Japanese woman found dead in hotel room toiletForensic police arrive at the hotel where the tourist was found dead on Monday. (Photo: Kulsolsongkhor Chiangmai Rescue Association)CHIANG MAI: A 25-year-old Japanese woman was found dead on Monday morning with a mobile phone charging cable around her neck in a hotel room where she stayed with her husband. Local police were informed of the discovery of her body about 10am by Parc Borough hotel on Mahidol Road in Muang district. Police said the couple checked in at the hotel two days ago after arriving from Bangkok. When he awoke again later on Monday morning he found his wife was dead in the toilet with a phone charging cable wrapped around her neck.

Frigate's torpedo tube damaged while dockingThe damaged torpedo launcher, left, on HTMS Naresuan after the docking accident at Map Taphut industrial port in Rayong province on July 26. (Photo supplied)A torpedo tube and several life rafts on the frigate HTMS Naresuan were damaged by an incident at Map Taphut boat pier last Wednesday, a navy source said. The accident occurred on July 26 while HTMS Naresuan was docking, the source said but gave no further details. The ship and crew were taking part in Naval Security Port and Ship Map Taphut Exercise 2023 (Nasmex 2023) held from July 25-27 at Map Taphut industrial port in Muang district, Rayong province. The accident damaged one of the three tubes of a torpedo launcher, along with several life rafts.

Lead caretaker party wants to be in next govtPalang Pracharath Party secretary-general Thamanat Prompow, right, and PPRP deputy leader Santi Prompat greet executives of the Pheu Thai Party when they paid a visit to the Pheu Thai head office on July 23. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), which leads the caretaker government, would accept the chance to join the next coalition government if it is invited, said its secretary-general. He was voted PPRP secretary-general just after its leader Prawit Wongsuwon resigned. Representatives of PPRP met executives of the Pheu Thai Party last week and PPRP has not been contacted since, Capt Thamanat said. PPRP won 40 House seats in the May 14 election, coming fourth after MFP, Pheu Thai and the Bhumjaithai Party.

Day 1 of long holiday weekend sees 2,000 injured, 22 killed on the nation's roadsA heavily damaged car rests on the Burapha Withi (Bang Na-Bang Pakong) elevated expressway after a clash in Bang Bo district, Samut Prakan, on Friday. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)The total number of people injured in road accidents on the first day of the long holiday reached almost 2,000 with 22 fatalities, according to the Royal Thai Police (RTP). He advised drivers to check their vehicles and study the route before leaving home to avoid road accidents. Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn said first-time offenders will face up to a year of jail time or 5,000-10,000 baht in fines. No passengers will be left stranded at bus or coach stops on their way back to the city, he said.

Current holidays to generate B17bn from 5m tripsTourists visit Pha Keb Tawan cliff in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Sunday. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that with the estimated volume of domestic tours during the special holiday period the hotel occupancy rate was expected at 63%. In the first two days of the long holiday, most trips were made to destinations within a radius of 200-300 kilometres, he said. The government announced a special holiday on Monday (July 31) at short notice, apparently to stimulate domestic tourism. Last week the cabinet declared July 31 a special holiday to create a six-day break from Friday last week to Wednesday this week.

(Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)Anyone who believes fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will return to Thailand on Aug 10 to face prison time is mistaken, according to political whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit. Exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra gestures while being interviewed by reporters in Hong Kong on March 25, 2019. “To petition for a royal pardon for a personal crime, it is left to the royal prerogative,” Mr Chuvit wrote. “No one has ever received a royal pardon, except for Section 112 (lese-majeste) offences.”Those who have committed crimes like corruption, robbery and fraud have never been granted a royal pardon, he said. Thaksin is retreating and has cancelled his plans to return to Thailand.

The 77-year-old politician has been re-elected as PPRP leader on Saturday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has been re-elected as the Palang Pracharath Party leader, hours after stepping down from the position on Saturday morning. That set the stage for the voting process to elect a new party leader and a 21-member executive board. Palang Pracharath MP Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn nominated Gen Prawit for the top post, and he was the sole candidate. The unofficial voting results showed that Gen Prawit had made a comeback as the party leader.

Another drug convict on death row has been scheduled for execution on Aug 3A view of the Singapore skyline on July 6, 2023. (Photo: Reuters)Singapore on Friday hanged a 45-year-old citizen for drug trafficking, the city-state's first execution of a woman in nearly 20 years, officials said. A rights group said Friday it had confirmed that another drug convict on death row has been scheduled for execution on Aug 3. It's horrible for the families and worrying for other death row inmates," Singaporean rights activist Kirsten Han told AFP. "The number of women on death row in Singapore is relatively uncommon and there is no clear reason why there are fewer women."

Banks respond to household debt planMembers of the public attend a debt mediation fair held at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Non-banks who are members of the club are ready to comply with the central bank's measures. Payong Srivanich, chairman of the Thai Bankers' Association, said commercial banks are preparing to comply with the central bank's PD measures. Ronadol Numnonda, deputy governor of the Bank of Thailand, said the central bank would approach auto hire-purchase loan operators and the remaining co-operatives to participate in the central bank's household debt resolution. Around 70% of total household debt is currently under the central bank's supervision.

Police chief nomination faces delayPol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas arrives at Government House on March 14. In the past, it was the incumbent national police chief who was responsible for making the nomination to the RTP board. Incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who chaired a meeting of the commission on Wednesday, declined to comment on whether the appointment would be made under his watch. There are four deputy national police chiefs who are in line to be nominated for the top job, said the source, namely Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet and Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol. Pol Gen Roy and Pol Gen Torsak are both due to retire next year, Pol Gen Kittirat is due to retire in 2026, and Pol Gen Surachate in 2031, said the source.

Thaksin ouster: Time to come homeIn this file photo taken in May 2007, then army chief and coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin (centre) gives a press conference following the dissolution of political parties over election fraud. According to the former army chief, Thaksin told him several days after the September 2006 coup that he was a gentleman and had good sportsmanship while looking forward to reconciliation. With the Pheu Thai Party taking the lead in forming the next government, Gen Sonthi said the party will likely focus on finding solutions to conflicts within the country. Gen Sonthi added that he was of Class 6 at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School and Thaksin was his junior at the same school. I do believe that he still has the loyalty," Gen Sonthi said.

June factory output drops 5.24%, more than forecastA petrochemical factory in Map Ta Phut, Rayong province. (File photo)Thailand's manufacturing production index (MPI) in June contracted 5.24% from a year earlier as exports declined amid sluggish global demand, the Industry Ministry said on Thursday. Output shrank a revised 3.05% in May. In the January-June period, the MPI declined 4.6% from a year earlier, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry had earlier forecast factory output would show zero to 1% growth this year.

The Fiscal Policy Office revised its forecast for this year's economic growth to 3.5%, down by 0.1%, due to a decrease of international tourism revenues and a slowdown in exports. The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) has revised its forecast for this year's economic growth to 3.5%, down by 0.1%, due to a decrease in international tourism revenues and a slowdown in exports, said director-general Pornchai Thiraveja. He said during a press conference on the Thai economic outlook for 2023 that the economy will expand by 3.5%, down from the previous forecast of 3.6% in April, mainly due to lower estimated revenue from foreign tourists. As of June, 12.9 million foreign tourists had entered Thailand, with the annual target set at 29.5 million. With the budget for 2024 expected to be delayed by up to six months, this would affect the country's GDP this year by 0.05%, Mr Pornchai said.

Pita petition decision on Aug 3Pita: Renomination to be weighed upThe Constitutional Court will consider next Thursday whether it will accept for deliberation a petition regarding the renomination of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister, a source said. Mr Wan said on Wednesday his decision to postpone the vote had nothing to do with Pheu Thai's attempt to secure support in parliament for one of its three prime ministerial candidates. "It is speculated the court may decide whether to pass a ruling on the petition on Aug 9. If the court throws out the petition, I can schedule a meeting [to elect a prime minister] immediately," Mr Wan said. Democrat Party list-MP Chuan Leekpai said on Wednesday the prime ministerial selection is likely to be completed well before the five-year term of the military-appointed senators expires.

Pheu Thai urged to hurry up and form new governmentPheu Thai supporters on Tuesday call for one of the party's PM candidates to be nominated for the top job. A group of red-shirt supporters calling themselves the Media Alliance for Democracy arrived at the Pheu Thai headquarters on Tuesday to offer moral support as the party struggles to assemble a new government. Pheu Thai has taken the leading role after the Move Forward Party (MFP), which emerged as the biggest party at the May 14 election, failed to do so. The group also said Pheu Thai has the right to include parties opposing amendments to the lese majeste law in the new government it is trying to create. In addition, any one of the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates -- Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri -- must be nominated for a vote in parliament without delay.