Gordon Pollybank Gee, the alleged drug lord, was sentenced yesterday in the District Court for drug charges dating back to 2006, ABC News reported. The court heard how the 64 year old was a pivotal figure in the operation of a…
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Airstrike massacre: Myanmar junta turns up the heat
The situation in Myanmar just escalated. Northwest Myanmar’s Sagaing area felt the full force of a junta airstrike on Tuesday, which reportedly wiped out up to 100 people – children included. Myanmar’s been a mess since the 2021 coup decided to ruin everyone’s lives and snuffed out a decade of shaky progress. The coup put an end to the civilian…
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Thailand – Cambodia border checkpoint overwhelmed ahead of Songkran
The Poipet International Border Checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia is so busy ahead of the Songkran – or the Southeast Asian New Year – that Thai authorities have had to open a second checkpoint nearby to ease congestion. Like Thailand, Cambodia is celebrating the Buddhist New Year this weekend. In Cambodia, the holiday is called “Moha Sangkranta” and will be celebrated…
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Thailand seeks extradition of 3 men suspected of murdering Chinese student
Thailand‘s Deputy Police Chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn wants to see the three Chinese nationals suspected of abducting and murdering a Chinese student in Nonthaburi province, before fleeing to China, to be extradited to Thailand to face prosecution. On April 1, the body of 22 year old Thonburi University Student Jin Can was found dumped in a swampy ditch at a…
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Brazilian teen faces death by firing squad for smuggling cocaine into Bali
Prosecutors demanded death by firing squad last week for a Brazilian teenager who was caught with 3 kilogrammes of cocaine in her luggage upon arrival in Bali, Indonesia, in January. According to Newsflash, prosecutors want to see 19 year old Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias executed by a firing squad for her crimes if found guilty, which is the maximum…
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Young Thai-Italian man vanishes in Hong Kong
A mother from Nonthaburi, central Thailand, filed a missing person report yesterday for her Thai-Italian son who disappeared during a trip to Hong Kong last month, reports CH3. The young man, 22 year old Danilo “No” Benjakul, travelled from Thailand to Hong Kong with a friend on March 8 before disappearing without a trace, his 41 year old mother Chotika told reporters last…
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Exiled Chinese Christians arrive safely in US from Thailand
A group of exiled Chinese Christians, who feared persecution if they were sent back to China, arrived safely in the United States. The group had been detained for overstaying their visas in Thailand, where they had been trying to arrange formal passage to the US. The group arrested included 63 members of China’s Mayflower Church. The group believed that Chinese…
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Official says 1,000 Myanmar refugees voluntarily returned home from Thailand
After thousands of refugees fled Myanmar to Thailand due to the latest outbreak of violence, the deputy governor of Tak province, Surapol Wongsukphisarn, said yesterday that around 1,000 refugees had voluntarily returned home. This news comes after it was reported yesterday morning that thousands of people seeking refuge in Tak’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts. The heavy fighting in…
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China finally reveals results of Wuhan wet market Covid-19 investigation
China finally answered calls to reveal and publish an analysis of samples taken from animals at a wet market in Wuhan linked to the outbreak of Covid-19 and guess what? Definitive proof of how the outbreak started still remains inconclusive. The Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan, China has been a key focus in the search for the origin of Covid…
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Tour helicopter crash near Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay kills 5
A helicopter carrying four tourists on a sightseeing trip crashed in the Ha Long Bay area of northeast Vietnam on Wednesday evening. The body of the fifth and final victim of the crash was found this morning. The Bell-505 helicopter took off from Tuan Chau Island at 4.56pm local time and lost contact with air traffic control at 5.15pm, crashing…
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Eruption of violence in Myanmar sends thousands fleeing into Thailand
Thousands of refugees fled across the Moei River from Myanmar into temporary shelters in Tak province, northern Thailand, after a resurgence of violence between Myanmar’s military and rebel groups. KhaoSod reports that as many as 8,000 people have sought refuge in Tak’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts, whereas the Bangkok Post reports that the number is more than 5,000.…
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Thailand chips away at US trade deficit with 62% increase in chip market exports
The United States has been experiencing a growing deficit in its chipmaking trade with Asia, but the good news is that Thailand is helping to chip away at that gap. According to US Census data, US imports of chips grew 17% from last year to US$4.86 billion in February, with Asia accounting for 83% of that total. Over the past…
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Surviving a sinister husband and a Thai cliff fall: A Chinese woman’s incredible resilience
A Chinese woman is finally on her feet and on the road to recovery after the trauma of being pushed off a cliff in Thailand in 2019 by a sinister ex-con husband only interested in her wealth. Wang Nan spent the past four years of her life trying to survive her life-threatening ordeal and rebuilding and rehabilitating her life after…
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Could online sensation and public enemy No.1, Andrew Tate, be ready to break the Internet
As we anticipate the return of the controversial Tate brothers to the online world, excitement is brewing over Andrew Tate‘s first broadcast, set to air on the alternative streaming platform, Rumble, in the coming days. Andrew, the highly subversive figure has spent most of the past three months in a Romanian prison with his brother Tristan. The Tate brothers’ ordeal,…
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FDA warns hair colouring enthusiasts in Thailand to avoid South Korean products that cause cancer
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Thailand has issued a warning to hair colouring enthusiasts after discovering that three South Korean hair-dyeing products contain cancer-causing chemicals. The FDA identified the products as Seedbee’s Water Colouring Medium Brown and Seedbee’s Water Colouring Wine Brown, both produced by Soky C&T Co Ltd, and Mielle Professional’s Blondie Anne Treatment Colour Cream, manufactured…
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DNA results are in for Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann
The DNA results are in for the Polish woman who in February claimed to be Madeleine McCann, the toddler who disappeared on a family vacation in Portugal in 2007. The woman, 21 year old Julia Wendell, is not the missing girl, according to a DNA test. In a statement posted on Instagram, Wendell’s spokesperson, psychic medium Dr Fia Johansson, said…
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Smuggled pork seizure in Thailand sparks fears of African swine fever
Royal Thai Police yesterday blocked a racketeer’s attempt to smuggle 779 kilograms of pork into Thailand from Cambodia. The suspect, Soroun Suot, was caught driving his white Toyota truck on Highway 359 from Sa Kaew to Khao Hin Sorn, according to police. The 42 year old Cambodian admitted to receiving the shipment from a contact at the border in the…
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Trump in handcuff shocker: ex-president arrested in historic courthouse showdown
In a historic and disgraceful turn of events, Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race, has been formally arrested and is set to become the first former US president to face criminal charges. Trump surrendered to the Manhattan district attorney’s office upon arrival at the New York courthouse. The former president, donning his trademark…
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