New poll shows weakness of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin
I was walking home last night and decided to take a short cut through the cemetery. Three girls walked up to me and explained that they were scared to walk past the cemetery at night so I agreed to let them walk along with me.
"I understand," I said to them. "I used to get freaked out too when I was alive."
I know how to do this job.
- Joseph Robinette Biden, president, USA, refuses to step aside from his 2024 election campaigning
The best Sunday columnist in East Asia (all languages) writes
Recent columns have featured the word "aptonym" involving people's names which are appropriate for their line of work. I should point out that a similar word "aptronym", with an "r" has the same meaning. So you can make your choice which spelling is preferable.
Watching the current Euro football championships has served as a reminder that the official name of the country known to most of us as Turkey, is now Turkiye, pronounced "Turkiya", approved by the United Nations in 2022.
The change was to disassociate the country from the large bird.
It was encouraging to read this week the authorities vowing to preserve the "Green Lung of Bangkok" that unique oasis of greenery in Bang Kachao just across the Chao Phraya River from Klong Toey. For many years it was Bangkok's best kept secret and has somehow escaped major development.
I recall walking around Bang Kachao in 1979 with colleague Tony Waltham. It was full of orchards and a pleasant contrast to the concrete jungle across the river.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2820254/
After you've finished Crutch's column,
Extremely Relatedis this Bangkok Post EDITORIAL ANALYSIS:
Conserve Bang Kachao's charm
Last Tuesday, the prime minister ordered four ministries -- finance, interior, tourism and environment -- to coordinate so as to ensure better conservation, while the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) was ordered to work out Bang Kachao's eco-tourism plan.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2820031/
THAILAND PANDEMIC CORONAVIRUS HERB
Now that Covid-19 has become endemic, the Public Health Ministry's medical guidelines removing green chiretta, or fah talai jone (photo), a traditional herb, from the list of essential medicines for Covid-19 patients has raised eyebrows among those advocating for alternative medicine.
This means state hospitals will use only imported anti-virus medicines like nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, favipiravir, remdesivir or molnupiravir which are relatively expensive.
[Where "relatively" means hecka lot.]
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2817061/
THAILAND POLITICS
Nida Poll: Pita and progressives becoming more popular
The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) carried out the survey from June 14 to 18.
The respondents were asked to pick a politician they wanted to become the prime minister now. Up to 45.5% picked Pita, who comfortably beat Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, whose popular rating dropped from 17 percent in the previous survey to 13 percent.
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/politics/40039255
THAILAND ECONOMY GROWTH
The Thai economy is ailing.
Economists blame geopolitics and generally woeful growth.
Consumers, said Auramon Supthaveethum, director-general of the Department of Business Development (photo), are currently concerned about the slow recovery but especially political stability,
https://shorturl.at/SjTzr
Phuket is flooded
At this time of year, Phuket and most of the South region always are flooded.
Lalisa Lisa goes to Yaowaraj (Bangkok Chinatown)
and the result is a sensational new music video - Rockstar
The Buri Ram native also is deeply involved in filming Season 3 of the sensationally popular TV soap opera White Lotus.
Khao Sod (Fresh News) https://shorturl.at/kHpnf
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the group is designing "a creative tourism route" -- Walking Bangkok in the Yaowarat-Song Wat-Talat Noi area..
In Bangkok, the Chinatown area is about the only place left still serving 'street food'.
USA POLITICS
'It's a mess:' Biden turns to family on his path forward after his disastrous debate.
President Joe Biden will discuss the future of his re-election campaign with family at Camp David on Sunday, following a nationally televised debate Thursday that left many fellow Democrats worried about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump in November,
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/biden-family-path-forward-disastrous-debate-mess-rcna159591
STUNNER: The New York Times' Editorial Board calls on Biden to leave presidential race 'to serve his country'.
After four years as a loyal cheerleader for the president.
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/06/28/stunner-ny-times-editorial-board-calls-on-biden-to-leave-presidential-race-to-serve-his-country-n2176147
And also from the Oped page of the NY Times
Good question; any answer? Maher, Matthews: Why won't Democrats just hand the nomination to Newsom?
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/06/29/maher-matthews-why-wont-dems-just-hand-the-nomination-to-newsom-n3791163
Related: Matt Taibbi: The Democrats' Coming Coup. While Joe Biden struggled onstage, party plotters scripted his premature exit.
USA TRANSGENDER
We Were Informed That anyone who says a cross thing about transgenderism, and especially doubts about "gender-affirming care" for minors, is a hater and a bigot.
Well... welcome President Joseph Biden, your staff and Biden's entire U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The White House has announced that the Biden administration opposes "Gender-Affirming Surgery" for minors.
It's the most explicit statement to date on the subject from a president who has claimed to be a staunch supporter of 'transgender rights'.
https://shorturl.at/YbDdQ
Believe It Or Else! Sounds loopy but it's true.
