Singapore
- World News
Woman exchanges sex for immigration scam to stay in Singapore
Not wanting to leave Singapore after her visa expired, a Chinese sex worker got entangled in a complex immigration scam to be arrested so that she was able to stay in the country… for over 3 years. The woman, Liang Qinglan, entered Singapore in May of 2018 with her visa finishing at the end of July. She ended up overstaying…
- World News
Italy bars tourists from Singapore until late-January over Covid risk
Singaporeans can no longer travel to Italy for sightseeing starting today as the Italian embassy in Singapore has added Singapore and Brunei to a list of nations with a greater risk of Covid-19 infections. Travellers from both nations are now only permitted to enter Italy for job, health, or study purposes, or to return home in an emergency. Certain exemptions…
- World News
Singapore Airlines launches vaccinated travel lane service to Bangkok
Singapore Airlines is joining Jetstar Asia in offering a vaccinated travel lane service between Singapore and Thailand, with 25 flights a week between Bangkok and the city-state. TTR Weekly reports that out of the 25, 14 will be VTL flights, meaning quarantine-free travel for vaccinated passengers arriving in Singapore The VTL flight numbers are SQ705 and SQ707, with the addition…
- World News
Two lions escaped at Singapore’s Changi Airport facility while being loaded aboard
Officers at Singapore’s Changi Airport may have encountered the real-life Jumanji prop on Sunday as two lions escaped from their container while being loaded aboard a Singapore Airlines flight. Authorities had to contact the vets right away, who used a tranquiliser gun on the two massive cats, one of which was found relaxing atop their cage. According to The Straits…
- Covid-19 News
Australia, Asia, and Africa deal with the Covid-19 Omicron variant
With Omicron spreading around the world, many countries are seeing the new variant spread, as well as Covid-19 in general on the rise. Here are some updates from around Australasia and Africa (a roundup of Europe can be found here): AUSTRALIA 13 cases of Omicron have been identified in a cluster in Sydney after finding the first infection just Friday,…
- Covid-19 News
Koh Samui Airport scrutinising international arrivals for Omicron
After the emergence of the Omicron variant, the first international flight arriving at Samui Airport on Koh Samui faced increased scrutiny. All passengers have been strictly screened as airport employees were instructed to thoroughly check incoming international passengers to curb the possible spread of the new Covid-19 variant. The first international flight to arrive at Koh Samui Airport was from…
- World News
Malaysia reports first case of Omicron variant
Every nation’s fear finally arrives in Malaysia, as its health minister today announced that a foreign student in her quarantine after arriving from South Africa two weeks ago had tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus. Following the World Health Organisation’s announcement on November 24 that Omicron was causing a variety of concerns, authorities re-tested earlier positive samples, according to minister…
- World News
Singapore man jailed for consorting with friend who smuggled firearms
A 27-years old Amirul Asyraff Muhammad Junus was sentenced to five years and two weeks in prison with six strokes of the cane (Yes, caning is a form of corporal punishment in Singapore) for consorting with a fellow gang member who smuggled a firearm into Singapore from Malaysia. His friend, Muhammad Ikram Abdul Aziz, 26, had illegally carried a Shooters…
- Thailand video news
Thailand Top Stories | PCR testing to stay, more restrictions? Lifeguards off duty | Dec 1
Thailand WILL continue using the PCR method to screen arrivals for Covid-19 as a preventative measure to keep Omicron out. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will make a decision about whether Thailand will be forced back into any further restrictions. The annual funding game is on in Phuket for the island’s lifeguards… again. A new visa scheme approved, in principle, by the…
- World News
Two South African travellers test positive for Omicron at Singapore airport
Singapore’s health ministry says two South African travellers tested positive for the new Covid-19 variant “Omicron” transit at Changi Airport on their way to Australia yesterday. Contact tracing has begun for airport personnel who may have come into contact with two travellers. According to the ministry, the two residents of Johannesburg with pre-departure negative tests before boarding a Singapore Airlines…
- World News
Singapore and Malaysia reopen shared land border today
Singapore and Malaysia are reopening their shared land border today, marking another move forward to return to normal. The border was one of the busiest in the world pre-pandemic times, with vaccinated travellers being allowed to cross as of today. The border has been closed since March 2020, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded on either side. Families were…
- World News
Desperate to hire nurses, hospitals and clinics in Singapore offer “finder’s fee”
As the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the healthcare system in Singapore, the demand for nurses grows even as many have quit their jobs due to higher levels of stress and long hours duty to deal with the patients. For the first time in more than two decades, the number of nurses working in Singapore decreased in 2020 and the situation…
- World News
British Airways launches Black Friday fares on Singapore – London route
British Airways has introduced special Black Friday offers on its Singapore – London route from this week. The UK’s flagship carrier has confirmed return economy fares will start from SGD849 in World Traveller Class (around 21,000 Thai baht) and SGD3,999 in Business class (approximately 98,000 baht). According to a TTR Weekly report, bookings must be made by December 2. Noella…
- World News
Singapore’s travel pass site went down as applications for Malaysians open
The SafeTravel website of Singapore, which allows foreign visitors to apply for a vaccination travel pass before entering, was down for several hours yesterday, which was the first day people from Malaysia could apply. Around noon, the website had a message that said “it was undergoing regular maintenance.” It was then restored around 3pm, but a text box recommended customers to…
- News
Singapore Airlines takes international travellers back to Melbourne under VTL
A Singapore Airlines flight boarding international travellers arrived at Melbourne Airport yesterday, making it the first time for Australia to welcome back tourists and international students without having to be quarantined under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme. Following it, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia would reopen its borders to all immunised Singaporeans on November 21.He added…
- World News
Singapore-Malaysia Vaccinated Travel Lane starts Monday, 6 airlines offer flights
With Singapore and Malaysia’s so-called “Vaccinated Travel Lane” launching Monday, allowing quarantine-free travel for those going to and from the two countries, six airlines will offer flights under the scheme. AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Scoot, and Singapore Airlines are set to fly between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur under VTL programme, starting Monday, according to the Civil Aviation…
- World News
Singapore vows to continue hosting F1 Grand Prix – Transport Minister
Good news for Formula One enthusiasts in Singapore as the Transport Minister says discussions with Formula One management and race organisers Singapore GP on a new contract are ongoing, despite the cancellation of this year’s race owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister S. Iswaran said at a press conference that Singapore is in talks to host the F1 Singapore Grand…
- World News
South East Asia gradually re-opening to vaccinated foreign arrivals
With Thailand now open to vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries, the rest of South East Asia is preparing to follow suit. According to a TTR Weekly report, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia all have their own variations on a re-opening plan. In Vietnam, the resort island of Phu Quoc will re-open later this month for fully vaccinated foreign…
- World News
Singapore lifts entry curbs for 5 more countries under vaccinated travel lane scheme
Beginning November 29, Singapore will allow vaccinated travellers from five more countries, including Indonesia and India, to enter the country without undergoing a quarantine or isolation period. The effort is part of the country’s vaccinated travel lane scheme and will be expanded to cover travelers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates beginning early next month, according to…
- World News
Singapore looks to Esports to help reboot tourism
As Singapore slowly reopens to foreign travellers, the country is hoping that Esports might be a new way to attract more tourists back to the island. Singapore has invested heavily in both digital and physical infrastructure, and has become Southeast Asia’s primary hub for Esports viewing and revenue, according to Bloomberg. Dr. Tan See Leng, Minister of Manpower and Second…
- World News
Singapore-Malaysia vaccinated travel lane to open November 29
A Singapore-Malaysia vaccinated travel lane is set to open on November 29 after all issues are resolved. The move is the first step in reopening travel between the 2 countries. Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, says issues including testing regimes, cross-border processes, and health are now being ironed out before its opening. But he says the…
- World News
Singapore delays intellectually disabled drug trafficker’s execution due to Covid infection
A highly-controversial case involving an intellectually disabled, Malaysian drug trafficker has captivated Singapore and the world, as the court has delayed carrying out the death penalty due to Covid-19. Singapore has normally been a society that doesn’t protest the use of the death penalty, but since the drug trafficker, Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, has an IQ of just 69, the case…
- World News
Malaysia and Singapore confirm travel bubble for vaccinated travellers
From November 29, vaccinated passengers can fly between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport, without having to quarantine. Bloomberg confirms that both countries have agreed a travel bubble arrangement for what is one of the world’s busiest air corridors. It’s understood the agreement could also be extended to land crossings in the near future. Vaccinated travellers will not…
- China News
Chinese travellers forced to stay home as rest of Asia re-opens to tourism
With Asian countries re-opening to foreign arrivals, there will be one significant tourism market missing for now – the Chinese. In China, according to a Reuters report, international air travel is currently at just 2% of pre-pandemic levels, as officials continue to pursue zero-Covid status. The absence of Chinese visitors will mean a US$255 billion annual spending hole in the…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators urge government to agree travel bubbles
Thailand’s tourism sector is urging the government to agree travel bubbles with other countries, to ensure quarantine-free travel in both directions. Suthiphong Pheunphiphop from the Thai Travel Agents Association would like to see reciprocal arrangements in place once Thailand re-opens to 46 countries from November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says such an agreement would mean Thai…
- World News
Singapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights
It’s designed to ferry lots of people long distances, in an ultra-quiet flying experience. So flyers would be used to flying the huge Airbus A380 from LA to London, Bahrain to Frankfurt, Melbourne to Hong Kong. The massive super jumbo airliner wasn’t designed for a short 1 hour hop. But that’s exactly what Singapore Airlines have planned now they’re getting…
- Tourism News
38 countries reportedly on short list for no-quarantine reopening
People were elated to hear that Thailand was launching a select reopening on November 1, but confusion exists over the Thai government’s statement that they would open 17 provinces to 10 low-risk countries, with the list of provinces and countries as yet unspecified just 2 weeks before the launch date. Then again, that’s been the way throughout the pandemic as…
- Covid-19 News
Singapore allows vaccinated travellers from 8 countries to enter starting Tuesday
Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme has approved travellers from 8 different countries to enter the country without quarantine as long as they are vaccinated. So far, around 2,400 people have been approved to enter under the new guidelines. The application process commenced last Wednesday, with travellers being officially allowed to enter this Tuesday. Such countries that made the list include…
- World News
Critics believe Singapore’s new ‘foreign interference law’ will further stifle free speech
Critics of Singapore’s new foreign interference law are worrying about how the island-nation’s government may weaponise the new Bill to stifle free speech. But the Singaporean government maintains that its new Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act “is needed to prevent outside meddling in the city state’s domestic affairs”. Singapore’s strict regulatory and licensing environment, sweeping censorship and libel laws, has pushed…
- Covid-19 News
Nearly 40,000 new Covid infections reported across Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian countries collectively reported nearly 40,000 new Covid-19 infections yesterday, with the total now reported in the region topping 12.5 million. Nation Thailand reports that 39,996 new cases were reported yesterday, with 492 deaths. There have now been 268,655 Covid-related deaths across ASEAN nations. Meanwhile, Cambodia is considering a full reboot of its economy, subject to the situation remaining…
