Jonathan Fairfield

Thailand is planning to reopen its major tourism hubs to vaccinated foreign tourists from November 1.

ASEAN NOW is keen to understand the true travel plans of  foreign tourists to Thailand.

Are you planning to visit or return to Thailand this year?

Have you actually booked to arrive in Thailand this November?

Would additional factors - such as the alcohol ban possibly still being in place - put you off visiting Thailand?

If you have a moment, please tell us in this short survey: https://kwiksurveys.com/s/3cz2UkDS

Philippine Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa answers questions from the media after filing his certificate of candidacy for president, for the 2022 national election, in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, October 8, 2021. Aaron Favila/Pool via REUTERS

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' week-long registration for candidates in the 2022 election closed on Friday without an application from President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter, disappointing many of her supporters, who up to the last minute were egging her to run.

Sara Duterte-Carpio, 43, thanked her supporters but maintained she was running for mayor of Davao, the Philippines' third largest city, a position she has held twice since she succeeded his father as local chief executive in 2016.

"I am presenting myself to the Dabawenyos as mayor for the third and last time in my life as a politician," Duterte-Carpio posted on her official Facebook page on Friday.

Dozens of supporters wearing green, the colour associated with Duterte-Carpio, flocked near the registration venue, carrying banners and waving little green flags at vehicles passing by. #RunSaraRun2022 was among the top trending hashtags on social media in the Philippines.

Under election rules, candidates have until Nov. 15 to withdraw and then apply for another position, or file as a substitute contestant, leaving plenty of room for surprises, similar to Duterte's last-minute presidential entry in 2015.

Without Duterte-Carpio in the running, five presidential contenders, including Vice President Leni Robredo, son of later dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and former boxing champion Manny Pacquio, will face off in next year's polls.

Duterte had wanted his daughter to run alongside his long-term aide, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, who is running for vice president under the ruling PDP-Laban party.

But it was Duterte's police chief, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who submitted his candidacy for president under the ruling party's banner, in another twist in the Philippine election.

Dela Rosa, who oversaw Duterte's brutal war on drugs that officials say has killed more than 6,100 drug dealers since mid-2016 when he was police chief, said the party decided for him to run, adding that it would be better if Duterte-Carpio will vie for the top post.

Duterte accompanied his party's senatorial bets as they filed their certificates for what is expected to be a hotly contested election next year.

"There will be no landslide especially if Duterte-Carpio joins. The votes will be divided," Rodel Taton, dean of the San Sebastian College-Recoletos graduate school of law, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales, Editing by Louise Heavens)

Filipino journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, one of 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winners, poses for a portrait in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, October 9, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa used her new prominence to criticise Facebook as a threat to democracy, saying the social media giant fails to protect against the spread of hate and disinformation and is "biased against facts".

The veteran journalist and head of Philippine news site Rappler told Reuters in an interview after winning the award that Facebook's algorithms "prioritise the spread of lies laced with anger and hate over facts."

Her comments add to the pile of recent pressure on Facebook, used by more than 3 billion people, which a former employee turned whistleblower  accused of putting profit over the need to curb hate speech and misinformation. Facebook denies any wrongdoing.

Sought for comment on Ressa's remarks, a Facebook spokesperson said the social media giant continues to invest heavily to remove and reduce the visibility of harmful content.

"We believe in press freedom and support news organisations and journalists around the world as they continue their important work," the spokesperson added.

Ressa  shared the Nobel  with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov on Friday, for what the committee called braving the wrath of the leaders of the Philippines and Russia to expose corruption and misrule, in an endorsement of free speech under fire worldwide.

Facebook has become the world's largest distributor of news and "yet it is biased against facts, it is biased against journalism," Ressa said.

"If you have no facts, you can't have truths, you can't' have trust. If you don't have any of these, you don't have a democracy," she said. "Beyond that, if you don't have facts, you don't' have a shared reality, so you can't solve the existential problems of climate, coronavirus."

Ressa has been the target of intense social-media hatred campaigns from President Rodrigo Duterte's supporters, which she said were aimed at destroying her and Rappler's credibility.

ELECTION 'A BATTLE FOR FACTS'

"These online attacks on social media have a purpose, they are targeted, they are used like a weapon," said the former CNN journalist.

Rappler's reporting has included close scrutiny of Duterte's deadly war on drugs  and a series of investigative reports into what it says is his government's strategy to "weaponise" the internet, using bloggers on its payroll to stir up anger among online supporters who threaten and discredit Duterte's critics.

Duterte has not commented on Ressa's award. The presidential palace, Duterte's spokesperson, his chief legal counsel, and communications office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Facebook in March 2019 removed an online network in the Philippines for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour ", and linked it to a businessman who has previously said he helped manage the president's social media election campaign in 2016.

Filipinos top the world in time spent on social media, according to 2021 studies by social media management firms.

Platforms like Facebook have become political battlegrounds and have helped strengthen Duterte's support base, having been instrumental in his election victory in 2016 and a rout by his allies in mid-term polls last year.

The Philippines will hold an election in May to choose a successor to Duterte, who under the constitution is not allowed to seek another term.

That campaign "will be a battle for facts," Ressa said. "We are going to keep making sure our public sees the facts, understands it. We are not going to be harassed or intimidated into silence."

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Additional Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; editing by William Mallard and Jason Neely)

A health worker takes a nasal swab sample from a man from Klong Toey community, for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

Thailand on Sunday (Oct 10) reported 10,817 new COVID-19 cases, 84 deaths and 9,981 recoveries.

50 of the new cases were among prison inmates.

Sunday's cases brings the total number of cases in Thailand since the pandemic began to 1,710,884 with 17,691 deaths.

As of Friday, Thailand had administered 59.3 million vaccine doses. Of these, 34.66 million people had received one dose (48.1% of the population), while 22.94 million (32.8% of population) had received two doses. 1.69 million people (2.3% of population) have had a third booster shot.

The news comes as the government on Saturday confirmed the planned reopening of Thailand to vaccinated foreign tourists on Nov 1 will go ahead, providing no large clusters are discovered between now and the end of October. 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

Conde Nast Traveler readers honour Thailand with top placings in 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that Thailand has once again earned prestigious acclaim on the global travel awards stage with prominent placings in the best city, island and resort categories of the Conde Nast Traveler 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234862-conde-nast-traveler-readers-honour-thailand-with-top-placings-in-2021-readers’-choice-awards/

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

The Sportsman are showing it: https://www.facebook.com/events/570945827443650/

Latest on Thailand's Entry Regulation (For Alternative Quarantine Travellers)

From 1 October 2021, quarantine period is reduced from 14 days to 7 or 10 days for all air travellers. This applies to all travellers, regardless of their port of origin.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234860-latest-on-thailands-entry-regulation-for-alternative-quarantine-travellers/

Fury only loses if he has a bad day

Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 drop to 457 with 4 new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 457 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 4 new deaths, October 10th.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234859-chonburi-new-and-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-drop-to-457-with-4-new-deaths/

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 457 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 4 new deaths, October 10th.

Additionally, 655 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 83,034 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

This makes a total of 93,468 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 9,786 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 648 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/10/chonburi-new-and-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-drop-to-457-with-4-new-deaths/

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

Flood-battered Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan get help from DPM Wissanu

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Saturday made a visit to flood-hit Uthai Thani province to hand out relief packages to affected communities.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234858-flood-battered-uthai-thani-nakhon-sawan-get-help-from-dpm-wissanu/

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Saturday made a visit to flood-hit Uthai Thani province to hand out relief packages to affected communities.

A total of 1,500 bags of relief items were distributed among local residents. On this occasion, the deputy premier took the opportunity to inquire into the plights and issues local communities were facing so that the administration could roll out support accordingly. Their inputs will also be incorporated into government policies and future development projects. Two communities he traveled to were Sakae Krang and Hat Thanong in the capital district of the inundated city.

In his meeting with local authorities, Mr. Wissanu was briefed on the latest flood situation, actions taken to mitigate its impact including urgent responses and follow-up assistance, and obstacles that were diminishing the effectiveness of water management and flood response operations.

Mr. Wissanu, later on, traveled to Nakhon Sawan Province where he met up with local administrative officers and people in Phayuha Sub-District and Krok Phra District. Similar to his mission in Uthai Thani, the deputy prime minister distributed relief supplies to flood-affected residents, as well as listened to their complaints and suggestions.

The current administration led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been at the forefront of tackling water-related hazards and natural disasters, with cabinet ministers having in recent weeks visited all corners of the country to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Only fully vaccinated or COVID-19 negative passengers allowed to take flights in Thailand

File photo

People wishing to take a flight in Thailand will need to be fully vaccinated or provide a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before they are due to fly, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has confirmed.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234856-only-fully-vaccinated-or-covid-19-negative-passengers-allowed-to-take-flights-in-thailand/

Jobless man surrenders to police after robbing 7-Eleven

A 7-Eleven store in Rassada was robbed last Friday (Oct 8). The suspect then surrendered to police. Photo: Phuket City Police

PHUKET: A jobless man who robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store on the eastern outskirts of Phuket Town last Friday (Oct 8th) surrendered himself to police today (Oct 9) and now awaits prosecution. According to the suspect, he committed the crime because of financial problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234854-jobless-man-surrenders-to-police-after-robbing-7-eleven/

A 7-Eleven store in Rassada was robbed last Friday (Oct 8). The suspect then surrendered to police. Photo: Phuket City Police

PHUKET: A jobless man who robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store on the eastern outskirts of Phuket Town last Friday (Oct 8th) surrendered himself to police today (Oct 9) and now awaits prosecution. According to the suspect, he commited the crime because of financial problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police were called to a 7-Eleven convenience store on Khan Kheha Rd in Rassada at around 11pm last night (Oct 8). The report was of a robbery.

At the scene, patrol officers led by Lt Col Sathit Nurit of the Phuket City Police found two female shop assistants in a state of shock. The shop counter was in disorder with things scattered around the place. Yet, neither of the women suffered any injuries.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/jobless-man-surrenders-to-police-after-robbing-7-eleven-81654.php

Temple sacrifices its chapel and a pavilion to shelter animals from floodwater

The chapel and a pavilion at Kai Tia Temple, in Krasaeng sub-district of Sam Kok district in Pathum Thani province, has been temporarily turned into a shelter for six buffaloes, a cow, poultry and pigs, after the temple grounds were submerged under a metre of floodwater.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234853-temple-sacrifices-its-chapel-and-a-pavilion-to-shelter-animals-from-floodwater/

Thai Health Ministry to conduct random COVID-19 tests on students every two weeks

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health will conduct random COVID-19 tests, using rapid antigen test kits (ATKs), on 10-15% of students every two weeks to boost their confidence in vaccination, said Deputy Government Spokesperson Ms. Ratchada Dhnadirek today (Saturday).

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234852-thai-health-ministry-to-conduct-random-covid-19-tests-on-students-every-two-weeks/