Thailand

BANGKOK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Thailand will require international travelers to show proof they are fully vaccinated for COVID before flying to Thailand, according to the country's aviation regulator, as it prepares for more tourists after China reopened its border on Sunday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said in a statement on Saturday that starting early Monday, all foreign arrivals starting early on Monday must prove they are vaccinated or provide a letter certifying that they have recovered from COVID within six months.

BANGKOK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand adopted a new requirement for foreign visitors to show proof of at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination, government officials announced Thursday.

Foreign arrivals are also required to have travel insurance that covers potential COVID-19-related expenses in case their next destination requires a negative RT-PCR result, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military leader pardoned over 7,000 prisoners, including some political detainees, and detailed plans for an election later this year during a ceremony Wednesday marking the 75th anniversary of independence from Britain.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing urged other nations and international organizations, as well as his country’s own people, to support “the genuine, discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system,” a concept the ruling military has defined as its goal since it ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

BANGKOK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- There's a dearth of foreign visitors at Jim Thompson Farm, the reopening get-away tourist spot three hours drive away from Bangkok, despite the weather cooling and festive bells tolling.

Open for only six weeks of the year, the farm attracts visitors with its stunning flower fields and local cultural experiences. However, the farm remains a hidden gem for foreign visitors though the country has been fully open to international travelers since last July.

BANGKOK, Jan 1 (NNN-TNA) – Fireworks lighted up the sky of Bangkok shortly before midnight Saturday, as Thailand celebrated the arrival of the New Year 2023, with high hope for tourism recovery.

Countdown events held in downtown Bangkok, gathering local and foreign tourists before a dazzling fireworks display over the Chao Phraya River, which flows through the Thai capital.

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption Friday, sentencing her to seven years in prison in the last of a string of criminal cases against her, a legal official said.

The court’s action leaves her with a total of 33 years to serve in prison after a series of politically tinged prosecutions since the army toppled her elected government in February 2021.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Europe and Asia on Wednesday as markets were counting down to the end of a painful year for investors, with no end in sight to uncertainties stemming from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Shares fell in Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul but rose in London and Hong Kong as the Chinese government took further steps to reopen to foreign travel after relaxing its stringent “zero-COVID” policies.

Oil prices fell back and U.S. futures inched higher.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai navy ships and helicopters searched Monday for more than 30 sailors still missing more than 17 hours after their warship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand.

As of Monday afternoon, 75 sailors from the HTMS Sukhothai corvette had been rescued and 31 were still missing, the navy said. The high waves that caused the accident had lessened since Sunday night’s sinking, but were still high enough to endanger small boats, the navy said.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s king and queen have tested positive for COVID-19, and so far have only mild symptoms, the royal palace said Saturday.

Doctors prescribed treatment for King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 70, and Queen Suthida, 44, and requested them to refrain from duties for a while, the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement.

Their symptoms are “very mild,” the statement said.

BANGKOK, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's industrial confidence soared for the sixth straight month in November, boosted by recovering domestic demand and foreign tourist arrivals, data showed on Tuesday.

The Thai Industry Sentiment Index (TISI) edged up to 93.5 in November from 93.1 the previous month, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

The Southeast Asian country reported last week over 10 million international visitors, a number that was predicted by the FTI to more than double next year.