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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Man stabbed and killed his mother, wrapping plastic bags on her head
A man in Bangkok has been charged with the brutal murder of his mother after she was found stabbed and with plastic bags wrapped tight around her head and neck. The murder took place last night in the Lumphini district of Bangkok, where the 26 year old engineer killed his mother in a wild attack in the food court where…
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Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada opens in a new location under new name
Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada is now returns with a new location and new name, but still with the same vendors with a wide variety of stalls including street food, clothes and accessories, furniture, vintage items, handcrafts. The market, now called JODD Fairs, isnear CentralPlaza Grand Rama 9. The new spacious area has open-air bars to hang out and more…
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Meta removes Myanmar military businesses from its Facebook following lawsuit
Myanmar military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing yesterday woke up to see his partly-owned telecom company Mytel being removed from Facebook as Meta started to ban businesses related to Tatmadaw, also known as the military, from functioning on its platform. The move came just hours after lawyers from the US and the UK launched a $150 billion lawsuit on behalf…
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Philippines to ban France visitors from December 13 due to Omicron
Starting from December 13 onwards, tourists with a two-week travelling history in France will be barred from entering the Philippines, according to the acting presidential spokesperson, Karlo Nograles, yesterday, amidst fear of the new variant, Omicron. France has been added to the Philippines’ “Red List” of countries after over 20 cases of the Omicron were discovered in the European nation,…
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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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Thursday Covid Update: 4,203 new cases; provincial totals
49 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,084 with 20,990 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 4,203 new Covid-19 cases and 7,939 recoveries. There are now 60,415 people in Thailand being…
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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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PM praises public after Bangkok rating for best city in the world for a “workation”
Bangkok is the best city in the world for a so-called “workation.” At least that’s what Holidu, a website for vacation rentals says. The listing, which had Phuket and Chiang Mai both at number 10, was widely shared in Thai media and touted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It even caught the attention of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha who is…
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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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French man arrested after 2 years of cheating many Thai women
Police announced with a giant vinyl sign that they had captured a “man from the land of perfume” who has been raising a stink around Thailand since his arrival 2 years ago. A 46 year old French man identified only as Stephane has been arrested after leaving a trail of crimes and forlorn Thai women in his wake since late…
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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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Omicron not affecting domestic tourism sentiment this holiday weekend
A survey carried out by the Tourism Authority of Thailand shows that for the most part, people are not letting the Omicron variant affect their travel plans. The poll’s findings show that domestic tourism is set to generate 5.72 billion baht during the upcoming long weekend, with over 1.8 million trips planned. The Bangkok Post reports that, while Omicron has…
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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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DW’s GirlzOffMute turns one!
It’s a year since DW launched GirlZOffMute, the video and radio show that gives African teen girls a voice! The reporters have helped girls in Nigeria, Cameroon, Malawi, and Kenya share their stories on various issues. The 60 videos in English, Kiswahili, Amharic and French have had more than 15 million views on social media and via DW’s partner stations…
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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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GoFlight resumes Indian flight to Phuket this week
India has relaunched direct flights to Phuket with budget airline GoFirst flying from Delhi to Phuket with 187 Indian tourists onboard its inaugural flight. The first flight landed on Saturday and marked the return of what had previously been Phuket’s fastest-growing tourist demographic before the Covid-19 pandemic. Airport staff met the arriving travellers with gift bags and a welcome banner.…
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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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