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Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn and political activist Veera Somkwamkid have asked the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party over alleged violations of the election law. In a letter, submitted to the EC today (Thursday), Veera and Somchai, currently strategy chief of the Thai Liberal Party, allege that the United Thai Nation Party breached the law on January 9th, when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha formally applied for membership of the party at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The alleged violations include the hiring of about 100 buses and passenger vans to transport people to the event, distribution to supporters of about 4,000 sets of party T-shirts, hats and flags worth over a million baht and the hiring of a band to entertain the attendees. Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/election-commission-urged-to-investigate-united-thai-nation-party/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

The inside of a well where 46-year-old Y Son Adrong was trapped in for four days, Dak Lak Province. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Oanh A 46-year-old man in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak was rescued Wednesday after spending four days stuck down a well. Y Son Adrong was found after police in Dray Bhang Commune received reports that a motorbike had been abandoned for days near a corn field in Kim Chau Village. At around 10 a.m. Wednesday, authorities found that there was a well located around 30m from the motorbike. The well was 25m deep and someone was calling for help from below. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/man-rescued-after-spending-days-trapped-in-well-4561705.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-19

Nguyen Minh Lam at a police station in Phu Yen Province for rapping a traffic police officer, January 15, 2023. Photo by Phu Yen police A motorcyclist who drove straight into a traffic police officer who flagged him down in Phu Yen Province in central Vietnam has been arrested. Nguyen Minh Lam, 22, now faces "murder" charges. He was driving in Tuy An District late at night on January 15 when officer Nguyen Manh Hung, 33, stepped out of a sidewalk and on to the street and waved a baton to order Lam to pull up. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/man-arrested-for-ramming-traffic-police-officer-with-motorbike-4561909.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-19

A traffic police officer tests a motorbike driver for alcohol in Hanoi on January 18, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh Some 40,590 people were fined for drunk driving in the last month after year-end parties, the Traffic Police Department said. At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, four officers from the Hanoi Police's Traffic Police Team No. 6 set up a checkpoint at Tran Thai Tong Street, Cau Giay District. One of the officers, in civilian clothes, was stationed in an area with many pubs 500 m from the checkpoint with a walkie-talkie to notify the checkpoint when someone left the pub. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/more-than-40-500-fined-for-drunk-driving-during-run-up-to-tet-4561809.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-19

The "Cat with a ball" artwork in Da Nang. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong The city of Da Nang removed a Tet cat mascot from a flower street display on Wednesday after a South Korean designer said the design was a plagiarization of his artwork. The Da Nang Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Project Management Board, along with relevant units, have removed the "Cat with a ball" artwork by Lee Sangsoo from its location between the Rong Bridge and the Tinh Yeu Bridge in Son Tra District. The artwork was part of a flower street display. The removal came after the image of the artwork circulated on social media, after which Lee confirmed that the design was made without his permission. He asked that it be removed from the flower street. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/da-nang-removes-tet-cat-mascot-following-south-korean-artist-s-complaints-of-plagiarism-4561942.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-19

An X-ray image shows a pair of scissors impaling the skull of a boy in Hanoi. Photo obtained by VnExpress A 12-year-old boy in Hanoi got scissors embedded in his skull while playing with friends. The boy was hospitalized in a conscious state with the scissors impaling his right temple, Dr. Tran Minh Tan of the Duc Giang General Hospital said Thursday. An X-ray revealed that the scissors had already penetrated the skull, he added. Tan said the area where the scissors is located has nearby arteries, so if it is not properly treated, injuries may happen and could result in hemorrhaging leading to a risk of brain abscesses and meningitis. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/scissors-impale-skull-of-hanoi-boy-4561998.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-19

This undated photo shows members of a private group called ‘Savepoint Corona Busters Team’ spray disinfectant in the detention cells at the Manila Police District headquarters. The STAR / Edd Gumban, file MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Human Rights reminded jail authorities on Thursday to comply with international rules after a family member of a political prisoner was subjected to a strip search without consent. The CHR cited provisions in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, or the Mandela Rules, that forbids the use of security searches to “harass, intimidate or unnecessarily intrude upon a prisoner’s privacy” and that “intrusive searches shall be conducted in private and by trained staff of the same sex as the prisoner.” The human rights body also reminded the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to adhere to its own guidelines on strip searches of persons entering jail premises. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/19/2238734/chr-expresses-concern-over-strip-search-political-prisoners-female-kin -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-19

Representatives from DOH, WHO and the Australian Government with Wellness Warriors at the launch of "The Wellness Movement" at Philippine Children's Medical Center on 16 Jan 2023. World Health Organization MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health has launched an initiative to improve the mental health and well-being of 3,000 medical workers across the Philippines. “The Wellness Movement,” which is supported by the World Health Organization and the Australian government, is in line with the country’s Mental Health Act that recommends integrating strategies promoting health in the workplace. “Creating a mental-health positive culture in our workplaces is integral to the flourishing of not only our healthcare workers as they fulfill their role as healers, but also the cultivation of relationships among their families and friends, as they bring home healthy habits for mental health and wellness,” said DOH Undersecretary Beverly Lorraine Ho. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/19/2238748/mental-health-well-being-initiative-health-workers-launched -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-19

Passengers crowd the departure lobby while others set up camp inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday midnight, Jan. 2, 2023 as the influx of passengers still builds up despite announcements made by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista that the airport is back to normal operations around 5:50 PM on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. Numerous flights were canceled earlier due to a technical glitch and the power outage at the Air Traffic Management Center of the NAIA. The STAR / Miguel de Guzman MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs is now working on the repatriation of eight Filipinos trafficked in Cambodia over the cryptocurrency scheme bared over a Senate hearing in November. The department said the trafficking scheme has been ongoing for months. Chinese mafia perpetrators recruit Filipinos for data encoding or call center jobs but they end up being forced to scam other individuals while based across Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. “Our Embassy in Phnom Penh has officially requested the DFA for funding for financial assistance for the Filipinos and also for the tickets so we’re going to fund it,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said in a televised interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Thursday. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/19/2238749/embassy-requests-financial-aid-repatriate-filipinos-trafficked-cambodia -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-19

United States and Philippine military vehicles during the combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) of the annual Philippines-US Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) Exercise 2019 in Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac, Province on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. The STAR / KJ Rosales MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is not keen on increasing the country’s military spending as he remarked at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that “there is no point in the Philippines building up its armory.” Speaking to WEF President Børge Brende, Marcos said the Philippines is not in an economic situation at par with military giants like the United States and China to hike its defense budget and is not pursuing military solutions. “The solutions are not going to be military. If they are going to be military, then they are not solutions because it will end badly if it goes that way, it will end badly for those involved and even those who are not involved,” Marcos said, citing the war in Ukraine. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/19/2238740/marcos-says-no-point-building-philippine-armory -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon committee has recommended administrative and criminal charges against former senior officials of the Department of Education and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management over the purchase of laptops that the panel found to be overpriced by at least P979 million. Among the former officials who the panel recommended to be slapped with charges are former Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua and former PS-DBM officer-in-charge Executive Director Lloyd Christopher Lao. The committee said Del Pascua and Lao should be charged for violating Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/19/2238757/senate-panel-wants-deped-ps-dbm-execs-charged-over-overpriced-laptops -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-19

Thai Excise Officials Arrested for Allegedly Abducting Phone Shop Worker for Ransom PHOTO: Sanook Thai Police arrested two excise officials and another suspect for allegedly kidnapping a worker from a Chinese-run phone shop in Samut Prakan on Wednesday, January 18th. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of 300,000 baht in exchange for the worker’s freedom. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284009-thai-excise-officials-arrested-for-allegedly-abducting-phone-shop-worker-for-ransom/

PHOTO: Sanook Thai Police arrested two excise officials and another suspect for allegedly kidnapping a worker from a Chinese-run phone shop in Samut Prakan on Wednesday, January 18th. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of 300,000 baht in exchange for the worker’s freedom. Police officers from the Samut Prakan police station conducted an investigation after the owner of a phone shop, Mr. Wu Yiwen, a 31-year-old Chinese national, came to report the case yesterday at 3:30 PM. Mr. Yiwen told police that 7-8 men, who claimed to be officers from the Excise Department, showed up at his shop located in Soi U-Thong in the Mueang district around noon. The men entered the store to look around but then allegedly forced his employee, Ms. Monthira Jaiprom, 21, into their vehicle and drove away. Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/01/19/thai-excise-officials-arrested-for-allegedly-abducting-phone-shop-worker-for-ransom/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Workers in Pattaya Receive Covid-19 Booster Doses 400 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to workers in many businesses in Pattaya. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284008-workers-in-pattaya-receive-covid-19-booster-doses/

400 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to workers in many businesses in Pattaya. The booster recipients were mostly from in and around the Tree Town market in Pattaya. They came to get the booster jab administered by medical staff from Pattaya City Hospital yesterday, January 18th, said Mr. Pornchai Sankhaiad, assistant district officer of the Banglamung District Office. Pornchai said the booster dose would protect workers from the most harmful symptoms of the coronavirus when they got infected. Some workers had to get in close contact with customers, such as a motorcycle taxi rider or a masseuse, so they had to get an additional jab regularly. Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/01/19/workers-in-pattaya-receive-covid-19-booster-doses/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Man Crossing Road in the Dark Hit and Killed in Pattaya A pedestrian was hit and killed by a car when he tried to cross a poorly lit road in Pattaya on Wednesday, January 18th. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284007-man-crossing-road-in-the-dark-hit-and-killed-in-pattaya/

A pedestrian was hit and killed by a car when he tried to cross a poorly lit road in Pattaya on Wednesday, January 18th. Banglamung Police were notified of the fatal crash that happened on Sukhumvit Road in front of Soi Banglamung 12 in Banglamung district, Chonburi, at 9 PM yesterday. Thai authorities responded immediately to the accident with Sawang Boriboon emergency responders. The victim, identified as Mr. Paiboon Tongmo, 46, was found dead on the road. He was a Loei province native, according to police. Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/01/19/man-crossing-road-in-the-dark-hit-and-killed-in-pattaya/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Bangkok Film Festival to Kick Off This Week BANGKOK (NNT) - The Bangkok Film Festival 2023 is set to take place at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center on Rama I Road in Pathumwan district from January 20 to 22. The festival, which is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) "Colorful Bangkok" campaign, aims to promote the city as a creative destination. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284006-bangkok-film-festival-to-kick-off-this-week/

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Bangkok Film Festival 2023 is set to take place at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center on Rama I Road in Pathumwan district from January 20 to 22. The festival, which is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) "Colorful Bangkok" campaign, aims to promote the city as a creative destination. The highlight of the festival will be daily screenings of three award-winning films – "Legend of Suriyothai," "Bad Genius," and "Blue Again" – at the open-air style theater in front of the center. In addition to film screenings, the festival will also include a seminar titled "Bangkok: The Creative City," a workshop on film directing, editing, and screenwriting led by experts, and a competition for short documentary films with the theme "Connecting Bangkok 2030." Prizes for the competition total 200,000 baht. Film enthusiasts can also enjoy live music performances by six youth bands and a shopping bonanza featuring unique products from each of Bangkok’s 50 districts. The festival runs from 10 am to 10 pm each day. For more information on the festival, visit www.pr-bangkok.com and the BMA’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/prbangkok. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230119113225587 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Flickr/shankar s. Tourism operators in Phuket say they’re not concerned about so-called “zero dollar” package tours, as Chinese visitors return to the island. Instead, they cite expensive airfares and an insufficient number of direct flights from China as being the major challenges to tourism recovery at the moment. Thai PBS World reports that Phuket businesses expect recovery to be slow, given the limited number of direct flights, and they don’t expect to see pre-pandemic arrival numbers anytime soon, certainly a return of any sort of mass tourism from China is not on the horizon. Rangsiman Kingkaew from the Phuket Tourist Association says the fact that many passengers have to first land in Bangkok before taking a connecting flight to the island may prove a deterrent, although there are some direct flights to Phuket being introduced. When asked about the potential return of cheap package tours, Rangsiman says operators are less worried about this. He points out that many package tour operators in China have yet to recover from the financial fallout of Covid-19 and the return of zero-dollar tourism may not happen again for a few years. His words are echoed by deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn, who says most people arriving from China at the moment are families, single travellers, or groups of friends. Their purchasing power is high and they are likely to spend a lot more than the zero-dollar package tourists of pre-pandemic times. Surachate has also called on all tour operators and other tourism businesses to protect visiting tourists, pointing out that Thailand is competing with neighbouring countries and must safeguard its reputation and protect its tourism sector. Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-news/phuket-businesses-unfazed-by-idea-of-zero-dollar-tourism-as-chinese-return/ -- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Sick wild elephant being treated in Chachoengsao Wildlife officials and veterinarians used a tranquiliser shot to sedate a sick wild elephant before they could treat the animal in a forest in the Tha Takiap district of Chachoengsao Province on Wednesday. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284003-sick-wild-elephant-being-treated-in-chachoengsao/

Wildlife officials and veterinarians used a tranquiliser shot to sedate a sick wild elephant before they could treat the animal in a forest in the Tha Takiap district of Chachoengsao Province on Wednesday. Two elephants were found wandering in Ang Toei forest on Tuesday, but one of them had a bad wound on the left front leg and appeared to be suffering from rectal prolapse. After sedating the animal, the veterinarians quickly applied medication to the wound on the leg and then dealt with the prolapse with stitches. Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/sick-wild-elephant-being-treated-in-chachoengsao/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-19 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Thai tourism officials are proposing that the current extension of the 30 day visa exemption program, available for arrivals from over 50 countries, could be extended up to the end of this year. The visa exemption program is also known as the ‘visa waiver’. On October 1, 2022, the Thai government announced that it would extend the 30 day visa exemption to 45 days. Recipients could also apply for an extension for another 30 days if they visited an immigration office, completed the paperwork and paid 1,900 baht. An extension was also granted for passengers able to apply for visa-on-arrival. Usually they were granted 15 days but that was also extended, to 30 days, and could then apply for an additional 15 days if they visited a Thai immigration office before their first 30 day visa lapsed. Both extension were due to finish on March 31 this year. But both the Tourism and Sports minister and the TAT are proposing that the extended stays should be continued until at least the end of this year. The matter should be discussed at next Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and would have a lot of support from the Thai tourism and hospitality industry. Here’s a list of countries that can have current visa exemption rights in Thailand, and can arrive, up to March 31, and be granted an automatic stay of 45 days. Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/proposal-to-extend-thai-visa-exemptions-and-visa-on-arrival-until-the-end-of-the-year/ -- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-01-18 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Cannabis Bill second reading House meeting collapses again on Wednesday A Palang Pracharath Party MP said Wednesday that there is no chance that the Cannabis Bill will ever pass its second reading in the House, because of stiff opposition to it from the Democrat, Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1283917-cannabis-bill-second-reading-house-meeting-collapses-again-on-wednesday/

A Palang Pracharath Party MP said Wednesday that there is no chance that the Cannabis Bill will ever pass its second reading in the House, because of stiff opposition to it from the Democrat, Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties. The MP, Pichet Sathirachaval, said that, even within the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, some MPs do not agree with the bill, due to stiff resistance from Muslim communities and parent groups. Personally, he said he would prefer MPs to vote in support of the bill in the second reading and to reject the bill in the final reading and then let the next government decide whether it should be revived or dropped. Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/cannabis-bill-second-reading-house-meeting-collapses-again-on-wednesday/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-18 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!