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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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Covid-19 clinics for mild patients to open in March
Thailand’s Public Health Permanent Secretary announced yesterday that Covid-19 clinics for patients with mild symptoms or none at all will open in Thailand on March 1. The clinics, called Accute Resperatory Infection clinics, will offer mild patients Covid-19 tests, exams, medicines, and advice from doctors about home quarantining. The spokesman stressed that 90% of new infections are by the Omicron…
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The west weaponises SWIFT as it ramps up sanctions against Russia
The US, European Commission, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada have announced they will cut “certain Russian banks” off from the world’s SWIFT bank code system, the global security network that connects thousands of financial institutions. The group said they will “collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin”. “This will ensure that these banks are disconnected…
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Tangmo’s mum believes daughter’s death is suspicious
In the aftermath of the mysterious death of Thai actress Tangmo, and the recovery of her body, after falling into Bangkok’s Chao Phraya, her mother told the Bangkok Post she believes something is suspicious. Tangmo’s mother, Panida, said it was hard to believe Tangmo and her five friends, one of whom was her manager, were on the boat just to enjoy…
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ASEAN’s pathetic response to the people of Ukraine – OPINION
OPINION Issuing its first cautious statement over the invasion of Ukraine, ASEAN calls on… “all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, to pursue dialogue through all channels, including diplomatic means to contain the situation, to prevent it from further escalation and to see peaceful resolution in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.” No condemnation, no demands for an…
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Missing Thai actress’s body found in Chao Phraya river, Bangkok
The body of Tangmo, the Thai actress who fell in the Chao Phraya river on Thursday night, was found by a rescue team this afternoon. Rescuers from the Ruamkanyu Foundation reported finding Tangmo’s body flaoting in the river at around 1:10pm. Eakpan Bunluerit, a Thai actor who also happened to be volunteering in the search, confirmed the body was Tangmo’s.…
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Phuket officials pass out Covid-19 “survival bags”.
Phuket officials handed out Covid-19 “survival bags” to residents of the Kamala area yesterday. The bags contained food and medical supplies, and were given to high-risk people self isolating, many of whom have lost livelihood from not being able to work. So far there are no details available about how many bags were given out. The chief of the Phuket…
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French expat who went missing in forest turns up safe in Chiang Mai
A French man who went missing in a Chiang Mai forest made his way to a hilltop temple, and is now safe. The man, Jacques Moriceau, went missing in a forest in Doi Tao district between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. He had driven to submit documents to the French consulate, and got lost on his way home…
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Russian flights keep arriving in Thailand, for now
Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and S7 Airline planes are still arriving on schedule in Thailand today as nothing has changed, thus far, as flights into Thai airports from Russia are concerned. But Thailand’s tourism tzars continue to monitor Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as the world looks to ways of pressuring and sanctioning Russia, including access to its airlines across the world.…
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60% Covid-19 hospital beds in Thailand are taken
Thailand’s director-general of the Department of the Department of Medical Services said yesterday that 60% of 180,000 Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied. This is a sudden increase from Wednesday, when 49.1% of beds were occupied. The Public Health Ministry reported that as of Thursday there were 42,044 beds beds for patients in “level 1”, with 89,141 beds occupied. There were…
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Driver of speedboat missing Thai actress fell from likely to be charged
After Thai actress Tangmo fell into the Chao Phraya river from a speedboat on Thursday night, Bangkok police will likely charge the boat driver for negligence. If Tangmo is found dead, the charge will be negligence causing death. The driver’s full name is unknown right now, and he is only identified as Mr. Por. An unnamed source told the Bangkok…
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LATEST: Russian troops heading to Kyiv, US congress asked to approve US$6.4 billion in funding
Tracking the latest with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia… Russian forces are continuing to advance towards Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in what’s seen as a direct attack on the capital and seat of Ukrainian government. President Zelenskyy claimed in a recorded broadcast that Russian troops “would attempt to take” the capital city Kyiv during the night. “This night will…
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Thailand to evacuate citizens from Ukraine, supports diplomatic peace talks
Thailand’s permanent representative to the United Nations has voiced support for a diplomatic solution regarding the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Speaking during the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, Suriya Chindawongse says Thailand has been following developments in Ukraine closely, especially the escalation of tension that is threating international peace and security. Chindawongse says his delegation agrees with the Secretary-General’s method…
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Ethnic group in Southern province complains losing residence due to tourism
Representatives of the Mani ethnic group in the Southern province of Satun in Thailand have handed a letter to the authorities complaining that they would lose their residence and couldn’t access a better quality of life due to the local tourism industry. The representatives told the authorities they didn’t even have a right to replace a thatched roof with a…
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Thailand’s vehicle exports affected by world chip shortage, Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Automotive Industry Club have reported a decline in Thailand car production for January, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a global shortage of semiconductors (microchips). Last month’s car production reached around 151,700 vehicles nationwide, a 2.45% increase year-on-year, but a 1.7% decline since last December, according to AIC spokesperson Surapong Pisitpattanapong. About 74,700 of the vehicles were produced for the…
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Bangkok to open 9 community isolation centres with 970 beds for mild patients
Authorities from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration visited the new community isolation centre in the Thawee Wattana district of Bangkok. They were checking the centre before it officially opens. Nine more isolation centres will open, and are expected to offer 970 beds for Covid-19 patients in Thailand’s capital. The authorities also said the Bangkok Emergency Medical Centre improved its contact system to…
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Indonesia will manufacture mRNA vaccines
After being chosen by the World Health Organization to get a technology transfer to become Southeast Asia’s Covid-19 vaccine centre, Indonesia might begin producing its own messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines. PT Bio Farma will begin producing mRNA doses under an undisclosed brand. With a capacity of 3.2 billion doses per year, the company is one of the region’s largest vaccine…
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Asia News Today | Asia’s stocks fluctuate, gold and Bitcoin rally
In the Asia Pacific region, only Japan, South Korea and Australia have so far officially condemned the actions of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine yesterday. They’ve said they will join with the US in imposing international sanctions but have so far declined to add unilateral sanctions. Indonesia has taken a slightly different tack and is calling for negotiation and…
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Thai actress missing after falling off a Chao Phraya speedboat
A Thai actress, who goes by the name Tangmo (water melon), fell from a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII Bridge last night. Authorities are still searching for her body. The speedboat had five others who were travelling with her. She fell in at around 10 pm, in Nonthaburi’s Muang district, just north of Bangkok. She was…
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Public health secretary says “drugs are not snacks, no Favipiravir given if not necessary”
Previously, the Public Health Ministry had decided to provide the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to more groups of Covid-19 patients, including patients who had only mild symptoms or no symptoms. However, the ministry secretary told Thai media yesterday that the direction has changed, and Favipiravir will be given to Covid-19 patients “only if necessary”. The authorities also warned of side effects…
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Friday Covid Update: 24,932 new cases; provincial totals
41 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,809 with 1,111 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,932 new Covid-19 cases and 15,774 recoveries. There are now 190,110 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder
An Indian mafia member was arrested in Pattaya after a red Interpol notice. He was allegedly involved in robbery, murder, human trafficking, ransom and money laundering in India. But Thai police have already confirmed that there is no links between the arrested man and the ‘hit job’ on Indian citizen Jimi “Slice” Sandhu on February 4. The Pattaya suspect reportedly…
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CCSA says no travel restrictions over Songkran this year, but no parties either
Even though it’s still 7 weeks away, the Thai government is taking the front foot on the forthcoming Songkran “new year” celebrations. The CCSA will meet next week to discuss potential disease prevention measures for the big Songkran holiday. However, it says it will not impose travel restrictions to prevent Thais from heading home for the annual commemoration. Supot Malaniyom,…
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Asian stocks rise with new Russian sanctions, market volatility increases worldwide
Asia markets ticked higher at opening on Friday, encouraged by a rebound of the US stock market, after Russia was struck with a flurry of international sanctions. US President Joe Biden has announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, crippling its ability to conduct business in major currencies. Many indexes were in the green on Friday morning, including Tokyo’s…
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Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams
Pro-democracy protest leader, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, has been freed on 3 months’ bail after proving to the Bangkok South Criminal Court that he needs to sit final university exams. The court had refused to grant bail until the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University issued Parit with a certificate to prove his status. Thai PBS World reports that bail…
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Dozens killed as Russia launches attacks across Ukraine
Russian forces have reached the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as the US and Europe respond with more sanctions. Dozens of people have died since Russia invaded its neighbour, with missiles and shells striking cities across Ukraine. AFP reports that at least 100,000 people have been displaced, with many seeking shelter in underground metro systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky…
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Vietnam resumes flights to 20 countries, prepares to welcome international tourists in March
Vietnam has reopened air routes to 20 countries and regions in an effort to resume socio-economic activities – compared to 28 in the 2019 winter flight schedule pre-pandemic – a transport official says. The Vietnam Ministry of Transport says the resumed routes included those to Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, the Vietnam…
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LATEST: Russia invades Ukraine, attacks in major cities, more than 40 dead
UPDATE: Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky says his nation’s armed forces are trying to repel the Russian advance in several areas of the country, including eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. But Russia claims it has met weak resistance, with Ukrainian border guards reportedly surrendering, as the two countries further engage in an information war to control the narrative. Russian state media has…
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Covid-19 cases rising among children in Thailand ages 5 and under
Covid-19 infections are on the rise among young children in Thailand, with more than 100,000 children ages five and under affected since the pandemic began. Last month, around 1,000 children under six years old tested positive for Covid-19. But that number spiked last week to 6,000 children in that age group infected, according to the deputy director-general of the Department of…
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Malaysian PM visits Thailand to discuss border reopening, deep-south conflict
Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yakob is undertaking his first official visit to Thailand today as his nation’s prime minister. During his 3 day visit, he’ll be meeting with his Thai counterpart, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to discuss bilateral cooperation, vaccines, and the reopening of the countries’ shared border, according to a statement from the Malaysian foreign office. “Focus areas include economic…
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TAT says Russia-Ukraine conflict won’t affect Thailand-UK flight route
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said today the current tensions between Russia and the Ukraine won’t affect the Thailand-UK flight route since the route doesn’t go through either Russia or the Ukraine. TAT’s governor said its London office will monitor the situation closely and contact airlines and travel agencies if needed. He said TAT will announce immediately if Russia-Ukraine tensions…
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