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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Thailand reopening sees 13,000 travellers, 10 Covid-19 infections
After the first 4 days of Thailand’s big reopening, over 13,000 people have arrived with just 10 of those travellers testing positive for Covid-19. According to the Director of Risk Communication and Health Behavior Development Bureau from the Ministry of Public Health Dr Sumanee Watcharasin, 13,229 people have entered Thailand in the last 4 days, and 10 international travellers –…
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Will Russia’s new push in ASEAN be another failure?
Speaking at the fourth Russia-ASEAN summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his country’s eagerness to boost cooperation with Southeast Asian nations. Moscow has made similar pledges almost annually since Putin announced a new eastward-looking foreign policy in 2010. “Russian interest in its far eastern flank remains unchanged since Peter the Great: access to the region’s development and prosperity,” said Joshua…
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Thailand Pass – The Full Guide
All you need to know about the Thailand Pass. Here’s the website for the Thailand Pass. tp.consular.go.th ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you need assistance with your Thailand Pass application you can enlist the services of AQ.in.th Team by using their Full Service Thailand Pass service (average approval time 12-48 hours).
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Deputy minister in Vietnam prosecuted in fake medicine scandal
A deputy health minister in Vietnam is being prosecuted, accused by security officials of looking the other way for a ring that was busted trading fake medication. 59 year old Truong Quoc Cuong is the current head of drug and cosmetics management in Vietnam after becoming a deputy minister in 2016. The Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam is run…
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Police say there’s enough evidence to convict “Joe Ferrari” on all 4 charges
The Royal Thai Police say they have gathered enough evidence to convict the former police superintendent “Joe Ferrari” on all four charges he faces, including killing by torture, which carries a maximum penalty of death. The officer, Thitisan Uthanapol, is accused of suffocating a suspect to death while demanding a 2 million baht bribe. The police handed over a 2,000+…
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Pattaya Music Festival begins tonight under Covid-19 safety measures
The Pattaya Music Festival is set to begin tonight… but don’t expect packed crowds and beer. Rather than the audiences squeezing tight to get close to the stage, last year, attendees sat in chairs with each seat placed a certain distance apart to prevent the spread of Covid-19. With Thailand still experiencing a wave of the coronavirus, the festival needed…
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Friday Covid Update: 8,148 new cases; provincial totals
80 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 19,542 with 19,448 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,148 new Covid-19 cases and 8,238 recoveries. There are now 97,480 people in Thailand being…
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American woman convicted of mother’s murder deported from Indonesia to USA to face charges
An American woman who was convicted of murdering her mother in Indonesia, has been deported to the US to face charges in her home country. Heather Mack, from Chicago, Illionois, was convicted back in 2015, for killing her mother in Bali. Her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, was also charged. Police say the couple stuffed her mother, Sheila von Wiese Mack’s dead…
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Police to crack down on politically motivated crimes during local elections
Local elections are serious in Thailand… So serious that police plan to deploy tens of thousands of officers during the November 28 sub district polls to crack down on politically motivated crimes and violations of local election law as well as to prevent clashes between candidates. In the past, crimes and violations driven by local politics have ranged from destroying…
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Pattaya police see no proof of alcohol in restaurant, but customers fled
Like teenagers at a house party, customers ran from a restaurant near Bali Hai as Pattaya City Police raided the business looking for illegal alcohol service. The raid happened at 9 pm last night as police made the rounds, inspecting businesses and making sure restaurants were obeying the continued ban on alcohol sales and consumption now that it has been…
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Why great coffee is an office must-have
Press Release Why do we need coffee at the office? This is not a rhetorical question. Do we need to socialize with team members and customers? Do we need it because it boosts our energy which helps us be more productive? Do we need it because it’s our craving? Do we need it because it’s the icebreaker in meetings? Or,…
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UPDATED: 40 Covid-19 infections prompt closure of Mukdahan school
UPDATE: After earlier reports of an outbreak of 40 Covid-19 infections at Khamsoipitthayasan School in Mukdahan, the Communicable Disease Committee in the province quarantined and tested all 1,202 students and 72 staff and teachers. They took RT-PCR tests at 7 am and all 1,274 tests came back negative, with no confirmed Covid-19 infections. The whole school had been quarantined at Wat Phu…
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Thai woman’s bedtime routine rudely interrupted by giant King Cobra
A 3-metre long King Cobra recently slithered into a 55 year old Thai woman’s bed in southeastern Thailand, giving her a not-so-fun surprise. The woman, Janhom Bamrungchai, says she was in the bathroom, when the snake made its move to enter her home and hide in her bed. She was shocked upon finding it and called emergency services to remove…
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Thailand International Boat Show to kick-start luxury tourism revival
Press Release International boat brands, superyachts, supercars, luxury real estate and more are on display to thousands of expected visitors from Thailand and overseas. Phuket, Thailand, 29 October 2021 – The Thailand International Boat Show will take place at the award-winning Royal Phuket Marina from 6-9 January 2022 and is set to attract thousands of high net worth individuals from…
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Despite errors, over 65,000 have applied for Thailand Pass
Despite a rash of technical issues, in just 4 days since launching the Thailand Pass, over 65,000 people have applied for it in order to reenter Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the figures yesterday and stated that 13,000 people have already been approved in the new scheme. From November 1 until yesterday morning, 65,338 applications for the Thailand…
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Pop megastars ABBA release first album in 40 years
Some said it would never happen. In fact, they themselves frequently said it would never happen. But pop fans around the world are rejoicing over the return of Swedish supergroup, ABBA. Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid have reunited for the release of Voyage, their first album in 40 years. It will be followed by an “avatar” concert planned for March…
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Friday Covid Update: 8,148 new cases and 80 deaths
8,148 new Covid-19 cases and 80 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA reported 8,238 recoveries. There are now 97,480 people in Thailand receiving treatment for Covid-19. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported a…
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On-site learning resumes in over 10,000 Thai schools, another 20,000 to follow
Over 10,000 schools across the country have resumed in-classroom learning, with another 20,000 to follow. Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai from the Department of Health says over 35,000 schools around Thailand have met the Public Health Ministry’s requirements for a safe re-opening. However, under the “Thai Stop Covid Plus” assessment system, final approval needs to come from the communicable disease committee in…
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Soft tourism openings expected for Hua Hin and Cha-am in last quarter of 2021
The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects a soft re-opening for the holiday destinations of Hua Hin and Cha-am during the last quarter of 2021. In total, deputy TAT governor Nithee Seeprae says both resort cities are only expected to receive 5% of 2019’s foreign tourist numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says foreign tourists cannot stay in either…
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Fighting internet censorship with fashion
Introducing DW’s new Uncensored Collection, designed to draw attention to freedom of information. SOURCE: DW News
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Opinion: Ethiopia at risk of Balkanization
Jeffrey Feltman’s visit to Ethiopia on Thursday is the West’s last desperate attempt to rescue the tottering country. The US special envoy for the Horn of Africa will try topersuade Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to agree to a ceasefire and peace talks. The hope is to bring an end to the war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray…
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Kashmir: Migrant worker killings spur exodus, halt industries
A recent spate of killings of migrant laborers in India-administered Kashmir has triggered a widespread emigration out of the region, shaking supply chains and bringing some industrial activity to a halt. Fears of a demographic change among the Muslim-majority population are behind the killings in the region, which largely depends on a workforce coming from mainland India. “The industrial output…
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COVID: How India is vaccinating isolated tribes in insurgency-hit areas
Minpa village, an isolated settlement in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh state, has just over 650 residents. Located nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the state capital Raipur, the village has no electricity, no potable drinking water supply and no road connectivity. One has to embark on an arduous journey to reach the place as it is located in the dense…
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TAT revises goal to 700,000 international travellers to Thailand in 2021
Perhaps revising their previous goal of 1 million international tourists in the next 2 months, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is hoping to hit a total of 700,000 international travellers in 2021. Thailand has launched a number of schemes to bring in foreigners during the Covid-19 pandemic to various levels of success so far. The Phuket Sandbox has been the…
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Burmese junta adds third charge for American journalist Fenster
The managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, American journalist Danny Fenster, has been held for months by the Burmese junta and has now been charged with a third criminal offence. He had originally been arrested in May when attempting to leave the country. After being held for nearly 6 months, Fenster is still on trial, accused of promoting dissent against the…
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Cape Verde: Turning wastewater into useful energy
This university student wants to avoid wasting water. Patrick Gomes invented a portable sewage tank. The equipment filters wastewater by decantation. But the “RECYCLE BE” project is not just for purifying water. “RECYCLE BE” works autonomously. It seeks to solve water scarcity in Cape Verde. The ecological tank is a sustainable alternative to septic tanks. The environmental impact is lower…
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Thai health experts report three deaths linked to the Covid-19 vaccine
A committee under Thailand’s Public Health Ministry investigating fatalities following Covid-19 vaccination has found that the vaccine is linked to three deaths. So far, the committee investigated 842 of the 1,296 deaths following inoculation that have been reported as of October 24, according to an official from the Department of Disease Control. Out of the three people whose cause of…
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Police raid Pattaya beach bar and arrest 30 customers
Police raided a beach bar in Pattaya at around 10pm last night and arrested 30 people for gathering and drinking alcohol, violating Chon Buri disease control measures which orders bars to remain closed and bans alcohol at restaurants. Officers on patrol last night heard loud music coming from Lisa on the Beach and found customers inside dancing and drinking alcohol…
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COP26: Saudi Arabia’s climate strategy: Greenwashing or genuine transformation?
It was a regular hot and sunny day in late October in Riyadh, when Dalia Samra-Rohte, delegate of the German Industry for Saudi Arabia, and Germany’s ambassador to the kingdom, Dieter Lamle, were busy planting a crown-of-thorns sapling in Bödeker Park. It won’t be growing tall alone — earlier this year, the Saudi kingdom revealed plans to plant 7.5 million…
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AG’s Office to finish review of “Joe Ferrari” case within the next 2 weeks
A review of the death in custody case involving the now notorious former police station chief known as “Joe Ferrari” is expected to be finished within the next two weeks, according to the Attorney General’s Office. The ex-station chief in the rural province Nakhon Sawan and six of his subordinates are facing several charges, including killing by torture, which carries…
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