Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has unveiled the next generation of the Honda Amaze at the Auto Expo 2018. This is the second generation of the model which made its global debut in India. The new Honda Amaze is also being developed at Honda&#39;s R&amp;D base in Thailand but has also seen more inputs from the Honda India engineering team.

Honda&#39;s Tapukara plant in Rajasthan will be the global supply base for the engines for the new Amaze. The new car carries significant upgrades, including a more powerful iteration of the 1.5 diesel.

The petrol 1.2-litre engine remains unchanged and comes with 87 bhp under its hood. Honda has, however, loaded the new car with features, including a new 7-inch Digipad touchscreen infotainment system. This system offers smartphone integration, navigation and a host of other features. The Amaze now borrows its design cues from the City and it looks pretty good actually. Frankly, it looks like the mini-City and that&#39;s not a bad thing. The market launch of the Amaze will happen only later, but for the time being, we get to see how grown-up the car has actually become.

Takahiro Hachigo, President &amp; Representative Director, Hondo Motor Co said, in 2017, Honda provided our products and joy to 30 million customers around the world. The automobile products accounted for 5.3 million of our global sales and India was a great contributor. We are committed to the India market and aim to launch six models in the coming three years. Today we announce three of those models -- all new Amaze and CR-V and much-awaited 10th generation Civic which will be launched in India in Financial Year 18-19.&#39;&#39;

Honda has been closely monitoring the success of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and it&#39;s looking to beat it at its game especially in the subcompact sedan segment. Honda engineers have also worked on making the engines more fuel efficient.&nbsp;

The petrol 1.2-litre engine remains unchanged and comes with 87 bhp under its hood.

Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has unveiled the next generation of the Honda Amaze at the Auto Expo 2018. This is the second generation of the model which made its global debut in India. The new Honda Amaze is also being developed at Honda's R&D base in Thailand but has also seen more inputs from the Honda India engineering team. Honda's Tapukara plant in Rajasthan will be the global supply base for the engines for the new Amaze. The new car carries significant upgrades, including a more powerful iteration of the 1.5 diesel. The petrol 1.2-litre engine remains unchanged and comes with 87 bhp under its hood. Honda has, however, loaded the new car with features, including a new 7-inch Digipad touchscreen infotainment system. This system offers smartphone integration, navigation and a host of other features. The Amaze now borrows its design cues from the City and it looks pretty good actually. Frankly, it looks like the mini-City and that's not a bad thing. The market launch of the Amaze will happen only later, but for the time being, we get to see how grown-up the car has actually become. Takahiro Hachigo, President & Representative Director, Hondo Motor Co said, in 2017, Honda provided our products and joy to 30 million customers around the world. The automobile products accounted for 5.3 million of our global sales and India was a great contributor. We are committed to the India market and aim to launch six models in the coming three years. Today we announce three of those models -- all new Amaze and CR-V and much-awaited 10th generation Civic which will be launched in India in Financial Year 18-19.'' Honda has been closely monitoring the success of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and it's looking to beat it at its game especially in the subcompact sedan segment. Honda engineers have also worked on making the engines more fuel efficient.

Auto Expo 2018: Next generation Honda Amaze unveiled

Thailand banned smoking and littering at 24 beachside locations that are popular with tourists over environmental concerns on Thursday, the ministry of natural resources and environment said.

The Southeast Asian country has been a tourist magnet for decades, from its backpacker heyday in the early 1990s to its current popularity with tourists from mainland China. It expects to welcome a record 37.55 million tourists in 2018.

Environmental rights groups have urged successive governments to protect Thailand`s palm-fringed beaches, which are frequently voted among the world`s most beautiful, from unregulated development and littering, among other things.

A law that came into force on Thursday is aimed at tackling this problem, said Bannaruk Sermthong, a director at the Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Management.&nbsp;

&quot;Starting today, smoking and cigarette-butt littering are prohibited on beach areas,&quot; Bannaruk told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;Anyone who wants to smoke must do so in designated smoking areas, not on the beaches.&quot;

The law protects 24 beaches in 15 provinces located along the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand.

Anyone who violates the law will be taken to a criminal court and could face up to one year in jail, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3,190), or both.

Thailand has 357 beaches nationwide.&nbsp;

Thailand banned smoking and littering at 24 beachside locations that are popular with tourists over environmental concerns on Thursday, the ministry of natural resources and environment said. The Southeast Asian country has been a tourist magnet for decades, from its backpacker heyday in the early 1990s to its current popularity with tourists from mainland China. It expects to welcome a record 37.55 million tourists in 2018. Environmental rights groups have urged successive governments to protect Thailand`s palm-fringed beaches, which are frequently voted among the world`s most beautiful, from unregulated development and littering, among other things. A law that came into force on Thursday is aimed at tackling this problem, said Bannaruk Sermthong, a director at the Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Management. "Starting today, smoking and cigarette-butt littering are prohibited on beach areas," Bannaruk told Reuters. "Anyone who wants to smoke must do so in designated smoking areas, not on the beaches." The law protects 24 beaches in 15 provinces located along the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand. Anyone who violates the law will be taken to a criminal court and could face up to one year in jail, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3,190), or both. Thailand has 357 beaches nationwide.

Thailand bans smoking, littering at popular tourist beachside spots

A Pakistani passport forger whose fakes may have been sold to Islamic State operatives has been arrested in Thailand, police said Friday, ending a career that helped people slip into Europe illegally.

Mohammad Iqbal, 52, was arrested on January 14 in a Bangkok suburb in possession of Singaporean and Indian fake passports as well as plates and laminates to forge entry visas to France, Italy and Spain.

&quot;He has worked on faking documents for a long time using Thailand as his base,&quot; Commander of the Immigration Bureau Lt-Gen Suttipong Vongpint told reporters in Bangkok.

The arrest is the latest in a series of targeted operations against skilled passport forgers in Thailand as fears over security and immigration have compelled authorities to tackle a shadowy industry that has thrived in the kingdom for decades.

Iqbal, who is believed to have operated from Thailand for more than 10 years, was charged with falsifying passports, visa seals and trafficking of fake passports a few days after police seized him as he pulled into his Bangkok condo on a motorbike.

Earlier this week defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan linked Iqbal to a group selling passports to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

&quot;The suspect has falsified visa and passports for the IS group with the attempt to make them travel from the Middle East into Thailand,&quot; he said before adding that the attempts were unsuccessful.

But at Friday&#39;s press conference officials downplayed the IS connections in favor of a portrait of a businessman who welcomed all clients.

&quot;Based on the investigation he will sell to every group, not particularly to IS, he just made them by orders,&quot; Suttipong said.

A typical fake passport would sell for only a few hundred dollars, according to the immigration bureau.

Thailand&#39;s role as a global hub for fake passports came under renewed scrutiny following the 2014 disappearance of Malaysian Airlines MH370.

Two Iranians travelling on European passports bought and modified in Thailand were on board the ill-fated flight.

It is an industry dominated by highly skilled Iranians and Pakistanis serving customers from South Asia, the Middle East and further afield.

Immigration police said Iqbal was affiliated with a shadowy Iranian master forger known as &#39;The Doctor&#39; who sold &#39;Triple A&#39; quality passports to refugees, economic migrants and criminals from a Bangkok suburb for nearly 20 years.

Detectives hailed his 2016 arrest as a major breakthrough in the fight against passport crime - although other forgers have taken his place.

Transient, vast and permissive, Bangkok has for long provided sanctuary for people wanting to disappear or re-invent.

Thailand welcomes visa-free travel to many countries and is Southeast Asia&#39;s best connected transport hub, sharing long, ungovernable borders with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

That draws transnational criminals moving everything from people and rare wildlife to drugs, weapons and gems.

Mohammad Iqbal, 52, was arrested on January 14 in a Bangkok suburb in possession of Singaporean and Indian fake passports as well as plates and laminates to forge entry visas to France, Italy and Spain.

A Pakistani passport forger whose fakes may have been sold to Islamic State operatives has been arrested in Thailand, police said Friday, ending a career that helped people slip into Europe illegally. Mohammad Iqbal, 52, was arrested on January 14 in a Bangkok suburb in possession of Singaporean and Indian fake passports as well as plates and laminates to forge entry visas to France, Italy and Spain. "He has worked on faking documents for a long time using Thailand as his base," Commander of the Immigration Bureau Lt-Gen Suttipong Vongpint told reporters in Bangkok. The arrest is the latest in a series of targeted operations against skilled passport forgers in Thailand as fears over security and immigration have compelled authorities to tackle a shadowy industry that has thrived in the kingdom for decades. Iqbal, who is believed to have operated from Thailand for more than 10 years, was charged with falsifying passports, visa seals and trafficking of fake passports a few days after police seized him as he pulled into his Bangkok condo on a motorbike. Earlier this week defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan linked Iqbal to a group selling passports to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. "The suspect has falsified visa and passports for the IS group with the attempt to make them travel from the Middle East into Thailand," he said before adding that the attempts were unsuccessful. But at Friday's press conference officials downplayed the IS connections in favor of a portrait of a businessman who welcomed all clients. "Based on the investigation he will sell to every group, not particularly to IS, he just made them by orders," Suttipong said. A typical fake passport would sell for only a few hundred dollars, according to the immigration bureau. Thailand's role as a global hub for fake passports came under renewed scrutiny following the 2014 disappearance of Malaysian Airlines MH370. Two Iranians travelling on European passports bought and modified in Thailand were on board the ill-fated flight. It is an industry dominated by highly skilled Iranians and Pakistanis serving customers from South Asia, the Middle East and further afield. Immigration police said Iqbal was affiliated with a shadowy Iranian master forger known as 'The Doctor' who sold 'Triple A' quality passports to refugees, economic migrants and criminals from a Bangkok suburb for nearly 20 years. Detectives hailed his 2016 arrest as a major breakthrough in the fight against passport crime - although other forgers have taken his place. Transient, vast and permissive, Bangkok has for long provided sanctuary for people wanting to disappear or re-invent. Thailand welcomes visa-free travel to many countries and is Southeast Asia's best connected transport hub, sharing long, ungovernable borders with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. That draws transnational criminals moving everything from people and rare wildlife to drugs, weapons and gems.

Thai cops nab Pakistan passport forger with IS links

On the&nbsp;second day of her visit to South East Asia,&nbsp;External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia.

Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia.&nbsp;

She said &quot;Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to&nbsp;play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.&quot;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.

Widodo will be accompanied by&nbsp;other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi.&nbsp;

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Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy &amp; the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/vPz4yqnGNR">pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR</a>
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I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States &amp; Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ww6nhK6nlg">pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg</a>
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Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country&#39;s Act East Policy.&nbsp;

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For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/qe4pW9Xqlp">pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949243006422368257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia.

She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour.&nbsp;

The Union minister will visit Singapore next.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations

On the second day of her visit to South East Asia, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia. Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia. She said "Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region." Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations. Widodo will be accompanied by other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi. Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy & the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India's Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States & Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country's Act East Policy. For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia. She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour. The Union minister will visit Singapore next.

Indonesia to play critical role in Indo Pacific region: Sushma Swaraj

The Michelin Guide Bangkok has finally arrived in Asia&#39;s street food hub.&nbsp;The Red Book released its first set of restaurants who were awarded the Michelin Star.

Bagging the second Michelin Star award includes Indian-born chef Gaggan Anand&rsquo;s eponymous restaurant &#39;Gaggan&#39;, located in Thailand.&nbsp;

Anand has now become the only Indian chef with two Michelin stars around the world. Several people took to Twitter to congratulate him.&nbsp;

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Congratulations to the great <a href="https://twitter.com/GAGGANBANGKOK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GAGGANBANGKOK</a> on becoming the only Indian Chef in the world with two Michelin stars. 
(No three stars in the Bangkok list.)
&mdash; vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) <a href="https://twitter.com/virsanghvi/status/938325625936363521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/GAGGANBANGKOK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GAGGANBANGKOK</a> on bagging 2 Michelin Stars. Reserving our table for the next time we&#39;re in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangkok?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangkok</a> . <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MichelinGuideBangkok?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MichelinGuideBangkok</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Food?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Food</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Awards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Awards</a> <a href="https://t.co/gOpvl26mU9">pic.twitter.com/gOpvl26mU9</a>
&mdash; DSSC (@dssc_delhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/dssc_delhi/status/938378093814620161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/GAGGANBANGKOK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GAGGANBANGKOK</a> . What a fabulous moment. Warm Wishes. <a href="https://t.co/k0chjD8sAV">https://t.co/k0chjD8sAV</a>
&mdash; Abhishek Gupta (@Chefabhishekg) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chefabhishekg/status/938371019655581697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Many congratulations to the talented chef. His journey to the top is quite is quite exemplary.
&mdash; Rashi (@rashikhetarpal) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashikhetarpal/status/938364053281558534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/GAGGANBANGKOK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GAGGANBANGKOK</a> on ????!! Look forward to some surreal concepts and plates!
&mdash; Tejas Sovani (@SovaniTejas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SovaniTejas/status/938352162374950915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In 2017, &#39;Gaggan&#39; was named by Restaurant as the best restaurant in Asia in the list of The World&#39;s 50 Best Restaurants, placing 7th overall worldwide.

The Indian chef opened the restaurant in 2010 in Thailand. Anand plans to close Gaggan in 2020 to start a new venture in Fukuoka, Japan, sources stated.&nbsp;

French restaurant Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Mezzaluna at lebua Bangkok are the other two restaurants who won their second Michelin star in Bangkok.&nbsp;

Bagging the second Michelin award includes Indian-born chef Gaggan Anand?s eponymous restaurant 'Gaggan', located in Thailand

The Michelin Guide Bangkok has finally arrived in Asia's street food hub. The Red Book released its first set of restaurants who were awarded the Michelin Star. Bagging the second Michelin Star award includes Indian-born chef Gaggan Anand’s eponymous restaurant 'Gaggan', located in Thailand. Anand has now become the only Indian chef with two Michelin stars around the world. Several people took to Twitter to congratulate him. Congratulations to the great @GAGGANBANGKOK on becoming the only Indian Chef in the world with two Michelin stars. (No three stars in the Bangkok list.) — vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) December 6, 2017 × Congratulations to @GAGGANBANGKOK on bagging 2 Michelin Stars. Reserving our table for the next time we're in #Bangkok . #MichelinGuideBangkok #Food #Awards pic.twitter.com/gOpvl26mU9 — DSSC (@dssc_delhi) December 6, 2017 × Congratulations @GAGGANBANGKOK . What a fabulous moment. Warm Wishes. https://t.co/k0chjD8sAV — Abhishek Gupta (@Chefabhishekg) December 6, 2017 × Many congratulations to the talented chef. His journey to the top is quite is quite exemplary. — Rashi (@rashikhetarpal) December 6, 2017 × Congratulations @GAGGANBANGKOK on ????!! Look forward to some surreal concepts and plates! — Tejas Sovani (@SovaniTejas) December 6, 2017 × In 2017, 'Gaggan' was named by Restaurant as the best restaurant in Asia in the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, placing 7th overall worldwide. The Indian chef opened the restaurant in 2010 in Thailand. Anand plans to close Gaggan in 2020 to start a new venture in Fukuoka, Japan, sources stated. French restaurant Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Mezzaluna at lebua Bangkok are the other two restaurants who won their second Michelin star in Bangkok.

Gagan Anand becomes first Indian chef to win two Michelin Stars

Thailand has revoked the passports of ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra, who has yet to publicly emerge since she slipped out of the country two months ago ahead of judgment day in her negligence trial, officials said Tuesday.

The former prime minister, whose elected government was toppled in a 2014 coup, was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia last month for failing to stop graft in a rice policy.

The verdict, which closed the curtain on her political career, was lambasted by Yingluck`s supporters as a junta-backed effort to boot her out of Thai politics for good.

&quot;All of Yingluck`s passports have been revoked now,&quot; Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday.

&quot;We don`t know of her whereabouts, only reports that she is in the United Kingdom but not exactly which city,&quot; he added.

Yingluck had four Thai passports two personal and two diplomatic, authorities said.

Thailand`s deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said authorities are still working to confirm the former premier`s location as they seek her extradition.

&quot;But no country has replied and said they have seen Ms. Yingluck,&quot; he said.

Yingluck, whose once-active social media accounts have gone silent since she fled, is only the latest from her powerful political family to fall victim to Thailand`s coup-prone military and courts.

The Shinawatras are wildly popular in Thailand`s rural heartlands, where voters have helped them dominate elections for the past decade.But they are loathed by Bangkok`s traditional army-allied elite, who have branded them as corrupt opportunists and repeatedly cut down their governments with coups, court rulings, and protests.&nbsp;

Yingluck`s elder brother Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, has been living in self-exile for years to avoid a graft conviction.&nbsp;

The ruling junta has vowed to hold elections in November 2018, though previous dates have been postponed.

Even if polls are held, they will not restore the same level of democracy the kingdom enjoyed before the coup.&nbsp;

Under the junta`s new charter elected politicians will be straight-jacketed by an appointed Upper House and requirements to stick to a 20-year master plan.

Thailand has revoked the passports of ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra, who has yet to publicly emerge since she slipped out of the country two months ago ahead of judgment day in her negligence trial. The former PM was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia last month for failing to stop.

Thailand has revoked the passports of ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra, who has yet to publicly emerge since she slipped out of the country two months ago ahead of judgment day in her negligence trial, officials said Tuesday. The former prime minister, whose elected government was toppled in a 2014 coup, was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia last month for failing to stop graft in a rice policy. The verdict, which closed the curtain on her political career, was lambasted by Yingluck`s supporters as a junta-backed effort to boot her out of Thai politics for good. "All of Yingluck`s passports have been revoked now," Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday. "We don`t know of her whereabouts, only reports that she is in the United Kingdom but not exactly which city," he added. Yingluck had four Thai passports two personal and two diplomatic, authorities said. Thailand`s deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said authorities are still working to confirm the former premier`s location as they seek her extradition. "But no country has replied and said they have seen Ms. Yingluck," he said. Yingluck, whose once-active social media accounts have gone silent since she fled, is only the latest from her powerful political family to fall victim to Thailand`s coup-prone military and courts. The Shinawatras are wildly popular in Thailand`s rural heartlands, where voters have helped them dominate elections for the past decade.But they are loathed by Bangkok`s traditional army-allied elite, who have branded them as corrupt opportunists and repeatedly cut down their governments with coups, court rulings, and protests. Yingluck`s elder brother Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, has been living in self-exile for years to avoid a graft conviction. The ruling junta has vowed to hold elections in November 2018, though previous dates have been postponed. Even if polls are held, they will not restore the same level of democracy the kingdom enjoyed before the coup. Under the junta`s new charter elected politicians will be straight-jacketed by an appointed Upper House and requirements to stick to a 20-year master plan.

Thailand revokes passports of exiled former PM Yingluck

Thailand bade a final goodbye to its beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday in a ceremony steeped in ancient rituals, processions and Buddhist rites that drew hundreds of thousands of mourners.

The ashes and bones of Thailand&#39;s King Bhumibol Adulyadej were returned to the palace on Friday as part of an elaborate, five-day cremation ceremony that drew hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners to&nbsp;Bangkok&#39;s historic old quarter.

The $90 million funeral marks the end of an era for many Thais who had only ever known King Bhumibol as their monarch.

It ushers in the reign of the late king&#39;s son King Maha Vajiralongkorn, or Rama X, who ascended the throne last year but whose coronation can only take place after his father&#39;s funeral.

Many mourners stayed to watch as smoke rose from the crematorium. Some broke down in tears.

King Vajiralongkorn has overseen sweeping changes to the royal household, including the running of palace finances.

Earlier in the day members of the Thai royal family, visited&nbsp;dignitaries and government officials and placed sandalwood flowers at the royal funeral pyre.

The ceremony on Thursday brought Thailand to a standstill as many businesses, including banks, shut to honour the late king.

Number of mourners dwindle following cremation of late Thai King Bhumibol

Thailand bade a final goodbye to its beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday in a ceremony steeped in ancient rituals, processions and Buddhist rites that drew hundreds of thousands of mourners. The ashes and bones of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej were returned to the palace on Friday as part of an elaborate, five-day cremation ceremony that drew hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners to Bangkok's historic old quarter. The $90 million funeral marks the end of an era for many Thais who had only ever known King Bhumibol as their monarch. It ushers in the reign of the late king's son King Maha Vajiralongkorn, or Rama X, who ascended the throne last year but whose coronation can only take place after his father's funeral. Many mourners stayed to watch as smoke rose from the crematorium. Some broke down in tears. King Vajiralongkorn has overseen sweeping changes to the royal household, including the running of palace finances. Earlier in the day members of the Thai royal family, visited dignitaries and government officials and placed sandalwood flowers at the royal funeral pyre. The ceremony on Thursday brought Thailand to a standstill as many businesses, including banks, shut to honour the late king.

Thailand bids final goodbye to late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand&#39;s&nbsp;junta&nbsp;and a Malay Muslim separatist faction have&nbsp;blamed each other for a delay in setting up a &#39;safety zone&#39; as a confidence-building measure towards ending a decades-old insurgency.

Talks on the zone ended last week in Malaysia without full agreement to be followed by bombings that killed a soldier and a policeman in the&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;south, where more than 6,500 people have been killed since 2004.

No group claimed responsibility for the latest attacks.

On Monday, the Mara Patani faction said that implementing a safety zone had been &quot;a little delayed&quot;, because some details, &quot;especially from the&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;side&quot;, had not been satisfactorily addressed, but that did not mean talks had failed.

&quot;The correct approach is to continue dialogue, not walking away from it,&quot; Abu Hafez Al-Hakim, a leader of the group, said in a statement.

At the weekend,&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s chief negotiator had said the insurgents were not ready for the safety zone, despite the sincerity of the&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;government.

&quot;If the dissidents are not ready, then people&#39;s participation in the process will be delayed,&quot; General Aksara Kerdphol said, adding that talks would continue.

The proposed safety zone would be jointly administered by&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;authorities and the&nbsp;separatists&nbsp;in a district of the three southern provinces that formed part of a Malay Muslim sultanate until being annexed by the mostly Buddhist&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;kingdom in 1909.

Within the safety zone, neither side would attack the other.

&quot;If you want to create&nbsp;peace&nbsp;you have to work with your enemy,&quot; Al-Hakim told Reuters, saying he was hopeful a safety zone could be set up within three to six months.

But the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group, which has greater control&nbsp;over&nbsp;combatants than other factions, has not joined talks. A leader of the group told Reuters last week that the current negotiations were doomed.

Pak Fakih said in a rare interview that safety zones could be &quot;a trick by the military in trying to uncover&nbsp;the insurgent networks&quot;.

The BRN neither claims nor denies responsibility for any specific attack, but says it is continuing to fight to send a signal to the government.

The leader of another insurgent group, Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), also said he was uneasy about the government&#39;s safety zone plan, but would go along with it in the spirit of cooperation.

Violence would continue for now as the only way to get the government to listen, Kasturi Mahkota told Reuters.

Talks on the zone ended last week in Malaysia without full agreement to be followed by bombings that killed a soldier and a policeman in the?Thai?south, where more than 6,500 people have been killed since 2004.

Thailand's junta and a Malay Muslim separatist faction have blamed each other for a delay in setting up a 'safety zone' as a confidence-building measure towards ending a decades-old insurgency. Talks on the zone ended last week in Malaysia without full agreement to be followed by bombings that killed a soldier and a policeman in the Thai south, where more than 6,500 people have been killed since 2004. No group claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. On Monday, the Mara Patani faction said that implementing a safety zone had been "a little delayed", because some details, "especially from the Thai side", had not been satisfactorily addressed, but that did not mean talks had failed. "The correct approach is to continue dialogue, not walking away from it," Abu Hafez Al-Hakim, a leader of the group, said in a statement. At the weekend, Thailand's chief negotiator had said the insurgents were not ready for the safety zone, despite the sincerity of the Thai government. "If the dissidents are not ready, then people's participation in the process will be delayed," General Aksara Kerdphol said, adding that talks would continue. The proposed safety zone would be jointly administered by Thai authorities and the separatists in a district of the three southern provinces that formed part of a Malay Muslim sultanate until being annexed by the mostly Buddhist Thai kingdom in 1909. Within the safety zone, neither side would attack the other. "If you want to create peace you have to work with your enemy," Al-Hakim told Reuters, saying he was hopeful a safety zone could be set up within three to six months. But the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group, which has greater control over combatants than other factions, has not joined talks. A leader of the group told Reuters last week that the current negotiations were doomed. Pak Fakih said in a rare interview that safety zones could be "a trick by the military in trying to uncover the insurgent networks". The BRN neither claims nor denies responsibility for any specific attack, but says it is continuing to fight to send a signal to the government. The leader of another insurgent group, Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), also said he was uneasy about the government's safety zone plan, but would go along with it in the spirit of cooperation. Violence would continue for now as the only way to get the government to listen, Kasturi Mahkota told Reuters.

Thai junta, separatists trade blame over peace steps

Roadside&nbsp;bombs&nbsp;planted by suspected Muslim insurgents in&nbsp;southern Thailand&nbsp;killed one soldier&nbsp;on Thursday (September 14) and&nbsp;wounded&nbsp;20&nbsp;other people, most of them&nbsp;soldiers and police, security forces said.

The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deep south&nbsp;where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 peoplekilled since&nbsp;2004 alone.

The first bomb did not result in any casualties, but the other two&nbsp;killed one&nbsp;soldier&nbsp;and&nbsp;wounded 18&nbsp;soldiers and police and two villagers. As with most violence in&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s&nbsp;deep&nbsp;south, there was no claim of responsibility.

The insurgents are fighting for secession from mostly Buddhist Thailand. Until they were annexed in 1909,&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s&nbsp;three&nbsp;southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate.

The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deepsouth?where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 people killed since?2004 alone.

Roadside bombs planted by suspected Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand killed one soldier on Thursday (September 14) and wounded 20 other people, most of them soldiers and police, security forces said. The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deep south where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 peoplekilled since 2004 alone. The first bomb did not result in any casualties, but the other two killed one soldier and wounded 18 soldiers and police and two villagers. As with most violence in Thailand's deep south, there was no claim of responsibility. The insurgents are fighting for secession from mostly Buddhist Thailand. Until they were annexed in 1909, Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate.

Thailand: 1 soldier?killed, twenty injured in bomb attack

Invoking history in the everyday politics of a post-colonial state is an insane thing to do. On almost every occasion it is done, the objective is to create or expand fissures among communities for mean gains. Manipulators interpret history partially or irrationally.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s an absurd thing to live in the past, ignoring the realities and the established universal values of today. Unfortunately, all these negatives are being manifested in present day&rsquo;s Myanmar and especially in its western Rakhine State, which is also known as Arakan, in the form of an utterly irrational citizenship rule created by 1960s military dictator.

The Myanmar citizenship rule is in complete contrast with all international norms and conventions of the citizenship. And this citizenship rule makes an unprecedented cut off line that needs to date back to the 19th century as the criterion for citizenship, turning most Rohingya ethnic people of Rakhine State illegal immigrant.&nbsp;

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<h5>The Myanmar citizenship rule is in complete contrast with all international norms and conventions of the citizenship.</h5>
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Now, Rohingyas are fleeing Arakan again like the seventies. Already about half of their close to 3 million population are refugees in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Indonesia from the past exodus. The poor civilians of this highly persecuted and discriminated community are again on the run following the crack down on them by the Myanmar army. Accused of indulging in acts of political militancy by some elements of this desperate community, the usual Myanmar over reaction is brutal and cruel.

However, to understand the context of the crisis, it is imperative to revisit a bit of history and geography. Arakan rather has more geographical contiguity with Chittagong of Bangladesh in the north than the Bamar (the dominant ethnic group in Myanmar who constitute about 66 per cent&nbsp;of the country&rsquo;s population)&nbsp;hinterland in southern and central Myanmar. Rakhine State is a coastal province, elongated like a tail from north to south. The state is separated from rest of Myanmar by Arakan Mountains located on the east of the state. The mountains also run parallel from north to south to the coastal plains of the state.

There are two major ethnic groups living in Arakan. One is the Rakhine, after whom the state is named, and the other is the Rohingya. The Rakhine are culturally and linguistically close to the Bamar and Rohingya to the Bengali. Racially also, these two ethnicities are different. Rakhines are Mongoloid, Rohingyas are Caucasoid &ndash; Austro Asiatic mixed like most people of the eastern part of Indian sub- continent.

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<h5>Separatist armed movements were waged by the Rohingyas in northern Arakan in the 1950s and 1960s which Burmese army quelled with brute force.</h5>
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Historically, both the people lived and&nbsp;moved freely around this Chittagong-Arakan coastal plains and adjacent hills. There are about 200000 Rakhines too in the Chittagong Hill District of Bandarban and some in the southern Bangladeshi district of Patuakhali. Rakhines are also known as Mogh or Marma in Bangladesh. For the most part of the history, there were independent Mogh/ Rakhine kingdoms in Arakan which sometimes expanded up to Chittagong. There were early Bengali/ Rohingya courtiers and royal poets in Arakan courts. In the 18th century, forces of Bamar kingdoms crossed Arakan mountains, invaded and annexed Arakan. But it didn&rsquo;t last long as within a few decades the British gained Arakan and later the entire Burma and kept Arakan annexed to its Burmese dominion.

During British period there was a wave of Bengalis moving into Arakan for work, and under British patronage, they merged with old Rohingyas.&nbsp;In the World War II, the Rohingyas sided with the British whereas the Rakhines generally sided with the Japanese. Around the time of independence of Burma, there were communal tensions and riots between Rohingyas and Rakhines. Rohingyas wanted the Muslim majority of northern Arakan which had the border with Chittagong to merge with East Pakistan. Separatist armed movements were waged by the Rohingyas in northern Arakan in the 1950s and 1960s which Burmese army quelled with brute force. The same happened in the 1970s which met the same fate. The armed movement found resurgence since the 1990s and some elements are still continuing that.

Interestingly, there were separatist movements&nbsp;from the Rakhine side also against the Burmese. At least two groups operated in the 1960s and 1970s and some remnants still exist although at the marginal level. Burma or the present Myanmar is ethnically quite diverse a country. There are several dozens of ethnic groups other than the dominant Bamars. Some of these ethnicities are sizable and they form a majority in their own areas e.g. Kachin, Karen Shan etc. A long military rule, hegemony of the Bamar community and lack of channels for political expressions have led to the&nbsp;number of armed separatist movements in Myanmar many of which still persists. &nbsp;

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<h5>A long military rule, hegemony of the Bamar community and lack of channels for political expressions have led to the&nbsp;number of armed separatist movements in Myanmar.</h5>
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For the most part of its post-colonial history, Myanmar leadership has been self-secluded, secretive and regressive. Like the Pakistani army, Myanmar army captured the polity of the country right after its independence and continued to be at the helm till date. They haven&rsquo;t allowed much modern liberals thoughts of rights, democracy or institutions to enter their domain of imposed nominal socialism. Inside, they kept the Burmese society orthodox,&nbsp;stagnant and economically under developed.

The Buddhist monks of Myanmar, like their Sri Lankan counter parts, espouse a kind of religious nationalism. They are quite aggressive and violence-inciting and receives patronage from Myanmar army and political forces. It&rsquo;s a huge irony in light of fundamental non-violent tenets of Buddhism. The difference between Myanmar and other nations of south Asia is quite stark. Myanmar expelled its sizable Indian population right after its independence. It also had anti-Muslim turned anti-South Asian riots in the central part of it in recent past.

Aung San Suu Kyi, after decades of struggle, has only attained a limited political power. And despite the criticism of her in the Rohingya episode for remaining silent, it has to be understood that Suu Kyi&#39;s hands are actually tied. The Myanmar army has clearly taken the side of the Rakhine, who are ethnically and communally close to the Bamars, and they won&rsquo;t allow Suu Kyi much leeway in this. However, Suu Khi should at least have taken a middle stand and put some indirect pressure on the military. Then the international community could have done more.

The Rohingyas are politically quite disorganised and the high degree of persecution has suppressed their natural political expressions. Due to this oppression, some Islamist militants have found their way into this community. And that, in turn, has become more of a reason for the Myanmar army to conduct heavy handed crack down at the cost of high civilian causality.

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<h5>Despite the criticism of her in the Rohingya episode for remaining silent, it has to be understood that Suu Kyi&#39;s hands are actually tied.</h5>
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Geopolitically, it seems no country is interested to do much for the Rohingyas as yet. Bangladesh doesn&#39;t have enough strength to do much on its own- be it diplomatic or military.&nbsp;Bangladesh has close relations with China, but China has even closer relations with Myanmar. Despite the overt bonhomie with Hasina government, the BJP government&nbsp;in India has hardly any empathy towards Muslim sufferings anywhere in the world. Nehruvian principle based foreign policy is a thing of past for India.

The foreign policy is now narrow nationalistic interest based and the current Indian government&nbsp;will easily sacrifice Rohingyas for a little strategic leverage with Myanmar. The Indian government has already declared that it will deport the 40 thousand Rohingyas from neighbouring Myanmar, about 0.33 or one-thirtieths of the entire Rohingya refugee and that too against its own home ministry policy of giving shelter to persecuted communities and defying UNHCR measures.&nbsp;

Apart from Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have taken in sizable numbers of Rohingya refugees and Turkey is quite vocal against Myanmar atrocities against Rohingyas. But the Islamic world itself is in chaos and Islamic solidarity is in decline.&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s US is no more reliable for anything good and many will probably count only on the EU and UK in the west on this matter. UN has been the lone consistent international voice for these distressed people. ASEAN countries certainly have some influence on Myanmar although not as much as China.

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<h5>Bengalis are culturally close to the Rohingyas, and there is internal pressure on Bangladesh government to do something, but the government&nbsp;as of now has been careful not to antagonise Myanmar despite the atrocities and tried to solve the matter bilaterally with very limited success.&nbsp;</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Bengalis are culturally close to the Rohingyas, and there is internal pressure on Bangladesh government to do something, but the government?as of now has been careful not to antagonise Myanmar despite the atrocities and tried to solve the matter bilaterally with very limited success.?" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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Bangladesh is in a difficult dilemma at this point. Bengalis are culturally close to the Rohingyas, and there is internal pressure on Bangladesh government to do something, but the government&nbsp;as of now has been careful not to antagonise Myanmar despite the atrocities and tried to solve the matter bilaterally with very limited success.&nbsp;It seems now that only a Bangladesh, Turkey, Saudi Arabia led diplomatic drive including measures like sanctions on Myanmar, if necessary, and with help from ASEAN countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and perhaps the EU and UN is the only way forward. Bangladesh has to be careful while taking the help of the Islamic world in not giving in to any demand of Islamic radicals to operate in Arakan from its soil. That can have serious ramifications for Bangladesh, Arakan and even the entire sub-region.

But the big question is to what extent these countries will be ready to coordinate with each other and invest in this crisis? Can China be pressurised substantially to put pressure on Myanmar in turn? As of now, it appears that there isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;much hope for the destitute and internationally abandoned Rohingyas - the most persecuted community in the world as declared by the UN. Humanity continues to be humiliated in that wretched land.

There isn?t?much hope for the destitute and internationally abandoned Rohingyas - the most persecuted community in the world as declared by the UN.

Invoking history in the everyday politics of a post-colonial state is an insane thing to do. On almost every occasion it is done, the objective is to create or expand fissures among communities for mean gains. Manipulators interpret history partially or irrationally. It’s an absurd thing to live in the past, ignoring the realities and the established universal values of today. Unfortunately, all these negatives are being manifested in present day’s Myanmar and especially in its western Rakhine State, which is also known as Arakan, in the form of an utterly irrational citizenship rule created by 1960s military dictator. The Myanmar citizenship rule is in complete contrast with all international norms and conventions of the citizenship. And this citizenship rule makes an unprecedented cut off line that needs to date back to the 19th century as the criterion for citizenship, turning most Rohingya ethnic people of Rakhine State illegal immigrant. The Myanmar citizenship rule is in complete contrast with all international norms and conventions of the citizenship. × Now, Rohingyas are fleeing Arakan again like the seventies. Already about half of their close to 3 million population are refugees in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Indonesia from the past exodus. The poor civilians of this highly persecuted and discriminated community are again on the run following the crack down on them by the Myanmar army. Accused of indulging in acts of political militancy by some elements of this desperate community, the usual Myanmar over reaction is brutal and cruel. However, to understand the context of the crisis, it is imperative to revisit a bit of history and geography. Arakan rather has more geographical contiguity with Chittagong of Bangladesh in the north than the Bamar (the dominant ethnic group in Myanmar who constitute about 66 per cent of the country’s population) hinterland in southern and central Myanmar. Rakhine State is a coastal province, elongated like a tail from north to south. The state is separated from rest of Myanmar by Arakan Mountains located on the east of the state. The mountains also run parallel from north to south to the coastal plains of the state. There are two major ethnic groups living in Arakan. One is the Rakhine, after whom the state is named, and the other is the Rohingya. The Rakhine are culturally and linguistically close to the Bamar and Rohingya to the Bengali. Racially also, these two ethnicities are different. Rakhines are Mongoloid, Rohingyas are Caucasoid – Austro Asiatic mixed like most people of the eastern part of Indian sub- continent. Separatist armed movements were waged by the Rohingyas in northern Arakan in the 1950s and 1960s which Burmese army quelled with brute force. × Historically, both the people lived and moved freely around this Chittagong-Arakan coastal plains and adjacent hills. There are about 200000 Rakhines too in the Chittagong Hill District of Bandarban and some in the southern Bangladeshi district of Patuakhali. Rakhines are also known as Mogh or Marma in Bangladesh. For the most part of the history, there were independent Mogh/ Rakhine kingdoms in Arakan which sometimes expanded up to Chittagong. There were early Bengali/ Rohingya courtiers and royal poets in Arakan courts. In the 18th century, forces of Bamar kingdoms crossed Arakan mountains, invaded and annexed Arakan. But it didn’t last long as within a few decades the British gained Arakan and later the entire Burma and kept Arakan annexed to its Burmese dominion. During British period there was a wave of Bengalis moving into Arakan for work, and under British patronage, they merged with old Rohingyas. In the World War II, the Rohingyas sided with the British whereas the Rakhines generally sided with the Japanese. Around the time of independence of Burma, there were communal tensions and riots between Rohingyas and Rakhines. Rohingyas wanted the Muslim majority of northern Arakan which had the border with Chittagong to merge with East Pakistan. Separatist armed movements were waged by the Rohingyas in northern Arakan in the 1950s and 1960s which Burmese army quelled with brute force. The same happened in the 1970s which met the same fate. The armed movement found resurgence since the 1990s and some elements are still continuing that. Interestingly, there were separatist movements from the Rakhine side also against the Burmese. At least two groups operated in the 1960s and 1970s and some remnants still exist although at the marginal level. Burma or the present Myanmar is ethnically quite diverse a country. There are several dozens of ethnic groups other than the dominant Bamars. Some of these ethnicities are sizable and they form a majority in their own areas e.g. Kachin, Karen Shan etc. A long military rule, hegemony of the Bamar community and lack of channels for political expressions have led to the number of armed separatist movements in Myanmar many of which still persists. A long military rule, hegemony of the Bamar community and lack of channels for political expressions have led to the number of armed separatist movements in Myanmar. × For the most part of its post-colonial history, Myanmar leadership has been self-secluded, secretive and regressive. Like the Pakistani army, Myanmar army captured the polity of the country right after its independence and continued to be at the helm till date. They haven’t allowed much modern liberals thoughts of rights, democracy or institutions to enter their domain of imposed nominal socialism. Inside, they kept the Burmese society orthodox, stagnant and economically under developed. The Buddhist monks of Myanmar, like their Sri Lankan counter parts, espouse a kind of religious nationalism. They are quite aggressive and violence-inciting and receives patronage from Myanmar army and political forces. It’s a huge irony in light of fundamental non-violent tenets of Buddhism. The difference between Myanmar and other nations of south Asia is quite stark. Myanmar expelled its sizable Indian population right after its independence. It also had anti-Muslim turned anti-South Asian riots in the central part of it in recent past. Aung San Suu Kyi, after decades of struggle, has only attained a limited political power. And despite the criticism of her in the Rohingya episode for remaining silent, it has to be understood that Suu Kyi's hands are actually tied. The Myanmar army has clearly taken the side of the Rakhine, who are ethnically and communally close to the Bamars, and they won’t allow Suu Kyi much leeway in this. However, Suu Khi should at least have taken a middle stand and put some indirect pressure on the military. Then the international community could have done more. The Rohingyas are politically quite disorganised and the high degree of persecution has suppressed their natural political expressions. Due to this oppression, some Islamist militants have found their way into this community. And that, in turn, has become more of a reason for the Myanmar army to conduct heavy handed crack down at the cost of high civilian causality. Despite the criticism of her in the Rohingya episode for remaining silent, it has to be understood that Suu Kyi's hands are actually tied. × Geopolitically, it seems no country is interested to do much for the Rohingyas as yet. Bangladesh doesn't have enough strength to do much on its own- be it diplomatic or military. Bangladesh has close relations with China, but China has even closer relations with Myanmar. Despite the overt bonhomie with Hasina government, the BJP government in India has hardly any empathy towards Muslim sufferings anywhere in the world. Nehruvian principle based foreign policy is a thing of past for India. The foreign policy is now narrow nationalistic interest based and the current Indian government will easily sacrifice Rohingyas for a little strategic leverage with Myanmar. The Indian government has already declared that it will deport the 40 thousand Rohingyas from neighbouring Myanmar, about 0.33 or one-thirtieths of the entire Rohingya refugee and that too against its own home ministry policy of giving shelter to persecuted communities and defying UNHCR measures. Apart from Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have taken in sizable numbers of Rohingya refugees and Turkey is quite vocal against Myanmar atrocities against Rohingyas. But the Islamic world itself is in chaos and Islamic solidarity is in decline. Trump’s US is no more reliable for anything good and many will probably count only on the EU and UK in the west on this matter. UN has been the lone consistent international voice for these distressed people. ASEAN countries certainly have some influence on Myanmar although not as much as China. Bengalis are culturally close to the Rohingyas, and there is internal pressure on Bangladesh government to do something, but the government as of now has been careful not to antagonise Myanmar despite the atrocities and tried to solve the matter bilaterally with very limited success. × Bangladesh is in a difficult dilemma at this point. Bengalis are culturally close to the Rohingyas, and there is internal pressure on Bangladesh government to do something, but the government as of now has been careful not to antagonise Myanmar despite the atrocities and tried to solve the matter bilaterally with very limited success. It seems now that only a Bangladesh, Turkey, Saudi Arabia led diplomatic drive including measures like sanctions on Myanmar, if necessary, and with help from ASEAN countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and perhaps the EU and UN is the only way forward. Bangladesh has to be careful while taking the help of the Islamic world in not giving in to any demand of Islamic radicals to operate in Arakan from its soil. That can have serious ramifications for Bangladesh, Arakan and even the entire sub-region. But the big question is to what extent these countries will be ready to coordinate with each other and invest in this crisis? Can China be pressurised substantially to put pressure on Myanmar in turn? As of now, it appears that there isn’t much hope for the destitute and internationally abandoned Rohingyas - the most persecuted community in the world as declared by the UN. Humanity continues to be humiliated in that wretched land.

No country for a Rohingya

Australia&nbsp;coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year&#39;s&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday&#39;s (September 5) final&nbsp;qualifier&nbsp;against&nbsp;Thailand.

The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday&#39;s (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;and Saudi Arabia.

Australia&nbsp;must win big against&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone.

The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later.

The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a &quot;fearless&quot; display against the Thais.

Australia&nbsp;will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match.

Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.

&nbsp;

The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than?Australia?and Saudi Arabia.

Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year's World Cup but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday's (September 5) final qualifier against Thailand. The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than Australia and Saudi Arabia. Australia must win big against Thailand to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive World Cup appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone. The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later. The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a "fearless" display against the Thais. Australia will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match. Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.

Australia ready to face Thailand in crucial World Cup qualifier

Thailand&#39;s highest court on Wednesday acquitted two ex-prime ministers and two former top police officers over their role in a 2008 crackdown on anti-government protesters that killed two people.

Former premier Somchai Wongsawat and his then-deputy Chavalit Yongchaiyudh faced negligence charges over a police operation to remove protesters who had laid siege to parliament.

The deadly incident was one of many violent flare-ups over the past decade between their political camp, a populist movement led by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and a conservative Bangkok-based establishment.&nbsp;

Police fought pitched battles with demonstrators, some of whom possessed homemade bombs, and fired multiple rounds of tear gas. Two died and hundreds were wounded.

After the military seized power in 2014, authorities put the four men on trial.&nbsp;

But in its ruling on Wednesday nine judges dismissed the case, arguing that authorities had a responsibility to clear the protesters because they had not remained peaceful and that none of the defendants bore direct responsibility for the deaths.

&quot;The protesters surrounded parliament and threatened to storm the building, therefore it was not a peaceful rally. The authorities had to use force in order to clear the way,&quot; the court said in its published summary.

&quot;The court has dismissed the case,&quot; it added.

Somchai and Chavalit both hail from the political faction loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-exiled billionaire tycoon at the heart of Thailand&#39;s festering political divide.&nbsp;

Somchai, Thaksin&#39;s brother-in-law, was prime minister at the time of the crackdown while Chavalit had served as premier in the 1990s.

Decade of instability

Thaksin was ousted by the army in 2006, setting off a decade of instability marked by frequent bouts of political violence, short-lived governments and another army putsch in 2014.

Parties run by or allied to Thaksin&#39;s clan have won every election since 2001, largely through the support of rural and poor voters from the populous north who adore them.

But they are loathed by much of Bangkok&#39;s royalist elite and their military allies who have used street protests, the courts and coups to crush their opponents.&nbsp;

During the 2008 protests it was the anti-Shinawatra faction -- dubbed the &quot;Yellow Shirts&quot; -- who were laying siege to parliament.

Later that year the Yellow Shirts famously occupied Bangkok&#39;s Suvarnabhumi Airport to try to topple the government, an action that led to the stranding of tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the kingdom.

A small group of Yellow Shirt supporters shouted &quot;Murderers!&quot; as the four left court after their acquittal.&nbsp;

Tee Sae Tiew, a 73-year-old who lost his leg after he was struck by a tear gas round in 2008, said he had hoped &quot;to see wrongdoers punished for what they did&quot;.

Outside the court Somchai waved to his own supporters. &quot;I am glad we received justice from this fight,&quot; he told reporters.

Two years after the 2008 protests the tables had turned.&nbsp;

The Yellow Shirt faction was in power and it was the Shinawatras&#39; &quot;Red Shirt&quot; allies who were now blockading swathes of Bangkok -- resulting in an army crackdown that killed more than 90.

No one has been prosecuted for those deaths.&nbsp;

Some of the senior officers behind that 2010 crackdown later led the 2014 coup that brought the current junta to power.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Somchai and Chavalit both hail from the political faction loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-exiled billionaire tycoon at the heart of Thailand's festering political divide

Thailand's highest court on Wednesday acquitted two ex-prime ministers and two former top police officers over their role in a 2008 crackdown on anti-government protesters that killed two people. Former premier Somchai Wongsawat and his then-deputy Chavalit Yongchaiyudh faced negligence charges over a police operation to remove protesters who had laid siege to parliament. The deadly incident was one of many violent flare-ups over the past decade between their political camp, a populist movement led by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and a conservative Bangkok-based establishment. Police fought pitched battles with demonstrators, some of whom possessed homemade bombs, and fired multiple rounds of tear gas. Two died and hundreds were wounded. After the military seized power in 2014, authorities put the four men on trial. But in its ruling on Wednesday nine judges dismissed the case, arguing that authorities had a responsibility to clear the protesters because they had not remained peaceful and that none of the defendants bore direct responsibility for the deaths. "The protesters surrounded parliament and threatened to storm the building, therefore it was not a peaceful rally. The authorities had to use force in order to clear the way," the court said in its published summary. "The court has dismissed the case," it added. Somchai and Chavalit both hail from the political faction loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-exiled billionaire tycoon at the heart of Thailand's festering political divide. Somchai, Thaksin's brother-in-law, was prime minister at the time of the crackdown while Chavalit had served as premier in the 1990s. Decade of instability Thaksin was ousted by the army in 2006, setting off a decade of instability marked by frequent bouts of political violence, short-lived governments and another army putsch in 2014. Parties run by or allied to Thaksin's clan have won every election since 2001, largely through the support of rural and poor voters from the populous north who adore them. But they are loathed by much of Bangkok's royalist elite and their military allies who have used street protests, the courts and coups to crush their opponents. During the 2008 protests it was the anti-Shinawatra faction -- dubbed the "Yellow Shirts" -- who were laying siege to parliament. Later that year the Yellow Shirts famously occupied Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport to try to topple the government, an action that led to the stranding of tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the kingdom. A small group of Yellow Shirt supporters shouted "Murderers!" as the four left court after their acquittal. Tee Sae Tiew, a 73-year-old who lost his leg after he was struck by a tear gas round in 2008, said he had hoped "to see wrongdoers punished for what they did". Outside the court Somchai waved to his own supporters. "I am glad we received justice from this fight," he told reporters. Two years after the 2008 protests the tables had turned. The Yellow Shirt faction was in power and it was the Shinawatras' "Red Shirt" allies who were now blockading swathes of Bangkok -- resulting in an army crackdown that killed more than 90. No one has been prosecuted for those deaths. Some of the senior officers behind that 2010 crackdown later led the 2014 coup that brought the current junta to power.

Thailand: Two former PMs acquitted over 2008 protest deaths

A Thai man was jailed for 35 years on Friday for Facebook posts deemed insulting to the royal family, a watchdog said, in one of the harshest sentences handed down for a crime that insulates Thailand&#39;s ultra-rich monarchy from criticism.

A Bangkok military court convicted the 34-year-old of ten counts of lese majeste for posting photos and videos of the royal family on a Facebook account that purported to belong to a different user.

Wichai, whose last name was withheld to protect his relatives from ostracisation, was accused of using the account to slander a former friend, said iLaw, a group that tracks royal defamation cases.

&quot;The court punished him with seven years per count. Altogether he was given 70 years, but it was reduced in half because he confessed,&quot; said Yingcheep Atchanont from iLaw.&nbsp;

Lese majeste cases are routinely shrouded in secrecy, with media forced to heavily self-censor the details to avoid violating the broadly interpreted law.

Reporters were barred from entering the military court where Wichai&#39;s verdict was read.

Later on Friday, a criminal court sentenced another lese majeste suspect to 2.5 years in jail for uploading an audio clip from an underground political radio show that was deemed insulting to the monarchy.

Use of the draconian law has surged under a royalist junta that grabbed power in 2014, with more than 100 people charged since the coup.&nbsp;Prosecutions have continued under Thailand&#39;s new king Maha Vajiralongkorn, who took the throne in late 2016 after the death of his deeply revered father.&nbsp;

Observers have been closely watching how the new king approaches the controversial law, which effectively blocks scrutiny of Thailand&#39;s opaque and powerful monarchy.&nbsp;

According to iLaw, Wichai initially denied the charges but later confessed after waiting for more than a year in jail for the court proceedings to begin.&nbsp;

Lese majeste suspects are rarely acquitted or granted bail.&nbsp;The United Nations&#39; rights body has warned that Thailand&#39;s widespread use of the law &#39;may constitute crimes against humanity&#39;.

(AFP)

Wichai was punished with one of the harshest sentences - 35 year jail time - for posting photos and videos of the royal family on Facebook

A Thai man was jailed for 35 years on Friday for Facebook posts deemed insulting to the royal family, a watchdog said, in one of the harshest sentences handed down for a crime that insulates Thailand's ultra-rich monarchy from criticism. A Bangkok military court convicted the 34-year-old of ten counts of lese majeste for posting photos and videos of the royal family on a Facebook account that purported to belong to a different user. Wichai, whose last name was withheld to protect his relatives from ostracisation, was accused of using the account to slander a former friend, said iLaw, a group that tracks royal defamation cases. "The court punished him with seven years per count. Altogether he was given 70 years, but it was reduced in half because he confessed," said Yingcheep Atchanont from iLaw. Lese majeste cases are routinely shrouded in secrecy, with media forced to heavily self-censor the details to avoid violating the broadly interpreted law. Reporters were barred from entering the military court where Wichai's verdict was read. Later on Friday, a criminal court sentenced another lese majeste suspect to 2.5 years in jail for uploading an audio clip from an underground political radio show that was deemed insulting to the monarchy. Use of the draconian law has surged under a royalist junta that grabbed power in 2014, with more than 100 people charged since the coup. Prosecutions have continued under Thailand's new king Maha Vajiralongkorn, who took the throne in late 2016 after the death of his deeply revered father. Observers have been closely watching how the new king approaches the controversial law, which effectively blocks scrutiny of Thailand's opaque and powerful monarchy. According to iLaw, Wichai initially denied the charges but later confessed after waiting for more than a year in jail for the court proceedings to begin. Lese majeste suspects are rarely acquitted or granted bail. The United Nations' rights body has warned that Thailand's widespread use of the law 'may constitute crimes against humanity'. (AFP)

Thai man jailed for defaming royals on Facebook

Thailand&#39;s foreign ministry on Tuesday reassured the international community that the country would increase security at sensitive locations a day after a bomb exploded at a hospital in the capital Bangkok wounding 24 people.

Thailand has been ruled by a junta since a May 2014 coup. The attack on Monday coincided with the third anniversary of the takeover and the army has blamed the incident on groups opposed to military rule.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which happened at the military-owned Phramongkutklao Hospital.

&quot;Bombs will have an impact anywhere,&quot; Thailand&#39;s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters on Tuesday.

&quot;Any action at a hospital violates human rights &hellip; I would like the foreigners to know that security forces are looking after this,&quot; he said.

&quot;We didn&#39;t want this to happen. If we can catch those behind this even better,&quot; he added.

One of the most popular holiday destinations in Southeast Asia, Thailand attracted 32.6 million visitors last year, a rise of nearly 9 percent from the previous year.

The country&#39;s beaches and city destinations continue to lure travelers with Chinese making up the largest group of tourists.

But Thailand has been rocked by attacks, including a series of explosions last year at popular beach locations, which cast a shadow over Thailand&#39;s safety credentials.

The beach attacks killed four people and wounded dozens, a day after Thais voted overwhelmingly to accept a military-backed constitution that critics said would only serve to entrench military power.

Thailand&#39;s military seized power on May 22, 2014 to end months of street action aimed at overthrowing a populist movement that had won several national elections since 2001.

The coup was the 12th military takeover since 1932 when Thailand saw the end of an absolute monarchy.

Junta spokesman Winthai Suvaree said security would be increased following Monday&#39;s attack.

&quot;Any security measures that are not working will need to change,&quot; junta spokesman Winthai told reporters at Bangkok&#39;s Government House.

On May 15, a small bomb went off near the National Theatre in Bangkok&#39;s old quarter, wounding two people. It was not clear who was behind the bomb. An explosion outside a former government lottery office on April 5 wounded two others.

Army chief Chalermchai Sitthisat said on Monday that he believed the two attacks were linked to the hospital attack, adding that the materials used to make the bombs were the same.

(Reuters)

The attack on Monday coincided with the third anniversary of the country's military takeover

Thailand's foreign ministry on Tuesday reassured the international community that the country would increase security at sensitive locations a day after a bomb exploded at a hospital in the capital Bangkok wounding 24 people. Thailand has been ruled by a junta since a May 2014 coup. The attack on Monday coincided with the third anniversary of the takeover and the army has blamed the incident on groups opposed to military rule. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which happened at the military-owned Phramongkutklao Hospital. "Bombs will have an impact anywhere," Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters on Tuesday. "Any action at a hospital violates human rights … I would like the foreigners to know that security forces are looking after this," he said. "We didn't want this to happen. If we can catch those behind this even better," he added. One of the most popular holiday destinations in Southeast Asia, Thailand attracted 32.6 million visitors last year, a rise of nearly 9 percent from the previous year. The country's beaches and city destinations continue to lure travelers with Chinese making up the largest group of tourists. But Thailand has been rocked by attacks, including a series of explosions last year at popular beach locations, which cast a shadow over Thailand's safety credentials. The beach attacks killed four people and wounded dozens, a day after Thais voted overwhelmingly to accept a military-backed constitution that critics said would only serve to entrench military power. Thailand's military seized power on May 22, 2014 to end months of street action aimed at overthrowing a populist movement that had won several national elections since 2001. The coup was the 12th military takeover since 1932 when Thailand saw the end of an absolute monarchy. Junta spokesman Winthai Suvaree said security would be increased following Monday's attack. "Any security measures that are not working will need to change," junta spokesman Winthai told reporters at Bangkok's Government House. On May 15, a small bomb went off near the National Theatre in Bangkok's old quarter, wounding two people. It was not clear who was behind the bomb. An explosion outside a former government lottery office on April 5 wounded two others. Army chief Chalermchai Sitthisat said on Monday that he believed the two attacks were linked to the hospital attack, adding that the materials used to make the bombs were the same. (Reuters)

Thailand reassures foreigners following Bangkok hospital attack

The distraught Thai mother of a baby girl killed by her boyfriend in a murder he broadcast on Facebook Live has described the harrowing moment she stumbled across the video and rushed to alert police.

The killing on Monday evening caused revulsion both in Thailand and around the world, sparking renewed debate about what can be done by social media giants to more quickly remove live broadcasts of violent crimes, suicides and murders.

Jiranuch Trirat, a 22-year-old from Phuket, was left devastated after her boyfriend Wuttisan Wongtalay hung their 11-month old daughter Natalie from the side of an abandoned building before taking his own life.&nbsp;

He broadcast Natalie&#39;s murder on Facebook Live, a video that Jiranuch came across that evening.

&quot;I was with my older brother and he was logging onto his Facebook,&quot; she told AFP on Thursday from a Phuket temple where daily prayers were being held for Natalie ahead of her cremation on Saturday.

&quot;He was scrolling down and suddenly we saw the live broadcast. I turned to take a look and saw him (Wuttisan) drop my daughter with the rope and I couldn&#39;t continue to watch.&quot;

The horrifying realisation of what was unfolding sparked a desperate search by relatives and police, with the bodies of Wuttisan and Natalie found just a few hours later.

The murder video remained on Facebook for around 24 hours, prompting cries for the social network to move more swiftly to take down clips of grisly crimes and killings.

But Jiranuch said she harboured no ill will towards Facebook, stating the social network had little initial control over what users choose to upload.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t blame Facebook. They are not part of the problem, we can choose to broadcast happiness or sadness,&quot; she said.

What prompted Wuttisan to take such a horrifying step remains a mystery.

Jiranuch said the two frequently argued, particularly over her ex-husband with whom she has a son nicknamed Sanook -- the Thai word for fun.&nbsp;

&quot;He often abused my son Sanook,&quot; she said.

But Wuttisan had always been kind to their daughter Natalie, she added, looking after her in the day while she took classes at a nearby school.

As for what her boyfriend did, Jiranuch said: &quot;I forgive him because holding onto anger for a long time will not get my daughter back.&quot;

(AFP)

The distraught Thai mother of a baby girl killed by her boyfriend in a murder he broadcast on Facebook Live has described the harrowing moment she stumbled across the video and rushed to alert police. The killing on Monday evening caused revulsion both in Thailand and around the world, sparking renewed debate about what can be done by social media giants to more quickly remove live broadcasts of violent crimes, suicides and murders. Jiranuch Trirat, a 22-year-old from Phuket, was left devastated after her boyfriend Wuttisan Wongtalay hung their 11-month old daughter Natalie from the side of an abandoned building before taking his own life. He broadcast Natalie's murder on Facebook Live, a video that Jiranuch came across that evening. "I was with my older brother and he was logging onto his Facebook," she told AFP on Thursday from a Phuket temple where daily prayers were being held for Natalie ahead of her cremation on Saturday. "He was scrolling down and suddenly we saw the live broadcast. I turned to take a look and saw him (Wuttisan) drop my daughter with the rope and I couldn't continue to watch." The horrifying realisation of what was unfolding sparked a desperate search by relatives and police, with the bodies of Wuttisan and Natalie found just a few hours later. The murder video remained on Facebook for around 24 hours, prompting cries for the social network to move more swiftly to take down clips of grisly crimes and killings. But Jiranuch said she harboured no ill will towards Facebook, stating the social network had little initial control over what users choose to upload. "I don't blame Facebook. They are not part of the problem, we can choose to broadcast happiness or sadness," she said. What prompted Wuttisan to take such a horrifying step remains a mystery. Jiranuch said the two frequently argued, particularly over her ex-husband with whom she has a son nicknamed Sanook -- the Thai word for fun. "He often abused my son Sanook," she said. But Wuttisan had always been kind to their daughter Natalie, she added, looking after her in the day while she took classes at a nearby school. As for what her boyfriend did, Jiranuch said: "I forgive him because holding onto anger for a long time will not get my daughter back." (AFP)

Thai mother saw daughter's Facebook Live murder

With mascots dressed as smiling fish and a police rock band, Thai authorities launched a &quot;Happy Zone&quot; at the weekend to improve the image of a city notorious for sex tourism.

Stung by foreign headlines portraying the seaside resort of Pattaya as &quot;Sin City&quot; and &quot;The World&#39;s Sex Capital&quot;, Thailand&#39;s junta has begun a new effort to re-brand it. But the contradictions in Pattaya highlight Thailand&#39;s challenge in tackling a side of its tourist industry that remains economically vital while being officially excoriated.

&quot;I want people to see that we are not like what they say. We are not allowing prostitution in these entertainment places,&quot; provincial governor Pakkaratorn Teianchai told reporters on the infamous Walking Street in Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok.

Less than 10 metres (yards) away, women accosted foreign men to offer sex for 2,000 baht ($60). Others lined up with numbers so customers could take their pick. Masseuses in miniskirts offered &quot;happy ending&quot; massages whose euphemistic title has nothing to do with the Happy Zone of the authorities.

&quot;Everyone is here to make a living,&quot; said one 35-year-old woman who came originally from a village in central Thailand. Tagged with the number &quot;136&quot;, she declined to give her name. &quot;I would rather be a waitress, but then I couldn&#39;t send my children to school and I want them to have a better future than this,&quot; she said.

In fact, sex tourism is not growing as fast as other aspects of Thailand&#39;s tourist industry - the only bright spot for an economy whose expansion has been by far the slowest among major Southeast Asian economies since the 2014 coup.

No official figures show its scale. But there is an indication in the balance of male to female visitors. In 2012, there were nearly 6 men for every 4 women. In 2015, the numbers were pretty much even, according to figures provided to Reuters by the tourism ministry.

Sex tourism began in Pattaya when it became an R&amp;R spot for US&nbsp;soldiers during the Vietnam War, though prostitution is just as evident in parts of Bangkok and other resorts.

The number of female sex workers in Thailand was put at over 120,000 in a 2014 UNAIDS report. Some estimates run to double that and not all the women who get paid for sex are full-time prostitutes.

Given a 305 baht ($8.80) a day minimum wage, the chance of earning several times more is an obvious lure, particularly in poorer rural regions.

&nbsp;

CRACKDOWN

The latest of many crackdowns in Pattaya happened after foreign newspaper reports last month, which drew an angry response from junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, for whom bringing order is a mantra.

A handful of bars were raided. Bar owners and working women were fined. Scared to venture out, tourists looking for sex stayed in hotels. Street vendors and shops saw sales tumble. The money which flows to all levels in the city - including law enforcement agencies - fell off.

The Happy Zone approach is a softer way to try to show that something is being done. If it works on Walking Street, the idea will be spread to the less sanitised side streets - the sois.

Businesses in the Happy Zone are asked to make the area feel safer, there are increased security patrols, police launched a mobile phone app for visitors to summon them in emergency.

&quot;This is a pioneer project to organise a tourist destination and elevate it to promote Thailand&#39;s quality tourism,&quot; Apichai Krobpetch, chief of Pattaya city police, told Reuters. &quot;We will also stamp out prostitution in the area.&quot;

There was no sign of that at the weekend. In fact, Pattaya&#39;s sex industry has become an attraction in its own right for the millions of Chinese who make up about one in three visitors to Thailand.

Led by guides with pennants, the Chinese tour groups thread quickly along Walking Street, past the go-go bars and the beer bars where young Thai women sit down with foreign men.

They only pause to take pictures. &quot;We just came here to see. That&#39;s all,&quot; laughed twenty-something saleswoman Linda Sieng in a group of 11 tourists from Guaghzhou in southern China.

(Reuters)

($1 = 34.6 baht)

&nbsp;

Pattaya's sex industry is economically vital, but officially excoriated. Leadership is trying to rebrand and clean it up with 'Happy Zones'

With mascots dressed as smiling fish and a police rock band, Thai authorities launched a "Happy Zone" at the weekend to improve the image of a city notorious for sex tourism. Stung by foreign headlines portraying the seaside resort of Pattaya as "Sin City" and "The World's Sex Capital", Thailand's junta has begun a new effort to re-brand it. But the contradictions in Pattaya highlight Thailand's challenge in tackling a side of its tourist industry that remains economically vital while being officially excoriated. "I want people to see that we are not like what they say. We are not allowing prostitution in these entertainment places," provincial governor Pakkaratorn Teianchai told reporters on the infamous Walking Street in Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok. Less than 10 metres (yards) away, women accosted foreign men to offer sex for 2,000 baht ($60). Others lined up with numbers so customers could take their pick. Masseuses in miniskirts offered "happy ending" massages whose euphemistic title has nothing to do with the Happy Zone of the authorities. "Everyone is here to make a living," said one 35-year-old woman who came originally from a village in central Thailand. Tagged with the number "136", she declined to give her name. "I would rather be a waitress, but then I couldn't send my children to school and I want them to have a better future than this," she said. In fact, sex tourism is not growing as fast as other aspects of Thailand's tourist industry - the only bright spot for an economy whose expansion has been by far the slowest among major Southeast Asian economies since the 2014 coup. No official figures show its scale. But there is an indication in the balance of male to female visitors. In 2012, there were nearly 6 men for every 4 women. In 2015, the numbers were pretty much even, according to figures provided to Reuters by the tourism ministry. Sex tourism began in Pattaya when it became an R&R spot for US soldiers during the Vietnam War, though prostitution is just as evident in parts of Bangkok and other resorts. The number of female sex workers in Thailand was put at over 120,000 in a 2014 UNAIDS report. Some estimates run to double that and not all the women who get paid for sex are full-time prostitutes. Given a 305 baht ($8.80) a day minimum wage, the chance of earning several times more is an obvious lure, particularly in poorer rural regions. CRACKDOWN The latest of many crackdowns in Pattaya happened after foreign newspaper reports last month, which drew an angry response from junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, for whom bringing order is a mantra. A handful of bars were raided. Bar owners and working women were fined. Scared to venture out, tourists looking for sex stayed in hotels. Street vendors and shops saw sales tumble. The money which flows to all levels in the city - including law enforcement agencies - fell off. The Happy Zone approach is a softer way to try to show that something is being done. If it works on Walking Street, the idea will be spread to the less sanitised side streets - the sois. Businesses in the Happy Zone are asked to make the area feel safer, there are increased security patrols, police launched a mobile phone app for visitors to summon them in emergency. "This is a pioneer project to organise a tourist destination and elevate it to promote Thailand's quality tourism," Apichai Krobpetch, chief of Pattaya city police, told Reuters. "We will also stamp out prostitution in the area." There was no sign of that at the weekend. In fact, Pattaya's sex industry has become an attraction in its own right for the millions of Chinese who make up about one in three visitors to Thailand. Led by guides with pennants, the Chinese tour groups thread quickly along Walking Street, past the go-go bars and the beer bars where young Thai women sit down with foreign men. They only pause to take pictures. "We just came here to see. That's all," laughed twenty-something saleswoman Linda Sieng in a group of 11 tourists from Guaghzhou in southern China. (Reuters) ($1 = 34.6 baht)

Sex in Thai city frustrates junta

One side of the temple gate is blocked by cops in blue, the other by rows of bald men in orange -- the frontline of a bizarre stand-off between the Thai state and Buddhist monks that is raising questions of impunity, religion and power.

The&nbsp;Dhammakaya&nbsp;temple&#39;s compound&nbsp;in northern&nbsp;Bangkok&nbsp;has been under siege for two weeks as thousands of officers try to arrest the sect&#39;s 72-year-old spiritual leader.

Phra Dhammachayo, who is accused of colluding in a $33 million embezzlement, is believed to be hiding somewhere on the temple&#39;s sprawling 1,000 acre grounds, an area twice the size of Monaco.

The Thai junta, which has run the country since 2014, has invoked special powers to get him but so far failed spectacularly.

Police were initially led on a merry dance through secret tunnels, empty rooms and even to the fugitive abbot&#39;s quarters -- where they found a bed with pillows arranged under a sheet in a poor imitation of a sleeping person.

But defiant monks and temple followers have now blocked officers from entering the temple and resuming the search.

With the stand-off lurching into farce, the Thai junta that ordered the raid is fast &#39;losing face&#39; and transfixing a public banned from criticising the generals who seized power in a 2014 coup.&nbsp;

&quot;At&nbsp;first&nbsp;this&nbsp;area&nbsp;was&nbsp;controlled&nbsp;by&nbsp;police...&nbsp;but&nbsp;the&nbsp;temple&nbsp;devotees&nbsp;took&nbsp;it&nbsp;back,&quot;&nbsp;Phra Pasura&nbsp;Dantamano,&nbsp;a&nbsp;senior&nbsp;monk,&nbsp;explained&nbsp;after&nbsp;his staff helped&nbsp;sneak&nbsp;reporters&nbsp;inside&nbsp;the&nbsp;compound.

Around him sat&nbsp;rows&nbsp;of&nbsp;monks and disciples chanting mantras in the direction of officers who have ordered them to leave but fear sparking a violent confrontation.

Temple staff,who deny knowledge of the former abbot&#39;s whereabouts, say he is innocent and accuse the junta of launching a politicised witch-hunt.

Inside the compound, where phone service has been cut by authorities, defiant devotees fear authorities are trying dismantle their temple and seize its assets.

&quot;We&nbsp;will&nbsp;stay&nbsp;until&nbsp;we&nbsp;win,&quot;&nbsp;said&nbsp;67-year-old Narin&nbsp;Mingkwan, one of thousands of mostly middle-aged women leading the unlikely holdout.

&nbsp;How much to nirvana?

Founded&nbsp;in&nbsp;1970 the temple&nbsp;has harnessed modern technology and aggressive PR&nbsp;methods to build a cult-like following, &nbsp;and a handsome bank account.&nbsp;

Critics&nbsp;accuse&nbsp;the&nbsp;abbot of&nbsp;distorting&nbsp;traditional&nbsp;Buddhist&nbsp;morality&nbsp;by encouraging materialism and promising spots in the afterlife in exchange for donations.&nbsp;

Beyond the temple&#39;s gates, manicured lawns and tree-lined canals sweep around towering geometric shrines, including one that famously resembles a glittering UFO.

The Dhammakaya campus also boasts a slick &#39;Donation Room&#39; that resembles a bank branch, complete with ATM machines.

Yet devotees&nbsp;deny&nbsp;an obsession with money, insisting the sect is popular because of its accessible meditation methods.

&quot;We have tried to adapt ourselves to the changes of society,&quot; said Phra Pasura&nbsp;Dantamano, a monk tasked with media relations who has been furiously Tweeting out the daily drama.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha insists arresting the abbot is essential to the rule of law in a country where connections and cash frequently shape the justice system.

Experts speculate the temple is however in the junta&#39;s crosshairs for political reasons.

It is rumoured to have close links with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose super rich clan win Thai elections but are hated by the army and its elite backers.

Yet the junta&#39;s quest for the abbot appears to be backfiring.&nbsp;

Arresting him by force&nbsp;risks&nbsp;an&nbsp;unholy&nbsp;collision with monks and devotees,&nbsp;scenes that would inflame Buddhists around the world.

But admitting defeat may invite other challenges to the military regime.

&quot;It&#39;s&nbsp;a&nbsp;breakdown&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;system,&quot; Sanitsuda Ekachai, an expert on Thai religion and politics, said of the stalemate. &quot;I really fear for a violent confrontation.&quot;&nbsp;

The junta appears in no mood to retreat and Prayut is convinced the fugitive monk is still inside the temple.

&quot;If&nbsp;he thinks he is innocent then he should come out and fight the case... don&#39;t use faith as a shield,&quot; the junta chief said on Thursday.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The?Dhammakaya?temple has been under siege for two weeks as thousands of officers try to arrest the sect's 72-year-old spiritual leader

One side of the temple gate is blocked by cops in blue, the other by rows of bald men in orange -- the frontline of a bizarre stand-off between the Thai state and Buddhist monks that is raising questions of impunity, religion and power. The Dhammakaya temple's compound in northern Bangkok has been under siege for two weeks as thousands of officers try to arrest the sect's 72-year-old spiritual leader. Phra Dhammachayo, who is accused of colluding in a $33 million embezzlement, is believed to be hiding somewhere on the temple's sprawling 1,000 acre grounds, an area twice the size of Monaco. The Thai junta, which has run the country since 2014, has invoked special powers to get him but so far failed spectacularly. Police were initially led on a merry dance through secret tunnels, empty rooms and even to the fugitive abbot's quarters -- where they found a bed with pillows arranged under a sheet in a poor imitation of a sleeping person. But defiant monks and temple followers have now blocked officers from entering the temple and resuming the search. With the stand-off lurching into farce, the Thai junta that ordered the raid is fast 'losing face' and transfixing a public banned from criticising the generals who seized power in a 2014 coup. "At first this area was controlled by police... but the temple devotees took it back," Phra Pasura Dantamano, a senior monk, explained after his staff helped sneak reporters inside the compound. Around him sat rows of monks and disciples chanting mantras in the direction of officers who have ordered them to leave but fear sparking a violent confrontation. Temple staff,who deny knowledge of the former abbot's whereabouts, say he is innocent and accuse the junta of launching a politicised witch-hunt. Inside the compound, where phone service has been cut by authorities, defiant devotees fear authorities are trying dismantle their temple and seize its assets. "We will stay until we win," said 67-year-old Narin Mingkwan, one of thousands of mostly middle-aged women leading the unlikely holdout. How much to nirvana? Founded in 1970 the temple has harnessed modern technology and aggressive PR methods to build a cult-like following, and a handsome bank account. Critics accuse the abbot of distorting traditional Buddhist morality by encouraging materialism and promising spots in the afterlife in exchange for donations. Beyond the temple's gates, manicured lawns and tree-lined canals sweep around towering geometric shrines, including one that famously resembles a glittering UFO. The Dhammakaya campus also boasts a slick 'Donation Room' that resembles a bank branch, complete with ATM machines. Yet devotees deny an obsession with money, insisting the sect is popular because of its accessible meditation methods. "We have tried to adapt ourselves to the changes of society," said Phra Pasura Dantamano, a monk tasked with media relations who has been furiously Tweeting out the daily drama. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha insists arresting the abbot is essential to the rule of law in a country where connections and cash frequently shape the justice system. Experts speculate the temple is however in the junta's crosshairs for political reasons. It is rumoured to have close links with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose super rich clan win Thai elections but are hated by the army and its elite backers. Yet the junta's quest for the abbot appears to be backfiring. Arresting him by force risks an unholy collision with monks and devotees, scenes that would inflame Buddhists around the world. But admitting defeat may invite other challenges to the military regime. "It's a breakdown of the system," Sanitsuda Ekachai, an expert on Thai religion and politics, said of the stalemate. "I really fear for a violent confrontation." The junta appears in no mood to retreat and Prayut is convinced the fugitive monk is still inside the temple. "If he thinks he is innocent then he should come out and fight the case... don't use faith as a shield," the junta chief said on Thursday. (AFP)

Thailand: Monks and Police engaged in temple turf war

Thailand faces more hardship from unseasonable floods that have killed 40 people in its south, with more rain expected in the major rubber-producing and tourist region in coming days, a top disaster agency official said on Sunday.

Persistent heavy rain well into what should be the dry season has triggered floods across the south, cutting road and rail links, threatening crops and affecting about 1.6 million people, said Chatchai Promlert, head of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

&quot;The worst isn&#39;t over. We&#39;re expecting more rain this week while clean-up efforts are underway in places where the waters have subsided,&quot; Chatchai told Reuters.

The Meteorological Department said on its website more rain was expected on Monday.

The rainy season in Thailand normally takes place from June to November.&nbsp;

The floods, which began on January 1, have followed unseasonably heavy rain.

Thailand is one of the world&#39;s most important producers of natural rubber and the national rubber authority said on Thursday output in 2016-2017 would be about 10 percent lower because of the floods.

Global rubber prices have spiked on concern about the impact.

Flooding occurs in Thailand regularly during the rainy season but January is traditionally sunny and clear, and a high season for the tourist industry, including in southern seaside resorts.

The country saw its worst flooding in half a century in 2011, when heavy rain beginning in July that year over northern regions led to six months of inundations, including in the central plains, where industrial estates have replaced rice fields in many places.

The floods submerged a third of the country, killed more than 900 people and crippled industry.

The army played a major role in relief efforts in 2011 while the then civilian government was criticised for what many saw as lacklustre disaster efforts.

The army, which seized power in a 2014 coup, has again been playing a major role in helping with relief efforts.

The Federation of Thai Industries said last week the southern floods would have little impact on economic growth.

(Reuters)

Persistent heavy rain well into what should be the dry season has triggered floods across the south, affecting about 1.6 million people

Thailand faces more hardship from unseasonable floods that have killed 40 people in its south, with more rain expected in the major rubber-producing and tourist region in coming days, a top disaster agency official said on Sunday. Persistent heavy rain well into what should be the dry season has triggered floods across the south, cutting road and rail links, threatening crops and affecting about 1.6 million people, said Chatchai Promlert, head of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. "The worst isn't over. We're expecting more rain this week while clean-up efforts are underway in places where the waters have subsided," Chatchai told Reuters. The Meteorological Department said on its website more rain was expected on Monday. The rainy season in Thailand normally takes place from June to November. The floods, which began on January 1, have followed unseasonably heavy rain. Thailand is one of the world's most important producers of natural rubber and the national rubber authority said on Thursday output in 2016-2017 would be about 10 percent lower because of the floods. Global rubber prices have spiked on concern about the impact. Flooding occurs in Thailand regularly during the rainy season but January is traditionally sunny and clear, and a high season for the tourist industry, including in southern seaside resorts. The country saw its worst flooding in half a century in 2011, when heavy rain beginning in July that year over northern regions led to six months of inundations, including in the central plains, where industrial estates have replaced rice fields in many places. The floods submerged a third of the country, killed more than 900 people and crippled industry. The army played a major role in relief efforts in 2011 while the then civilian government was criticised for what many saw as lacklustre disaster efforts. The army, which seized power in a 2014 coup, has again been playing a major role in helping with relief efforts. The Federation of Thai Industries said last week the southern floods would have little impact on economic growth. (Reuters)

Thailand floods: More rains expected as death toll touches 40

A Pakistani man suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people has been arrested in Bangkok, Thai police said Saturday.

Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in the red light district Nana area of the capital on Friday evening, said Thailand&#39;s Interpol chief.&nbsp;

&quot;Thai Interpol tracked this suspect following an arrest warrant sought by the Pakistani authorities,&quot; Major General Apichart Suriboonya told AFP.

&quot;He will be repatriated as soon as Pakistan is ready,&quot; he added.

Apichart said Rehman was suspected of being part of a criminal gang that was extorting the owners of a Karachi garment factory.&nbsp;

The gang burned down the factory when the owners refused to pay seven million baht ($200,000), he said.&nbsp;

The fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in September 2012 was one of Pakistan&#39;s worst industrial disasters.

A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training for workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults.

Initially the fire was believed to be an accident.&nbsp;

A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it never came to trial.

Earlier this year police said they now believed an extortion gang was behind the blaze, naming Abdul Rehman as the suspect who allegedly lit the fire.&nbsp;

Much of the factory&#39;s garment output went to the German company KIK, who have paid out nearly two million dollars in compensation to the victims&#39; families.

(AFP)

Abdul Rehman is suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people.

A Pakistani man suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people has been arrested in Bangkok, Thai police said Saturday. Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in the red light district Nana area of the capital on Friday evening, said Thailand's Interpol chief. "Thai Interpol tracked this suspect following an arrest warrant sought by the Pakistani authorities," Major General Apichart Suriboonya told AFP. "He will be repatriated as soon as Pakistan is ready," he added. Apichart said Rehman was suspected of being part of a criminal gang that was extorting the owners of a Karachi garment factory. The gang burned down the factory when the owners refused to pay seven million baht ($200,000), he said. The fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in September 2012 was one of Pakistan's worst industrial disasters. A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training for workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults. Initially the fire was believed to be an accident. A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it never came to trial. Earlier this year police said they now believed an extortion gang was behind the blaze, naming Abdul Rehman as the suspect who allegedly lit the fire. Much of the factory's garment output went to the German company KIK, who have paid out nearly two million dollars in compensation to the victims' families. (AFP)

Thai police arrest suspect in Pakistan factory fire that killed 255 people

Thailand&#39;s parliament on Tuesday invited Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to become the next king, resolving lingering anxiety over his accession following his father&#39;s death last month.

The country has been plunged into mourning since widely revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on 13 October, ending a remarkable seven-decade reign and removing a key pillar of unity in a bitterly divided nation.&nbsp;

Tuesday&#39;s move ends a period of uncertainty sparked by the junta making the surprise announcement after Bhumibol&#39;s death that the prince had asked to delay his official proclamation so he could mourn.

&quot;I will invite the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to succeed to the throne and become king of the Thai people,&quot; Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, head of the rubber stamp National Legislative Assembly said.&nbsp;

Lawmakers then stood up and replied: &quot;Long live the king&quot;.

The parliamentary endorsement came after Thailand&#39;s cabinet officially submitted Vajiralongkorn&#39;s name earlier in the day.

Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy prime minister and the junta&#39;s number two, said the prince&#39;s ascension was &quot;proceeding step-by-step&quot; according to the country&#39;s arcane succession rules.

According to protocol, the assembly speaker will now seek a royal audience with the prince to invite him to ascend the throne, the last step before being proclaimed the new monarch.

Prawit said that would likely happen &quot;either tomorrow or the day after&quot;.&nbsp;

Vajiralongkorn, 64, has been the named successor to Bhumibol for more than four decades.

He spends much of his time outside the kingdom, particularly in southern Germany where he owns property.&nbsp;

A military source told AFP the prince was still currently in Germany.

Shielded from criticism&nbsp; 
He will soon inherit one of the world&#39;s richest monarchies, an institution protected by a tough royal defamation law.

That law makes open discussion about the royal family&#39;s role all but impossible inside the kingdom and convictions have skyrocketed since generals seized power in 2014.

Officially Thailand&#39;s monarch has limited constitutional power.

But over his seven-decade reign, Bhumibol built up a powerful network of alliances, especially within Thailand&#39;s military elite, and forged a reputation as an arbiter in times of crisis.

Yet the late king has left his son with a sharply divided country.

Thailand&#39;s last decade has seen a cycle of political protests, coups by an arch-royalist military while inequality has deepened.

Dubbed the &quot;lost decade&quot;, Thailand&#39;s most recent period of political unrest coincided with Bhumibol&#39;s increasingly frail health and fewer public appearances.

Vajiralongkorn, a certified pilot, has yet to achieve his father&#39;s widespread adoration.

Rumours over his private life have also trailed him. He has had three high-profile divorces, while a recent police corruption scandal linked to the family of his previous wife allowed the public a rare glimpse of palace affairs.

Since Bhumibol&#39;s death, he has attended some of the daily funerary rites for his father but has made no public statements.

He has asked his younger sister, Princess Sirindhorn to oversee the organisation for Bhumibol&#39;s cremation, which will not take place until an official one year mourning period has ended.

Historically, the new monarch in Thailand is only crowned once the previous monarch is cremated.

(AFP)

King Bhumibol Adulyadej died -- End of a remarkable seven-decade reign -- prince has asked to delay his official proclamation

Thailand's parliament on Tuesday invited Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to become the next king, resolving lingering anxiety over his accession following his father's death last month. The country has been plunged into mourning since widely revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on 13 October, ending a remarkable seven-decade reign and removing a key pillar of unity in a bitterly divided nation. Tuesday's move ends a period of uncertainty sparked by the junta making the surprise announcement after Bhumibol's death that the prince had asked to delay his official proclamation so he could mourn. "I will invite the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to succeed to the throne and become king of the Thai people," Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, head of the rubber stamp National Legislative Assembly said. Lawmakers then stood up and replied: "Long live the king". The parliamentary endorsement came after Thailand's cabinet officially submitted Vajiralongkorn's name earlier in the day. Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy prime minister and the junta's number two, said the prince's ascension was "proceeding step-by-step" according to the country's arcane succession rules. According to protocol, the assembly speaker will now seek a royal audience with the prince to invite him to ascend the throne, the last step before being proclaimed the new monarch. Prawit said that would likely happen "either tomorrow or the day after". Vajiralongkorn, 64, has been the named successor to Bhumibol for more than four decades. He spends much of his time outside the kingdom, particularly in southern Germany where he owns property. A military source told AFP the prince was still currently in Germany. Shielded from criticism He will soon inherit one of the world's richest monarchies, an institution protected by a tough royal defamation law. That law makes open discussion about the royal family's role all but impossible inside the kingdom and convictions have skyrocketed since generals seized power in 2014. Officially Thailand's monarch has limited constitutional power. But over his seven-decade reign, Bhumibol built up a powerful network of alliances, especially within Thailand's military elite, and forged a reputation as an arbiter in times of crisis. Yet the late king has left his son with a sharply divided country. Thailand's last decade has seen a cycle of political protests, coups by an arch-royalist military while inequality has deepened. Dubbed the "lost decade", Thailand's most recent period of political unrest coincided with Bhumibol's increasingly frail health and fewer public appearances. Vajiralongkorn, a certified pilot, has yet to achieve his father's widespread adoration. Rumours over his private life have also trailed him. He has had three high-profile divorces, while a recent police corruption scandal linked to the family of his previous wife allowed the public a rare glimpse of palace affairs. Since Bhumibol's death, he has attended some of the daily funerary rites for his father but has made no public statements. He has asked his younger sister, Princess Sirindhorn to oversee the organisation for Bhumibol's cremation, which will not take place until an official one year mourning period has ended. Historically, the new monarch in Thailand is only crowned once the previous monarch is cremated. (AFP)

Thai parliament invites prince to become new king

It is not your average marketplace, there is an active railway track located right in the midst of a farmers market

The Maeklong Railway Market in Thailand might look like your average farmers market, but amidst the hustle-bustle lies something unique - an active railway track. A train slowly makes its way through the market eight times a day, with food piled up to the track's edge. A warning bell goes off just a few minutes before the train arrives. Within a minute of the warning, vendors pull back their produce and with equal agility put it back on display right after the train departs. Market visits were never so adventurous!

360? Video: Thailand's railway market

Thailand will vote on a junta-crafted constitution today in a referendum where independent campaigning and open debate has been banned, as opponents warn the document will perpetuate military power. 
 
The referendum is the first time Thais have headed to the polls since the generals toppled a democratically-elected government in 2014. 
 
The kingdom has been beset by a decade of political turmoil, denting growth and taking the shine off a nation that was once hailed for its democratic progress. 
 
The military says their new constitution will curb endemic political corruption and bring stability after the dizzying merry-go-round of recent years. 
 
But critics say it aims to neuter civilian politicians and reinforce the royalist elite&#39;s hold over democracy. 
 
Jaturong Boonyarattanasoontorn, from the Union for Civil Liberty, described the referendum as a &quot;win-win&quot; for the military. 
 
&quot;If the draft constitution is accepted, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will use it to legitimise its influence over Thai politics,&quot; he said, using the official acronym for the junta. 
 
&quot;If it&#39;s rejected, the junta will have an excuse to continue its absolute rule.&quot; 
 
Thailand has long had a turbulent political scene. The military has successfully seized power 12 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and this constitution will be the kingdom&#39;s twentieth if passed. 
 
But the latest political crisis - dubbed the &quot;lost decade&quot; - is particularly acute. 
 
Since a 2006 coup, power has flipped between elected governments led by or linked to self-exiled billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra and rule by an arch-royalist army and its establishment allies. 
 
In that time competing streets protests have shunted democracy aside and seen scores killed on Bangkok&#39;s streets. 
 
The turmoil has been compounded by the frail health of 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as competing elites jostle ahead of any transition. 
 
&#39;Fuel political instability&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The most divisive clauses in the charter call for a junta-appointed senate to check elected lawmakers and increased powers for courts, which are already accused of political bias. 
 
Another clause makes it easy to begin impeachment proceedings. 
 
The charter &quot;creates undemocratic institutions, weakens the power of future elected governments, and is likely to fuel political instability,&quot; the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) concluded in a recent analysis. 
 
Debate has also been curtailed ahead of the vote, prompting international criticism from allies and the United Nations. 
 
At least 195 arrests have been made under a vaguely worded special law that effectively bans campaigning or criticism of the charter, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. 
 
As a result, interest in the poll appears thin. 
 
A low turnout is likely to favour the military because the charter only needs a simple majority of those who vote to pass, not a majority of the 50 million registered voters. 
 
But the two main political parties in Thailand - who rarely agree - have both come out against the charter, which could prompt a higher turnout. 
 
Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha has promised to hold elections in the summer of 2017, whether or not the charter is passed. But his previous election date promises have slipped. 
 
Preliminary results of the referendum are expected around 9:00 pm (1400 GMT) today, with final results to be confirmed three days later. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Opponents warn the document will perpetuate military power

Thailand will vote on a junta-crafted constitution today in a referendum where independent campaigning and open debate has been banned, as opponents warn the document will perpetuate military power. The referendum is the first time Thais have headed to the polls since the generals toppled a democratically-elected government in 2014. The kingdom has been beset by a decade of political turmoil, denting growth and taking the shine off a nation that was once hailed for its democratic progress. The military says their new constitution will curb endemic political corruption and bring stability after the dizzying merry-go-round of recent years. But critics say it aims to neuter civilian politicians and reinforce the royalist elite's hold over democracy. Jaturong Boonyarattanasoontorn, from the Union for Civil Liberty, described the referendum as a "win-win" for the military. "If the draft constitution is accepted, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will use it to legitimise its influence over Thai politics," he said, using the official acronym for the junta. "If it's rejected, the junta will have an excuse to continue its absolute rule." Thailand has long had a turbulent political scene. The military has successfully seized power 12 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and this constitution will be the kingdom's twentieth if passed. But the latest political crisis - dubbed the "lost decade" - is particularly acute. Since a 2006 coup, power has flipped between elected governments led by or linked to self-exiled billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra and rule by an arch-royalist army and its establishment allies. In that time competing streets protests have shunted democracy aside and seen scores killed on Bangkok's streets. The turmoil has been compounded by the frail health of 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as competing elites jostle ahead of any transition. 'Fuel political instability' The most divisive clauses in the charter call for a junta-appointed senate to check elected lawmakers and increased powers for courts, which are already accused of political bias. Another clause makes it easy to begin impeachment proceedings. The charter "creates undemocratic institutions, weakens the power of future elected governments, and is likely to fuel political instability," the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) concluded in a recent analysis. Debate has also been curtailed ahead of the vote, prompting international criticism from allies and the United Nations. At least 195 arrests have been made under a vaguely worded special law that effectively bans campaigning or criticism of the charter, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. As a result, interest in the poll appears thin. A low turnout is likely to favour the military because the charter only needs a simple majority of those who vote to pass, not a majority of the 50 million registered voters. But the two main political parties in Thailand - who rarely agree - have both come out against the charter, which could prompt a higher turnout. Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha has promised to hold elections in the summer of 2017, whether or not the charter is passed. But his previous election date promises have slipped. Preliminary results of the referendum are expected around 9:00 pm (1400 GMT) today, with final results to be confirmed three days later. (AFP)

Thais vote on junta-written constitution, will be country's 20th if passed

FIFA&#39;s ethics committee today recommended a ban of at least four years from all football activities for former Thailand federation president Worawi Makudi. Worawi, a FIFA exective committee member until last year, is in the dock for violating the sports ruling body&#39;s &quot;general rules&quot; and &quot;forgery and falsification&quot;, FIFA&#39;s adjudicatory chamber revealed in a statement. 
 
The suspension was called for after a final report on Worawi was submitted by the investigatory arm of FIFA&#39;s ethics committee. &quot;The investigatory chamber recommends a ban from all football-related activity for no less than four years and a fine of CHF 25,000 ($25,000),&quot; the judging body announced. 
 
&quot;For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the adjudicatory chamber will not publish further details at the moment,&quot; its statement added.&nbsp; 
 
Thai football has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals linked to the deposed Football Association of Thailand (FAT) chief. Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of FAT. He has denied all wrongdoing. 
 
Worawi was for years a staunch ally of disgraced ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been banned from football for six years over ethics violation. 
 
(AFP)

Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of Football Association of Thailand

FIFA's ethics committee today recommended a ban of at least four years from all football activities for former Thailand federation president Worawi Makudi. Worawi, a FIFA exective committee member until last year, is in the dock for violating the sports ruling body's "general rules" and "forgery and falsification", FIFA's adjudicatory chamber revealed in a statement. The suspension was called for after a final report on Worawi was submitted by the investigatory arm of FIFA's ethics committee. "The investigatory chamber recommends a ban from all football-related activity for no less than four years and a fine of CHF 25,000 ($25,000)," the judging body announced. "For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the adjudicatory chamber will not publish further details at the moment," its statement added. Thai football has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals linked to the deposed Football Association of Thailand (FAT) chief. Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of FAT. He has denied all wrongdoing. Worawi was for years a staunch ally of disgraced ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been banned from football for six years over ethics violation. (AFP)

FIFA recommends four-year ban for ex-federation boss Worawi Makudi

Two eight-year-old girls in Thailand have been charged for violating campaigning rules ahead of a contentious referendum next month after tearing voter lists off a wall because they liked the pink paper they were printed on, police said today.&nbsp; 
 
The military government has clamped down on dissent ahead of the August 7 vote on a military-backed constitution that it says will ensure stability in a country rocked by political turmoil for more than a decade. 
 
The girls were charged with obstructing the referendum process and destroying public property after tearing down the lists posted outside a school, said Damrong Phetpong, police commander in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. 
 
&quot;We now understand the issues why it was happened. The two girls were just playing around without realising what documents those were,&quot; he said, adding they would not face punishment because they were so young. 
 
The referendum will be the first big test of the public&#39;s opinion of the military government since it came to power after a May 2014 coup. 
 
Critics, including major political parties, say the draft charter would give the military too much power over elected governments, and would not resolve differences between populist political forces and the military-dominated establishment. 
 
The government, which appears increasingly jittery ahead of the vote, has brought in a law banning discussion of the constitution and lobbying, both for and against, with a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who breaks it. 
 
(Reuters)

The girls were charged with obstructing referendum process, destroying public property after tearing down the lists posted outside a school

Two eight-year-old girls in Thailand have been charged for violating campaigning rules ahead of a contentious referendum next month after tearing voter lists off a wall because they liked the pink paper they were printed on, police said today. The military government has clamped down on dissent ahead of the August 7 vote on a military-backed constitution that it says will ensure stability in a country rocked by political turmoil for more than a decade. The girls were charged with obstructing the referendum process and destroying public property after tearing down the lists posted outside a school, said Damrong Phetpong, police commander in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. "We now understand the issues why it was happened. The two girls were just playing around without realising what documents those were," he said, adding they would not face punishment because they were so young. The referendum will be the first big test of the public's opinion of the military government since it came to power after a May 2014 coup. Critics, including major political parties, say the draft charter would give the military too much power over elected governments, and would not resolve differences between populist political forces and the military-dominated establishment. The government, which appears increasingly jittery ahead of the vote, has brought in a law banning discussion of the constitution and lobbying, both for and against, with a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who breaks it. (Reuters)

Two 8-year-old girls charged in Thailand for tearing referendum voter lists

Thailand&#39;s infamous sex industry is under fire, with the tourism minister pushing to rid the country of its ubiquitous brothels and a spate of police raids in recent weeks on some of the largest establishments providing sex services in Bangkok. 
 
Those who work in the industry say curbs on commercial sex services would hurt a flagging economy that has struggled to recover after political turmoil took the country to the brink of recession in 2014. 
 
Thailand is predominantly Buddhist and deeply conservative, but is home to an extensive sex industry, largely catering to Thai men. Hordes of tourists also flock to the bright lights of go-go bars and massage parlours in Bangkok and main tourist towns. 
 
Thailand&#39;s beaches and temples have been the poster child for Asian tourism for decades and the country expects a record number of arrivals in 2016. 
 
Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul played down the role of the sex industry in drawing visitors. 
 
&quot;Tourists don&#39;t come to Thailand for such a thing. They come here for our beautiful culture,&quot; Kobkarn told Reuters. 
 
&quot;We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone,&quot; she said. 
 
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand but the law is almost invariably ignored. Experts say it will be hard to rid Thailand of an industry that is so entrenched and that provides pay-offs to untold numbers of officials and policemen. 
 
Those trying to promote the welfare of sex workers say Kobkarn&#39;s goal is unrealistic. 
 
Her push comes amid an attempt by the country&#39;s tourism authorities to transform Thailand into a luxury destination to attract moneyed tourists. 
 
The military government is in denial about the proliferation of prostitution and its contribution to the economy and tourism, said Panomporn Utaisri, country director of NightLight, a Christian non-profit group that helps women in the sex trade to find alternative work. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s no denying this industry generates a lot of income,&quot; said Panomporn. 
 
There are no government estimates of the value of Thailand&#39;s sex industry, or how much of the income from tourism comes from sex tourists. 
 
There are about 123,530 sex workers in Thailand, according to a 2014 UNAIDS report, compared with 37,000 sex workers in neighboring Cambodia. 
 
Last month, police raided dozens of brothels in major cities in what they said was a routine operation. 
 
Police said they were looking to prosecute venues employing underage and illegal migrant workers, but only one of the venues raided was shut down. 
 
There was no link between the tourism minister&#39;s aim to rid Thailand of its sex tourism industry and the raids, a police spokesman said. 
 
The tourism sector accounts for about 10 per cent of gross domestic product and sex worker groups said the minister&#39;s vision of a prostitution-free Thailand would dent that. 
 
&quot;The police presence already drives off a number of clients who come to relax or drink at bars,&quot; said Surang Janyam, director of Service Workers in Group (SWING), which provides sex workers with free medical care and vocational training. 
 
&quot;Wiping out this industry is guaranteed to make Thailand lose visitors and income.&quot; 
 
Many sex workers come from the impoverished northeast and see selling their bodies as a way out of poverty. 
 
One former sex worker from the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham, who declined to be identified, told Reuters she entered Bangkok&#39;s sex trade at the age of 19 and earned up to 5,000 baht ($143.14) a night, nearly 20 times the minimum wage of 300 baht ($8.59) per day. 
 
&quot;No one wants to work in this business, but it&#39;s fast and easy money,&quot; she said. 
 
NightLight and SWING said they would welcome the sex industry&#39;s closure if the government had a plan to ensure that sex workers could support themselves without falling back into the business. 
 
&quot;If they want to close the sex industry, they must first have jobs ready to support sex workers,&quot; said Surang. 
 
(Reuters)

There have been a spate of police raids in recent weeks on some of the largest establishments providing sex services in Bangkok

Thailand's infamous sex industry is under fire, with the tourism minister pushing to rid the country of its ubiquitous brothels and a spate of police raids in recent weeks on some of the largest establishments providing sex services in Bangkok. Those who work in the industry say curbs on commercial sex services would hurt a flagging economy that has struggled to recover after political turmoil took the country to the brink of recession in 2014. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist and deeply conservative, but is home to an extensive sex industry, largely catering to Thai men. Hordes of tourists also flock to the bright lights of go-go bars and massage parlours in Bangkok and main tourist towns. Thailand's beaches and temples have been the poster child for Asian tourism for decades and the country expects a record number of arrivals in 2016. Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul played down the role of the sex industry in drawing visitors. "Tourists don't come to Thailand for such a thing. They come here for our beautiful culture," Kobkarn told Reuters. "We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone," she said. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand but the law is almost invariably ignored. Experts say it will be hard to rid Thailand of an industry that is so entrenched and that provides pay-offs to untold numbers of officials and policemen. Those trying to promote the welfare of sex workers say Kobkarn's goal is unrealistic. Her push comes amid an attempt by the country's tourism authorities to transform Thailand into a luxury destination to attract moneyed tourists. The military government is in denial about the proliferation of prostitution and its contribution to the economy and tourism, said Panomporn Utaisri, country director of NightLight, a Christian non-profit group that helps women in the sex trade to find alternative work. "There's no denying this industry generates a lot of income," said Panomporn. There are no government estimates of the value of Thailand's sex industry, or how much of the income from tourism comes from sex tourists. There are about 123,530 sex workers in Thailand, according to a 2014 UNAIDS report, compared with 37,000 sex workers in neighboring Cambodia. Last month, police raided dozens of brothels in major cities in what they said was a routine operation. Police said they were looking to prosecute venues employing underage and illegal migrant workers, but only one of the venues raided was shut down. There was no link between the tourism minister's aim to rid Thailand of its sex tourism industry and the raids, a police spokesman said. The tourism sector accounts for about 10 per cent of gross domestic product and sex worker groups said the minister's vision of a prostitution-free Thailand would dent that. "The police presence already drives off a number of clients who come to relax or drink at bars," said Surang Janyam, director of Service Workers in Group (SWING), which provides sex workers with free medical care and vocational training. "Wiping out this industry is guaranteed to make Thailand lose visitors and income." Many sex workers come from the impoverished northeast and see selling their bodies as a way out of poverty. One former sex worker from the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham, who declined to be identified, told Reuters she entered Bangkok's sex trade at the age of 19 and earned up to 5,000 baht ($143.14) a night, nearly 20 times the minimum wage of 300 baht ($8.59) per day. "No one wants to work in this business, but it's fast and easy money," she said. NightLight and SWING said they would welcome the sex industry's closure if the government had a plan to ensure that sex workers could support themselves without falling back into the business. "If they want to close the sex industry, they must first have jobs ready to support sex workers," said Surang. (Reuters)

Thailand tourism minister: We want the sex industry gone

Somsak Sreesomsong was 18 when he was jailed for selling illegal drugs. Now, turning 30, he is not yet half way through his 33-year sentence at Bangkok&#39;s high-security Klong Prem prison. 
 
Somsak was &quot;just a kid, not a big-time dealer&quot;, his older brother Panit told Reuters after a visit to the jail. &quot;We&#39;re also serving time, waiting for him to get out so he can help the family.&quot; 
 
More than a decade after Thailand declared a &quot;war on drugs&quot;, the country is admitting defeat. As the prison population soars, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya told Reuters he was looking at changes to the country&#39;s draconian drug laws. 
 
&quot;I want to de-classify methamphetamine but Thailand is not ready yet,&quot; said Paiboon, meaning downgrading the drug, popularly known as &quot;meth&quot;, from a Category 1 substance, which would reduce jail time for possession or dealing. 
 
Use of methamphetamine is spiralling across Southeast Asia, and authorities are struggling to respond. 
 
In the Philippines, which has some of the highest rates of &quot;meth&quot; use, police killings of drug suspects have spiked since the swearing-in of President Rodrigo Duterte, elected on a platform of harsh measures to wipe out drug crime. 
 
Myanmar, the source of much of the drugs flooding through the region, is bracing for an explosion in domestic use.&nbsp;Overall, drugs supply in Southeast Asia, especially of methamphetamine, is at a record level, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 
 
Harsh punishments 
 
In common with much of the region, Thailand&#39;s criminal justice system treats drug offenders harshly.&nbsp;Producing and trading in Category 1 drugs, which also include heroin, MDMA - the main chemical for ecstasy pills - and LSD, is punishable by death or life imprisonment. 
 
Klong Prem is home to 6,267 inmates serving sentences that range from 15 years to life, with 64 per cent convicted of drug-related crimes.&nbsp;A typical cell measures 5 x 10 feet and sleeps five inmates, side-by-side on dark blue mattress on the floor. 
 
&quot;Some of the men, especially the foreign prisoners, are pretty big, so it&#39;s a squeeze for them,&quot; said one prison guard. 
 
Lengthy sentences for drug offences are part of the reason why Thai jails struggle with chronic overcrowding, according to both Justice Minister Paiboon and UN experts. 
 
Thailand has approximately 40 per cent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations&#39; prison population, despite having only 10 per cent of the bloc&#39;s total population, the UNODC says. 
 
Paiboon, an army general and senior member of the junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, said in an interview that Thailand would build more prisons, including 17 temporary jails for prisoners who have served at least a third of their sentence. 
 
He added that his priority was to tackle drug trafficking and addiction - an ambitious plan in a country where a record number of people use methamphetamines, known in Thai as &quot;ya ba&quot; or &quot;crazy medicine&quot;, according to a 2015 UN report. 
 
A crackdown launched by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003 aimed at suppressing drug trafficking killed more than 2,800 people, according to an independent inquiry chaired by a former attorney general. 
 
But the country&#39;s growing number of drug users and bulging jails have forced policymakers to think again. 
 
&quot;The world has lost the war on drugs, not only Thailand,&quot; said Paiboon. &quot;We have clear numbers that drug use has increased over the past three years. Another indicator is there are more prisoners.&quot; 
 
Crisis point 
 
A 2015 report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research shows Thailand has the fourth highest number of women imprisoned in the world, after the United States, China and Russia. 
 
&quot;We know from meeting and interviewing prisoners, including female prisoners, in Thailand, that the impact is profoundly negative for families,&quot; said Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC&#39;s Asia-Pacific chief. 
 
One former female inmate, who declined to be named because of the social stigma attached to drug offenders in Thailand, said she was jailed for three years after being caught with 20 methamphetamine pills. 
 
&quot;My boyfriend was the dealer. I was carrying the pills for him. My son doesn&#39;t want anything to do with me now,&quot; she said. 
 
The number of inmates jailed for drug convictions has almost doubled over the past decade, Thai Department of Corrections figures showed, a result of unsparing sentencing that puts even petty users behind bars. 
 
&quot;We need to change sentencing and make a distinction between small and big time dealers,&quot; said Klong Prem prison commander Thawatchai Chaiywat. &quot;Thailand thinks prisons are a panacea for all crimes, including drug crimes.&quot; 
 
In the meantime, Thailand&#39;s jails grow ever more crowded. Corrections department figures for July showed a prison population of 321,347, with around 70 per cent jailed for drugs offences. 
 
Institute for Criminal Policy Research data showed Thailand has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the world. 
 
&quot;The situation has approached a noticeable crisis point,&quot; said UNODC chief Douglas. &quot;The reality is that talk has not yet moved to action and the prison population is still growing.&quot; ($1 = 35.1100 baht) 
 
(Reuters)

Corrections department figures show 70 per cent of prison population jailed for drugs offences. Even petty offenders are sentenced harshly

Somsak Sreesomsong was 18 when he was jailed for selling illegal drugs. Now, turning 30, he is not yet half way through his 33-year sentence at Bangkok's high-security Klong Prem prison. Somsak was "just a kid, not a big-time dealer", his older brother Panit told Reuters after a visit to the jail. "We're also serving time, waiting for him to get out so he can help the family." More than a decade after Thailand declared a "war on drugs", the country is admitting defeat. As the prison population soars, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya told Reuters he was looking at changes to the country's draconian drug laws. "I want to de-classify methamphetamine but Thailand is not ready yet," said Paiboon, meaning downgrading the drug, popularly known as "meth", from a Category 1 substance, which would reduce jail time for possession or dealing. Use of methamphetamine is spiralling across Southeast Asia, and authorities are struggling to respond. In the Philippines, which has some of the highest rates of "meth" use, police killings of drug suspects have spiked since the swearing-in of President Rodrigo Duterte, elected on a platform of harsh measures to wipe out drug crime. Myanmar, the source of much of the drugs flooding through the region, is bracing for an explosion in domestic use. Overall, drugs supply in Southeast Asia, especially of methamphetamine, is at a record level, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Harsh punishments In common with much of the region, Thailand's criminal justice system treats drug offenders harshly. Producing and trading in Category 1 drugs, which also include heroin, MDMA - the main chemical for ecstasy pills - and LSD, is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Klong Prem is home to 6,267 inmates serving sentences that range from 15 years to life, with 64 per cent convicted of drug-related crimes. A typical cell measures 5 x 10 feet and sleeps five inmates, side-by-side on dark blue mattress on the floor. "Some of the men, especially the foreign prisoners, are pretty big, so it's a squeeze for them," said one prison guard. Lengthy sentences for drug offences are part of the reason why Thai jails struggle with chronic overcrowding, according to both Justice Minister Paiboon and UN experts. Thailand has approximately 40 per cent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' prison population, despite having only 10 per cent of the bloc's total population, the UNODC says. Paiboon, an army general and senior member of the junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, said in an interview that Thailand would build more prisons, including 17 temporary jails for prisoners who have served at least a third of their sentence. He added that his priority was to tackle drug trafficking and addiction - an ambitious plan in a country where a record number of people use methamphetamines, known in Thai as "ya ba" or "crazy medicine", according to a 2015 UN report. A crackdown launched by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003 aimed at suppressing drug trafficking killed more than 2,800 people, according to an independent inquiry chaired by a former attorney general. But the country's growing number of drug users and bulging jails have forced policymakers to think again. "The world has lost the war on drugs, not only Thailand," said Paiboon. "We have clear numbers that drug use has increased over the past three years. Another indicator is there are more prisoners." Crisis point A 2015 report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research shows Thailand has the fourth highest number of women imprisoned in the world, after the United States, China and Russia. "We know from meeting and interviewing prisoners, including female prisoners, in Thailand, that the impact is profoundly negative for families," said Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC's Asia-Pacific chief. One former female inmate, who declined to be named because of the social stigma attached to drug offenders in Thailand, said she was jailed for three years after being caught with 20 methamphetamine pills. "My boyfriend was the dealer. I was carrying the pills for him. My son doesn't want anything to do with me now," she said. The number of inmates jailed for drug convictions has almost doubled over the past decade, Thai Department of Corrections figures showed, a result of unsparing sentencing that puts even petty users behind bars. "We need to change sentencing and make a distinction between small and big time dealers," said Klong Prem prison commander Thawatchai Chaiywat. "Thailand thinks prisons are a panacea for all crimes, including drug crimes." In the meantime, Thailand's jails grow ever more crowded. Corrections department figures for July showed a prison population of 321,347, with around 70 per cent jailed for drugs offences. Institute for Criminal Policy Research data showed Thailand has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the world. "The situation has approached a noticeable crisis point," said UNODC chief Douglas. "The reality is that talk has not yet moved to action and the prison population is still growing." ($1 = 35.1100 baht) (Reuters)

Soaring prison population prompts Thailand to re-think 'lost' drug war

Nineteen Myanmar human trafficking victims have been rescued in Thailand, state media and an activist group said today, a rare policing success against criminal networks that dominate the region. 
 
The group were discovered by Thai police locked up on an Indonesian-flagged fishing vessel off the coast of Thailand&#39;s southern Pattani district on Sunday, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported. 
 
The raid was launched after the families of some of those on board managed to alert the Myanmar Association in Thailand, a local support group, about their plight. 
 
Kyaw Thaung, director of the association, told AFP that the victims, some of whom were as young as 13, were lured with the promise of work in Bangkok but instead found themselves locked on the fishing vessel. 
 
&quot;A police force raided the fishing boat to Indonesia and found 19 Burmese workers there,&quot; he said. &quot;They had been there about 10 days already.&quot; 
 
A Burmese broker was arrested at the scene, he added.&nbsp; 
 
Thai police did not respond to requests for comment but a source at Myanmar&#39;s human trafficking police division in Naypyidaw confirmed to AFP that the raid rescued 19 citizens.&nbsp; 
 
Drawn by the lure of comparatively higher wages, millions of Myanmar&#39;s poor work inside Thailand, often in unregulated industries where they routinely face exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers. 
 
The kingdom had long been a human trafficking hub, aided by officials who either turned a blind eye or were complicit in the grim but lucrative trade. 
 
Since seizing power in 2014, Thailand&#39;s junta government has tried to clean up the country&#39;s image, launching a crackdown last year against human traffickers with some success. 
 
It has also tried to reform the country&#39;s multi-billion-dollar fishing sector, which has long been accused of using widespread slave labour. 
 
But Sunday&#39;s raid suggests criminal networks are still finding ways to traffic or press-gang vulnerable migrant workers. 
 
(AFP)

This is a rare police success in this trafficking hub, where officials can turn a blind eye or are complicit in the grim, lucrative trade

Nineteen Myanmar human trafficking victims have been rescued in Thailand, state media and an activist group said today, a rare policing success against criminal networks that dominate the region. The group were discovered by Thai police locked up on an Indonesian-flagged fishing vessel off the coast of Thailand's southern Pattani district on Sunday, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported. The raid was launched after the families of some of those on board managed to alert the Myanmar Association in Thailand, a local support group, about their plight. Kyaw Thaung, director of the association, told AFP that the victims, some of whom were as young as 13, were lured with the promise of work in Bangkok but instead found themselves locked on the fishing vessel. "A police force raided the fishing boat to Indonesia and found 19 Burmese workers there," he said. "They had been there about 10 days already." A Burmese broker was arrested at the scene, he added. Thai police did not respond to requests for comment but a source at Myanmar's human trafficking police division in Naypyidaw confirmed to AFP that the raid rescued 19 citizens. Drawn by the lure of comparatively higher wages, millions of Myanmar's poor work inside Thailand, often in unregulated industries where they routinely face exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers. The kingdom had long been a human trafficking hub, aided by officials who either turned a blind eye or were complicit in the grim but lucrative trade. Since seizing power in 2014, Thailand's junta government has tried to clean up the country's image, launching a crackdown last year against human traffickers with some success. It has also tried to reform the country's multi-billion-dollar fishing sector, which has long been accused of using widespread slave labour. But Sunday's raid suggests criminal networks are still finding ways to traffic or press-gang vulnerable migrant workers. (AFP)

19 Myanmar human trafficking victims rescued in Thailand

A Thai journalist and four activists were charged today under a draconian law banning criticism of the junta&#39;s new constitution which will be voted on in a referendum next month. 
 
Taweesak Kerdpoka, a reporter with the news outlet Prachatai, was arrested on Sunday morning along with four members of the New Democracy Movement, one of the few activist groups that dared to challenge the military since generals seized power two years ago. 
 
&quot;Their actions were violating the referendum bill article 61 clause 2,&quot; police colonel Amnuay Pongsawat, from Ban Pong district in central Ratchaburi province, said.&nbsp; 
 
He did not elaborate on how their actions had broken the law, but the men face up to ten years in prison if convicted. 
 
The clause outlaws critical discussion of the junta&#39;s new draft constitution, which if passed will become Thailand&#39;s 20th in less than a century. 
 
Prachatai editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn said Taweesak was travelling in the same car as the activists to report on their activities. 
 
Police stopped the car and found documents that they deemed were in breach the referendum law. 
 
&quot;He is a reporter that covers human and environmental rights,&quot; she said. &quot;He was just doing his job.&quot; 
 
Thais will vote on the the new charter on August 7, the first return to the ballot box since the 2014 coup. 
 
The junta says the document is the antidote to Thailand&#39;s caustic political divide.&nbsp; 
 
But politicians on both sides of the divide have dismissed it as an attempt to further entrench the military&#39;s hold on power through an appointed senate. 
 
Video posted online showed the five shackled men making their way to court today morning as supporters handed them roses. 
 
The activists could be heard shouting: &quot;Voting &#39;no&#39; is our right, it is not against the law&quot;. 
 
A message from Taweesak on his Facebook page read: &quot;Being arrested for referendum campaigning is bad, but what should we call being arrested for reporting on the referendum campaign?&quot; 
 
Prachatai has a history of investigative journalism that frequently riles Bangkok&#39;s ultra-nationalist establishment. 
 
Last year its editor Chiranuch lost an appeal against a conviction under the country&#39;s notorious royal defamation law for failing to speedily remove reader comments deemed critical of the monarchy. 
 
Since the military&#39;s takeover Thailand has undergone a major rights crackdown, with scores of activists jailed and skyrocketing lese majeste (offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state)&nbsp;convictions. 
 
The kingdom has been handicapped by more than a decade of political deadlock and violence including two military coups.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Police stopped their car and found documents that they deemed were in breach of referendum law

A Thai journalist and four activists were charged today under a draconian law banning criticism of the junta's new constitution which will be voted on in a referendum next month. Taweesak Kerdpoka, a reporter with the news outlet Prachatai, was arrested on Sunday morning along with four members of the New Democracy Movement, one of the few activist groups that dared to challenge the military since generals seized power two years ago. "Their actions were violating the referendum bill article 61 clause 2," police colonel Amnuay Pongsawat, from Ban Pong district in central Ratchaburi province, said. He did not elaborate on how their actions had broken the law, but the men face up to ten years in prison if convicted. The clause outlaws critical discussion of the junta's new draft constitution, which if passed will become Thailand's 20th in less than a century. Prachatai editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn said Taweesak was travelling in the same car as the activists to report on their activities. Police stopped the car and found documents that they deemed were in breach the referendum law. "He is a reporter that covers human and environmental rights," she said. "He was just doing his job." Thais will vote on the the new charter on August 7, the first return to the ballot box since the 2014 coup. The junta says the document is the antidote to Thailand's caustic political divide. But politicians on both sides of the divide have dismissed it as an attempt to further entrench the military's hold on power through an appointed senate. Video posted online showed the five shackled men making their way to court today morning as supporters handed them roses. The activists could be heard shouting: "Voting 'no' is our right, it is not against the law". A message from Taweesak on his Facebook page read: "Being arrested for referendum campaigning is bad, but what should we call being arrested for reporting on the referendum campaign?" Prachatai has a history of investigative journalism that frequently riles Bangkok's ultra-nationalist establishment. Last year its editor Chiranuch lost an appeal against a conviction under the country's notorious royal defamation law for failing to speedily remove reader comments deemed critical of the monarchy. Since the military's takeover Thailand has undergone a major rights crackdown, with scores of activists jailed and skyrocketing lese majeste (offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state) convictions. The kingdom has been handicapped by more than a decade of political deadlock and violence including two military coups. (AFP)

Thai journalist, four activists charged under draconian charter law

A car bomb exploded at a major checkpoint in Thailand&#39;s insurgency-torn south on Tuesday wounding two officers, police said, the latest in a spate of attacks across the Muslim-majority region. 
 
The border area has languished under more than a decade of violence between the Buddhist-majority state and shadowy Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy for the culturally distinct provinces. 
 
Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians. 
 
Tuesday&#39;s car bomb, a less frequent form of attack, was the second to strike the region in less than two weeks. 
 
&quot;The bomb was hidden inside a pick-up truck. The suspects drove and parked the truck at the checkpoint before fleeing,&quot; said Lieutenant Colonel Sompong Rongyang, a police officer at the scene in Nong Chik, a district in Pattani province. 
 
&quot;Two policemen sustained injuries and were sent to the hospital,&quot; he said of the attack, which left the vehicle engulfed in flames and sent plumes of smoke streaming into the sky. 
 
Deep South Watch, a Thai NGO that monitors the conflict, said there has been an uptick in violence during the final weeks of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this year, though the toll is lower than in 2015. 
 
Twenty-two people were killed and 47 injured over the past month, compared to 49 killed and 90 wounded during last year&#39;s Ramadan, according to the watchdog. 
 
Thailand&#39;s military, which seized control of the country in a 2014 coup, has touted efforts to jump-start peace talks with the rebels. 
 
But there has been little progress. 
 
Critics have cast doubt on the junta&#39;s peace bid, pointing to a history of rights violations in the region that have bred a deep mistrust of the military among locals. 
 
Details on the inner workings of the insurgents are scant, as groups in the loose network rarely make public statements or claim responsibility for attacks. 
 
(AFP)

Twenty-two people were killed and 47 injured over the past month. Shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians

A car bomb exploded at a major checkpoint in Thailand's insurgency-torn south on Tuesday wounding two officers, police said, the latest in a spate of attacks across the Muslim-majority region. The border area has languished under more than a decade of violence between the Buddhist-majority state and shadowy Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy for the culturally distinct provinces. Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians. Tuesday's car bomb, a less frequent form of attack, was the second to strike the region in less than two weeks. "The bomb was hidden inside a pick-up truck. The suspects drove and parked the truck at the checkpoint before fleeing," said Lieutenant Colonel Sompong Rongyang, a police officer at the scene in Nong Chik, a district in Pattani province. "Two policemen sustained injuries and were sent to the hospital," he said of the attack, which left the vehicle engulfed in flames and sent plumes of smoke streaming into the sky. Deep South Watch, a Thai NGO that monitors the conflict, said there has been an uptick in violence during the final weeks of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this year, though the toll is lower than in 2015. Twenty-two people were killed and 47 injured over the past month, compared to 49 killed and 90 wounded during last year's Ramadan, according to the watchdog. Thailand's military, which seized control of the country in a 2014 coup, has touted efforts to jump-start peace talks with the rebels. But there has been little progress. Critics have cast doubt on the junta's peace bid, pointing to a history of rights violations in the region that have bred a deep mistrust of the military among locals. Details on the inner workings of the insurgents are scant, as groups in the loose network rarely make public statements or claim responsibility for attacks. (AFP)

Car bomb hits checkpoint in rebellious Thai south, two cops hurt

Thailand&#39;s military government has set up security centres around the country ahead of an August referendum on a new constitution, a spokesman for the government said on Monday. 
 
The centres are the latest measure rolled out by the government as Thailand prepares to vote on a new constitution that critics fear will entrench the military&#39;s influence. 
 
The draft of Thailand&#39;s 20th constitution is to replace one scrapped after a 2014 coup by generals who promised stability in Southeast Asia&#39;s second-biggest economy. 
 
The August&nbsp;7 referendum will be the first real rest of the junta&#39;s popularity since it took power. 
 
A &quot;Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order&quot; has been set up in every one of Thailand&#39;s 76 provinces, said Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Thai prime minister&#39;s office, in order to ensure &quot;no cheating, no lobbying and no persuading people to vote one way or another.&quot; 
 
Provincial governors will be responsible for assembling teams to join the centre including police, troops and civilian volunteers. 
 
&quot;We need to ensure peace during the referendum so that people can decide how our country will move forward,&quot; Sansern told Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
Last month,&nbsp;junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha and opposition supporters of ousted populist premier Thaksin Shinawatra both contacted the United Nations after an upsurge in political tension, just a day after police shut down an electoral monitoring centre of the &quot;red shirt&quot; anti-government movement.&nbsp; 
 
The red shirts say the centres are needed to prevent fraud.&nbsp; 
 
Thanawut Wichaidit, a spokesman for the red shirt movement, accused the government of double standards. 
 
 
&quot;We weren&#39;t able to set up our monitoring centres so why should the military government be allowed to set up their centres?&quot; Thanawut told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The military government is blindfolding the electorate and leading their hand to vote in the manner they want.&quot; 
 
Under the proposed charter, a junta-appointed Senate with seats reserved for military commanders would check the powers of elected lawmakers for a five-year transitional period.

(Reuters)

The August?7 referendum will be the first real rest of the junta's popularity since it took power

Thailand's military government has set up security centres around the country ahead of an August referendum on a new constitution, a spokesman for the government said on Monday. The centres are the latest measure rolled out by the government as Thailand prepares to vote on a new constitution that critics fear will entrench the military's influence. The draft of Thailand's 20th constitution is to replace one scrapped after a 2014 coup by generals who promised stability in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. The August 7 referendum will be the first real rest of the junta's popularity since it took power. A "Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order" has been set up in every one of Thailand's 76 provinces, said Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Thai prime minister's office, in order to ensure "no cheating, no lobbying and no persuading people to vote one way or another." Provincial governors will be responsible for assembling teams to join the centre including police, troops and civilian volunteers. "We need to ensure peace during the referendum so that people can decide how our country will move forward," Sansern told Reuters. Last month, junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha and opposition supporters of ousted populist premier Thaksin Shinawatra both contacted the United Nations after an upsurge in political tension, just a day after police shut down an electoral monitoring centre of the "red shirt" anti-government movement. The red shirts say the centres are needed to prevent fraud. Thanawut Wichaidit, a spokesman for the red shirt movement, accused the government of double standards. "We weren't able to set up our monitoring centres so why should the military government be allowed to set up their centres?" Thanawut told Reuters. "The military government is blindfolding the electorate and leading their hand to vote in the manner they want." Under the proposed charter, a junta-appointed Senate with seats reserved for military commanders would check the powers of elected lawmakers for a five-year transitional period. (Reuters)

Thailand sets up security centres ahead of August referendum

Thailand&#39;s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday he would not resign if Thais reject a military-backed draft constitution when they vote in a referendum in August. 
 
Prayuth heads the ruling junta, or National Council for Peace and Order, that took power after a bloodless coup toppled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra&#39;s elected government in a May 2014 coup. 
 
The military had justified the coup, saying it had acted to restore stability after months of street demonstrations in Bangkok had paralysed Yingluck&#39;s government. 
 
&quot;I won&#39;t resign. I am the one who lays out the rules for this country,&quot; Prayuth told reporters at Bangkok&#39;s Government House, insisting Thais should not compare him to British Prime Minister David Cameron who announced his resignation last week after Britain voted in a referendum to quit the European Union. 
 
The junta has said it would carry out political and economic reforms before a general election in 2017 that will start a transition back to democracy. 
 
The August 7 referendum will be the first national vote in Thailand since the coup and should provide a test of the junta&#39;s popularity, experts said. 
 
Groups of all political stripes have denounced the draft constitution as undemocratic, with one major political party urging supporters to vote &quot;no&quot;. 
 
The junta has banned criticism of the charter in the run-up to the vote and, in May, the Election Commission issued rules barring anyone from campaigning for either side ahead of the referendum. 
 
In the latest crackdown on dissidents, a Thai court jailed seven activists on Friday for campaigning against the draft charter, which critics say will enshrine military power and emasculate civilian politics. 
 
(Reuters)

'I am the one who lays out the rules for this country,' says Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday he would not resign if Thais reject a military-backed draft constitution when they vote in a referendum in August. Prayuth heads the ruling junta, or National Council for Peace and Order, that took power after a bloodless coup toppled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's elected government in a May 2014 coup. The military had justified the coup, saying it had acted to restore stability after months of street demonstrations in Bangkok had paralysed Yingluck's government. "I won't resign. I am the one who lays out the rules for this country," Prayuth told reporters at Bangkok's Government House, insisting Thais should not compare him to British Prime Minister David Cameron who announced his resignation last week after Britain voted in a referendum to quit the European Union. The junta has said it would carry out political and economic reforms before a general election in 2017 that will start a transition back to democracy. The August 7 referendum will be the first national vote in Thailand since the coup and should provide a test of the junta's popularity, experts said. Groups of all political stripes have denounced the draft constitution as undemocratic, with one major political party urging supporters to vote "no". The junta has banned criticism of the charter in the run-up to the vote and, in May, the Election Commission issued rules barring anyone from campaigning for either side ahead of the referendum. In the latest crackdown on dissidents, a Thai court jailed seven activists on Friday for campaigning against the draft charter, which critics say will enshrine military power and emasculate civilian politics. (Reuters)

Thai PM: Won't resign no matter what August referendum outcome is

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