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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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Phuket celebrates end of Vegetarian Festival
Last night, a giant celebration marked the end of the 9-day Phuket Vegetarian Festival. A parade made its way through Phuket Town, with devotees either marching or travelling by motorcade. Midnight marked the hour at which observers were able to once again eat meat. Processioners marched through the streets of Phuket Town for hours carrying flags and shrines, while members…
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5 no-quarantine countries named, 17 Thai provinces reopening
As restrictions are easing and Thailand moves towards a more streamlined and accessible reopening, 5 countries have been named in the plan to waive arrival quarantine for 10 countries. Though true to Thai style, nothing has been officially confirmed just 2 weeks before the grand reopening, the US, UK, Germany, China, and Singapore are more than likely candidates to be…
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Health Ministry’s plan to purchase new Covid-19 treatment pill gets the green light
Yesterday, the CCSA approved a proposal from the Public Health Ministry to procure a new oral treatment for Covid-19. The ministry plans to purchase 50,000 courses of the anti-viral Molnupiravir drug developed by pharmaceutical firm Merck. The proposal now goes to Cabinet for final approval. The news was confirmed by CCSA spokesman, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, who would not be drawn…
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CoE will be replaced by Thailand Pass, in development
The much-maligned certificate of entry is on its way out, with the digital Thailand Pass set to replace the CoE for most – but not all – people from November 1. The Digital Government Development Agency is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create an online system to replace the CoE process for international flight arrivals. The Thailand…
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PM declares Thailand ready to re-open
The PM has declared that Thailand is ready to re-open, as he called on the government, businesses, and the wider public to cooperate with re-opening preparations. The Bangkok Post reports that the PM was speaking after yesterday’s CCSA meeting, in which officials confirmed the country will re-open to vaccinated tourists from 5 “low risk” countries from November 1. The PM…
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AfricaLink on Air – 14 October 2021
US President Joe Biden hosts Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta++Pro-democracy protests flare up in Eswatini++Abu Musab al-Barnawi was the leader of ISWAP dead SOURCE: DW News
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Pakistan struggles to balance ties between Washington and Beijing
Pakistan-US relations have remained strained since the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in mid-August. Over the years, Washington has criticized Islamabad for supporting the Taliban. Since US President Joe Biden came into the White House, he has not engaged with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. Some analysts claim Pakistan now has its eyes set on Beijing instead. Islamabad has repeatedly…
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India: Why violence keeps flaring up at the Assam-Mizoram border
Police forces of two northeastern Indian states clashed at a contentious border area on July 26. The clashes between Assam and Mizoram police left six Assamese policemen dead and more than 70 people injured, prompting widespread anger among the Assamese people. In response, some Assamese residents blocked trucks transporting essential supplies, including medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, from entering Mizoram.…
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How Zanzibar cares for its stray cats
Zanzibar’s Stone Town is overpopulated by cats. There are hundreds of them on the streets. Some people feed them at the Forodhani Gardens. Cats are unprotected her, some are injured, others are simply lost. Young volunteers provide veterinary care and try to find them homes. The cats are also creating jobs. Some young people capture the animals and use cages…
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Retired teacher decides to domesticate zebras in Kenya
These wild zebras live together with domestic animals and share food on this rural property. Deforestation in Kilgoris usually causes zebras to migrate. But these zebras found their own piece of paradise. Deforestation is caused by new infrastructure and housing developments in western Kenya, but Saeni didn’t want to clear his land. The retired teacher soon noticed that zebras were…
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Family attempts to sell eyes and kidneys to save home and farm
After signing as a guarantor for a lifelong friend’s tractor purchase who defaulted, a man and his family in Ubon Ratchathani are trying to sell their eyes and kidneys to save his home and farm. The man, along with his wife and 2 sons, is currently walking 100 kilometres in the rain from their home to the provincial capital where…
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Desperate migrants trapped between Belarus, Poland amid geopolitical row
Neda and her husband Abozar sit under a tree in a remote field in Poland freezing, starving and losing hope. “I tumbled six days ago and fell down,” Neda tells DW. “I bled and now I am no longer pregnant.” The Iranian couple left the Belarusian capital of Minsk 10 days ago and say they have now been pushed back…
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Antisemitism still common in the EU: study
Rabbi Slomo Koves was preparing to speak about Jewish life at a high school in a small, industrial town in Hungary when suddenly the headmaster had concerns. “The head of the school told me that he wanted me to be careful because most of the kids are first-time voters — and most of them will vote for the extreme-right Jobbik…
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Curfew shortened, dark red zones reduced in CCSA meeting
Following this morning’s news of big discussions in today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting, several of the expected proposals were passed, including a curfew curtailment and reduction in the number of dark red zones in Thailand. For dark red zones, the curfew will be shortened from 10 pm to 4 am to instead last only 4 hours, from 11…
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Ethiopia: War in Tigray continues as government stays silent
An air and ground offensive in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is intensifying according to Tigrayan forces, with the Ethiopian government pressing a fresh attack . The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) says the fighting began with air strikes launched by the federal government last week. However, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not acknowledged the offensive. The office…
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Thai Airways adding 39 international flight routes on October 31
Beleaguered national airline Thai Airways says they’re resuming full service on 36 foreign routes to destinations in Europe, Asia and Australia, many of which will resume from October 31. The implementation is in step with the Thai government’s commitment to reduce many of the impediments and restrictions to international arrivals from November 1. The decision was announced today by Thai…
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WHO approves Siam Bioscience’s AstraZeneca for emergency use
Today brought good news for Thai vaccines as the World Health Organisation approved the Siam Bioscience-licensed AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. Siam Bioscience, a company wholly owned by a subsidiary of the Crown Property Bureau, was licensed last November to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine for domestic use in Thailand and for sale and distribution around Southeast Asia. The director of…
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Covid-19 Thursday: 112 deaths, 11,276 infections, provincial totals
Today, the CCSA reported 11,276 new Covid-19 infections, a change of +1,212 since yesterday, and 112 Coronavirus-related deaths, a change of +30 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,722,841 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,407…
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Cobra Gold expected to be back to normal by 2022
The military exercise known as Cobra Gold is expected to be back to it’s normal size by 2022. This massive joint military training operation between Thailand and the United States has been scaled down due to concerns over Covid-19. The exercise is one of the longest running military training events in the world that is has been held annually since…
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Flights returning to Asia with airlines launching routes and sales
With Covid-19 restrictions and international border closures finally starting to ease around Asia, airlines in the region are prepping for their resurgence, relaunching their flights and promoting with sale fares. Domestic flights have been increasing in Thailand and travel agencies are reporting growing interest now that countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia are allowing domestic flying to resume as well.…
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DDC reports 500,000 vaccines for students without incident
After nearly 500,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have been administered in the drive to inoculate students aged 12 to 18 years old, the Department of Disease Control reports that there have been no reports of severe side effects. The reassurance comes as fake news has been spreading through a viral LINE post claiming, among other things, that the vaccination drive is an…
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Pandemic, climate change and conflict fuel sharp rise in global hunger
World hunger was set to end by 2030 — that was a goal set by United Nations in 2015. After years of progress reducing numbers of undernourished people since 1960, reaching zero hunger by 2030 sounded like an attainable target for the international community. But now, “the fight against hunger is dangerously off track,” the latest Global Hunger Index indicates.…
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Anutin opposes limiting quarantine-free re-opening to 10 countries
It appears there’s dissension amongst the ranks once more, as Thailand’s Health Minister disagrees with restricting the PM’s proposed re-opening to just 10 countries. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand should re-open to vaccinated tourists from MORE than 10 “low risk” countries. On Monday night, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha carried out a televised address in which he…
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Violence continues between military and insurgents in Thailand’s deep south
The fighting between the military and insurgents in the Southern border provinces of Thailand continues. Yesterday the Thai military killed a suspected insurgent after a shootout in a peat swamp in the Bacho district of Narathiwat, a province on Thailand’s southern border. This marks the sixth insurgent killed in the area in the last week. A combined force of Thai…
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Chiang Mai ready to re-open despite new cluster of infections
The governor of Chiang Mai says the province is ready for the planned November 1 re-opening to foreign tourists. Despite a new cluster of infections being detected at the large market of Talad Muang Mai, Prajon Pratsakul insists the northern province is ready to re-open. The Bangkok Post reports that 478 Covid-19 cases have been traced to the market, which…
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Covid-19 in Southern provinces prompts Songkhla checkpoints
As Thailand’s Deep South faces surges in Covid-19 infections, people crossing from the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala will face checkpoints when crossing into Songkhla. The checkpoints will stop travellers crossing the southern provincial border to do random Covid-19 screening. Pattani recorded 566 new Covid-19 infections yesterday, the most cases out of the southern provinces, and…
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Curfew reduction, easing more restrictions on CCSA agenda today
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets later today to debate a further easing of restrictions ahead of the country’s planned re-opening on November 1. The Bangkok Post reports that the CCSA is set to discuss a reduction in curfew hours, as well as reducing the number of provinces in various coloured zones. Among the proposals to be discussed is the…
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Return of the tar balls on Phuket’s northern beaches
The tar balls are back. During a scheduled beach clean yesterday along Phuket’s north-coast Nai Yang Beach, volunteers noticed the return of the mysterious tar balls that were washing up along the coast in the weeks before Phuket’s Sandbox started on July 1. Michelle from Sustainable Mai Khao Foundation contacted The Thaiger this morning with the news of the return…
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AfricaLink on Air – 13 October 2021
Rwanda education sector in shock after 60,000 students fail+++Ethiopian offensive in two northern regions intensifies+++Guinea’s military ruler, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, force some 42 military generals to early retirement+++Nigeria approves electronic transfer of election results+++Elderly fend off sexual predators through learning Karate SOURCE: DW News
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Benin: An Afro-descendant in the land of her ancestors
“I was absolutely told through my research, through what I’ve talked to people about that you definitely have to come and visit Ouidah. And so coming here into the Sacred Forest has been eye-opening. Getting to see the rituals, getting to understand a lot more about the religion of Vodun, it also helps me as a tourist and a visitor…
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