Month: October 2020
- Thailand Protest News
Human rights NGO, opposition parties, say State of Emergency infringes human rights
A Thai human rights NGO has criticised the government’s decision to declare a State of Emergency in Bangkok, as political unrest escalates in the capital and around the country. iLaw says the imposition of the emergency decree gives the PM the unrestricted right to use special powers that violate citizens’ human rights. iLaw points out that the new ban on…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket to host Cabinet meeting to review proposals for reviving local economy
Government officials are to hold a Cabinet meeting in Phuket on November 2 and 3, when they will meet with local authorities and business owners to hear their suggestions on re-igniting the province’s decimated economy. Phuket has been hit particularly hard by the country’s borders being shut since late March, with the absence of international tourists dealing a hammer blow…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
“Thai authorities should not repress peaceful protests”, Human Rights Watch
OPINION The Thai government’s declaration of a state of emergency in Bangkok is a pretext for a crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the declaration of a state of emergency on October 15, 2020, the police have arrested at least 22 activists, including several protest leaders, in front of Bangkok’s Government House. “The Emergency Decree provides…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Activists vow to push ahead with political protests in Bangkok today
A mass gathering of protesters at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection and Ratchadamri Road ended around 10pm last night, with activists vowing to return for more of the same today. Members of Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Party 2020) announced they will reconvene today to keep pouring pressure on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. Among the group’s demands are a call for the PM…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
5,000 pack Bangkok’s central shopping district to continue the protest
Police have been taken aback by the huge amount of support for a protest at Bangkok’s famous Ratchaprasong Intersection, the site of the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing incident where 20 people died. Bangkok, currently under a State of Emergency, declared by the Thai government in the early hours of this morning, is on edge this evening as huge crowds swarmed…
Read More » - Bangkok News
After protest cleared, Government House hosts first foreign minister since the Covid-19 outbreak
After all the commotion outside Bangkok’s Government House this morning, with the protest broken up by a State of Emergency order and at least 20 people arrested, Thailand welcomed the first foreign minister since the Covid-19 outbreak. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi visited PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House today, the first since the pandemic. He arrived after pro-democracy…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today | State of Emergency, Pattaya ‘online’, Veggie Festival plea | October 15
Bangkok in State of Emergency, protesters arrested, “vow to fight on” Bangkok is now in a State of Emergency. The new decree was imposed at 4am in an effort by the Thai government to quell the growing support of the latest protest movement. The “State of Emergency” places a ban on gatherings of any more than 5 people. The early…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa arrested, flown to Chiang Mai for sedition charges
After being arrested in Bangkok early this morning, along with numerous other protesters, human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist leader Anon Nampa is apparently being flown up to Chiang Mai to face sedition charges for allegedly criticising the Thai Monarchy at a past event in the northern province. In Bangkok today, at least 20 protesters, who intended to camp out…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival expected to draw in 350 million baht
WARNING: Graphic photos and video below. After months and months of an economic slowdown induced by the coronavirus pandemic and the lack of tourists, thousands of people are expected to arrive to Phuket over the next 2 weeks to take part in the annual Vegetarian Festival. It’s expected to generate more than 350 million baht, according to the Tourism Authority…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
10 new Covid-19 cases in quarantine, only 1 reported symptoms
10 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine from those travelling from 6 different countries, tallying up Thailand’s total number of reported cases to 3,665, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The cases were found in people arriving to Thailand from Myanmar, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Italy, Lebanon and the Netherlands. Only 1 patient reported symptoms. A 33 year…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Protester arrests after emergency decree “unjustified,” Amnesty International says – VIDEO
The State of Emergency imposed in Bangkok at 4am this morning, banning public gatherings and leading to the arrests of at least 20 people, is a “vague, drastic order that will lead to more people unfairly arrested, detained and prosecuted,” according to an official from the human rights group Amnesty International. The emergency decree broke up a pro-democracy demonstration intended…
Read More » - Phuket News
“Limit the level of torturing” at Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival, mayor says
WARNING: Content below contains graphic images of self-mutilation that some may find disturbing. While Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival was given the “okay” to move forward with plans, the event will need to abide by “new normal” rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. So called “mah songs,” who often practice self-mutilation to enter a trance-like state and channel spirits,…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Students at Naresuan University mark 1973 uprising with candlelit vigil
As tens of thousands of protesters gathered at Government House in Bangkok yesterday, students at Naresuan University in northern Thailand were commemorating a 1973 uprising with a candlelit vigil. The October 14, 1973 popular uprising, known as the “Day of Great Sorrow” was a defining moment in Thailand’s history, ending the ruling military dictatorship of the time and changing the…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya bar ladies use YouTube to make money during pandemic – VIDEO
Can’t visit the ladies in Pattaya? Just go to YouTube and type “Pattaya bar live” in the search bar. A number of videos and live streams will come up from various bars in Pattaya. The area was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic with a ban on international tourists, battering the local economy that heavily relied on foreign visitors. But…
Read More » - Phuket News
Gunman surrenders after holding Phuket woman hostage for 4 hours
A man who held a Phuket shopkeeper hostage at gunpoint has surrendered following a 4 hour stand-off with police. Nation Thailand reports that the incident occurred in the sub-district of Srissontorn last night. Police say they had earlier pursued a group of teenagers wanted for drugs offences. 1 of the suspects ran into a motorbike repair shop near the Banya…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Residents in border areas accuse officials of lax control over Burmese drivers
Residents in the Mae Sot district of Tak province, bordering Myanmar, have criticised what they see as lax checking of Burmese truck drivers arriving from the Covid-hit neighbour next door. Concerned residents are calling for the Friendship Bridge to be temporarily closed in light of a surge in virus cases in Myanmar. The bridge, which spans the Moei River, connects…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
UPDATE: Bangkok under a State of Emergency, protests ‘cleared’, 20+ arrested,
Bangkok awakes to a State of Emergency, imposed at 4am to quell the growing support of the latest protest movement. The Thai government has used its emergency decree powers to impose a “State of Emergency” in Bangkok, and placed a ban on gatherings of any more than 5 people. The tough new security laws, put in place early this morning,…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Alleged kidnapping attempt in Isaan region, missing child found tied up
A girl was allegedly kidnapped by a group in the Isaan province Amnat Charoen. She was found with tied up and her was mouth stuffed with paper. The girl says a teenager approached her and offered candy. She said she wasn’t hungry and that she didn’t have money, but the teen allegedly replied that it was okay and he had…
Read More » - Crime News
Parents press ahead with class-action against school at centre of abuse claims
A school in the central province of Nonthaburi is facing a class-action lawsuit from parents, amid allegations of abuse at the facility. The claims originally came to light when a teacher was captured on CCTV physically abusing students in her care. In the footage, Ornuma Plodprong, aka, “Khru Jum”, can be seen repeatedly hitting students, pushing one to the floor,…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Protest planned at Bangkok’s Rathchaprasong intersection, despite State of Emergency
Despite the recent emergency decree banning public gatherings, as well as warnings from police, pro-democracy activists are planning to gather at Bangkok’s Rathchaprasong intersection at 4pm today. Bangkok’s State of Emergency was imposed at 4am this morning, banning gatherings of more than 5 people. At least 20 people were arrested after the decree was announced, according to deputy police spokesperson…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Anti-government activists arrested at Democracy Monument rally denied bail
20 pro-democracy activists, arrested at yesterday and last night’s rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, have been denied bail and continue to be held in a prison in the capital. The protesters, who include Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, “Pai Dao Din”, and Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, a singer-songwriter known as “Ammy”, have been charged in relation to the political gathering on Tuesday and Wednesday.…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Police arrest protest organiser after she calls for a new rally in Bangkok this afternoon
Police have arrested 2 more key organisers of the pro-democracy rally after one of them read a statement calling for another protest in Bangkok shopping precinct this afternoon. Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, a critic of the monarchy and one of the protest organisers, was arrested at a Bangkok hotel just after hosting a Facebook, livestream, “calling on people to join a rally planned…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Activists vow to fight on despite arrest of leaders, emergency decree
Activists from Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Party 2020) say they will not surrender and will continue to fight what they term, “the dictatorial power and its feudal followers”. “Khana Ratsadon (“People’s Party”) was a Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a bloodless coup against King Prajadhipok’s government and transformed the country’s absolute…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket tax revenue plummets during pandemic – VIDEO
The Covid-19 pandemic led has tax revenue in Phuket to be cut in half. Border closures, banning international tourists, has caused the tax revenue for the popular island destination to plummet. From January to August, total tax receipts year on year fell by more than 46%, according to data from the Phuket Area Revenue Office, obtained by The Phuket News. In…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Activists dispersed, protest leaders arrested, as State of Emergency declared in Bangkok
“It is extremely necessary to introduce an urgent measure to end this situation effectively and promptly to maintain peace and order.” This was how state television announced the imposition of a State of Emergency in the capital in the early hours of this morning, effectively ending a political rally at Government House that had been set to continue “indefinitely”, according…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Truck drivers carrying ‘royal supporters’ face charges for travelling on expressways
6 truck drivers carrying loads of ‘royalists’ to the Democracy Monument, are facing charges pressed by the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT. The yellow-clad ‘supporters’ of the royal family stood tightly packed on the bed of Department of Law Enforcement trucks, riding down the Kamphaeng Phet-Yommarat tollway. They were all dressed in yellow, a colour that symbolises the Thai Monarchy.…
Read More » - Crime News
6 people found guilty for “pretty” Bangkok model’s death
A man has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for the death of Thitima “Lunlabelle” Noraphanpiphat, a 25 year old model who was found dead last year in the lobby of a Bangkok condominium. Rachadech “Nam Oon” Wongthabutr was found guilty of illegally detaining Lunlabelle and leaving her dead body in the condominium. 5 other people were found guilty…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Police stop protesters as they march towards Government House in Bangkok – PHOTOS
Protesters started their march from the Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue toward the Government House around 3pm today. But they were barred from passing an intersection for an hour. They were prevented from passing the Panfah Lilas intersection where police had set up a blockade and had hundreds of police there to enforce the blacking of the intersection. The police…
Read More » - Thailand News
New budget in the works for emergency services after “insufficient” funds complaint
The Thai government is working on to setting aside more money for emergency medicine after an “insufficient” budget is said to have caused delays in emergency work and response time for emergency 1669 hotline calls. The new budget request comes after emergency medicine expert Dr. Atchariya Phaengma complained that the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, or NIEM, wasn’t receiving adequate…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News Today | BKK protest update, Chiang Mai ‘quiet’, Baby klong crocs | October 14
Daily TV news about what’s happening in and around Thailand. Check out the daily Thai News, uploaded around 5pm, Thai time, weekdays. “Elevated risk of unrest” after 21 activist arrests, UN department says Things are heating up ahead of this afternoon and this evening’s protests and planned march to Government House from the Democracy Monument. Even the United Nations Department…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
Royalists take over the protest route to make way for Royal motorcade
Maybe the headline should be “The Empire Strikes Back, Thai style”. A group of dressed in yellow, many who are military and police officers, took over the pro-democracy protest route to make way for the Royal motorcade. The dates of both the protest, announced back on September 20, and the motorcade for HM The King to travel to oversee a…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
9 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, all asymptomatic
9 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine in the past 24 hours. All were reported as asymptomatic and from those travelling back from India, Japan, South Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand now reports a total of 3,652 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 59 deaths. 3,457 people have recovered and 136…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya bars making money from live streaming for customers overseas – VIDEO
Since foreign tourists can’t visit the bars in Pattaya, some of the bars are live streaming and posting videos online to allow people to chat and connect with the female bar staff, partially making up for revenue lost during the pandemic. The Pattaya News says the chats aren’t explicit, just a friendly chat between the bar staff with men who…
Read More » - Thailand Protest News
“Elevated risk of unrest” after 21 activist arrests, UN department says
Today’s pro-democracy rally in Bangkok poses an “elevated risk of unrest” after 21 protesters were arrested yesterday, according to an email sent to staff of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security. The email advising the staff to avoid protest sites was obtained by local blogger and Samut Prakan school employee Richard Barrow and Samut Prakan school employee and…
Read More » - Technology News
Digital Economy Ministry dismisses “fake news” that mobile phones cause cancer
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry says people shouldn’t fall for claims that leaving your mobile phone beside your head at night will result in cancer. The ministry is urging people not to believe that electromagnetic waves from the phone will cause brain cancer, adding that such a claim constitutes “fake news”, and saying citizens should refrain from sharing it…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand to make AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, hoped to be available by mid-2021
The experimental Covid-19 vaccine by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is planned to be manufactured and supplied in Thailand. If the vaccine is successful, it will be available to the Thai population by mid-2021. A Covid-19 vaccine is seen as a lifeline to save Thailand’s crippled tourism dependant economy as many have said borders will not fully reopen until a…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Royalist hospital director threatened with fake gun
The director of Bangkok’s Mongkulwattana Hospital has brushed off an incident in which a man threatened him with a fake gun. Rienthong Nanna says the perpetrator probably has mental health issues, after the man showed up in the outpatient department brandishing a gun, which turned out to be fake. “The man was arrested and charged with several serious offences, and…
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