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17
THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Tuesday 5 August 2025
Thai Airways Plots Comeback with 150-Jet Fleet by 2033 File photo for reference only Thai Airways International (THAI) is aiming for a significant expansion, with plans to double its fleet to 150 aircraft by 2033. This ambitious move comes as the airline's shares resume trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) following a successful five-year business rehabilitation and debt restructuring. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1368804-thai-airways-plots-comeback-with-150-jet-fleet-by-2033/ -
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Economy Thai Airways Plots Comeback with 150-Jet Fleet by 2033
File photo for reference only Thai Airways International (THAI) is aiming for a significant expansion, with plans to double its fleet to 150 aircraft by 2033. This ambitious move comes as the airline's shares resume trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) following a successful five-year business rehabilitation and debt restructuring. Back in 2020, the national carrier embarked on a bankruptcy-protected restructuring due to the pandemic's impact. Since 2021, THAI has been on a transformational journey, overhauling its fleet and organisation in line with a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. As part of its capital restructuring completed by December 2024, THAI boosted its paid-up capital to a massive 283 billion THB before reducing it in early 2025 to cover past losses. By March 2025, THAI's paid-up capital was 36.7 billion THB, while its total liabilities amounted to 242.3 billion THB. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) reported an impressive 51.7 billion THB in revenue for the first quarter, resulting in a net profit of 9.83 billion THB. When shares began trading, they opened at 10.50 THB, a staggering 134.4% rise from the capital increase offering price of 4.48 THB, shooting the market capitalisation to nearly 300 billion THB. "This milestone marks a new chapter, following our successful rehabilitation," stated chief executive Chai Eamsiri. THAI is now strategically positioned for stable and sustainable growth, focusing on delivering value to shareholders and stakeholders alike. Plans are in place to increase the fleet from 78 aircraft in early 2025 to 93 by next year, with the goal of reaching 150 by 2033. This plan will include 98 wide-body and 52 narrow-body aircraft. The transformation aims to solidify THAI's position among global competitors, according to chairman Lavaron Sangsnit, who is also the Ministry of Finance’s permanent secretary. Despite the promising outlook for THAI, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has decided to continue suspending trading for THAI futures. The extended suspension hinders price volatility assessments and affects trading liquidity. Consequently, THAI securities have not been slated for short selling, as per the bourse's statement, reported the Bangkok Post. Financial analyst Boonyakorn Amornsank from Maybank Securities (Thailand) notes significant improvements in THAI’s capital structure post-restructuring. With an unrestricted budget, investments in aircraft are on the horizon. However, Maybank forecasts a 7% decline in THAI’s annual earnings from 2025 to 2027, aligned with industry trends and increased aircraft supply. “We expect THAI’s decline to be slower, thanks to premium services and moderate competition on its direct European routes,” he explained. The airline is likely to maintain higher fleet utilisation rates due to increased flight connectivity at Bangkok airports. Additionally, alliances with codeshare partners, like Turkish Airlines, are boosting THAI's strategic growth. As THAI navigates this new era with a promising path to expansion, the global airline scene will be keeping a keen eye on its progress. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-08-05 -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Tuesday 5 August 2025
Police Raid Illegal Dice Gambling Den in Huai Khwang 23 Arrested Picture courtesy of Khaosod. Police arrested 23 people in the early hours of 4 August after raiding an illegal dice gambling den in the Huai Khwang district of Bangkok. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1368803-police-raid-illegal-dice-gambling-den-in-huai-khwang-23-arrested/ -
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USA Nagasaki bomber ‘miss’ on purpose to save lives?
Did Nagasaki bomber ‘miss’ on purpose to save lives? On August 9, 1945, Captain Kermit Beahan, bombardier of the B-29 carrying the plutonium bomb “Fat Man,” was tasked with ending one of the cruellest wars in history. Yet the bomb that destroyed Nagasaki did not fall in the city’s heart. Instead, it detonated 2.18 miles north, in the suburb of Urakami, near tennis courts owned by Mitsubishi’s managing director and close to Japan’s largest Roman Catholic cathedral. The surrounding hills absorbed much of the blast, sparing countless lives. A direct hit on central Nagasaki could have claimed 100,000 lives, but six months later, the death toll stood at around 38,000. Nagasaki had not been the intended target. The mission’s primary objective was Kokura, an industrial hub whose bombing was expected to cause an estimated 300,000 casualties. President Truman had ordered that the bomb must be dropped only if the target was visible. Weather planes reported clear skies over Kokura, but when Beahan reached his bomb sight, he refused to release the weapon. “Goddam to hell, no drop, no drop! I can’t see the goddam target!” he shouted over the intercom. Three times the B-29 made its run, and three times Beahan declined. With fuel running low and Japanese fighters approaching, the crew turned to the secondary target: Nagasaki. Even then, debate erupted on board about abandoning Truman’s visual-only order and dropping by radar. In the end, Commander Frederick Ashworth agreed to a radar drop, but as the plane neared the city, Beahan spotted a break in the clouds over Urakami. “I’ve got it. Believe it or not, I’ve got it. The stadium. There’s a hole in the clouds, I can see a target,” he said, laughing. Moments later, he released Fat Man manually, due to a technical fault, and the bomb exploded far from Nagasaki’s most densely populated areas. “Holy mother of Jesus,” he murmured, followed by a quiet vow: “Never again. Never, ever again.” It was his 27th birthday. The question has lingered for decades — did Beahan deliberately spare Kokura and intentionally shift the aim at Nagasaki? His son, Kermit Jr., insists his father followed orders: “Whatever Dad did, he did because a senior officer told him.” Yet evidence from weather archives and mission records casts doubt on claims of cloud cover at Kokura. President Truman, disturbed by the devastation in Hiroshima days earlier, may have used back channels to influence the mission, bypassing hardline commanders like General Curtis LeMay, who was angered by what he saw as Nagasaki’s “limited” destruction. We may never know whether Beahan’s decision was an act of quiet defiance or the result of unseen orders. But one fact is certain — Kokura was spared, and by dropping short of central Nagasaki, Beahan’s actions, intentional or not, saved hundreds of thousands of lives while still ending the war’s final chapter. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Source The Times 2025-08-05 -
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USA Tennessee Execution Drama: Inmate's Heart Device Controversy
Picture courtesy of Tennessee Department of Correction/AP Tennessee is set to execute Byron Black for the 1988 killings of a mother and her two young daughters, as concerns mount over his heart implant potentially causing repeated shocks during the lethal injection. Black's attorneys are fighting for the deactivation of his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to avoid what they claim would be a torturous and prolonged execution. The ICD, designed to regulate Black's heartbeat, sits at the heart of an intensive legal battle. His legal team argues that without deactivation, the lethal drugs would trigger repeated shocks as the ICD attempts to restore his heart's rhythm. This, they claim, breaches the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel punishment. Tennessee officials, however, counter that Black would be unconscious and unable to feel pain if the device activated during the execution. The case highlights the ethical complexity where medicine and capital punishment meet. The American Medical Association opposes medical participation in executions, creating a dilemma for Tennessee, as no medical professionals have agreed to deactivate Black’s device. Despite a court ruling in Black's favour that ordered the device's deactivation, it was overruled by the Tennessee Supreme Court, citing a lack of jurisdiction, according to CNN. Byron Black faces intellectual disability claims from his legal team and is described by his attorneys as a frail and sickly figure suffering from numerous health conditions. They argue the decision should exempt him from execution, with an appeal already submitted to the US Supreme Court. Defying the call for device deactivation, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti asserts that Black will not experience severe pain. Highlighting the 37 years since the brutal murders of Angela Clay and her daughters, Skrmetti pledges to continue seeking justice for the victims' family. Black received the ICD in May 2024, which includes pacemaker functions for low heart rates and defibrillator shocks for high heart rates. Non-invasive methods can deactivate the device, but due to ethical stances against participating in executions, no professionals have agreed to perform this task. The murders Black committed, shooting his girlfriend and her daughters with .44-calibre bullets matching those from a previous incident involving the girl’s father led to his death sentence. The execution, if it proceeds without the deactivation of Black's ICD, could set a precedent regarding the intersection of healthcare technology and capital punishment. In summary, Byron Black's impending execution on Tuesday is under scrutiny due to concerns over his ICD potentially causing suffering. The legal clash underscores the ongoing debate around capital punishment and medical ethics, emphasising the intricate issues involved in executing individuals with health complications. Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-08-05 -
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Science Switzerland Cost of Saving Villages from Melting Glaciers
Is it worth the Cost? Switzerland Confronts the Rising Cost of Saving Villages from Melting Glaciers In the picturesque Loetschental valley of Switzerland, Matthias Bellwald strolls through the main street, exchanging smiles, handshakes, and warm greetings from locals. Though he serves as mayor, this is not his home village. Just two months ago, his own community of Blatten, only three miles away, was obliterated when a section of mountain and glacier collapsed into the valley below. The catastrophe came after geologists warned of growing instability. All 300 residents were evacuated in time, sparing lives but not livelihoods. Homes, farms, hotels, and the village church were reduced to rubble. “The feeling of the village, all the small alleys through the houses, the church, the memories you had when you played there as a child… all this is gone,” said Lukas Kalbermatten, who lost the hotel that had been in his family for three generations. He now lives in temporary accommodation in Wiler, where Bellwald has set up a provisional office to oversee the monumental cleanup and eventual rebuild. Bellwald is optimistic that the debris can be cleared by 2028, with the first new homes completed the following year. But the financial burden is staggering—rebuilding Blatten could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, amounting to as much as $1 million per resident. Public donations swiftly raised millions of Swiss francs, and both federal and cantonal authorities pledged financial aid. Still, some are questioning whether such a massive investment is justified. Two-thirds of Switzerland is mountainous, and scientists warn that climate change is destabilizing these landscapes. Glaciers are melting, and permafrost—the frozen ground that acts like glue to hold mountains together—is thawing, raising the likelihood of landslides and rockfalls. Switzerland already spends nearly $500 million annually on protective structures, yet a 2007 parliamentary report estimated that full protection against natural hazards might cost six times that amount. The question is unavoidable: should the nation pour billions into safeguarding every vulnerable community, or face the painful reality of abandoning some villages altogether? A November 2024 study by the Swiss Federal Research Institute found that climate change is “rapidly altering high mountain environments, including changing the frequency, dynamic behavior, location, and magnitude of alpine mass movements,” though it noted that quantifying the exact role of climate change remains “difficult.” The challenge is not only financial but also deeply cultural. Many of these villages, such as those in Graubünden—the country’s largest holiday region—are beloved for their alpine charm, untouched landscapes, and long histories. Graubünden is home to ski resorts, hiking trails, and international destinations like St Moritz, which twice hosted the Winter Olympics, and Davos, host of the annual World Economic Forum. Yet even here, the risks are evident. In Brienz, another Graubünden village, residents were evacuated over two years ago due to fears that the mountain above was shifting dangerously. They have yet to return. This past July, heavy rains across Switzerland intensified concerns, with geologists warning that a landslide appeared imminent. As climate pressures mount, Switzerland faces an unenviable dilemma—invest heavily in preserving mountain communities at extraordinary cost, or accept that some may be lost to the very landscape that once sustained them. For those like Bellwald and Kalbermatten, the answer is personal, rooted in memories and a sense of belonging that no price tag can capture. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Source BBC 2025-08-05
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