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- World News
Press freedom in Afghanistan: How to help journalists under attack
As the Taliban has asserted power over Afghanistan in recent weeks, media there face new and daunting challenges. On September 1, international media outlets worldwide unite as the One Free Press Coalition to publish this special edition of the global monthly “10 Most Urgent” list — with a focus on how governments, international groups, and individuals can help journalists under…
- Covid-19 News
Government considering Covid-19 cards for vaccinated people and recovered patients
The Thai government is considering issuing cards that show who’s been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or who has recovered from the virus. Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says the cards could be useful as various businesses prepare for re-opening in a Covid-19 world. The Bangkok Post reports Kiattiphum as saying fully vaccinated people could be issued with green-coloured…
- Covid-19 News
More Bangkok field hospital beds available as recovered patients outnumber new cases
The Public Health Ministry says the number of Covid-19 patients who’ve recovered has outnumbered new infections in Bangkok for the last 10 days. Dr Kiattibhoom Vongrachit says the reduction in new cases means more field hospital beds have become available in the capital and surrounding provinces. According to a Thai PBS World report, last week there were 3,526 patients undergoing…
- Covid-19 News
Phuket tourism operators call for curbs to be eased despite surge in infections
Tourism operators on the southern island of Phuket say Covid-19 restrictions must be eased to help the sector recover, even with a surge in infections. The island has been recording around 200 daily new cases in recent days. However, Thanet Tantipiriyakit from the Phuket Tourism Council points out that the infections are mostly caused by local activities as opposed to…
- Pattaya News
Heavy rains in Pattaya bring some fun but also casualties
The rains that have been battering Pattaya over the weekend have come with a light side and a dark side. Many locals were seen finding the silver lining in the heavy rains, having fun going with the flow, sometimes literally. But for others, the rains turned deadly. The rain caused floods on streets and neighbourhoods, dumping water into people homes…
- Pattaya News
Motorbike accident victim presumed dead, actually asleep drunk
Rescue workers arrived to an all-too-familiar scene: an accident with a motorbike strewn across the pavement and, a bit beyond, its unfortunate rider lying motionless on the road. They assessed the accident and approached the body to conduct an examination and physical health check. But as they began, they were shocked when the man suddenly woke up. The incident took…
- World News
Humanitarian situation worsens in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
The United States had already warned that food aid would run out this week for millions of hungry people under a blockade imposed by Ethiopia’s government on the embattled Tigray region. Ethiopia has been embroiled in a conflictthat flared nearly ten months ago in Tigray and which has spilled to other regions. The government has also struggled to contain other…
- World News
South Korean journalists fear new laws will muzzle media
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is pushing ahead with controversial amendments to a law that critics charge are designed to muzzle the media and will give the government wide ranging powers to restrict freedom of the press. Domestic media outlets have been joined by international press organizations and legal experts to condemn the revisions. Opposition parties have vowed to do…
- Covid-19 News
First vaccine dose administered to nearly 90% of Bangkok residents
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says nearly 90% of the capital’s residents have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang from the BMA says 6,717,824 people, or 87% of residents, have now been given the first dose. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says 27% of Bangkok residents are fully vaccinated. Pongsakorn says the BMA still plans…
- Covid-19 News
Pfizer vaccine to be rolled out to 4 million students from next month
Over 4 million Thai students, between the ages of 12 and 18, will be inoculated with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine from September. Kanokwan Vilawan from the Education Ministry says officials will roll out 3 million doses of the vaccine, which arrives next month, and is seeking more doses to cover 4 million young people. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
- Crime News
Man arrested for allegedly pretending to be a cop and sexually assaulting prostitutes
Police in Bangkok arrested a man who allegedly posed as a cop and sexually assaulted prostitutes, stealing from some of them. Allegedly, he raped sex workers more than 40 times over the past 6 months. The 34 year old man, identified as Kittipop, was arrested in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. Kittipop allegedly admitted to police that he pretended to be…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok Sandbox: open businesses to vaccinated customers
Perhaps feeling a bit jealous of more easily isolated tropical islands with their Sandboxes, who are reopening despite their own rising Covid-19 infections, the private sector has proposed its own reopening in the capital they are calling the Bangkok Sandbox. A “Factory Sandbox” has already been put into use in the industrial sector that maintains safety and confidence in the…
- World News
Afghan migrants trapped at the border between Poland and Belarus
There were originally about 50 people in the group stuck on on the Polish-Belarusian border, but according to the Polish border police, Belarusian border guards have since taken women with small children and some of the men back to Belarus. As of Monday, there were still about 24 Afghan men and women camping near the border and refusing to be…
- Thailand News
Covid delays construction of 3 train lines
The construction of 3 electric train lines has been postponed due to Covid, says the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas, today. The lines are the Orange Line, the Pink Line, and the Yellow Line. Pakapong says the lines were already 4% to 5% ahead of schedule. Now, the project is 2% to 3% slower than scheduled.…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 controls ramped up at Thailand’s wet markets amid rise in infections
Thailand’s Health Department is ramping up screening measures and Covid-19 controls at wet markets across the country amid a rise in infections linked to the venues. Thai PBS World reports that 14,678 infections have been detected at 132 markets across 23 provinces between April 1 and August 10 this year. As a result, officials are using antigen test kits to…
- Covid-19 News
Efficacy of mRNA vaccines drops to 66% against Delta variant – US study
A large study carried out by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the efficacy of mRNA vaccines drops from 91% to 66% against the Delta variant. The study involved thousands of healthcare staff and other frontline workers across 6 states. Participants were tested once a week and tested again if they developed Covid-19 symptoms, thereby allowing…
- World News
High hopes for Zambia’s new president ‘HH’
Hakainde Hichilema ran for president five times before winning this year. Popularly known as “HH” or “Bally”, a slang term for for ‘father,’ Hichilema won the Zambian election by almost a million votes. But the work ahead was not lost on him during his victory speech: “We have an enormous task ahead to revive our economy and deliver on your…
- Pattaya News
Electrician electrocuted to death in Chon Buri
An electrician has been electrocuted to death while he was installing wires for a customer in Chon Buri, a province that sits on the Gulf of Thailand. First responders got to the scene to discover 47 year old Montri Somboon’s body still connected to a power pole close to the house. Rescue workers removed Montri’s body; it took them about…
- Thailand News
Pattaya’s infectious waste continues to accumulate
Pattaya is facing a new problem besides its growing number of Covid cases. The city by the Gulf of Thailand is amassing a vast amount of infectious waste, which has increased the garbage disposal problems the city is encountering. Manoj Nongyai, the deputy mayor who also oversees the city’s environment office, said today that prior to the Covid pandemic, Pattaya…
- Tourism News
Covid-19 task force to debate partial re-opening of Thailand in line with PM’s pledge
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is expected to debate a plan to re-open the country before the end of the year, in line with the PM’s pledge last June. Back then, Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed to re-open the country within 120 days, but Covid-19 infections have risen significantly since those words were uttered. Despite this, the Bangkok Post reports that…
- Northern Thailand News
Father and daughter drown in Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, police suspect murder-suicide
A father and his 7 year old daughter jumped into the Mekong River and drowned yesterday afternoon. The incident happened in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Phanom. The working theory is that it was a murder-suicide, says Thai media. Jamras Srihata, from the Muang Police, says the incident happened around 6:30 pm yesterday in front of the governor’s riverside…
- Pattaya News
Old man attacked by dogs, loses arm, when delivering lemons
Attempting to drop off a bag of lemons at a neighbour’s house, a 79 year old man instead lost his arm as the neighbour’s dogs viciously attacked him. The attack took place in the Panat Nikhom district of Chon Buri on Wednesday. Rescue workers were called to the aid of Juea “Keang” Kitijutirakun after he sustained serious injuries from multiple…
- Technology News
OnlyFans to ban “sexually explicit” content from October 1
OnlyFans has become a popular website for amateurs creating adult content to earn money, but a statement issued by the company that now boasts over 2 million content creators and 130 million users says they will be banning “sexually explicit” content starting October 1. Products and services often don’t end up becoming popular for their original intended uses. Coca Cola…
- World News
Will Moscow shake hands with the Taliban?
“We are not worried.” This comment by the Russian president’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Samir Kabulov, sums up Moscow’s reaction to the changeover of power there. On Sunday, Kabulov justified this stance on the state television channel Russia-1, saying that Russia had “good relations” with both the former Afghan government and the Taliban. This despite the fact that the terrorist…
- World News
Cambodian union leader given 2 year prison sentence following comments that “incited unrest”
An influential Cambodian labour union leader has been handed a 2 year prison sentence yesterday over comments that the government says were insensitive and incited social unrest. His comments pertained to the country’s border. Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, has been in police custody for over a year following the government’s claims that Rong disseminated false…
- World News
Afghanistan: Pakistan rejoices at Taliban victory as West flounders
Afghanistan has a familiar power back in place. Kabul has fallen. The Taliban have won. And Pakistanis are euphoric. To many a foe, but to others a friend, the cloistered group of extremists has long-held cordial ties with Islamabad, and the Taliban’s recent rise from the flames has left many Pakistanis in raptures. Khan: Removal of the ‘shackles of slavery’…
- World News
Burmese military junta death toll surpasses 1,000
Myanmar passed a grim milestone as the death toll at the hands of security forces after the February 1 military coup has officially surpassed 1,000 people. Since the military junta seized power, pro-democracy protesters have taken to the streets nearly non-stop to demonstrate and are often met with harsh and violent suppression from the Burmese military. The Assistance Association for…
- Phuket News
Phuket Town lockdown lifted except Downtown Market, Market 2
After active Covid-19 testing revealed a reasonably low number of infections, the majority of last week’s lockdown in the centre of Phuket Town has now been lifted, aside from the market. The municipality fresh market at the heart of the lockdown will still remain closed for several more days. Several other market areas will remain shuttered for the duration of…
- Covid-19 News
Massage businesses file class action suit against government over Covid restrictions
Thailand’s massage parlours and spas are suing the government, demanding compensation for the loss of income they’ve endured as a result of Covid-19 partial lockdowns. Thai PBS World reports that 172 massage parlours and spas filed a class action suit against the Finance Ministry and the government. They are demanding to be compensated for the financial losses they’ve suffered since…
- Covid-19 News
Government says Sinovac works, despite claims of lower efficacy against variants
Amid growing calls for more mRNA doses to combat the spread of the Delta variant, the Thai government continues to defend the Sinovac vaccine. The Bangkok Post reports that the government plans to purchase another 12 million doses of the Chinese vaccine, citing good results from a study of people fully vaccinated with Sinovac. However, the public is calling on…
