Backpacking Asia Blog

The Backpacking Asia Blog is my mini-journal about budget traveling in India, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia and India.

The Backpacking Blog...

Let's you know the latest articles, anything from general tips to my reviews of places in Thailand, Laos, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, South Korea and India.

Gives you the latest relevant news on Backpacking in Asia: anything from political conflicts to new stories.

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July 19, 2011

Thailand: 42 foreigners, Thais injured in Bangkok-Surat train crash

Forty-two passengers, 19 Thais and 23 foreigners, were wounded when an express train hit a 10-wheel truck loaded with rubber wood at a railway crossing in Ratchaburi's Pak Tho district on Tuesday, reports said.

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June 10, 2011

Goa, India: Goa temple bans entry of foreigners, others impose dress code

PANAJI: A few of the important temples in Goa have recently laid down a strict dress code for visitors, aimed at, especially, those from the foreign countries; while one prominent temple has banned foreigners altogether.

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June 10, 2011

Thailand: World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results

BANGKOK: -- Preliminary results of clinical trials of a vaccine for haemorrhagic dengue fever in 4,000 children in Thailand have shown promising results, a Mahidol University researcher revealed Friday.

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Jan 06, 2011

Thailand: Check-In Service Starts Today On Suvarnabhumi Airport Link

The Airport Link rapid-transit line from central Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi will launch its air check-in service today at Makkasan City Air Terminal, five months after the rail service started last August.

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Dec 25, 2010

Thailand: More than 1,000 arrested in drug raids

Bangkok police yesterday made multiple arrests and seized a large volume of narcotics in several simultaneous raids yesterday, the start of the month's deadline the government has given the police force to crackdown on drug traffickers.

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Dec 16, 2010

Thailand: New helmet laws introduced as fatality rate soars

Public Health Ministry regions across the country yesterday were declared compulsory helmet-wearing zones to promote safety and reduce fatalities caused by motorcycle accidents, said Deputy Minister Pannasiri Kullanartsiri.

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Dec 1, 2010

Cambodia: Restoration of Ta Keo temple begins in Angkor Archaeological Park

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Work on the restoration of the deteriorating Ta Keo temple in the complex of Angkor Archaeological Park began on Saturday afternoon under the financial aid of China.

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Nov 20, 2010

Thailand: 2,000 aborted fetuses found in Bangkok temple

Thai police have arrested three people after the remains of more than 2,000 aborted fetuses were found in a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. One of those charged was paid about $16 for each fetus collected from illegal abortion clinics.

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Sep 26, 2010

Thailand: Phuket Immigration: No change in visa overstay rules

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Immigration chief today denied there have been any formal changes in the way Thai Immigration Police deal with foreigners who overstay their permits-to-stay or who are otherwise discovered to be residing in the Kingdom illegally.

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May 6, 2009. Updated: May 13, 2009

Phi Phi, Thailand: Norwegian woman dead -- foodpoisoned?

I haven`t found any news on this on English, so I`m going to translate the news from Norwegian to English (as written in the online newspaper www.VG.no)

-- I`m Norwegian -- don`t worry! ;)

A Norwegian woman, Julie Michelle Bergheim (22 years old) died at at a Thai hospital Sunday night (May 3, 2009). Julie was on her way home from Sydney, Australia with her bestfriend. They both studied in Sydney and were only stopping by Koh Phi Phi. Her friend also got sick, but she survived and is on the road to recovery.

Pic left: Norwegian citizen: Julie Michelle Bergheim
Pic right: American citizen: Jill Sheree St. Onge -- Image credits: andamantimes.com

The police and doctors believe that the Julie died of food poisoning. But the cause of death has still not been confirmed. The doctors are still checking the blood-and urine tests. They state that it will take two weeks before they have an answer.

Updated: The prelimenary report shows that she suffered from acute gastritis (infection caused by viruses, bacteria, drug toxicity etc.) combined with severe dehydration, vomiting and hyperventilation.

The police is still investigating, but they do not suspect this will turn into a criminal case at this stage. They are awaiting the final autopsy report (Andaman Times).

From Nettavisen.no:

Apparently Julie and her friend drank a Thai bucket at the "Reggae Bar." Thai police has checked several bars on Phi Phi and taken samples from the drinks. The tests have been sent to a lab for analysis. According to the police in Krabi, the results will be released in about 10 days.

An American female tourist (26) suddenly died on Phi Phi on Sunday (May 3, 2009) -- just a few hours before the two Norwegians got sick (according to Andaman Times).

A police detective says that Julie and her friend ate a restaurant just before they got sick. The woman who died ate pasta, while the other woman ate spaghetti.

The tourist police informed the staff at VG that the American woman ate hamburger just before she got sick.

The police can`t disprove or confirm if the three women ate at a restaurant on the island, but they do confirm that the three of them stayed at the same hotel.

According to the police the Norwegian women went to a disco after dinner. The surviving woman told that they shared a "Thai bucket." Both of them threw up heavily all night, and they were sent to the hospital on main land. Only a short time passed when Julie died at the hospital.

The spokes person for the tourist police says that the American woman threw up so heavily that she lost consciousness. When her fiancee brought her to the clinic, she was already dead.

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