Author: Kantsom Sutabuhr

Dr. Mahmut Cengiz, an assistant professor at George Mason University in an analytical report claims that ISIS is rapidly growing, and will take the lead in conducting terror attacks in Afghanistan. Dr. Changis believes that the Islamic Emirate has not been successful in establishing a strong government and the Daesh (ISIS) is trying to fill the vacuum. He has written on the ‘Home Security Today’ website that prior to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, ISIS presence was not tangible in Kabul – they were mainly based in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. With the return of the Taliban to power, ISIS…

BANGKOK – Thailand plans to start collecting a 300 baht (S$12) fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country starting from June, with the money to be used to support visitors involved in accidents and develop tourist destinations, said a minister on Wednesday. Tourism is a crucial sector in South-east Asia’s second-largest economy and contributed about 12 per cent of gross domestic product before the Covid-19 pandemic. “Fees won’t be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes,” said Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, adding that Thailand expects 25 million tourist arrivals in 2023. The proposal was first considered in…

Vietnam’s transport sector experienced strong revival in 2022 despite surges in fuel prices, officials said on Friday.The total volume of goods and passengers transported in 2022 reached more than 2 million tons and nearly 3.7 million people, up 23.7 percent and 52.8 percent year-on-year respectively, Vietnam News Agency reported, citing Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy.Amid the turbulence of increasing fuel prices, Vietnam managed to control the fuel prices by reducing environmental protection tax, use petrol and oil price stabilization fund to adjust prices. It has also mulled cutting value-added tax from 8 percent to 5 percent for transportation…

The Thai authorities must repeal a new regulation allowing the Thai government to force online service providers and social media platforms to take down certain content without a court order, said Access Now, ARTICLE 19, and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in a joint statement today. Our organiations express serious concern that the provisions of this regulation, which will come into force on 25 December 2022 and was issued by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), are aimed at unjustifiably expanding the powers of the Thai government to arbitrarily restrict online expression without sufficient judicial oversight. The new deadlines…