News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
Thai PM says another national lockdown “unlikely” despite Omicron variant
The Thai PM says another lockdown is not on the cards, despite the first case of the Omicron variant being reported in the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, Prayut Chan-o-cha was responding to fears from business owners that another lockdown could be imposed during peak season “Hopefully, this coming New Year will be a happy time. We haven’t…
-
Saudi Arabia fights to rehabilitate its image after Khashoggi murder
Tuesday’s arrest in France of one of the possible killers of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi has brought Khashoggi’s gruesome murder to international attention once more. But up until now, Saudi Arabia has slowly but surely been emerging from underneath the shadow of that crime. In October 2018, global headlines about the assassination, allegedly committed inside the Saudi Consulate in…
-
AfricaLink on Air – 07 December 2021
South Africa’s Ramaphosa says his country will stop sharing COVID info after Omicron fallout +++ How is Zambia’s new President Hakainde Hichilema doing? +++ South Africa fish management per app +++ What Eric Zemmour’s presidential candidacy means for France SOURCE: DW News
-
India: Are ‘anti-Muslim’ attacks becoming the norm?
Indian Muslim comedian Munawar Faruqui hinted at quitting the comedy scene last week after dozens of his shows were canceled over vandalism threats from hardline Hindu groups. “Hate has won, the artist has lost,” Faruqui said in a post on social media. Faruqui spent a month in jail after he was arrested on January 1, just as one of his…
-
Crane collapses in Samut Prakan, killing a man and injuring 2 others
A crane collapsed at a condominium construction site this morning and landed on a row of rental rooms, killing one person and injuring two others. The engineer overseeing the project in Samut Prakan’s Bang Po district, southeast of Bangkok, is being called in for questioning by police. Motorbike taxi driver 48 year old Chalerm Chanong was leaving a som tom…
-
Chiang Mai street vendor with busty top files sexual harassment complaint with police
The Chiang Mai street vendor who went viral for her revealing cardigan-style top just filed a sexual harassment complaint with Thai police. The 23 year old known as Nong Olive is known for wearing an open chest shirt, showing her cleavage and midriff, while making Thai-style pancakes, which is a popular street food known in Thai as “khanom Tokyo.” Nong…
-
Three arrested in human trafficking crackdown near Myanmar border
Three people are accused of being involved in a transnational human trafficking operation where Burmese migrants were promised help entering Thailand for jobs and later forced into labour, even prostitution. The suspects were arrested in Tak’s Mae Sot district, which borders Myanmar. The suspects allegedly lured migrants into Thailand by helping them cross the border illegally, evading immigration checks and…
-
Hua Hin luxury resort guest claims “peeping Toms” stared at him naked
A guest at a luxury resort in Hua Hin had booked a private room that ended up being not so private. Apparently, there were some “peeping Toms” and the guest says he was worried they may have taken a photo of him naked. The resort gave him some bottles of beer as an apology for the “inconvenience.” This Thai guest…
-
Hotel staff in close contact with Omicron confirmed to be negative in second test
The 44-year-old hotel staff member who was in close contact with the first Omicron case in Thailand and tested positive for Covid-19 has now been confirmed negative for the virus, health officials say. The hotel staff member was one of 17 people who came in close contact with the American who travelled from Spain to Thailand through the Test & Go quarantine…
-
Joe Biden and Russia’s Putin to discuss Ukraine tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden are expected to discuss the growing tensions in Ukraine, in a video call on Tuesday. The West is concerned over Russian troops massing along the Ukrainian border and cautions that tensions could spill into a major war. Video calls have become the new normal since the coronavirus pandemic began. Yet…
-
Myanmar ousted leader’s prison sentence reduced to two years
Myanmar’s ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday, but it was then reduced to two years following a partial pardon by the military junta’s commander, according to state television. Her indictments were unrest and violating Covid-19 epidemic guidelines, according to the junta’s ruling court, which ordered the first judicial decision in a…
-
Tourists stranded an island off the coast of Sattahip rescued by Royal Thai Navy
Six Belgian tourists stranded on an island off the coast of Chon Buri’s Sattahip district were rescued by the Royal Thai Navy on yesterday. According to the navy officials, the tourists took three small boats into the sea on Sunday and got themselves into trouble when one of the boats had a mechanical failure, and a water leak to another boat.…
-
Thai Airways offering round trip Sydney-Phuket flights
To boost tourism and promote Phuket’s island quarantine “sandbox” scheme, Thai Airways will run round trip flights between Phuket and Australia with three flights a week starting on today. The flights will be offered until January 25. The flight from Phuket to Sydney is available on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Flights depart from Phuket at 6:50pm and arrive at 7:30am.…
-
1 tourist killed, 8 wounded in crash while on tour of Chiang Mai mountain
A tourist was killed and eight others were wounded in a van crash yesterday while travellers were on a tour of Doi Ang Khang mountain in northern Chiang Mai. Around 10am, the 15-seater Toyota van crashed while going down a turn on a mountain road in the Fang district, skidding off the road and into a ditch, according to the…
-
Hotel staff in close contact to Omicron case tests positive for Covid, variant not confirmed
One of 17 people in close contact with the first Omicron case in Thailand tested positive for Covid-19, but lab tests are still being done to confirm the variant. Thai health officials announced yesterday that the first Omicron case was detected in Thailand after an American travelling from Spain, via Dubai, entering under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme…
-
Indonesia and Malaysia expected to launch vaccinated travel lane early next year
The governments of Indonesia and Malaysia are expected to agree a vaccinated travel lane, or travel bubble, by early 2022, according to a Coconuts report. The arrangement would permit vaccinated people to travel between both countries without the need for quarantine on arrival. The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, confirmed the plan during a press conference yesterday. He says the…
-
Rohingya accuse Facebook of promoting hate speech in US$150 billion lawsuit
Facebook is being sued in a California court by Rohingya refugees, who accuse the social media platform of failing to combat hate speech. In a US$150 billion lawsuit, court documents allege Facebook is powered by algorithms that allow the seeds of disinformation and extremism to grow and cross over into real-life violence. “Facebook is like a robot programmed with a…
-
US confirms diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights abuses
The US government has confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to protest ongoing human rights violations, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “US diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can’t do that.…
-
Ethiopia claims strategic gains despite opposition skepticism
Ethiopia’s government claimed on Monday it had recaptured strategic towns from forces aligned to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Dessie and Kombolcha have been “freed by the joint gallant security forces,” the government’s communication service tweeted. TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda, however, tweeted their forces left the two towns “as part of our plan.” The towns are on the main…
-
Ethiopia claims strategic gains despite TPLF denials
Ethiopia’s government claimed on Monday it had recaptured strategic towns from forces aligned to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Dessie and Kombolcha have been “freed by the joint gallant security forces,” the government’s communication service tweeted. TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda, however, tweeted their forces left the two towns “as part of our plan.” The towns are on the main…
-
Opinion: Gambians use their marbles to vote for stability
The marbles have been cast: In Gambia’s unique voting system, marbles instead of paper ballots are counted for each candidate. The marble rolls down a small pipe into a cylindrical container marked with a picture of the candidate’s face. Each marble triggers a little bell, which notifies election observers of a successful vote. Smuggled marbles would be spotted immediately, and…
-
AfricaLink on Air – 06 December 2021
Incumbent Adama Barrow secures comfortable win in Gambia’s election +++ Lekki toll “massacre” – Nigerian activists and celebrities push for justice +++ Omicron virus and impact on Africa +++ WHO official weighs on malaria in Africa amid COVID SOURCE: DW News
-
India: UN slams anti-terror laws amid controversial arrests
The UN has raised concerns about India’s use of counter-terrorism legislation to crack down on rights activists. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville last week warned about India’s “crackdown on civil society actors” and use of “sweeping counter-terrorism measures” under its counter-terrorism legislation — the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The warning…
-
LATEST NEWS: First Omicron case detected in Thailand
The Thai Ministry of Public Health announced earlier today that the first covid variant ‘Omicron’ has been detected in the country. The person is a 36 year old American tourist who from Spain, via Dubai, on the Test and Go scheme (for travellers who have been fully vaccinated). It’s been revealed that he was living in Spain for 12 months.…
-
First Omicron strain reported in Thailand, Test & Go traveller tests positive
The first Covid-19 case involving an Omicron mutation has been reported in Thailand. Health officials say an American who travelled from Spain was found to be infected with a strain that matched the Omicron variant by 99.92%. The man entered Thailand through the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. This is a developing story and will be updated. SOURCE: BBC…
-
Covid UPDATE: Still no Omicron, today’s infections drop to 4,000
Generally good news on the Covid front in Thailand with the daily new case reports mostly under 5,000 for the past week and the number of deaths also reaching new lows of 30-50 each day, both huge reductions from August this year when the number of daily deaths from Covid were exceeding 300. And for the Omicron trackers, we’re happy…
-
Phuket police arrest 32 after more than 3,500 venue raids since November
Phuket police say they have made 32 arrests after over 3,500 venue raids since November 1. The report released says those arrests were made in light of those breaking the provincial order of no alcohol sales and/or Covid regulations that prevent staff from having close contact with customers. The report says that last Saturday, alone, saw 142 venue inspections, resulting…
-
US Republican Party senator Bob Dole passes away at 98
Former US senator Bob Dole, a Republican Party member and presidential hopeful, has passed away at the age of 98. The war hero was riddled with lung cancer and succumbed to the illness early this morning in his sleep. Dole had served in various roles for America for 79 years. His reputation was that of one of Washington’s most recognisable…
-
Death toll rises to 14 in volcanic eruption in Indonesia
At least 14 people have been killed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Semeru in Java, Indonesia, according to an AFP report. Rescuers continue to search for survivors in villages that lie covered in molten ash. In the district of Lumajang, East Java, houses have been submerged and livestock smothered to death in at least 11 villages. At least 10…
-
Police deny detaining or threatening woman who told PM to “retire quickly”
Police in the north-eastern province have denied an allegation that they detained a woman who told the Thai PM to, “retire quickly”. Following the incident, which occurred in the Udon Thani district of Ban Dung while the PM was visiting the forest temple of Wat Kham Cha Not, reports emerged that the woman had been taken to a police station…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.