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Thailand

Thai army to reinforce Cambodian border if needed

BANGKOK – Thailand’s army is prepared to defend its border with Cambodia if a territorial dispute heats up, the prime minister said Wednesday, as the two nations were set to tussle on the diplomatic front at a U.N. meeting in Brazil.
Deadly clashes have flared in the past over the Preah Vihear [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 30, 2010

Travel magazine names Bangkok world’s top city

BANGKOK – Bangkok city officials say they are humbled and inspired after receiving Travel + Leisure magazine’s “Top City” award, despite recent street riots that sent tourists packing.
Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra told a news conference that the award offers a morale boost to the battered capital and called on political protesters [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 30, 2010

Thailand Set to Break 1000pts in Early 2011‏

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is developing a trading system in close cooperation with brokerages that will support all securities products and smoothly connect with foreign exchanges. This new system will support the needs of domestic and foreign investors, increasing business opportunities for securities companies, and enhancing the Thai [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 28, 2010

Divisive ex-Thai leader marks birthday on Twitter

BANGKOK – Thailand’s deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra marked his 61st birthday Monday with tweets from exile that called for peace, a day after a grenade exploded in downtown Bangkok that left one person dead and 10 wounded.
There have been no claims of responsibility for Sunday’s blast at a bus stop in [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 28, 2010

Bomb kills 1, wounds 10 after Bangkok by-election

BANGKOK – A bomb at a bus stop in downtown Bangkok killed one person and wounded 10 others Sunday shortly after polls closed in a parliamentary election that pitted a government candidate against a jailed leader of recent mass protests in the Thai capital.
Police Maj. Gen. Anuchai Lekbamroong, at the site of [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 28, 2010

Thailand to roll back emergency rule ‘gradually’: PM

BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand’s prime minister said Friday a state of emergency in force across about one-fifth of the country would be lifted “gradually,” following fresh calls for the strict laws to be rolled back.
“The government will proceed with gradually lifting (the decree) but not all at once,” Prime Minister Abhisit [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 24, 2010

Russian maestro in Thai court on child sex charge

PATTAYA, Thailand (AFP) – Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev appeared in court Monday in Thailand where he has been charged with raping a teenage boy.
Pletnev, artistic director of the Russian National Orchestra, dismissed speculation he might jump bail. He returned to Thailand over the weekend after being allowed to leave the country [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 19, 2010

Thailand Stock Exchange Update‏

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index on Tuesday lost 2.26 points or 0.28 per cent to close at 817.35 points. The market value was 25.96 billion baht, with 5.17 billion shares traded.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) projects a tourism recovery in 2011 with foreign arrivals of 15.5 million [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 15, 2010

Don’t feed the elephants: Bangkok introduces fines

BANGKOK – You can still feed elephants in Thailand’s bustling capital — but it could cost you.
Bangkok authorities said Monday anyone caught handing bunches of bananas or sugar cane to the hulking beasts — proffered by their handlers to make money — faces a $320 (10,000 baht) fine.
Thailand has about 2,400 domestic elephants. There is [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 13, 2010

Thailand must lift emergency rule, hold polls: think-tank

BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand must immediately lift emergency rule imposed during the recent mass opposition protests and hold an election as soon as possible for national reconciliation, a leading think-tank said Monday.
The emergency decree was invoked across about a third of the country during the “Red Shirt” rallies in Bangkok [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 5, 2010