News from Thailand – December 26, 2014

On this page you can read a bird's-eye view of the most important Thai news. We list headlines from major news sources including: Bangkok Post, The Nation, ThaiPBS, MCOT, etc.

There is a web link behind the news items. When you click on it you can read the full article at the English source. The news page is updated several times a day so that you always read the latest and most current news.

News from Thailand – December 26, 2014

– The Nation opens on Boxing Day with the commemoration of the Tsunami (seaquake) in 2004. On the morning of December 26, 2004, the west coast of Indonesia was hit by a powerful earthquake that created a series of huge waves that left a trail of destruction behind killed more than 220.000 people from 14 countries. Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, among others, were seriously affected by the earthquake. At that time there was no tidal wave warning system in the Indian Ocean, as there was in the Pacific Ocean.

Furthermore, an article about Thailand's new constitution will include that there will be no directly elected prime minister. The parliament will elect the head of government, CDC spokesman Kamnoon Sidhisamarn said. What is special about this is that the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has decided that a prime minister does not have to be a parliamentarian. So someone from the outside can be chosen. 

– Thai Prime Minister Prayut today visits flood victims in Tak Bai: http://t.co/CclYxEM4Co

– An Australian man (47) on Phuket molested a Thai toilet lady because he had to pay 5 baht for a toilet visit. The tourist police had to step in to prevent an angry mob of Thai from attacking the Aussie: http://t.co/XtytZFNOXk

– A Thai in Krabi tried to attack a traffic cop with a machete in front of hundreds of tourists. The man was furious because he had received a warning for parking in a place in the seaside resort of Ao Nang, where parking is not allowed. Even after the policeman had shot his assailant in the legs, he continued to attack. Finally he fell down injured. Police suspect he was under the influence of YaBa, a popular drug in Thailand (video): http://t.co/Cz1dF0mmZw

– Thai Prime Minister Prayut became very annoyed when he was confronted with questions about local newspapers criticizing him. He threatened to intervene if necessary and to ban the publication of the newspapers: http://t.co/Xz7ZDCr5S0

– The Committee for National Alcohol Beverage Policy has submitted a number of recommendations to the Prime Minister to limit alcohol consumption in 2015. It is proposed to restrict the sale of alcohol during New Year, Songkran and at the end of Buddhist Lent. No alcohol may then be sold on trains and at stations; at bus terminals; at public piers and on public transport: http://t.co/FdJw8xybJd

– The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Amnuay Patise, said he is shocked by the suicide of a rubber farmer in Nakhon Si Thammarat because of falling rubber prices: http://t.co/GzAqNQa70v

– Prayut is not satisfied with the results of the cabinet. He gives the government and officials another three months to come up with results. The prime minister thinks the performance is below par. Too little has been achieved, it must be done differently and faster: http://goo.gl/xMihpR

– The expectation is that Thais will spend an average of 12.000 baht per person during the New Year holiday (5,1 percent more than the previous year). This has emerged from a study by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. These expenses are important for Thailand's ailing economy. Finance Minister Sommai Phasee stressed that Thailand is still struggling with lagging export growth, a weak recovery in the tourism sector and the effects of the stagnating global economy, but he still expects positive news next year such as GDP growth product by 4 percent: http://t.co/76TWoMBJnc

– The Thai government has approved plans from The Board of Investment to invest 21 billion baht in 13 projects, including a bio-ethanol plant in Lop Buri and a plant to produce 75.000 car engines for Mazda: http://t.co/g924lNhTyN

– There will be three working groups, composed by the Ministry of Justice, that will deal with the controversial laws on lèse majesté. Not to change the current criticized situation, but to be able to give a little more gas to investigation and prosecution: http://t.co/Pa7EB8eFr2

– A fatal accident on November 25, 2014 was caused by a water bottle under the brake pedal. Police were investigating a freak accident in which a young woman was killed when her car crashed from a parking deck at a shopping mall (see photo): http://t.co/VVtmBP13bb

– The police on Phuket have arrested a man (41) from New Zealand for trafficking cocaine and ya bah (methamphetamine): http://t.co/BU0LCJO7UX