Thailand’s military government appointed a committee on October 5 to draft the country’s 20th constitution after an earlier draft was rejected.
The 21-member committee has six months to write a new draft, after which it will solicit approval from the legislature and put the constitution to a referendum, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, adding that this will delay the upcoming election until at least 2017.
Adviser to the government Meechai Ruchupan was selected to lead the committee, which is made up of lawyers, scholars, civil servants and military officials.
Last month, Thailand’s National Reform Council (NRC) rejected the draft constitution as it met strong opposition from almost all parties.-VNA
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha announced on September 15 that he will curtail the general election procedure, which is traditionally scheduled over 20 months.
Thai former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and some former Cabinet members will have to pay 510 billion THB (14.3 billion USD) in compensation for the losses incurred by the rice subsidy scheme.
Thailand’s new six-month, multiple-entry tourist visas will become available from November 13, announced the country’s Foreign Ministry on September 22.
Several key Thai government websites were brought down late on September 30, believed to be a form of protest against the government’s plan to introduce a single Internet gateway for the country.
Thai authorities are considering legal action against protesters who launched cyber-attacks that disrupted access to a number of government websites including the Prime Minister’s.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Illustrative image (Source: Xinhua/VNA)
