Thailand

Two Thai women convicted of smuggling methamphetamine into Bali have escaped a possible death sentence on the Indonesian holiday island after a court sentenced them to 16 years in jail. The verdict Wednesday comes four months after the pair were arrested by suspicious airport officials who found nearly a kilogramme of methamphetamine hidden under their clothes after arriving on a …

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Thursday he understood why students were rallying following the disbanding of the Future Forward Party, and asked they listen to both sides of the story. Responding to questions about the gatherings of high school and university students, Gen Prayut said he sympathised with them. They were the new generation and had his moral support. …

Two days after police cleared an indigenous blockade of a key Canadian rail artery east of Toronto, protesters were back Wednesday lighting fires on tracks and throwing rocks at passing trains. “It is extremely concerning to see people endangering their lives and the lives of others by trying to interfere with the trains, but we’re working hard to resolve this,” …

The Public Health Ministry is warning people against withholding information to public health officials and suggesting state agencies and companies issue an advisory and/or a temporary ban on visits to Covid-19 affected countries, as it steps up efforts to contain the spread of the virus. The move comes after three members of a family who travelled to Hokkaido, Japan tested …

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha faces the prospect of being taken to the Constitutional Court over his allegedly unlawful occupation of an army residence. Prasert Chanthararuangthong, a Nakhon Ratchasima MP for the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, told parliament during Wednesday’s censure debate that Gen Prayut’s tenancy of the army house constituted a conflict of interest. The MP said Gen Prayut, …

The atmosphere at NaRaYa, a popular bag retailer at Ratchaprasong intersection, has completely changed during the past several months. Long queues of customers and busy cashiers are sights not seen at the flagship store since the coronavirus outbreak. A similar fate has befallen Big C Supercenter’s Ratchadamri branch, whose Thai souvenir zone on the ground floor used to be a …

An elderly man has put 30 staff of B.Care Medical Center in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus after denying he had travelled overseas. He later admitted he had travelled to Japan and tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The management of the hospital stated on Wednesday that the man arrived at the facility on …

Unseasonal drought, floods and the negative impact of hydropower projects on the Mekong River’s ecology were major concerns raised by residents of northeastern provinces at a public hearing on the Luang Prabang Dam on Tuesday. Pradap Klatkhemphet, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), said the opinions will be summarised and included in a statement of …

The new coronavirus epidemic swelled on Wednesday with cases in South Korea surging past 1,000 after deaths soared in Iran and infections appeared in previously untouched countries, prompting dire warnings that the world was not ready to contain it. The virus has rapidly spread in parts of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, even as the number of deaths and …

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 …