WEATHER ALERT
Worried families and search dogs bond during the long days of rescue effort at Bangkok collapse
Read full article: Worried families and search dogs bond during the long days of rescue effort at Bangkok collapseFor most of the day, somberness clouds a makeshift shelter for grief-stricken relatives of dozens of workers still missing at the site of a building collapse in Bangkok.
Families awaits news of missing workers at site of Bangkok building collapse
Read full article: Families awaits news of missing workers at site of Bangkok building collapseWhen a 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar sent shockwaves into Thailand, Naruemon Thonglek and Chanpen Kaewnoi didn’t immediately hear it also had collapsed a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, where their friends and families had been working.
Bangkok reviews construction safety after a high-rise was crumpled by an earthquake 800 miles away
Read full article: Bangkok reviews construction safety after a high-rise was crumpled by an earthquake 800 miles awayThe governor of Bangkok says authorities are investigating why a high-rise building under construction collapsed during an earthquake that otherwise caused limited damage in the Thai capital.
Officials survey damage in Myanmar's earthquake-devastated central areas
Read full article: Officials survey damage in Myanmar's earthquake-devastated central areasFriday's deadly earthquake rattled most of Myanmar and Thailand but certain areas sustained the heaviest damage, including flattened buildings and many lost lives.
Thai Prime Minister survives a challenge by rivals who say her father is pulling the strings
Read full article: Thai Prime Minister survives a challenge by rivals who say her father is pulling the stringsThailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra easily survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament following a two-day debate in which rivals charged that she has mismanaged the country and let her father, a former prime minister, control her administration.
US says multiple offers were made to resettle Uyghurs before Thailand deported them back to China
Read full article: US says multiple offers were made to resettle Uyghurs before Thailand deported them back to ChinaThe State Department says the United States and other countries made repeated offers to Thailand to resettle more than three dozen Uyghur men before they were deported back to China, where rights groups fear they may face torture and other abuse.
Thailand deports 40 Uyghur men back to China after more than a decade in detention
Read full article: Thailand deports 40 Uyghur men back to China after more than a decade in detentionThai and Chinese officials have confirmed that a group of 40 Uyghur men detained in Thailand for more than a decade have been deported to China.
Thai LGBTQ+ couples register marriages as law gives them equal status
Read full article: Thai LGBTQ+ couples register marriages as law gives them equal statusHundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand have experienced a life-changing occasion, registering their marriages legally on the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples.
Chinese automaker BYD slams reports of poor conditions at a factory site in Brazil
Read full article: Chinese automaker BYD slams reports of poor conditions at a factory site in BrazilA spokesperson for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at “smearing” China and Chinese brands.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower, with most world markets closed for Christmas
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower, with most world markets closed for ChristmasShares are lower in Tokyo and Shanghai, two of only a handful of world markets open on Christmas day.
Stock market today: World shares are mostly higher after Big Tech losses pull Wall St lower
Read full article: Stock market today: World shares are mostly higher after Big Tech losses pull Wall St lowerWorld shares are mixed after losses for big technology stocks pulled major indexes lower on Wall Street.
Memories and prayers are shared at a small-town funeral for the victims of horrific Thai bus fire
Read full article: Memories and prayers are shared at a small-town funeral for the victims of horrific Thai bus fireA small town in central Thailand is holding a mass funeral for the 23 students and teachers who died in a bus fire while on a school trip earlier this week.
Bodies of the children and teachers who died in a Thai school bus fire return home for funeral
Read full article: Bodies of the children and teachers who died in a Thai school bus fire return home for funeralThe bodies of almost two dozen young students and teachers who died in a bus fire in a suburb of Bangkok have been returned to central Thailand, where they began their ill-fated school field trip.
More than 20 are feared dead after a school bus catches fire in suburban Bangkok
Read full article: More than 20 are feared dead after a school bus catches fire in suburban BangkokOfficials and rescuers say a school bus carrying young students and their teachers on a school trip caught fire in suburban Bangkok, leaving more than 20 feared dead.
Thailand's adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng has the kind of face that launches a thousand memes
Read full article: Thailand's adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng has the kind of face that launches a thousand memesOnly a month after the adorable baby hippo Moo Deng was unveiled on Facebook, her fame became unstoppable both domestically and internationally.
Death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi reaches 74. Dozens of other people are missing
Read full article: Death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi reaches 74. Dozens of other people are missingState-television in Myanmar says the death toll in the military-run country from flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi has reached at least 74.
Groups say they're shut out of global treaty talks on plastics pollution in Bangkok
Read full article: Groups say they're shut out of global treaty talks on plastics pollution in BangkokExperts meet in Bangkok this week to advance what would be the first international treaty to tackle the surging problem of plastic pollution.
Thailand's reformist Move Forward Party, dissolved by court order, regroups as People's Party
Read full article: Thailand's reformist Move Forward Party, dissolved by court order, regroups as People's PartyJust two days after being disbanded by court order, Thailand’s main progressive political party has regrouped under a new name and vowed to continue its fight for reforms despite continuing opposition from the conservative establishment that blocked the party from taking power despite finishing first in last year’s election.
Thailand's progressive Move Forward party might be dissolved, but its former chief remains hopeful
Read full article: Thailand's progressive Move Forward party might be dissolved, but its former chief remains hopefulThe charismatic Thai politician who led his progressive party to a stunning general election victory a year ago is urging supporters not to lose hope — even if it is disbanded by a legal order.
6 bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel room with no signs of violence. Police think they know why
Read full article: 6 bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel room with no signs of violence. Police think they know whyShould visitors to Thailand be concerned about their safety after six people were found dead in a locked hotel room in Bangkok.
6 Vietnamese and American guests found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, with poisoning a possibility
Read full article: 6 Vietnamese and American guests found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, with poisoning a possibilityPolice say the bodies of six people were found in a luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok, with poisoning a possibility.
Thailand is set to roll out a controversial $13.8 billion handout plan in digital money to citizens
Read full article: Thailand is set to roll out a controversial $13.8 billion handout plan in digital money to citizensThailand’s prime minister has said that eligible businesses and individuals can register from August for digital cash handouts, a controversial program that will cost billions of dollars and is meant to boost the lagging economy.
Cannabis advocates in Thailand protest a proposal to ban again its general use
Read full article: Cannabis advocates in Thailand protest a proposal to ban again its general useTwo years after marijuana was decriminalized in Thailand, nearly a hundred of its advocates marched to the prime minister’s office to protest a possible ban on general use.
Stock market today: Japan's Nikkei 225 hits new record close, as other world markets advance
Read full article: Stock market today: Japan's Nikkei 225 hits new record close, as other world markets advanceJapan's benchmark Nikkei 225 has surged to a record close of 40,913.65, while most other major world markets also advanced.
Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines flights disrupted by pressurization problems
Read full article: Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines flights disrupted by pressurization problemsA Korean Air flight to Taiwan was forced to return to Incheon airport west of Seoul after a sudden depressurization on the plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
Thailand’s Senate overwhelmingly approves a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriages
Read full article: Thailand’s Senate overwhelmingly approves a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriagesThailand’s Senate has voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, clearing the last legislative hurdle for the country to become the first in Southeast Asia to enact such a law.
Fire at Thailand's famous Chatuchak Weekend Market kills hundreds of caged animals
Read full article: Fire at Thailand's famous Chatuchak Weekend Market kills hundreds of caged animalsHundreds of caged animals died after a fire struck Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the most famous markets in Thailand’s capital.
Singapore Airlines offers compensation to passengers on flight that hit extreme turbulence
Read full article: Singapore Airlines offers compensation to passengers on flight that hit extreme turbulenceSingapore Airlines has offered compensation to passengers of a flight that hit extreme turbulence last month.
Singapore Airlines tightens cabin safety measures after turbulence killed one, injured dozens
Read full article: Singapore Airlines tightens cabin safety measures after turbulence killed one, injured dozensSingapore Airlines says it will halt meal services and get all cabin crew to buckle up when planes fly through turbulence as part of tighter cabin measures after one person died and dozens were injured on a flight from London this week.
'Sheer terror': Passengers describe turbulence-hit flight that put 20 in intensive care
Read full article: 'Sheer terror': Passengers describe turbulence-hit flight that put 20 in intensive carePassengers on the Singapore Airlines flight that descended sharply after hitting severe turbulence have described the “sheer terror” of the aircraft shuddering, loose items flying and people wrenched so badly that 20 remain in intensive care.
What is in-flight turbulence, and when does it become dangerous for passengers and crews?
Read full article: What is in-flight turbulence, and when does it become dangerous for passengers and crews?The death of a British man and injuries impacting dozens of other people aboard a Singapore Airlines flight have highlighted the potential dangers of flying through extreme turbulence.
Severe turbulence during Singapore Airlines flight leaves several people badly injured. One man died
Read full article: Severe turbulence during Singapore Airlines flight leaves several people badly injured. One man diedSingapore Airlines says one of its flights hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean and descended 6,000 feet in about three minutes.
Brazil picked by FIFA to get soccer's 2027 Women's World Cup, a first for South America
Read full article: Brazil picked by FIFA to get soccer's 2027 Women's World Cup, a first for South AmericaBrazil will host the 2027 Women’s World Cup after a vote of FIFA’s full membership chose the South American bid over a joint proposal from Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.
Pro-cannabis advocates in Thailand rally ahead of the government's plan to recriminalize the plant
Read full article: Pro-cannabis advocates in Thailand rally ahead of the government's plan to recriminalize the plantDozens of pro-cannabis advocates in Thailand gathered at the health ministry on Thursday to oppose the government’s plan to relist it as narcotics, two years after it was decriminalized.
Thailand's prime minister wants to outlaw cannabis, 2 years after it was decriminalized
Read full article: Thailand's prime minister wants to outlaw cannabis, 2 years after it was decriminalizedThe prime minister of Thailand says he wants to outlaw the cannabis over concerns the lack of regulation had made it available to children and increased crimes.
Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriage
Read full article: Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriageLawmakers in Thailand’s lower house of Parliament have overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill that would make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage partners of any gender.
Former Thai leader Thaksin makes first public appearances after release from detention
Read full article: Former Thai leader Thaksin makes first public appearances after release from detentionThailand’s paroled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has launched a series of public appearances with an early morning visit to a holy shrine in the capital Bangkok before flying to his home province of Chiang Mai in the country’s north.
Thai ex-Prime Minister Thaksin is free on parole, but can he restore his old political luster?
Read full article: Thai ex-Prime Minister Thaksin is free on parole, but can he restore his old political luster?Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released on parole from a Bangkok hospital where he spent six months serving time for corruption-related offenses.
Jailed former Thai PM Thaksin gets parole, capping a reconciliation with military that ousted him
Read full article: Jailed former Thai PM Thaksin gets parole, capping a reconciliation with military that ousted himThailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who last year returned from more than a decade of self-imposed exile to serve a prison sentence for misdeeds committed while in office, has been granted parole and could be released this weekend, the country’s justice minister announced Tuesday.
US national security adviser will meet Chinese foreign minister as the rivals seek better ties
Read full article: US national security adviser will meet Chinese foreign minister as the rivals seek better tiesU.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok, Thailand, officials from both countries said.
Plan for $400 million monkey-breeding facility in southwest Georgia draws protest
Read full article: Plan for $400 million monkey-breeding facility in southwest Georgia draws protestSome local residents and an animal-rights group are protesting plans for a monkey-breeding facility in southwest Georgia.
WATCH LIVE: Firework displays from around the world as countries celebrate the start of 2024!
Read full article: WATCH LIVE: Firework displays from around the world as countries celebrate the start of 2024!Before South Florida rings in the New Year, many countries across the world will celebrate the start of 2024 ahead of us.
Thailand sends 3 orangutans rescued from illicit wildlife trade back to Indonesia
Read full article: Thailand sends 3 orangutans rescued from illicit wildlife trade back to IndonesiaThree trafficked Sumatran orangutans have been sent back from Thailand to Indonesia as part of a joint effort between the countries to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community hopeful as marriage equality bill is set to be discussed in Parliament
Read full article: Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community hopeful as marriage equality bill is set to be discussed in ParliamentNaphat Krutthai and Rasithaya Jindasri have been in a committed relationship for eight years, but only now they can consider getting married.
Stock market today: Wall Street rises ahead of Friday's jobs report to snap a 3-day losing streak
Read full article: Stock market today: Wall Street rises ahead of Friday's jobs report to snap a 3-day losing streakWall Street closed higher to break out of its first three-day losing streak since Halloween.
Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified blank-firing handgun, police say
Read full article: Suspect in Bangkok mall shooting that killed 2 used a modified blank-firing handgun, police sayPolice say a teenage boy who allegedly shot two people dead and wounded five others inside a major shopping mall in Thailand's capital used a blank-firing handgun that had been modified to fire real bullets.
Shooting at major Bangkok shopping mall kills 2 people, and a teen suspect is arrested
Read full article: Shooting at major Bangkok shopping mall kills 2 people, and a teen suspect is arrestedAuthorities in Thailand's capital say two people were killed when a teenage boy with a handgun opened fire in a major shopping mall in the center of Bangkok.
Thailand's new prime minister tells Parliament his government will urgently tackle economic woes
Read full article: Thailand's new prime minister tells Parliament his government will urgently tackle economic woesThailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to act quickly to relieve the country’s economic problems in his inaugural speech to Parliament.
More than a ton of endangered pangolin scales seized in Thailand
Read full article: More than a ton of endangered pangolin scales seized in ThailandThai authorities say they have seized more than a ton of pangolin scales worth over 50 million baht ($1.4 million) that are believed to have been headed out of the country through a land border.
The second son of Thailand's king returns to the country unexpectedly after decades of estrangement
Read full article: The second son of Thailand's king returns to the country unexpectedly after decades of estrangementThe estranged son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn visited a daycare center for underprivileged children in Bangkok following a surprise return to the country after 27 years of living abroad.
Accused of bomb threats they say they didn't make, family of Chinese dissident detained in Thailand
Read full article: Accused of bomb threats they say they didn't make, family of Chinese dissident detained in ThailandThe wife and daughter of exiled Chinese dissident Gao Zhi are in detention on immigration charges in Thailand, after a series of bomb threats made in their names against airports, luxury hotels and the Chinese embassy in Bangkok derailed the family’s plan to join Gao in the Netherlands.
Protesters in the Thai capital calls on senators to approve vote winners' choice for prime minister
Read full article: Protesters in the Thai capital calls on senators to approve vote winners' choice for prime ministerHundreds of people have rallied in the Thai capital Bangkok to demand that conservative members of the Senate stop blocking the naming of a prime minister belonging to a winning coalition from May’s general election, a stance that risks a potentially destabilizing deadlock.
Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expectedShares are mostly lower in Asia as optimism over a Wall Street rally is countered by worries about the Chinese economy.
High times in Thailand: New weed laws draw tourists from across Asia
Read full article: High times in Thailand: New weed laws draw tourists from across AsiaThailand’s de facto legalization of marijuana last year has brought a wave of tourists from around Asia intrigued by the lure of the forbidden leaf.
Thailand’s Move Forward Party leader Pita falls short in parliamentary vote for prime minister
Read full article: Thailand’s Move Forward Party leader Pita falls short in parliamentary vote for prime ministerThe head of the progressive Thai political party that outpaced its rivals to a surprise first-place finish in May’s general election has failed in his initial bid to have Parliament name him the country’s new prime minister.
Verdict due for 5 protesters accused of blocking Thai queen's car. Law allows the death penalty
Read full article: Verdict due for 5 protesters accused of blocking Thai queen's car. Law allows the death penaltyA court in Thailand is to deliver a verdict Wednesday in the case of five people accused of impeding the queen’s motorcade during a pro-democracy march in 2020.
Leader of Thai opposition party that won election announces 8-party coalition plan to take power
Read full article: Leader of Thai opposition party that won election announces 8-party coalition plan to take powerThe leader of the progressive opposition party that won a stunning victory in Thailand’s national election says eight parties have agreed to form a coalition government with him as prime minister.
Death sentence upheld for Thai gold robber who killed 3
Read full article: Death sentence upheld for Thai gold robber who killed 3Thailand’s Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence for an ex-elementary school principal convicted of killing three people, including a toddler, during a gold shop robbery in 2020.
China says it will send peace envoy to Ukraine
Read full article: China says it will send peace envoy to UkraineChinese leader Xi Jinping has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that his government will send an envoy to Ukraine and other nations to discuss a possible “political settlement” to Russia’s war with the country.
Thailand's opposition party unveils policies and candidates
Read full article: Thailand's opposition party unveils policies and candidatesThailand’s main opposition party has paraded its slate of parliamentary candidates and outlined its policy pledges in a well-choreographed show of confidence ahead of the general election.
Thai policeman injured, detained after 24-hour standoff
Read full article: Thai policeman injured, detained after 24-hour standoffThai police have detained a senior police officer who fired multiple gunshots from his home in Bangkok, ending a standoff of over 24 hours after his colleagues tried to take him to be treated for mental illness.
Concern rises for lives of 2 Thai activists on hunger strike
Read full article: Concern rises for lives of 2 Thai activists on hunger strikeConcerns about the medical condition of two hunger strikers seeking political and judicial reforms in Thailand have heightened as the hospital where the young women are being kept urgently summoned their parents.
Rights group files suit in Germany against Myanmar military
Read full article: Rights group files suit in Germany against Myanmar militaryA human rights group and 16 individuals have filed a criminal complaint in Germany seeking punishment of Myanmar’s generals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Hong Kong leader Lee isolating with COVID-19 after APEC trip
Read full article: Hong Kong leader Lee isolating with COVID-19 after APEC tripThe Hong Kong government says leader John Lee tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Thailand.
Australia sticks to US nuclear subs despite French criticism
Read full article: Australia sticks to US nuclear subs despite French criticismAustralia’s prime minister says he remains committed to building a fleet of submarines powered by U_S_ nuclear technology despite the French president describing the plan as a “confrontation with China.”.
Thai regulator approves $7.3 billion telecoms carrier merger
Read full article: Thai regulator approves $7.3 billion telecoms carrier mergerThailand's telecoms regulator has agreed to allow a merger between the country's two main phone carriers in a decision that raises worries over whether reduced competition will harm consumer interests.
Model fearing Myanmar military heads to asylum in Canada
Read full article: Model fearing Myanmar military heads to asylum in CanadaA fashion model from Myanmar who feared being arrested by the country’s military government if she was forced back home from exile has flown to Canada, which she says has granted her asylum.
Political uncertainty in Thailand with PM's suspension
Read full article: Political uncertainty in Thailand with PM's suspensionThailand has entered a phase of political uncertainty, with its prime minister suspended and his deputy taking over in his stead pending a ruling from a top court on whether the premier has reached his constitutional term limit.
Widespread condemnation of Myanmar's execution of prisoners
Read full article: Widespread condemnation of Myanmar's execution of prisonersInternational outrage over Myanmar’s execution of four political prisoners is intensifying with grassroots protests and strong condemnation from world governments.
Blinken hits at ASEAN for lack of pressure on Myanmar
Read full article: Blinken hits at ASEAN for lack of pressure on MyanmarU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is criticizing Southeast Asian nations for not doing enough to press Myanmar's military government to return the country to the path of democracy following last year's power seizure.
1 billion pills seized: East, SE Asia hits ominous drug peak
Read full article: 1 billion pills seized: East, SE Asia hits ominous drug peakThe number of methamphetamine tablets seized in East and Southeast Asia exceeded a billion last year, highlighting the scale of illegal drug production and trafficking in the region.
US, others say APEC walkout aimed at Russia over invasion
Read full article: US, others say APEC walkout aimed at Russia over invasionThe United States and four other nations emphasized their support for host nation Thailand after they walked out of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group meeting in Bangkok.
Bangkok votes for governor in 1st election since 2014 coup
Read full article: Bangkok votes for governor in 1st election since 2014 coupVoters in the Thai capital are electing a new governor in a contest delayed by a military coup that still reflects a divided country with main candidates either supported by the conservative establishment or the liberal opposition.
Thailand ends mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitors
Read full article: Thailand ends mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitorsThailand has announced that beginning next month, visitors who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will no longer have to undergo any test or quarantine on arrival.
Thai royalists submit petition to oust Amnesty International
Read full article: Thai royalists submit petition to oust Amnesty InternationalThai royalists have stepped up their campaign to drive out the country’s branch of rights group Amnesty International, handing over copies of a petition to government ministries that they say is backed by more than a million signatures.
Across Asia, spike in virus cases follows Lunar New Year
Read full article: Across Asia, spike in virus cases follows Lunar New YearMany Asian countries are facing a spike in COVID-19 infections after the widely-celebrated Lunar New Year holidays, as health officials grapple with the highly-transmissible omicron variant and expectations that numbers will continue to rise in coming weeks.