Most favour Abhisit for Democrat leadership: poll

Most favour Abhisit for Democrat leadership: poll
Abhisit Vejjajiva, former leader of the Democrat Party, attends a party meeting on July 9. (Photo: Varuth Hiranyatheb)

Most people are of the opinion that Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister and former leader of the Democrat Party, should be re-elected as party chief, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on Aug 9-10 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on who should be the next Democrat Party leader after the resignation of Jurin Laksanawisit.

Of the 1,310 respondents, 58.63% said they had never voted for a Democrat in past elections; 31.91% said they had, but not in the May 14, 2023 poll; 9.31% said they had, including in the most recent election, and 0.15% said they had never exercised their right to vote. 

Asked who they thought was suitable to be the next leader of the Democrat Party, the mutliple-choice answers varied as follows:

• 37.48% chose Abhisit Vejjajiva, the former party leader from March 2005 to March 2019
• 24.43% Chuan Leekpai, who stepped down the the party leadership in 2003
• 9.85% Suchatvee Suwansawat
• 4.27% Watanya Bunnag (Madam Dear)
• 3.05% Jurin Laksanawisit, a former party leader
• 2.90% Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich
• 2.67% Alongkorn Polabutr
• 1.76% Banyat Bantadtan, a former party leader
• 1.60% Narapat Kaewthong
• 1.46% combined for Chalermchai Sri-on, Det-it Khaothing, Mallika Boonmeetrakul and Sathit Pitutecha

The rest, 10.53%, had no answers or were not interested.

Mr Jurin resigned as leader of the Democrat Party on May 15 after the party’s poor showing in the May 14 election, when it won only 25 House seats, about half the number it obtained in the 2019 election. His resignation necessitated an election for the new party leader and new executive committee, matters which are still unresolved.

The party twice called a general assembly for this purpose, but failed to hold the vote on both occasions due to the lack of quorum, obviously as a result of internal rifts.

The Democrat Party was founded in April 1946, and is the country’s oldest political party. The South of Thailand and Bangkok used to be the party’s main support bases, but the party’s popularity in the two areas has sharply declined over the past two decades.

Continue Reading

Statement of the Caux Round Table on Moral Responsibility

Overview:

The Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism is an international network of principled business leaders and professionals working to promote a moral capitalism. The CRT advocates implementation of its ethical Principles for Business through which principled capitalism can flourish and sustainable and socially responsible prosperity can become the foundation for a fair, free and transparent global society. The Caux Round Table meets annually in dialogue to consider the current alignment of global business, governments, and civil society with its ideals of a Moral Capitalism. The 2023 Global Dialogue was convened at Mountain House, Caux, Switzerland. – Stephen B Young, Rapporteur



For too long, we have acted on the narrowest of our self-interests and focused on our disagreements, allowing differences and personal rivalries to become so toxic as to put out of mind and heart our interdependence, along with the vulnerabilities and dreams which so deeply make us human. Thus forgetful, we have forsaken our due responsibilities.

The results of this irresponsibility are right before our eyes and so openly expressed in the uncertainty and anger that are poisoning our politics and cultures and unjustly distorting our economies.

The evidence we cannot escape

Why has irresponsibility become so common? What has turned so many of us away from being good, considerate people and responsible leaders?

On all levels – international, national, regional, local, familial, individual – there is an almost irreversible lack of trust in institutions and in others.  Individual autonomy has been idolized, allowing atomistic and antagonistic self-absorption to run amok. 

The wondrous power of working together, which we call social capital, is collapsing all around us. Realizing our fullest capacities, which we call human capital, is under siege from technology and economies that all to readily use us for the benefit of others.

Today, our global community is neither prospering nor hopeful. For the first time in seventy years, there is trench warfare in Europe. In virtually all democracies, parties have become more extreme, adversarial and even dictatorial. 

Russia and China have formed an entente, insisting on a civilizational model that operates without the constraints of universal human rights. Military buildups continue around the world and even the use of nuclear weapons is casually threatened.

Minorities in France, Palestinians in Israel and African Americans in the US riot and protest a lack of inclusion in their national commonwealths. Hindus in India distance themselves from non-Hindus. Economic development disappoints in Latin America and Africa, leading to military coups and sectarian violence. 

Social media grow increasingly antisocial, fostering self-absorption, dehumanization of others and loneliness. Forest fires rage and floods devastate lives, with more such natural calamities to come. The rich get richer.

Remembering the way forward

Thousands of years of human and social development have illumined the folly of such carelessness toward others. Responsibility is a common teaching of all wisdom traditions. 

The Hebrew scriptures teach stewardship of God’s creation as our dignifying human vocation. Shinto proposes the presence of the divine in all aspects of creation from human commitments to all else that nature provides. Buddhism advocates the Middle Way of avoiding excess and seeking equilibrium with others and with nature. 

With the Beatitudes, Jesus summons the humility, mercy and hunger for justice that are at the heart of living equitably with one another. Jesus also gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan as a role model of taking responsibility. 

The Koran asks that we keep the balance (mizan).

Non-religious thinkers deduced similar principles of equilibrium for social harmony. In China, the Doctrine of the Mean proposes that to live well and happily, we thoughtfully balance our options and our emotions to avoid putting ourselves in a corner from which there is no escape. Aristotle similarly proposed living intentionally in harmony with the ups and downs of life. So did Cicero, who advised living with honor and foresight in making decisions.

What we can do together and what we must do together

How should our global community address these destabilizing conditions and the anxiety they have generated? With ethics.

Ethical wisdom restrains power and promotes prosperity.

This is not a time for blaming, for pointing fingers at others, for assuming that any one of us is exempt from changing or for making a contribution to our human destiny. As rational persons with sensibilities for empathy and compassion, each of us have inalienable responsibilities, as well as rights.

Expressing responsibility – the ability to respond to the moral demands of a moment or situation – engages our moral sense, as well as our creativity. Throughout history, only ethical imagination penetrates societal despair and inspires hope and only ethical engagement engenders reciprocities of responsibility.

Obviously, those who govern, who manage businesses and who lead social and cultural institutions must work hard, with courage and imagination, to regain the public’s trust.  But that will not be enough. Given the scale of our global problems, each of us now share similar duties to speak up for responsibility, to be responsible and so to make a difference for good.

The rich get richer, while the world confronts a hunger crisis. Wealth and income inequalities have widened markedly, creating disequilibria for societies and instability in their politics. With gross imbalance in the distribution of wealth, for some to save and others to share would responsibly promote the middle over the extremes. Gratitude for opportunity and humility in success should ethically guide our economic elites.

Although there are innumerable theories of ethics, with each religion or culture emphasizing particular features, the core of ethics is a recognition of our personal responsibility – making a commitment to others, making a whole out of individual parts, finding our place in relationship with others and by doing so, taking pride in who we are and in what difference we can make to the shared common good every day with what we say and what we do.

Responsibility comes from within us, from the quiet voice within that can speak to us at any time and in any circumstance. Responsibility works by linking us to others so that we are not alone. Irresponsibility, on the other hand, brings forth narcissism and loneliness. Narcissus died alone looking at his image reflected in the water. Relationships and responsibility bring us closer to authentic and confident happiness.

Our responsibilities more than our rights show the world who we are and what we are made of. But if we don’t know who we are, if we are at a loss for meaning and purpose, then how can we be responsible? Narcissus fixated on his image, on his superficiality, and therefore took no responsibility either for himself or for others.

Responsibility does not impinge on our rights. Rather our rights empower and require us to be responsible. Rights balanced by responsibility and responsibility balanced by rights bring us to equilibrium and a good footing in life. Such equilibrium is justice for us and for others.

Aggressive assertion of rights can easily open the door to resentments, personal and communal, to disputes small and large, and even to war. Therefore, our fundamental responsibilities must include seeking peace among persons and between nations.

In a perfect world, rights and responsibilities would be equally advocated. But in the push-and-pull of history, whenever fears and arrogance debase our natures, there are times when basic rights can be preserved or advanced only through the exercise of great responsibility.

As we ponder our rights, as we look to our freedoms, let us rigorously assume our proper responsibilities to generate the ethical balance we need so that all of us may prosper now, and in generations to come. 

Thus to bring justice to our global community, we must start with stepping up to shouldering our responsibilities.

Continue Reading

Tour boat sunk by waterspout off Phetchaburi, 1 dead, 1 missing

Tour boat sunk by waterspout off Phetchaburi, 1 dead, 1 missing
A video clip taken by a man dining with his family at a restaurant shows a tour boat, with seven tourists on board, being hit by a waterspout on Saturday afternoon. The tourists went missing when the tour boat sank. Five were rescued and two were still missing. (Screenshot)

PHETCHABURI: A tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck five from the water to safety, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man was continuing.

Continue Reading

Tour boat sinks off Phetchaburi, 1 dead, 1 missing

Tour boat sinks off Phetchaburi, 1 dead, 1 missing
A video clip taken by a man dining with his family at a restaurant shows a tour boat, with seven tourists on board, being hit by a waterspout on Saturday afternoon. (Screenshot)

PHETCHABURI: One tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers, all Thais, for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck four women and a man from the water to safety with only minor injuries, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man in his early twenties was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

A search and rescue team works near where the tour boat capsized, on Sunday. (Photo: Chaiwat Satyaem)

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man, also believed to be in his early twenties, was continuing.

Thailand has a poor health and safety track record on the water. Tourist hotspots have seen serious accidents, such as the deaths of almost 50 Chinese tourists in 2018 after their boat capsized off holiday island Phuket.

Continue Reading

Tour boat sunk by waterspout off Phetchaburi, 2 missing

Tour boat sunk by waterspout off Phetchaburi, 2 missing
A video clip taken by a man dining with his family at a restaurant shows a tour boat, with seven tourists on board, being hit by a waterspout on Saturday afternoon. The tourists went missing when the tour boat sank. Five of them were rescued and two were still missing. (Screenshot)

PHETCHABURI: Two tourists remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

The vessel sank and the seven passengers went missing.

A rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for the missing people. The rescuers managed to pluck five from the water to safety, but two remained unaccounted for.

Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the two missing tourists was continuing.

Continue Reading

Tour boat hit, sunk by waterspout, 2 missing

PHETCHABURI: Two tourists went missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion of the Ban Ta Boon bay.

The vessel sank and the seven passengers went missing.

A rescue unit of the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched for a rescue mission. The rescuers managed to pluck five passengers from the water to safety, but two were still missing.

Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaii shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip of the tour boat while it was struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

A search continued for the two tourists still missing.

Continue Reading

Ground softening for big Russian offensive

It is still too early to say whether the direction of the Ukraine war has changed, but there is increasing evidence that Ukraine’s inability to penetrate Russian defenses along the southern line, and challenges in the directions of Kupyansk, Lyman and Bakhmut suggests the entire war could be reaching a decisive conclusion.

It is, for that reason, that the Biden administration is asking Congress for $20 billion for Ukraine. The idea seems to be to provide psychological support to both President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian army.

This time, however, Congress may not rubber stamp this outlandish money request. It is not clear why US$20 billion is needed, and sentiment in the US and Europe is starting to shift toward finding a solution to this costly and difficult war. 

Concerns range from depleting US strategic reserves to prolonging a conflict that increasingly looks like it will end up badly in a Ukrainian defeat. While opposition is well short of a majority, further battlefield setbacks could lead Congress to change its mind on financial requests that break the bank.

One thing is certain: It is unlikely that any Washington politician can mobilize public support for the war.

Information about Russian operations, particularly in the Kupyansk direction, is hard to find. The Russians are not calling their operations an offensive, although unconfirmed reports say that Russia has mustered 100,000 or more troops for their operation in this area, and have moved in a lot of heavy equipment. 

Most revealing was a convoy of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers, seen heading to the area. There also have been reports of Ukrainian units refusing to fight, and while information on such mutinies has been suppressed, it seems to have happened in the past few days.

Zelensky is hoping to retake Bakhmut, his key objective before he lost the city to Wagner forces. At the moment Bakhmut city is not threatened. Instead, the Ukrainians have been trying to take back settlements to the north and south of the city. 

The latest information is that early Ukrainian advances in both directions have been repulsed, and that any hope Zelensky may have of creating a victory on the ashes of Bakhmut seems to have failed to materialize.  

The Bakhmut venture, once it is finally sorted out, could create a huge internal problem for Zelensky. He is about to fire his defense minister, the man who fronted for him in getting arms from Europe and the United States. Anticipated replacement candidates are, for the most part, inexperienced and unconnected to the war.  

Oleksiy Reznikov, the sitting defense minister, may be tipped to be sent to the UK as the Ukrainian ambassador. No one can say for sure whether Ukraine’s military still supports Zelensky, but as more and more cracks appear in Kiev, it is a good bet that they may take matters into their own hands. Should that happen, Zelensky will likely be deposed.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (l) with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov Source: US Embassy, Kiev

Ukraine has brought up reserve units, many NATO-trained, to try and head off any big Russian advance.

But committing these reserves leaves Ukraine with less trained brigades for the future, since Russia’s primary strategy has been to let them come in fairly close and then pound them with artillery, air strikes and aerial mines. It is now reported that Ukraine has ordered a mass evacuation, while at the same time mining bridges and roads to slow a Russian advance.

The Russians have been fairly clever in managing their war front. Few attacks have been made on Kiev, except one more than a month ago on Ukraine’s intelligence center in the city. 

Little is said in the Russian press about the top Ukrainian commanders, Valerii Zaluzhny and Oleksandr Syrskyi, other than to note that the Ukrainian army operates professionally. This may suggest the Russian door is open to dialogue with Ukraine’s military.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Wagner troops in Belarus are starting to return to Russia. The immediate cause is that Belarus has refused to pay them, leaving them without salaries for their troops or money to purchase equipment. 

It is possible that some of them will be shipped off to Africa. While Russia has not supported the coup in Niger, that disclaimer does not necessarily apply to Wagner. The recent decision of ECOWAS to agree to putting together a military operation to “restore democracy in Niger,” offers Russia and Wagner a significant opportunity. 

ECOWAS troops are nearly as bad as Niger’s. They lack transport, communications and supplies. Any war there, without an outside stabilizing force, is likely to become a war of atrocities. No one knows whether Putin will tip his hat to Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and fly them into Niamey.  

Niger, of course, is a sideshow and Ukraine is the main event, with significant geopolitical implications. The Russians have been holding out instead of starting a big push to finish the war, trying to wear down the Ukrainians and split support for the war in Kiev. 

But war planners in Moscow know how to count, and it could be they now see opportunities for a big offensive. If it materializes, keep an eye on Kupyansk. 

Stephen Bryen is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and the Yorktown Institute. This article was originally published on Weapons and Strategy, his Substack. Asia Times is republishing it with permission. 

Continue Reading

Prawit not quitting politics just yet, ‘willing’ to accept new govt post

Prawit not quitting politics just yet, 'willing' to accept new govt post
Prawit: PPRP leader and PM candidate

Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is not leaving politics just yet and has never knocked back the prospect of a post in the next government, deputy PPRP leader Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said.

Mr Chaiwut, who serves as Digital Economy and Society Minister, was speaking following a report the PPRP would join a coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party.

According to a source, Pheu Thai has now sealed a deal with the PPRP and the party has agreed to vote for Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate in exchange for slices of the cabinet quota cake.

The source said the Pheu Thai-led coalition would be down to 278 MPs from the previous 315 MPs reported on Friday as the United Thai Nation Party has not yet confirmed its support.

Asked whether Gen Prawit would accept any cabinet post in the Pheu Thai-led coalition government after a report surfaced that he would let his younger brother Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, the PPRP’s chief adviser, take a cabinet post instead, Mr Chaiwut said: “[Gen Prawit] never said he would not accept a post.” Mr Chaiwut said Gen Prawit remains the party’s leader and PM candidate.

Quizzed about Phai Lik, a PPRP MP for Kamphaeng Phet, who earlier said PPRP’s 40 MPs would vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate, Mr Chaiwut said that was the opinion of some MPs. Mr Chaiwut said the party will meet to decide whether to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition.

Deputy UTN leader Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana also said on Saturday that the party will meet on Tuesday to discuss whether it will take part in the coalition.

Continue Reading

Hoping for better days

Hoping for better days
Party time: Foreign revellers enjoy themselves at the monthly Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani in this file photo.

The business sector says Thailand’s tourism has not reached its peak. Many say the complicated tourist visa application process, criminal activities and delays in the formation of the next government have discouraged tourists.

Chaiyapruk Thongkam, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, said a lull in the sector expected in the second half of this year would result in similar tourist numbers as H1, due to intractable factors such as natural disasters and unstable politics.

In terms of numbers, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) found that during the first seven months of the year, Thailand welcomed 1,935,241 Chinese tourists. ATTA forecast the number of Chinese tourists might not reach the target of 5 million set for the year but rather reach 4.2-4.5 million Chinese visitors instead.

“The exhausting process of establishing a new government might be followed by protests. Plus, tourism agencies will have to rely on the next government to finalise the annual budget,” Mr Chaiyapruk said.

“If the government comes together quickly, we will be able to prepare tourism campaigns for the country,” he added. The number of domestic tourists at the moment is only 50-60% of the estimated total for the high season, running from October this year to April next year.

“If we were subsidised by the government, we would design programmes to take tourists to visit small or regional cities and offer guides for cross-provincial trips,” Mr Chaiyapruk added.

Targeting short-haul tourists

The caretaker government has tried to attract long-haul tourists from Europe, the United States and the Middle East as they tend to stay longer and have more spending power.

Mr Chaiyapruk said that in his view, Thailand should focus on attracting more tourists from countries in Asia, such as Japan.

“We should focus more on countries where air travel is convenient, especially Japan. Thailand has yet to become a top destination for Japanese tourists so we should try penetrating their market,” Mr Chaiyapruk said.

Meanwhile, domestic tourism has slowed due to demand for international flights. Air carriers are shifting their domestic planes to international routes to cater to foreign travellers.

When asked about the number of Chinese tourists after China reopened after Covid-19 earlier this year, Mr Chaiyapruk said the number of tourists from this source has fallen short of target.

One notable issue is that Chinese tourists find it hard to apply for Thai tourist visas. Many say visas on arrival take too much time and cost more than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plus, immigration services at train stations along the Thai border are not fully functional, which costs Chinese tourists on high-speed trains both time and money. The trains now connect China and Laos.

As a result of these problems, many have switched to visiting Vietnam where the immigration process is less complicated and travel facilities more amenable, said Mr Chaiyapruk.

“The government should hold talks about visa exemptions under bilateral agreements. The policy should be loose enough to encourage international tourists to visit Thailand,” he said.

Chaiyapruk Thongkam, president of the Association of Domestic Travel

On Aug 10, the government further relaxed its tourist visa requirements and shortened the standard time required for approving visas for Chinese visitors to make the process easier.

Under the new requirements, Chinese visitors are only required to submit just six documents along with their visa application.

These are their passport, three photos, an air ticket, a document showing where they are staying, a document certifying their permanent residence, and financial statements, says deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek.

This will also soon halve the application process to seven working days.

Islands still popular

Ratchaporn Poonsawat, chairman of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said most visitors to Koh Samui are from European countries and make up 80-90% of hotel occupancies.

He added that two full-moon parties will take place this month, which are likely to draw tourists to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan until September.

Ratchaporn: ‘Safety still a concern’

Earlier this month, the shocking news of a Colombian plastic surgeon being murdered by his boyfriend put Koh Phangan in the spotlight again.

Mr Ratchaporn said the murder stemmed from personal issues between the couple and would not affect the overall tourism situation.

He said safety issues concern tourists more, such as ferry and pier safety standards and the risk of road accidents.

“Thailand is still ranked as one of the countries with the most road accidents and many tourists ignore traffic rules,” said Mr Ratchaporn.

Locals and entrepreneurs in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are aware of the importance of safety.

Mr Ratchaporn said the recent murder of the Colombian surgeon was quickly solved and police made sure the legal process was transparent.

Nonetheless, many are concerned that crime in Thailand will affect the country’s tourism image.

Slowly but surely: People arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport which has recorded a steadily increasing number of international arrivals.

Ensuring tourist safety

Pol Lt Gen Sukhun Prommayon, commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, admitted that murders among foreign tourists in Thailand are difficult to prevent for they tend to be personal matters.

While street crimes still concern locals and tourists, the crime rate has dropped as police regularly patrol around popular tourist areas.

Police also work with local entrepreneurs to solve scams targeting foreign tourists. “I do not believe crimes in Thailand are pushing tourists away,” Pol Lt Gen Sukhun said. He said vigilant civilians can help police learn about local crimes.

Pol Lt Gen Sukhun said the declining number of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand might also be because of the Chinese economy and false information released to make tourists nervous.

“[Police] are working to battle fake news spreading among Chinese tourists who are interested in a holiday in Thailand.

“The news said they would be held hostage for a ransom or ripped off in scams where people have their organs harvested, which is just false,” said Pol Lt Gen Sukhun.

Now the visa application process has eased, the number of Chinese travellers should increase by the end of this year, he predicted.

Sukhun: ‘Fake news puts people off’

Continue Reading