Unsustainable development threatens the diverse fish populations of the Mekong river, with one-fifth of fish species facing extinction, a new report by conservation groups said. But some scientists say it's "not too late" for countries in the delta to reverse the adverse impacts.
Ecuador's La Cumbre volcano, part of the Galapagos archipelago, has started to erupt, the government of the South American country reported on Sunday (March 3). There was no immediate danger posed because the island where the volcano is located is uninhabited, the environment ministry confirmed.
Traditional dancers put on a performance featuring a depiction of the Songkran goddess ‘Mahothon Devi’, centre stage, at the Thailand Cultural Centre on Monday. (Photos: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Thai, Filipino transvestites clash in SukhumvitTransvestites brawl on Soi Sukhumvit 11 in Wattana district on Monday night. (Screenshot from บอลลูน บอลลูน Facebook account)Police broke up a developing brawl between Thai and Filipino transvestites on Soi Sukhumvit 11 late on Monday night. Police were rushed to the scene after a report that about 20 Filipino transvestites had attacked two Thai transvestites. Later Thai transvestites were mobilised via social media to gather at the scene to respond to the attack. A strong police presence on Soi Sukhumvit 11 prevented any further clashes.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (March 5) an incentive provided to Taylor Swift to make Singapore the only stop in Southeast Asia on her world tour was not a hostile act towards its neighbours.
THAI to fly to Perth, Colombo and KeralaThai Airways International (THAI) will begin services to Perth in Western Australia and to Colombo in Sri Lanka on March 31, and to Cochin airport, which serves Kochi city in Kerala, southwestern India, on April 2. Chief commercial officer Korakot Chatasingha said on Monday that the service from Bangkok to Perth would be daily. On the Bangkok-Perth route the airline will use a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 22 Royal Silk Class seats. The new service to Colombo will also be daily, using an Airbus 320-200 with 12 Economy Plus seats. The airline will use an Airbus 320-200 with 174 Economy Class seats on he Kochi route.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, left, greets Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Government House on Sunday. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday said he would appeal a House sub-committee decision to reject a funding request for a new Russian-made helicopter for the ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). The sub-committee vetting the 2024 fiscal budget bill on Thursday rejected the ministry's request for 950 million baht in funds for a helicopter procurement project. Mr Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the DDPM needs two more helicopters and the first purchase should come from the 2024 fiscal budget. Currently, the DDPM only has four helicopters, which are not enough to fight wildfires and haze pollution and conduct rescue operations, he said.
Thaksin most influential politician, Pita most worthy of sympathy: pollThaksin Shinawatra (Bangkok Post file photo)A majority of people think that convicted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra is the most influential political figure and Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of the Move Forward Party, politician most deserving of people's sympathy, an opinion poll has found. The National Institute of Development Administration poll, or Nida Poll, asked 1,310 respondents nationwide on Feb 27-29 to choose three individuals whom they regard as "influential political figures". Prodigal former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was rated almost twice as influential as current premier Srettha Thavisin. When asked to name the three people in Thai politics most deserving of sympathy, the election-winning Pita Limjaroenrat, whose premiership was blocked by the junta-appointed Senate, scored almost half of the vote – and more than twice as much as the next choice, "Nobody". The complete tally of answers was as follows:- Pita Limjaroenrat 46.79%- Nobody 17.86%- Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit 11.45%- Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin 10.46%- Former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha 8.55%- Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra 8.09%- Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra 1.91%- Move Forward leader Chaithawat Tulathon 1.37%- Palang Pracharath leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon 1.22%- Others 2.98%- Don't know/not interested 6.34%.
CVS and Walgreens, the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains, will start selling abortion pill mifepristone at stores in several states this month, drawing praise from President Joe Biden who has made access to abortion a key election campaign issue.
AirAsia seeks to start units in Singapore, VietnamAn AirAsia aircraft is seen parked at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)KUALA LUMPUR - Low-cost budget carrier AirAsia is seeking to start units in Singapore and Vietnam, the Edge reported. The company wants a presence in those markets even while recognizing it won’t be the biggest player there, the paper said, citing Tony Fernandes, chief executive officer of AirAsia’s parent Capital A Bhd. AirAsia already has operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia. Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia is planning to ramp up flights to countries with visa-free travel such as Japan and China, according to Thai AirAsia chief executive Santisuk Klongchaiya.
During our family visit to Chiang Mai, we visited a place called the "monkey school" at the suggestion of our driver. However, when we were entering, it came to us as a shock that the fee for each person was 200 baht. But our family thought it would probably be worth it as my brother and I would enjoy seeing the cute monkeys. But we saw about 10 monkeys chained to the concrete floor and caged in very small areas. Although I live in South Korea now, I will visit Chiang Mai again this summer from June through August.
In a community of Khok Muang in Buri Ram, the tradition of tie-dye fabric reflects the local culture. A distinctive tradition passed down through generations involves using silk fabric imprinted with patterns extracted from carvings on the stone pillars of Prasat Muang Tam, an ancient Khmer Hindu temple.
The immediate action was the opening of a Commerce Department investigation into security threats, which could lead to new regulations or restrictions on Chinese vehicles. "China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices," Biden said in a statement accompanying the announcement. (Photo: New York Times)At Biden's direction, the Commerce Department has begun an investigation into the threat from technology embedded in Chinese EVs. Administration officials noted that American auto manufacturers that sold vehicles to customers in China were essentially forced by Chinese officials to use Chinese software in their vehicles. Biden officials said the investigation could result in new US restrictions on vehicles that depended on software from China.
Visa-free accessRe: "Myanmar influx 'no cause for concern' ", (BP, Feb 24). We should very quickly add Myanmar to the list of countries whose citizens don't need prior approval or visas on arrival. About 80% of international travellers to Thailand now enter on 30- or 90-day visa exemptions, and those from Myanmar should be at least as law-abiding as the others. As the draft gets underway, people will be pressured to cross our porous border without documentation, causing multiple problems. Thailand is one of the world's fastest-ageing societies, increasing the burden on working-age Thais to support their elders.
Baht projected to weaken following poor economic figuresAn employee counts bundles of 1,000-baht banknotes at a gold shop in Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown. BofA Global Research said the baht consolidated recently as equity outflows stabilised before turning to small net inflows in February. "The baht is exposed to rising freight costs, as this could add to import bills," the research noted. BofA projects the currency to trade at 36 baht to the greenback by the end of the first quarter. "That would likely result in lower baht volatility in the second half of the year and appreciation from current levels," noted the research.
