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Sponsored How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)
When planning a trip to Thailand, travel insurance is a smart investment that can save you from unexpected costs. Whether it’s medical expenses, lost luggage, or trip cancellations, the right coverage can provide peace of mind and financial protection against...
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Kenyan mass graves prompt calls to regulate religious cults
Kenyan self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge sparked shock and outrage in the country after leading his followers into the forest near the coastal town of Malindi, allegedly convincing them to starve to death to meet God. The Good News International Church closed in 2019 after Nthenge claimed that Jesus told him his work had come to an end. However, authorities…
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EU to unveil major pharmaceutical reform for cheaper drugs and faster access
The European Union is set to announce significant reforms to its pharmaceutical regulations today, aiming to reduce costs, prevent drug shortages, and expedite the introduction of new medicines. These changes represent the EU’s most extensive overhaul of pharmaceutical legislation in two decades, partly inspired by the benefits of more streamlined processes, joint action, and improved transparency observed during the Covid-19…
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Thailand welcomes new controversial Chinese-built amphibious assault ship
Thailand yesterday welcomed a new Chinese-built amphibious assault ship to its naval fleet. The HTMS Chang, a Type 071E landing platform dock, arrived at its homeport in southern Thailand a week after its official handover at the Chinese shipyard. The ship, which left Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s facility in Shanghai on Tuesday, April 18, travelled through the Taiwan Strait before arriving at…
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New Balance kicks out of Thailand
American sports footwear brand New Balance closed all of its stores in Thailand after the contract with its importer and distributor in Thailand, CRC Sports, expired. CRC Sports, a retail company under the Central Group, was established on December 26, 1996, with a registered capital of 370 million baht. It operated under the Supersports brand and offered sports products. According…
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Girlfriend of Australian tourist found dead in Thai police custody suspects foul play
UPDATE The girlfriend of the Australian man who was found dead inside the detention room at a police station in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday says her boyfriend was “not suicidal” and had every intention of returning to his family. Police arrested 31 year old Matthew Michael Winder for being drunk and disorderly at around 5.45am and detained him at…
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Kanit Sangsubhan joins Palang Pracharath Party to boost southern Thailand’s economy
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) recently announced the appointment of Kanit Sangsubhan, previously a special adviser to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, as a member of its economic team. This move is intended to bolster the economy in Thailand’s southern border provinces. PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon expressed his delight at welcoming Kanit as a key member of the party,…
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Woman arrested for stealing from foreigners at Bangkok airports and malls
The Thai Tourist Police arrested a woman for stealing money and assets from foreigners at Don Mueang International Airport and shopping malls in Bangkok. The officers also discovered 293 tablets of methamphetamine and 1.26 grammes of crystal meth at her accommodation. The arrest was made after a Chinese woman reported that her designer YSL (Yves Saint Laurent) handbag worth over…
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Japanese startup loses communication with lunar lander, assumes mission failure
A Japanese start-up hoping to realise the first private Moon landing announced today that it had lost contact with its spacecraft, suggesting a disappointing outcome for the ambitious mission. Ispace confirmed that communication with the unmanned Hakuto-R lunar lander could not be re-established after the expected time of landing, signifying a premature end for a mission launched from the United…
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Suspected serial killer arrested for the deaths of 8 victims
Suspected serial killer Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, believed to be responsible for the deaths of eight victims, was arrested by Police yesterday. The suspect, Am, denied all allegations, despite the mountain of evidence provided by the victims’ relatives. The arrest of Am was made following the death of Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong on Friday, April 14. Koy collapsed and died while releasing…
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Krabi shop owner demands cops ‘make an example’ of thieving tourist (video)
An angry shop owner is demanding that police “make an example” out of a tourist who stole clothes from her shop in the town of Ao Nang in Krabi province. The owner told Ao Nang Police that over the weekend, a female foreign tourist came to her shop alone. She said the tourist took clothes off a mannequin before dashing…
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Thailand’s Supreme Court upholds death penalty for school director who killed 3 in gold shop robbery
The Supreme Court of Thailand ruled today that the death penalty will be upheld for the former primary school director who shot dead three people – including a two year old child – and wounded another during a gold shop robbery in Lop Buri province three years ago. On January 9, 2020, then-39 year old Prasitthichai “Golf” Khaokaew entered the…
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Thailand detects 6 new cases of Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant and one XBB.1.16.1
Thailand‘s Department of Medical Sciences announced yesterday that it has identified six new cases of the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, as well as one case of the closely related XBB.1.16.1 subvariant. This brings the total number of people in the kingdom infected with the XBB.1.16 subvariant to 34. The department’s director-general, Supakit Sirilak, confirmed that XBB.1.16 is responsible for 9.8% of…
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Two booze ban days coming up in Thailand
In case drunkenness influences voters to tick the wrong box in Thailand‘s upcoming elections, alcohol sales will be banned nationwide for two Saturdays next month – early voting day and Election Day. No alcohol may be sold from 6pm on May 6 until 6pm on May 7, as well as from 6pm on May 13 until 6pm on May 14.…
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Thai man stumbles upon human skeleton near Pattaya reservoir
A Thai man stumbled upon a human skeleton at the rim of a reservoir near Pattaya yesterday morning. The man, 48 year old Praphat Namsuphat, was walking along the edge of the Chak Nok Reservoir with his child when he spotted what he at first thought was a canine skeleton. But after looking closely, Praphat was shocked to discover that…
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Democrat Party plan to transform Hat Yai into major economic hub
The Democrat Party in Thailand recently revealed its intentions to rejuvenate its previous plan to turn the commercial district of Hat Yai, located in Songkhla province, into a significant economic centre. This attempt aims to attract more investors to the area. Democrat Party officials mentioned that they are considering the enactment of a special law that would promote the growth…
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Thailand offers 11 billion baht subsidy for low-income electricity bills
The Thai government announced plans to allocate over 11 billion baht to support low-income earners with their electricity bills over the next four months, with the subsidy set to begin in May. However, the proposal needs to be reviewed and approved by the Election Commission (EC) before it becomes official. Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha addressed the…
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Bangkok’s luxury condo market is booming
Bangkok’s luxury condo scene is booming with rent at some high-end condominiums now hitting 100,000 baht per month, reports BangkokBizNews. Sanchai Khu-Ekachai, Director and Head of Research and Consulting at Knight Frank Thailand Co., Ltd. said… “The condo market began to recover because of demand from foreigners affected by the Russia – Ukraine war, especially condos in Bangkok. Russian tourists stimulated…
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China moves to regulate ChatGPT-like AI chatbots
The Chinese government is moving to regulate the nation’s burgeoning chatbot industry, taking a cautious approach to the technology to maintain tight control over its development. The draft rules unveiled by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) this month, which will affect artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT used to generate text and images in response to user requests, demonstrate…
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China reaffirms commitment to ex-Soviet sovereignty after controversial comments
China reaffirmed its respect for the sovereignty of all ex-Soviet countries yesterday, following controversial comments made by its ambassador to France. The statements, which questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet states, have triggered a backlash in Europe and cast doubt on Beijing’s attempts to position itself as an impartial mediator in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Ambassador Lu Shaye’s remarks prompted…
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Netflix to invest US$2.5 billion in South Korean content over next four years
Netflix has unveiled ambitious plans to invest US$2.5 billion in South Korean content over the next four years, following a meeting between the streaming giant’s CEO Ted Sarandos and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington. The announcement comes as South Korea’s star continues to ascend as a global cultural heavyweight, bolstered by the phenomenal success of the Oscar-winning…
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Biden expected to announce second term run amid concerns over his age
US President Joe Biden is set to announce today his intention to run for a second term, a decision that would see him embark on a new White House campaign at the record age of 80, and potentially face a rematch against Donald Trump. “Stay tuned,” Biden informed reporters at the White House yesterday. The Democrat is due to release…
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US Navy aircraft carrier arrives in Pattaya, Thailand
The USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier belonging to the US Navy, anchored at Laem Chabang Port just north of Pattaya in Thailand yesterday accompanied by the Nimitz Strike Group for a five-day visit that aims to strengthen Thai – US security relations. The Nimitz Strike Group includes the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and guided-missile…
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6 Chinese men arrested for 10 million baht fake gold scam in Thailand
Police arrested six Chinese men for selling fake gold to rich Thai people resulting in a profit of more than 10 million baht. The suspects were reported to be former members of a scam call centre gang based in Indonesia. The gang confessed that their criminal act was inspired by a television series about scammers. One victim, a Chinese man…
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Fox News and Tucker Carlson announce shock split days after US$787.5m defamation settlement
Tucker Carlson, the conservative face of Fox News and host of the network’s top-rated show, has unexpectedly left the broadcaster just days after it settled a defamation lawsuit for a colossal sum. The prominent presenter was a prominent figure within Republican circles and regularly interviewed former US President Donald Trump. Critics have accused him of disseminating false information and engaging…
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Homeless woman attacks man with knife, claims self-defense against attempted rape in Pattaya
A homeless woman in Pattaya is said to have allegedly struck a homeless man on the head with a chopping knife during a party, alleging it was in self-defence because the man attempted to rape her. However, the victim claims that the woman was trying to rob him. The victim, 52 year old Sujin Sriubol, was found by residents of…
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Thai YouTuber reveals 25 million baht online gambling loss during police questioning
Today, a Thai YouTuber and celebrity Sodor Style, whose real name is Pimlada Wewvitsong, visited the Royal Thai Police’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) in response to a summons. She was there to give her side of the story regarding her live TikTok broadcast where she revealed her experience with online gambling. According to her account, she lost more than…
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MFP secretary-general confident of securing at least 100 seats in General Election
Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the Move Forward Party (MFP), expressed confidence that his party is on track to secure a minimum of 100 House seats in the upcoming General Election. Speaking at a major campaign rally in Samyan Mitrtown, which drew attendees of all age groups, Chaithawat was optimistic about the MFP’s chances of surpassing the now-dissolved Future Forward Party’s…
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Injured young Brit transferred to UK for treatment after 3 months in Thailand hospital
UPDATE 2 The young British man who sustained life-threatening injuries in a motorbike crash in Thailand in February has finally returned home to the UK after undergoing four surgeries in three months at Bangkok Hospital. The 24 year old ice hockey player from Blackburn, Josh Richardson, returned on a flight on £20,000 flight on Thursday accompanied by a doctor, two…
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Thai woman arrested for allegedly killing 5 with cyanide
A Thai woman has been arrested for the alleged poisoning and killing of five people using cyanide. The arrest was made after the sudden and unexplained death of the alleged murderer’s most recent victim, Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, a 32 year old Thai woman from the central province of Ratchaburi, on Saturday, April 1. Koy was found dead at the Baan Pong…
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Ft set to decrease next month, says Thailand’s ERC
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to reduce the fuel tariff (Ft) next month, following a recommendation by the subcommittee responsible for its calculation. The decision comes in response to concerns regarding the rising cost of living, with water rates also marked for an increase after 23 years of stagnation. As reported by Khomgrich Tantravanich, the ERC’s secretary-general, the…
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