Don't know why but this morning feels like having nasi lemak again so went to make it
Super Yummy.!!
Don't know why but this morning feels like having nasi lemak again so went to make it
Distracted by your other entree.Simple 2 courses dinner as not hungry - salad and lobster pasta
Started with a nice sauvignon blanc
Followed by rocket salad
For the pasta
Humongous, 1.8kg
Pasta
Chunky
Huge pincer
WORLD NEWS
OCTOBER 8, 2020 6:24 PM
Germany says Thai king cannot rule from there
By Reuters Staff
3 MIN READ
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s foreign minister has said that Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn should not be conducting politics from the European country, where he spends much of his time.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas responded to a question by a Greens member of parliament in the Bundestag on Wednesday at a time that King Vajiralongkorn’s monarchy faces unprecedented calls for reform from protesters in Thailand.
“We have made it clear that politics concerning Thailand should not be conducted from German soil,” Maas told parliament.
“If there are guests in our country that conduct their state business from our soil we would always want to act to counteract that.”
Thousands of protesters have been holding demonstrations in Bangkok over recent months calling for reform of the monarchy to curb the king’s powers and for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader, and a new constitution and elections.
Greens parliamentarian Frithjof Schmidt also asked Maas whether Germany was prepared to discuss with the European Union (EU) freezing free trade talks with Thailand again “as long as the junta continues to block the path to democracy in Thailand”.
The EU halted contact at all levels with Thailand after a 2014 coup but resumed trade talks after a general election last year that saw Prayuth reinstated as a civilian prime minister.
Maas said that halting negotiations was “an option” to exert pressure but it would be right to discuss with Thailand first.
Neither the Royal Palace in Bangkok nor the Thai government responded immediately to a request for comment.
Protesters challenging Thailand’s palace and army-dominated establishment broke a long-standing taboo by demanding reform of the monarchy in August.
King Vajiralongkorn, 68, has been on Thailand’s throne since 2016, but spends much of his time in Bavaria, where his 15-year-old son is at school.
Thai protesters have complained about the cost of the king’s stays in Europe as well as his absence from the kingdom.
The protesters seek to reduce the king’s powers under the constitution, which specifically allows him to exercise powers when he is outside Thailand without appointing a regent.
Protesters also want to remove his direct control of a royal fortune valued in tens of billions of dollars and some units of the army. The Palace has made no comment on the protests.
In the German parliament, Greens member Schmidt asked: “Why does the German government tolerate this extremely unusual - and in my opinion illegal - behaviour of a foreign head of state conducting politics on German soil?”
Protesters in Thailand on Thursday said they would rally again next Wednesday and expected a big turnout to pressure the government to step down and press their calls for reform of the monarchy.
Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Robert Birsel
PROTESTERS TO SEIZE DEMOCRACY MONUMENT, TELL PRAYUT TO QUIT
By
Khaosod English
October 8, 2020 4:30 pm
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2020/10/08/protesters-to-seize-democracy-monument-tell-prayut-to-quit/
Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, Arnon Nampa, and other activists flash
the anti-military “three finger salute” at a news conference at Sanam Luang on Oct. 8, 2020.
BANGKOK — Pro-democracy activists on Thursday announced their demands for a protest scheduled to take place at the iconic Democracy Monument on Oct. 14, the anniversary of the student uprising against military rule in 1973.
At a news conference held at Sanam Luang, the site of the previous rally held on the weekend of Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, the protest leaders demanded resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his “cronies,” a special parliamentary session on charter amendments, and reforms of the monarchy.
“We will bring Thailand back under democracy and return power to the people,” activist Panupong Jadnok said.
The new set of demands are meant to unite all pro-democracy movements under the umbrella of the “People’s Party 2020,” a reference to a clique of military officers and civilians who toppled absolute monarchy in 1932 and established parliamentary rule.
“The People’s Party hasn’t gone anywhere,” Panupong said. “They’re in the hearts of all democracy-loving citizens.”
Today’s press conference at the Sanam Luang was also attended by leader of the Free People Movement Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, Laponpat Wangpaisit of the Bad Student network, and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa of community rights advocacy group Dao Din.
The group urged the protesters to gather from 2pm onwards on Oct. 14 at the Democracy Monument, where the campaigners will “seize the monument back for the people” as the first activity for the day, according to co-leader Arnon Nampa.
“The monument belonged to the people, but it was captured by the dictator government by planting trees around it,” Arnon said. “It will return to the people this Oct. 14.”
Democracy Monument was built in 1939 to commemorate the revolt that overthrew the royal government six years prior. Originally designed as a public space, security officers in recent years barricaded the monument and turned it into a garden sealed off from the public, possibly to deter anti-government protests from taking place there.
Arnon did not give more details about what tactics will be used to seize the memorial, or whether they will march to another location, though he added that a “surprise” awaits at the rally.
“We have to see how many people will turn up,” he said.
The rally will kick off on the same day student protesters rose up against the military dictatorship of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn 47 years ago. The protest organizers said the demonstrators will likely camp overnight, though details of which are still being deliberated among the leaders.
The rally site also sits on the planned motorcade route of His Majesty the King on Ratchadamnoen Avenue. Arnon said the demonstrators will not obstruct His Majesty’s route.
Protesters gathering at Democracy Monument
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 14 OCT 2020 AT 10:42
WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
A protest leader goes up a stage at a corner of the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue on Wednesday morning, as demonstators form a cordon around the platform. (Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong)
Protesters began gathering at the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok on Wednesday morning, led by Arnon Nampha, a core member of the People's Group.
This followed an announcemen that the demonstration earlier planned to start at 2pm had been moved up to 8am after 21 protesters were arrested near the Democracy Monument and Satriwithaya School on Tuesday night.
Two of those arrested were Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpattararaksa and singer Chai-amorn Kaewwiboonpan, aka Ammy The Bottom Blues.
The 21 were being detained at Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in adjacent Pathum Thani province.
After the arrests, a group of protesters led by Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, gathered in front of the Royal Thai Police Office and demanded their immediate release.
Police did not respond. Mr Parit then declared that the demonstration would be moved up to 8am on Wednesday, instead of 2pm.
Protesters from within Bangkok and elsewhere began to arrive at the Democracy Monument about 7.30am. They gathered in front of a McDonald's restaurant.
Shortly afterwards, they were joined by more protesters, who arrived in seven vans from Chiang Mai.
At 8.40am, Mr Arnon went up a stage and told them to wait for more people to arrive, until 2pm. He told them to remain peaceful and refrain from violence, and not to clash with any other groups.
He said the McDonald's side of the road would be closed at 2pm, allowing the traffic to flow on the other side.
"Nobody can order us to open the road. It will be opened only for ambulances," Mr Arnon announced.
When an expected royal motorcade passes the spot, the protesters would announce their demands and raise their arms in a three-finger salue.
A motorcade of His Majesty the King will reportedly pass the avenue heading for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha for a graduation ceremony of Pali scholars on Wednesday.
Mr Arnon said if the 21 were granted bail and released, they would immediately join them at the demonstration site.
And when everything was ready, the protesters would move to Government House to demand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's resignation, he said.
An armoured riot control truck with water cannons was reportedly positioned on one side of Phitsanulok road, behind the Metropolitan Police Bureau headquarters.
The truck would normally contain 12,000 litres of water which could be fired out to 65 metres. The water can be mixed with a colouring, to mark people who are hit by the spray.
The truck is also equipped to hurl tear gas canisters, foam sprayers to extinguish fire, and a long range acoustic device (LRAD), used for "non-lethal" crowd control.
Protesters converge in front of the McDonald's restaurant near the Democracy Monument on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong)