Thailand Lawmakers Pass Historic Marriage Equality Bill

Thailand’s lawmakers passed a legislation to recognize same-sex marriage, paving the way for the country to become the first in Southeast Asia to guarantee marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.  The 500-member House of Representatives voted to pass the so-called “marriage equality” bill, technically an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code, in a … Read more

U.S. consumer sentiment stays steady

Shoppers are seen at Whole Foods Market on October 14, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. Elijah Nouvelage | Afp | Getty Images This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you … Read more

Affordable retirement destinations in Spain, Thailand and more

Retiring in the U.S. can be expensive. In Florida, often the favorite state of the nation’s retirees, settling down to enjoy your golden years can cost as much as $58,396 a year. That’s one reason why many Americans choose to leave the States and retire abroad. Nearly 450,000 people received their Social Security checks outside … Read more

Debate heats up as Singapore PM says Taylor Swift deal isn’t ‘unfriendly’

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Tuesday that a closed-door deal for Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras tour. “(Our) agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in … Read more

Thailand to ban recreational cannabis use by year-end

STORY: Thailand will ban the use of recreational cannabis by the end of this year. That’s according to the country’s health minister in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. However, minister Cholnan Srikaew said use for medical purposes would still be allowed. Tens of thousands of cannabis shops sprang up in Thailand after it became … Read more

Many in Myanmar consider fleeing to Thailand to escape conscription into an army they despise

BANGKOK — Thwel, a 25-year-old schoolteacher, saw very few options left to her after Myanmar’s military announced it is implementing conscription to fill its ranks. “As a person living in this country, I only have two options: to go abroad illegally or die here,” Thwel told The Associated Press by phone while traveling to a … Read more

Taking a trip with one child at a time: parent child bonding vacation

Sonja Prokopec took her son on their first “solo” trip together when he was six years old. They went to Rome, and it was so memorable that Prokopec said she’s now planning their second trip this summer. “I really enjoy one-on-one time which we have when travelling alone,” she said. “There are no distractions, no … Read more

Chinese tourists are fueling a recovery in Asia-Pacific’s travel industry

Outbound passengers queue up to check in at Yantai Penglai International Airport on February 9, 2023 in Yantai, Shandong Province of China.  Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Asia-Pacific’s travel sector is seeing strong growth, with demand for flights set to match pre-pandemic levels this year — thanks to Chinese tourists. The region’s … Read more

Chinese citizens flee constraints to find freedom in Thailand

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — There are the hipsters cramped by big-city life, the tech bros pumped about the internet of tomorrow, and idealistic parents wary of China’s hyper-intensive schools, and then there are the stoners. This backpacker town in the mountains of northern Thailand has become the destination of choice for a slew of Chinese … Read more

Rock band critical of Putin is detained in Thailand, fearful of deportation to Russia

BANGKOK — Members of a rock band that has been critical of Moscow’s war in Ukraine remained locked up Tuesday in a Thai immigration jail, fearful that they could be deported to Russia as a reported plan to let them fly to safety in Israel was apparently suspended. The progressive rock band Bi-2 said on … Read more