Exclusive offer for Thaivisa readers - 500B discount coupon for SuperSports

 

 

Find out more:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1019624-exclusive-offer-for-thaivisa-readers-500b-discount-coupon-for-supersports/

Sudarat and Prayut emerge as most likely post-election leaders

By SOMROUTAI SAPSOMBOON 
THE NATION

 

 

KHUNYING SUDARAT Keyuraphan, a veteran politician from the previously ruling Pheu Thai Party who is tipped to lead the party to fight the next general election, has emerged as a candidate to become the next prime minister.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021361-sudarat-and-prayut-emerge-as-most-likely-post-election-leaders/

 

DSI to launch hunt for ‘real owner’ of massage parlour

By THE NATION

 

 

DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) officers will with the Immigration Police Bureau dispatch a team to hunt for a wanted businessman and his wife linked to a raided Bangkok massage parlour.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021365-dsi-to-launch-hunt-for-‘real-owner’-of-massage-parlour/

 

Taxi services ‘to be safer’ under new reforms as passengers complain about manners and safety

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

TAXI REFORMS to be launched on Thursday are meant to ensure more convenient and safer rides for passengers and boost the competitiveness of taxis against the Uber service, which is currently illegal, the Land Transport Department (DLT) has announced.

 

Source: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021366-taxi-services-‘to-be-safer’-under-new-reforms-as-passengers-complain-about-manners-and-safety/

 

Migrant arrests ‘risk new panic’

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

Recent crackdown ‘could do more harm than good’ given new economic realities.
 

A LONG-TIME crackdown on migrant workers taking jobs reserved for Thai nationals was slammed yesterday as being part of the problem, rather than a solution to it, since many of the jobs in question were not wanted by citizens. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021367-migrant-arrests-‘risk-new-panic’/

 

Completion of high-speed Southeast Asian rail link is still far down the track

By SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE 
THE NATION

 

China high speed train

 

WITH PROGRESS made in rail projects in Laos and Thailand, China has advanced its dream of a trans-Asian railway network to link Southeast Asia. But no one can predict when the dream will become true, as many countries in the region remain at different stages of development and commitment.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021368-completion-of-high-speed-southeast-asian-rail-link-is-still-far-down-the-track/

 

Thai beats Tai – Ratchanok causes upset in Masters final

By Lerpong Amsa-ngiam 
The Nation

 

Ratchanok Intanon kisses her gold medal after her Masters win.

 

Thai badminton queen Ratchanok Intanon kicked off her 2018 season in style as she upset world No 1 Tai Tsu Ying of Taiwan 21-16 14-21 24-22 to win the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021370-thai-beats-tai-–-ratchanok-causes-upset-in-masters-final/

 

EDITORIAL

Chuan for prime minister?

By The Nation

 

Speculation about pushing veteran as Democrat leader and PM candidate underlines highly fluid politics

 

All of a sudden, the name of a veteran politician who is approaching 80 years of age has been thrown into the mix as the country’s future ruler. As the Democrat Party ponders its future under incumbent Abhisit Vejjajiva and the country speculates over who will become the next prime minister, Chuan Leekpai has emerged as a candidate for both the party leadership and that of the country.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021371-chuan-for-prime-minister/

 

Robbers hold up Familymart cashier at knifepoint

By The Nation

 

 

Police are continuing to hunt for two male suspects who robbed a Familymart convenience store at knifepoint in downtown Bangkok on Sunday morning and fled with Bt4,000 cash.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021372-robbers-hold-up-familymart-cashier-at-knifepoint/

 

Baggage handlers arrested over thefts at Phuket airport

By Salinee Prap 
The Nation

 

 

Police arrested two worker at the Phuket International Airport and their alleged accomplice over the theft of passengers’ belongings, said Sakhu Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Jirasak Siamsak on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021373-baggage-handlers-arrested-over-thefts-at-phuket-airport/

 

Suspected Taiwanese call centre gang leader nabbed by tourist police

By Thai PBS

 

 

Tourist police have arrested an alleged Taiwanese ring leader of a call centre scamming gang and two Taiwanese accomplices at the Suvarnabhumi international airport and at a coffee shop in Samut Prakan on Saturday.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021374-suspected-taiwanese-call-centre-gang-leader-nabbed-by-tourist-police/

 

Israeli Ex-convict Killed in Thailand in Suspected Mob Hit

Security camera footage shows a car slamming into Maor Malul's motorcycle repeatedly, and suspects were also documented stabbing him

■ Two Israelis arrested

Josh Breiner 

 

A car is seen plowing into a motorcycle in security footage of the incident that claimed an Israeli criminal's life in Thailand. Screenshot/ Matichon Online

 

An Israeli man was killed in Thailand on Sunday in what police suspect was a mob hit. Two Israelis linked to the "Israeli mafia" in the country were reportedly arrested on suspicion of murder.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021375-israeli-ex-convict-killed-on-koh-samui-in-suspected-mob-hit/

 

Irish woman killed in fall from balcony in Thailand

Investigation launched by local police into circumstance of Donegal native’s death

Stephen Maguire

 

Louise Furey’s final Facebook post shows a picture of herself and boyfriend Sam Bulmer having a drink beside the beach and reads, “Long flight . . . relaxation time.”

 

A young Irish woman has been killed following a fall from a balcony at a resort in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021377-27-year-old-irish-woman-falls-to-her-death-from-balcony-on-koh-samui/

 

Koh Yoong Coral Recovers 2 Years After Tourists Ban

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

Photo: Thon Thamrongnawasawat / Facebook

 

KRABI — A marine expert on Wednesday said coral reefs on Krabi province’s Yoong island saw a recovery, two years after the island was declared off limits to tourists.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021378-koh-yoong-coral-recovers-2-years-after-tourists-ban/

 

Thailand expects 12-pct investment growth in 2018

Source: Xinhua|Editor: Chengcheng

 

BANGKOK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's investment body announced the investment target of 720 billion baht (22.5 billion U.S. dollars) for 2018 after closing the year of 2017 with an investment growth of 22 percent from 2016.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021379-thailand-expects-12-pct-investment-growth-in-2018/

 

Govt steps up piracy fight in Thailand

 

 

BANGKOK, 22 January 2018 (NNT) – The government has vowed to continue its effort to solve the problem of intellectual properties infringement in Thailand, says the government spokesman. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021380-govt-steps-up-piracy-fight-in-thailand/

 

German SPD backs coalition talks, leader vows tough approach

By Paul Carrel and Holger Hansen

 

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz reacts after voting result during the SPD's one-day party congress in Bonn, Germany, January 21, 2018. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

 

BONN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) voted on Sunday to begin formal coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, moving Europe's economic powerhouse closer to a stable government after months of political deadlock.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021382-german-spd-backs-coalition-talks-leader-vows-tough-approach/

 

Spurned by Trump, Europeans ponder how to meet Iran ultimatum

By John Irish, Robin Emmott and Arshad Mohammed

 

FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump confer at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/John MacDougall/Pool/File Photo

 

PARIS/BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A day before Donald Trump's Jan. 12 ultimatum to "fix" the Iran nuclear deal, European powers met Iran's foreign minister to show support for it, but the effort failed to soften Trump's aversion to the accord, U.S. and European officials said.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021384-spurned-by-trump-europeans-ponder-how-to-meet-iran-ultimatum/

 

U.S. senator says FBI lost crucial texts tied to Clinton probe

By Sarah N. Lynch

 

Former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the LA Promise Fund's Girls Build Leadership summit in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has lost about five months worth of text messages between two staffers who worked on probes into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails and possible collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, according to a Republican lawmaker.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021386-us-senator-says-fbi-lost-crucial-texts-tied-to-clinton-probe/

 

Moderate U.S. senators cite progress in talks to end government shutdown

By Susan Cornwell and Howard Schneider

 

A traffic light shines red after President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress failed to reach a deal on funding for federal agencies in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Moderate Republican and Democratic senators held talks on Sunday to break a political impasse that has kept the U.S. government shut down for two days, but it was unclear if a deal could be struck to reopen federal agencies by the start of the work week.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021387-moderate-us-senators-cite-progress-in-talks-to-end-government-shutdown/

 

Turkish forces push into Syria, battle Kurdish militia

By Dominic Evans

 

A Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighter takes up position near Menagh, Syria January 21, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

 

AZAZ, Syria (Reuters) - Turkey's army and rebel allies battled U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in Syria's Afrin province on Sunday, stepping up a two-day-old campaign against YPG fighters that has opened a new front in Syria's civil war.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021388-turkish-forces-push-into-syria-battle-kurdish-militia/

 

French man and Thai woman arrested for brutal murder of Italian man

 

 

A French man and a Thai woman who are suspected of murdering an Italian man in Phichit province have been arrested by immigration police in Tak province.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021390-french-man-and-thai-woman-arrested-for-brutal-murder-of-italian-man/

 

Prawit ‘close to resigning’ amid scandal

By JITRAPORN SENAWONG 
THE NATION

 

 

ANONYMOUS SOURCE NAMES ‘FRIEND’ WHO REPORTEDLY LENT WATCHES TO DEPUTY PM
 

PRESSURE is building on the junta government and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, although the defence minister had until recently seemed secure in office despite the ongoing scandal over photographs of him wearing opulent wristwatches.

 

Source: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021393-prawit-‘close-to-resigning’-amid-scandal/

 

MP law delay means vote could be in November – or delayed indefinitely

By POLITICAL DESK 
THE NATION

 

File Photo

 

WILL THE “miracle of law” once again help the ruling regime delay the election? The Nation’s political desk offers answers to some of the most crucial questions after the junta-appointed legislature decided to postpone the enforcement of the MPs election law, which is essential for the poll, for another 90 days.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021396-mp-law-delay-means-vote-could-be-in-november-–-or-delayed-indefinitely/

 

In Women's March finale, Las Vegas rally kicks off voter drive

By John L. Smith

 

A woman holds up a sign during the Women's March rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 21, 2018. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

 

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered for the Women's March "Power to the Polls" rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, kicking off a national drive to register a million new voters as well as put more female candidates in office and stymie President Donald Trump's agenda.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021397-in-womens-march-finale-las-vegas-rally-kicks-off-voter-drive/

 

Ski lift: North Korea may capitalise on joint Olympics training visit

By Hyonhee Shin

 

Flags of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) are seen at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, January 20, 2018. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's offer to send athletes to a North Korean ski resort for joint training ahead of next month's Olympics risks giving leader Kim Jong Un's regime legitimacy and some much needed cash, North Korean defectors and experts say.

 

Full story:  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021400-ski-lift-north-korea-may-capitalise-on-joint-olympics-training-visit/

 

Greeks rally against use of "Macedonia" in name dispute with Skopje

By Vassilis Triandafyllou

 

Protesters wave Greek national flags and shout slogans during a rally against the use of the term "Macedonia" in any solution to a dispute between Athens and Skopje over the former Yugoslav republic's name, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, January 21, 2018. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

 

THESSALONIKI, Greece (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Greeks in the northern city of Thessaloniki rallied on Sunday to protest against the use of the name "Macedonia" in any solution to a row between Athens and Skopje over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021401-greeks-rally-against-use-of-macedonia-in-name-dispute-with-skopje/

 

Two killed, four injured in Yala bomb attack

By The Nation

 

 

Two shoppers were killed and four others injured when Muslim insurgents detonated a homemade bomb hidden inside a motorcycle at a fresh market in Yala's Mueang district Monday morning.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021402-two-killed-four-injured-in-yala-bomb-attack/

 

China's top paper says U.S. forcing China to accelerate South China Sea deployments

 

FILE PHOTO - Chinese official prepares the flags for the China-USA bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper, decrying Washington as a trouble-maker, said on Monday U.S. moves in the South China Sea like last week's freedom of navigation operation will only cause China to strengthen its deployments in the disputed waterway.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021403-chinas-top-paper-says-us-forcing-china-to-accelerate-south-china-sea-deployments/

 

Heavy casualties after overnight battle at Kabul hotel

By Akram Walizada and Mirwais Harooni

 

Smoke rises from the Intercontinental Hotel during an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan January 21, 2018.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

 

KABUL (Reuters) - Gunmen in army uniforms who stormed Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel late on Saturday and battled Afghan Special Forces through the night killed more than 30 people and wounded many more, although the final toll of dead and wounded may still be higher.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1021405-heavy-casualties-after-overnight-battle-at-kabul-hotel/