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Opinion: The “Thaksin ghost” rhetoric will not work for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Bangkok By Erich Parpart The now-disbanded People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is bringing back fears that “if you don’t choose us, ‘he’ will come back” to coax their followers to vote for pro-establishment candidates at the upcoming gubernatorial election in Bangkok. The “he” in this case refers to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in self-imposed exile. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259928-opinion-the-“thaksin-ghost”-rhetoric-will-not-work-for-the-upcoming-gubernatorial-election-in-bangkok/

By Erich Parpart The now-disbanded People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is bringing back fears that “if you don’t choose us, ‘he’ will come back” to coax their followers to vote for pro-establishment candidates at the upcoming gubernatorial election in Bangkok. The “he” in this case refers to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in self-imposed exile. The man publicly dishing out these concerns is none other than Suthep Thaugsuban, the politician who led the PDRC’s protests between 2013 and 2014. The demonstrations got what they wanted, which was the removal of an elected government via a military coup to install a military government that they and their funders can deal with. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The PDRC used the same rhetoric during the previous gubernatorial election in Bangkok in 2013. And that language proved effective, as Sukhumbhand Paribatra of the Democrat Party was elected ahead of Pongsapat Pongcharoen from the Pheu Thai Party. Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/40194/opinion-the-thaksin-ghost-rhetoric-will-not-work-for-the-upcoming-gubernatorial-election-in-bangkok/ -- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-05-18 - 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.

Thai PM to be asked to scrap ฿25.6Bn water project in eastern region Chaiya Promma, an MP of the Pheu Thai party and chair of the House committee monitoring budgetary management and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be asked to scrap the 25.6-billion-baht, 30-year deal between the Treasury Department and Wong Siam Construction for the supply of water to Thailand’s eastern region, including the Eastern Economic Corridor, due to a lack of transparency. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259927-thai-pm-to-be-asked-to-scrap-฿256bn-water-project-in-eastern-region/

Chaiya Promma, an MP of the Pheu Thai party and chair of the House committee monitoring budgetary management and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be asked to scrap the 25.6-billion-baht, 30-year deal between the Treasury Department and Wong Siam Construction for the supply of water to Thailand’s eastern region, including the Eastern Economic Corridor, due to a lack of transparency. Chaiya Promma, an MP of the opposition Pheu Thai party and chair of the House committee monitoring budgetary management, said today (Tuesday) that they recently invited representatives of the parties involved to testify before the committee about the project and its bidding process. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The stakeholders include the Treasury Department, East Water, Wong Siam – the current supplier which won the new bid, and Provincial Waterworks Authority, a major shareholder in East Water. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-pm-to-be-asked-to-scrap-25-6bn-water-project-in-eastern-region/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-18 - 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.

to continue: Thailand Live Wednesday 18 May 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1259926-thailand-live-wednesday-18-may-2022/

Tourism Authority of Thailand strengthens presence in the Middle East market The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is strengthening Thailand’s presence as the preferred tourist destination among Middle East travelers to drive interest in returning to Thailand in the post-COVID-19 situation. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259920-tourism-authority-of-thailand-strengthens-presence-in-the-middle-east-market/

Thai Ministry of Public Health won’t propose redefining Covid-19 as endemic PHOTO: Thansettakij The Thai Ministry of Public Health has decided not to propose the redefinition of Covid-19 as an endemic disease to the Cabinet Committee until final approval from the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was announced. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259921-thai-ministry-of-public-health-won’t-propose-redefining-covid-19-as-endemic/

Thai Businesses in Saudi Arabia on Official Trade Mission by Tarin Angskul BANGKOK (NNT) - Saudi Arabia is currently hosting a group of Thai business leaders participating in an official trade mission. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259878-thai-businesses-in-saudi-arabia-on-official-trade-mission/

by Tarin Angskul BANGKOK (NNT) - Saudi Arabia is currently hosting a group of Thai business leaders participating in an official trade mission. For the first time in more than three decades, a Thai trade mission led by Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai is visiting Riyadh, Al-’Ula, and Jeddah in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia from May 15th to 18th. The purpose of the trip is to begin the process of rebuilding commercial and investment ties. More than thirty executives from prominent Thai companies in the agricultural, food, energy, chemical, automotive, aerospace, technology, digital, gems and jewelry, tourist and service, healthcare, consumer item, and construction industries are participating in the mission. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The trip comes following a visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha to Saudi Arabia in January of this year. That visit led to an agreement between Thailand and Saudi Arabia to fully restore diplomatic relations after ties were suspended for over 30 years. The Saudi-Thai Investment Forum was organized by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Ministry of Investment. Its purpose was to provide a platform for the private sectors of both nations to work towards developing trade and investment partnerships. Don also highlighted the Thai government’s roadmap for restoring ties between the two kingdoms. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-17 - 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.

14-year-old student commits suicide after being expelled from Thai school A 14-year-old female junior high school student, attending a school in Thailand’s southern province of Phatthalung, has committed suicide after she was allegedly expelled by her teacher for failing to show up on the first day of the new school term on May 9th and for allegedly failing to pay the school fees. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259875-14-year-old-student-commits-suicide-after-being-expelled-from-thai-school/

A 14-year-old female junior high school student, attending a school in Thailand’s southern province of Phatthalung, has committed suicide after she was allegedly expelled by her teacher for failing to show up on the first day of the new school term on May 9th and for allegedly failing to pay the school fees. The tragic case of the student about to start her year 9 (Mathayom 3) education went viral on social media, with many comments criticising the teacher and the management of the school. The latest report says that the director of the Phatthalung education office, Somchai Ronglua, will visit the school to investigate. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Another student, at the same school and who is junior to the victim, said that the girl was very depressed after learning that she was being expelled. She said that she came from a broken home and had lived with relatives in Songkhla province since she was very young. She claimed that, on May 9th, the victim prepared to travel to Phatthalung from Songkhla, but there was no public transport to take her to the bus terminal. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/14-year-old-student-commits-suicide-after-being-expelled-from-thai-school/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-17 The charity Samaritans is available around the clock for people who want to talk. If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health services, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). http://www.samaritansthai.com/news/samaritans-of-thailand-english-hotline/

PM Happy with Thai-German Rice Project to Fight Global Warming BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with Thai-German collaboration to implement the Thai Rice NAMA project to fight global warming, according to the government spokesman. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259874-pm-happy-with-thai-german-rice-project-to-fight-global-warming/

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with Thai-German collaboration to implement the Thai Rice NAMA project to fight global warming, according to the government spokesman. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Gen Prayut supported Thai Rice Nama, a project to increase the productivity of paddy fields, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and promote the sustainability of rice cultivation. According to the spokesman, the Thai Rice NAMA project results from cooperation between the Thai government sector and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and enjoys financial support from NAMA Facility. It is aimed at replacing Thailand's conventional rice cultivation which gives off as much as 55% of greenhouse gas emissions in the Thai agricultural sector. Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-943036 -- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-05-17 - 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.

Wild mushrooms giving Thai ladies that special beauty! Daily News Thai Caption: Let's Eat Mushrooms Daily News reporters went to Muang district of Amnat Charoen in central north easternThailand where local businesswomen have turned mushroom hunters. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259873-wild-mushrooms-giving-thai-ladies-that-special-beauty/

Daily News Thai Caption: Let's Eat Mushrooms Daily News reporters went to Muang district of Amnat Charoen in central north easternThailand where local businesswomen have turned mushroom hunters. It's the rainy season and many varieties can be foraged legally in a 5,000 rai area called Pa Dong Siboo even if the ladies have to go deep into the forest. Sukanya Kateewong, 48, said lots of her friends were eating "Gaeng Het" a dish with mushrooms that is not too hot but promotes good health. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Daily News She said that she would not get mushrooms in the market - they are not fresh, you need to pick them yourself. Motorcycle parts dealer Samruay said that mushrooms were good for the skin, digestion and blood. She and her pals were convinced of old wives' tales that mushrooms promote beauty. They are going to eat as much as they can in the rainy season to prove that. The media said that some varieties of foraged mushrooms can sell for up to 500 baht a kilo. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-17 - 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. Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Bangkok Suffers Traffic Congestion on Full-scale School Reopening BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) – Commuters faced traffic congestion in many areas in Bangkok as over 800,000 students returned to 1,277 schools on the first day of this academic year. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259869-bangkok-suffers-traffic-congestion-on-full-scale-school-reopening/

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) – Commuters faced traffic congestion in many areas in Bangkok as over 800,000 students returned to 1,277 schools on the first day of this academic year. Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, deputy commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police Office, said traffic congestion happened because schools resumed their full-scale on-site services but traffic police could handle it with their planned measures. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe He ordered traffic police to draw lessons from traffic conditions this morning to improve their measures to facilitate traffic flows this evening. Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-943020 -- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-05-17 - 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.

Factory bus goes up in flames in western Thailand - 30 escape with their lives Manager Thai Caption: 30 escape fire on factory bus Manager reported that Samrong police in Tha Muang district of Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, were called along with fire services as a gaily painted factory bus with 30 aboard burst into flames yesterday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259868-factory-bus-goes-up-in-flames-in-western-thailand-30-escape-with-their-lives/

Manager Thai Caption: 30 escape fire on factory bus Manager reported that Samrong police in Tha Muang district of Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, were called along with fire services as a gaily painted factory bus with 30 aboard burst into flames yesterday. It happened on Route 3209 opposite the Ban Huay Rai school. Four fire engines tackled the blaze on the vehicle used by a company called Vita Food to transport workers to various facilities. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Manager Smoke was noticed coming from the engine but all 30 aboard exited without injury before the flames took hold. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 20 minutes but by then the bus was almost completely destroyed. Picture: Manager -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-17 - 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. Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Foreign Spanish tourist injured after a fall while playing on top of the Kathu Waterfall in Phuket By Goong Nang(GN) PHOTO: Screen capture from Speed News Phuket Kathu, Phuket – An unidentified female foreign tourist from Spain has broken her ankle after she slipped from several rocks while she was reportedly playing on top of the Kathu Waterfall yesterday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259867-foreign-spanish-tourist-injured-after-a-fall-while-playing-on-top-of-the-kathu-waterfall-in-phuket/

PHOTO: Screen capture from Speed News Phuket By Goong Nang(GN) Kathu, Phuket – An unidentified female foreign tourist from Spain has broken her ankle after she slipped from several rocks while she was reportedly playing on top of the Kathu Waterfall yesterday. Just days earlier, notes the Phuket Express, a Romanian tourist fell to her death at a waterfall in Koh Samui in a separate accident while reportedly taking photos at the edge. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Khao Yai Rescue Workers were notified of the accident by local residents who live nearby yesterday afternoon (May 16th) on the top of the Kathu Waterfall. Rescue teams went up onto the waterfall by stone stairs which is about 200 meters in total. Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/05/17/foreign-spanish-tourist-injured-after-a-fall-while-playing-on-top-of-the-kathu-waterfall-in-phuket/ -- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-05-17 - 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.

Cybercrime conference kicks off in Phuket - ASEAN nations in town to learn how RTP cracks online crime Picture: Naew Na Representatives from other ASEAN countries are in Phuket for an international cybercrime conference. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259866-cybercrime-conference-kicks-off-in-phuket-asean-nations-in-town-to-learn-how-rtp-cracks-online-crime/

Picture: Naew Na Representatives from other ASEAN countries are in Phuket for an international cybercrime conference. Thailand will be showcasing its talents in this sphere by sharing good practice in a spirit of international cooperation. The event entitled "Cybercrime Conference for Law Enforcement Agencies and Partners" is being run in conjunction with Interpol. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Naew Na Interpol's Mr Craig Jones was among the speakers yesterday at the Marriot Resort and Spa as seven ASEAN nations attended. It continues through Thursday, reported Naew Na who said that Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, RTP deputy commander, had been put in charge by RTP chief Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk. Suwat has been a key promoter of cybercrime initiatives including his "Safety Zone 4.0" plan. Picture: Naew Na -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-17 - 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. Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Customers arriving in droves! Thai lady hits on idea of "Durian Bua Loi" Picture: Sanook A Thai trader called Suratwadee or Ne, 37, told Sanook how she was doing a roaring trade selling durian. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1259863-customers-arriving-in-droves-thai-lady-hits-on-idea-of-durian-bua-loi/

Picture: Sanook A Thai trader called Suratwadee or Ne, 37, told Sanook how she was doing a roaring trade selling durian. But not just the plain fruit - she was making the popular "Bua Loi" that is a dish with a liquid sauce that has flour balls floating in it. Ne has hit on the idea of including durian in the balls to give her 100 baht dish that extra oomph. Especially now its durian season and her Thai customers can't get enough of the King of Fruits. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Sanook She says that she only used the best grade "Mon Thong" (golden pillow) variety of durian and even then makes sure it is in peak condition. It has been a trial and error journey over the last few months but now she has perfected her dish. She also sells other durian products. Sanook said her idea was a "lights on moment". Apart from her well developed traders' brain and business acumen, Sanook surprisingly made no reference to the lady's other assets, notes ASEAN NOW. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-17 - 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.