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☆ He was stressed out and unfulfilled living in NYC. So, at 25, he left and moved to Bangkok to start anew.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Paul Lee, 28, left New York City to move to Thailand in 2021. Life in NYC felt competitive and materialistic, which left him feeling unfulfilled. AdvertisementFour years ago, Paul Lee, 28, left New York City to move to Bangkok. Advertisement"It's already much nicer, bigger, and cheaper than the one I was living in New York City," he added. AdvertisementEven though Bangkok is a vibrant city, the pace of life is still slower than in NYC, Lee said.

Persons: Paul Lee, —, Lee, It's, I'm, Lee isn't, there's, I've, Paul Lee . Organizations: Service, Big Apple, Business, New, Suvarnabhumi, Economist Intelligence Locations: New York City, Thailand, Bangkok, Macon , Georgia, Georgia, South Korea, New York, Thong Lo, SoHo, NYC, Jeju, Lee's, In Thailand, Pattaya, United States

☆ Macao did it. Singapore too. Now Thailand looks to build casinos to attract tourist dollars
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Thailand is working on a new game plan to boost foreigner arrivals and increase tourism spending: casinos. The strategy has worked for Macao — which has overtaken Las Vegas as the world's largest gambling hub — and Singapore, with two successful 14-year-old casinos. If Thailand's draft bill gets passed into law, the country could be Macao and Singapore's largest competitor by the end of the decade, industry watchers told CNBC. If the law gets passed, Thailand's casinos could generate 187 billion Thai baht ($5.5 billion) in revenues, or 1% of the country's GDP, according to Maybank research. The Thai economy grew 1.9% in 2023, and is expected to grow 2.7% this year, the finance ministry said.

Persons: Ben Lee, —, Lee, Srettha Thavisin, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Yin Shao Yang Organizations: Macao, Las Vegas, CNBC, IGamiX Management, Consulting, Tourism, Thai, Investment Bank Locations: Pattaya, Thailand, Singapore, Macao, Macau

☆ DOJ charges Chinese national with operating 'world's largest botnet' that stole $5.9 billion in Covid relief funds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said it is "likely the world's largest botnet ever." The botnet hacked into over 19 million IP addresses in nearly 200 countries, the DOJ announcement said. In particular, the botnet targeted Covid relief programs and filed an estimated 560,000 false unemployment insurance claims, stealing $5.9 billion. The DOJ partnered with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies internationally to dismantle the botnet and arrest Wang. The charges come as U.S. law enforcement agencies try to update protocols to keep up with more sophisticated cybersecurity threats.

Persons: Wang, Christopher Wray, S, Axelrod, they're, Wray Organizations: US Department of Justice, Department of Justice, DOJ, Federal Bureau of, FBI, Export Enforcement, U.S . Department of Commerce's, of Industry, Security, Treasury Department, Treasury, Code, Tulip Biz, Company, Lily Suites Company Locations: Washington , DC, U.S, China

☆ Charmed by a City Off Thailand’s Beaten Path
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Patrick Scott | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Thailand is renowned among hard-charging tourists for nightlife in Bangkok, full moon parties on Koh Phangan island and hedonistic walking streets in Pattaya. It’s also a magnet for the bohemian and wellness crowds who flock to the mountain destinations of Chiang Mai and Pai. But mostly ignored by foreign tourists is Lampang, in Northern Thailand. This utterly charming, riverside city of about 90,000 people has preserved the historic architecture and stately squares from its days as a major city in the ancient Lanna kingdom and a hub in the teak lumber trade. Wooden temples from centuries ago and two-story teak mansions from the late 1800s and early 1900s still stand, and alongside the Wang River, the streets in the Kat Kong Ta enclave are like an open-air museum of well-preserved Chinese shophouses and European gingerbread-style buildings.

Persons: Koh, Chiang Mai, Pai Locations: Thailand, Bangkok, Pattaya, It’s, Lampang, Northern Thailand

☆ British BASE jumper falls to his death from condominium in Thailand after parachute fails
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Kocha Olarn | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —A British BASE jumper has died in Thailand after his parachute failed to open when he launched off an apartment building, local police told CNN. The victim was identified as Nathy Odinson, a 33-year-old British male citizen, he added. Odinson was believed to have been involved in a business selling parachute kits for about 10 years, Sinthurat said. Police confirmed that a parachute backpack was still attached to Odinson’s body and said the parachute kit likely malfunctioned. CNN has reached out to the British Foreign Office as well as the British Embassy in Bangkok for further comment.

Persons: Thailand CNN —, Nawin Sinthurat, Instagram, Odinson, Sinthurat, ” Sinthurat, “, ” Organizations: Thailand CNN, CNN, Authorities, Facebook, Police, British, Office, British Embassy Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, British, Pattaya

☆ A BASE jumper fell to his death after leaping 29 stories from a hotel roof and his parachute failed to open
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA British BASE jumper fell 29 stories to his death in Thailand after his parachute failed to work properly, according to multiple reports. AdvertisementBoy told Khaosod that he spotted Odinson's parachute string was snagged after he jumped. An employee of the condominium told Khaosod that Odinson had done the jump from the building "many times before," seemingly in order to create video content. The page's last post was just hours before Odinson's jump. AdvertisementHarry Hongjindapong, listed as the drop zone operator for Thai Sky Adventures, said on his Facebook page that a funeral will be held for Odinson in Pattaya on February 4.

Persons: —, Nathy Odinson, Khaosod, Boy, Odinson, Harry Hongjindapong Organizations: Service, Business, Police, BBC, Sky, Thai Sky, Odinson Locations: Thailand, Pattaya

☆ Police arrested a Thai woman whose pet lion was seen on video cruising around in a Bentley
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewPolice arrested a woman in Thailand whose pet lion was captured on video cruising around in an open-top Bentley, according to reports. The Pattaya News, a local news outlet, said police visited the woman on Wednesday after being made aware of a viral video showing the animal joyriding in the luxury car. During the police visit, Sawangjit presented officers with her ownership documents and allowed a veterinarian to inspect the animal, the Pattaya News said. AdvertisementThe local news outlet said that the lion was found to be in good health and had a microchip, which is mandatory under Thai law. The local news outlet said Sawangjit is currently seeking the necessary documents to retain her pet.

Persons: —, Ann Isaanrussia, — Sawangjit, Sawangjit Organizations: Service, Bentley, Business, Pattaya, BBC News, Pattaya News, Sawangjit Locations: Thailand, Sri Lankan

☆ I retired and moved to Thailand. It's cheap, and I feel more respected here than in the UK.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Rebecca Root | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The 75-year-old Brit landed on Hua Hin, a beach town south of Bangkok, Thailand. south of Bangkok, Thailand. He spends his days swimming and sun bathing and said medical care is cheaper and faster. Choosing where I wanted to retire abroad was difficultI decided against a care home in the UK for myself. My family's reaction when I said I would retire in Thailand was, "We can't come to see you.

Persons: Jeffrey Ogden, Brit, Hua Hin, —, I've, I'd, I'm, Chiang Mai, didn't Organizations: Service, Sunshine International Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Watford, United Kingdom, Spain, Caribbean, America, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Asia, Pattaya, Hua

☆ Russian businessman and wife believed to have been on private medical evacuation flight that crashed in Afghanistan, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Russian businessman and his wife are believed to have been on a private jet that crashed in Afghanistan during a medical evacuation, according to local reports. Russian civil aviation authorities confirmed that a Russian private jet had disappeared from radar, according to Russian news agency Tass was carrying businessman Anatoly Evsyukov, 65, and his wife Anna. Russian authorities said the Russian-registered Dassault Falcon 10 "stopped communicating and disappeared from radar screens," per the AP. Russian officials said the plane belongs to Athletic Group LLC and a private individual, according to the outlet.

Persons: —, Anatoly Evsyukov, Anna, Abdul Wahid Rayan Organizations: Service, Business, Associated Press, Transportation, Civil Aviation Ministry, Tass, Dassault Falcon, Culture Ministry, Athletic Group, AP Locations: Russian, Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Novosti, Pattaya, Thailand, Moscow, Gaya, India, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

☆ Four survive charter jet crash in Afghanistan but condition of two others unclear, Russia says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Two Taliban provincial officials said four survivors were now with Taliban administration officials who had reached the remote, mountainous site of the crash. The Taliban administration’s top spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the pilot of the plane was among four who had survived. The Russian-registered charter plane with six people on board disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan a day earlier, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Sunday, after Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash. The pilot then reported that one engine had stopped, and then that the second one had also stopped, SHOT reported. Afghanistan police had received reports of a plane crash in a remote, mountainous region of Badakhshan in Afghanistan’s far north, a provincial police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Persons: Zabiullah Mujahid, ”, Rosaviatsia, “, Zabihullah Amiri Organizations: CNN, Taliban, Thailand’s Utapao, Dassault Aviation, Falcon, Reuters, Russia’s, Athletic Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, Islamic, Thailand’s, Pattaya, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russian, Indian, Thailand’s Pattaya, Bangkok, “, Russia, Badakhshan, Afghanistan’s, Fayzabad

☆ Travel news: Escape the crowds at these affordable alternatives to hot spots
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments. They’re all shooting up Expedia’s search rankings, too, which means you might want to get there before everybody else does. Making tracksIndonesia launched Southeast Asia’s first bullet train last month, a $7.3 billion train line that connects two of its largest cities, Jakarta and Bandung. And in Austria, state railway ÖBB has unveiled a 33-strong fleet of night trains that will debut next month. England was the birthplace of railways, back in 1825, but almost 200 years later, the country’s train industry is in turmoil.

Persons: Expedia, Martin, Copenhagen’s Noma, Le Gavroche, Julie Balzano, ”, Rodney Hodgins, CNN Tom Stuker, Here’s Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Nashville, Passengers, Air Canada, Geographic Locations: Paros, Greece, Perth, Australia, Liverpool, Palermo, Sicily, Lisbon, Quebec City, Canada, Geneva, Switzerland, Memphis , Tennessee, Pattaya, Thailand, Bangkok, Taipei, Taiwan, Seoul, South Korea, Sapporo, Japan, Zermatt, Long, Miami, Colombia, Las Vegas, Indonesia, Southeast, Jakarta, Bandung, Austria, Britain, England, Korea

☆ The ‘dupe’ trend hit travel in 2023. It's a good way to save on your next trip, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For example, flight searches more than doubled for several "dupe" destinations internationally, according to Expedia data. watch nowLikewise, flight searches to the island Curaçao, a stand-in for St. Martin, were up 228% in the U.S. and 185% worldwide. "TikTok popularized the idea of dupes … and the concept is increasingly taking off in the world of travel," Expedia said in a report published Wednesday. Internet search traffic in the U.S. for travel dupes spiked throughout 2023, peaking in July, according to Google Trends data. It's more than just the flight priceHowever, Hopper flight data indicates that not all dupes will necessarily pay off for travelers.

Persons: Klaus Vedfelt, Martin, TikTok, dupes …, Expedia, Hayley Berg, Hopper, Ho, Jon Gieselman, dupes, Sara Rathner Organizations: Digitalvision, Getty, Sydney, Expedia Brands, Auckland , New Zealand — Locations: Taipei, Seoul, U.S, Pattaya, Thailand, Bangkok, St, Perth, Australia, Liverpool, England, London, Hanoi, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Spain, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Barcelona, Phuket, Europe, Sydney, Nadi, Fiji, Auckland , New Zealand

☆ Mid-Autumn Festival holidays: Millions of Chinese tourists are going on holiday again -- many headed for Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Kocha Olarn Berry Wang Carina Cheng | Kathleen Magramo | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Only 2.2 million Chinese travelers arrived between January and September 10 this year, according to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin greeted travelers on the first day of the government's visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists. “Competition is really intensifying in the region to attract Chinese tourists amongst all countries, and you have to make it as easy as possible,” said Bowerman. Chinese tourists pray in front of Thai dancers at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22, 2023. Rumors, film complicate efforts to lure back touristsPrior to the announcement of the visa-free policy this month, Chinese tourists had been slow to return to Thailand.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, It’s, ” Sretta, “, Chiang, Wang Wenbin, Peerapon Boonyakiat, pare, Gary Bowerman, ”, Bowerman, Huang, “ I’ve, coronavirus, Trip.com, Jin Junhao, Joanna Lu, Anusak, Wolfgang Georg Arlt, “ There’s, Thailand ”, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn Organizations: CNN, China’s, Tourism Authority of, Thai, Civil Aviation Administration, China Railway, Asia, Tourism Research Institute, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Thai Travel Agents Association Locations: China, Shanghai, Bangkok’s, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, ”, Beijing, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Asia, Sichuan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom, Erawan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Weibo

[1/5] A Chinese tourist is welcomed by Thai traditional puppets during a welcome ceremony of the first batch of Chinese tourists under a five-month visa-free entry scheme at Bangkok's International Airport, Thailand, September 25, 2023. The visa waiver programme runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the 2.34 million Chinese who have visited this year. "More Chinese tourists come to Thailand for holiday, because it is indeed very convenient," he said. Chinese tourists say they are drawn to Thailand for its beaches and food.

Persons: Athit, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Gu, ”, Ye Weihe, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Miral Fahmy, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bangkok's International, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Thai, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Bangkok, Shanghai, Srettha, Tourism, Suvarnabhumi, China, Pattaya

☆ 8 of the world’s best new theme parks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Peppa Pig Theme Park, FloridaFlorida's Peppa Pig Theme Park opened in 2022. Peppa Pig Theme ParkThe world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opened last year in Winter Haven, Florida, and has been delighting children with wholesome fun ever since. Look out for another Peppa Pig Theme Park, opening in Dallas, Texas, next year. Peppa Pig Theme Park. Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park, MalaysiaMalaysia's Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park offers 26 attractions across nine themed areas.

Persons: we’re, Katmandu, Kilgore Goode, Kyle Grillot, Peach’s, Mount Beanpole, Mario, Bowser, Bowser Jr, Tomohiro Ohsumi, Miyazaki’s, There’s, LEGOLAND, gil, Aquaverse, there’s, Chang, Potato’s, Grandad, Wynter, ” Organizations: CNN, Northern, Columbia Pictures, Super Nintendo, California Mario Kart, Universal Studios Hollywood, Bloomberg, Universal Studios Japan, Mushroom Kingdom, Toadstool, Nintendo, Universal City Plaza, Universal, Ghibli, Ghibli Park, South Korea LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND, Thailand Columbia Pictures, Columbia, Lotte, Adventure, South Korea Lotte, Adventure Busan Lotte, Tinker, Potato’s Showtime, Genting, Andromeda Base, Plaza, Genting SkyWorlds Locations: Japan, Thailand, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, Nepal, Av, Alemania, California, Bowser’s, Mount, Universal City , CA, Nagoya, Nagakute, Aichi, Korea, South Korea, York, Legoland, LEGOLAND Korea, Chuncheon, Seoul, Gangwon, Asia, Pattaya, Bangkok, Transylvania, Chon, Adventure Busan, Tinker Falls, “ Queen, “, Busan, Florida, Winter Haven , Florida, Dallas , Texas, Wynter Haven , Florida, Malaysia, Resorts, Kuala Lumpur, Rio, Liberty Lane, Central Park, Genting, Genting Highlands, Pahang

REUTERS/Jorge SilvaBANGKOK/NEW DELHI, July 17 (Reuters) - Indian tourists are streaming into Southeast Asia, cementing the world most populous country's position as a key growth market for a travel and tourism sector that is feeling the pinch of China's slower-than-expected re-opening. "Southeast Asia is obviously very well positioned for a lot of the growth that is inevitably going to come from India," aviation analyst Brendan Sobie told an industry conference last month. Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said 1.6 million Indians were expected to visit the kingdom this year. Indians are helping to sustain a post-pandemic rebound for hospitality chains, including Minor Hotels, which has 45 properties in Southeast Asia with more than 6,000 rooms. Thailand's central bank expects 29 million visitors this year and 35.5 million in 2024.

Persons: Jorge Silva, Brendan Sobie, Tanes Petsuwan, Chai Eamsiri, Chai, Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo's, Sobie, Dillip, Pratyush Tripathy, That's, Somsong Sachaphimukh, Somsong, Pasit, Stefanno Sulaiman, Neil Jerome Morales, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Jorge Silva BANGKOK, Thai Airways, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Asian Development Bank, Tourism Authority, IndiGo, Airbus, Minor, Bank of, Tourism Council of, Thomson Locations: India, Thailand, Patong, Phuket, DELHI, Asia, China, Thai, Singapore, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kolkata, Pattaya, Europe, United States, Thailand's, Bank of Thailand, Tourism Council of Thailand, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, MANILA

☆ U.S. to slap new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Thai reports, published on Tuesday, said Washington would announce new sanctions on Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank as early as Wednesday. A spokesman for Myanmar's military junta said it was not worried about any new sanctions. Zaw Min Tun told the state media channel MWD on Tuesday evening that the country has experienced sanctions before and they will not face losses if there are new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks. He said the United States was "just doing this to cause difficulties in economics and politics". One of the Thai media reports, by Bangkok Business News, cited Thai sources as saying the sanctions would impact Thailand and other countries in the region financially because of connections with local banks.

Persons: Washington, Aung, Kyi, Min Tun, Critics, Prayuth Chan, Panu, Poppy McPherson, Kay Johnson, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: United, Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, Myanmar Investment, Commercial Bank, Reuters, Embassy, Bangkok Business, Thai, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, United States, U.S, Thailand, States, Myanmar, Bangkok, Pattaya, ASEAN

Only Cambodia has so far officially confirmed it intended to attend the talks. Myanmar's junta spokesman could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Thailand's foreign ministry was tight-lipped about exactly who was attending the two-day gathering in the resort town of Pattaya, for which outgoing Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent invitation letters just four days before its start. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn was to attend the meeting, his government said in a statement on Friday. Vietnam's government said its foreign minister would not attend "due to a prior engagement".

Persons: Nobel, Aung, Myanmar's, Swe, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Prak Sokhonn, Vivian Balakrishnan, Nantiwat Samart, Suu Kyi's, Panu, Phuong Nguyen, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot, Kay Johnson, William Mallard Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Reuters, Cambodian, Nation TV, National Unity Government, Thai, Ananda, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Cambodia, Suu, Thailand, Pattaya, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thai, ASEAN, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Shoon

Thailand was the most popular outbound destination for Chinese travelers during the May labour day holiday, data from website Trip.com showed, followed by Japan and South Korea. "There is definitely demand from China for properties in Thailand," said Mesak Chunharakchot, the president of the Thai Real Estate Association. "Chinese are buying houses, sending their children to international schools and having their parents come stay in Thailand to take care of the grandkids." Nearly 270,000 Chinese tourists visited Thailand in March, government data shows, a three-year high, though well below the figure of 985,227 in March 2019, before the pandemic took hold. Therefore some would sell one of the houses in China and buy a property here for retirement."

Members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church in Pattaya, Thailand, last month. A congregation of Chinese Christians seeking asylum abroad is traveling to the U.S. with plans to resettle permanently, capping a three-year quest for a new home outside China that was impeded by repeated legal setbacks and police detention. The 63 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, who were detained in Thailand last week for visa violations, have departed the Southeast Asian country for the U.S., a spokeswoman for the United Nations’ refugee agency and a Thai police official told The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

[1/5] A woman works inside a cannabis shop, at Khaosan Road, one of the favourite tourist spots in Bangkok, Thailand, March 29, 2023. Thousands of cannabis shops and businesses have sprung up, especially in Bangkok and tourist spots, since Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise the drug. A deluge of marijuana smuggled in from abroad has swamped Thailand, driving down wholesale prices and hurting growers, the industry members said. He did not comment on the scale of smuggled cannabis in the market or its impact on farmers. "A lot of cannabis that's coming in from the U.S. is going to dispensaries in Bangkok or Phuket or Pattaya," she said.

☆ Chinese Christians Detained in Thailand While Seeking U.N. Protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chun Han Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pan Yongguang, pastor of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, in Thailand last year. A self-exiled congregation of Chinese Christians seeking United Nations protection from religious persecution faces potential deportation from Thailand, where police have detained the group along with two Americans who were assisting them. Thai immigration police rounded up 63 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church on Thursday, taking them from their hotel in the coastal city of Pattaya to a police immigration bureau facility, according to the church’s pastor and an American activist who has been supporting the congregation’s efforts to seek asylum.

☆ Traveling to Asia for work? This city is its most expensive business destination
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong has been named the most expensive location in Asia for business travelers — for the second year in a row, according to a new report. watch nowTokyo, which dropped from second- to third-most expensive city in Asia, also experienced a 5% rise in daily costs for business travelers in local currency terms. "With average daily costs of $424 per day [in Tokyo], business travel to the city is now almost 20% cheaper than first-placed Hong Kong." "Even a tourist hub like Bangkok, which typically receives many business travelers, only saw a moderate 4% increase in business travel costs," Quane added. World's most expensive placeFor yet another year, New York received the dubious honor of being the most expensive place in the world for business travelers.

☆ Elephants honoured in Thailand as part of nation's heritage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHONBURI, Thailand, March 13 (Reuters) - Thailand celebrated National Elephant Day on Monday, honouring the beast that is a beloved symbol of the country with feasts of fruits and vegetables. Thailand in 1998 declared March 13 as a day dedicated to the conservation of its elephants. [1/2] A Buddhist monk receives food from an elephant during Thailand's National Elephant Day celebration at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya, Thailand, March 13, 2023. The president of the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Chonburi province, where a ceremony was held to mark the day, said elephants were a source of national pride and part of the country's cultural and historical identity. "We are now trying to maintain those domesticated elephants and give them food and shelter," Kampon Tansacha said.

☆ Shut out from their top destinations, Chinese travelers are turning to other places
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese travelers favored Southeast Asia for trips during the Lunar New Year holidays, which ended in early February, according to Trip.com Group's Chinese language booking website, Ctrip. Overseas hotel bookings by mainland Chinese travelers quadrupled from last year too, Ctrip said. He said of the 30 million tourists Thailand is expecting this year, 12 million to 15 million may come from China. South Korea announced last week it would resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese travelers, according to Reuters. Visas aside, Chinese travelers are also worried about getting sick, said Lee.

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