All the latest news from Thailand and around the world.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump will skip summits with Asian leaders in Singapore and Papua New Guinea in November, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place, the White House said on Friday, an announcement that will raise questions about his commitment to a regional strategy to counter China. Trump was invited to attend
Pheu Thai acting secretary-general Phumtham Wetchayachai urged the government and the Election Commission to be more broad-minded and not to block politicians from using social media to communicate with their constituents or supporters. He said social media was a tool through which politicians and the people could communicate with each other. The duty of a
Panida Yospanya, better known as Nong Baem, who made national headlines last year after she exposed corruption at a local government agency tasked with helping the poor in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, has finally got a job offer – but not before she had to air her grievances about a broken job promise
Yangon (The Irrawaddy News) — The already growing mistrust between the civilian administration and the powerful military leadership has been suddenly aggravated by social media giant Facebook’s decision to ban Myanmar’s top generals. The military leaders suspect that the government, led by de facto national leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was somehow involved in
Mong Thongdee’s dream of becoming a Thai citizen is one step closer to reality after the Local Administration Department approved his citizenship application. The stateless man born to Myanmar migrant workers in Chiang Mai was informed of the Local Administration Department’s approval of his application for citizenship in a letter sent to him by Mr
Police claimed today to have wrapped up their investigation into the alleged rape case on Koh Tao island in Surat Thani involving a British backpacker with a conclusion that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation. Samui provincial court, meanwhile, approved issued warrants for the arrest of two Britons, the administrator and owner of
The electronic banking systems of five banks – Krungthai, Kasikornthai, Siam Commercial, Bank of of Ayudhya and Thanachart – crashed today. The crash has caused disruptions in financial transactions via ATMs, mobile banking and internet banking services. Kasikornthai informed its clients on Facebook that its electronic banking system malfunctioned and this might cause inconvenience for
Political parties must wait another three months before they can start election campaigning or advertising in the social media, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said today. He warned that political campaigning or advertising now would be deemed a violation of the executive order of the National Council for Peace and Order banning political activities and
British cave diver Vernon Unsworth who played a crucial role in the rescue of 12 Wild Boars boys and their coach from the flooded Tham Luang cave in July has decided to take billionaire American entrepreneur Elon Musk to court for defamation. Although Unsworth had earlier threatened to file libel civil lawsuit against Musk, he
YANGON (Reuters) – The grainy black-and-white photo, printed in a new book on the Rohingya crisis authored by Myanmar’s army, shows a man standing over two bodies, wielding a farming tool. “Bengalis killed local ethnics brutally”, reads the caption. The photo appears in a section of the book covering ethnic riots in Myanmar in the
Australian filmmaker James Ricketson was today sentenced to six years in prison by Phnom Penh municipal court after he was found guilty of espionage for flying a drone over an opposition party’s political rally, according to Reuters. The 69-year old Australian was arrested last June after he was photographed flying a drone above the rally
The inspection committee of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has refused to accept the e-ticket system and the cash box to be installed in the city’s bus fleet claiming that the system does not work and is unstable. BMTA acting director Mrs Panida Thongsuk said Thursday that the e-ticket system and the cash box are provided
A fact-finding panel has been set up at the order of Prachuab Khiri Khan governor to probe the cutting down of a Bodhi tree at a temple in this southern province which was planted by the late King Bhumibol about 60 years ago. Meanwhile, officials from relevant agencies headed by the provincial governor, Mr Pallop
People living on both sides of the Chao Phraya River in the central provinces of Ayutthaya and Ang Thong were told to brace for possible flooding as more water is being drained out of Chao Phraya dam in Chainat and Pasak Cholasit dam in Lop Buri province. Ang Thong governor Veeravuth Putraseranee called an urgent
Police are considering arrest warrants against administrators of two web pages for posting the British tourist’s claim that she was drugged, robbed and raped while vacationing on Koh Tao island in Surat Thani province in June this year. Deputy tourist police commissioner Pol Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn said today that police have already identified the administrators
The body of an Irishman, who was reported missing by his Thai girlfriend two days ago, has been found floating in the Kwai Noi river in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi province after two days of searching. On Tuesday morning, Suphaphansa Pornkhunthod, 35, informed Panachkorn Pothibandhit, chief of the Sai Yok National Park, that her
