Before the pandemic, China accounted for more than a quarter of Thailand’s tourist arrivals. In 2019, about 11 million Chinese holidaymakers helped the country net about $17 billion.
Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has decreed that all national parks in Thailand will close for an annual average of three months, beginning in 2021.
The protests, led mostly by students, have questioned taxpayer funds that go toward royal affairs of Thailand as well as laws that stifle discussion of the monarchy.
The protesters are calling for the resignation of PM Prayuth Chan-Ocha & a rewriting of the constitution drafted by a panel that helped him stay on following elections in 2019.
The Kra canal project envisages a canal cutting across Thailand, and connecting the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea. It seeks to offer an alternative route to busy Malacca Strait.
IMF data shows that Thailand's economy has done worse than its neighbours since it heavily relies on tourism. The country is only now allowing visitors back, but under strict restrictions.
Patient has no travel history & worked as a disc jockey before being lodged in jail. His case suggests the virus has been spreading undetected, and sparks concerns of another wave.
Some protestors in Thailand want limits imposed on the monarchy — a fraught issue that risks confrontation with lese majeste laws, which can land offenders with long prison terms.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
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