Malaysia
- World News
King of Malaysia queues up for KFC
The King of Malaysia and his family were spotted queuing up for some of Colonel Sanders’ finger lickin’ chicken at a KFC branch at a Petronas gas station in Petaling Jaya city in Selangor state on Thursday. Malaysia’s Royal Palace, the Istana Negara, posted photos on Facebook of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah – aka Abdullah…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thailand’s Hat Yai railway targeted again
Train services between Hat Yai and Khlong Ngae in southern Thailand‘s Songkhla province were temporarily suspended again yesterday when officials discovered that several parts of the railway track had been removed by suspected insurgents. Services on the railway, which connects Hat Yai in southern Thailand to Padang Besar in Malaysia, resumed on New Year’s Day after the track was repaired…
- World News
Thailand – Malaysia shuttle train resumes service after bombings
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) resumed train services between Thailand and Malaysia with the utmost security on Sunday after suspending the service for 28 days following two consecutive bombings that killed three people last month. The SRT is running two round trips per day between Hat Yai in Songkhla province to Padang Besar in Malaysia’s Perlis state. On December…
- World News
Floods hit Malaysia hard, tens of thousands displaced
Floods are hitting Malaysia hard leaving tens of thousands of people displaced. As of last night, 45,000 victims had been evacuated to relief centres in five states in Malaysia’s peninsula. The state of Terengganu was hit the hardest, with 29,717 victims from 8,214 families evacuated. The district most impacted in Terengganu was Kemaman, with 8,375 victims from 2,109 families evacuated. There…
- South Thailand News
Insurgent bomb derails train in Songkhla
A train was derailed in the deep south of Thailand, and security officials believe it was a result of a bomb set off by southern insurgents. Train number 707 was making a short run from Hat Yai to the border town of Padang Besar in the Sadao district in the southern province of Songkhla. The train was a freight train,…
- Thailand News
Illegal German couple arrested again for stealing car in Phuket
A German couple previously charged for overstaying their visa in Pattaya has been arrested again, this time in Phuket for allegedly stealing a car from a car rental shop. The German couple, 34 year old Julia Poppelbaum and 47 year old Thomas Veit, were arrested for the theft on Monday, November 16, in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket. On November…
- Tourism News
Thailand to surpass tourism target thanks to Malaysians and Indians
Thailand is set to surpass its target of 10 million tourists by the end of the year thanks to an influx of Malaysian and Indian visitors. Thailand has welcomed over 1 million tourists from Malaysia and almost 600,000 tourists from India so far in 2022. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists topped the list of Thailand’s foreign arrivals year in and…
- World News
Malaysian celeb Diva AA drops out of election on dead mother’s advice
And you thought Thai politics and elections were crazy! A celebrity candidate, Diva AA, running for Malaysian parliament has pulled out of the race against his brother because his mother told him to. His dead mother. Malaysia is holding its 15th general election this year, commonly referred to as GE15. Voting will take place on November 15 across the country. A…
- Thailand News
Thai artist scoops UOB Painting of the Year award
A Thai artist yesterday scooped the 41st UOB Painting of the Year award, one of the most prestigious competitions in Southeast Asia. Bangkok-born artist Chomrawi Suksom claimed the illustrious prize for his painting titled Dystopia and prize money of US$32,000. The work, created in oil, acrylic and foil on canvas artwork, is a detailed depiction of a world undergoing constant…
- World News
Freak high chair accident kills family’s 2 year old son
A tragic freak accident in a restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia left a family grieving the death of their two year old son. The family had come to the restaurant for lunch around 2pm and, partway into the meal, the child tipped over in his high chair and hit his head on the ground, causing his death. The incident occurred…
- World News
20 arrested by Muslim officers at Malaysian LGBTQ+ party
If you are in Malaysia, choose your Halloween costume wisely. Muslim officers arrested 20 people and broke up a 1,000-person LGBTQ+ Halloween party, citing cross-dressing and encouraging vice. Activists reported that Islamic religious authorities raided the popular party at REXKL in Kuala Lumpur late Saturday night. The party was attended by many members of the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia’s largely-Muslim…
- World News
Thailand eager to take tourist overspill from Laos-China railway
Thailand believes it will take advantage of the spillover from the Laos-China high-speed railway once the mainland fully opens its borders next year. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) reckons about 3 million Chinese travelers will take advantage of the almost 423 kilometres electrified railway that runs between the Lao capital of Vientiane and Boten town in northern Laos…
- World News
Over 1 million Malaysian tourists have arrived in Thailand this year
Over 1 million Malaysian tourists have made their way to Thailand this year, and officials hope to keep pushing the numbers up. Between January 1 and October 7 this year, 1,041,293 Malaysian tourists arrived in the Land of Smiles. Malaysian tourists in the kingdom are now venturing to more of Thailand’s provinces than they used to. Tourism Authority of Thailand…
- World News
Thailand’s LTR visa needs reworking to attract foreigners
Thailand is still confident its updated Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa will attract affluent foreigners despite more attractive LTR visa options in other countries. On September 1, Thailand launched a revised LTR visa, joining other nations such as Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, targeting rich foreigners. The Thai government cut the cost of the 10-year LTR visa in half, from…
- World News
Woman kidnapped in Malaysia found in southern Thailand
UPDATE The cosmetics agent who was kidnapped from her home in Malaysia two weeks ago has been found in southern Thailand. Yesterday, she was rescued by police and has since returned home. Seven Malaysian men have been arrested and detained in relation to the woman’s abduction, under Section 3(1) of Malaysia’s Kidnapping Act (1961), said Malaysian police. At 5.10pm on…
- World News
Embassy warns citizens not to take cannabis from Thailand into Malaysia
The Malaysian Embassy in Thailand sent out a warning to remind citizens that taking cannabis across the border into Malaysia is illegal. Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise the plant back in June, which is now widely accessible in every nook and cranny of the nation. As soon as Thailand legalised weed, the Malaysian government banned its citizens…
- World News
Malaysia launches new cheaper, easier digital nomad visa
Hot on the heels of Thailand’s grab at attracting long-term residents through their new LTR visa, Malaysia has released a digital nomad visa option that appears to be far cheaper and easier to qualify for. The De Rantau Programme will go live on October 1 and will offer a 12-month digital nomad pass. The website states the goal is to…
- World News
“Sawadee Special” train from KL to Hat Yai for Malaysia Day
A new bridge and several new train routes have been scheduled to accommodate Malaysian tourists entering Thailand. In July, travellers from Malaysia trumped India to become the kingdom’s No.1 visitors according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The new routes and bridge will make travel much easier for Malaysians, and now the “Sawadee Special” train directly from Kuala Lumpur…
- World News
Taipei accuses Beijing of interference at trade fair in Penang
The Taiwan government pointed the finger of blame at China after their beauty queen representative was banned from joining fellow contestants greeting guests at the 2022 World Congress on Innovation & Technology (WCIT) in Penang, Malaysia. Malaysian trade event organisers stopped Miss Taiwan, Kao Man-jung, waving the Taiwan, or Republic of China, flag on stage. She was later seen in…
- World News
Thailand to build another bridge to Malaysia
The Thai government has reiterated its plan to build a new bridge over the narrow Golok River, which will serve as another border crossing. The Thai and Malaysian governments hope that the bridge, which will connect Sungai Golok district in Narathiwat province to Kelantan in Malaysia, will boost tourism and trade ties between the bordering countries. The new bridge will…
- Thailand News
Helicopter crash in Malaysia reported pilot alive, then dead
Yesterday above the skies of Malaysia, a helicopter mysteriously disappeared as air traffic control lost all contact. This morning the helicopter’s pilot was reportedly found alive in the wreckage only to be declared dead later on. At 11.37am yesterday, the helicopter took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, also known as Subang Airport – a secondary airport of the…
- World News
Malaysian victim of human trafficking dies in northern Thailand
A Malaysian couple travelled to Thailand on Tuesday to look for their son but found out that he died at Mae Sot Hospital in Tak province, northern Thailand, on May 11. The 23 year old man is believed to have fallen victim to a job scam and trafficked to Myanmar. The hospital said Zhan had been “abused.” Zhan Feng, from…
- World News
Royal Caribbean offers cruises to Thailand & other Asian locations in 2023
Royal Caribbean has announced a new series of Asian cruises on their ship ‘Spectrum of the Seas,’ setting sail in 2023 and 2024. Beginning in Singapore, travellers can set off on cruises for 5, 7, 9 or 12 nights, visiting various locations in Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Guests can choose from cruises which make stops…
- World News
Popular Phuket-Penang route relaunched by Firefly Airlines
A popular route for expats is back in operation now Firefly Airlines recommenced its flight route between Phuket and Penang. On Friday, the trip resumed for the first time in over two years since being grounded, like so many other flights and routes, by the Covid-19 pandemic. The flight will run four times per week connecting the two popular island…
- World News
Malaysia considers medical cannabis law shaped by Thai policy
While the decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand has been somewhat rocky and haphazard, it has inspired Malaysia to rollout legalisation similarly. The Malaysian Minister of Public Health is slated to meet with Thailand’s Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to discuss how the kingdom went about legalising medical cannabis. Malaysia is currently considering similar laws to those Thailand adopted to…
- World News
Singaporean and Thai swindler couple arrested in Malaysia
The Singaporean and Thai couple who allegedly swindled millions of dollars in luxury goods has been arrested in Malaysia on Thursday. The couple, 26 year old Singaporean man Pi Jiapeng, and 27 year old Thai woman Siriwipa, were caught by Malaysian police at a budget hotel in the city of Skudai in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor. The husband and…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thailand rebel group considers 3 month ceasefire for Buddhist Lent
Another round of “peace talks” between the Thai government and rebel groups in Thailand’s Deep South was wrapped up yesterday at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) – one of the most active and well-established insurgent groups in the south – is considering Thailand’s request for a three month ceasefire for the duration of Buddhist…
- World News
Malaysia detains 3 Thais who tested positive for cannabis
Three Thais travelling to Malaysia for the long weekend were imprisoned for three days and fined the equivalent of 50,000 baht after they tested positive for cannabis, reported Amarin TV on Friday. The tourists crossed over the border into Malaysia via the Wang Prachan checkpoint in Satun province and were asked to provide a urine sample on arrival in Weng…
- World News
Southeast Asian Arts Forum 2022 is ready to rock n roll
If the arts, sustainability, and storytelling are your thing then you’re in luck because the Singaporean-based Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is hosting a Southeast Asian Arts Forum 2022. The two-day hybrid forum, on August 4 and 5, kicking off at 1pm Bangkok time, wants to highlight where the arts stand in terms of sustainable practices in Southeast Asia. The…
- Crime News
Wanted Taiwanese call centre scammer extradited from Albania to Thailand
A Taiwanese man wanted for allegedly scamming Thai victims from a call centre operation in Dubai arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday afternoon to face Thailand’s justice system after being arrested in Albania in September. Tzu Yuan Kuo – or “Ayen” – was the “deputy leader” of a call centre gang scamming victims in Thailand, Japan and Malaysia from Dubai…
