Muslim
- Thailand News
Thailand ranks 32nd globally for Muslim travel
Thailand secured the 32nd spot globally among popular destinations for Muslim travellers, as revealed in the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024. The Thai Prime Minister’s Office, through its spokesperson Chai Watcharong, highlighted this achievement, noting that Thailand also ranks 5th among non-Muslim countries (Non-OIC) in the same index. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is leveraging this accomplishment to…
- Phuket News
Phuket hosts Southern Halal Expo to boost tourism
The Southern Halal Expo & Tourism fair is currently taking place in Phuket, aiming to revitalise local tourism and enhance the incomes of local families while enhancing a sense of community for Muslims. Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat officiated the opening ceremony at the Robinson Lifestyle Shopping Center in Thalang yesterday. The event, organised by the Andaman Phuket Muslim Women’s Association in…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s Islamic authority announces Ramadan start
The Office of Chularajmontri, Thailand’s highest Islamic authority, has declared that the holy month of Ramadan will start on today, March 12. This is the time of the year when Muslims across the globe, including those in Thailand, participate in a month-long period of fasting, spiritual introspection, and charity. Ramadan, known as the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s thriving Muslim tourism boom with mosque tour
In a bid to elevate Thailand to the zenith of the Global Muslim Tourism Index (GMTI), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) teamed up with key figures like Imam Mathanarat Vacharapisut from the Haroon Mosque and the Islamic Committee of Bangkok to revolutionise cultural tourism for Muslim travellers. Imam Mathanarat Vacharapisut recently joined forces with Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, in…
- Thailand News
Arun Boonchom elected as new Sheikhul Islam in Thailand
Bangkok‘s Islamic Affairs Committee President, Arun Boonchom, made his mark as the newly elected 19th Sheikhul Islam, or Chularajmontri, in Thailand. Arun’s appointment as the spiritual leader of the nation’s Muslim community follows the passing of Aziz Phitakkumpon in the previous month. The decisive vote took place at the National Administration Centre for Islamic Affairs, located in the Nong Chok…
- Thailand News
Muslim follower wins pork prize from food blogger on Facebook page in amusing twist
A humorous twist of fate unfolded online when a food blogger’s Facebook page, Whatisthekitchen, awarded a pork by-product to their 229,999th follower, who turned out to be a Muslim. The Facebook page, renowned for its food content and for selling pork by-products, had set this particular item as the prize for the landmark follower. This unexpected event sparked a viral…
- Tourism News
Thailand aims to be top Muslim tourism destination within 5 years
Thailand is projected to emerge as a principal destination for international Muslim tourists within the next half-decade. The Deputy Government Spokesperson, Rachada Dhnadirek, put forth this intent to lure more Muslim travellers, citing their rising numbers and increased spending capacity. She noted, during her Friday announcement, that Muslim tourists comprised a major segment of Thailand’s tourism industry. An impressive surge…
- South Thailand News
Thailand investigates activists seeking Muslim Patani State referendum
Security agencies in Thailand are investigating a group of activists advocating for a public referendum on the creation of an independent Muslim “Patani State” in the country’s southern region. The National Security Council (NSC) stated that the Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Office and Provincial Police Region 9 are examining the group’s activities and monitoring its social…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announces the start of Ramadan
Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announced the start of Ramadan yesterday. The cleric, Sheikul Islam Aziz Phitakkumpon, said… “As announced to Thai Muslims across the country to sight the new crescent moon after sunset on Wednesday, March 22, to mark the first day of Ramadan AH 1444. It has been confirmed that the new crescent moon has been sighted. So I…
- Tourism News
Thai officials seek to promote Muslim-friendly tourism
Thai officials are seeking to promote Muslim-friendly tourism in the kingdom. In a recent focus group discussion on Islamic tourism in Phuket province, the Department of Tourism (DoT) and private sectors reviewed strategies to attract Muslim visitors, NNT reported yesterday. The DoT’s Tourist Attractions Development Division Director, Athuek Phrasenmoon, said the global tourism industry recognises Muslim tourists as a fast-growing…
- Education
Senior Buddhist monk’s visit to Islamic education centre in Thailand’s Deep South sparks uproar
A senior Buddhist monk in Thailand sparked uproar over his visit to an Islamic education centre in the south. The visit to the centre in Narathiwat province in Thailand’s south came with heavy criticism on the second day of the House debate against the Prayut government yesterday morning. According to Thai PBS World, army officials defended the visit by saying it…
- World News
Tourists can carry on bonking in Bali says govenor
The Bali Governor says tourists can carry on bonking when visiting the island and will not be prosecuted under a new law which criminalises sex outside of marriage in Indonesia. Bali Governor Wayan Koster yesterday moved to ease concerns that Indonesia’s revised criminal code will damage the resort island’s lucrative tourism industry, reported Al Jazeera. Koster said that people can…
- Thailand News
Court lifts 4 year hijab ban at Pattani school
The court has lifted a ban on hijabs set four years ago at a school in Pattani, southern Thailand. The school claimed that wearing a hijab – or Islamic headscarf – to school went against the Education Ministry’s regulations. Four years of court battles between the school and parents finally ended yesterday when the Yala Administrative Court announced a ruling…
- South Thailand News
Man left with shrapnel wounds after another bomb attack in Thailand’s Deep South
A man was rushed to a hospital with shrapnel wounds on his torso after an attacker threw a bomb next to a security booth last in Yala in Thailand’s Deep South, a region with ongoing violence related to the religious separatist insurgency. Earlier that night, gunmen shot another man on a motorcycle in Bannang Sata, the same district of Yala…
- World News
Samsung removes ad in Singapore of drag queen hugging Muslim mother
Following the outcry from socially conservative groups, South Korean electronics giant Samsung has withdrawn its online advertisement in Singapore that portrayed a hijab-wearing Muslim mom hugging her drag queen son. The ad from Samsung’s “Listen to Your Heart” promotion was allegedly accused of advertising homosexuality and transgenderism by promoting wearable devices like noise-cancelling headphones and smartwatches that apparently highlighted the…
- Thailand News
Roadside bomb explodes on road in Deep South province, damages police truck
An improvised bomb exploded on a road in the Chanae District of Narathiwat yesterday, damaging a police pickup truck. The explosion left cracks in the windshield, and fragments of the bomb were scattered. No injuries were reported. Police Captain Yuthachai Rojsirimontree, a Chanae investigator, said the attack happened on the Chanae-Dusongso road at about 3.45pm. Police believe militants detonated the…
- South Thailand News
Local mosque leader shot and killed in Pattani
Police are investigating the murder of a local mosque’s leader who was shot and killed while driving his motorcycle in Sai Buri in Southern Thailand’s Pattani province on Sunday night. The religious leader was shot twice, in the head and in the abdomen. The gunman is still at large. Police say a gunman shot Abdulloh Walor, a member of the mosque’s…
- World News
Transgender who fled to Thailand faces extradition to Malaysia
The future of a transgender Malaysian businesswoman hangs in the balance after she was arrested for illegally entering Thailand while fleeing prosecution under Islamic law in Malaysia. Nur Sajet fled from Malaysia where she faces charges of up to three years in prison and a fine for dressing as a woman in 2018 at a religious event. The transgender cosmetics…
- Thailand News
Thai and Chinese officials come together for Chinese New Year
Thai and Chinese officials are coming together to celebrate the Chinese New Year by marking 46 years of diplomatic relations with each other. The ceremony in Bangkok was led by Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports and China’s Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand. The ceremony also included other high-ranking government officials who…
- Hot News
China yanks BBC World News off air after investigative report alleges abuse of Muslim minority women
The news world is reeling after China has yanked BBC World News off air citing “serious” reporting guideline violations. China’s National Radio and Television Administration went on to say that the BBC reports on China did not follow the guidelines of the news being “truthful and fair” and of “not harming China’s national interests.” The decision was spurred by a…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | PM reverses lockdown, Southern P.D.A. crackdown, Covid update | Jan 5
Jett back with today’s Thailand News Today. All the latest news on thethaiger.com 527 new Covid-19 cases were reported in today’s CCSA daily media briefing. Thailand now has 4,504 active coronavirus cases in 55 of Thailand’s 77 provinces. A total of 8,966 people in Thailand have reportedly been infected Covid-19 and 65 people have died since February of last year.…
- South Thailand News
Muslim couples in Yala who show affection could be arrested and forced to marry
Muslim unmarried couples in the southern Thai province of Yala could be arrested, and even forced to wed immediately by Islamic authorities, if they are seen being ‘affectionate’ in public. The new rule was set by the Yaha Central Mosque last month, according to Khaosod English. It’s unclear what types of public displays of affection are considered inappropriate, but apparently…
- World News
Bangladesh moves towards relocating Rohingya refugees, UN denies involvement
Despite rights groups advising not to relocate Rohingya refugees anymore, Bangladesh is pressing on to move a 2nd group of refugees from Myanmar to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal this month. The new group consists of about 1,000 refugees and is in addition to more than 1,600 refugees that were moved earlier this month,…
- World News
Deserters from Burmese military confirm Rohingya massacres
2 army deserters from Myanmar have testified on video to the ritual slaughter of the country’s Rohingya Muslims, by order of the nation’s military – the Tatmadaw. 33 year old Myo Win Tun and 30 year old Zaw Naing Tun, are now believed to be in the custody of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, after fleeing to Myanmar’s…
- World News
Rohingya boat incident leaves 24 feared dead off Malaysian coast
A Rohingya boat incident has left at least 24 people feared to have drowned off the coast of Malaysia after a sole survivor swam to shore on the resort island of Langkawi. The 27 year old, named Nor Hossain was detained by police after arriving on the island. A search and rescue operation was launched using 2 aircraft and 2…
- World News
Saudi Arabia holds limited Hajj due to Covid-19
Saudi Arabia is holding a very limited Hajj this year, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. Pilgrims who are already in the Kingdom will be permitted to conduct the annual Muslim rite, which usually draws millions to religious sites. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a must for Muslims at least once in their lives. …
- Covid-19 News
UPDATE: Thai Returnee from Indonesia commits suicide on last day of quarantine
A 51 year old Muslim man from Thailand’s deep south was set to be released from quarantine today but tragically jumped to his death from the 8th floor of a state hospital in Samut Prakan this morning. Police arrived at the scene in Bang Ya Phraek around 2.30am this morning where they found the body of a man in a pool…
- Thailand News
Thai police to stop background checks on Muslim students
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Thailand’s Special Branch police have agreed to drop their request for universities to provide them with background information on Muslim students. Thai PBS World reports that Rangsiman Rome, spokesman for the House Committee on Laws, Justice Process and Human Rights, says Special Branch has communicated their decision to the committee. Mr Rangsiman says Muslim students have…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s Islamic council bans children under 17 from marrying
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun The Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT)’s has passed a new regulation banning children under the age of 17 from marriage. But there is a loophole in the new regulation. Thailand’s Islamic council has, for the first time, issued a ban on child marriage nationwide. This follows public anger sparked by the marriage back in July of…
