On a bustling Sunday at the esteemed Centara Life Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre in Bangkok, Senate candidates gathered to cast their votes in the pivotal provincial-level election. The event, captured vividly by the keen lens of Varuth Hirunyatheb, marked a significant step in the political landscape. However, amidst the democratic fervor, a call for urgency arose. Caretaker senator Somchai Swangkarn implored the Election Commission (EC) to hasten their investigation into alleged election irregularities, particularly in Buri Ram, where certain candidates astonishingly amassed an unusually high number of votes from their peers. Somchai’s plea came in response to the startling outcomes of the weekend’s election, where out of the 23,645 hopefuls that passed the district-level selection on June 9, only 3,080 were shortlisted for the next stage. These contenders, with eyes on the grand prize of 200 Senate seats, are now poised for the national-level contest on June 26…
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Excitement is brewing in the world of Thai politics as the government-sponsored referendum bill stands poised to pass its first test. Chartthaipattana Party list-MP, Nikorn Chamnong, at the helm of a sub-committee dedicated to the charter referendum, recently shared insights after a productive meeting with opposition whips. According to Nikorn, the bill, which aims to revise the Referendum Act of 2021, is now prepped and primed for House deliberation. The Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, who also heads a government panel focused on public votes necessary for charter amendments, will be the one to propose the bill to the House of Representatives today. Phumtham is set to passionately address the House, steering the conversation around the significance of the proposed revisions. Ever since its inception, the bill has been thoughtfully sculpted with public input. Initially posted on the Permanent Secretary’s Office website of the PM’s Office, it…
On Friday and Saturday, a wave of arrests swept through Thailand as 126 individuals were apprehended for betting on the 2024 UEFA European Football Championships (Euro 2024) matches, according to a statement released by the Royal Thai Police on Monday. Most notably, six of these individuals were detained for organizing and facilitating the bets, while 117 were caught in the act of illegal betting. The remaining few, as informed by Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Akkaradej Pimolsri, were responsible for distributing betting tickets to the eager gamblers. The majority of those detained were gambling on match outcomes while watching the games in an ambiance of neon lights and thrumming beats at nightclubs and other venues that hosted live broadcasts of the matches, Pimolsri explained. Authorities seized approximately 150 betting tickets along with a modest sum of 11,000 baht in cash, collectively serving as substantial evidence of the illegal…
In a striking display of diligence and tenacity, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) managed to apprehend 21 suspects involved in 10 interconnected drug cases from May 31 to June 11. This notable intervention, spearheaded by the Narcotic Suppression Bureau (NSB), saw an astounding seizure of narcotics, including 36 million methamphetamine pills, a staggering 911 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, and 5.16 kilograms of heroin. The orchestrated operation paints a vivid picture of the relentless effort by law enforcement to combat the incursion of illegal drugs. Pol Lt Gen Samran Nualma, assistant national police chief, announced the remarkable busts on Monday, crediting the coordinated efforts of the NSB team led by Pol Lt Gen Khirisak Tantinavachai. Interestingly, the past eight months have seen almost double the number of arrests compared to the previous year, underscoring the escalating measures taken to quash drug-related crimes. What makes these cases particularly intriguing is the international…
The Progressive Movement (PM), a key political ally of the main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), made a compelling argument on Monday about why the Constitutional Court will likely throw out the dissolution case against the MFP. These insights were shared by Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, the PM’s secretary-general, via his vibrant and always engaging Facebook account. The message arrived with an air of urgency, just a day before the high-stakes court proceedings were set to commence. Mr. Piyabutr didn’t mince words, accusing the Election Commission (EC) of falling short in adhering to Section 93 of the organic law on political parties. This section spells out, in meticulous detail, the legal procedure that the EC, as the law’s enforcer, must follow. The failure to follow these guidelines, Mr. Piyabutr contends, renders the petition against the MFP illegitimate. His background as a former associate professor at the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University…
Thailand is sitting on a veritable goldmine, and not just the literal kind. According to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), the country brims with over 30 trillion tonnes spanning more than 40 types of minerals, collectively valued at an eye-watering 44,410 trillion baht. These buried treasures could secure Thailand’s raw material needs for generations to come. During a high-energy press conference last week, the DMR’s director-general, Phichit Sombatmak, unveiled an exciting new development. The National Committee on Mineral Resources has flagged specific mining zones as prime locales ripe for development. Imagine this: about 19% of Thailand’s total land area, that’s a whopping 60 million rai, houses mineral riches with an initial valuation surpassing 44,410 trillion baht. Among these treasures are construction stones, essential minerals like potash and perlite for agriculture, and even the eco-friendly varieties like lithium and quartz, which are pivotal for energy storage. It’s like Mother Nature’s…
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat is championing a reconsideration of the Commerce Ministry’s decision to permit recipients of the 10,000-baht digital wallet payout to spend the money on mobile phones. According to Mr. Julapun, this choice doesn’t align with the scheme’s primary goal: boosting the local economy. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shares these concerns. The reasoning is straightforward—most mobile phones sold in Thailand are either wholly imported or assembled from foreign components. Consequently, allowing the baht to flow into the purchase of these imported goods could dilute the intended economic stimulus. Mr. Julapun, who chairs the committee monitoring the digital money scheme, voiced these issues during a recent meeting between the Finance and Commerce ministries and other relevant state agencies. The discussion focused specifically on the list of items eligible for purchase using the 10,000-baht digital funds. The core of the scheme lies in encouraging domestic spending, thus ensuring the…
In the early hours of last month, a diligent worker clambered up towering sacks of rice at a bustling warehouse in Surin. These were not just ordinary rice bags; they had been stored for over a decade, awaiting their eventual fate. (Photo: Ministry of Commerce) Fast forward to today, V8 Intertrading Co Ltd has emerged victorious in a highly anticipated auction, acquiring 15,000 tonnes of rice left over from the Yingluck Shinawatra administration’s infamous rice-pledging scheme. The winning bid reached a noteworthy 19,070 baht per tonne, signaling the auction’s momentous success. Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai couldn’t contain his pride, revealing that the state stands to earn an impressive 286 million baht from this sale. Addressing concerns, Mr. Phumtham assured the public that this sale would not clash with the upcoming rice harvesting season in November. The out-of-season auction was strategically planned to avoid any market disruptions. “The strong auction price…
Picture this: a sleek marine police boat slicing through the azure waves on a crisp Monday morning, escorting three wayward vessels back to the Port of Songkhla. These weren’t just any ships – they were infamous oil-smuggling contraptions that had gone awry, found loitering suspiciously near Malaysian waters. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan) In a twist that reads like a spy novel, eleven crew members from the absconded oil-smuggling boats turned themselves in to the police earlier that same day. Their surrender followed promptly after arrest warrants were issued for an additional fifteen crew members in light of the mysterious vanishing of three out of five seized smuggling boats. These boats had disappeared without a trace from a secure marine police compound. The enigmatic disappearance had all the hallmarks of a high-seas heist. From Chon Buri’s sleepy Sattahip district, the three boats vanished into thin air—or, more accurately, watery depths—only to reappear…
The political temperature is expected to rise a notch tomorrow (Tuesday) as the Constitutional Court begins its deliberation of three political cases, while the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) is set to indict former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on a lese majeste charge. While all four cases are bound to have ramifications on the political landscape, only one case will be concluded tomorrow with the Constitutional Court set to hand down a ruling. The case involves the constitutionality of four provisions in the Senate election law. The court said last week it had obtained enough information to make a ruling tomorrow, which will decide if the ongoing Senate election process will proceed or be invalidated. The final phase of the election will be held on June 26. The other two cases, which concern the fate of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), are expected to…