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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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Auto repair shop allegedly pawns cars instead of fixing them in Saraburi
An auto repair shop owner stationed out the central Thai province Saraburi, allegedly pawned cars that he was supposed to be fixing. Police say they have recovered 11 cars so far. The police were alerted to the alleged thefts after multiple victims filed police reports. Saraburi City Police say the owner, identified only as Bunnam, has pawned cars in 3…
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Europe’s medicine regulator adds extremely rare autoimmune disorder as possible side effect of AstraZeneca
An extremely rare autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome, has been added as a possible side effect of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The side-effect was noted by Europe’s medicine regulator. The European Medicines Agency says a causal relationship between the syndrome and AstraZeneca is “at least a reasonable possibility”. They made their assessment based on 833 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome being reported…
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Thursday Covid Update: 16,031 new case and 220 deaths
An uptick of 16,031 new Covid-19 cases and 220 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,417 recoveries. There are now 143,038 people in Thailand being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which…
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Opposition to take legal action against Thai PM, ministers, following no-confidence vote
Thailand’s opposition parties plan to take legal action against the PM and several of his ministers, following a no-confidence vote that went in the government’s favour. Chief opposition whip, Sutin Klungsang, says 6 parties will pursue legal action, according to a Bangkok Post report. Last week’s no-confidence debate targeted PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 5 of his ministers: Public Health Minister,…
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Samui relaxes re-opening rules following low tourist demand
The rules are being somewhat relaxed when it comes to the Samui Plus re-opening model, following disappointing figures. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says that from October 1, vaccinated tourists only need to spend the first night in a SHA Plus hotel, until they get the result of their PCR test. Prior to this, international tourists…
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Pattaya rocked by heavy rains and floods with more predicted
Pattaya has been pummelled by heavy rains over the past few days causing local flooding in roads and neighbourhoods around the area. And weather forecast calls for more torrential downpours over the next few days. Around Pattaya and Bang Lamung, roads flooded last night and locals spent the day cleaning up the messes of the night before. The heavy rains…
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FDA considering Sinopharm vaccine for children over age 3
The Food and Drug Administration said that it will consider a request by Sinopharm’s local representatives in Thailand to use their vaccine for children age 3 and older. Biogenie Tech Co is the distributor of the Sinopharm vaccine within Thailand and they have requested permission to lower the age group the vaccine is approved for from 18 years old to…
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El Salvador: first country worldwide to make bitcoin legal tender
Cryptocurrency has been making inroads at gaining more and more mainstream acceptance, but this week marked a new major milestone. El Salvador just became the first country worldwide to accept bitcoin as legal tender, on Monday purchasing 400 bitcoins at a price of US $21 million. The announcement caused such a swell of interest, the country’s cyber wallet system was…
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Gambia: Rights groups decry Jammeh’s possible return
Human rights groups in the Gambia have decried the possible return of former president Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the Gambia from 1994 until he was forced into exile after refusing to accept defeat in 2016 elections. Jammeh is accused of gross human rights violations and killings of political opponents during his 22-year reign. Ahead of upcoming presidential elections in December,…
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Opinion: Jair Bolsonaro tests Brazil’s democracy
Jair Bolsonaro stopped governing a while back. In three years, his government has inaugurated a few local infrastructure projects and liberalized gun laws, which has led to a sharp increase in arms sales in a country that is already notoriously violent. Apart from that, Brazil’s president has promoted the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest and mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic…
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‘Governing Afghanistan today will not be easy’
A Taliban spokesman announced on Tuesday the names of those who would fill key government posts as the group assumes complete power over Afghanistan. Despite previously claiming that they would rule differently to the group’s repressive regime in the 1990s, the list was filled with mostly old guard stalwarts. The Taliban’s supreme leader said the new government would be guided…
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Can the Taliban govern Afghanistan?
The Taliban leadership took a long time to announce their interim government — three weeks after taking control of Kabul. Analysts say the fight for Panjshir province kept them busy all this while, and once the last resistance stronghold fell to the group, their spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, unveiled the caretaker government on Tuesday. Even though it is just a caretaker…
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Officials talk turkey about size of Phuket Vegetarian Festival
With Covid-19 still infecting over 200 people per day in Phuket, organisers of the yearly Phuket Vegetarian Festival are fishing for an answer to how big the event planned for October 6 to 14 can be. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew said the event’s scale will be based on the Covid-19 situation in the days leading up to the festival. If…
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Getting Middle East start-ups off the ground
Reporter: Tilo Spanhel / Presenter: Sam Baker SOURCE: DW News
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World in Progress: Change sweeps the East
From the Middle East to Central Asia, new societal trends are emerging that are challenging long-held norms. In Iran, women and girls are banking on education as the key to progress. Young entrepreneurs in Egypt are reaping the rewards of start-ups. Meanwhile in Turkey, Afghan refugees are stuck in a state of limbo. SOURCE: DW News
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Afghanistan: What Taliban rule means for Sikhs and Hindus
After taking shelter at the Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita at Karta-E-Parwan near Kabul for weeks, Afghan Sikhs and Hindus have left for their homes in different parts of the country. The collapse of Afghanistan’s civilian government and the takeover of the conflict-stricken country by the Taliban last month have thrown the lives of religious minorities in disarray. Just about 250 Sikhs…
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Major earthquake near Acapulco, Mexico kills 1
A major earthquake shook the southwestern Mexican beach town Acapulco, yesterday. The earthquake has killed at least 1 person after a post fell on him. There were also rockfalls that damaged buildings, and power outages across several states as a result of the earthquake, says local officials. The earthquake, or temblor, had a magnitude of 7.0, which Michigan Tech estimates…
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Several markets and communities sealed off in Nakhon Si Thammarat following Covid outbreak
3 markets and 2 communities in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, have been sealed off for at least 7 days following the discovery of hundreds of new Covid cases. Local officials say the Bang Wang, 100 years, and Wat Hu Long markets are in isolation, as well as the Moo 1 and Moo 3 villages. Since the week…
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“Green” Covid-19 cases to move to Phuket community isolation centres
The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon has stated the province will deal with the struggle to maintain available hospital beds by moving mildly affected “green” Covid-19 patients into home quarantine and community isolation centres. Phuket has been adding hundreds of hospital beds every week, with 200 beds added yesterday, to keep up with the rising Covid-19…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 14,176 new cases; provincial totals
228 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 13,511. Out of that number, 13,417 people died during during the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has…
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Missing baby girl found by cave she was brought to as a sacrifice
In Chiang Mai, a toddler, who has been missing since Sunday evening, has reportedly been found. A man allegedly admitted to kidnapping the girl, who is almost 2 years old, and leaving her outside a cave as a sacrifice to the spirits of the mountains and forest. She was found in a hut just outside the cave. The 44 year…
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Vulnerable Bangkok students to receive Pfizer vaccines later this month
Adolescents, notably vulnerable students, in Bangkok will receive Pfizer vaccines later this month. The students, between the ages of 12 and 18, should get their vaccine at Navamindradhiraj University starting September 21, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday. The eligible students, who’ve been assessed by a doctor, must provide proof of having a disability, illness, or a chronic condition. The…
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Phuket update: 30 total Covid-19 deaths with 10 in the last 4 days.
With 234 new Covid-19 cases reported, the total infections in the Phuket Sandbox inches to nearly 6,000, deaths have seen a sharp rise on the island. 2 new deaths reported last night to bring the total to 30 Covid-19 deaths since April, a jump of 50% since Sunday. Over the last 5 months, 20 people had died of Covid-19 in…
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Hua Hin’s reopening in doubt
Hua Hin may not be reopening next month after all. Businesses and local communities have expressed their reservations about the reopening, saying they fear Hua Hin could repeat the same mistake as the Phuket sandbox programme, says the Prachuap Khiri Khan chamber of commerce. The seaside district had previously established a timeline to kickstart their tourism sector with no quarantine…
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12 million Sinovac doses to arrive this month or next
The Cabinet Committee has approved a 4.25 billion baht budget to buy another 12 million Sinovac doses. The vaccine will be used for the immunity boost and the cross-formula method. The approval came yesterday afternoon. The vaccine allocation will prioritise 4 target groups: Patients with 7 underlying diseases Those over 60 years old Medical officials, frontliners, public officials who work…
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Survey shows most Singaporeans reluctant to travel internationally for now
A survey carried out by online travel agency, Booking.com, shows that 63% of Singaporeans are not planning to travel abroad for now. While Singapore is on the “green list” for most countries, the survey shows that most Singaporeans remain cautious about overseas travel. In general, over a year and a half since the start of the pandemic, travel in the…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 228 deaths and 14,176 new cases
228 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,176 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded a total of 1,293,656 confirmed Covid-19 cases. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 16,769 more recoveries.…
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Torrential rain warning for Thailand as Tropical Storm Conson approaches
Batten down the hatches, there’s some heavy rainfall coming in the next 24 hours and most of the country will get it. The Thai Meteorological Department says the approach of Tropical Storm Conson means most regions are in for some very wet conditions. Conson is currently moving in a north-westerly direction, across the central Philippines, headed for Vietnam. Over the…
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Survey shows over half of Thai hotels are considering closing due to low demand
A survey conducted by the Bank of Thailand and the Thai Hotels Association shows that 52% of hotels are considering closing temporarily and 9% want to shut down for good. 62% plan to reduce their workforce costs as a result of the financial fallout from Covid-19, while 61% say they will cut expenditure elsewhere. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
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Tourism officials push for resumption of Russia flights in last quarter
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says it’s essential that commercial flights between Russia and Thailand be allowed to resume during the last quarter of the year. However, under Thailand’s emergency decree, international flights can only operate as semi-commercial, with limited seat capacity. Khanittha Phanworawat from the TAT’s Moscow office says this means the Russian aviation authority is still not allowing…
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