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Possible fourth Omicron case in Thailand, waiting for confirmation
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry today said that a 41 year old Thai man who arrived from Congo via the “Test & Go” quarantine exemption program is likely to be the fourth Omicron case of the kingdom, adding that the results are due in 1-2 days. The Tes & Go entry scheme is for fully vaccinated travellers from select countries. Reports…
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Italian-Thai Development is in good health, CEO Premchai is not
Italian-Thai Development CEO Premchai Kanasutra has been sentenced by the Supreme Court to over 3 years in jail for poaching. Now officials at his company say operations will be unaffected while officials at the Corrections Department report Premchai is in poor health. The ageing tycoon was sent to Thong Pha Phum Prison yesterday, and doctors at the hospital there are…
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Opinion: Postpone the AFCON in Cameroon due to the Anglophone crisis
Africa’s most prominent soccer championship, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has twice been pushed forward. The first postponement was because Cameroon was deemed unprepared to host the games, and the second was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) — Africa’s soccer governing body — is now being asked if the escalating violence in the…
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DSI official under investigation for Krabi island land received
The Department of Special Investigation is launching its own special investigation into one of its officials who received a plot of land on an island in the Krabi province under suspicious circumstances. The deputy spokesperson for the DSI said they received a complaint regarding title deeds of land plots on islands in the region. The land plot in question that…
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Truck driver killed during traffic accident in Nakhon Ratchasima
Police are investigating the fatal car crash where the driver of an e-taen farm truck was killed, injuring two other individuals in Chok Chai district in Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday. A horrible accident was caught on black box footage of a passing-by vehicle, which later circulated on Facebook. According to the police investigator Pol Lt Col Ruam Kleepklangdon, the incident happened…
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Sinovac is testing its effectiveness against Omicron variant
Following the good news announcement from Pfizer that 3 doses of their vaccine can neutralise the Omicron variant, Sinovac came out with a more reserved announcement stating that lab studies about its effectiveness against the new strain would take time. The Chinese-based Sinovac is the most widely used vaccine in the world with over 2.3 billion doses shipped worldwide so…
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US State Secretary to meet Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha next week
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US State Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during his Southeast Asia visit on December 15 and 16. The Secretary will also meet with Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Don Pramudwinai, to discuss bilateral cooperation and have lunch with representatives from the business…
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Weeklong wandering tiger returned safely to wildlife sanctuary
The hunt for a tiger that wandered from his wildlife sanctuary in Uthai Thani is finally over. After a week of meandering the surrounding areas – and attracting public attention on news and social media sites – Vichit the tiger has been located and has returned safely to its natural habitat in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Vichit is wearing…
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CAAT says no masks with valves onboard flights, medical or cloth masks required
To prevent the risk of Covid-19 from spreading during flights, face masks are required onboard aircraft, but now the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is ordering all airlines in Thailand to ban the masks that have exhalation valves. Nok Air officially announced the measure yesterday. The authority also added that passengers and crew should wear either a medical face mask…
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PR Thailand reminds of the “VUCA” plan to keep reopening safe
The public relations department posted a reminder on their Facebook page today of the 4 main measures the government is focusing on after reopening Thailand to international tourism at the beginning of last month. The post on the PR Thai Government Facebook page reiterates the criteria they laid out in November using the acronym VUCA to keep the reopening safe…
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Two arrested for allegedly kidnapping a woman, posting video her tied up on TikTok
A Burmese man and woman were arrested for allegedly kidnapping another Burmese woman, and then posting a video of her with her ankles chained and hands tied on the social media platform TikTok. The suspects allegedly abducted the woman, who is said to be a popular social media influencer among Burmese netizens, in Pathum Thani, which is north of Bangkok. …
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Will the US summit on democracy deliver?
In the wake of a turbulent Donald Trump administration where conspiracy theories were promoted and authoritarian leadership style admired, President Joe Biden is reestablishing its commitments to democracy by holding a summit to defend it. The United States will have to reassess its traditional role of being a lecturer of democratic values at the Summit for Democracy which will take…
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Opposition parties predict election between March and July 2022
The next general election could be held in as soon as 4 months, with opposition parties predicting elections between March and July of next year. A coalition of opposition parties met yesterday to discuss the current administration’s failures and put pressure on the ruling government. The coalition saw Move Forward Party, Pheu Thai Party, Puea Chat Party, Thai Liberal Party,…
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Bangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise
With levels of the air pollutant PM2.5 rising in Bangkok, city officials are considering pausing construction on the BTS Skytrain and closing schools in an effort to improve the air quality if the levels rise to unhealthy levels. Officials plan to also be more strict when it comes to enforcing laws on vehicle emissions and advising the public to carpool…
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WHO encourages vigilance, vaccinating in the face of Omicron
The need to vaccinate and stay vigilant against Covid-19 as the Omicron variant spreads was stressed by the World Health Organisation in a briefing yesterday. The WHO called on countries to accelerate vaccination programs as much as possible and warn that the Omicron variant may change the course of the pandemic. The Director-General of the WHO says that Omicron could…
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Death toll rises to 39 in Indonesian volcano eruption
An AFP report confirms that the death toll following the volcanic eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru has now risen to 39. The volcano erupted last Saturday, sending plumes of volcanic ash skywards, with entire villages subsequently submerged under hot mud and thousands of people left homeless. Rescuers say the discovery of an additional 4 bodies, and another victim who died…
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UPDATE: Huge soapy massage ‘club’ in Bangkok bought within 24 hours of being up for sale
FOR SALE: One Soapy Massage Complex in Bangkok Just what you need to diversify your property portfolio. Your very own gentleman’s club, complete with soap and bubbles. It’s not everyday that a large soapy massage venue gets listed publicly in Thailand. The owner of the 5 storey venue in Bangkok has put his venue and business up for sale for…
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UN agency criticises introduction of travel bans over Omicron variant
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation says travel bans introduced following the emergence of the Omicron variant should be lifted. UNWTO members voiced their concerns about the bans during the organisation’s recent General Assembly. According to a TTR Weekly report, countries from all regions of the world voiced solidarity with African nations that have become the target of travel bans…
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BKFC provide some impressive bare-knuckle fighting action
Press Release Lockdowns have been lifted, Covid has taken a well-earned bare-knuckle fist to the face, and everyone in the Kingdom of Smiles is ready to get out and about and start enjoying life again. And what better way to jump back into the swing of things than to witness some impressive bare-knuckle fighting action with BKFC knockouts, beatdowns and…
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PM and Prawit put on show of unity over lunch, amid rumours of political infighting
Following murmurings of a rift, the Thai PM has had lunch with deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon in what may be an attempt to dispel such rumours. The Bangkok Post reports that the lunch took place yesterday, at the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation. Both men had just attended a meeting at the Army Club with Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda.…
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Bank of Thailand concerned with banks trading in digital assets
The Bank of Thailand said they don’t want commercial banks to directly trade in cryptocurrency and digital assets due to their extreme volatility. Thai lenders have been investing more and more in digital asset exchanges in Thailand with several banks making deals in the digital currency space. Siam Commerical Bank recently purchased a 51% share of Bitkub for 17.85 billion…
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Meet Dago Nivel, an Angolan who took on the system
Dago’s real name is Fancisco Mapanda. He grew up in Jindingo, Luanda. It used to be an agricultural area. Jindingo then became a residential area. Dago had a rough childhood on the streets and at school here. Activism and hip hop changed Dago’s life. He became known as “Dago Nível Intelecto”. In 2016, he and other human rights defenders were…
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World in Progress: The ripple effects of the pandemic
COVID-19 has disrupted children’s education all over the world. Lockdowns and shutdowns have caused much more than kids missing out on school’s curriculums though — it’s taken a toll on their mental health, too. Can drones help in getting medicine and vaccines to remote areas? And how to best tackle COVID misinformation — volunteers in India try to encourage people…
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Transatlantic allies ramp up pressure on Russia over Ukraine
White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki minced no words ahead of the virtual meeting where President Joe Biden conveyed to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the harsh financial penalties that would accompany any new invasion of Ukraine. “[W]e have a path forward that would impose significant and severe harm on the Russian economy,” Psaki said. “You can call that a threat,…
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Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict deepens ethnic rifts
Shortly after nightfall in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, volunteers wearing orange reflective vests and carrying sticks gather for a patrol by a neighborhood militia. “We are watching and securing the peace of the neighborhood,” member Leul Hassen told AP news agency. Vigilante groups like this are accused of stopping people and turning Tigrayans, one of Ethiopia’s more than 80 ethnic…
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“Thailand Tourism with SHA” festival set for December 17 to 19
“Thailand Tourism with SHA” – the blandly titled event the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Pattaya City created jointly – is set to run on Pattaya Beach from December 17 to 19. The event is scheduled to include dozens of vendors and attractions in hopes of encouraging tourists to visit Pattaya, a quest that will likely be aided by the…
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President Joko Widodo visted displaced areas in East Java after volcano eruption
More than 34 people were killed, hundreds hospitalised, 22 seriously injured (mostly burned), and nearly 3,000 houses and 38 schools were damaged after a Mount Semeru volcano erupted in the Lumajang district of East Java on Saturday. Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the ravaged areas yesterday to reassure people that communities will be restored quickly and assistance is reaching those…
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Tycoon Premchai sentenced to 3 years, 2 months for poaching
Thailand’s construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in jail without parole by the Supreme Court today for poaching and hunting a black panther in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi in February 2018. The Office of the Attorney General rushed out the announcement earlier so hurriedly that it underreported the sentencing of Premchai…
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Blowing the whistle on traffic offenses in Angola
In Caxito, Angola, young men spend the day monitoring the streets aiming the stop traffic accidents. Recognizable by their trademark whistles, many are taxi conductors, and others volunteer as inspectors. They blow the whistle when they see a traffic violation. Drivers routinely ignore road signs. But they aren’t solely responsible for accidents. Caxito’s roads are poorly maintained. Meanwhile, the police…
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Expat gets hit in the head at Bangkok zoo, apparently for taking his mask off to eat
A Swedish man was hit of the head with a tumbler at a Bangkok’s Safari World, apparently for taking his mask to eat. The man’s wife, who is Thai, made a post on Facebook saying they were looking for a man who hit her husband during a dolphin show at the zoo. She also added that she already filed a…
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