VERY LATEST NEWS FROM THAILAND in English (24 July 2023) from Fabulous 103fm Pattaya

VERY LATEST NEWS FROM THAILAND in English (24 July 2023) from Fabulous 103fm Pattaya

– Dust thrusters douse Thai politicians in anger
Protesters yesterday afternoon invaded a pre-press meeting due to be held by Phua Thai and PPRP party leaders, spraying them with talc powder as they prepared for their media appearance. The dust thrusters were angry at the meeting which followed announcements that Pua thai is looking to create a coalition government WITHOUT election winning Move Forward party AND WITH minority parties closely aligned to, and headed up by members of the previous government, such as Gen Prawit. This despite their manifesto which clarified, as they appealed for electoral votes, that they would never work with those from the previous government or those involved in the army coup. All very confusing for the Thai people for sure, and a tough one to overview. Leaders of both parties, then, failed to appear to the waiting press, who were later told that the meeting WASN’T to invite the opposition to join their ranks but rather to garner their votes in parliament for a new PM, this time from the Pua thai party.

The Pheu Thai Party leadership has also told the press that unless they separate from K Pita’s move forward party, they too will be unlikely to garner the vote count needed and the political impasse in the house on who WILL be the next PM would continue. That, then, appears to be the final nail in the coffin for not only K Pita but all of his party, which together WON the general election. THIS Wednesday is expected to see the third parliamentary meeting of MPs and senators for a vote, but without any Move forward party member on the ballot list.

The Pua thai party relationship to many other well known and current ministers is an odd one for sure as most Thais see Pheu thai as the rebirth of Thaksin’s Thai rak thai party which was banned after the coup. YET briefly reborn as the People’s power party and then re-invented as it is today. Numerous political bigwigs have, in the past, been members INCLUDING K Anutin, seen by some as a candidate for the PM seat at some time, who was banned from office for 5 years due to HIS membership but subsequently joined his current minority party and until the recent election served as a deputy PM and health minister. In essence, it has the pull, perhaps, needed, to win the PM position in parliament but to do so will need pretty much every minority party’s support. Other names being discussed in Thai mainstream media for the same postin are Anutin himself AND Former General and supreme court judge Prawit. It COULD all be resolved by midweek, we simply have to wait and see.

– Heavy storms and flooding in Thailand
Much of Thailand, including our own region, has seen flooding over the weekend and this morning. Here in Pattaya, several heavy storms saw short term flooding and areas with road works became delay points for traffic. The capital was worse with heavy flooding in places which didn’t drain away quickly. And in other parts of Thailand, including the island of Phuket, flooding, mudslides and damage was reported in many areas Heavy rainfall is forecast for much of ur region and indeed the country today and the warning to small boats remains in pace that all should stay on the shoreline as high waves continue to blight the gulf making it dangerous for smaller vessels.

– Tourist forces plane to return to airport because he forgot his bag
When an Arabian tourist forgot his valuables at Chiang mai airport, and the plane he was on taxied out to the runway for takeoff, the normal procedure would be for the crew to contact ground crews and arrange for them to be located and forwarded on. Not so for this chap who demanded the plane stop and let him off. Amazingly, he got his way as the pilot is under instructions at all times to avoid any confrontation between passengers and crew AND in the event of such, to deposit them at the nearest airport, which in this case was the one they were about to leave. Needless to say passenger A was a less than welcome arrival, as were all his family and friends who were turfed off at the same time. No word as to which airline offered them a later flight.

– Attempted suicide & murder in Pattaya love triangle
Pattaya police detained a 57 year old PE and football referee who had stabbed himself multiple times before threatening officers and medics. Only disarmed after he fell unconscious from his wounds, as medics treated HIM so others discovered his newly deceased 51 year old lady friend, a former Jomtien guest house operator. Police believe that SHE had been his lover, something that her HUSBAND, also at the scene, could not confirm as he was reportedly in a state of shock.

– Biker group leaders arrested in Pattaya
The Outlaws Biker group has been targeted over the past 4 days by police investigating the dismemberment of a 62 year old german discovered in a domestic freezer following a citywide operation involving local and national police. In addition to the 4 currently held without bail and arrested over a week ago, raids on 8 addresses saw documents and computers seized and 3 more foreigners taken into custody including the group leader, an Austrian, an American and a Swiss. Amid police claims that the group were heavily into drugs and human trafficking, it is expected that more will be arrested in the coming days. Other biker groups have reportedly been astounded at recent events as this region and indeed Thailand has for decades hosted numerous groups of varying nationalities all integrating without any issue and in many cases supporting community events and causes.

– Pattaya Marathon sets record
Pattaya’s annual marathon was a huge success both days over the weekend. Despite the damp weather, some 15K runners competed in the 30th yearly event, drawing pro runners from around the globe. Said to have seen the biggest turn out to date, won by an Ethiopian, and with top places in most of the events going to HIS fellow countrymen and those from Kenya, it was a THAI who came second in the mens half marathon despite the huge competition.

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