10 of the most fun streets in Bangkok. Plus 10 of the best streets in Bangkok to eat delicious Thai food!
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
0 Comments
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
In today’s stream we’ll visit Banthat Thong Road, ranked #14 coolest street in the world. TimeOut https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/coolest-streets-in-the-world Students of Chulalongkorn University often joke that they’re studying in a place surrounded by one big food court and this sums up Banthat Thong. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Tab Tim Beach, nestled along the pristine shores of Koh Samet, Thailand, is a haven of tranquility and natural beauty. With its powdery white sands gently caressed by the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Thailand, this idyllic beach offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Fringed by lush greenery and swaying palm trees, Tab Tim Beach invites visitors to unwind under the shade of umbrellas, basking in the warm tropical sun or indulging in leisurely strolls along the shoreline. The calm waters provide an ideal playground for swimming, snorkeling, and other water sports, while the vibrant coral reefs teem with colorful marine life, captivating snorkelers and divers alike. Whether one seeks relaxation or adventure, Tab Tim Beach promises an unforgettable experience amidst nature's splendor. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Tragic Freight Train Collision Claims Eight Lives in Eastern Thailand: Railway Safety Concerns Rise8/8/2023
In a devastating incident in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, a freight train tragically struck a pick-up truck while crossing railway tracks, resulting in eight fatalities and four injuries. The accident occurred at 2:20 am on Friday in the Mueang district. Among the victims were three women aged 22, 55, and 64, and five men aged 18, 27, 55, 60, and 62. The State Railway of Thailand reported that one of the injured victims is in critical condition.
The unfortunate collision took place at an unauthorized crossing point without any automatic barriers to stop vehicles as trains approach. Shockingly, there are currently 693 unauthorized crossing points along the national rail system, raising concerns about railway safety. Despite the crossing being unsanctioned, authorities revealed that lights and warning signs were present at the accident site. The 54-year-old truck driver, Wichai Yulek, informed authorities that he noticed the approaching train and heard its warning horn. While he tried to slow down, passengers in the vehicle urged him to continue, leading to the tragic collision.
The truck was carrying workers to Laem Chabang in Chonburi province when the accident occurred. Suraphat Prasop, one of the passengers, testified that he saw the train approaching as the vehicle approached the railway. Although the train's horn was sounded three times, the driver did not stop in time to prevent the collision.
Regrettably, deadly accidents are all too common in Thailand, with the country frequently topping the list of the world's most dangerous roads. Contributing factors include speeding, drunk driving, and weak law enforcement. The State Railway of Thailand has taken measures to prevent accidents by installing warning signs and flashing lights at unauthorized crossing points. This tragic incident is a painful reminder of the need for increased railway safety measures and better awareness among drivers and pedestrians. As the nation mourns the loss of these lives, authorities must continue their efforts to prevent such heartbreaking accidents in the future. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Thailand's Political Deadlock: Indefinite Postponement of Prime Ministerial Vote Sparks Uncertainty8/7/2023
Thailand's House Speaker announced on Thursday that the parliamentary vote for the next Prime Minister, which was expected this week, has been indefinitely postponed. This decision has extended the ongoing political deadlock since the general election in mid-May.
The delay came shortly after the Constitutional Court requested more time to consider a petition challenging the constitutionality of Parliament's rejection of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as a prime ministerial candidate. Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha stated that the PM vote, originally planned for Friday, would only proceed after the court ruling. He informed reporters, "There will be a ruling or order on Aug. 16, and we will set a new meeting then." In a statement, the Constitutional Court clarified that it needed to carefully weigh the petition in the context of Thailand's "democracy with the king as the head of the state." On July 19, conservative and pro-royal members of the upper house Senate utilized a parliamentary rule to block a second vote on Pita's nomination for prime minister, plunging Thailand into a political standstill with no apparent resolution in sight. Despite securing the largest share of votes in the May 14 polls, Move Forward Party's progressive policies, particularly their ambitious plan to amend the Lèse-Majesté law that guards against royal defamation, have faced strong opposition from Thailand's traditional ruling elite.
After Pita's second attempt at becoming Prime Minister was blocked, he agreed to step aside, allowing Pheu Thai, one of his allies, to nominate one of their leaders for the position.
However, Pheu Thai has now withdrawn its support for Pita and his party. Many young Thais had pinned their hopes on Move Forward, anticipating that it would bring about Thailand's first government without military ties since the 2014 coup. Recently, Pheu Thai announced its plan to form a new alliance without Move Forward and nominate Srettha Thavisin as its candidate for Prime Minister. The main reason cited for this decision was Move Forward's pledge to reform the royal insult law, which made other parties and Senators reluctant to back the coalition. It remains unclear which parties will join the new alliance, but Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew expressed confidence in finding the necessary support to form the government. Pheu Thai has already initiated discussions with military-aligned parties that were associated with the previous government, including rival parties Palang Pracharath Party, the United Thai Nation Party, and Bhumjaithai. Although there will be no Prime Ministerial vote on Friday, Parliament will discuss Move Forward Party's motion to amend the 2017 Constitution, a military-backed charter that empowers the Senate to participate in selecting the Prime Minister along with the lower house. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Police have not yet confirmed whether a 25-year-old Japanese woman took her own life, as claimed by her husband when she was found dead in their hotel room on Monday. Ami Hosoe's Japanese husband informed the police that she had been suffering from depression and was suicidal.
He stated that she had attempted to strangle herself with a wire in their hotel room on Sunday night. According to Chiang Mai police commander Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Pongwiwatanachai, he managed to save his wife at the time and later hid the hairdryer. The Japanese husband denied having any disagreement with his wife. Authorities reported that the couple left their hotel room and went to a convenience shop at 3:45 a.m. on Monday. They returned to their room, and he went to bed. However, when he woke up on Monday morning, he discovered his wife dead in the bathroom. The husband told the police that his wife was found face down in the bathtub with a phone charging cable wrapped around her neck. Before notifying the hotel staff, he allegedly moved the body and placed it face up on the hotel room floor. The police are currently reviewing the woman's medical records to check for any signs of depression. They are also awaiting the autopsy report from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. The couple had a business in Bangkok and were on vacation in Chiang Mai. They had checked into the Parc Borough hotel on Mahidol Road in Muang district on Saturday. According to Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai, surveillance footage confirmed that no one else entered the couple's room before the incident. The couple was scheduled to check out at noon on Monday. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
After dissolving the eight-party pro-democracy coalition that included Move Forward, the progressive party that won the most seats in Thailand's recent election, Pheu Thai, the party with the second most seats, has now formed a coalition government with itself at the helm, collaborating with several smaller parties. Pheu Thai has put forward Srettha Thavisin, a wealthy former CEO of a major real estate company with little political experience, as their candidate for prime minister.
With Move Forward now relegated to the opposition, it is highly likely that Srettha will be confirmed as prime minister. Unlike Move Forward's leader, who had the initial chance to form a coalition, Srettha does not support changing the draconian lese-majeste 112 law, which prohibits criticism of the monarchy. His adherence to the status quo makes him acceptable to the 250 military-appointed senators who constitute the upper house of parliament. Their refusal to vote for the initial eight-party coalition led to its downfall. Even though the Move Forward coalition held a majority in the 500-person lower house, leader Pita Limjaroenrat needed a combined 376 votes from the upper and lower houses to become prime minister. This requirement grants significant power to the conservative, military-appointed senators in shaping the composition of parliament. For nearly two decades, Pheu Thai was known as the party championing democracy and economic equality in Thailand, with its prime ministers ousted in coups on two occasions. During Thaksin Shinawatra's tenure as prime minister, the party introduced a series of populist policies, such as universal health care, which brought crucial benefits to Thailand. However, Thaksin's own commitment to democracy was questionable at times, given his oversight of extrajudicial killings in southern Thailand, intimidation of the press, and attempts to influence other institutions. Nonetheless, Pheu Thai was generally considered the primary pro-democracy party for two decades. Nevertheless, it was always pragmatic and did not vigorously advocate for major institutional changes, like lese-majeste reform, which are gaining popularity in Thailand. By discarding Move Forward and forming a coalition with older and relatively conservative parties, Pheu Thai may have sacrificed its reputation as the party of democracy, even though it will now govern. This move sparked protests by younger Thais who demonstrated outside Pheu Thai's offices and burned effigies of the party's leaders in response to the announcement. Pheu Thai will likely be viewed, especially by younger Thais, as just another part of the Thai establishment, which has long disregarded the popular will.
To its credit, Pheu Thai has refused to include openly pro-military parties in its coalition, although this is a feeble gesture since Pheu Thai did not require the support of those smaller parties to form a government. Pheu Thai has also promised to hold a referendum on whether to create a new constitution. If Thais vote in favor of a new constitution, Pheu Thai claims it will dissolve parliament. However, there is skepticism about whether Pheu Thai, while in power and with Thaksin's imminent return to Thailand, will actually carry out such a referendum, especially considering the potential reconciliation between Thaksin and the establishment and monarchy.
These are minor positive steps indicating that Pheu Thai may recognize the negative perception of its actions among many Thai democrats and that it is attempting to demonstrate its commitment to a vision of Thai democracy. Nonetheless, numerous Thais, particularly the younger generation, have moved beyond Pheu Thai's gradual approach (although the referendum would represent a significant change) and demand sweeping institutional reforms across all aspects of Thai society, including the monarchy. This is why, despite initial polls predicting Pheu Thai's dominance in the election, the party performed poorly. The younger voters who supported Move Forward represent the future of Thai politics. |
LATEST POSTS
The Lastest Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
MOST POPULAR POSTS
The Most Popular Posts widget will appear here on the published site.