The hottest stories in Thailand news from the last week: Prime Minister visits US, Thai Army bans Lazada, and more

Here is a look at the top NATIONAL stories, chosen by our Pattaya News/TPN National team, from last week, May 9th to the 15th, with some commentary. They are not in any particular level of importance but are listed in the order of date of publication.

This picture was posted on an army spokesperson's Facebook account on Monday. The message says Lazada is unwelcomed in military areas, in protest against an advertisement that was in bad conscience.

1. All passengers in vehicles in Thailand must wear seat belts, kids under 6 must be positioned in child car seat throughout journey, effective September 4th

Thailand will now make kid car seats and passengers wearing seat belts a law from September onwards. This results in a number of families searching for affordable car seats on online shopping platforms and at secondhand stores as soon as the time of the announcement as many of them were concerned about possible significant price increases and product shortages. The current price of the car seats is between 2,000 and 20,000 baht.

All passengers in vehicles in Thailand must wear seat belts, kids under 6 must be positioned in child car seat throughout journey, effective September 4th

2. Man who claims to be the father of all gods arrested in Chaiyaphum for what authorities say was offering bizarre medical treatments

The disclosure of the cult leader and what the public thought as his disgusting curing treatments caused a shock to Thai society last week. The shaman and his followers believe that eating feces and drinking urine and phlegm are what Buddha had done in his lifetime, therefore they could cure several diseases. He was arrested and bailed days afterward. There was a report that he and some of his followers are settling in Loei but not reportedly doing any sort of treatment, only selling local products for their living.

Man who claims to be the father of all gods arrested in Chaiyaphum for what authorities say was offering bizarre medical treatments

3. Thai Army bans Lazada following its controversial online advertisement, DES to file charges against company

It is unarguably the news that caused Thai and international attention the most last week. The Royal Thai Army and a group of royalists mutually see the Lazada controversial commercial as a mockery and an insult to royal family members and the disabled. The Army then publicly announced that they banned the company’s vehicles in all of their departments and territories to show their strong support of the royal institution. The Chinese Embassy in Thailand also declared its statement later that the commercial was ‘unacceptable’. On the contrary, many people, including the reports in international media, think that the reaction of the Army was over the top.

Thai Army bans Lazada following its controversial online advertisment, DES to file charges against company

4. Thai PM receives warm welcome from US President, discusses bilateral and multilateral cooperation defense with US Defense Secretary

Prime Minister Prayut joined the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington DC where he met US President Joe Biden and other Southeast Asian leaders for bilateral cooperation in ASEAN countries. The Prime Minister also discussed the defense cooperation in the post-Covid-19 period between Thailand and the US with the Defense Secretary, including the joint military training cyber and the strengthening of armed forces and personnel of both countries.

Thai PM receives warm welcome from US President, discusses bilateral and multilateral cooperation defense with US Defense Secretary

And, that is all for this week. Thank you as always for reading the Pattaya News/TPN News!

Psst….want to see more? Check out our TikTok here

Subscribe
Nop Meechukhun
National News Writer at The Pattaya News from September 2020 to October, 2022. Born and raised in Bangkok, Nop enjoys telling stories of her hometown through her words and pictures. Her educational experience in the United States and her passion for journalism have shaped her genuine interests in society, politics, education, culture, and art.