All the latest news from Thailand and around the world.
Senatorial candidates showed up this morning at the polling stations in their respective provinces to report for the provincial level elections of senators. 19,754 male and 12,436 female candidates, out of a total of 46,206 registered, passed the district level selection process last Sunday. The Election Commission’s (EC) secretary-general said today that only 3,080 candidates
Two vocational students have been held for questioning for alleged involvement in a brawl with rival students, culminating in the fatal shooting of one student and injury to another. The incident took place on Thursday in Sukhumvit Soi 101/1 in the Phra Khanong district of Bangkok. Pol Maj Gen Noppasilp Poonsawat, deputy commissioner of the
Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced on Friday she will make her first public appearance in six months this weekend after “making good progress” in treatment for cancer. The 42-year-old future queen will attend King Charles III’s annual birthday parade on Saturday with other senior royals, which the British monarch is participating in despite his own
A pub in downtown Chon Buri province is facing a 5-year closure after 157 customers tested positive for drug use. 150 officials from the Provincial Administration Department (PAD) and narcotic suppression police raided the venue early this morning. No local police were involved, out of concerns that some of them might alert the pub manager
Chinese journalist and #Metoo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” after she became a symbol of the country’s stalled feminist movement. She was sentenced alongside labour activist Wang Jianbing, who was handed three years and six months, a group of
Beneficiaries of the 10,000-baht payment, under the government’s “digital wallet” scheme, will be able to use the money to buy smart phones, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said today. Smart phones, which were on the list of items and services which could not be bought using the money, are now regarded as a necessity and
Narcotic suppression police intercepted two pickup trucks at road checkpoint in Thailand’s northern province of Lamphun on Thursday and seized 12 million methamphetamine, or “ya baa” tablets, hidden in beehives. The drivers of the two trucks, identified only as “Saravut” and “Charnnarong”, were taken into custody for questioning. Acting on intelligence received, police had been
The search continues today for the three oil smuggling vessels, which disappeared from the marine police pier in Sattahip on Wednesday and are believed to be heading for Cambodia. The skippers of the vessels are believed to have sailed close to the shoreline, to avoid detection from the air, and to have relied on their
“If I’m going to answer like a beauty queen, I’d say I will do my best, but deep down in my heart, I would love to bring the crown back to Thailand. I want to be that representative, to do my best in every challenge on stage and make Thai people proud.” A strong and
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman has expressed concern over the prospect that the Move Forward party (MFP) may be dissolved and urged the Thai government to maintain a commitment to democratic values. Committee chair Ben Cardin said in his “X” post: “I am deeply concerned by developments in Thailand on the potential dissolution
The younger brother of Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was last month sentenced to six months in prison for bribery, despite claiming to be a victim in the case. Businessman Sakulthorn Juangroongruangkit was found guilty of paying 20 million baht in kickbacks in 2019 to a Crown Property Bureau (CPB) official and a broker in
More than 60% of respondents to an online opinion poll on a draft people’s amnesty bill, conducted by parliament, disagree with the bill, against 35.4% being in favour. The draft bill was proposed by Poonsuk Poonsukcharoen, of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, and was seconded by 36,723 people. It was submitted to parliament for consideration.
A student was shot dead and another was injured in a clash between rival vocational students in Sukhumvit Soi 101/1 in Phra Khanong district on Thursday afternoon. Citing witness accounts, Bang Na police said that more than 20 rival vocational students met at the entrance to the lane and started trading abuses. Then, one group,
A group of ASEAN parliamentarians have called on the international community to monitor the ongoing legal case in the Constitutional Court that could lead to a dissolution of the Move Forward Party (MFP). The court said it will start deliberation on the case on June 18 but did not say when a ruling will be
An army colonel has been transferred and placed under an investigation after he allegedly charged each new conscript, attached to the medical battalion of the Second Army Region, 500 baht per month for septic tank emptying. Lt-Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen, commander of the Second Army Region, said today that the information in social media, claiming that
Are Thai industries under threat of a massive collapse, given rapid changes in technology, fierce competition from China and the planned hike in daily minimum wage? Two Japanese carmakers, Subaru and Suzuki, have announced that they will shut down their manufacturing sites in Thailand at the end of this year and next year respectively, amid
