A source in parliament said that Bhumjaithai MP and party registrar Supachai Jaisamut has written to inform House Speaker Chuan Leekpai that nine MPs from the disbanded FFP have applied to join Bhumjaithai. This brings the number of Bhumjaithai MPs to 61, surpassing the Democrats to make it the second-largest party in the coalition, the source said. Bhumjaithai has also …

Indonesia’s Gojek denied a report that it’s discussing a merger with rival Grab Holdings Inc, a deal that would combine the leading ride-hailing businesses in Southeast Asia. “There are no plans for any sort of merger and recent media reports regarding discussions of this nature are not accurate,” Gojek said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Management teams from the two …

Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco has completed its exit from China with the sale of a 20% stake in a joint venture to a unit of its state-run partner China Resources Holdings (CRH), raising 275 million pounds (1.1 billion baht). Having struggled to crack the Chinese market, Tesco established the Gain Land joint venture with CRH in 2014, combining its 131 …

The Public Health Ministry on Tuesday announced two new Thai Covid-19 cases: a woman, 31, whose relative visited Guangzhou and a male driver of Chinese tourists, 29, as the total number of local cases rose to 37. Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary for health, said the woman was a maid and was initially diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause. Later, doctors …

Former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn and five other suspects are facing six charges including premeditated murder. The charges stem from the abduction and murder of a brother of a senior judge to force her to drop an indictment against Pol Lt Col Banyin in a share transfer case. Wirachai Sakuntaprasoet, an elder brother of Bangkok South Criminal Court judge …

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha first time ever defended a land sale by his father publicly, insisting that it did not favour anyone after the opposition raised the issue during the first day of the censure debate against the government. Yutthapong Charassathian, a Pheu Thai Party MP for Maha Sarakham, claimed that the land which was sold by Gen Prayut’s father …

China declared an immediate and “comprehensive” ban on wild animal trade and consumption, a practice believed to be responsible for the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The highest legislative committee in the country adopted a resolution “prohibiting the illegal trade in wildlife, abolishing the bad habit of overconsumption of wildlife and effectively protecting people’s lives and safety,” state television reported. Previous temporary …

The Vice President then said that EDSA People Power was never a call for a perfect leader, but a demand for a leader who looks out for people’s welfare rather than killing them— a statement that could be taken as a slap against President Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs has been criticized for his high death toll. Robredo has …

A resolution was tabled in the Senate aiming to prove the readiness of the government to address the expected water shortage this year. In filing Senate Resolution 329, Senator Joel Villanueva said he would like to know whether government agencies and stakeholders are now better prepared to prevent the negative effects of the anticipated dry season water shortage. In the …

According to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday, the health of about 4,000 Filipino factory workers in South Korea’s Daegu City is being prioritized by their employers in the face of the increasing number of cases of coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). According to De Jesus, Korean employers also distribute face masks and ensure that work spaces aren’t too …