Thai passport worth less than Cambodian | Thailand News Today
French ‘mafia’ boss extorts money from foreigners in Pattaya
Yesterday, high-profile police officer Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn who is known “Big Joke” revealed that police arrested 58 year old French nationality Herve Christian Robert Leonard at a condominium in the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok.
A group of foreigners in Pattaya complained that Leonard extorted money from them by claiming to have connections with influential Thai police officers, including Big Joke. The fraudster claimed that the Thai police would protect the foreigners in exchange for the money.
Police previously arrested Leonard on charges of fraud and extortion and he was released on bail pending court proceedings. However, Leonard didn’t turn up to the court when the trial was held.
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Thailand’s democracy index 2022 is the most improved in the world
Thailand’s democracy index in 2022 is the most improved in the world, so says the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The country has jumped 17 spots on the global scale, ranking 55th out of 167 countries. This is a significant improvement from its 72nd-place ranking in 2021.
The Democracy Index considers five aspects, including the electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties.
The improvement in Thailand’s democracy can be attributed to the participation of opposition parties and a decrease in separatist movement. Thai residents are also becoming more politically active, as evidenced by several protests seen in the country. The EIU concludes that the upcoming election in May this year will lead to an increase in the strength of the opposition parties.
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Thai passport worth less than Cambodian
The recently released Henley Passport Index shows the ranks of passports of the world based on metrics such as how many countries one can travel to visa-free. The Thai passport, based on the recent release, is still worth less than many comparable nations that share similar demographics and income.
There aren’t a lot of surprises in the top ten, except perhaps that the top three nations are from Asia which are Japan, Singapore and South Korea, while the 7 others are from Europe.
The surprises begin at the top 14 of the list which is Malaysia, a country that could be closely compared to Thailand. Included in the top 20 are also powerhouses of Global confidence such as Romania, Bulgaria and Chile— all medium-sized countries that are comparable with each other.
Although the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it their mission not to make enemies but to be friends with everyone, it still leaves Thailand ranking 65th in the Henley Passport Index.
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