Malaysia

  • World NewsThai kitchen worker escapes death penalty in Malaysia, acquitted of murdering compatriot

    Thai kitchen worker escapes death penalty in Malaysia, acquitted of murdering compatriot

    A Thai kitchen worker escaped the death penalty yesterday when he was acquitted of murdering a fellow countryman in Malaysia. Thai national Alsu Nichi was accused of murdering Abdul Rosah Jamu on April 21, 2019. But yesterday the 22 year old was exonerated of killing his 24 year compatriot at a restaurant in Taman Bukit Emas by the High Court…

  • South Thailand NewsInsurgent bomb derails train in Songkhla

    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 NewsIllegal German couple arrested again for stealing car in Phuket

    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 NewsThailand to surpass tourism target thanks to Malaysians and Indians

    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…

  • Environment NewsMyanmar kleptocracy boosts rhino horn trafficking

    Myanmar kleptocracy boosts rhino horn trafficking

    Rhino horn trafficking remains a severe problem that needs to be addressed with a new sense of urgency. During 2012-2021, more than 7.5 tons of rhino horn was seized in 674 incidents Asian rhino horns are less frequently seized than African, but there have been several recent reports of Indian rhino horns being seized at border points in Myanmar and…

  • Thailand NewsThai artist scoops UOB Painting of the Year award

    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 NewsFreak high chair accident kills family’s 2 year old son

    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 News20 arrested by Muslim officers at Malaysian LGBTQ+ party

    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…

  • South Thailand NewsThai military denies torturing and killing Deep South rebel

    Thai military denies torturing and killing Deep South rebel

    The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) said peace talks with the Thai government will be harmed if they are responsible for the torture and murder of a Deep South rebel whose body was found in the Golok river, on the border of Thailand and Malaysia, last month. The tortured body of 42 year old Zahri Bin Abdullah – also known as…

  • World NewsOver 1 million Malaysian tourists have arrived in Thailand this year

    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 NewsThailand’s LTR visa needs reworking to attract foreigners

    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 NewsWoman kidnapped in Malaysia found in southern Thailand

    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 NewsDrug cartel in southern Thailand allegedly kidnaps Malaysian woman over drug feud

    Drug cartel in southern Thailand allegedly kidnaps Malaysian woman over drug feud

    Thai police are assisting Malaysian police in their search for a cosmetics agent who was abducted from her home in Tumpat in Kelantan state in Malaysia last week. Thai police believe she was smuggled across the border into southern Thailand where she is being held captive, according to a spokesperson. The New Straits Times reports that four men in a…

  • World NewsMalaysia launches new cheaper, easier digital nomad visa

    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

    “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 NewsTaipei accuses Beijing of interference at trade fair in Penang

    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 NewsThailand’s largest group of foreign tourists come from Malaysia

    Thailand’s largest group of foreign tourists come from Malaysia

    In July, Malaysians made up the largest portion of Thailand’s foreign arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Thailand welcomed 220,554 Malaysian tourists in July, most of them arriving via the land border crossing in Songkhla province. In a post-pandemic world, Malaysian travel to Thailand has never been easier, with the removal of Thailand Pass and insurance requirements. The…

  • Thailand NewsHelicopter crash in Malaysia reported pilot alive, then dead

    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 NewsMalaysian victim of human trafficking dies in northern Thailand

    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 NewsRoyal Caribbean offers cruises to Thailand & other Asian locations in 2023

    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 NewsTourism Malaysia visits Songkhla and Bangkok to lure Thais

    Tourism Malaysia visits Songkhla and Bangkok to lure Thais

    As Thailand has lured more and more Malaysian tourists across the border for short-haul holidays, Malaysia started marketing tourism to Thai people as soon as the borders began to open again after the Covid-19 pandemic. Thailand added more train services across the border at Padang Besar into the country and Malaysia welcomed tours sent by Thai travel agents. Malaysia overtook…

  • World NewsMalaysia considers medical cannabis law shaped by Thai policy

    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 NewsSingaporean and Thai swindler couple arrested in Malaysia

    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 NewsSouthern Thailand rebel group considers 3 month ceasefire for Buddhist Lent

    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 News3 Thais detained and fined in Malaysia following drug tests

    3 Thais detained and fined in Malaysia following drug tests

    Three Thais planning to travel to Malaysia during the long weekend were in for a surprise. The travellers had been crossing a checkpoint into Malaysia from South Thailand’s Satun province this week. When Malaysian authorities took urine samples from the three, they were found to have traces of marijuana in their bodies. The tourists were fined 50,000 baht, and jailed…

  • World NewsSoutheast Asian Arts Forum 2022 is ready to rock n roll

    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 NewsWanted Taiwanese call centre scammer extradited from Albania to Thailand

    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…

  • South Thailand NewsMalaysian man arrested in Thailand for laundering gambling money

    Malaysian man arrested in Thailand for laundering gambling money

    Luck may have run out for a rich Malaysian businessman who allegedly laundered money from online gambling as police picked him up in Sadao in the Deep South Thai province of Songkhla. Teow Wooi Huat also known as Tedy or Jho Low 2, is accused of laundering money connected to online gambling in Thailand and is also wanted in Macau…

  • World NewsSingaporean swindlers have fled to Thailand

    Singaporean swindlers have fled to Thailand

    A Singaporean couple wanted for swindling US$22 million from customers has fled to Thailand. The Singaporean man, Pi Jiapeng, and his Thai wife, Pansuk Siriwipa, hid in a lorry container as they made their escape from the police and Interpol after conning more than 200 customers out of their hard-earned cash for luxury goods that were not delivered. The Singapore…

  • World NewsTravel between Thailand and Malaysia by train for just 50 baht (RM7)

    Travel between Thailand and Malaysia by train for just 50 baht (RM7)

    After two years, the Shuttle Train which connects Thailand and Malaysia will resume services on Friday. The Shuttle Train connects Padang Besar in Malaysia to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The journey takes around one hour and tickets cost just 50 baht or 7 Malaysian ringgits. The service was temporarily suspended as a Covid-19 prevention measure by the Malaysian government…