Latest news with #Thailand
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Airport bomb threat sparks warning for Aussies travelling to popular holiday destination
Aussies heading to Thailand have been issued an urgent travel warning after a bomb was found near Phuket International Airport this week. 'There's an ongoing risk of terrorism in Thailand,' Australia's official travel advice service, Smartraveller, said in a statement on Saturday morning. 'Popular tourist areas may be the target of terrorist attacks anywhere across Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket. 'This follows discovery of an explosive device near the airport this week. 'Thai authorities defused devices in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga this week and have made related arrests in recent days.' The service added that Phuket International Airport has increased security measures and that passengers flying out of the airport should arrive well ahead of their flights. 'The security situation in Thailand can be unpredictable,' the advice continued. 'Large protests have occurred in Bangkok and other areas. In previous years, large political protests and government crowd control operations have resulted in violence.' The service also urged Aussies in Thailand to be alert to risks around drink spiking, and to never leave food or drinks unattended. Holidaymakers should stay with people they trust at bars, nightclubs and in taxis. Travellers were told to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand overall due to security and safety risks, while they should 'reconsider the need to travel' to Yala province, Pattani province, and Narathiwat province due to ongoing risks of insurgent activity, including terrorism. Thailand is a major destination for Australians, with about 800,000 Aussies visiting the country each year before Covid.
The Independent
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Protesters gather in Bangkok to demand Thai prime minister's resignation over leaked Cambodia call
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Thailan d's capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent border dispute with Cambodia involving an armed confrontation May 28. One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area. The recorded phone call with Hun Sen was at the heart of the demonstration Saturday and has set off a string of investigations in Thailand that could lead to Paetongtarn's removal. Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn telling Hun Sen, the current Cambodian Senate president, not to listen to 'an opponent' in Thailand. It's believed to be a reference to the regional Thai army commander in charge of the area where the clash happened, who publicly criticized Cambodia over the border dispute. Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At a huge stage set up at the monument, speakers expressed their love for Thailand following the intensified border dispute. Many of the leading figures in the protest were familiar faces from a group popularly known as Yellow Shirts, whose clothing color indicates loyalty to the Thai monarchy. They are longtime foes of Paetongtarn's father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who reportedly has a close relationship with Hun Sen. Yellow Shirts rallies turned violent and led to military coups in 2006 and 2014, which respectively ousted the elected governments of Thaksin and Paetongtarn's aunt, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Hun Sen responds Hun Sen on Saturday vowed to protect his country's territory from foreign invaders and condemned what he called an attack by Thai forces last month. At a 74th anniversary celebration of the foundation of his long-ruling Cambodian People's Party, Hun Sen claimed the action by the Thai army was illegal when it engaged Cambodian forces. He said the skirmish inside Cambodian territory was a serious violation of country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite Cambodia's good will in attempting to resolve the border issue. 'This poor Cambodia has suffered from foreign invasion, war and genocide, been surrounded and isolated and insulted in the past, but now Cambodia has risen on an equal face with other countries. We need peace, friendship, cooperation and development the most and we have no politics and no unfriendly stance with any nation,' Hun Sen said in front of thousands of party members at the event in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. There is a long history of territorial disputes between the countries. Thailand is still rattled by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded Cambodia the disputed territory where the historic Preah Vihear temple stands. There were sporadic though serious clashes there in 2011. The ruling from the U.N. court was reaffirmed in 2013, when Yingluck was prime minister. Political fracture and investigations The scandal has broken Paetongtarn's fragile coalition government, costing her Pheu Thai Party the loss of its biggest partner, Bhumjaithai Party. There already was a rift between Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai Party over reports Bhumjaithai would be shuffled out of the powerful Interior Ministry. Several Bhumjaithai leaders also are under investigation over an alleged rigging of last year's Senate election in which many figures who are reportedly close to the party claimed a majority of seats. The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house. Paetongtarn also faces investigations by the Constitutional Court and the national anti-corruption agency. Their decisions could lead to her removal from office. Sarote Phuengrampan, secretary-general of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said Wednesday that his agency is investigating Paetongtarn for a serious breach of ethics over the Hun Sen phone call. He did not give a possible timeline for a decision. Reports said the Constitutional Court can suspend Paetongtarn from duty pending the investigation and could decide as early as next week whether it will take the case. The prime minister said Tuesday she is not worried and is ready to give evidence to support her case. 'It was clear from the phone call that I had nothing to gain from it, and I also didn't cause any damage to the country,' she said. The court last year removed her predecessor from Pheu Thai over a breach of ethics. Thailand's courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are considered a bulwark of the country's royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent state agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents. Protest voices Tasana Soma, 60, a retiree from Saraburi province who attended Saturday's rally, said the current conflict with Cambodia is a result of Thailand's weak government. 'The prime minister must resign to take responsibility for her cluelessness. She's utterly immature and has no leadership skills,' she said. Tatchakorn Srisuwan, 47, a guide from Surat Thani, said he arrived in Bangkok on a morning train to demand Paetongtarn's resignation over the leaked call. 'From a heart of a Thai person, we've never had a prime minister who's so weak. We've never had a prime minister that's so soft toward a country that's smaller than us," he said. "We don't want to invade anyone, but we want to say that we are Thai and we want to protect Thailand's sovereignty.' ___
CNA
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Thai protesters call for Prime Minister Paetongtarn's resignation
BANGKOK: Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday (Jun 28) demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as her government faces rising anger over a border row with Cambodia. The rally, the largest anti-government protest since her Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023, increases pressure on Paetongtarn, 38, who is battling to revive a faltering economy and keep a fragile government coalition together ahead of a potential no confidence vote next month. Protesters waved flags beside Victory Monument, a war memorial at a busy intersection, in a demonstration organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have rallied against other Shinawatra-backed governments over the last two decades. While the past protests did not directly cause the downfall of those governments, they built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014. The political turmoil in Thailand threatens to further damage the country's struggling economic recovery. Paetongtarn said on Saturday that she was not concerned about the protest and had instructed authorities to ensure the gathering was peaceful. "It's within people's rights and I will not retaliate," she said. The prime minister, who now controls a slim majority coalition following the exit of former partner Bhumjaithai Party last week, could face a no confidence vote when parliament reconvenes next week. Bhumjaithai Party last week withdrew its support for the government citing the risk of a loss of Thai sovereignty and integrity after a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodia's former premier Hun Sen. During the call, Paetongtarn appeared to seek to appease the veteran Cambodian politician and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised for her comments. The prime minister also faces judicial scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and a national anti-graft body with a wide remit to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call. Decisions from either bodies could lead to her removal. Hun Sen, a former ally of the Shinawatras, made an unprecedented public attack on Paetongtarn and her family in an hours-long televised speech on Friday, calling for a change in government in Thailand. The Thai foreign ministry described the speech as "extraordinary" while insisting that Thailand prefers to use diplomacy to resolve the escalating bilateral dispute.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Thai protesters call for Prime Minister Paetongtarn's resignation
BANGKOK, June 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as her government faces rising anger over a border row with Cambodia. The rally, the largest anti-government protest since her Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023, increases pressure on Paetongtarn, 38, who is battling to revive a faltering economy and keep a fragile government coalition together ahead of a potential no confidence vote next month. Protesters waved flags beside Victory Monument, a war memorial at a busy intersection, in a demonstration organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have rallied against other Shinawatra-backed governments over the last two decades. While the past protests did not directly cause the downfall of those governments, they built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014. The political turmoil in Thailand threatens to further damage the country's struggling economic recovery. Paetongtarn said on Saturday that she was not concerned about the protest and had instructed authorities to ensure the gathering was peaceful. "It's within people's rights and I will not retaliate," she said. The prime minister, who now controls a slim majority coalition following the exit of former partner Bhumjaithai Party last week, could face a no confidence vote when parliament reconvenes next week. Bhumjaithai Party last week withdrew its support for the government citing the risk of a loss of Thai sovereignty and integrity after a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodia's former premier Hun Sen. During the call, Paetongtarn appeared to seek to appease the veteran Cambodian politician and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised for her comments. The prime minister also faces judicial scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and a national anti-graft body with a wide remit to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call. Decisions from either bodies could lead to her removal. Hun Sen, a former ally of the Shinawatras, made an unprecedented public attack on Paetongtarn and her family in an hours-long televised speech on Friday, calling for a change in government in Thailand. The Thai foreign ministry described the speech as "extraordinary" while insisting that Thailand prefers to use diplomacy to resolve the escalating bilateral dispute.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Thai ‘Yellow Shirts' return to demand Paetongtarn's removal after leaked Hun Sen call
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Thailand 's capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen. Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent border dispute with Cambodia involving an armed confrontation on May 28. One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area. The clash set off a string of investigations that could lead to her removal. Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok. Protesters gather at Bangkok's Victory Monument demanding the resignation of Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Saturday. Photo: AP A huge stage was set up at the foot of the monument as participants sat and listened to speakers who said they gathered to express their love of the country following the intensified border row.
