Asia Thailand

Thai Authorities Throw the Book at Students Protests, thought snuffed out by Covid-19, spring back to life Our Correspondent Mar 29 3 Thai student protests are rekindling in Bangkok with

Thailand Increases Speed Limits to Cut Road Crashes This may not work 9 hr ago 1 By: Robby Ramakant For years, Thailand has been notorious for having some of the

Thai Royalty Attack on Exiled Critic Leaked instructions detail Facebook assault 13 hr ago 1       By: Pavin Chachavalpongpun Major General Jakchai Srikacha, the Thai palace’s information chief,

Thai Students’ Protests at Point of No Return Crackdown encourages students, attracts sympathizers   12 hr 1     https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b8e35413-c7b6-470f-9bfe-7b59942b9974_800x451.jpeg”,”height”:451,”width”:800,”resizeWidth”:null,”bytes”:79073,”alt”:null,”title”:null,”type”:”image/jpeg”,”href”:null}” /> By: Pithaya Pookaman The Thai government’s imposition of the

Thailand’s King Wears Out his Welcome Vajiralongkorn’s unpopularity presents a dilemma for the army Our Correspondent Oct 17 4 54   The tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters taking to

Ominous Overtones in Growing Thailand Protest Hundreds of thousands of protesters dare a brutal crackdown Our Correspondent Sep 21 2 3     After six years of frustration over lackluster,

Facebook Blocks Access to Popular Royalist Discussion Website Rising pressure from students and opposition figures rattles junta   16 hr   1   By: Pavin Chachavalpongpun Facebook has acceded to

Thai Students on a Collision Course with Royalty   Our Correspondent Aug 13 3       Thailand’s erratic king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, flew into his increasingly restive kingdom on August

88 Years of Failed Democracy in Thailand No way out Jun 29 1     By: Pithaya Pookaman Since the promulgation of Thailand’s first constitution in 1932 following the bloodless

Elephant training process known as ‘the crush’ revealed in rarely-seen footage Calves bound with chains and confined in narrow enclosures for days at a time to make them submissive enough

‘Unseen Thailand’ Slogan: Unintended Meaning  July 3, 2018  269 By: Pithaya Pookaman         Thailand was once known to the world as the Land of Smiles. When tourism

In the Land of Wiley Smileys-   Thai Economy a Study in Contradiction   Posted on October 3, 2017 By Our Correspondent Economics/Business, Headline, ThailandThai Economy a Study in Contradiction

  THAILAND’S DARK SIDE: WHY YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T VISIT KOH TAO   An ex-Thailand resident warns that Koh Tao is a no-go zone    ELAINE DICKINSON “Amazing Thailand” – so

Thailand’s Monarch Seeks to Return to the Kingdom of Siam   Posted on May 25, 2017   Vajiralongkorn’s first six months is a steady progression towards absolute power    

The New Thai King’s Reign of Fear   Posted on April 18, 2017 By Pavin Chachavalpongpun Headline, Politics, Thailand How is the monarch ruling his kingdom since the death of his father,

King Bhumi, Idolised, Feared and Despised…. . – The Radical – 14th Oct 2016 – ……Absolute Ruler of Siam, Corruption and an Unequal and Divided Nation He tolerated no dissent

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, 1927-2016, dies Posted on October 14, 2016 By Paul Handley Headline, Society, Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 1927-2016 The world’s longest-serving monarch leaves a mixed legacy

Bangkok still holds Songkran death record   The Nation April 16, 2016 1:00 pm Bangkok saw the most road fatalities at 15, while Chiang Mai had the most injured people,

Thai New Year Awash in Groping and Road Deaths   Posted on April 13, 2016 PM   Prayuth tells women to stay dressed during Songkran, compares them to sweet candies

Thai junta criticised as army given sweeping powers of arrest The US and human rights groups call for Thailand’s coup leaders to limitmilitary influence over civilian authorities. Thailand’s junta chief

Thai junta chief gives military broad new police-like powers     BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s junta chief has given the military broad new police-like powers to arrest and detain criminal

‘Affluenza’ in Thailand   Getting away with hit-and-run murder   Posted on March 23, 2016 By Our Correspondent Headline, Society, Thailand     Early in the morning of Sept. 3,

Opinion: Epidemic of Top Thai Cop ‘Suicides’ Continues   Obama! Don’t!  Police Colonel is believed to have been murdered   On Feb. 12, a Thai police spokesman announced that a

Bangkok boat explosion injures more than 50 passengers   At least 58 people were injured in Thailand’s capital Bangkok after the engine on a water taxi exploded as it pulled

Myint arrived in Thailand dreaming of a new future.   But he was captured, chained and forced to work night and day on a fishing boat for 22 years, ending

Corrupt police make Thailand a ‘dangerous trap’, says sister of murdered British tourist   Laura Witheridge says Thai authorities mistreated her family, bungled the investigation and covered up other murders

Thailand’s Missing Activists UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for investigation   At least 82 political activists and others have disappeared in Thailand since 1980 including the respected human

  Thailand Looks Vainly for a Magic Finance Minister       Current economics czar looks back nostalgically at something missing today — an honest man   That Sinking Feeling

Top Thai Investigator in Rohingya Case Runs for his Life     Watchdog’s flight is emblematic of vast corruption, disarray at the top of Thai military and police   Posted

Thai Junta Shuts Public’s Ears to Bad News     Prayuth says things are fine   But while censorship is rife, the economy continues to flag   When the international

Opponents of Thai Crown Prince Throw in the Royal Towel In charge: Vajiralongkorn Elites surrounding the palace may be horrified by the prince’s behavior, but they have little recourse    Posted

Thailand’s Crown Prince Starts Another Purge   ‘Reign of terror,’ frightened aristocrats say As Thailand’s royal interregnum approaches, the country’s ruling class has been seized by what amounts almost to

Thai police ‘threatened to chop legs off’ suspect accused of murdering British backpackers   Police are accused of beating the suspects and threatening to “make them disappear” in order to

Thai bomb leader, fled to Bangladesh, on a Chinese passport – police- Hmmmmm !- “Izan” is a province in North East Thailand. (Spelt Issan or Isan)- “Its the all Present

             Dear Friend Andy Hall is a researcher who defends the rights of migrants in Thailand, including migrants from Burma.     On Monday he will be in

Reported on two weeks ago and this website told you so ! Thailand is not safe, especially TOURIST areas – Pattaya, the South and North East. Clearly the Thai Police

UN Body Blasts Thailand on Lèse-Majesté Posted on August 11, 2015 By Our Correspondent                                 Headline, Politics, Thailand Nice shirt. Bad law. High Commission for Human Rights says harsh laws are

Thailand’s Generals Can’t Restart the Economy Enter Prayuth, looking nervous Fifteen months in, a cabinet reshuffle looms. Won’t help     Most of Thailand’s economic news is continuing to dampen

Thailand the Tricky Tourist Trap-   Read My Lips-Thailand IS NOT SAFE   The Land of Smiles ? -They are only Smiling at your Misfortune   Corruption, Theft & a

  Thai Junta Backs Away From Firm Election Date More time at the trough The years tick on… As fully expected, the Thai government’s promises of an election to end

Thai Junta Moves on the Yellow Shirts   It isn’t just the Red Shirts facing military wrath   Against earlier assumptions that Thailand’s junta would ignore years of violence on

Thai Election Won’t Solve Political Crisis How long you think he’s got?? If anything, the crisis has deepened, author says The Thai political crisis has only deepened following the May 2014 coup.  Posted on June 9, 2015  By Pavin Chachavalpongpun  The military claimed it was saving Thailand from slipping into a new round of political violence  after months of anti-Yingluck Shinawatra protests. But, in reality it sought to take control over politics  in the twilight of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s almost 70-year reign. For decades, the monarchy and the military have cooperated closely  to create a political environment in which governments must be kept weak and vulnerable.  Should governments appear challenging or threatening, as Thaksin Shinawatra’s did,  they were to be overthrown in a coup. But the authoritative era of King Bhumibol is coming to an end.  His looming departure has elevated anxiety levels among the traditional elites,  of which the military is a part. This has driven the military to intervene in politics at this critical period.  It aims to manage the royal succession to defend the interests of the old elites.  Failing that, should the military be forced to step aside from politics —  either by domestic or international pressure —  it aims to ensure that the political infrastructure it leaves behind can be used  to maintain the military’s political position. Careful Charter Through this process, the military is sponsoring the drafting of Thailand’s new constitution,  which is designed to give extra-parliamentary institutions — such as the Senate and independent organizations —  power over future elected governments. The junta-endorsed constitution will stipulate that future prime ministers need not be elected,  thus paving the way for an outsider handpicked by the military.  So the coup leader and current self-appointed Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha could return to the premiership after the election.  Future members of parliaments can also be independent candidates,  purportedly to break up the domination of politics by powerful political parties.  A weak and loose coalition government may emerge after next year’s election.

Thai King in Health Crisis?   Helicopter suddenly brings him back from summer palace Thailand’s ailing king Bhumibol Adulyadej was quietly transferred by helicopter on Sunday,  May 31, from his summer palace in Hua Hin, 200 km south of Bangkok,  to Siriraj Hospital where he has spent much of the last decade, sources said. Posted on May 31, 2015   There has been no public announcement of the ailing, 87-year-old king’s condition. He and his equally ailing Queen Sirikit left Siriraj,  Thailand’s best hospital, in early May for the seaside palace.  At the time, although the couple waved to cheering couples, their appearance raised serious concerns about their health. Both appeared nearly comatose.  “Our king is being flown back, hopefully nothing bad is going on,”  said a business source with connections to the palace.  When the king dies after ruling for 69 years since 1946 as Rama IX,  the passing is expected to set off a wave of mourning that can be expected to last for months.  His condition is of enormous emotional importance to Thailand’s 67-million people, given that, according to a statement by the government,  he has never left the country since introductory trips after his coronation  and since he has publicly adopted a posture of supreme humility despite the vast wealth of the palace.  The report that he is being helicoptered back from Hua Hin  raises new fears over the possibility of his looming death and who or what will follow,  and indeed whether the royal institution will survive,  given both the behavior of the crown prince and the infighting going on secretly in the palace  over the forthcoming reign. He is known to be despised by much of the palace guard. The king went into the hospital eight months ago to have his gall bladder removed.  He had previously been confined to the hospital for four years before coming out for a brief period Both he and the queen are believed to have had a series of strokes  that have left them basically incapacitated.  As the health of the two has waned, and as reports of machinations  and intrigue continue to seep out of the palace, however, the public is losing its awe of the monarchy.  The army has sought to preserve that reverence in the wake of the year-old military coup that brought Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to power with ever-tightening controls on civil and human rights.  Although the king has no formal political role, his replacement, assumed to be the 62-year-old crown prince, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has inspired little confidence  and considerable criticism for his profligate womanizing