All the latest news from Thailand and around the world.
Moscow, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “strategic partnership treaty” following their talks in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Russian state media reported. Putin signalled earlier the two nations had prepared a document that would “form the basis” of their relations for years to come, but did not
Foreign envoys in Thailand and the foreign media have welcomed the caretaker Thai Senate’s passing of the Marriage Equality bill yesterday, which will pave the way for same sex marriage in the country. A message from the Embassy of Ireland reads: “A wonderful festive atmosphere at Thai Government House to celebrate the passage of the
Marine police are seeking people to adopt three puppies living on the oil-smuggling boats that went missing from Sattahip last week. The vessels were later found and towed back to a pier in Songkhla province. In addition to the eight crewmen, police also found seven dogs and three puppies on the boats. The adult dogs
The Thai Senate endorsed today, by a majority, the controversial marriage equality, bill which paves the way for same sex couples to marry. The caretaker senators spent about three hours deliberating the bill before voting. The vote was 130 in favour and 4 against, with 18 abstentions. It will now be submitted to the Constitutional
Shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un embraced Russian Vladimir Putin on his arrival at Pyongyang’s airport on Wednesday, the two leaders shared their “pent-up inmost thoughts” and agreed to develop their nations’ relations, North Korean state media said. Putin, who arrived in the pre-dawn hours, is on his first trip to the North
The Central Administrative Court dismissed a Bt40 billion lawsuit today, which had been filed against the Office of the Insurance Commission by Syn Mun Kong Insurance Public Company. The case was over the commission’s order banning the company from cancelling its “COVID 2 in 1” (jer-jai-job) insurance policies, which were sold to about one million
The Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed two petitions today, which claimed that the election laws calling for senatorial candidates to vote among themselves are unconstitutional. The ruling means that the Election Commission (EC) can proceed with the national-level voting for senators on June 26. The Constitutional Court’s statement on the case contained only three lines. Earlier,
Paroled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will report to the Office of Attorney-General (OAG) tomorrow, to be formally indicted on a lèse majesté charge in the Criminal Court, one of Thaksin’s lawyers, Winyat Chartmontri, said today. He also said that he has already prepared surety, to be used in the application for bail for Thaksin.
July 10 has been set by the charter court as the date for the first hearing of a petition, submitted by a group of 40 former senators, accusing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of violating the Constitution by appointing Phichit Chuenban as PM Office Minister, despite him having served time in prison. Srettha could be stripped
Police will seek arrest warrants against those who they believe to be the “big fish” behind the disappearance of three oil-smuggling boats, which had been officially impounded and moored off Sattahip in Chon Buri province. Pol Col Anek Taosuparb, deputy crime suppression police chief, said today that, among the potential suspects is Sahachai Jiansermsin, also
The charter court convened today and set the date for the first hearing in the opposition Move Forward Party’s dissolution case, submitted by the Election Commission (EC), for July 3. The EC has also asked the court to debar the party’s executive members from politics, alleging that the party had attempted to overthrow the Constitutional
The Criminal Court has granted bail to paroled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, but he has had to surrender his passport after being formally indicted on charges of lèse majesté and violation of the Computer Crime Act today. The court agreed to grant Thaksin release on remand on a Bt500,000 bail bond, on the grounds
Paroled former prime minister Thaksin left his Chan Song La residence this morning for the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court to be formally indicted with lese majeste and violation of Computer Crime Act charges by the public prosecutors. Travelling in a chauffeured Mercedes Benz, Thaksin was seen through the car’s window waving to a small army of
Concern is growing that Thailand’s new fisheries law will drag the country backwards, making it more vulnerable to human trafficking and jeopardising its multibillion-baht seafood export industry. “If Thailand’s ranking in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons [TIP] Report slips to Tier 3, it is going to be difficult to climb back up,” said
V8 Intertrading has won the bid for 15,000 tonnes of ten-year-old pledging scheme rice, with its offer of Bt19.07/kg, in an auction held today by the Public Warehouse Organisation. The company’s bid was the highest of those submitted by six local rice trading companies. They were V8 Intertrading, Tanasan Rice, SSMR Karnkaset, Sup Saeng Thong
When Thailand decided recently to join BRICS, the international community was taken aback because the announcement came hot on the heels of its submission to be considered for membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Bangkok-based diplomats were perplexed by the timing of the decisions, as they appeared juxtaposed. The Pheu Thai-led
