Politics
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai protestors send Prayut a message, despite thousands of police
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha received a message after visiting the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday. A group of protestors known as Kiat Lampang ‘greeted’ Prayut outside the airport. The group had announced on its Facebook page… “Come and welcome and chase out Prayut! At the international airport, Chiang Mai, today will definitely follow and chase him all day.” Prayut later…
- World News
More fighting between Karen and Burmese army, villagers injured
Another round of violence has broken out between Karen forces and the Burmese army. Now, 2 injured Burmese villagers are being treated at a Thai hospital in the border province of Tak. The men, 30 and 33 years old, have shrapnel wounds to their heads and legs. Sources said Karen soldiers had taken a base from Burmese troops, and a…
- World News
Bar employees in Indonesia accused of blasphemy over new drink scheme
Indonesia’s religious blasphemy law is growing “more dangerous” according to rights groups. Police have charged 6 bar employees in the country with blasphemy over a new drink promotion. Under the PR stunt, bar-goers get free drinks if their names are Mohammad or Maria. Mohammad is the name of the prophet of Islam, although it’s also a common men’s name in…
- South Thailand News
South Thailand’s Muslim leaders reject weed, liquor and same-sex partnerships
South Thailand’s Muslim leaders are rejecting the kingdom’s growing liberalism on 3 issues. On Thursday (June 23), Muslim representatives from Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Satun and Pattani provinces, read a statement against 3 draft bills that are currently being debated or yet to be presented to the Thai parliament Those bills were the Cannabis and Hemp Bill, the Progressive Liquor Act,…
- Politics News
Thailand’s parliament police petition against new uniforms
Thailand’s parliamentary police aren’t seeing the point of their new uniforms scheduled for next year. The country’s roughly 200 parliamentary police officers are usually issued with 2 sets of uniforms, each costing about 5,000 baht. The budget for new uniforms would altogether require at least 2 million baht. Yesterday, about 60 parliament police officers submitted a petition to House Speaker…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok’s protestors keep up the fight against Prayut
Bangkok’s anti-government protestors are keeping up the fight to pressure Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down. Protestors staged their “Second Walk to Chase Tu” last night, moving from Royal Thai Police headquarters to Din Daeng intersection in the centre of Bangkok. The spot is close to Prayut’s residence ‘Tu’ and ‘Uncle Tu’ are Prayut’s nicknames, often used not so…
- World News
Thai and Laotian officials discuss border trafficking
Thai and Laotian officials met in Bangkok today to discuss trafficking along their countries’ borders, among other subjects. Last week, the 2 countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to work together on a wide range of issues, among them drug and human trafficking. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, and Laotian Deputy Prime Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, also discussed…
- Bangkok News
Penny-pinching government owe 150 police officers more than 1 million baht in overtime
Government House security police yesterday acknowledged they are still owed more than 1 million baht for special overtime services from last year. Some 150 police officers, from the Supervision Division 4 of the Special Branch Bureau 3, who take care of Government House security, say they informed their superiors in the relevant departments about their missing salary but claim that…
- Economy News
MP calls House sub-committees ‘dens of money extortion’
A Democrat MP yesterday pointed the finger at closed-door meetings of House sub-committees and called them “dens of money extortion.” Rangsima Rodrasamee, Democrat MP for Samut Songkhram, insists all meetings of sub-committees vetting the 2023 budget bill, after it passes its first reading, should be televised live. The Democrat MP says broadcasting the meetings live would scrutinise how the bill…
- Crime News
Woman accuses Thai politician of sending her unsolicited pictures of his genitals
A Thai woman accuses a famous political party spokesperson of sending her unsolicited photos of his genitals and threats via Facebook. The woman filed a police complaint, with evidence, at Sutthisan Police Station in Bangkok today. She accused the spokesperson of violating the Computer Crimes Act by disseminating obscene material online. The 40 year old victim said the man sent…
- Politics News
Pattaya City Mayor election to be re-held in some districts after ballot papers go missing
Chon Buri Provincial Election Commission has announced the cancellation of the Pattaya City mayor’s election result on May 22 because ballot papers had gone missing from polling stations in 2 sub-districts. The new election in those sub-districts will be held on June 12. After 10 years of suspension of mayoral elections, the Pattaya City Mayor election was held on May…
- Politics News
BREAKING: Bangkok has a new governor
The Election Commission today confirmed the independent candidate, Chadchart Sittipunt, as the new Bangkok Governor. The 56 year old won by a landslide with over a million votes, and almost 52% of the vote, on Sunday, May 22. It was the first governor’s election in 8 years and he is the 17th person to be in charge of Bangkok. There…
- World News
Tensions flare once again in Israel-Palestine ahead of controversial march
Perhaps the most divisive, disputed conflict in the world is hot with tension once again, as Israel’s annual flag march is expected to take place today (Sunday). The march celebrates Israel’s capture of Jerusalem in 1967 after the ‘6 Day War’. The march is now heavily associated with Israel’s Right Wing, which has become the country’s dominant political force after…
- Thailand News
Thailand to borrow 20 billion baht to maintain fuel subsidies
The Office of Fuel Fund plans to borrow 20 billion baht to top up the country’s oil price subsidies as residents and different departments are being increasingly affected by the rising oil price. The fund is seeking inbound loans from the Government Saving Bank and Krungthai Bank. The details are expected to be clear at the end of this month.…
- Politics News
Thai Parliament app launched to remind forgetful MPs
To cope with meetings failing because of absence and lack of quorums, the Secretariat of The House of Representatives has developed the ‘TH Parliament’ mobile app to notify the MPs of upcoming meetings. The ‘innovation’ presumes that MPs have failed to turn up because they simply forgot… that’s usually not the case. Yesterday, Nattakarn Chochana, announced that the Information Technology…
- Politics News
Chadchart’s victory is a triumph for democracy says former PM
Thailand’s former PM Thaksin Shinawatra says Chadchart Sittipunt’s landslide victory in the Bangkok governor election was a result of pro democracy followers voting for him, and declared the result will be mirrored in the kingdom’s next national election, in an interview with The Room 44. Move Forward’s candidate, Wiroj Lakhanaadisorn, was predicted to win the popular vote but electors chose…
- China News
Biden threatens military action against China
Not content with provoking Russia by having NATO troops camped all along the Ukraine borders, US President Joe Biden is threatening to do the same with China. Biden today threatened military action if China were to invade Taiwan, despite having few recently public-stated comments from Beijing to support his comments. The 79 year old says the burden to protect Taiwan is…
- Politics News
PM Prayut congratulates Chadchart on becoming governor
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha congratulated Chadchart Sittipunt, who is expected to be confirmed as Bangkok’s new governor following Sunday’s elections, and promised to back his tenure in charge. The Thai PM says his government will provide Chadchart’s office with all the support they need to continue the growth and development of Bangkok. “The prime minister has made it clear that…
- World News
Australian voters sweep conservative government out of power
Australian voters have delivered a stark rebuke to both of the major political parties, awarding votes to a raft of new independent MPs who will take seats in the new lower house of the Australian parliament. Both major parties – the Liberal/National conservative coalition and the centre-left Australian Labor Party – lost their way in a sea of big changes…
- World News
5 countries’ representatives walk out when Russian official speaks in Bangkok
Thailand may be claiming ‘neutrality’ following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but representatives of 5 countries at a Bangkok event today certainly weren’t. Two Thai officials and 2 international diplomats told Reuters that at the Apec trade ministers’ meeting in Bangkok today, representatives of 5 countries walked out when Russia’s economic development minister Maksim Reshetnikov was speaking. The 5 who walked out…
- World News
Thailand’s PM Prayut invites US to invest in supply chains
As part of his visit to the US, Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has attended the 2nd ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington last week. Now, he is inviting the US to invest or set up supply chains in Thailand to fill gaps created by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. And not the least the ongoing disruption of China’s part in the supply chain…
- Politics News
Former Democratic member taking shots at Pheu Thai Party
The unofficial electioneering is in full swing in Thailand. After Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of exiled former-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, predicted the Pheu Thai Party would win the upcoming election by a landslide, Suthep Thaugsuban has declared that he will oppose them and “Thaksinocracy.” Suthep was a former leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, a protest movement against the…
- Thailand News
“There may be a substitute prime minister,” says deputy PM Prawit
If Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha fails to hold his position as PM, “there may be a substitute prime minister”, according to deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan. However, PM Prayut said he hasn’t heard anything about a potential stand-in for his post. Palang Pracharat, and coalition MPs have continued to publicly support the current PM, but say, if the position was to…
- Politics News
Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva under fire from Pheu Thai members
Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is being criticised by Pheu Thai representatives after claiming in an interview that the party wants to win the next election by a landslide just to bring their former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand. Abhisit, former leader of the Democrats, doesn’t have any problems with Pheu Thai Party gaining power in a fair election…
- World News
HRW urges Japan’s PM to raise human rights issues on Thailand trip
For the first time in 9 years, Japan’s Prime Minister plans to visit Thailand. Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida plans to visit Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on May 1-2 (Sunday to Monday) next week. Now, Human Rights Watch is calling on Fumio to raise concerns with Prayut about freedom of expression and assembly. This is part of a larger call that…
- World News
Sri Lanka’s political crisis continues with huge walkout
After Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency earlier this month, the world has seen massive political unrest in the country as protestors call on the president and his powerful family to step down. Last week, Sri Lankan police shot and killed a protestor in an incident that quickly spread across social media. Today (Thursday), Sri Lankan workers participated in mass…
- Northern Thailand News
Boxing champion joins Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party in Khon Kaen
A big name in Thailand’s boxing scene has now joined Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party, and will represent the next election in Constituency 10 of the Khon Kaen province. The boxer, 49 year old Somrak Khamsing, won a gold medal in the US in 1996. After he retired from boxing, he became an actor. He then moved into politics. The Palang…
- Crime News
Photographer beaten by ‘royalists’ near Democracy Monument
A photographer called Nattaphon, who works for a media agency, is still waiting for justice after being allegedly attacked by a group of ultra royalists near the Democracy Monument last week. He suffered bruises on his back, neck and upper arms. Just after he finished working and was packing up, he noticed a man wearing a long sleeve shirt and…
- Politics News
Top politicians resign from Democrat Party as pressure mounts for changing of guard
Top members of Thailand’s beleaguered Democrat Party have resigned in the wake of a sex scandal that’s rocked that party in recent weeks. Senior politician Kanok Wongtrangan announced on Facebook today that he has quit his role as a deputy leader in the party out of “moral conscience”. His resignation follows that of deputy prime minister Wittaya Kaewparadai, who resigned…
- Politics News
Members of Thailand’s Move Forward Party banned from renewing passports
A member of Thailand’s Move Forward Party told the press today that she and two other party members had been banned from renewing their passports on suspicion that they have committed treason. MFP member Pannika Wanich made the announcement after meeting with Phaya Thai police today, who she said made the order for the ban. The Department of Consular Affairs…
