All the latest news from Thailand and around the world.
Hopes of finding people alive in the debris from the earthquake and tsunami that struck Palu in Sulawesi of Indonesia are fading as the death toll from one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country has risen to over 1,400 on Wednesday. News agencies reported that many people are still being buried under
The government’s committee directing the policy of the flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme, also known as the EEC board, on Thursday agreed in principle to endorse four more mega projects under the ECC scheme. This brought the total number of large-scale infrastructure projects approved under the EEC policy to five and the combined investment
Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, pleaded not guilty this morning to 17 charges of money laundering and tax evasion, amounting to more than RM7 million (about 57 million baht). Malaysian media reported that she was charged at Kuala Lumpur’s Sessions Court for allegedly receiving funds obtained from money-laundering activities.
On the one hand, the newly–formed Palang Pracharat Party can be military–backed Prime Minister Prayut Chan–o–cha’s formidable weapon going into his most politically critical period since the 2014 coup. On the other hand, the party’s existence can expand his already–large enemy base, make him very unpopular among many sections of voters, and thus backfire badly on
Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly receiving and transferring funds related to money-laundering activities. The 66-year-old former first lady of Malaysia was detained this afternoon at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya, after more than four hours of questioning. Malaysiakini reported that
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan insisted this morning that the upcoming general election will take place as scheduled in February and dismissed rumours that it could be postponed to April. “I still stand by the February 24 timeframe and see no factors that would cause a delay,” he said Gen Prawit was commenting
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s taxation authorities fined A-list Chinese movie star Fan Bingbing more than 479 million yuan ($69.74 million) over tax evasion and ordered her to pay back more than 255 million yuan in taxes, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday. Fan appeared in the “X-Men” and “Iron Man” film franchises with more
The closure of Maya Bay, part of an island in Krabi’s Mueang district globally famous after it was picked as the shooting location for the movie “The Beach” in 1999, has been extended indefinitely from Monday (Oct 1), sending tour operators into a disarray. The bay and nearby bays in Koh Phi Phi in
The Finance Ministry’s plan to seek the Cabinet’s approval on a new rise in excise taxes that will result in the retail prices of cigarette being raised by 2 baht per pack has drawn mixed reactions. The ministry aims to gain about 3 billion baht more in additional tax revenues per year from the proposed hike in cigarette
JAKARTA (Reuters) – The confirmed death toll from an earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has risen to 1,234, from 844, the national disaster mitigation agency said on Tuesday. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday triggered tsunami waves as high as six meters (20 feet), which swept ashore at the small city of
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed authorities concerned to quickly help restore Thailand’s tourism image in wake of recent unpleasant events involving Chinese tourists. He singled out problem of bribe-taking allegedly committed by immigration officials who prey on tourists, especially Chinese, when they apply for visas on arrival at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports.
In the wake of mass destruction caused by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, survivors in Palu and Donggala in Central Sulawesi of Indonesia have been scrambling to salvage food supplies and other items, as aid from the central government began to trickle into the region, The Jakarta Post reported. It said on Monday,
The son of former Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban and three associates were acquitted by the Appeals Court which overturned the guilty verdict on land encroachment on Samui Island by the Criminal Court. The Appeals Court said that the prosecution evidence was not convincing enough to prove that the 31-rai land plot on Khao Paeng on
Despite mounting pressure from various political quarters, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted today the four Cabinet members who have joined the pro-junta Palang Pracharat Party do not have to resign from their political posts. Defending the four ministers, he said that their affiliation with the Palang Pracharat party is their personal affairs. But the prime
STOCKHOLM (REUTERS) – Some of the actions Aung San Suu Kyi has taken as Myanmar’s civilian leader are “regrettable” but her Nobel Peace Prize will not be withdrawn, the head of the Nobel Foundation told Reuters in an interview in Stockholm. Lars Heikensten, speaking days before the awarding of this year’s peace prize, said
