Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters rallied in Bangkok on Thursday to call for the government's resignation, defying warnings from authorities about the kingdom's soaring coronavirus cases.The marches came on the 89th anniversary of the Siamese Revolution – the uprising that transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.Bangkok was rocked by near-daily protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government in the second half of 2020, but the pro-de

Since its inception for commercial purpose in early 1900s, palm oil has been promoted as a major agro-based industry in Southeast Asian economies like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Surrounded by children in a Bangkok slum, Miss Universe Thailand handed out lunch boxes prepared by Michelin-starred chefs on Monday – a project to help some of the capital's worst COVID-hit communities. The kingdom is currently battling a third wave of coronavirus – an outbreak that authorities traced in April to a nightlife district frequented by Bangkok's uber-rich and politically connected.The government slapped restrictions on businesses and public spaces – much to the

It was only when he boarded the plane that would fly him to Europe that Mratt Kyaw Thu finally felt safe for the first time since Myanmar's military coup on 1 February.It had been an arduous few months for the journalist who quickly found himself on the military junta's wanted list for his reporting of its deadly crackdown on anti-coup protesters."I felt safe when I was on the plane, after passing immigration in Thailand, that was the moment when I felt a little bit freer,&quot

Vietnam has discovered a new COVID-19 variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of the Indian and British strains, health officials confirmed Saturday.The country is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory, including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City."We have discovered a new hybrid variant from the Indian and the UK strains," Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told a national meeting on the pande

A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand's prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom's overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin.More than 22,000 people have tested positive inside jails, where inmates living cheek by jowl have been encouraged to keep wearing their masks even while they sleep.Authorities have floated plans to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions and have announ

After muttering a prayer, Thai taxi driver Sopee Silpakit strings a chain of amulets around his neck then jumps behind the wheel – buoyed by the peace of mind the ritual gives him against COVID-19.The 65-year-old's job driving a cab in Bangkok puts him in contact daily with the public, and his way of life is now plagued with worry, with the Thai capital the epicentre of a third wave."I pray to these amulets every day: 'Don't let the virus come near me," he says.

Thailand reported its largest ever spike in coronavirus infections Thursday, with more than half coming from two Bangkok prisons where prominent democracy activists have been detained.The kingdom is battling a third wave of the virus that has forced the government to impose restrictions on movement, rules on mask-wearing and close public spaces.Alarm bells sounded this week when an activist at the forefront of Thailand's democracy movement announced she had tested positive for COVID-19 f

As Myanmar’s national COVID-19 response collapses following a 1 February military coup, one ethnic armed organisation in the country’s north has quietly vaccinated 20,000 people in areas it governs, with support from across the border in China.The vaccines, produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, were supplied and administered with assistance from the Red Cross Society of China, a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Kachin Inde

Three million foreigners living in Thailand have as much right to COVID-19 vaccinations as Thais because the goal is to achieve herd immunity, the government declared on Thursday.The policy is to vaccinate everyone in Thailand no matter whether they are Thais or foreigners.