https://aseannow.com/rss/44-thailand-news.xml/National and regional news from all around ThailandenThe LTR is actually cheaper than getting annual extensions for 10 years with a re-entry permit. When I said spending the money on the visa, that was more focused on the privilege/elite visa. The LTR is more about their stated goal of getting "high quality" visitors to Thailand. The fast track was not really a factor when I applied for the LTR, but it's a nice touch. It would also be complicated to train every immigration officer on dealing with the LTR visa entries. Even the fast track people are confused sometimes.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:42:21 +0000on similar note any news on what is planned for the giant empty space in jomtien....i am thinking big mall along with Tops, movies, bowling, zillion shops and a few hotels/condos?Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:26:42 +0000Ukraine hits Russian oil tanker and fuel depot in occupied Crimea© RBC-Ukraine (UK) Ukraine has intensified its long-range campaign against Russia's fuel supply network, launching overnight strikes on a Russian oil tanker in the Sea of Azov and a key oil terminal in occupied Crimea. The attacks target logistics that help sustain Moscow's military operations as the war enters another critical phase. Fuel lifeline comes under fire Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said Deep Strike units hit a Russian Volgoneft-class oil tanker during the night of July 6. The vessel was reportedly operating in the Sea of Azov and forms part of Russia's fuel transport network. According to the Ukrainian military, vessels of this type are routinely used to move petroleum products between Russian oil refineries and deliver fuel supporting military logistics. Kerch oil terminal targeted again The operation also struck the oil terminal at the port of Kerch in the Russian-occupied Crimea region. Ukrainian forces described the facility as a critical fuel distribution hub supplying petroleum products across the occupied peninsula. The terminal receives, stores and transfers oil between rail links, storage tanks and tankers, making it a key logistical asset. Ukrainian officials said the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Campaign against Russia's energy network expands The strikes form part of Ukraine's wider effort to disrupt Russia's oil infrastructure far behind the front line. Kyiv has increasingly focused on refineries, fuel depots and transport hubs in an attempt to complicate Moscow's ability to sustain military operations. Recent Ukrainian operations have also reportedly targeted an oil terminal in St Petersburg and one of Russia's largest oil refineries, extending the reach of its long-range strike capability. Pressure grows beyond the battlefield Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said the latest attacks are designed to weaken Russia's military logistics rather than target civilian infrastructure. The campaign has increasingly shifted the conflict beyond the front lines, forcing Moscow to defend strategic economic and transport assets hundreds of miles from active combat. The Special Operations Forces also recently released footage showing strikes on a railway crossing over the North Crimean Canal, underlining Kyiv's determination to keep pressure on Russian supply routes in occupied Crimea. Ukraine hits Russian oil tanker and fuel depot in occupied CrimeaMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:25:29 +0000Ok, this comment is upside-down, back to front and incorrect. Firstly, it's the deadbeat fathers abandoning the mother of his newborn child, now the mothers parents who she lives with must find money for nappies and baby food for this additional occupant. Thailand does not provide welfare or Social Security support, to top it off, the Thai government do not garnish the wages of the deadbeat fathers. You'd find if the west provided zero support we'd see the same number of sex workers. Thai families don't willy nilly send their daughters to work in Pattaya, Thai's are proud people. Sadly a few families have no choice, it's a cruel wo rld.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:24:58 +0000Live chat is through AI Chat boot. You ask for live chat, they collect necessary info, pass you through.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:24:09 +0000whats next trump gonna lay a big bet on superbowl and then call roger goodell to overturn any calls he doesn't like? i know very little re soccer but i do know that it is not the potus duty to pressure a call to be changed like that....bad calls happen in almost every game played and the calls are made by humans....maybe we can just turn all ref duty over to A.I and keep humans out of it....any fan of most any sport has complained about what they see as a bad call but they know that bad calls have always been a part of sports and not yet another trump pardon. Maybe one of trump zillionaire buds had big money bet on next game and donated a few million crypto crap to have don to make the call.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:23:03 +0000Does the LTR bring Thailand that much more visa fees? It certainly can’t be the process because the PR process seems to be the most in-depth application process of all visa types. That would beg the question why PR still exists and is still being issued.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:22:32 +0000"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." — Matthew 7:15–18 (KJV) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/06/reform-uk-nigel-farage-george-cottrell Unelected officials - remember that battle cry - rich crypto grifters and shysters dobbing chump change to their lap dog.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:12:42 +0000No, Nigel isn't a Leftie . Lefties try and help the poor and useless . Nigels not shy about earning an incomeMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:07:41 +0000iherb just "could not process" 2 of my cards. Told me to "contact customer support". Turns out there is no such a thing, no phone, no mail, no chat. All they have is ai slop, very unhelpful. Any alternative sites?Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:59:43 +0000The funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei became far more than a national day of mourning. The vast crowds in Tehran projected a message of resilience, with Iranian leaders seeking to show the United States and Israel that the Islamic Republic had survived the recent war and emerged determined to shape the next phase of regional diplomacy. Tehran turns survival into leverage Rather than signalling weakness after the conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, Iranian officials used the funeral to reinforce a narrative of unity and endurance. Regional diplomats and analysts say Tehran is now attempting to convert that resilience into diplomatic leverage. Instead of returning immediately to nuclear negotiations, Iran is focusing on securing recognition of its strategic influence over the Strait of Hormuz. Hormuz becomes the real battleground A 60-day ceasefire was intended to restart talks over Iran's nuclear programme. Instead, attention has shifted towards control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass. Analysts say Tehran increasingly views the waterway as its strongest bargaining chip. Rather than treating Hormuz as an economic asset alone, Iranian leaders see it as a symbol of regional authority that they are unwilling to trade for sanctions relief. Iran slows talks as pressure shifts Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf described the Strait of Hormuz as Iran's "greatest power tool" and insisted the country would never surrender its rights there. Former US diplomat Alan Eyre said Tehran appears content to drag out negotiations, believing time is working in its favour. Iran, which continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons, is prioritising consolidation of its regional position before addressing the nuclear file. Washington faces a tougher diplomatic test Former US negotiator Aaron David Miller argues the military campaign failed to weaken Iran's strategic leverage, leaving diplomacy centred on implementing an uneasy ceasefire rather than resolving the wider dispute. Regional experts believe Tehran calculates that President Donald Trump faces greater political pressure to secure an agreement than Iran does to make concessions. Gulf officials also fear the conflict has cemented Iran's influence around Hormuz, creating a new regional reality that will be difficult for Washington and its allies to reverse. Analysis - Khamenei funeral signals Iran's defiance and new regional orderMon, 06 Jul 2026 18:49:42 +0000Do you get wood when they play footsie with your walking stick?Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:48:58 +0000Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:40:10 +0000Stunned silence and awkward laughs in Oval Office at MAGA senator's FIFA admission Ted Cruz (R-TX) stunned the Oval Office Monday into a brief moment of silence after openly admitting to President Donald Trump’s meddling in a FIFA World Cup game – an acknowledgement that later elicited awkward laughter from those in the room. Cruz, while attending an Oval Office ceremony for the launch of “Trump Accounts,” not only acknowledged Trump’s alleged involvement in FIFA’s decision, but thanked the president directly for it. “On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card,” Cruz said. The seven people surrounding Cruz let out a hushed round of nervous laughter before falling silent. Trump grinned as those in the room exchanged glances. After several seconds, Trump, still grinning, proclaimed Cruz’s remark to be “interesting,” eliciting another round of awkward laughter. “It was spectacular!” Cruz said. “There was a reason the FIFA trophy stood here for as long as it did.” Stunned silence and awkward laughs in Oval Office at MAGA senator's FIFA admissionMon, 06 Jul 2026 18:39:34 +0000No different to many felangs in Thailand, including some posters on hereMon, 06 Jul 2026 18:38:46 +0000Totally rattled - appropriate scrutiny is framed as harassment to his family. He can dish it out our man of the people Nige but he can't take it.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:38:05 +0000u forget covid.?Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:33:33 +0000They should get life sentences. They go after young girls, mostly from poor families , care homes etc because they are vulnerable and they give them a few quid, or sweets, drink. No decent woman in the UK would have anything to do with these men, even for money. That’s why they go after young girls. Deporting is too good a solution. They need to learn in a real UK prison .Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:28:42 +0000Lots of Indians in Thailand are born there. Huge local population of them. They are the quiet ones not the mongers. The ones we see out and about evenings are just a nuisance and noisy and cheap Charlies.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:19:43 +0000Yep, Bernie is the rich socialist.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:13:57 +0000I saw this today and it made me go "wow" too. A Thai elephant made his own backscratcher. Elly.mp4Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:13:45 +0000https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/s/y64ENpUckO https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/s/0JSpOTrM3U Burn a refinery, send the wife to fuel up the carMon, 06 Jul 2026 18:13:09 +0000I don't think you are serious. That being said, the entire eastern seaboard has grown substantially in the past 25 years. The last time I headed up to MDI in Maine, the entire island had become nothing but a playground for the rich, and it was a crowded tourist mob scene. It's not the same place that I used to visit as a kid. You can't go home again, it's not there. You can't afford the North East.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:12:41 +0000But he hates the billionaires now.....after becoming a millionaire he had to move on.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:09:36 +0000Bernie is a stupid socialist.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:08:00 +0000