Latest Thailand government News

Myanmar's army is facing battlefield challenges and grants amnesty to troops jailed for being AWOL

Dec. 08, 2023 00:39 AM EST

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government has been freeing soldiers and police who had been jailed for desertion and absence without leave, seeking to get them to return to active duty, a police officer and an army officer said Thursday. The releases follow an an amnesty plan...

Bus crashes in western Thailand, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30 others

Dec. 05, 2023 00:57 AM EST

BANGKOK (AP) — A bus crashed in western Thailand early Tuesday, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30 others, officials said. The accident occurred in Prachuap Khiri Khan province as the bus was traveling from the capital, Bangkok, to Songkhla province in the deep south. It...

Former Myanmar colonel who once served as information minister gets 10-year prison term for sedition

Nov. 30, 2023 11:27 AM EST

BANGKOK (AP) — A former high-profile Myanmar army officer who had served as information minister and presidential spokesperson in a previous military-backed government has been convicted of sedition and incitement, a legal official said Thursday. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. ...

Hamas releases 10 Thai hostages, 4 of whom had not been listed as abducted

Nov. 24, 2023 23:55 PM EST

BANGKOK (AP) — Hamas freed 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino alongside Israeli hostages who were part of the first swap under a new cease-fire deal — including four Thais who had not been officially listed as abducted, Thailand's Foreign Ministry announced Saturday morning. Thais...

Biden promises a better economic relationship with Asia, but he's specifically avoiding a trade deal

Nov. 16, 2023 10:33 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is nurturing economic ties this week with Asia, but he is not signing any trade deals at a regional summit in San Francisco. This fact — no trade deals — reveals much about the status of U.S. politics, the evolving global economy and the...

Stay in Israel, or flee? Thai workers caught up in Hamas attack and war are faced with a dilemma

Nov. 02, 2023 21:33 PM EDT

BANGKOK (AP) — When Hamas militants stormed into Israeli villages and towns along the border of the blockaded Gaza Strip last month, many Thai migrant agricultural workers shared the fate of hundreds of Israelis who were killed, kidnapped or forced to run for their lives. Since...

Daughter of divisive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin named head of political party linked to him

Oct. 27, 2023 07:04 AM EDT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s ruling party on Friday selected as its leader the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the country’s divisive former prime minister, highlighting the family’s continuing influence more than two decades after Thaksin entered politics. Paetongtarn...

Myanmar's military seeks to keep ethnic minority allies on its side with anniversary of cease-fire

Oct. 15, 2023 20:36 PM EDT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government hosted representatives from ethnic rebel groups Sunday to mark the eighth anniversary of the signing of a multilateral cease-fire agreement. But the event was boycotted by three of the signatories that oppose the current army-installed regime. ...

Thai and Filipino workers filling labor gap in Israel get caught up in war between Israel and Hamas

Oct. 12, 2023 20:48 PM EDT

BANGKOK (AP) — The first group of Thai workers evacuated from Israel after the past few days’ bloody events in southern Israel and Gaza arrived Thursday in the Thai capital of Bangkok, greeted by anxious relatives and senior officials. Hamas militants stormed through a border...

Struggling Malaysian budget carrier MyAirline abruptly suspends service, leaving travelers stranded

Oct. 12, 2023 11:25 AM EDT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian budget carrier MYAirline abruptly suspended operations Thursday, citing financial pressures less than 11 months after it took to the skies. The cancellation of the airline's 40 flights stranded thousands of passengers. MYAirline made the...