Thailand news

Plot to install Ahmadinejad in Iran collapsed after war erupted

Wed, 20 May 2026 20:03:33 +0000

The goal was to deflect from Epstein. Next up invade Cuba, Canada, California. Anything to distract and deflect.

UK Committee Calls Digital ID Launch a ‘Fiasco’

Wed, 20 May 2026 20:00:24 +0000

A parliamentary committee has sharply criticised the British government’s handling of plans to introduce digital identification, describing the initial rollout as “nothing short of a fiasco”. Get today's headlines by email In a report examining the policy, the UK Home Affairs Select Committee said ministers failed to properly explain their intentions when the scheme was first announced, sparking public concern and political backlash. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled plans in September last year to introduce compulsory digital identification for workers. The proposal was designed in part to combat illegal employment by making identity checks easier for employers. However, the government reversed course three months later after strong criticism from opposition politicians and civil liberties groups. Sudden announcement sparks backlashAccording to the committee’s findings, the initial announcement came as a surprise to the public and lacked sufficient detail. Committee chair Karen Bradley said the government’s communication had created unnecessary alarm about the scope of the programme. “The government’s early attempts to set out its plans for digital ID were nothing short of a fiasco,” she said in the report. Bradley said the proposal appeared suddenly and left ministers unable to answer key questions about how the system would operate or how personal data would be protected. As a result, many people feared the policy could represent excessive government intrusion into private life. She added that public opinion had previously been broadly supportive of moving away from paper documents toward digital identification but that the poorly explained rollout had unsettled voters. Shift from mandatory to voluntary systemThe government has since abandoned the idea of compulsory digital identification. Instead, it is continuing with plans to offer a voluntary digital ID that people can store on their smartphones, similar to digital payment cards. The app-based identification would include basic personal information such as name, nationality, date of birth, photograph and residency status. It could be used to confirm a person’s age or their right to live and work in the United Kingdom. Ministers initially argued that digital verification could help reduce the use of fraudulent documents or borrowed National Insurance numbers by people working illegally. But the proposal quickly attracted criticism from privacy advocates. Campaign group Big Brother Watch warned that digital identification systems could raise serious privacy concerns. A petition submitted to UK Parliament opposing digital ID gathered around three million signatures, with critics arguing the policy risked enabling mass surveillance. By January, the government dropped the requirement that digital IDs be mandatory. Effort to rebuild trustThe policy was relaunched in March as a voluntary programme, with ministers presenting it as a tool to simplify access to government services. Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones opened an eight-week public consultation and established a “people’s panel” of 100 individuals from across the country to help shape the scheme. Bradley welcomed the decision to remove the mandatory element but said consultation should have taken place earlier rather than after the policy was relaunched. She also welcomed assurances that the government would not create a centralised database for the digital identification system. However, the committee warned that public trust would be crucial for the project’s success. Bradley said digital ID could only gain widespread use if people believed their information was secure, stressing the need for strong privacy protections and cyber security standards. “Digital ID will not achieve widespread adoption unless the majority of people can trust that their data is secure,” she said. She added that rebuilding confidence would take time and warned that further mistakes could seriously damage public support for the programme. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 21 May 2026 View full article

Plot to install Ahmadinejad in Iran collapsed after war erupted

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:59:40 +0000

Virtually everything that Trump and Netanyahu planned for this war has gone sideways, and the extent of the poor information they must have had is really quite astonishing. Either that or both simply suffered from ridiculous and dangerous levels of hubris. Which is quite possible knowing Disaster Don.

Is quality of life worse in developed countries than in SE Asia?

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:57:44 +0000

Yes. Unless you are quite wealthy or own a home free and clear. Southeast Asia is infinitely more reasonable than America as an example. I am back here right now and the prices of goods and services are both stunning and ridiculous. Anyone who buys into that 3% inflation garbage is living an alternate reality.

Irish Filmmaker & GF Killed in Thailand Crash

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:54:30 +0000

Very tragic. The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, prevention, enforcement of the law, or concern toward the prosecution of very reckless drivers. Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us.

US Indicts Cuba's Raul Castro Over 1996 Plane Attack

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:52:34 +0000

The administration of US President Donald Trump has indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile organisation Brothers to the Rescue, escalating tensions between Washington and Havana. Get today's headlines by email Federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment on Wednesday, accusing Castro, who was Cuba’s defence minister at the time, of helping direct the attack in which Cuban fighter jets destroyed two civilian planes on February 24, 1996. US authorities charged Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destroying an aircraft. Five additional defendants were also named in the case. Four men were killed in the attack: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr, Mario de la Pena and Pablo Morales. US frames charges as long-awaited justiceAnnouncing the indictment at Miami’s Freedom Tower, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the families of the victims had waited nearly three decades for accountability. Blanche described the victims as “unarmed civilians” carrying out humanitarian missions aimed at helping Cuban migrants crossing the Florida Straits. “Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them, and not face accountability,” he said. Kash Patel called the indictment “a major step toward accountability”. Brothers to the Rescue was founded in 1991 by Cuban exile Jose Basulto during a period of increased migration from Cuba to the United States. The group used aircraft to search for Cuban rafters at sea and alert the US Coast Guard. The United States and international investigators concluded the planes were shot down over international waters. Cuba has long maintained the aircraft violated or approached its airspace. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro previously denied that he or Raul Castro directly ordered the attack. Havana rejects accusationsCuba’s current president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, dismissed the indictment as politically motivated and accused the Trump administration of distorting the events of 1996. Writing on social media, Diaz-Canel said the case was intended to justify possible military action against Cuba. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla also criticised the White House after it issued a statement marking Cuba’s independence day and condemning the island’s communist leadership. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos de Cossio accused the administration of catering to anti-Castro Cuban exiles in South Florida, a key Republican support base. Analysts see broader pressure campaignPolitical analysts said the indictment appeared to fit within a wider US campaign to increase pressure on Havana. Orlando Perez, a political science professor at the University of North Texas at Dallas, said Washington seemed to be pursuing both private negotiations and public confrontation with Cuba’s leadership. Perez pointed to recent reports involving alleged Cuban interest in drone and asymmetric warfare capabilities, including possible threats targeting the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay and nearby areas in Florida. He warned that the indictment could strengthen hardline elements within Cuba’s ruling establishment rather than weaken them. William Leogrande, a specialist in Latin American politics at American University School of Public Affairs, said the move would likely be popular among Cuban Americans in South Florida but could further damage prospects for diplomacy between the two countries. “It appears that the Trump administration is trying to lay the political groundwork for military action against Cuba,” he said. Debate grows over possible military actionThe Trump administration has repeatedly threatened military action against Cuba in recent months, though critics argue such a move would face broad opposition in the United States. Lee Schlenker of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said Cuba posed little direct threat to US national security and warned harsher sanctions or military action could trigger a humanitarian crisis and increased migration. Some Democrats in Congress have already sought to restrict potential military action. Senators Ruben Gallego, Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff introduced a Senate war powers resolution earlier this year requiring congressional approval before any aggressive action against Cuba. The lawmakers renewed those efforts following Wednesday’s announcement. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 21 May 2026 View full article

Tens Of Thousands Flood London For Tommy Robinson March

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:47:11 +0000

The Danish Free Press Society has a research arm that publishes only research critical of Islam. I'm sure there are lots of other things in the world going on that can also be criticised. The Danish Free Press Society likes to present itself as a noble barricade for free speech, butit long ago drifted into something far narrower. Its nothing more than a grievance machine fixated on Islam, immigration and the fantasy that Europe is forever on the brink of collapse. What began as a defensible stand against intimidation after the cartoons crisis has become more like a permanent culture-war performance; all doom, provocation and self-appointed truth-telling. Its habit of fraternising with populist firebrands and “counter-jihad” agitators shows it has no real interest in defending free speech in general, but only the speech that flatters its own worldview. It has said all about media intimidation by politicians, government pressure on American journalists, surveillance of reporters, attacks on whistleblowers, or police raids on newsrooms. It has said nothing to defend Glenn Greenwald, Julian Assange, Jamal Khashoggi or Edward Snowden. Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in October 2018, essentially for criticising the Saudi government in public. The Sappho Awards are given out in January. You honestly thought Tommy Ten Names was more deserving, when he was awarded it in january 2019?

60 DAY VISA-FREE IS NOW CUT TO 30 DAYS

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:44:02 +0000

Reward for honest travelers: EU opens its doors to Thailand with a new cascade system The European Commission has officially given the green light to the so-called EU visa cascade system for Thai nationals residing in their home country. This decision marks a historic milestone in relations between Thailand and the European Union and promises a significant reduction in bureaucracy. The measure, adopted on May 8, 2026, is effective immediately for Thai passport holders applying for a short-term Schengen visa at embassies or consulates within Thailand. The stated goal of the initiative is to drastically simplify travel to Europe. Those who can demonstrate a verifiable, legitimate travel history will benefit from visas with significantly longer validity and multiple entry permits. For frequent travelers, this means the end of repetitive, expensive, and stressful application processes. Source: https://www.schoenes-thailand.at/2026/05/18/belohnung-fuer-ehrliche-reisende-eu-oeffnet-mit-neuem-kaskadensystem-die-tore-fuer-thailand/ If Europe had as strict a visa and immigration policy as Thailand, human rights activists and others would resort to roadblocks in Europe. How long can they stay European tourists in Thailand without a visa? And how long can Thais stay in Europe without a visa? Is it fair?

How to prove you exited Thailand so you are not tax resident?

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:41:15 +0000

I read somewhere that there is a document you can request from immigration. I don't know what it's called but it will list every entry and exit date. You can get the stamps, they're never going away but you need to be mindful to avoid the automatic gates. I was ushered towards one of these gates last year but said I need the stamp then they directed me to a different section....they still exist. Edit : What you want is your 'travel record' from immigration.

Pattaya Supports Thailand's Visa-Free Stay Reduction

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:31:53 +0000

For those interested, the 93 counties are listed in an article from The Nation, on May 20 at https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40066453 While many are critical of this decision, it must be remembered that it is merely a return to pre-extension visa conditions. You still get 30-day Visa-Free Entry, and if you do want to stay longer you can apply online for a 60-day Visa (that can be extended to 90-days). If it's any consolation, just remember that there are a further 102 countries whose citizens must apply for a visa regardless of how long they wish to visit Thailand!

Has the US Supreme Court sold out to the GOP?

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:14:47 +0000

I believe you are mistaken. Money is of central importance to all this administration does. The enrichment of Mr Trump and his cabal "trumps" every other consideration. One only has to look at the constant grifting, from comparatively low level merchandising (watches, phones, clothing and bibles(!), to the active soliciting of massive donations from overseas disguised as investment in "family businesses" to the shady (and largely misunderstood by the public- myself included) cash mining operations with various virtual currencies, to the very obvious but unregulated insider trading linked to many sudden decisions. It is all about money. The very small number who make very large amounts are the effective drivers of the administration's economic, fiscal, and much of it's foreign policy, to the detriment of the American public. It is all about money. Now the same allegations, generally speaking, can be levelled at all administrations; however Trump takes it to a new level, and hss no interest in benefitting anyone outside his immediate circle. Farmers can go bankrupt, the poorest can be stripped of education provision, healthcare, any social assistance; the worlds poorest can frankly die, in millions, from easily preventable disease. Yet his wealthy backers, his oligarchs get richer and richer. Now personally I have no particjlar political distaste for individual wealth, but I don't think that it's accumulation, either personal or for a favoured few should be an aspect, let alone the central aim, of a Presidency.

WHO Raises Alarm Over Growing Ebola Outbreak

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:13:57 +0000

Given my background and specialty, you'd probably count me as among that "elite" you are afraid of. Your ridiculous so-called theory is intellectually embarrassing. It is what happens when people like you, who do not understand economics, government, science, logistics, or human nature try to compress the entire complexity of the modern world into a cartoon villain plot. Apparently the World Economic Forum, the Bilderberg Meeting, the Chinese Communist Party, billionaire philanthropists like Bill Gates, Western governments, pharmaceutical companies, banks, and rival intelligence services are all secretly cooperating in perfect harmony to depopulate the Earth. These are groups that cannot agree on tariffs, climate policy, Taiwan, taxation, immigration, interest rates, semiconductor exports, or whose ambassador gets photographed standing where at a summit. But somehow they are flawlessly coordinating the largest mass-murder conspiracy in human history without credible evidence leaking from the millions of people who would need to be involved. That is not skepticism. That is adolescent fan fiction for people who confuse YouTube algorithms with research. The basic economics alone annihilates the theory. Rich people need civilization to remain rich. Billionaires do not eat money. Their wealth depends on functioning markets, stable societies, workers, consumers, engineers, infrastructure, logistics, electricity grids, and supply chains. Cut the global population in half suddenly and you do not get a sleek technocratic paradise — you get economic collapse, food shortages, financial panic, political violence, and states falling apart. The “elites” would be obliterating the very system that gives them power. It is the equivalent of claiming airline executives secretly want to blow up airports. And the secrecy argument is laughable. Real conspiracies leak constantly. The Watergate scandal leaked. Intelligence operations leak. Military plans leak. Corporate fraud leaks. Private messages leak. Celebrity affairs leak. Government surveillance leaked. Entire wars have been exposed by low-level analysts with USB sticks. Yet we are expected to believe that a plan to murder four billion people — requiring coordination between scientists, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, militaries, bureaucracies, laboratories, and governments across hostile nations — has remained hidden except for grainy podcasts, Facebook memes, and men staring intensely into webcams. Convenient. And notice how these theories always work psychologically. Every piece of evidence against them becomes evidence for them. No proof? “That proves how powerful they are.” Contradictions? “Disinformation.” Rival countries fighting? “Controlled opposition.” Failed predictions? “The plan changed.” It is a closed belief system. A secular apocalypse cult wearing the aesthetic of politics. And its believers flatter themselves constantly. They imagine they are among the tiny band of awakened intellectual rebels who “see through the lies,” while billions of ordinary people — including scientists, doctors, engineers, intelligence analysts, and researchers — are supposedly sheep. In reality, many conspiracy theories survive because they make people feel important. They turn confusion into certainty and ignorance into hidden wisdom. It is psychologically easier to believe in an all-powerful evil mastermind than to accept that the world is mostly driven by messy incentives, incompetence, competing interests, bureaucratic failure, and chaos. Reality is untidy. Conspiracy fantasies are emotionally satisfying. That is why these narratives resemble religion more than analysis: hidden evil forces, secret knowledge, prophecies, heretics, revelations, apocalyptic transformation. The only thing missing is robes and candles. And the final irony is this: people who claim to distrust propaganda often end up consuming industrial quantities of it. They sneer at “mainstream narratives” while uncritically swallowing stories that would make a mediocre thriller writer ask for revisions. The world absolutely contains corruption, lobbying, greed, manipulation, and elite influence. None of that is controversial. But “powerful people exist” is not evidence for “a unified cabal is engineering viruses to reduce humanity to four billion.” That leap is not courageous skepticism. It is gullibility dressed up as rebellion.

A Nonviolent Israeli Peace Force

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:01:51 +0000

You are missing one crucial point here: Those soldiers or policemen were US citizens, who may or may not have shared the same opinion with those more than 100.000 US protesters but at the end of the day, none of them would see the other side as lesser human, which explains that no one died and only 47 were injured. Now compare that to the IDF. The Israelis do not see the Palestinians or Lebanese as humans. Same goes for anyone they think is helping their enemy. They have said it and acted on it. Palestinians have not massacred Hundreds of aid workers, medics, journalists, UN staff and more than 20.000 kids. The Israelis would massacre each and every peace activist and later deny it or blame Hamas like they have always done and only in the few cases when their crimes are undeniable they would claim, it was a mistake. They executed a 5 year old girl who was begging for her life. What makes you think they would spare some peace activist?

Tens Of Thousands Flood London For Tommy Robinson March

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:58:50 +0000

"...posed a serious risk of prejudicing the trial and derailing the entire case, potentially forcing a costly retrial..." The defendants in the 2018 Leeds Crown Court case had already been found guilty and were coming in for sentencing when confronted by Robinson in his live stream. So the trial couldn't be prejudiced, they had already been found guilty! Additionally, filming outside a trial isn't contempt of court. How many times have you seen MSM journalists scrum a defendant when entering court and asking them questions. The most recent was Russell Brand who was greeted by a phalanx of reporters outside court. "...Tommy Robinson is not a journalist..." He worked for Rebel Media in 2017-18 as a journalist after winning a Shillman fellowship there. In January 2020, Robinson was given the Sappho Award (also known as the International Free Press award) by the Danish Free Press Society at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Plot to install Ahmadinejad in Iran collapsed after war erupted

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:58:40 +0000

Will the Iranian opposition take note of this; essentially another US sell out of liberal forces.

US push for UAE to seize Iranian island sparks Gulf war fears

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:56:57 +0000

As I pointed in another thread on an identical topic (too many threads need merging by Moderators), Lavan Island was the subject of a 1969 dispute between Iran and Qatar. For that treaty to be abrogated by the UAE, risks inflaming a situation arising between Qatar and Bahrain over islands that was also originally settled by the same maritime agreement. This agreement is of importance for a number of reasons. It governs drilling rights. It was also important for Bahrain to assert sovereignty; Iran, under the Shah, always laid claim to bahrain, as a"lost" Iranian province, with a majority of the population being Shia (and the ruling family being sunni Saudi bedu). There is naturally a history of tension on the island, not least because of the late Amir of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khaifa's decision, likely at the behest of his brother, to appoint Ian Henderson ("Butcher of Bahrain") to head the Bahraini Special branch (Mukhabarat, secret police). Torture became a thing on the island, presumably as Henderson practiced lessons learned from the Kenyan Mau Mau uprising. Pushing the UAE to seize settled Iranian territory is likely to further inflame tensions in the Gulf, and contribute to even more discord between the previously united GCC states (Qata and the UAE have been on opposing sides in proxy conflicts). That won't benefit the US and the Western states. It benefits Israel though, who derives virtually all of its oil from the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan, via Russia.

LTR Visa is Now available for Long Term Residency

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:53:20 +0000

I posted a partial pic of the actual Thai AXA certificate of insurance (blanked out) that I submitted to BOI to get my LTR visa. I was just showing someone what it looked like. I wasn't trying to create a new letter. My Thai insurance docs are in THB, not USD. I recently asked BOI if I could switch to my company retiree insurance plan, but the only docs I could get from my company were the 18 & 93 page plan docs. Those were not acceptable to BOI. I then asked if I could switch to the $100k in bank, and they yes. So, I will use the $100k in bank going forward. I may try again to use my retiree insurance at the 5-year renewal in 2029. The person I replied to said he only submitted his plan docs, and they approved his visa.

Shocking Report about the IDF´s Torture and Rape Methods

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:42:34 +0000

Isn`t that what you always do? Never really address the subject of a debate but start throwing insults or accusations instead if someone dares to critizice you? You live on stolen land, in stolen houses and eat stolen food and the earth beneath your feet is soaked with the blood of the indigenous people and legal owners you murdered. I am not sure if "super survivor" is an apt description. After Milenia of being hated, shunned, expelled, and sometimes even murdered has this thought never crossed your mind? "Maybe it´s us?"

Tens Of Thousands Flood London For Tommy Robinson March

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:38:17 +0000

Recent case from just yesterday: Tuesday 19th May 2026 from the West Yorkshire Police website Twenty people have been jailed for a total of 277 years in a major investigation into sexual abuse committed against young girls in Kirklees. https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/twenty-people-jailed-sexual-abuse-committed-decades-ago-kirklees j

Tens Of Thousands Flood London For Tommy Robinson March

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:35:34 +0000

Maybe you would like to ask Donnie Peverly to explain this as you sad Donnie has not seen active grooming gangs for the last 20-25 years. I blocked him for constantly fot being a disruptor so i don't see his rubbish but for you this was a case where a group of Pakistani origin was sentanced this report was 7 Months ago.

Jew hatred has become fashionable especially among young people

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:31:17 +0000

The video clips below illustrate the idea that hatred of Jews and Israel has become fashionable, or a fad or trend, whatever word you prefer. The people at these demonstrations often don't understand the chants they are repeating or the signs they are carrying. The hard-core activists do, but some of the "ordinary" protestors don't.

Federal Prosecutor: "Tick Tock" , California Fraud Arrests Coming,News

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:29:01 +0000

California doctor convicted of $45M Medicare fraud scheme that funded luxury vacations and a $12K crossbow Greedy doctor stealing federal taxpayer revenue in Newsom's California ,to the tune of $45M. California medicare fraud uncovered by the Feds. "Prosecutors said that in an effort to conceal the fraud, she fabricated patient medical records—including patient consent forms—to make it appear as if patients received migraine treatments in her office". https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/california-doctor-violetta-mailyan-convicted-of-45m-medicare-fraud-scheme/?utm_campaign=nypost&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Centrelink Age Pension Supplement-rule change

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:26:55 +0000

Yes not the old age pension.... but the massive Superannuation he got from years attending 4 days a week as a government employee ( he had every Friday off as a sick day ) Probably a former pompous judge or politician with his free Air travel pass

Centrelink Age Pension Supplement-rule change

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:25:35 +0000

All supported by the hardworking taxpayers of Australia

Brit Faced Large Bill After Thailand Bike Crash

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:21:16 +0000

Upset for being stereotyped? Well, too bad, there are simply too many news about farangs crashing their motorbikes and ended up asking for help. So many farangs got involved in motorcycle crashes in Thailand until you guys coin a term "Thai tattoo" for road rash.