In this video, I explain why "educating the masses" won't work and propose a radical new "Truth & Honesty" law. We need to make lying expensive for newspapers, politicians, and social media giants. Without a systemic shift to honesty and the end of private political donations, I see no future for the UK.
Showing posts sorted by date for query Bangkok. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Bangkok. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Michael Lambert: UK Decline: Why We Are Finished without This One Change
Feb 28, 2026 | Is the UK's decline now irreversible? After spending time in Bangkok, the contrast in quality of life, infrastructure, and national energy has made me realize just how far we’ve fallen in the ten years since Brexit.
In this video, I explain why "educating the masses" won't work and propose a radical new "Truth & Honesty" law. We need to make lying expensive for newspapers, politicians, and social media giants. Without a systemic shift to honesty and the end of private political donations, I see no future for the UK.
In this video, I explain why "educating the masses" won't work and propose a radical new "Truth & Honesty" law. We need to make lying expensive for newspapers, politicians, and social media giants. Without a systemic shift to honesty and the end of private political donations, I see no future for the UK.
Saturday, February 07, 2026
Michael Lambert: Why No Leader Can Fix Britain’s Current Course
Feb 7, 2026 | In this video I reflect on recent events in British politics from a very different perspective — speaking from Bangkok and watching the UK from afar.
I discuss the latest defections to Reform UK, why Nigel Farage still represents a political cul-de-sac rather than a governing future, and what these shifts say about the Conservative Party’s decline.
I also look at Keir Starmer’s trip to China, the reality behind the so-called “sophisticated relationship”, and the uncomfortable truth about Britain trying to negotiate alone in a world dominated by large trade blocs.
Along the way I touch on Peter Mandelson, Labour’s leadership dilemma, Andy Burnham, Davos and the wider question of whether Brexit has left Britain trying to play a role in the world that no longer exists.
I discuss the latest defections to Reform UK, why Nigel Farage still represents a political cul-de-sac rather than a governing future, and what these shifts say about the Conservative Party’s decline.
I also look at Keir Starmer’s trip to China, the reality behind the so-called “sophisticated relationship”, and the uncomfortable truth about Britain trying to negotiate alone in a world dominated by large trade blocs.
Along the way I touch on Peter Mandelson, Labour’s leadership dilemma, Andy Burnham, Davos and the wider question of whether Brexit has left Britain trying to play a role in the world that no longer exists.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Sirikit, Glamorous Queen of Thailand Who Wielded Power, Dies at 93
THE NEW YORK TIMES: As the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, she traveled the world charming government leaders and the public.
Sirikit, the former queen of Thailand and the widow of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose portraits appeared together for decades in houses and shops around the country, died on Friday in Bangkok. She was 93.
The royal palace said the cause was complications of blood sepsis. Sirikit had rarely appeared in public since she had a debilitating stroke in 2012.
King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-serving head of state, died in 2016. He was succeeded by the couple’s son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
In Thailand, Sirikit was known as Queen Mother. Born into royalty as the daughter of a prince, she met the young King Bhumibol as a teenager when she was living in France, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married on April 28, 1950, when she was 18, a week before his coronation.
He was crowned as Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty, and she received the royal title Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat. Widely believed to be the world’s longest-serving queen consort, she had three daughters in addition to their son.
A glamorous young couple, the king and queen traveled often in the 1960s to the United States and dozens of countries in Europe and Asia, where she charmed both government leaders and the public with her elegance, vivaciousness and winning smile. In both Western dress and Thai silks, she topped the International Best-Dressed List — a prestigious annual ranking of the world’s most stylish figures — four times in the 1960s. » | Seth Mydans | Friday, Octoner 24, 2025
La Thaïlande entame une année de deuil après le décès de la reine mère : Des portraits d’elle ont été accrochés dans les espaces publics et dans les maisons. Une vaste couverture médiatique accompagne le début de ce deuil, faisant l’éloge de l’ancienne reine Sirikit, surnommée dans sa jeunesse la «Jackie Kennedy d’Asie». / La Thaïlande se revêt d'habits sombres et de portraits dorés pour entamer dimanche une année de deuil officiel après le décès de la reine Sirikit, mère de l'actuel roi, dont le corps reposera pendant un an en chapelle ardente. Des admirateurs de la famille royale, en deuil, se sont rassemblés pour attendre et saluer le cortège transportant le corps de la veuve du roi Bhumibol Adulyadej, de l'hôpital où elle est décédée vendredi à l'âge de 93 ans, vers le Palais royal de Bangkok. »
Sirikit, the former queen of Thailand and the widow of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose portraits appeared together for decades in houses and shops around the country, died on Friday in Bangkok. She was 93.
The royal palace said the cause was complications of blood sepsis. Sirikit had rarely appeared in public since she had a debilitating stroke in 2012.
King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-serving head of state, died in 2016. He was succeeded by the couple’s son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
In Thailand, Sirikit was known as Queen Mother. Born into royalty as the daughter of a prince, she met the young King Bhumibol as a teenager when she was living in France, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married on April 28, 1950, when she was 18, a week before his coronation.
He was crowned as Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty, and she received the royal title Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat. Widely believed to be the world’s longest-serving queen consort, she had three daughters in addition to their son.
A glamorous young couple, the king and queen traveled often in the 1960s to the United States and dozens of countries in Europe and Asia, where she charmed both government leaders and the public with her elegance, vivaciousness and winning smile. In both Western dress and Thai silks, she topped the International Best-Dressed List — a prestigious annual ranking of the world’s most stylish figures — four times in the 1960s. » | Seth Mydans | Friday, Octoner 24, 2025
La Thaïlande entame une année de deuil après le décès de la reine mère : Des portraits d’elle ont été accrochés dans les espaces publics et dans les maisons. Une vaste couverture médiatique accompagne le début de ce deuil, faisant l’éloge de l’ancienne reine Sirikit, surnommée dans sa jeunesse la «Jackie Kennedy d’Asie». / La Thaïlande se revêt d'habits sombres et de portraits dorés pour entamer dimanche une année de deuil officiel après le décès de la reine Sirikit, mère de l'actuel roi, dont le corps reposera pendant un an en chapelle ardente. Des admirateurs de la famille royale, en deuil, se sont rassemblés pour attendre et saluer le cortège transportant le corps de la veuve du roi Bhumibol Adulyadej, de l'hôpital où elle est décédée vendredi à l'âge de 93 ans, vers le Palais royal de Bangkok. »
Wednesday, March 05, 2025
China Says It Is ‘Ready for War’ with America
THE TELEGRAPH: Beijing boosts defence spending by 7.2 per cent and warns Washington it is prepared to ‘fight till the end’
China says it is “ready for war” with America as it raises defence spending and imposes retaliatory tariffs on US imports.
In a direct threat to Donald Trump, China’s representatives in America said: “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”
The US has hit China with 20 per cent tariffs in response to what the White House considers to be Chinese inaction over the flow of fentanyl into America.
Beijing has responded by announcing plans to boost defence spending by 7.2 per cent and to hit the US with reciprocal tariffs of 10 to 15 per cent on certain imports from March 10.
In combative statements online, China’s ministry of foreign affairs and the US embassy warned Washington that “intimidation does not scare us” and criticised Mr Trump for linking tariffs to the fentanyl crisis. » | Sarah Newey, Global Health Security Correspondent, in Bangkok | Wednesday, March 5, 2025
China says it is “ready for war” with America as it raises defence spending and imposes retaliatory tariffs on US imports.
In a direct threat to Donald Trump, China’s representatives in America said: “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”
The US has hit China with 20 per cent tariffs in response to what the White House considers to be Chinese inaction over the flow of fentanyl into America.
Beijing has responded by announcing plans to boost defence spending by 7.2 per cent and to hit the US with reciprocal tariffs of 10 to 15 per cent on certain imports from March 10.
In combative statements online, China’s ministry of foreign affairs and the US embassy warned Washington that “intimidation does not scare us” and criticised Mr Trump for linking tariffs to the fentanyl crisis. » | Sarah Newey, Global Health Security Correspondent, in Bangkok | Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
China Swiftly Counters Trump’s Tariffs With a Flurry of Trade Curbs
THE NEW YORK TIMES: After a 10 percent tariff on Chinese products took effect on Tuesday, China announced retaliatory measures, including tariffs and an investigation of Google.
Beijing responded swiftly on Tuesday to the tariffs President Trump had promised, announcing a fusillade of countermeasures targeting American companies and imports of critical products.
Mr. Trump’s 10 percent tariff on all Chinese products went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the result of an executive order issued over the weekend aimed at pressuring Beijing to crack down on fentanyl shipments into the United States.
The Chinese government came back with a series of retaliatory steps, including additional tariffs on liquefied natural gas, coal, farm machinery and other products from the United States. It also said it had implemented restrictions on the export of certain critical minerals, many of which are used in the production of high-tech products.
In addition, Chinese market regulators said they had launched an antimonopoly investigation into Google. Google is blocked from China’s internet, but the move may disrupt the company’s dealings with Chinese companies. » | Ana Swanson and Chris Buckley | Ana Swanson reported from Washington and Chris Buckley from Bangkok. | Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Why do I get the feeling that China has decided to teach Trump an important lesson? A lesson he’ll never forget. – © Mark Alexander
Beijing responded swiftly on Tuesday to the tariffs President Trump had promised, announcing a fusillade of countermeasures targeting American companies and imports of critical products.
Mr. Trump’s 10 percent tariff on all Chinese products went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the result of an executive order issued over the weekend aimed at pressuring Beijing to crack down on fentanyl shipments into the United States.
The Chinese government came back with a series of retaliatory steps, including additional tariffs on liquefied natural gas, coal, farm machinery and other products from the United States. It also said it had implemented restrictions on the export of certain critical minerals, many of which are used in the production of high-tech products.
In addition, Chinese market regulators said they had launched an antimonopoly investigation into Google. Google is blocked from China’s internet, but the move may disrupt the company’s dealings with Chinese companies. » | Ana Swanson and Chris Buckley | Ana Swanson reported from Washington and Chris Buckley from Bangkok. | Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Why do I get the feeling that China has decided to teach Trump an important lesson? A lesson he’ll never forget. – © Mark Alexander
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Thailand Passes Historic Bill Recognising Marriage Equality
THE GUARDIAN: Country on track to become third in Asia – after Taiwan and Nepal – to legalise same-sex marriage
Thailand’s senate has passed the final reading of a historic marriage equality bill, paving the way for the country to become the first in south-east Asia to recognise same-sex marriage.
The bill gained the support of nearly all upper-house lawmakers and will be sent to the palace for the pro-forma endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
“We’re all just really excited,” said Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old activist, before the law was approved. “I can feel the whole world is cheering us on.”
The bill passed its final reading on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate in attendance, with four voting against it and 18 abstaining. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
DW VIDEO:
Thailand is set to legalize same-sex marriage after senators approve bill: Thailand set to legalize same-sex marriage. Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a marriage equality bill. The law still needs approval from Thailand's king before it can come into force. »
Thailand’s senate has passed the final reading of a historic marriage equality bill, paving the way for the country to become the first in south-east Asia to recognise same-sex marriage.
The bill gained the support of nearly all upper-house lawmakers and will be sent to the palace for the pro-forma endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
“We’re all just really excited,” said Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old activist, before the law was approved. “I can feel the whole world is cheering us on.”
The bill passed its final reading on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate in attendance, with four voting against it and 18 abstaining. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
DW VIDEO:
Thailand is set to legalize same-sex marriage after senators approve bill: Thailand set to legalize same-sex marriage. Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a marriage equality bill. The law still needs approval from Thailand's king before it can come into force. »
Thursday, February 01, 2024
Russia’s New Threats to Exiles: Seized Assets and Forced Returns
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Kremlin is sending a chilly message to antiwar Russians abroad: A new law will allow their property back home to be seized, and other countries are being pressured to crack down on them.
In Bangkok this week, members of an antiwar Russian-language rock group were fighting deportation to Russia, detained in what supporters described as a cramped, hot, 80-person immigration holding cell.
On Wednesday in Moscow, the lower house of Parliament passed a law that will allow the Russian government to seize the property of Russians living abroad who, in the words of the legislature’s chairman, “besmirch our country.”
The two developments, though thousands of miles apart, reflected the same grim calculus by the Kremlin: Using new legislation and apparent diplomatic pressure on other countries, it is turning the screws on Russia’s sprawling antiwar diaspora.
“Historic Russia has risen up,” President Vladimir V. Putin said at a meeting with backers of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, reprising his contention that the time has come to cleanse Russian society of pro-Western elements. “All this scum that’s always present in any society is being slowly, slowly washed away.”
Under the law, any Russian, even those in exile, found to be engaged in “crimes against national security” — including criticizing the invasion of Ukraine — could have their assets confiscated. Mr. Putin is expected to sign the law, though it is not yet clear how widely or aggressively the Kremlin plans to use it. » | Anton Troianovski | Thursday, February 1, 2024
In Bangkok this week, members of an antiwar Russian-language rock group were fighting deportation to Russia, detained in what supporters described as a cramped, hot, 80-person immigration holding cell.
On Wednesday in Moscow, the lower house of Parliament passed a law that will allow the Russian government to seize the property of Russians living abroad who, in the words of the legislature’s chairman, “besmirch our country.”
The two developments, though thousands of miles apart, reflected the same grim calculus by the Kremlin: Using new legislation and apparent diplomatic pressure on other countries, it is turning the screws on Russia’s sprawling antiwar diaspora.
“Historic Russia has risen up,” President Vladimir V. Putin said at a meeting with backers of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, reprising his contention that the time has come to cleanse Russian society of pro-Western elements. “All this scum that’s always present in any society is being slowly, slowly washed away.”
Under the law, any Russian, even those in exile, found to be engaged in “crimes against national security” — including criticizing the invasion of Ukraine — could have their assets confiscated. Mr. Putin is expected to sign the law, though it is not yet clear how widely or aggressively the Kremlin plans to use it. » | Anton Troianovski | Thursday, February 1, 2024
Tuesday, October 03, 2023
Three People Killed and Teenager Held over Bangkok Mall Shooting - BBC News
Oct 3, 2023 | Three people have been killed in a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, medics say. Four other people were injured in the incident, including a foreign national.
A suspect - a 14-year-old boy - has been arrested after surrendering. He had been using a handgun, police said.
The prime minister said the situation had been brought under control and police were clearing the scene, according to the AFP news agency.
A suspect - a 14-year-old boy - has been arrested after surrendering. He had been using a handgun, police said.
The prime minister said the situation had been brought under control and police were clearing the scene, according to the AFP news agency.
Friday, June 30, 2023
Woman’s Leg Amputated at Bangkok Airport after Getting Stuck in Moving Walkway
THE GUARDIAN: Airport expresses ‘deepest condolences’ after 57-year-old gets caught and has left leg removed from above the knee
A woman’s leg has been amputated in a Thai airport after it became trapped by a movable walkway on Thursday, officials said.
The 57-year-old Thai passenger was due to board a morning flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat province when she was caught by the walkway in Terminal 2. A medical team there eventually had to remove her left leg from above the knee, according to the airport’s officials. » | Associated Press | Friday, June 30, 2023
A woman’s leg has been amputated in a Thai airport after it became trapped by a movable walkway on Thursday, officials said.
The 57-year-old Thai passenger was due to board a morning flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat province when she was caught by the walkway in Terminal 2. A medical team there eventually had to remove her left leg from above the knee, according to the airport’s officials. » | Associated Press | Friday, June 30, 2023
Sunday, June 04, 2023
Thailand Pride Celebrations Kick Off in Bangkok - BBC News
Thursday, April 27, 2023
A Singapour, un homme a été pendu pour le trafic d’un kilo de cannabis
LE MONDE : La cité-Etat assume sa politique de tolérance zéro face aux affaires de drogue et le recours à la peine capitale, dans un contexte régional d’assouplissement des sanctions.
L’exécution à Singapour, mercredi 26 avril, de Tangaraju Suppiah, un Singapourien d’origine tamoule de 46 ans, pour trafic d’un peu plus d’un kilogramme de cannabis, confirme que la cité-Etat de 5,5 millions d’habitants n’a aucune intention de réformer sa justice, particulièrement sévère face au trafic de drogue. Onze personnes ont été pendues en 2022 – toutes pour des affaires liées aux stupéfiants – après deux ans sans exécution. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | jeudi 27 avril 2023
Article réservé aux abonnés
LIRE AUSSI À PROPOS DE SINGAPOUR :
Singapour révoque une loi pénalisant l’homosexualité : Le texte, qui n’était toutefois plus appliqué, prévoyait une peine maximale de deux ans d’emprisonnement. Son abrogation « met la législation en accord avec l’évolution des mentalités », avait estimé le premier ministre, Lee Hsien Loong, fin août. »
L’exécution à Singapour, mercredi 26 avril, de Tangaraju Suppiah, un Singapourien d’origine tamoule de 46 ans, pour trafic d’un peu plus d’un kilogramme de cannabis, confirme que la cité-Etat de 5,5 millions d’habitants n’a aucune intention de réformer sa justice, particulièrement sévère face au trafic de drogue. Onze personnes ont été pendues en 2022 – toutes pour des affaires liées aux stupéfiants – après deux ans sans exécution. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | jeudi 27 avril 2023
Article réservé aux abonnés
LIRE AUSSI À PROPOS DE SINGAPOUR :
Singapour révoque une loi pénalisant l’homosexualité : Le texte, qui n’était toutefois plus appliqué, prévoyait une peine maximale de deux ans d’emprisonnement. Son abrogation « met la législation en accord avec l’évolution des mentalités », avait estimé le premier ministre, Lee Hsien Loong, fin août. »
Thursday, October 06, 2022
Thailand Attack: 22 Children among 34 Killed in Nursery Mass Shooting
THE GUARDIAN: North-east region preschool centre attacked by gunman who also killed himself and his family
Thirty-four people have been killed, including 22 children, in a mass shooting at a preschool centre in a north-eastern province of Thailand, police have said.
The attacker, a former policeman, also killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead.
About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman entered the building at 12.30pm (0530 GMT), during the children’s nap time, police and local officials said. The victims were as young as two years old. With video » | Rebecca Ratcliffe and Navaon Siradapuvadoli in Bangkok and agencies | Thursday, October 6, 2022
Thirty-four people have been killed, including 22 children, in a mass shooting at a preschool centre in a north-eastern province of Thailand, police have said.
The attacker, a former policeman, also killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead.
About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman entered the building at 12.30pm (0530 GMT), during the children’s nap time, police and local officials said. The victims were as young as two years old. With video » | Rebecca Ratcliffe and Navaon Siradapuvadoli in Bangkok and agencies | Thursday, October 6, 2022
Monday, July 11, 2022
En Thaïlande, le cannabis dépénalisé
LE MONDE : Cette mesure était une promesse de campagne du partenaire de coalition des généraux thaïlandais qui dirigent le gouvernement qui a succédé à la junte militaire en 2019.
Une vendeuse de produits à base de cannabis à l’occasion du salon « Thailand : 420 Legalaew ! », organisé par Highland dans la province de Nakhon Pathom, en Thaïlande, le 11 juin 2022. LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
A quelques encablures du quartier des temples et du palais royal, Khao San Road, la Mecque du touriste étranger à Bangkok, avec ses bars, ses guest houses et ses boutiques de souvenirs, a vu apparaître ces dernières semaines un nouveau type de commerce : celui du cannabis, connu sous le terme de ganja en Thaïlande, sous toutes ses formes et variétés, ou presque.
Frame, 31 ans, sa sœur Fen et un troisième frère, qui n’ont pas donné leur nom, ont investi 400 000 baths (12 000 euros) de leurs économies dans un weed truck, camion à herbe baptisé Good Gets (les bons plans), dont l’étal réfrigéré expose une demi-douzaine de variétés de fleurs rangées dans des bocaux. Ils en font pousser chez eux et en achètent à un fournisseur dans leur province natale, à Surat Thani, dans le sud du pays. Moyennant une obole journalière versée à la police, ils occupent depuis le 20 juin cet emplacement un peu à l’écart de la rue principale, celle où les bars rivalisent de puissance sonore pour attirer le chaland : « On n’a pas osé se mettre là-bas, on ne parle pas assez bien anglais », dit l’un des frères. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | lundi 11 juillet 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
A quelques encablures du quartier des temples et du palais royal, Khao San Road, la Mecque du touriste étranger à Bangkok, avec ses bars, ses guest houses et ses boutiques de souvenirs, a vu apparaître ces dernières semaines un nouveau type de commerce : celui du cannabis, connu sous le terme de ganja en Thaïlande, sous toutes ses formes et variétés, ou presque.
Frame, 31 ans, sa sœur Fen et un troisième frère, qui n’ont pas donné leur nom, ont investi 400 000 baths (12 000 euros) de leurs économies dans un weed truck, camion à herbe baptisé Good Gets (les bons plans), dont l’étal réfrigéré expose une demi-douzaine de variétés de fleurs rangées dans des bocaux. Ils en font pousser chez eux et en achètent à un fournisseur dans leur province natale, à Surat Thani, dans le sud du pays. Moyennant une obole journalière versée à la police, ils occupent depuis le 20 juin cet emplacement un peu à l’écart de la rue principale, celle où les bars rivalisent de puissance sonore pour attirer le chaland : « On n’a pas osé se mettre là-bas, on ne parle pas assez bien anglais », dit l’un des frères. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | lundi 11 juillet 2022
Article réservé aux abonnés
Thursday, November 26, 2020
A Feared Law to Protect the Monarchy Returns Amid Thailand’s Protests
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The country’s lèse-majesté law, which makes insulting the king punishable by years in prison, is being used against the protesters’ leadership for the first time.
BANGKOK — The number 112 strikes fear in Thailand. It refers to Section 112 of the country’s criminal code, which makes insulting or defaming the king and his close kin an offense punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
On Tuesday night, a leader of the protest movement that is calling for changes to Thailand’s monarchy and political system received a summons to face multiple charges of lèse-majesté, as the crime is known. It was the first time that Section 112 had been applied during the protests, which have brought thousands of people onto the streets since July.
The protest leader, Parit Chiwarak, commonly known as Penguin, must report to a police station by Dec. 1 to face the charges, which stem from speeches he gave in September and this month. In those speeches, Mr. Parit and others called for the monarchy to come under the Thai Constitution and for the public to be allowed to scrutinize its considerable wealth. » Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono | Wednesday, November 25, 2020
BANGKOK — The number 112 strikes fear in Thailand. It refers to Section 112 of the country’s criminal code, which makes insulting or defaming the king and his close kin an offense punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
On Tuesday night, a leader of the protest movement that is calling for changes to Thailand’s monarchy and political system received a summons to face multiple charges of lèse-majesté, as the crime is known. It was the first time that Section 112 had been applied during the protests, which have brought thousands of people onto the streets since July.
The protest leader, Parit Chiwarak, commonly known as Penguin, must report to a police station by Dec. 1 to face the charges, which stem from speeches he gave in September and this month. In those speeches, Mr. Parit and others called for the monarchy to come under the Thai Constitution and for the public to be allowed to scrutinize its considerable wealth. » Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono | Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Thailand: Anti-Government Protest in Bangkok Draws Massive Crowd | DW News
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi Teen Granted Asylum in Canada
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, had been trying to reach Australia via Bangkok, but was initially told to return to Kuwait, where her family were waiting.
She refused to fly back and barricaded herself into her airport hotel room, attracting international attention.
She said she had renounced Islam, which is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. » | BBC | Friday, January 11, 2019
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Thailand's Lèse-majesté Law ‘Stifling Dissent’
While millions of people are mourning the revered monarch, who ruled for 70 years, Thailand's military government is ramping up its crackdown on people insulting or criticizing the royal family.
Over the past three years, more than 100 people have been charged or convicted for violating the country’s strict draconian lèse-majesté law (violating the dignity of a ruler), which forbids insult of the monarchy.
The military leadership says some sort of democracy will return next year, but there is no indication that will mean freedom of speech when it comes to the monarchy.
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from the capital, Bangkok.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Thousands Line Streets to Mourn Thai King | DW News
Friday, December 04, 2015
Islamic State Terror Squad 'In Thailand' Planning To Kill Russians, Warns Moscow
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has dispatched a ten-person squad to kill Russian tourists in Thailand, Russian security services have warned.
Thai police confirmed on Friday that they had received intelligence from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor agency to the KGB, about 10 terrorists from Syria who reportedly entered Thailand in October.
The warning came to light in a leaked letter, marked “secret” and “urgent”, that began circulating on Thai social media on Thursday.
Thailand is a popular holiday destination for Russians, especially in the peak Christmas and New Year periods.
Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok are all also popular with British visitors, meaning there is a high chance any terrorist attack there could also target Britons. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow and Philip Sherwell, Bangkok | Friday, December 4, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Thai Printers Refuse to Publish New York Times Edition over Article about King
 |
| King Bhumibol celebrating his 84th birthday in 2011. In April, a Thai man was jailed for 30 years for insulting the monarchy on Facebook. |
The Thai printers of the International New York Times have refused to publish the paper’s Tuesday edition because a front-page article on the country’s ailing king was deemed too sensitive.
Strict lèse-majesté laws in Thailand make it a crime to criticise, defame or insult members of the royal family, and can land people in jail for up to 15 years on each count.
The article, headlined “As Thai king ails, crown’s future unclear”, focused on the declining health of 87-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej and discussed concerns surrounding the succession.
“Today’s edition of the International New York Times was not printed in Thailand because it includes an article that our locally contracted printer deemed too sensitive too print,” the paper told subscribers in an email.
“This decision was made solely by the printer and is not endorsed by the International New York Times,” it said. » | Oliver Holmes in Bangkok | Tuesday, September 22, 2015
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