World News
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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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Meteor shower with up to 120 meteors per hour on January 4 (tonight!)
It’s an exciting few weeks for locals looking up to the skies. Last week we had a partial solar eclipse across Thailand (most prominent in the south), and tonight (early Saturday morning) we will have a meteor shower. But you’ll need to get up early to watch it. Star gazers will be able to witness the new year’s first display of…
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“Not ordinary rain” – Jakarta floods break records, 21 dead
PHOTO: Arsi Agnitasari/The Jakarta Post At least 21 people are now thought to have lost their lives in the flash floods and landslides in and around Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, today. More heavy rain is forecast, compounding the situation. The victims have ranged in age from 8 to 82 years of age. The heavy rains stated falling on Jakarta and nearby towns…
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Australian Navy evacuates coastal residents whilst southern NSW and eastern Victoria burns
PHOTO: Victorian Government Emergency officials in Australia have a 24 hour deadline to move thousands of people stranded on the New South Wales (NSW) South Coast who could face a looming fire crisis when this weekend’s latest heatwave arrives. Bushfire-ravaged communities in southern NSW are assessing the damage after seven lives and 176 homes were lost. In Victoria, south of NSW,…
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Thai policeman arrested as key suspect in human trafficking of Rohingya
Police have arrested a man who they believe has trafficked at least 200 Rohingya refugees into Thailand on their way to Malaysia. 56 year old Charin Chuenchom was arrested over the weekend at a house in Ratchaburi, east of Bangkok. Chanin consequently confessed and was handed over to authorities for prosecution The Rohingya are a stateless, mainly Muslim ethnic group…
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New research poses grim projections for world’s coastal cities
GRAPHIC: The New York Times • More than 20 million people in southern Vietnam, nearly a quarter of the total population, currently live on land that will be underwater by 2050. • In Thailand, more than 10% of the population live on land that will be inundated in 30 years. Bangkok is already suffering inundations, complicated by the city sinking…
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Asia leads the way in travel technology over next decade
In an industry already heavily “disrupted” by technology, tourism and travel will see even more of the business-side move online. Singapore-based travel booking company Agoda says that single one-stop-shop apps for all travel needs, passport free travel, and mobile app check-in are the top three new travel trends expected by travellers. Their report indicates travellers now expect a lot more from their travel experience…
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ASEAN aiming to develop Universal Healthcare Coverage for all member states
PHOTO: Pacific Health Care Promoting universal healthcare coverage for citizens is now a common goal of ASEAN member states. The aim is to grant people access to healthcare without barriers to improve nations’ health and wellbeing of all citizens. Universal healthcare is a hallmark of civilised governments around the world with the UN describing UHC as a right of all…
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At least 21 killed by typhoon Phanfone in Philippines
PHOTO: bbc.com A deadly Christmas typhoon has swept across the central Philippines region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and killing at least 21 people. With much of the area’s communications remain cut off, the full extent of the damage or fatalities is not yet known. Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, made landfall on Eastern Samar…
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The Chinese sneezed and south-east asian tourism caught cold
PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com Things have gone a bit quiet on the tourist front. Thai authorities and people affected by the downturn are wringing their hands as the rise and rise of tourism in the Land of Smiles has seen it first sustained reversal in fortunes for two decades. But it’s not just in Thailand. It’s not as if the tourists are…
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One billion baht in assets seized during Phitsanulok drug bust
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Police in the central Thai province of Phitsanulok have seized assets valued around one billion baht from a gold shop and its related businesses. The store was suspected of being the ‘shop front’ to a larger drug trading network. An arrest warrant was issued for the shop’s owner, his son is already in custody. A team of…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand says three websites now provide electronic visa-on-arrival
Visitors from some countries can now apply online for a visa-on-arrival, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand saying they’ve added a third website to the previous two offering the service. Thai Residents reports that citizens of Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nauru, New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu can now also apply through www.eVisaThailand.com,…
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Vietnam extends 15 day visa-free travel for some countries
Vietnam’s tourism operators are welcoming the Vietnam government’s decision to extend the visa-free stays for citizens from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark and Belarus for another three years. The eight countries have already enjoyed visa exemption (for a stay up to 15 days) since 2015, but it was due to expire at the end of this year.…
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Thailand’s U-turn on agri-chemical ban shows US hitting where it hurts
PHOTO: matichon.co.th The US is piling the pressure on Thailand over its agri-chemical ban, and it appears to be working. A report by the Nikkei Asian Review claims the Kingdom’s proposed ban on three agri-chemicals – Paraquat, Glyphosate and Chlorpyrifos – would have affected American agricultural exports into Thailand. But the US President has weighed into the issue. Following news…
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Thai man’s campaign to find his aunt, allegedly kidnapped by North Korea 42 years ago
Persistence. A Thai man, who believes his aunt was abducted by North Korea several decades ago, says he’s encouraged by Japan’s efforts to track down its citizens also thought to have been kidnapped by the rogue state. Thai PBS World reports that Banchon Panjoi was invited to a meeting in Japan organised by relatives of missing people believed to have been…
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Burmese authorities intercept boat carrying 173 Rohingya Muslims
FILE PHOTO: The New Humanitarian Burmese authorities have intercepted a boat and detained 173 Rohingya ‘boat people’ off the southern coast of Myanmar. They believe that the group from the Muslim minority group were heading to sea to seek a better life an avoid persecution. They were intercepted by a Navy vessel who detained the group and charged them ‘travelling illegally’.…
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UK heads towards Brexit and Thailand ponders an FTA with Britain
Thailand is pondering the possibilities of creating a free trade agreement with the UK after British PM Boris Johnson’s historic victory in the UK election last week, which is expected to pave the way for the passage of the ‘Brexit’ separation form the EU soon. The UK will then have to make separate agreements with each individual country. Traditionally these…
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Aung San Suu Kyi shows contempt for case against Myanmar army in international court
PHOTO: LA Times Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has shown contempt for UN judges investigating the genocide case relating to the Myanmar army’s attacks on the Rohingya in 2017. In her speeches she defended the generals she once defied, for their genocide against the muslim minority living in the Rhakine state, west of the country. Her supporters gathered…
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So you want to move to Vietnam?
“Whilst Thailand is often nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand 7-elevens’, with a convenience store on just about every corner, there are very few of these in Vietnam, for now.” With the Thai Baht on a high at the moment, along with stricter enforcement of visa rules, some expats say they’ve had enough and are heading to Vietnam, or some…
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Bangkok less popular, Taipei heads the list – World’s favourite city for expats
PHOTO: This year’s #1 city for expats – Taipei, Taiwan – Time Out Bangkok has dropped from #5 (in 2018) to #20 this year in the annual Expat City Ranking – a big drop from its former position as a darling of the world expat community. But Asian cities continue to dominate the annual global Top 5 in the Expat City…
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More direct flights between Vietnam and Thailand amid growth in tourism
PHOTO: Asia 361 Thailand is gearing up to welcome more Vietnamese visitors, with a number of airlines increasing direct flights between both countries and adding some new routes too. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the additional routes should help boost the number of first-time visitors from Vietnam. The Nation reports that several carriers are launching new services from beyond…
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Thai army takes delivery of Chinese battle tanks
Thailand’s Army has taken delivery of Chinese tanks and armoured personnel carriers, just three months after receiving armoured infantry vehicles from the US. The army received 10 shiny new tanks and 38 armoured personnel carriers from China. All the hardware was taken to the Adisorn Cavalry Centre in Saraburi province for inspection. The government hasn’t officially acknowledged its Chinese acquisitions…
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Artist eats $120,000 banana at exhibition
A performance artist shocked a crowd at the Art Basel show in Miami by eating a very expensive snack: an art exhibit that had already been sold for US$ 120,000. The exhibit, a banana duct-taped to the wall at Galerie Perrotin, was a work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Comedian,” and had already been sold to a French collector.…
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BTS is Thailand’s most-streamed act on Spotify for 2019
…and the most streamed K-Pop act in the world. Another year of music is about to play its final chords. Streaming services, a mere curiosity a decade ago, are now the main source of revenue for many artists. In 2019, Streaming music will account for 80% of industry revenues, nearly US$9 billion this year. Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known around the world…
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Booming regional meth industry – Thailand, Myanmar, China and Laos
“At the same time significant investment has been made in new highways and bridges in an out of Myanmar, Thailand, China, Laos, Bangladesh and Vietnam. This has provided a boom in movement of products like food and clothing. And drugs.” A UN Drugs and Crime report released this year states that the methamphetamine trade is now worth a staggering US$30-61…
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Thailand delays introduction of new visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists
…and other proposed nationalities as well. Thailand has decided to postpone the requirement for Taiwanese travellers to present financial statements when applying online for a visa. The Taiwan News is reporting that the new requirements are being delayed until at least March, 2020. The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei has announced that online Taiwanese applicants for travel to…
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Taiwan challenges Thai government over new visa requirements for their citizens
The Taiwanese government says it’s concerned about new Thai government visa rules being imposed on its citizens travelling to Thailand. A new application scheme launched on November 29 by the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei now requires applicants to show evidence of sufficient funds for their trip. The requirement, which asks Taiwanese nationals to submit bank statements from…
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Former Malaysian PM Najib presents his opening testimony
PHOTO: Voice of America Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak was in the witness box for the first time yesterday defending himself on criminal charges linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB (1 Malaysia Development Bhd). Najib, who unexpectedly lost a general election last year to his former mentor and former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, is now facing dozens of…
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China retaliates on pro-democracy bill by imposing sanctions on US
PHOTO: South China Morning Post Following US President Trump’s signing of a bill to protect the rights of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners, China has hit back, with foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announcing a suspension of US warship visits and sanctions against American NGOs. “In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to…
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The baht keeps surging – and other predictions for the Thai economy in 2020
The last time the Thai baht’s value against theUSD touched 29 baht/US dollar was back in 2013. But the currency appreciation situation was quite different then. Today it’s floating around 30 baht in its 22nd year as a floating international currency. How will all that affect the Thai economy in 2020? Now the strong baht is a result of the…
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Thai border troops placed on alert as Mon rebels prepare attack
Troops deployed at the western Thai border with Myanmar have been placed on alert in anticipation of renewed fighting between Burmese government troops and ethnic-Mon rebels. Fighting broke out a last week when a Mon National Liberation Army base in Ban Bor Yeepoon was taken over by Burmese troops. About 1,000 Mon refugees fled across the border into Kanchanaburi. Shelters…
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