‘Afraid to sleep at home’: Myanmar civilians flee to Thai border as conflict intensifies

“I was lucky the bullet didn’t hit my family members. Imagine, if my nephew was running around in that area (where the bullet came through), It could have hit him,” said the 36-year-old. “I’m afraid for my own safety. What if more bullets hit my house? My biggest concern is that if more bullets fly … Read more

Why orchids are so loved: festival in Hong Kong celebrates the flowers’ beauty and shows how to raise them at home

In Thailand, they are considered a national symbol of respect and honour, and in Japan, they represent luxury and perfection. Hong Kong has a rich variety of native orchids – 133 known species, in fact – and spring, with its combination of high rainfall and humidity, produces the ideal damp environment for them to thrive. … Read more

Footage of first class A380 ‘Suite’ on Singapore Airlines plane leaves social media users in shock, as people joke: ‘I feel exceptionally poor watching this’

Singapore Airlines ensures that flying first class isn’t just a means of transportation – it’s a destination in itself, with footage of a luxury ‘suite’ sending social media users into a frenzy. A video shared by a passenger shows a sprawling cabin complete with a double bed, private bathroom, flatscreen TV, reclining leather armchair and complimentary … Read more

I took a sleeper train through North Korea. Here’s what it was like and the things that surprised me most (including how ‘boozy’ the journey was and a girl band playing at a restaurant)

The destination for the train was officially Pyongyang, but the ticket might just as well have said ‘alternate reality’. Because that’s what adventure blogger Anthony Middleton said he found when he arrived in the North Korean capital via the Pyongyang Express from China. During his four-day stay he witnessed a bizarre mass synchronised dance, an … Read more

How former opium-producing towns in Thailand’s Golden Triangle are cashing in on their troubled past via museums and more

“The villagers would sit on the hilltop and watch,” she recalls. “We could see dead soldiers floating down the Mekong. Then we saw the aeroplanes flying over, dropping bombs. A sign at the border of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in The Golden Triangle. Photo: David Frazier “From the flags the different armies carried, we thought … Read more

China steels itself for new front in trade war after US proposes tariffs on metals

The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office also initiated a probe into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, alleging that Beijing used “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate these sectors. Henry Gao, a law professor at Singapore Management University, said he would not be surprised if China imposes countermeasures against the proposed tariffs through countervailing … Read more

Thailand won’t tolerate border violations after clashes in Myanmar, says foreign minister

MAE SOT: Thailand’s foreign minister warned that his country would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty, during a visit on Friday (Apr 12) to the border with Myanmar following days of clashes that have dislodged junta troops from their positions in the neighbouring country. Fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups has rocked … Read more

Thailand says Myanmar junta requested ‘special’ flights near shared border

Over the weekend there were local reports of intense fighting by anti-junta groups near Myawaddy town, across the border from the Thai town of Mae Sot. Myawaddy is the third busiest land crossing, according to the junta’s commerce ministry, with some US$1.1 billion in goods passing through over the last 12 months. The Ministry of … Read more

Brit man, 65, critically injured after impaling himself on iron fence spike ‘while trying to climb over it drunk’

A BRITISH man has been left critically injured after impaling himself on an iron fence spike at his home in Thailand. Paramedics were called to a residential area in the Bang La Bang district of Chon Buri, on the country’s eastern coast, in the early hours of Sunday morning. 1 A Brit expat has suffered … Read more