All the latest news from Thailand and around the world.
August 8, 2024: Every MP of the newly-dissolved Move Forward Party is reportedly set to move to a new registered camp, having learned that voters can punish those who do not. Political analysts had expected the party to keep hold of all MPs, citing previous election records that showed those who had switched from the camp
NEW YORK – A sense of concern is growing inside the top ranks of the Democratic Party that leaders of Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee are not taking seriously enough the impact of the president’s troubling debate performance earlier in the week. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez held
Riding the wave of popularity following the release of Thai K-pop sensation Lisa’s blockbuster “Rockstar” music video, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is planning a new walking tour to promote Bangkok’s Chinatown, which will encompass Yaowarat, Songwat and Talad Noi. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is to add more Chinese atmosphere to Chinatown, with
The government’s groundbreaking move to allow Thais to receive universal healthcare treatment at any public hospital has been greeted by cheers – but also fears. While the policy promises greater convenience for patients, critics warn of potential risks including the collapse of the primary healthcare system and increased public healthcare expenses, as well as overcrowding
At least one person was killed and a number of others were wounded this morning when a car bomb was detonated in front of police apartments in Bannang Sata district of Thailand’s southern province of Yala. According to an initial police report, southern insurgents parked a car, rigged with explosives, near the front of the
Thailand will chair Asia Cooperation Dialogue next year to foster an inclusive, prosperous, and wealthy Asia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision was made during the ACD ministerial meeting in Tehran early this week. Foreign Minister Maris Sagiempongsa expressed Thailand’s intention to drive forward ACD during its chairmanship next year. Thailand has
While green spaces might not be seen as a high priority in Thailand, the proximity to nature is one of reasons why Finland has retained its position as the happiest country in the world for seven years. The living environment, combined with rich natural spaces and government efforts to reduce factors contributing unhappiness, are keys
The promo video for Thai K-pop sensation Lisa’s latest solo release “ROCKSTAR”, which was filmed in Bangkok’s Chinatown, had logged 35 million views by midday today. Thai and foreign fans of Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban have, however, vowed to push that to 100 million pretty soon. The video, which portrays the usually bustling Yaowarat Road as
Many people, Thais included, do not take liver health seriously. Hepatitis quietly takes its toll, often going unnoticed until it’s too late. Dr. John Ward, a prominent voice at the recent APAC IRIDS conference on infectious diseases, likened hepatitis to a “silent dragon,” infecting livers with minimal symptoms before progressing silently to severe stages. “The
Fourteen Phuket-bound flights were diverted to other airports this morning, due to poor visibility, as the resort island was lashed by heavy rain before dawn on Sunday, causing widespread flooding. Monchai Tanod, director of Phuket airport, said that the airport itself was not flooded, but the visibility was so poor between 7am and 9am that
In Southeast Asia, public transportation is part of a rich culture. While some of these are still around, many of them, threatened by modernization, are now slowly losing their reputation as the kings of the road. Tuk-tuk fun rides Plying along the streets of Thailand, the tuk-tuk is an iconic symbol. It has an open-air
Professor Chaiwat Satha-Anand spent over four decades – almost his entire career as a political scientist at Thammasat University – advocating nonviolence and peacebuilding to settle conflicts. Chaiwat, who died of cancer aged 69 last Thursday (June 27), was influenced by the political turbulence of the 1970s, when a student-led uprising brought the collapse of a military dictatorship in
The tri-partite wage committee cannot yet finalise the 400-baht national minimum wage in Thailand, until it receives the proposed wage rates from the individual provinces, according to Labour Permanent Secretary Pairoj Chotikasathien. The governor of each province is required to work out the appropriate minimum wage for submission to the committee by July 31st, following
A local election in Pathum Thani, for the chief executive of the Provincial Administrative Organisation (POA) tomorrow, will be closely watched as a measure of Thaksin Shinawatra’s residual political clout. The ruling Pheu Thai party and Thaksin were handed a blow in the selection of new senators recently, when Thaksin’s brother-in-law and former prime minister
The lifeless body of a deputy director of a municipal school in the northern province of Lamphun, who was reported missing on June 16th, was found in his Toyota Vios sedan, parked under the ring road in Muang district of Chiang Mai on Friday night. He appears to have committed suicide. Last night, Mae Ping
Even if you discount the political narrative, the question that still needs to be asked is: How right is the Bank of Thailand (BOT)’s economic analysis that justifies its decision to freeze the key policy rate at 2.5 per cent? In an interview to Bloomberg recently, BOT Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput maintained that the current policy
