29 APRIL 2013
Thai ‘Yellow Shirt’ activists trial postponed
A Thai court has postponed the trial of nearly 100 Thai royalist activists who were facing charges for their roles in 2008 rallies that paralysed Thailand’s main airports stranding thousands of tourists http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/04/201342995251949888.html
28 MARCH 2013
Thailand opens peace talks with Muslim separatist rebels
Peace talks facilitated by Malaysia aim to end almost a decade of violence in Muslim-dominated provinces of southern Thailand http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/28/thailand-peace-talks-muslim-rebels http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21963399
21 MARCH 2013
A step toward peace in southern Thailand
On 28 February in Kula Lumpur, Thailand’s government signed an agreement to initiate peace talks between the Thai National Security Council and Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Coordinate (BRN-C), one of the major separatist groups in southern Thailand. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/03/21/a-step-toward-peace-in-southern-thailand/
3 MARCH 2013
Bangkok governor gets second term
Sukhumbhand Paribatra of the royalist pro-establishment Democrat party overcame a rival from the ruling Puea Thai party, which is backed by « Red Shirt » supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1257637/1/.html http://asiancorrespondent.com/100111/against-expectations-sukhumbhand-wins-second-term-as-bangkok-governor/
28 FEBRUARY 2013
Thailand and Muslim separatists agree to peace talks
Senior Thai government officials signed the deal on Thursday with members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, where they agreed to launch a « dialogue process » in the southern border provinces. They gave no date for future meetings. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/thailand-muslim-separatists-peace-talks http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/02/201322822925178206.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/9899300/Thailand-signs-breakthrough-deal-with-Muslim-rebels.html
27 FEBRUARY 2013
Murder of environmentalist ‘highlights Thailand’s failure to protect activists’
An international rights group is pressing Thailand to investigate the recent murder of an environmentalist who exposed the dumping of toxic waste, and condemned the government’s « fundamental failure » to protect activists fighting for social and environmental change in the kingdom. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/27/murder-environmentalist-thailand-failure
19 FEBRUARY 2013
Thai GDP growth rises to 6.4% for 2012
Thailand’s economy grew a robust 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, taking the 2012 pace to 6.4 percent… http://asiancorrespondent.com/97956/thai-gdp-growth-rises-to-6-4-for-2012/
15 FEBRUARY 2013
In Thailand, 30,000 children are boxing to help their poor family
http://www.buffalogirlsthemovie.com/#!videos/ck0q
13 FEBRUARY 2013
Thai army repels mass attack in restive south
Scores of heavily armed gunmen stormed a military base in unrest-plagued southern Thailand, in a major assault that left at least 16 attackers dead, a military spokesman said. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/02/20132131188370718.html http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/13/16946868-muslim-insurgents-launch-raid-on-thai-military-base-16-militants-slain?lite http://www.voanews.com/content/thai-army-urges-curfew-after-insurgents-attack-base/1602719.html
18 JANUARY 2013
Justice or politics
Some say former PM Abhisit is rightfully being charged for supressing the red shirts; other see the case as business as usual. http://thediplomat.com/2013/01/19/justice-or-ruse-in-thailand/
13 JANUARY 2013
Stop the intimidation, media body tells Army
The Thai Journalists Association called on the military yesterday to stop intimidating the media, while urging media practitioners to abide by their code of conduct after dozens of uniformed officers protested twice at ASTV Manager’s offices. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Stop-the-intimidation-media-body-tells-Army-30197810.html
10 JANUARY 2013
Thai govt ‘obliged to find Lao activist’
Not only Laotian authorities, but also Thailand must take responsibility for the disappearance of Lao activist and Magsaysay Award winner Sombath Somphone, who is widely believed by civic groups to have been abducted for his role in fighting a Thai-Lao development project on the Mekong River. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thai-govt-obliged-to-find-Lao-lawyer-30197613.html
4 JANUARY 2013
3,380 killed in nine years of violence
A total of 3,380 people have been killed and 8,388 wounded in terror attacks since the resumption of insurgent violence in the deep South nine years ago today, according to figures released yesterday by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/3380-killed-in-nine-years-of-violence-30197241.html
13 DECEMBER 1012
Former Thai PM charged with murder
Abhisit Vejjajiva, the former prime minister of Thailand, has been charged with murder over the death of a civilian during a crackdown on anti-government rallies two years ago, his party says.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/12/2012121373047610790.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/9742326/Former-Thai-prime-minister-charged-with-murder.html
5 DECEMBER 2012
Thais celebrate 85th birthday of revered king
In a rare public appearance, Thailand’s king has called for unity and stability in the divided nation during a speech to mark his 85th birthday
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/12/20121258351621627.html http://asiancorrespondent.com/93031/thais-celebrate-85th-birthday-of-revered-king/
28 NOVEMBER 2012
Thai PM survives no-confidence vote
Thailand’s government has survived a no-confidence vote, days after clashes in Bangkok between protesters and riot police in the largest demonstration against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s 16-month-old administration. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/11/2012112810580871551.html
15 NOVEMBER 2012
Thailand Defence pact with US ‘only reaffirms ties’
The 2012 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai-US Defence Alliance, to be signed during the visit of US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta today, posed no legal difficulties in terms of the Constitution and would have no impact on strategic ties with China, Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat said
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Defence-pact-with-US-only-reaffirms-ties-30194375.html
14 NOVEMBER 2012
US defence pact ‘won’t affect’ Thai neutrality
Security experts said this week that Thailand would not lose its neutrality after the decision to sign a new defence agreement with the United States during the upcoming visit of President Barack Obama, but the country must be careful not to be seen as moving too close to the American orbit.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/US-defence-pact-wont-affect-Thai-neutrality-30194293.html
14 NOVEMBER 2012
Expanding Military to Military Engagement: China and Thailand
As U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta turns north from Australia on his way to Thailand and Cambodia today, he should carefully consider the trends in China’s military to military relationship with Thailand. http://cogitasia.com/expanding-military-to-military-engagement-china-and-thailand/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cogitasia%2FZCwV+%28cogitASIA+Posts%29
12 OCTOBER 2012
Thai military resists political pressure
Thailand recently released its autumn list of senior military officer promotions and reassignments, an annual exercise that determines the balance of power among competitive factions inside the armed forces. While many analysts expected self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to push for his known military allies to take key positions, Royal Thai Army (RTA) Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha appears at first blush to have maintained the upper hand.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NJ13Ae01.html
12 SEPTEMBER 2012
Suspected insurgents surrender in Thailand’s south
Officials say about 100 suspected insurgents have surrendered to authorities in Thailand’s restive south, including the alleged leader of a 2004 attack that reignited longstanding violence in the region. http://asiancorrespondent.com/89109/suspected-insurgents-surrender-in-thailands-south/
18 JULY 2012
Cambodia, Thailand pull troops from temple flashpoint
Cambodia and Thailand pulled hundreds of soldiers out of a disputed border area on Wednesday, a year after a ruling by the UN’s highest court, replacing them with police and security guards.The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 18 last year ordered the neighbours to demilitarise a strip of land adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple which was the scene of deadly clashes in 2011 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1214288/1/.html http://www.rfa.org/english/video?param=value&storyId=Cambodia-Preah-Vihear http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/07/201271845840265105.html
8 JULY 2012
Thai growth to be solid:UBS
The political situations in China and Europe will contribute to volatility in global financial markets, but the Thai economy is expected to grow at a reasonable pace this year and next, said Paul Donovan, managing director and global economist at UBS Investment Research.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Thai-growth-to-be-solidUBS-30185670.html
25 JUNE 2012
Thai Red Shirts stage mass protests
Tens of thousands of supporters of Thailand’s « Red Shirt » protest movement have staged a mass rally in Bangkok, police said, amid renewed political tensions in the troubled country.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/06/20126250407414477.html
1 JUNE 2012
Thai ‘yellow shirts’ halt parliament debate
Thai « yellow shirt » protesters have brought parliament to a halt, forcing the speaker to postpone debate on a reconciliation bill that critics say is aimed at allowing a former prime minister to return home
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/06/20126174710510742.html
31 MAY 2012
Thai parliament chaos over reconciliation debate
The Thai parliament was thrown into chaos for a second day Thursday, as lawmakers clashed over plans to push through a reconciliation debate that threatens to widen the country’s bitter divides
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120531-349734.html
25 MAY 2012
Return of the king
Dressed in a military uniform, His Majesty the King yesterday May 25 left Siriraj Hospital for his first personal short trip out of Bangkok in recent years, bringing much delight to the whole nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Return-of-the-king-30182861.html
17 APRIL 2012
China, Thailand enhance strategic relationship
China and Thailand signed a series of deals on Tuesday 17, covering, among other sectors, agriculture and transport and elevated relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120418-340515.html
15 APRIL 2012
Hun Sen attacked for ‘excess generosity’
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been criticised for being overly generous to red-shirt supporters of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in Cambodia this weekend.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Hun-Sen-attacked-for-excess-generosity-30179979.html
31 MARCH 2012
Bombs kill 10, injure more than 100 in southern Thailand
Pattani, Thailand – At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as three bombs detonated in Thailand’s strife-torn far south Saturday, the authorities said
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1696036.php/Bombs-kill-10-injure-more-than-100-in-southern-Thailand
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/03/20123317429173143.html
25 FEBRUARY 2012
Thai parliament votes to amend military-backed constitution
Thailand’s parliament voted Saturday to pave the way for a rewrite of the military-backed 2007 constitution. After a two-day debate, both houses voted to permit a redrafting of the charter written after the September 2006 coup toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1692783.php/Thai-parliament-votes-to-amend-military-backed-constitution
17 FEBRUARY 2012
Thailand’s Thaksin prepares for war
Newly appointed Thai Minister of Defense Air Chief Marshal Sukampon Suwannathat is quietly planning to activate a new « war room », or secretive unofficial command center, to direct mass pro-government « red-shirt » demonstrations planned for the coming months, according to senior Thai military sources familiar with the situation
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NB18Ae03.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/NB18Dg01.html
14 FEBRUARY 2012
Bangkok bomb attack fuels Israel-Iran tension
An Iranian man blew off his own leg and wounded four people when he lobbed a grenade in the Thai capital Tuesday, with Israel blaming the blasts on Iran. The attack comes just one day after attempted bomb attacks against Israeli diplomats
http://www.france24.com/en/20120214-bomber-wounded-attempt-attack-bangkok-police-iranian-thailand http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/world/asia/explosions-in-bangkok-injures-suspected-iranian-national.html?_r=1&ref=asia
27 January 2012
New battlelines in Thailand
A major reshuffle of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s cabinet this month threatens to put her government on a new collision course with the powerful and emboldened military
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NA27Ae01.html
12 JANUARY 2012
Better-armed, better-trained Thai insurgents
Long seen as locked in a low-intensity stalemate, the Malay Muslim separatist conflict in southern Thailand appears to be escalating towards a new and more violent phase
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NA12Ae01.html
3 JANUARY 2012
Amnesty to Thaksin would spark conflict, Abhisit warns
Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday January 3 warned the Yingluck Shinawatra government against amending the controversial lese-majeste law or granting amnesty to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, saying such moves would spark conflicts in society http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Amnesty-to-Thaksin-would-spark-conflict-Abhisit-wa-30173082.html
28 DECEMBER 2011
Thailand ‘Red Shirt’ leader re-arrested after bail
A top « Red Shirt » leader accused of terrorism over his role in last year’s opposition rallies was on Wednesday freed on bail, only to be immediately re-arrested on defamation charges, his lawyer said. Arisman Pongruangrong, who narrowly avoided capture by police commandos in April 2010 by climbing out of the third-floor window of a Bangkok hotel, surrendered to authorities in early December after nearly 20 months on the run
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20111228-318733.html
22 DECEMBER 2011
Human rights group blasts Thailand’s forced return of Lao refugee
Human Rights Watch blasted Thailand Thursday for forcibly repatriating a Hmong refugee to Laos last week in violation of international law
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1682280.php/Human-rights-group-blasts-Thailand-s-forced-return-of-Lao-refugee
9 DECEMBER 2011
Thai ex-PM questioned over rally crackdown
Abhisit Vejjajiva summoned as witness to military action against Red Shirt protesters last year that claimed
90 lives
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/12/201112991511246865.html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1170386/1/.html
8 DECEMBER 2011
US blogger jailed for insulting Thai king
A US citizen has been jailed for two and a half years by Thai authorities for translating excerpts of a locally banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and posting them online
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/12/201112844554785361.html
23 NOVEMBER 2011
Thailand lese majeste man jailed for 20 years
The court found Ampon Tangnoppakul, nicknamed ‘grandpa’ and ‘Uncle SMS’ by the local press, guilty of sending messages insulting the monarchy to the mobile phone of the secretary of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva last year during anti-government protests
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15850068
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1676944.php/Thai-court-sentences-grandpa-to-20-years-for-insulting-monarchy
21 NOVEMBER 2011
Thai Justice minister rules out Thaksin pardon
Justice Minister Pracha Promnok insisted yesterday that former prime minister Thaksin Shina-watra would not benefit from the draft Royal Decree seeking pardons for inmates on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s birthday.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Justice-minister-rules-out-Thaksin-pardon-30170289.html
16 NOVEMBER 2011
Thai cabinet ‘endorses Thaksin amnesty plan’
A controversial amnesty decree has been endorsed by Thailand’s cabinet that could pave the way for the return of Thaksin Shinawatra, the country’s fugitive former prime minister, according to local media reports.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/11/2011111672939589176.html
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1675541.php/LEAD-Thai-cabinet-okays-amnesty-that-would-cover-fugitive-ex-premier
4 NOVEMBER 2011
Floods threaten to shut down Bangkok metro
Flood waters encroached on Bangkok’s business and tourist districts Friday, threatening the capital city’s underground train system. Floods have
killed 442 people, damaged homes and affected the livelihoods of millions in Thailand since late July
http://www.france24.com/en/20111104-thailand-floods-bangkok-metro-rain-tourism-business-airport-natural-disaster
29 OCTOBER 2011
City’s west may face metre-deep flood
The west of Bangkok faces the risk of being under a metre of water in the next few days, a senior official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration(BMA) said.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Citys-west-may-face-metre-deep-flood-30168815.html
16 SEPTEMBER 2011
Clashes in southern Thailand claim 4,846 dead in last eight years
There have been 11,704 violent incidents documented in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces since January 2004, claiming 4,846 dead
and 7,995 injured, according to Deep South Watch, a network of academics and civil society groups that monitors the southern unrest.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1663347.php/Clashes-in-southern-Thailand-claim-4-846-dead-in-last-eight-years
10 AUGUST 2011
Thailand’s New Yingluck Cabinet
The cabinet that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra unveiled appears to be a mixture of outsiders, people with intimate ties to her
brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, and old hands in Thai politics – and no members of the Red Shirt faction that played a key role in bringing her Pheu Thai Party to power
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3376&Itemid=185
5 JULY 2011 ]Official balloting outcome[
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the official count of votes cast on Sunday. The voter turnout was 75 per cent and Pheu Thai Party was declared victory grabbing 265 of 500 House seats, comprising 61 party-list seats via proportionate vote and 204 constituency
seats via direct vote.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/07/05/national/Official-balloting-outcome-30159554.html
4 JULY 2011
Yingluck unveils Thai coalition
A day after she led Pheu Thai party to a landslid victory in parliamentary elections in Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra has announced a new five-party coalition government.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/07/20117465127320221.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/world/asia/05thailand.html?_r=1&ref=asiahttp://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/07/05/national/No-reds-in-new-Cabinet-30159474.html
3 JULY 2011
Thai opposition party wins election by landslide
Thailand's prime minister has conceded defeat in the country's elections, paving the way for Yingluck Shinawatra, the leader of the
opposition and the sister of the ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to form the next government. With almost all the votes counted, Puea Thai had won a clear majority with 263 seats out of 500, well ahead of the ruling Democrats with 161, according to the Election Commission, which estimated turnout at 74 per cent
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14004755
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/07/2011739048966149.html
http://www.france24.com/en/20110703-yingluck-shinawatra-profile-shadow-brother-thaksin-thailand
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/nationvdo/showvdo.php?id=4381&cateid=13
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=19733&sec=1
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/election
29 JUNE 2011
The deal behind Thailand's polls
High-level secret talks between Thailand's royal palace, military and self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra point towards a stable outcome to this Sunday's highly anticipated election. Contrary to widespread speculation of a post-poll coup and new rounds of street
violence, the military is more likely to stay in the barracks if Thaksin's Puea Thai party wins and forms a new government
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MF30Ae01.html
26 JUNE 2911
Thailand leaves World Heritage Convention
Thailand has withdrawn from the World Heritage Convention to protest against the World Heritage Committee's decision to
consider Cambodia's management plan of Preah Vihear Temple.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/26/national/Thailand-leaves-World-Heritage-Convention-30158739.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Thailand-Withdraws-from-World-Heritage-Convention-in-Temple-Dispute-with-Cambodia---124563429.html
1 NOVEMBER 2010
As Press Freedoms Narrow in Thailand, an 'Easy Target' Fights Back
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/world/asia/02thai.html?ref=asia
19 May 2010: The end of the Reds Shirts movement that started on April 3
The facts :
http://www.france24.com/en/20100519-thailand-army-smashes-red-shirt-protest-zone-deadly-assault
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10124369.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/05/20105197368704730.html
]The following day
Thai troops were hunting down militants who went on a rampage of arson and looting in Bangkok, after the leader of the opposition
« Red Shirts » called on supporters halt the mayhem that has left many buildings in central Bangkok in ruins.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10129711.stm
http://www.france24.com/en/20100520-thai-army-fresh-mop-operation-against-red-shirt-militias http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE22Ae01.html
May 16, 2010
Thailand’s King Sees His Influence Fading
A battle over Thailand’s future is raging, but the one man who has been able to resolve such intractable conflicts in the past has been notably silent: King Bhumibol Adulyadej, long a unifying father figure for his nation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/world/asia/16king.html?ref=asia
11 NOVEMBER 2009
Thailand-Cambodia dispute: Key points
A diplomatic row has broken out between Thailand and Cambodia over former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s new job as an adviser to the government in Phnom Penh. This dispute is only the latest of a series of spats between the two countries. The BBC looks at the main ssues dividing them
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8354489.stm
28 MARCH 2009
Gen Prem is « influential person » behind the 2006 coup
Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra revealed for the first time on Friday that « influential person » he mentioned when he was the PM was Privy Councillor Gen Prem Tinsulanonda. He criticised Prem during his video broadcast from unknown location that Gen Prem had intervened into the politics and did anything to bring him down.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/30099070/Gen-Prem-is-%22influential-person%22-behind-
19 JANUARY 2009
Pheu Thai battling for survival
Here is a point of view by the Nation on the capacity of the pro-Thaksin to survive
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/19/opinion/opinion_30093521.php