Thailand

BANGKOK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday that it has approved the use of China's Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines for people 6 years of age and older.

Previously, the FDA only permitted the two vaccines to be used on people aged 18 and above.

The FDA announcement came as the Southeast Asian country has been accelerating vaccine roll-out to step up protection against COVID-19.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Friday after a historic plunge in the stock price of Facebook’s parent company helped yank other tech stocks lower on Wall Street.

Hong Kong jumped 2.6% after reopening from Lunar New Year holidays. Shanghai remained closed. Tokyo and Seoul advanced while Sydney was lower. Other regional markets were higher.

Thursday’s retreat in New York ended a four-day winning streak for the market.

BANGKOK (AP) — Opponents of military rule in Myanmar marked the one-year anniversary of the army’s seizure of power with a nationwide strike Tuesday to show their strength and solidarity amid concern about what has become an increasingly violent contention for power.

The “silent strike” sought to empty the streets of Myanmar’s cities and towns by having people stay home and businesses shut their doors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Yangon, the country’s largest city, and elsewhere, photos on social media showed normally busy streets were almost empty.

BANGKOK, Jan 30 (NNN-TNA) – A beach on Thailand’s east coast was closed yesterday, as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand, washed ashore.

The leak from the pipeline of the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company, started late Tuesday, and had been brought under control one day later, said the company, estimating that up to 50 tonnes of oil had been leaked.

BANGKOK (AP) — The governor of a province in eastern Thailand on Saturday declared a state of emergency after an oil slick washed up on a sand beach, shutting down restaurants and shops in a setback for the pandemic-hit tourism industry.

Some 20-50 tons of oil are estimated to have leaked Tuesday night in the Gulf of Thailand from an undersea hose used to load tankers at an offshore mooring point owned by the Star Petroleum Refining Co.

BANGKOK (AP) — The army takeover in Myanmar a year ago that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi not only unexpectedly aborted the country’s fledgling return to democracy: It also brought a surprising level of popular resistance, which has blossomed into a low-level, but persistent, insurgency.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander of Myanmar’s military — known as the Tatmadaw — seized power on the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, arresting Suu Kyi and top members of her government and ruling National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide election victory in November 2020.

BANGKOK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Thailand is planning to collect a 300 baht ($9) fee from foreign tourist from April to develop attractions and cover accident insurance for foreigners unable to pay costs themselves, senior officials said on Wednesday.

Thailand, one of Asia's most popular travel destinations, has been badly hit by a pandemic-induced tourism slump, with about 200,000 arrivals last year, compared to nearly 40 million in 2019.

Recent efforts to revive the sector have been complicated by the rapid global spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions, a legal official said.

Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges and given a four-year prison sentence, which was then halved by the head of the military-installed government.

BANGKOK (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar seeking to revive peace efforts after last year’s military takeover has provoked an angry backlash among critics, who say he is legitimizing the army’s seizure of power.

Hun Sen is the first head of government to visit Myanmar since the military takeover last February. The authoritarian Cambodian leader has held power for 36 years and keeps a tight leash on political activity at home.

PHI PHI LEH, Thailand, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Thailand has reopened Maya Bay, a white sand beach made famous by the 2000 film "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, more than three years after closing it to allow its ecosystem to recover from the impact of thousands of visitors each day.

The beach, surrounded by 100-metre (328-ft) high cliffs, lies on the island of Phi Phi Leh in the Andaman Sea, and is only accessible by boats from nearby spots such as the islands of Phuket or Phi Phi, or mainland Krabi.