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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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Phuket reservations slow down for August
Reservation bookings in the Phuket/Phuket Sandbox are slowing down for August amidst speeding up Covid cases on the island. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, an official from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says hotel reservations for August has gone down by 5% over the last couple of days. As of Thursday, a person shy of 13,000 people had visited Phuket. 30 travellers tested…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 18,912 infections, news briefs
Today the Public Health department has announced 18,912 new infections and 178 Covid-related deaths for the past 24 hours around Thailand. There were 810 cases from Thai prisons. Today’s totals are a new record for daily cases since the start of the pandemic. We will announce the provincial totals just after lunch, Thai time. • 10,678 patients were released from…
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Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: Ogoniland’s uncertain future
The conflict between the indigenous people of Ogoni in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a perennial one. This year’s court ruling by an appeals court in the Netherlands — in favour of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerian farmers — was heralded by some of them as justice. The court delivered its judgment at the end of a long-running…
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Koh Samui unaccustomed to Covid-19, many act in dismay
Koh Samui is not accustomed to Covid-19 worries and has been rocked by the outbreak this week as many locals struggle to cope with the first significant cluster on the island. So far 40 Covid-19 infections have been identified from the Black Bamboo Club cluster, and several other seemingly unrelated infections had popped up also. A few more bars have…
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COVID: Will India be able to meet its vaccination target?
Over 450 million Indians have received one jab of a coronavirus vaccine and 98 million have received both shots — that means just over 7.2% of the country’s 1.3 billion populationare vaccinated. Based on available data, statisticians say India needs to accelerate its vaccination drive by six to achieve its target of immunizing its entire adult population of 940 million…
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Thailand moves to strengthen EU ties amid US-China rivalry
European investors are increasingly playing a bigger role in the Thai economy, allowing the Southeast Asian country to diversify trade and business away from the United States and China, analysts say. In 2020, European Union investment accounted for 8.2% of all overseas investment in Thailand, compared with 3.8% for the US and 15.4% for China. The figure has increased each…
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Bangkok Airways extends flight suspension to August 11
In a post to Facebook this afternoon, Bangkok Airways announced that they will be extending the suspension of their domestic flights until August 11. They will ground all flights except flights connected to the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus international reopening programs. The announcement comes following Covid-19 outbreaks in both Koh Samui and Phuket that threaten the international programs and…
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7 Jomtien Beach curfew breakers arrested
Last night in Pattaya, 7 people were arrested near the popular Jomtien Beach. The 7 were reportedly out after the mandatory curfew that lasts from 9 pm to 4 am. Chon Buri Provincial police and Pattaya City Police had established a nighttime/early morning checkpoint and were also patrolling the area along Jomtien beach around 10 pm. On their patrol, police…
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Buri Ram pig stable converted into gambling den: 22 arrests follow
Recently, the northeastern Thai province Buri Ram had a gambling den busted. It reportedly used to be a pig stable, but forward thinking/criminal-minded residents had renovated it to allegedly serve as a gambling den. Police arrested 22 people. 53 year old “Chakrabongse” and 21 associates were arrested. Reportedly, they were sitting close together and no one was wearing a mask.…
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Global Freedom Report: Fundamental rights highly restricted for billions of people worldwide
Some five billion people around the globe live in countries where the fundamental rights have been highly restricted or in crisis. The Global Freedom Report (GxR), published by British human rights organization Article 19, depicts a grim picture of eroding freedoms, being exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Article19’s Executive Director Quinn McKew suggests we are at a tipping point where…
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“Fake news” banned, Thai media say order infringes on freedoms
The Thai government is cracking down on so-called “fake news.” An order was published in the Royal Gazette banning the distribution of false information that causes public fear or misunderstanding that could affect national stability. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the measure is intended to make sure false content spread online doesn’t undermine the government’s management of the pandemic. Thai media…
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Precarious Phuket: open internationally, closed domestically
Phuket has become like one island but 2 different worlds, depending on your vantage point. A look at the news over the past few days has been a dizzying mix of the Phuket Sandbox pushing forward, some successes in statistically low Covid-19 infection and death, especially compared to the rest of Thailand, a green light for the Sandbox to continue…
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CCSA considers extending restrictions in “dark red” zones for another 14 days
With Covid-19 cases hitting record highs, despite the strict disease control measures in place, the Thai government is considering extending the current order in the 13 “dark red” provinces, including Bangkok, for another two weeks. Yesterday, Thailand had hit record highs of both daily Covid cases and fatalities with 17,669 new cases and 165 coronavirus-related deaths. The order imposing nightly…
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Fake dead bodies used in Phuket protest, police plan real investigation
Phuket police are investigating staged protest photos that depict bodies left on Phuket Town streets. The “bodies” are covered in white shrouds and covered in fake blood. The fake dead bodies are meant as a protest against the government’s handling of the Covid situation. Akkaradet Pongprom, from the Phuket City Police, says that a formal complaint about the photos was…
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Friday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases; provincial totals
17,345 new Covid-19 cases and 117 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 578,375 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4,679 coronavirus-related deaths. Thailand now has 192,526 active Covid-19 cases. In Bangkok, the epicentre of Thailand’s latest wave, the CCSA reported 3,231 new Covid-19 cases…
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Prayut offers his sympathies, teases restrictions
In a video interview yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was “sorry” about the Covid losses. He says he sympathises with people suffering in this situation and the impacts its caused… Then he teased a possible extension of quasi-lockdown measures in the 13 provinces classified as “Dark Red” zones. In the video interview, the PM said he is trying to…
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Ghana’s massive new National Mosque
Ghana’s capital Accra is now home to West Africa’s second biggest mosque. Funded by the Turkish government, Ghana’s National Mosque is said to be a replica of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The complex cost at least $10 million dollars, 15,000 people can worship in the mosque at a time. Decorations include hand-drawn calligraphy of Quran verses, and the Carrara…
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The wondrous Lake Wonchi
Have you ever heard of Lake Wonchi? The lake fills a volcanic crater that lies 100 km southwest of the capital Addis Ababa. It is surrounded by tree-covered mountains, lush valleys and natural hot springs. 2,800 m above sea level, the crater is also Ethiopia’s highest volcano. The 14th century monastery of Tana Kirkos is also located here. Tourists are…
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How Russian money keeps Belarus afloat
Russia has supported its western neighbor Belarus for decades — long before the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Minsk and President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier this summer, Moscow loaned its ally $500 million (€423 million) — six months prior, it had issued Lukashenko’s regime a similar sum. Looking on from the outside, such figures appear to be…
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Media banned from spreading fake/distorted news, violators could have internet cut
Starting today, the Thai government has banned media from spreading fake or distorted news that might cause fear pertaining to the Covid outbreak. The threat of censorship now hangs over the heads of violators. Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha signed the restriction order, which was previously published in the Royal Gazette. The order says that the media is barred from publishing/broadcasting…
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Samui re-opening plans under threat as island infections rise
Koh Samui’s re-opening plan, Samui Plus, may be cancelled if the Covid-19 situation worsens in the next 2 weeks. Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says for now, the re-opening is still on, although a recently approved plan to allow participants in the Phuket sandbox to visit Samui and other islands after 7 days on Phuket has been…
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Friday Covid Update: 17,345 new cases and 117 deaths
17,345 new Covid-19 cases and 117 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has reported 549,512 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Out of the new cases reported today, 681 were found in correctional facilities. The latest wave of…
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Domestic travel to Phuket all but banned starting August 2
The Phuket government has found itself in a precarious predicament, caught between domestic and international tourism. While walking a tightrope between local and international, authorities have just announced what essentially amounts to a domestic lockout with new travel restrictions into Phuket going into effect on August 3. The Sandbox scheme is a critical step for international tourism to finally return…
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Despite Covid-19 Phuket Sandbox continues at least 2 weeks
With Covid-19 infections surging in Phuket, many have questioned if the Phuket Sandbox scheme would continue or be shut down as the original provisions of the Sandbox said that thresholds like over 90 infections a week could trigger revisions or cancellation of the programme. Now the Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Control has confirmed that, despite the rise…
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COVID: Why India’s economy cannot afford another lockdown
As a delayed monsoon finally reaches New Delhi, shopkeepers at a local market duck under covers and frantically attempt to keep their merchandise from getting wet. They say they cannot afford any further blow to their small business following more than a year of erratic income due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now there is fear of another crippling COVID-induced lockdown.…
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Chulalongkorn University progressing on domestic mRNA vaccine
With Covid-19 battering Thailand and the third wave bringing the Sinovac-resistant Delta variant to the forefront of the pandemic, Thailand’s slow vaccine rollout is further burdened by the ineffectiveness of the Chinese made traditional vaccine that a majority of inoculations are using. AstraZeneca provides more protection, and talk of booster shots have come after mixing vaccine doses has begun. But…
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India seeks to reform its military amid new security threats
The top brass of the Indian military met last week to discuss massive reforms, which are aimed at integrating the capabilities of the army, the navy and the air force. In a plan backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the current 17 single-service units will come under five “theater commands” in a bid to establish a unified approach to…
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Black Club Covid-19 outbreak on Koh Samui widens
After announcing a Covid-19 cluster outbreak at Black Bamboo Club in Koh Samui with 16 infections, many more people were found to have the virus. Over 600 people were tested yesterday in connection with the outbreak now sourced most likely to a fitness instructor in Lamai and reports of up to 90 additional cases are circulating with 38 infections currently…
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Kashmir lockdowns put houseboats’ survival at risk
Traditional houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar draw tourists from around the world. But environmental degradation and the pandemic are keeping this heritage from staying afloat. SOURCE: DW News
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Bangkok Bang Sue scam under investigation, 7 volunteers and counting to be questioned
7 Bangkok Bang Sue Grand Station volunteers are currently under investigation for a suspected scam. However, Amnat Traipot, the commander of the railway police said today that even more people are suspected of being involved with the scam. The Bang Sue scam was reported to the police yesterday by officials from the Department of Medical Services. Reportedly, the volunteers would…
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