Bangkok representative says he was protecting a woman who was being harassedMove Forward MP Chorayuth Chaturapornprasit (white shirt and black waistcoat) is seen being restrained during an altercation at a restaurant in the Ekamai area of Bangkok on Friday night. (Screengrab)A Move Forward Party (MFP) MP has accepted blame following a physical altercation at a Bangkok restaurant on Friday night, but says he was defending a woman who was being harassed. The MP for Bang Kholaem-Yannawa MP is seen stepping in to intervene as the man began to harass a woman. Move Forward spokesman Karoonpon Tieansuwan said on Saturday that the other man had previously harassed Mr Chorayuth’s friends and had slapped another person in the face before turning his attention to the MP. Nonetheless, the MP insisted that he was merely protecting the woman seen in the video and did not initiate the fight.

Philippines 'in talks with Vietnam, India for rice imports'In this photo taken on July 19, 2023, workers plant varieties of rice being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos town, Laguna province. (Photo: AFP)MANILA: The Philippines is in talks to import rice from Vietnam and India as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to boost its buffers and lower prices, an agriculture official said. "This will hopefully pave the way for the country to get better terms for the additional 300,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 metric tonnes of rice importation for this year," the official said. The additional purchase may lower rice prices for the Philippines as it will boost national inventory, which even without imports, is expected to last for 52 to 57 days by the end of the year, Panganiban said. Agriculture officials in December said rice imports this year will likely reach around 2.5 million metric tonnes, from about 3.5 million metric tonnes in 2022.

SET gains despite political dramaAn investor monitors share prices on a mobile phone. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)The SET moved up throughout the month of July despite some political turmoil as a new coalition government struggled to take shape. Average turnover was 44.7 billion baht, down 0.5% from the month before. Foreign investors were net sellers of 12.6 billion baht, while local funds and local investors were net buyers. The telecom operator's second-quarter profit of 7.3 billion baht was in line with our expectation.

CTP pro-charter rewrite but says some parts are sacredThe Chartthaipattana Party (CTP) yesterday voiced support for setting up a charter-drafting assembly to write a new constitution but insisted Chapters 1 and 2 must be left untouched. CTP director Nikorn Chamnong said he agreed with the policy of Pheu Thai Party, the core party forming a new government, to amend the current charter and said the best approach would be to create a new one with the involvement of the public. However, he said Chapters 1 and 2 must not be revised, and a planned referendum on the charter rewrite must not leave room for any interpretation that these two chapters can be amended. Mr Nikorn's comments came as Pheu Thai posted yesterday on its social media that a charter rewrite was top of its agenda. ILaw manager Yingcheep Atchanond asked if the charter rewrite could be pursued if Pheu Thai was planning to invite the Palang Pracharath Party and United Thai Nation Party (UTN) to join the coalition.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a United Thai Nation Party (UTN) list-MP, left, speaks during a parliament session on July 4 as Somsak Thepsutin, a Pheu Thai list-MP, right, looks on. It is now trying to woo support from the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), while the Move Forward Party (MFP) has apparently snubbed it. Somsak Thepsutin, a Pheu Thai list-MP, said he met Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a UTN list-MP, for talks on the possibility of the UTN joining the Pheu Thai-led coalition. Deputy Pheu Thai leader Phum- tham Wechayachai said a meeting between Pheu Thai and MFP key figures on Wednesday was not an invitation for the MFP to join the coalition. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate and daughter of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, also attended.

Local credit card operators plan to seek Bank of Thailand approval to raise their maximum interest rates as their costs have risen. The funding cost for credit card operators has increased in line with rising interest rates, according to the Credit Card Club, a unit of the Thai Bankers’ Association. The club also wants to discuss postponing an increase in the minimum payment rate for credit cards. The club has 16 members, mostly credit card providers from commercial banks and large non-banks. Mr Atis is also the managing director of General Card Services Ltd, a Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri) affiliate that oversees the Central The 1 credit card, a co-branded card from Krungsri and Central Retail Corporation.

Vietnam has up to 8m tonnes of rice for exportFarmers work in a paddy field next to large electricity pylons on the outskirts of Hanoi on Feb 15, 2022. (Photo: AFP)HANOI: Vietnam has 7 million to 8 million metric tonnes of rice for export this year, state media reported on Friday. Rice output this year is expected to be 27 million to 28 million metric tonnes, the agriculture minister, Le Minh Hoan, said in a report cited by the Vietnam News Agency. Rice exports from Vietnam in the first seven months of this year rose 21% from a year earlier to 4.89 million tonnes, according to government data. Its shipments totalled 7.1 million tonnes last year.

Will India be a new economic superpower? "Far more than China today, India is an economic miracle waiting to happen," he wrote in The New York Times. China became an economic superpower; projections of India as next are little more than hype. The World Bank's 2020 Human Capital Index gave India a score of 0.49, below Nepal and Kenya, both poorer countries. By contrast, no Indian university, including the celebrated Indian Institutes of Technology, is ranked among the world's top 100.

Pita gives view on PM rejectionPita Limjaroenrat, leader of the election-winning Move Forward Party (MFP) leader, right, and MFP-list MP Rangsiman Rome, left, leave the parliament on July 13 after Mr Pita, the sole prime ministerial candidate, failed to gather enough support in a joint sitting of elected MPs and appointed senators to become the country's 30th prime minister. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat on Thursday said he believes he could have been renominated for prime minister in parliament without having to wait for a court ruling. Responding to questions about the pending court case, Mr Pita said he believed he remains eligible to be renominated as a challenger under House regulations without having to wait for a court decision. But when asked about being in opposition, Mr Pita expressed the hope of having the chance one day to be in the government. "If you were and are impressed by our performance as an opposition party, we can deliver more as a government," he said.

When legal battles shake democraciesThree of the world's biggest democracies, all with past, present and/or prospective leaders facing prison at the same time. Almost all the judges play along in Pakistan, and all Pakistani governments jail opposition politicians (including Imran Khan's, when he was in power). Mr Gandhi, in mid-speech at an election rally, asked "Why do all these thieves have Modi as their surname? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi." The Gujarat court duly found Mr Gandhi guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison.

(Photo: Apichart Jinakul)All 40 MPs from the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will vote for the Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate unconditionally because the country urgently needs to have a government, says a party MP. Pai Leeke, a Palang Pracharath MP for Kamphaeng Phet, said on Thursday that the party had not been formally approached by Pheu Thai since key figures of the two parties met at Pheu Thai headquarters on July 23. Pheu Thai, which came second in the May 14 election, later dumped Move Forward and moved to form its own coalition. The votes of the PPRP would bring the total to 278, meaning it would still need the support of 97 senators in a vote for the Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate. The majority of its original members were defectors from the Pheu Thai Party.

(Photo: Chanat Katanyu)The Pheu Thai Party has welcomed the Chartthaipattana Party, along with its 10 MPs, into its coalition, raising the number of House seats held by the coalition to 238 out of the total 500. Chartthaipattana leader Varawut Silpa-archa said he thanked Pheu Thai for inviting his party to the coalition. Mr Varawut cited shared policies and perspectives between Pheu Thai and Chartthaipattana and expressed confidence in Pheu Thai's potential to lead the upcoming administration. Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai said that Pheu Thai representatives’ meeting with the MFP on Wednesday was not an invitation for the latter to join the coalition government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate and daughter of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, also attended the meeting.

It is up to Pheu Thai to decide whether to invite us. "I believe Pheu Thai is also currently approaching other parties," he added. Before attending a cabinet meeting yesterday, Gen Prawit said there had been no approach from Pheu Thai so far. "We are waiting for Pheu Thai to send an invitation," he said. Mr Varawut said it should be left to Pheu Thai to nominate a prime ministerial candidate who it deems fit for the next vote in parliament.

Key members of Pheu Thai and the six new parties announced their alliance at parliament on Wednesday — 87 days after the May 14 general election. The other parties are: Prachachart (9 House seats), Pheu Thai Ruam Palang (2), Chartpattanakla (2), Seri Ruam Thai (1), Palang Sangkhom Mai (1) and The Thongtee Thai Party (The Party of Thai Counties), which has one MP and was formed by former village chiefs, health volunteers and other civil servants. Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said his party had now secured 228 House seats in its bid to form a Pheu Thai-led coalition government. Also present at the announcement were Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai, Pheu Thai secretary-general Prasert Chantararuangthong, Seri Ram Thai leader Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, Chartpattanakla chairman Suwat Liptapanlop, Prachachart secretary-general Tawee Sodsong and representatives of the other parties. Pheu Thai came second in the May 14 general election with 141 House seats, followed by Bhumjaithai with 71.

Gas sales from the Bongkot gas field in the Gulf of Thailand are projected to drop this year, mainly due to a change in the way sales volume is calculated under a production sharing contract. Sales volume stood at 468 KBOED last year. From January to June, sales from the Block 61 gas field in Oman decreased. PTTEP is continuing to ratchet up gas production from the Erawan gas field in the Gulf. PTTEP joined a consortium to develop a liquefied natural gas production facility in Mozambique's Rovuma Area 1.