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New Economic party leader Mingkwan Sangsuwan has dismissed as groundless media reports that his party has switched sides to join the Palang Pracharat-led coalition alliance. In a statement issued Saturday afternoon, Mingkwan stated that the New Economics party had never held talks nor agreed to join forces with the Palang Pracharat party. The statement was in
His Majesty the King has expressed concern over the loss of life in road accidents during the long Songkran holidays as casualties continue to mount. Deputy government spokesman, Lt-Gen Weerachon Sukondhapatipak, said today that HM the King had conveyed his concerns through Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and had instructed all provincial authorities to try to
A Canadian tourist died today after falling from a zip line in the forest of Mae On district in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai. The victim, 25-year-old Spencer Charles, plunged 50 metres to his death in Ban Mae Kamkong after the safety locks attached to the zip line sling became detached. Zip line operator staff
After Thai consumer confidence in March recorded the first drop in three months, businesses pin their hope that Songkran will boost the spirit of spending. Usually, there is an uptick in business during the traditional Thai new year festival. This year, however, there are concerns that haze in the North, the popular destination for Songkran,
The Songkran death toll from road accidents since Thursday has jumped to 105, with more than 1,000 others injured, according to the Centre for the Prevention and Reduction of Road Accidents. The centre reported that 57 people were killed and 521 othersinjured in the 501 road accidents on Friday and blamed drunk driving as the cause of 35.13% of the incidents, followed by speeding which accounted
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Four days ahead of Indonesia’s general election, President Joko Widodo retains a double-digit lead over his challenger, retired general Prabowo Subianto, three opinion polls published this week show. The election in the world’s third-biggest democracy is a repeat of the 2014 contest, and the incumbent has been comfortably ahead in most surveys
Well-known medical cannabis researcher Decha Siripat has insisted that he has a moral obligation to distribute cannabis oil to patients for treatment of some illnesses. The president of the Khao Kwan foundation, a privately-run organization known for its promotion of grass-root agricultural sustainability, said he will report to the authorities tomorrow to answer charges of illegal possession of
Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang today led city officials in a ceremony to draw water from a pond at the Haw Sastrakhom, a small building inside the Grand Palace. The sacred water, which is regularly blessed by monks on holidays, was put into a white Kontho, a Thai traditional vase, before being taken to the Interior Ministry where it will be kept with the 76
Confused by the varying results from its own calculations of the allocation of 150 party-list seats in the new parliament, the Election Commission (EC) agreed at a meeting today to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court. The commission admitted that there are contradictions on the method of the party-list MP allocation as specified in the Constitution and the
From today, almost one million Thai and foreign travelers are expected to pass through Don Mueang international airport over the seven-day Songkran festival and holiday, which runs from tomorrow until April 17th. The airport’s director, Mr. Sirote Duangrat, estimates that about 120,000 passengers, including many from China, Japan and India, will board flights today for
The Foreign Ministry yesterday formally told western diplomats that their presence at Pathumwan police station on Saturday when Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit reported to police to acknowledge a sedition charge against him has created an impression that they are taking sides in the current Thai political situation. Damrong Kraikruan, a deputy permanent secretary of
Thailand’s highly regarded economic think-tank has voiced its strong disagreement with the National Council for Peace and Order’s executive order extending the payment schedule of concession fees for the country’s three mobile phone operators, claiming the move will benefit the businesses at a cost to the taxpayers of around 24 billion baht. Mr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said in a
Imagine Thai, Chinese and Russian diplomats seek to be present at Edward Snowden interrogation. Imagine what America will say if that happens. That forms the core of the current uproar within one side of the Thai political divide against what was perceived as western diplomats “crossing the line” in the increasingly controversial Thanathorn case. The
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s nearly seven-year hideout in Ecuador’s London embassy abruptly ended Thursday when police entered the building and arrested him ahead of possible extradition to the United States. Footage shot by the Russian video news agency Ruptly showed a frantic-looking Assange — his worn face framed by a large white beard and shock
Two persons were killed and another 15 injured after fire broke out in an office building adjacent to Centara Grand Hotel in the compound of the Central World, Thailand’s biggest shopping complex, in Rajprasong area. Bangkok Governor Aswin Khwanmuang said one of those killed plunged to his death from the eighth floor of the building
