Sydney - Australian Harry Nicolaides is out of prison and on his way home to Melbourne after being pardoned by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the author's brother said Saturday.
Nicolaides was released from a Bangkok prison on Friday, Forde Nicolaides told Australia's AAP news agency.
He was arrested in August and jailed last month on a conviction for insulting the royal family.
Pattani, Thailand - Suspected separatists on Friday shot and beheaded two Thai soldiers who were on a motorcycle patrol in the trouble-torn province of Yala in Thailand's majority-Muslim deep South.
The two soldiers, identified as Sergeant Major Samranmit Phicit, 27, and Private Piyasak Chookraithai, 27, were ambushed in the Bannang Sata district, 750 kilometres south of Bangkok, after falling behind in a patrol of five motorcycles, police said.
Bangkok - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva departed Bangkok for Jakarta Friday for a two-day official visit that will include talks on the Myanmar-Muslim Rohingya boat people.
The Thai military has been criticized for pushing back about 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Thailand's southern shores in December, dragging them out to sea in boats without engines or sufficient food and water.
Some of the boat people were rescued by the Indonesian Navy off the coast of Aceh.
Bangkok - The value of Thailand's exports tumbled 26.5 per cent in January from the same month a year ago while imports dropped 37.6 per cent, reflecting a sharp downturn in the global economy, the Commerce Ministry said Thursday.
Thai exports for January amounted to 10.5 billion dollars while imports fell to 9.1 billion dollars.
"Exports fell in every sector," Commerce Ministry Permanent Secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen said.
Bangkok - Thailand's gold prices hit an historic high of 16,500 baht (465.40 dollars) per 15.2 grams Thursday, in tandem with rising prices for the precious metal on the world market.
"This is the highest gold price in the history of our market," Gold Traders Association chairman Jitti Tangsithpakdi said.
Thursday was the fourth consecutive day for local gold prices to rise to historic highs, starting at 15,950 baht per one baht weight (15.2 grams) on Monday.
Gold is commonly sold in jewelry form in Thailand, mostly at gold shops in Bangkok's Chinatown district, at prices slightly below the world market's as the gold content is not 100 per cent.
Bangkok - The establishment of a human rights body for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year will be of little worth if it has no mandate to conduct independent fact-finding missions in the region, a leading civil rights group warned Thursday.
"The body should be able to conduct country visits where there are severe human rights violations and conduct fact-finding missions," said Yap Swee Seng, executive-director of the human rights group FORUM-Asia.
Sydney - Australian Harry Nicolaides is out of prison and on his way home to Melbourne after being pardoned by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the author's brother said Saturday.
Pattani, Thailand - Suspected separatists on Friday shot and beheaded two Thai soldiers who were on a motorcycle patrol in the trouble-torn province of Yala in Thailand's majority-Muslim deep South.
Bangkok - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva departed Bangkok for Jakarta Friday for a two-day official visit that will include talks on the Myanmar-Muslim Rohingya boat people.
Bangkok - The value of Thailand's exports tumbled 26.5 per cent in January from the same month a year ago while imports dropped 37.6 per cent, reflecting a sharp downturn in the global economy, the Commerce Ministry said Thursday.
Bangkok - The establishment of a human rights body for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year will be of little worth if it has no mandate to conduct independent fact-finding missions in the region, a leading civil rights group warned Thursday.
