AS pork prices have risen in Thailand recently with authorities this week confirming one case of African swine fever at a slaughterhouse in Nakhon Pathom province, some residents here have turned to eating crocodile meat instead as the price is attractively lower, Amarin TV said today (Jan. 13). Mrs. Uthaipornrung Thaweechai, 64, the owner of
Month: January 2022
12 Pattaya bar owners arrested for violating Covid rule
A RAID mounted by Chonburi and Pattaya police last night (Jan. 12) led to the arrest of 12 bar owners for staying open after 9 p.m. in violation of Covid control orders with many Thai and foreign customers found to be having fun drinking at these watering holes without any concern about the pandemic,
Read moreCambodia shelves first Asean meeting over attendance ‘difficulties’
By Reuters and published by The Straits Times Phnom Penh – Cambodia said today (Jan. 12) it had postponed a meeting of foreign ministers of Asean scheduled for next week, because some ministers had expressed “difficulties” in attending. The meeting was the first under Cambodia’s chairmanship of the 10-member bloc, which comes amid divisions
Read moreUK’s PM Johnson sorry for ‘partygate’ scandal amid calls to quit
By AFP, published by The Straits Times London – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson today (Jan. 12) offered “heartfelt apologies” for attending a lockdown-breaching party held in his Downing Street garden, but deflected calls to resign as the opposition leader called him a “man without shame”. Breaking his silence over the latest of a slew
Read moreNew 300 baht tourist entry fee to generate B1.5 billion this year
A NEW entry fee of 300 baht being levied on foreign tourists entering Thailand from April 1, 2022 onwards will generate approximately 1.5 billion baht from the 5 million holidaymakers expected to travel here this year, Matichon newspaper said today (Jan. 12). Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the money collected will be
Read moreThailand approves B13.8 billion budget for fighter jets upgrade
By Reuters staff, published by Channel NewsAsia THAILAND’S cabinet has backed a plan to buy four fighter jets starting in the next fiscal year, an air force spokesman said today (Jan. 12), with a budget of 13.8 billion baht (US$413.67 million) set aside for the procurement. The approval follows a recent expression of interest
Read moreAnalysis: Southern by-election spiced up with Move Forward underdogs
By Out-Crowd THOUGH MOVE FORWARD PARTY’S men running for the first time for MP in Sunday’s by-election in Chumphorn and Songkhla are virtually viewed by southern constituents as underdog contenders with very slim chances of winning, they have been considerably spicing up the mini-races to parliament. The opposition party’s rank and file undoubtedly anticipate
Read moreSoldiers and drug runners clash at Golden Triangle
A GUNFIGHT broke out between soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force backed by the Mekong River Operation Unit and a group of drug traffickers at the Thai side of the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai province last night leading to a large amount of drugs being seized, Naewna newspaper said today (Jan. 12). Some
Read moreUK PM Johnson under fire over ‘bring your own booze’ lockdown party
By Reuters and published by The Straits Times London – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under fire today (Jan. 11) after it emerged his private secretary had invited over 100 people to a “bring your own booze” party in the garden of Downing Street during the first coronavirus lockdown. Johnson, who won a landslide
Read moreWorld Bank sees sharp world growth slowdown
By Reuters staff, published by Channel NewsAsia Washington – The World Bank today (Jan. 11) cut its forecasts for economic growth in the United States, the Euro area and China and warned that high debt levels, rising income inequality and new Covid-19 variants threatened the recovery in developing economies. It said global growth is expected
Read moreAgency warns marijuana remains a Category 5 drug despite not being listed in code
THE Office of the Narcotics Control Board today (Jan. 11) reminded the public that marijuana remains a Category 5 drug and it is illegal to grow it without permission, Thai Rath newspaper said. Mr. Piyasiri Wattanavrangkul, deputy secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, said questions have been raised about cannabis after a new
Read more5 cops shunted out in wrongful drug arrest
FIVE policemen at Samrong Nuea police station were today (Jan. 11) transferred to the headquarters after the wrongful arrest and beating of a young man who they thought had a drug in his sedan but the white powder was actually camphor, Sanook.com said. The unidentified young man had stopped 500 metres away at a
Read moreCovid cases soar in Phuket but drop in Chonburi
WHILE the national Covid count dipped to 7,133 cases and 12 deaths today (Jan. 11) the situation in Phuket remains worrisome as the total rose to 726 cases but improvement occurred in Chonburi, TV Channel 7 said this afternoon. Public Health Ministry officials’ proactive search for patients led to Phuket logging 726 cases today
Read moreMyanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi hit with new convictions, jail term
By AFP, published by Channel NewsAsia Yangon – A Myanmar junta court today (Jan. 10) convicted Aung San Suu Kyi of three criminal charges, sentencing her to four years in prison in the latest in a slew of cases against the ousted civilian leader. The Nobel laureate has been detained since Feb. 1 when her
Read moreEx-boyfriend bashes up new partner, drags woman away
A COUPLE driving down a road in Samrong area of Samut Prakan province were attacked this afternoon (Jan. 10) by the woman’s ex-boyfriend who had followed them with his three friends and attacked them when they had stopped at the red light, Sanook.com said this evening. Upon being alerted of the attack at around
Read moreEx-fighter pilot concerned about planned purchase of F-35 stealth fighters
By Thai Newsroom Reporters A PHEU THAI MP today (Jan. 10) expressed caution over the Thai air force’s planned purchase of some US-made F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, given top-priority government projects to be carried out first. Fighter pilot-turned-MP Anudit Nakorntap advised that the air force take into account the country’s top-priority economic and
Read moreOver 700 Omicron cases today amid 70.3% spike in one week
OF THE Covid tally of 7,926 cases and 13 deaths today (Jan. 10) 715 cases were confirmed to be Omicron variant with this increasing this strain’s total during Nov. 1, 2021 to Jan. 9, 2022 to 5,397, Amarin TV said this afternoon. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) also said that Omicron cases
Read moreRevived call for end to senators’ power to pick PM kicks off
By Thai Newsroom Reporters A REFRESHED MOVE got started today (Jan. 10) for all parties and people to endorse a revived call for an end to the senatorial power to pick a post-election prime minister. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, director of Rangsit University’s Centre for Political Research and Development, launched the move for all parties either with
Read more‘Old man out!’: Anger in Kazakhstan focuses on ex-leader
By AFP and published by Channel NewsAsia Almaty – As protesters armed with sticks and discarded police shields prepared to storm the mayor’s office in Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty, they marched to chants of “Old man out!” They were not referring to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 68, but Nursultan Nazarbayev, the octogenarian who after more than
Read moreNo concessions: Russia takes hard line before vital talks with US
By Reuters and published by Swissinfo.ch Moscow – Russia said today (Jan. 9) it would not make any concessions under US pressure at talks this week on the Ukraine crisis and its demands for Western security guarantees, and that there was a risk they might end quickly. The hard line from Moscow underscored the
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