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TOP 10 (non Covid) THAIGER STORIES FOR 2020 The Thaiger started 2020, as we all did, with high hopes and few clues that we were heading into a profound disruption for almost the entire year. Even as we were tapping away at the keyboards on January 1, 2020, there were stories emerging in Wuhan, China about a mysterious new respiratory disease that was starting to pop up at the provincial hospitals. But, although Covid consumed much of our top stories in 2020, there were other stories of course as life continued to stumble along in Thailand. Here are the stories, from 1 – 10, and the number of people that read each story on thethaiger.com . We’ve also added the Top 10 Covid stories for the year as well, as voted by YOU, our readers. Thai Army sniper goes on shooting rampage in Korat – up to 20 shot and killed – 124,342 February 8 “A police and army detachment is currently searching for an army sniper in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Korat city centre. The solider has shot dead ... » Learn More about WOW what a year! Thailand’s top news stories for 2020 as voted by YOU.

Today on Thailand News Today, a number of government ministers have ended up in jail, the vaccines are about to roll out but experts say the injections are not the end of the pandemic, and A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is being accused of attacking a Chilean national. We’ve also get a special report on the channel about accusations that surfaced this week that Covid 19 may not have started in Wuhan at all, but in Thailand. That’s all coming up now on Thursday’s Thailand News Today. A number of government ministers have been jailed for their part in protests against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra that crippled Bangkok and ultimately led to the 2014 military coup. Yesterday, the Criminal Court handed prison sentences to 29 former members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, some of whom were serving as MPs in the current Chan-o-cha administration. Police have shut down a network of online casinos in raids that took place across 7 provinces, with 19 suspects arrested, ... » Learn More about Thailand News Today | Pollies in jail, Covid originated in Thailand? | Feb 25

249 new Covid-19 infections have been reported today in the daily briefing. Thailand now has 3,914 active cases and has reported a total of 10,547 cases with 67 fatalities since last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson, apparently with a Covid crystal ball, speculated that the number of daily new cases is expected to decrease and significantly slow down by the end of January. More than 3,000 cases have now been reported in Samut Sakhon since the outbreak at the Central seafood markets, but hundreds of factory workers in the area are still wating to be tested. Out of the 249 new cases reported today, 176 cases are local transmissions, 48 cases were found in proactive testing, 11 cases were detected in state quarantine and 14 cases are people arrived from overseas. A dead Bryde’s whale has been found washed up on Koh Samui’s Choeng Mon beach. The dramatic addition to the beach was around 11 metres long. Marine biologists say it appears the whale died ... » Learn More about Thailand News Today | Covid latest, Cockfights closed down, Bryde’s Whale beached | January 11

A Cambodian fixer and translator was sentenced to two years for working on a sex trafficking documentary that authorities slammed as "fake news", because the victims were allegedly paid to speak. Rath Rott Mony was hired by TV news station RT, formerly Russia Today, for the making of "My Mother Sold Me", a film about underage girls sold as sex workers in Cambodia where the ilicit underground trade is rife. Rights groups have taken up the case as a rallying cry for press freedom, despite the ethical criticism of the project. Government spokesman Phay Siphan on Thursday defended the sentence, saying Rath Rott Mony had been sentenced for "creating news to destroy the nation's reputation". "He was punished for this fake news," Phay Siphan told AFP, adding that he had been convicted for incitement. "This is not a punishment for speaking about sex trafficking... this is a message to the public to end fake news," Phay Siphan added. The 30-minute documentary, broadcast in October, ... » Learn More about Cambodia fixer jailed for creating ‘fake news’ on sex-trafficking film

Thousands of residents in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, in the very south of Thailand, have been evacuated from their homes due to flash flooding from nearly a week of almost continuous heavy rain. Local authorities say a total of 18,024 households across 19 districts have been impacted. In Yala, the Sai Buri River has burst its banks, flooding homes and farmland. The director of Yala’s Irrigation Project Office says they remain worried about the low-lying areas, adding that the total amount of rainfall to date has broken records set more than a decade ago. Landslides have also been reported but with no report of fatality or injuries. In Songkhla, 2 districts were flooded by rainwater coming down from the mountains, while some residences and farmlands on riverbank areas of Narathiwat were flooded. Local government agencies said food and other aid were already sent to the affected areas. Only essential travel is now allowed to and from the 5 coastal “red zone” provinces. ... » Learn More about Thailand News Today | Southern floods, Face mask fines, Thai Air Asia woes | January 8

JOURNALIST Lady Ann “Icy” Salem and and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago were released from detention on Friday, a month after a Mandaluyong court dismissed charges of illegal possession of firearms against them. Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 209 Presiding Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio issued the order to release Salem, editor of Manila Today, and Esparago after the court found the prosecution’s motion for reconsideration on their release to be “bereft of merit”. “On the matter of Salem’s and Esparago’s plea for immediate release, the court earlier decided to hold the same in abeyance in view of an honest belief that the assailed order, although not appealable, can be the subject of a certiorari proceeding,” the court said. Certiorari is a writ that a higher court could invoke to reexamine the lower court’s action. “But after thorough consideration of the arguments raised and jurisprudence … the court resolves to reconsider and rule that a trial court is empowered ... » Learn More about Journalist, trade unionist released from detention

PETALING JAYA: Julau MP Larry Sng ( pic ) has stepped down as Sarawak PKR chief, says the party. Sng is said to have announced his resignation from the post during a video-conference on Saturday (Feb 27). State PKR secretary Joshua Jabeng when contacted today confirmed that Sng had tendered his resignation as their chief through a letter. "It's confirmed. He has made his final decision from a letter to us. The first time, he had said so was in December last year. We all then asked him to stay which he did," said Joshua. Asked on what were the probable reasons for Sng, 41, to relinquish his position, he believed that it was still due to his original reasons. "I believe he is still keeping to his original reason that he wanted a Dayak leader to take over the post and lead the party in the Sarawak state election," he said. Party sources also said that Tebrau MP Stephen Choong has quit the party along with Sng. On Dec 21 last year, Sng announced that he was stepping down ... » Learn More about Larry Sng quits as Sarawak PKR chief

KOTA KINABALU: Sebatik lawmaker Hassan Amir Gani has submitted a statutory declaration “revoking and withdrawing” all pre-signed resignation letters he committed to Parti Warisan Sabah before becoming its candidate for the Sept 26 snap Sabah election. State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim Yahysa, when contacted, confirmed that the Sebatik assemblyman had met him at 11.45am yesterday to hand over the statutory declaration. Hassan also informed him that he intended to continue as Sebatik assemblyman. Kadzim also confirmed he received Hassan’s pre-signed letter of resignation from Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto Padua at 12.15pm the same day. “They handed over the letter to my secretary and did not see me, ” he said, adding that he was in the office. Kadzim will meet state Attorney General Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof today to discuss legal issues before a decision is made on the position of the Sebatik assemblyman. “All I can tell you for now is that I received the ... » Learn More about Sebatik rep hands over SD to Assembly Speaker

PETALING JAYA: Two opposition PKR MPs of Julau, Sarawak and Tebrau, Johor, have quit the party to declare their support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Perikatan Nasional government. Julau MP Larry Sng Wei Shein and Tebrau MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon handed over their statutory declarations (SDs) in support of Perikatan to Muhyiddin yesterday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre and stated that they will be “government-friendly Independents”. This will give Muhyiddin a further boost of two more MPs in support of him in Dewan Rakyat, as the Prime Minister currently is said to hold a very small majority. In a Facebook post, Muhyiddin said Sng – who was the Sarawak state PKR chief – and Choong handed over their SDs stating their support for him as the Prime Minister for the Perikatan government. “The SDs by Sng and Choong were signed and handed over to me after the convening of the Cabinet meeting in conjunction with the first anniversary of ... » Learn More about Further boost for Muhyiddin

DUBAI (AFP) - Fierce fighting between Yemeni pro-government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels has killed at least 90 combatants on both sides in the past 24 hours, government military sources said on Saturday (March 6). The Shi'ite rebels launched an offensive last month to seize Marib, the last stronghold in northern Yemen of pro-government forces which are backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. The clashes in the oil-rich province left 32 dead among government forces and loyalist tribes, while 58 Houthi rebels were killed in coalition air strikes, the sources told AFP. They said heavy clashes broke out on six fronts as government forces were able to counter attacks by the Houthis, who managed to advance only on the Kassara front north-west of Marib city. The fighting also left dozens of people wounded, the sources added. The loss of Marib would be a huge blow for the Yemeni government, but would also threaten catastrophe for civilians, including hundreds of ... » Learn More about Fighting in Yemen’s Marib kills 90 in 24 hours: Govt military sources