Posts published in “Thailand”

Picture this: on a bright December day in 2017, Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thailand’s Prime Minister at the time, donning a hard hat and armed with a shovel, stepped forward amidst a crowd buzzing with excitement. He wasn’t there just for a photo op; no, this was a momentous occasion – the groundbreaking ceremony of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway at Mor Lak Hin in the picturesque Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima. It was a scene straight out of a visionary’s dream, complete with the anticipation of progress and the promise of a transformed future. Fast forward to the present, and the saga of innovation and international cooperation continues unabated. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT), under the steadfast leadership of governor Nirut Maneepan, has taken a bold step forward by greenlighting the daring second phase of this high-octane rail project. Stretching from Nakhon Ratchasima all the way to Nong Khai, this…

In the bustling political arena of Thailand, the Move Forward Party (MFP) has spun the spotlight onto a rather formidable entity within the government—the defense “super board”. Imagine a group so influential that it has the final say in the annual musical chairs of military positions, deciding who gets to be a general and who doesn’t. This seven-member board is not your average committee meeting over coffee; it’s a gathering of five top-tier leaders from the armed forces and two supreme defense officials who wield the power to tilt the scales of military politics. Enter stage left, Tanadej Pengsuk, not just any member of parliament but a Bangkok MFP MP with a badge of deputy chairman of the House committee on military affairs. Tanadej, with the finesse of a chess master, proposes a bill aimed at clipping the wings of this so-called super board. Why? To prevent them from having…

In the hypnotic hours of a Sunday night, beneath the glow of neon lights in Surat Thani, a thrilling drama unfolded as police unveiled a clandestine world of sleek e-cigarettes and clouds of vaporous intrigue. The stage for this scene was a nondescript commercial building in the bustling area of tambon Makham Tia, in the heart of Surat Thani’s Muang district. The plot thickened as officials, led by the intrepid assistant governor Pol Lt Somchai Rueangchan, descended upon an unsuspecting e-cigarette shop. The store, a seemingly innocuous beacon for vaping aficionados, was rumored to be the epicenter of an illicit industry, boasting a staggering monthly turnover of one million baht. The discovery? More than just flavored vapor, the shop also harbored secrets—cannabis-laced mysteries wrapped in 46 joints and 500 grammes of dried temptation. Captured amidst this whirlwind was Thatthon Liusakul, 31, the shop’s unsuspecting guardian, who found himself ensnared in…

Back in the brisk December of 2017, an event that would chart the future of Thailand’s connectivity unfolded with a certain ceremonial gravitas. The then Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, wasn’t content with mere symbolic gestures. So, he donned the hard hat, grabbed a shovel, and stood shoulder to shoulder with laborers at Mor Lak Hin, Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima. Their mission? To kick-off the groundbreaking ceremony of the kind of project that gets etched in the annals of infrastructure lore: the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway. There was an air of anticipation, the kind of buzz that surrounds monumental beginnings. This was not just about laying tracks; it was about forging ahead at high speed into the future. Fast forward to the corridors of decision-making power where the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) convenes. In a move that underscored the futuristic vision of the land of smiles, the SRT board,…

In a plot twist that sounds like it’s straight out of a high-stakes political drama, Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn, also known across the land as “Big Joke,” came forward on Monday with accusations that could very well read like the script of a blockbuster movie. Picture this: a brilliant, high-ranking officer, steps into the limelight, not to solve a crime, but to lay bare an injustice he asserts has been wrought against him by no less than the Prime Minister himself, Srettha Thavisin. The scene unfolds at the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), an austere backdrop for the drama that was about to ensue. It’s here, amidst the buzz of the world’s press, that Surachate, in a bold move, filed a complaint so potent it could shake the very foundations of the current establishment. Addressed to NACC’s secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, this wasn’t just any complaint. It…

In the bustling district of Ban Khai located in the heart of Rayong, a sudden conflagration transformed an ordinary Monday into a scene straight out of an action movie. The protagonists, warehouses owned by the ominously named Win Process Co., found themselves engulfed in a hellish inferno that kicked off a dramatic day filled with fire, explosions, and a community banding together in the face of adversity. Early in the morning, the air was shattered by explosions and the sky painted in hues of danger as fire erupted at a warehouse specializing in industrial waste management. This wasn’t any regular blaze; it was a monster that growled and roared, challenging the bravest of the brave who dared approach it. The local heroes, sixteen fire engines complemented by a fleet of eight ambulances and about fifty rescue workers, converged on the site. Their arsenal? An impressive array of firefighting foam, sourced…

Imagine stepping outside in Chiang Mai province on a Monday morning, only to find the Sun playing a shy game behind a veil of clouds. Yet, its presence is undeniable, as the air hints at the unfolding saga of a scorching week ahead. The scene is set for a tale of relentless heat that promises to grip not just Chiang Mai but a vast expanse of Thailand from its northern highlands to the bustling Central Plains and the picturesque East. According to the esteemed wizards at the Meteorological Department, a dramatic surge in the mercury levels is on the horizon, sweeping across the North, the Northeast, the Central Plains, and the East, painting the week in shades of fiery hot. From Monday to Sunday, an invisible cauldron bubbles, heralding temperatures that flirt with the astonishing heights of 43 degrees Celsius in the North. The culprit? A stubborn low-pressure zone, casting…

In the heart of Khon Kaen province, where the sun beats down with relentless intensity, there’s a farm that’s become the epicenter of an unexpected consequence of the heatwave hitting Thailand. Here, amongst rows of neatly lined duck coops, Amphol Saenna, a resilient layer duck farmer, is facing a peculiar challenge. On a typical Monday, which recently witnessed a glaring sun, Amphol was found meticulously sorting duck eggs, a daily ritual that has lately been yielding fewer rewards. The reason behind this scarcity? The scorching heat has been playing spoilsport, causing his usually voracious ducks to turn up their beaks at their feed. Consequently, these feathered ladies have been laying fewer eggs, causing a ripple effect that’s felt beyond the boundaries of Amphol’s farm. Across Khon Kaen, the shimmering heat seems to be conspiring against poultry, leading to a surprising twist in the market – an uptick in duck egg…

Welcome to a tale of resilience and hope that unfolded in the unassuming district of Mae Sot, Tak, where the serene beauty of the landscape was momentarily disrupted by the echoes of conflict emanating from across the border in Myanmar. This story, vibrant with the spirit of human courage, begins on a Saturday when war refugees, carrying little more than the weight of their experiences, found sanctuary in a temporary shelter, their weary eyes reflecting stories untold. (Photo credit: Assawin Pinitwong) As the sun rose on Sunday, Mae Sot, a district known for its quiet strength and solidarity, hosted about 3,000 souls who had fled the ferocity of fighting around Myawaddy. Yet, in the face of adversity, there is always a glimmer of hope. By Monday, the tide of refugees had receded to about 1,000. This dramatic shift was not merely a stroke of luck but a testament to the…

Imagine being at the epicenter of a brewing storm where power, politics, and the military collide. This isn’t the script for the latest political thriller but the real-life saga unfolding in the hallowed halls of Thailand’s Defence Ministry. At the heart of this drama is none other than Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, a man who, alongside top military brass, finds himself navigating through treacherous waters of legislative reform that threatens to shake the very foundation of military governance in the country. The plot thickens when reports surface about a clandestine meeting held last week, a gathering that saw the Defence Ministry’s top minds grapple with a proposal set to redefine the landscape of military law. The reform in question? A daring bid to amend not one, but two critical pieces of legislation that steer the administrative helm of the Defence Ministry and the Military Court charter. But that’s not all—the…