PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA

Leaders from around the Asia-Pacific have condemned and called for an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Pacific Rim leaders are seeking common ground on the war in Ukraine and other dire threats to humankind in an annual meeting that began Friday in Bangkok.

Thailand has relatively strict firearm rules that officials are seeking to tighten and better enforce after the Nong Bua Lamphu day-care center slaughter.

Grieving families have gathered at a Buddhist temple to pray and make offerings to the spirits of their deceased toddlers who were killed amid a rampage by a former police officer who shot and slashed them with knives at their day care in northeastern Thailand last week

Families offered flowers and dolls, popcorn and juice boxes to the children massacred at a day care center in Thailand.

Relatives wailed and collapsed in grief over the small coffins of children after a fired police officer stormed a rural Thai day care center at naptime and massacred dozens of people.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha can remain in his job and did not violate a constitutional provision limiting him to eight years in office.

Thailand has entered a phase of political uncertainty, with its prime minister suspended and his deputy taking over in his stead pending a ruling from a top court on whether the premier has reached his constitutional term limit.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's removal is likely to only be temporary going by past trends. But letting him stay poses some risks.

Thailand’s government convened its first Cabinet meeting Thursday under an acting prime minister, after its leader was suspended from his duties while a court decides if the 2014 coup leader violated the country’s term limits.

Protesters in Thailand have called for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to step down, saying he has exceeded his constitutional term limit.

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who last month fled anti-government protests in his country, arrived in Thailand on Thursday night on a flight from Singapore, where he had been staying since mid-July. Thai television stations showed Rajapaksa and a woman believed to be his wife outside the VIP hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport being led to a limousine, which then drove off to an undisclosed destination. Officials in Thailand on Wednesday said they had been asked by the Sri Lankan government to allow him entry, and that he would be permitted to stay temporarily.

Cybersecurity researchers have found that Thai activists involved in the country’s pro-democracy protests had their cell phones or other devices infected and attacked with spyware.

Summer travel is underway across the globe, but a full recovery from two years of coronavirus could last as long as the pandemic itself.

A North Korean army medic hands out medication to counter 'fever' -- a term Pyongyang often uses to refer to Covid -- and related sickness. The medic, Jong Jun Ho says the number of people receiving treatment for 'fever' has gone down in recent times. North Korea says its Covid-19 outbreak has been brought under control, but experts question the official numbers given the isolated country has one of the world's worst healthcare systems and likely no Covid-19 drugs or mass testing ability.

Residents of the Thai capital Bangkok have elected an independent politician seen as representing opponents of the country’s military-backed government.

Voters in the Thai capital are electing a new governor in a contest delayed by a military coup that still reflects a divided country with main candidates either supported by the conservative establishment or the liberal opposition.

Thailand has announced that beginning next month, visitors who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will no longer have to undergo any test or quarantine on arrival.

Thai royalists have stepped up their campaign to drive out the country’s branch of rights group Amnesty International, handing over copies of a petition to government ministries that they say is backed by more than a million signatures.

Saudi Arabia has ordered the restoration of full diplomatic ties with Thailand and said the countries agreed to trade ambassadors.

Thailand's prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first high-level meeting since relations between the nations soured three decades ago over a sensational jewelry heist that led to a diplomatic row and string of mysterious killings. The official visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to Riyadh signals the nations are seeking to thaw ties, long chilled by the 1989 scandal. Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Thailand over the theft that became known as the Blue Diamond affair.

Thailand will ease entry requirements for vaccinated visitors from all countries next month as concerns about the omicron variant of the coronavirus decline.

Thailand has decided to immediately reimpose a mandatory quarantine for visitors and suspend a “test-and-go” scheme for fully vaccinated arrivals as concerns grow over the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Winter the Dolphin died from intestinal torsion, or a twisting of the intestines, according to veterinarians at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that three pro-democracy activists who called for reform of the monarchy were attempting to overthrow the nation’s system of government with the king as head of state.

Pro-democracy activists in Thailand have announced a campaign to gather 1 million signatures to support the abolition of the law that makes defaming the monarchy a crime

Pro-democracy activists in Thailand on Sunday announced a campaign to gather 1 million signatures to support the abolition of the law that makes defaming the monarchy a crime. About 3,000 people turned out in central Bangkok for a rally urging the end of the lese majeste law -- also known as Article 112 -- which makes even constructive criticism of the royal institution risky. The rally organizers last year began holding street demonstrations with three core demands: the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who initially came to power as army commander by staging a coup in 2014; amendment of the constitution to make it more democratic; and reform of the monarchy to make it more accountable.

Thailand is accelerating plans to reopen the country to foreign tourists, slashing mandatory quarantines beginning Nov. 1 for fully vaccinated visitors arriving by air from 46 countries and territories.

Thailand's prime minister says the country plans to no longer require international visitors from at least 10 low-risk nations to quarantine beginning next month if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday.

Bangkok and other areas of central Thailand received new warnings of possible major flooding, even as disaster relief authorities said Wednesday the threat had eased in 13 of 30 provinces elsewhere that were lashed by seasonal monsoon rains. Seven people have died and two are missing since the weekend from flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Dianmu, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigations said. Bangkok has had no major flooding yet, but many rural areas have been severely affected.

Seasonal monsoon rains may worsen flooding that has already badly affected about a third of Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sacked two Cabinet members on Thursday, including one who was widely reported to have unsuccessfully plotted for him to lose a parliamentary no-confidence vote last week. Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao was deeply controversial even before the alleged mutiny attempt for being imprisoned for four years in Australia in the 1990s in a case involving heroin smuggling. Thammanat won his Cabinet position by being a political power broker capable of turning out the vote in northern Thailand for the governing Palang Pracharath party, and was made party general secretary in June.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has won votes of confidence in Parliament, helping to steady his government after it had come under intense criticism for bungling its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

A long line of cars, trucks and motorbikes wended its way Sunday through the Thai capital Bangkok in a mobile protest against the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. The protesters on wheels hope their nonviolent action, dubbed a “car mob,” can help force the ouster of Prayuth, whom they accuse of botching the campaign against the coronavirus. “There is only one message from this car mob, which is ‘Prayuth get out!‘” Sombat Boonngamanong, a veteran social activist who helped originate such protests in July, said ahead of the protest.

Police in Thailand’s capital have fired rubber bullets and tear gas to stop hundreds of protesters who were attempting to march to the prime minister’s residence to demand he resign over his handling of the country’s coronavirus crisis.

Police in Thailand have clashed for a second time in four days with protesters angry over the government’s handling of a coronavirus surge and a lack of progress in political reform.

Thai riot police have fired water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to repel a crowd of several hundred young anti-government protestors who marched on an army base where Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has his residence to demand his resignation.

A protest leader in Thailand has renewed calls for the reform of the country’s monarchy and suggested that time is running out for the powerful institution to respond.

Thailand implemented have new regulations that appear to broaden the government’s ability to restrict media reports and social media posts about the coronavirus pandemic, raising immediate concerns that authorities will seek to stifle criticism.

Health authorities in Thailand are racing to set up a large field hospital at one of Bangkok’s airports as the country sees new highs in coronavirus infections and deaths.

Authorities in Thailand have began transporting some people who tested positive for the coronavirus from Bangkok to their hometowns for isolation and treatment to alleviate the burden on the capital’s overwhelmed medical system.

The head of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute has apologized for the country’s slow and inadequate rollout of coronavirus vaccines, promising it will join the U.N.-backed COVAX program to receive supplies from its pool of donated vaccines next year.

Thai police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters who held a rally in Bangkok despite coronavirus restrictions banning gatherings of more than five people.

Thai police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons Sunday to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters who held a rally in Bangkok despite coronavirus restrictions banning gatherings of more than five people. The demonstrators were demanding Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government step down, insisting the budget of the monarchy and the military be cut during the pandemic, and calling for the importing mRNA coronavirus vaccines that have yet to be brought to Thailand on a large scale to fight a growing surge of the virus.

Some Las Vegas resorts and casinos are again requiring employees to wear masks, a response to a recommendation by regional health officials amid rising COVID-19 case rates.

Thailand has tightened coronavirus restrictions and warned of further measures as daily cases surpassed 10,000 and the death toll hit a record 141 despite an overnight curfew in Bangkok and several other provinces.

Thailand has tightened coronavirus restrictions further as daily cases surpassed 10,000 and the death toll hit a record 141 on Saturday despite an overnight curfew in Bangkok and several other provinces. Cases have been climbing particularly in Bangkok and surrounding provinces.

"I get out of the car and at one point I see they have guns so I told my husband to run," says the woman who, through tears explains she is a mother of two and never imagined something like this to happen.

A government official says production of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a factory in Thailand has fallen short of its target, likely delaying the country’s plan to acquire a total of 61 million doses until next May.

Thai health authorities say they plan to limit exports of locally produced AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine because the country doesn’t have enough for its own needs.

Officials in Thailand have announced a seven-hour curfew and other restrictions for the capital and nine other provinces to try to slow a growing number of cases and deaths in a coronavirus surge that began in early April.

Several countries around Asia and the Pacific that are experiencing their first major surges of the coronavirus have rushed to implement tough restrictions.

A week into an ambitious but risky plan to open the Thai resort island of Phuket to vaccinated visitors, signs were encouraging that the gambit to resuscitate the decimated tourism industry was working, even as infections elsewhere in the country surged Thursday to record highs. After seeing fewer than 5,000 foreign travelers over the first five months of the year, the island off Thailand's southwest coast, whose economy is 95% reliant on the tourist industry, welcomed 2,399 visitors during the first week of July. The so-called Phuket sandbox plan relies on a strategy of vaccinations, testing and restrictions — measures that officials are hoping are strict enough to mitigate any COVID-19 threat, while still providing enough freedom for tourists to enjoy a beach vacation.

Firefighters have finally extinguished a blaze at a chemical factory just outside the Thai capital, more than 24-hours after it started with an explosion that damaged nearby homes and then let off a clouds of toxic smoke that prompted a widespread evacuation

Firefighters finally extinguished a blaze at a chemical factory just outside the Thai capital early Tuesday, more than 24-hours after it started with an explosion that damaged nearby homes and then let off a clouds of toxic smoke that prompted a widespread evacuation. Little was left of the Ming Dih Chemical factory other than the twisted metal frames and charred remains of its warehouses that were destroyed in the explosion and fire, which broke out at about 3 a.m. Monday.

Health authorities in Thailand have reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases, setting a record for a second straight day, as concerns mount over shortages of treatment facilities and vaccine supplies.

Thailand has opened the popular resort island of Phuket to fully vaccinated foreigners from lower-risk countries in an ambitious but risky plan that it hopes will breathe new life into a tourism industry devastated by the pandemic.

Thailand’s tourism industry has been devastated by the pandemic, and nowhere has it been felt more than the resort island of Phuket, where nearly 95% of the economy is related to the industry.

Faced with a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, the Thai capital has announced a ban on indoor dining and gatherings of more than 20 people.

Faced with a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, the Thai capital on Sunday announced a ban on indoor dining and gatherings of more than 20 people, in addition to the closure of construction sites and the sealing off of workers' quarters in Bangkok and nine other provinces. Thailand reported 3,995 confirmed cases and 42 dead in the last 24 hours. The numbers have doubled recently, and health officials blame a lack of cooperation from migrant workers employed in construction and in factories.

As Thailand struggles to slow its worst wave of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced Friday a one-month lockdown of camps where construction workers are housed in Bangkok and nine other areas. The situation has become critical as the number of hospital beds in Bangkok for seriously ill COVID-19 patients runs short despite the creation of several field hospitals. Prayuth said a proposal for a seven-day curfew for all of Bangkok has been rejected for the time being.

Europe holidays hit by 'quarantine the British’ demand Queen calls Matt Hancock ‘poor man’ in meeting with PM ‘Overcautious’ teachers blamed for student ban jump Euro 2020 exemption for up to 2,000 overseas fans Exams could face disruption 'next year and beyond' NHS workers are being abused in Covid vaccination clinics by people who are refusing the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine due to fears of side effects, it has emerged. Health boards have appealed to the Scottish Government for help to address

The Mississippi Aquarium plans to release seven endangered sea turtles this week, but other institutions in New Orleans and Mississippi are still treating turtles rescued in the fall from frigid New England waters.

Health authorities in Thailand began their much-anticipated mass rollout of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, but it appeared that supplies were falling short of demand from patients who had scheduled vaccinations for this week. Hospitals in various parts of the country have been posting notices for several days that some scheduled appointments would be delayed, adding to existing public skepticism about how many doses Siam Bioscience would be able to produce each month. “The vaccines will be delivered as planned,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters Monday morning as he paid a visit to a vaccination station at an indoor stadium in the capital, Bangkok.

China says its relationship with Cambodia has made positive contributions to regional peace and stability, after the U.S. expressed concerns about the presence of the Chinese military in the country.

A U.S. State Department official is calling for the immediate release of two American journalists who were arrested by Myanmar’s military junta.

Thailand placed barbed wire and checkpoints in several southern villages along the Malaysian border Monday after identifying a cluster of infections with a coronavirus variant that's believed to spread faster. The lockdown came as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sought to assure people that his government could manage a recent surge as it is set to start a national vaccination campaign next month. “Please understand that we can manage this,” Prayuth said as he received the second dose of his coronavirus vaccine.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha promised a United Nations special envoy on Friday that he will not force back people fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar, where the military ousted a democratically elected government in February. U.N. Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told Prayuth in a meeting in Bangkok that she hopes Thailand will help find ways to work with Myanmar’s military to ease the crisis, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. People across Myanmar have participated in massive protests against the military coup.

Two jailed leaders of a student-led pro-democracy movement that attracted both support and controversy last year when it called for reform of Thailand’s monarchy have been released after repeated requests for bail

Two jailed leaders of a student-led pro-democracy movement that attracted both support and controversy last year when it called for reform of Thailand’s monarchy were released Tuesday after repeated requests for bail. The Criminal Court freed Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and singer Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, who are are both charged with lese majeste, defaming the monarchy. Parit had been hospitalized after starting a hunger strike in jail.

Thailand’s prime minister says he wants to secure more vaccines for his country and give as many first doses as possible, as it battles a surge of the pandemic with Bangkok reporting a record number of cases

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be under as much scrutiny as Myanmar's junta leader when the 10-member regional body meets Saturday.

New Mexico health officials say they are preparing to respond to pockets of vaccine hesitancy in some communities as overall interest increases in receiving the vaccine for COVID-19.

When Thailand’s transport minister was diagnosed with COVID-19, it was Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha who got a headache.

Thailand’s Health Ministry says coronavirus restrictions may need to be tightened to slow a new wave that's infecting people at a record rate.

Thai authorities are struggling to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country’s traditional Songkran New Year’s holiday, when millions of people travel.

(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)MAE SAM LAEP – The military launched more airstrikes Tuesday in eastern Myanmar after earlier attacks forced thousands of ethnic Karen to flee into Thailand and further escalating violence two months after the junta seized power. The U.S. earlier suspended a trade deal and imposed sanctions on junta leaders as well as restricted business with military holding companies. Tuesday's air raids in eastern Myanmar killed six civilians and wounded 11, said Saw Taw Nee, head of the KNU's foreign affairs department. AdProtests against the junta continued in several Myanmar cities Tuesday despite its lethal crackdown that killed more than 100 people on Saturday alone. They said on Monday, however, that Thai soldiers had begun to force people to return to Myanmar.

Police behind the containers responded first with warnings and then by shooting water cannons and rubber bullets. AdThe city's emergency medical service Erawan reported 33 people, including 13 police, were injured by rubber bullets, rocks and tear gas. At least two reporters were hit by rubber bullets. He said in addition to throwing various objects, protesters used slingshots to fire nuts and bolts at police and hit them with metal rods. He said police had used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets according to proper procedures.

Thai Airways International Head Office is seen n Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Thai Airways is carrying an estimated debt burden of almost 300 billion baht ($9.4 billion). It ran up losses of 12 billion baht ($374.3 million) in 2019, 11.6 billion baht in 2018 and 2.11 billion baht in 2017. This is the time for Thai Airways to be x-rayed to see what mistakes they have made and correct them, Saksayam said. The airline was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Thailands domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company, and SAS, Scandinavian Airlines System, which sold its stake in 1977.