Abhisit Vejjajiva

Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he expects the kingdom's economy to rebound in the first quarter of 2012 as firms increase output following last year's devastating floods.Abhisit made his comments on a visit to Japan where he had been meeting industry leaders as part of a drive to reassure businesses thinking of fleeing the country as a result of the disaster.Among those whose businesses suffered when heavy rains brought chaos to swathes of the country was car giant Honda...Read Full Story

Coca-Cola partners with Habitat for Humanity Thailand, continuing ‘Rebuild’ efforts after the flooding crisis Mobilizing over 3,500 volunteers to join ‘rebuild’ activities every weekend during  January and February, to restore more than 600 houses and 25 schools in four flooded provinces – Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok Over 40 million Baht invested    (Pathum Thani, 11 February 2012) – The Coca-Cola system in Thailand, inclusive of Coca-Cola (Thailand) Ltd., ThaiNamthip...Read Full Story

Bangkok (CNN) — The woman set to become Thailand’s first female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, said Monday that authorities will re-open an investigation into her brother, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was convicted of corruption after being forced from office. Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party dominated the country’s general election on Sunday, winning 265 seats in the country’s 500-member parliament. It was a major victory for the party once headed by her...Read Full Story

Bangkok (CNN) — Yingluck Shinawatra was poised to become Thailand’s first female prime minister Sunday after her party won a majority of parliamentary seats in the nation’s general elections. The official tally had not yet been completed, but with more than 90 percent of votes counted Sunday night, Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party had won 262 seats in the country’s 500-seat parliament. “The first thing I want to do is help people on their economic situation,” she said earlier Sunday, refusing to...Read Full Story

(CNN) — The decisive victory by Yingluck Shinawatra and her Pheu Thai party was “a very strong punch in the gut” to Thailand’s ruling elite and will in fact lend the country some stability for now, said one political observer of Thailand. The new reality for Thailand is that Yingluck’s brother Thaksin, the former prime minister who was ousted in a 2006 coup, remains extremely popular, and that fighting the electoral will would be dangerous, said Roberto Herrera-Lim, a director at Eurasia...Read Full Story

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A leading member of the Thai "red shirt" movement who fled the country after bloody protests last year surrendered to the authorities on Wednesday in a case that could increase tension between the government and critics.Arisman Pongruengrong, who is thought to have been living in Cambodia, had faced a series of charges including invading parliament, terrorism and the theft of military ammunition.After his surrender, the Criminal Court said it would pursue the charge of...Read Full Story

Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was questioned by police on Friday over a deadly military crackdown on mass opposition protests in Bangkok last year while he was in office.Abhisit, now opposition leader, smiled but made no comment to reporters as he arrived at the Bangkok Metropolitan Police headquarters, where he was summoned as a witness.About a dozen protesters gathered outside with signs that read "Murderer" and "Whoever gave the kill order must face karma".More than 90...Read Full Story

At least 244 people have been killed with heavy rains and flooding in the Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva flew to the south to visit Thailand-flood-hit areas. Thailand’s 58 provinces out of total 77 provinces have been inundated by the flood water which affected at least two million more. Victims were either swept away by the rising waters, or buried in mudslides as the unseasonably wet weather deluged the homes and businesses of around a million people in what should be one...Read Full Story

Thai police said Monday they had summoned former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy in connection with deaths during a crackdown on opposition protests in Bangkok last year.More than 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded during the two months of rallies, which drew about 100,000 "Red Shirt" demonstrators at their peak, calling for immediate elections.The justice ministry's department of special investigation (DSI) in September said government...Read Full Story

Click to play Yingluck Shinawatra: "The first priority is the economy" The party allied to ousted and exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra has won a major victory in Thailand's general election, provisional results show.With most votes counted, outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conceded victory to his rival, opposition leader Yingluck Shinawatra.Ms Yingluck, who will become Thailand's first female prime minister, said there was "a lot of hard work ahead".She is the younger sister...Read Full Story