Backpacking Asia Blog

Bangkok, Thailand: Reds plan to paralyse BKK

BANGKOK: -- The red-shirt movement, in its last ditch effort to topple Abhisit Vejjajiva's government and its back-up forces, are mobilising a huge protest march from four regions to paralyse the capital on Friday.

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India: Goa home ministry to decide on loud parties

PANAJI: By an order issued Tuesday, Goa home minister Ravi Naik has divested the powers of the district administration to allow parties in coastal Goa where loud music can be played.

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Thailand: Jatuporn connects bank blasts with GT200

The people behind the bombing of Bangkok Bank branches could be military men annoyed at losing their profits from continued procurements of the discredited GT200 explosives detector, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Jatuporn Prompan said on Tuesday.

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Laos: Record low Mekong River poses threat to millions

HANOI - Water levels in the northern Mekong River are at record-low levels, posing a threat to water supply, navigation and irrigation along a stretch of water that is home to millions, a regional official said.

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Thailand: 27 countries issue travel advisories and warnings for Thailand

About 27 countries and territories have issued an advisory warning citizens travelling to Thailand to be aware of potential clashes this week due to political turmoil.

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India: Israeli national arrested in Goa for dealing in drugs

PANAJI: An Israeli national has been arrested by the Goa police's anti narcotic cell for allegedly dealing in narcotic substances, police said today.

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Laos: Laos confirms Hmong returnees treated well

The Lao government has confirmed that no Hmong returnees have been imprisoned or persecuted upon their return to Laos .

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Cambodia: Recreational design

Em Riem adjusts clothing on a mannequin Thursday in preparation for the opening of the exhibit “Recreation” at the No Problem Park House at No 55 Street 178.

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Laos: Laos plans elephant festival next month

Vientiane, Laos - Laos is to host an elephant festival next month in an effort to promote local appreciation of the endangered species, state media reports said Monday.

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Cambodia: Cambodia to host international film festival

Later this year film fans will be able to wean themselves off their usual diet of pirate DVDs, for a few days at least, when the first annual Cambodian International Film Festival takes place in Phnom Penh.

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Cambodia: River dolphin deaths might be linked to gill net fishing: officials

An Irrawaddy dolphin that was pregnant with twins was found dead on Saturday in Kampong Cham province, marking the second recorded river dolphin death this month, a conservation expert told the Post on Monday.

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India: Clear day in Delhi, but train services remain disrupted

Saturday may have dawned much clearer for Delhi, without the heavy fog like the day before, but the backlog continued to disrupt rail services - delaying as many as 50 trains by up to 10 hours.

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Southern Thailand: Bomb hurts six, schools torched

A bomb exploded on Saturday on a road leading to a school in Yala's Bannang Sata district, injuring six people, while two arson incidents were reported in Pattani's Sai Buri district.

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Cambodia: Opening of new airport delayed until 2010

The official opening of Preah Sihanouk International Airport has been delayed until next year at the request of the French embassy, State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Secretary of State Mao Havannal said Thursday.

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Thailand: Crackdown on back-to-back Tourist visa applications -- Extended screening of visa applicants

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- In a crackdown on the 60-days tourist visas, several Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates has announced increased screening of tourist visa applicants.

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Thailand: Airport crackdown shows results Over 1,000 unlicensed taxis, guides arrested

A special security team at Suvarnabhumi airport has arrested 750 unlicensed taxi and limousine drivers and 405 illegal tour guides in the space of just one month, officials say.

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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.