Thailand

Thailand's former first couple divorces, newspaper says

Thailand's former first couple divorces, newspaper says Bangkok  - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has divorced his wife of 32 years, sealing the separation at the Thai consulate in Hong Kong, Thai news reports said Saturday.

Thaksin, who faces a two-year jail term if he returns to Thailand, announced his divorce from his wife, Pojaman, to political allies who attended a dinner with him in Hong Kong Friday evening, the Bangkok Post said.

The Thai-language Thai Rath newspaper also carried reports of the separation.

Royal funeral procession for king's sister begins

Royal funeral procession for king's sister beginsBangkok  - Providing a rare glimpse of Thailand's royal pageantry and rituals, the funeral procession for princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, began Saturday morning.

The princess' remains were kept in an urn on an ornate palanquin carried by 60 soldiers clad in red uniforms. The procession left the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall at the Grand Palace, where the remains had been lying in state for the past 11 months.

Thais flock to Royal Ground for princess' funeral

Bangkok - Thais from all walks of life and provinces near and far flocked to Bangkok's Sanam Luang - the Royal Grounds - Friday to attend the royal funeral of Princess Galyani Vadhana, elder sister of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

"I arrived at 4 am this morning and will stay here until the funeral is over tomorrow night," said Lek Paekhajae, 65, a farmer from Nakorn Sawan, 210 kilometres north of Bangkok. "We are here because we love the princess and the king."

Like many other mourners from the provinces, Lek and his wife plan to sleep outside at Sanam Luang, located in the heart of old Bangkok, to reserve a front row observation point at the princess' funeral procession on Saturday.

Bomb injures 13 at Bangkok open market

Bomb injures 13 at Bangkok open marketBangkok - A bomb hurled Thursday morning at protestors at Klong Toey Market in Bangkok injured 13 people, two of whom were in critical condition, police said.

"Eyewitnesses said the bomb was thrown by a man on a motorcycle from the bridge that overlooks the market," said Police Colonel Suthip Palitkusontat, of the Klong Toey Port Police Station.

Vendors at the famed open air market - the largest in the capital - have been protesting efforts to evict them by a private company that won a new lease on the area on October 29.

Bangkok governor resigns over Austrian fire truck case

ThailandBangkok - Bangkok Governor Apirak Kasayodhin on Wednesday announced his resignation after being indicted by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) of wrongdoing in the purchase of fire trucks and boats from Austria more than four years ago.

"I have decided to resign as Governor of Bangkok," Apirak told a press conference at the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA).

Thai woman gets 14 years for smuggling drugs

Jakarta  - A Thai woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday for trying to smuggle 500 grams of cocaine into the country early this year, media reports said.

The West Java Banten's Tanggerang district court found Thitirat Charoensuk, 24, guilty for violating the country's tough anti-narcotic laws.

In addition to handing down a 14-year jail sentence, the court also ordered the defendant to pay a fine of 60 million rupiah (5,330 dollars), chief judge Haryono said in the court ruling, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

In previous court hearings, government prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Thitirat.

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