A haze is expected to choke the Thai capital and the upper parts of the country until Monday next week, as changing atmospheric patterns are trapping PM2.5 dust particles and transboundary pollution from Cambodia over Thailand, according to the Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation. “Bangkok and some other parts of the country are now under
Author: TNR Staff
Thai household debt sinks to new low
(Bloomberg News) Thailand’s household debt, already among the highest in emerging Asia, is expected to rise further as a fresh Covid19 outbreak curbs incomes, weighing on consumer spending and heightening financial-stability risks. Household debt stood at 13.8 trillion baht, or 87% of gross domestic product, at the
Read moreBangkok school closed after Covid cases emerge at nearby factory
BANGKOK Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered a school in Phasi Charoen district closed after 27 workers at a factory in its neighbourhood were found infected with Covid-19, Thai Rath newspaper reported this evening (Feb. 2, 2021). BMA’s spokesman Pol. Capt. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said Wat Chan Pradit Tharam School had been ordered closed till Friday Feb. 5
Read moreSpacewalk Coverage Live on NASA TV
NASA Television coverage of today’s spacewalk with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover is now underway and available on the agency’s website. The crew members of Expedition 64 are preparing to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk expected to last about six and a half hours. The crew is in the airlock and have donned their suits in preparation
Read moreChina’s army 30 years behind Western military
China’s vision of having a world-class army by 2049 has been widely discussed and publicized. However, military experts have questioned this vision owing to several distinct weaknesses plaguing the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army). Chinese PLA is currently the world’s largest active military force. It traces its roots to the 1927 Nanchang Uprising of the
Read moreAung San Suu Kyi condemns coup, urges protests
Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly released a statement urging residents of Myanmar to protest against the military after she was detained during an early morning coup. Myanmar’s military took control of the country and arrested Ms Suu Kyi and senior government politicians. She hasn’t been seen since being detained in the raids. The army
Read moreNot having sex can be good
A couple married for seven years took a six-month break from having sex, claiming the hiatus was a “game-changer”. Shona Hendley reports. It’s a common belief that sex is a vital part of a relationship. But in fact, hitting pause on the deed can actually do you and your partner wonders, like it did Brett and
Read moreMyanmar coup triggers anger, unease
(Reuters) – Swaggering supporters of Myanmar’s army chief swung through the streets of Yangon, waving national flags from pickup trucks to cheer on his coup against a democratically elected government. Footage posted on social media showed a crowd of several score gathered in the centre of Myanmar’s biggest city to celebrate Senior General Min Aung
Read moreGovt targets B300 bn investments in eastern corridor
The Thai government aims to boost investment in the country’s industrial east this year by 44% to around 300 billion baht, a deputy prime minister said on Monday, after a 45% drop last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The amount would be a substantial increase over last year’s 209 billion baht
Read moreUDD trio acquitted of lethal grenade attack
The Criminal Court on Monday cleared three former members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) of involvement in a grenade attack that killed five soldiers, including Col Romklao Tuwatham, and injured many others during the violent street protests against Abhisit Vejjajiva’s government in 2010. The court acquitted Suksek Poltue, Pornkamol Buachatkhao, alias
Read moreMyanmar’s army chief challenges Biden, and bets big on China
(Bloomberg News) – By seizing power on Monday, Myanmar’s generals are providing US President Joe Biden with an early test of his efforts to counter the appeal of China’s authoritarian model in Asia. Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was bumping up against a mandatory retirement age this year, already faces sanctions from the US
Read moreMyanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi detained
(Reuters) – Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy said on Monday (Feb. 1). The move comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that
Read moreApple quarterly sales hit record $100 billion
(New York) – It wasn’t just the newly released iPhone 12 that helped it reach the holiday season milestone despite disruptions created by the pandemic. Apple finished 2020 with a bang, logging its most profitable quarter ever despite disruptions created by the pandemic. For the three months ending in December, the iPhone maker pulled in
Read moreMarriages ruined by video-game addiction
A woman is at her wits’ end after her husband took over her son’s birthday present and became addicted to gaming, ignoring his family and neglecting his job. Video games are often successful because they have a way of luring you in and enticing you to keep coming back. It may have something to do
Read moreSmartwatch keeps domestic violence victims safe
New technology developed to help women experiencing domestic violence is giving victims an added layer of security, and their abusers more scrutiny. Secret and secure technology that can be programmed to a smartwatch could be the key to helping at risk women stay connected and get much-needed help at the time of crisis. The StandbyU
Read moreWall Street will never be the same again
(New York) – This week, the biggest story in the financial markets is the absurdist, (pretty-sure-I-hallucinated-it) drama involving GameStop, a struggling video game retailer that became the rope in a high-stakes tug of war between Wall Street suits and a crusading internet mob. The simplest explanation for what happened is that a bunch of hyper-online
Read moreNavalny, WHO and Thunberg nominated for Nobel peace prize
Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg are among those nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. All three are backed by Norwegian politicians who have a track record of picking the winner, while outsiders for the prestigious award include former US President Donald Trump. Thousands of people, from
Read moreLegalisation of prostitution gathers momentum
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for prostitution to be decriminalized in the Kingdom of Thailand. Empower Foundation, an NGO that supports sex workers, said it aims to present the petition to parliament to help persuade lawmakers to consider changing the country’s prostitution law. “The law punishes sex workers – 80% of
Read moreGovt critic faces 15-years jail
THE Criminal Court has ordered leading government critic Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to delete allegations on social media that question the business ethics of His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister. The government said Mr Thanathorn’s Progressive Movement claims that the Kingdom’s coronavirus vaccine policy unfairly favours a company owned by His Majesty the King. Now
Read moreWHO: Global pandemic ‘will not end’ if vaccine nationalism takes hold
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the pandemic may not end if countries engage in a growing trend of vaccine nationalism. One year since the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “we will not end the pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere”. Dr Tedros’
Read more