World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
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Thailand’s LTR visa needs reworking to attract foreigners
Thailand is still confident its updated Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa will attract affluent foreigners despite more attractive LTR visa options in other countries. On September 1, Thailand launched a revised LTR visa, joining other nations such as Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, targeting rich foreigners. The Thai government cut the cost of the 10-year LTR visa in half, from…
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More students from Thailand enter China
Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang is making good on his promise that students from Thailand would be one of the first groups allowed to return to China when the country reopened. This week more students returned to class in China for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic closed classrooms all over the world. Han said in August his education counsellors…
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Bio, circular, green – Thailand’s BCG offers APEC sustainable economy
Thailand is preparing to welcome the 21 APEC members to Bangkok next month with a new business code of conduct that espouses a Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model. The BCG model is both environmentally-friendly and responsible, the Foreign Ministry’s senior APEC official Cherdchai Chaivaivid said during an interview with The Nation. The director-general of the Department of International Economic Affairs noted…
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Taiwan welcomes Bangkok travellers as first unrestricted flight
Taiwan has ended mandatory quarantine and welcomed a plane from Bangkok as the first international flight to land without Covid-19 restrictions. Just after midnight this morning, a flight from Bangkok arrived to fanfare as the first commercial flight where passengers were not required to quarantine on arrival. Taiwan lagged behind other countries in Asia in loosening restrictions as the Covid…
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Woe upon woe – Suu Kyi gets more jail time
A court in Myanmar has convicted ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on two more corruption charges. Her two three-year sentences will be served concurrently, though added to previous sentences that now leave her facing a 26-year prison term. In February 2021, the military took over from Suu Kyi’s government. Her NLD party had won a landslide victory in elections,…
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Thailand refuses to condemn Russia at UN Assembly
Thailand refused to condemn Russia’s decision to annex parts of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. In September, Russia proclaimed its annexation of four partially occupied regions in Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine, the UN General Assembly, and their allies refused to recognise the referendums,…
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Ukraine regains more territory from Russia in south
The Ukrainian government says it has regained more territory from Russia in the south after being pummelled by its army for an intense two days. According to the Bangkok Post, the news of the recent gains comes as Russia attacked the country with missiles, damaging energy facilities. President Vladimir Putin says the recent attacks were retaliation for a deadly explosion…
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Cambodia’s first motorway Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville deemed a success
This week a test run of Cambodia’s first motorway saw over 80,000 vehicles driving the route. After being under construction for over three years, the motorway opened its roadway to the public on October 1 as a one-month trial. The road is 187 kilometres long and runs from the capital city of Phnom Penh to the popular port and tourist…
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Big fat fraud – bear-faced cheating in Alaskan wildlife poll
Katmai National Park and Preserve have announced that Bear 747 is the winner of its annual Fat Bear Week contest. It is the bear’s second win. Tipping the scales at an estimated 635 kilograms, Bear 747 won 68,105 votes, beating first-time contender Bear 901 with 56,876 votes. Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating the park’s bears’ success in…
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Resistance Groups Report Heavy Myanmar Regime Losses
Around 20 Myanmar junta soldiers and pro-regime militia members have been reportedly killed in resistance ambushes. According to Irwaddy.com, the soldiers were killed in Taze Township as the Taze People’s Defence Force (TPDF) and other resistance groups ambushed about 80 soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militia members near Shwetakyaw village in the Sagaing Region’s Taze township. The ambush came after…
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Coinbase tapped by Google for crypto payments
In a boost for the cryptocurrency world, tech goliath Google announced plans to allow some customers to pay for cloud services using Coinbase, a leading crypto exchange platform. The announcement from Google gave crypto a much-needed kick after an overall rough year. The rollout will begin with access solely to those customers working in the Web3 industry, allowing selected people to…
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Actresses, politicians, and women around the world cut hair in solidarity with Iran
Women around the world are cutting their hair in solidarity with Iranian women fighting for their rights. Iranians have been protesting continuously ever since a young woman died on September 16 after being arrested by the country’s “morality police” three days before. The woman, 22 year old Mahsa Amini, was arrested for supposedly not wearing her hijab properly, with her…
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Vietnam’s breathtaking views, cliffs, rock formations
Five cliffs and rock formations offer breathtaking views for outdoor adventurers headed to Vietnam. The cliffs are located in the northeastern Quang Ninh province, the northern Yen Bai province, the northwest Lao Cai province, the northern Hà Giang province, and the northwest Son La province. Located in Quang Ninh province is a rock formation on Da Chong Mountain. It is…
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Singapore taxi drags traffic police officer from window
And you thought Thai taxi drivers were bad… A cab driver in Singapore was arrested after failing to comply with a traffic policeman. Instead, he argued before rolling up the taxi window on the police officer’s arm and driving off, dragging him down the road. The 69 year old taxi driver was arrested and faces charges for his reckless escapade.…
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IMF says world economy about to hit recession
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns the world economy will be in a recession as it downgraded global growth projections for next year. The IMF warned policymakers that a worldwide recession will occur if the fight against inflation is mishandled. The IMF’s bleak assessment comes after reviewing the World Economic Outlook report. According to The Straits Times, the report was…
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Japanese woman loses millions in intergalactic romance scam
A woman from Japan transferred 4.4 million yen to a man who said he was stuck on an International Space Station (ISS) and needed money for a rocket back to earth so he could marry her. The 65 year old woman, from Shiga Prefecture, told police that she fell in love with a man she met online in June and…
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Vietnam elected to UN Human Rights Council despite poor track record
Despite human rights groups calling for Vietnam to be excluded from the United Nations Human Rights Council, the country has won a three-year term in the Council. According to RFA.Org, the Southeast Asian nation received 145 of 189 valid votes, joining 13 other countries that were elected by members of the UN General Assembly in New York. Vietnam recently conducted…
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No peace for Maddie as ‘prime suspect’ charged with historical sex offences
The latest of so many prime suspects in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been charged in Germany with unrelated sex offences. Convicted sex offender 45 year old Christian Brueckner is accused of five offences in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is ongoing. Brueckner was identified as a suspect in the case in June 2020…
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Over 1,000 Thais repatriated from trafficking in Cambodia
Scam gangs have made big headlines this year for trafficking Thais and other Southeast Asians to Cambodia. Traffickers often make adverts promising easy work and cushy benefits, drawing in thousands of young, educated victims. When the victims arrive at their destinations they are held captive and forced to work in online scam centres known as “fraud factories.” These include love…
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Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts invitation to APEC meeting in Thailand
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed his attendance at the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting which will be held in Bangkok next month from November 18-19, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai. The Russian Federation is one of APEC’s 21 members. Putin attended an APEC summit hosted by Thailand 19 years ago in 2003. More than 30 countries…
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Flights from Myanmar arrive in Phuket
A Burmese airline launched a new flight from Yangon to Phuket International Airport. The flight will run on Thursdays and Sundays. Myanmar Airways International introduced the flight at a press briefing, the Bangkok Post reported yesterday. The new flight aims to help migrant workers and long-stay tourists. Migrant workers in Phuket who wish to return home can purchase a one-way ticket…
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‘Give China some control of Taiwan,’ says Elon Musk
United States business magnate Elon Musk embroiled himself in the politically sensitive One China-Taiwan debate over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, the Tesla CEO’s controversial comments in the Financial Times caused a backlash and, even more surprisingly, drew praise. The world’s richest man endeared himself to China, but not Taiwan, suggesting the mainland should have some control over the island to resolve…
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Police let off CNN reporters with 5,000 baht fine over invasive massacre reporting
Deputy police chief ‘Big Joke‘ has done a 180 degree turn on CNN, letting off reporters with just a 5,000 baht fine (US$132) each for their invasive coverage of the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand. On Saturday, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn insisted on prosecuting two members of CNN staff for breaking into the crime…
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Legendary Spain custodian causes social media storm with ‘I’m gay’ tweet
Former Spain international goalkeeper Iker Casillas caused a social media storm yesterday when he allegedly announced he is “gay” on Twitter. Casillas, who played his club football for Real Madrid and Porto tweeted… “I hope you respect me: I’m gay,” in Spanish. His former Spain colleague Carles Puyol replied on Twitter… “It’s time to tell our story.” The tweet was…
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Rare pink diamond sells for US$57m in Hong Kong auction
A rare diamond, described in the auction catalogue as “fancy vivid pink” has been sold for 453 million Hong Kong dollars (US$57 million) – more than double its estimate – a world record for a diamond sold at auction. The UK’s Guardian newspaper reports that the 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star is named after another pink diamond, simply “the Williamson” given…
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Myanmar border monastery destroyed in air raid
A monastery in the Karen State village of Mekatha was turned to rubble in an attack by fighter jets on October 6. Airstrikes by the Myanmar air forces on Thursday destroyed the monastery and several houses in a village near the border with Thailand. The attack on the village began at around 2.30am and lasted about half an hour. At…
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Finnish CEO detained for alleged mistreatment of 1,100 Thai berry pickers
Finnish police have arrested and detained the CEO of berry company “Polarica” under suspicion of human trafficking. CEO Jukka Kristo allegedly “deceived” 1100 Thai berry pickers and housed them in “poor conditions.” This year, Kristo’s company flew around 1100 Thais to Finland to work as berry pickers – an industry that heavily relies on a foreign workforce. The CEO has…
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Burmese junta sentences Japanese journalist for sedition and other charges
The Burmese junta sentenced a Japanese journalist for sedition violating a law on electronic communications. The media reported that Toru Kubota, a 26 year old photographer and documentary filmmaker, was arrested at a protest in the South Dagon Township in the southeastern area of Yangon on July 30. The report said he was arrested while gathering information for his documentary. The…
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Pakistan’s transgenders dragged back into Dark Ages
Early last month, Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan proposed the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights amends the Transgender Protection Act of 2018, leading to a firestorm of online abuse on both sides of the argument. Despite its desire to be known as a conservative society with strong Islamic inclinations, Pakistan is one of only a few countries with legislation…
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‘Strange and unusual’ punishment for Filipino lottery winners
There are some easy ways NOT to win your national lottery. The easiest way not to win is to play the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6 – or however many numbers your particular lottery demands. That particular sequence of numbers is no more likely or unlikely to arise than any other, yet it is the most played set of numbers in all lotteries, worldwide.…
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