Tawandang German Brewery celebrates 20 years as the leader in microbrewery business with major promotion campaigns to reach 900-million-baht goal and become the number one in the industry

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10 July 2019, 05:39

Tawandang German Brewery this year celebrates 20 years in business in grand scale. As the number one microbrewery in Thailand, the firm teams up with business partners to launch series of promotional campaigns to create brand loyalty and increase 10% of sales with focus on beers, food, entertainment and services.

Mr.Supote Teerawatanachai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tawandang, German Brewery, reveals that throughout 20 years, Tawandang German Brewery has become a destination for fun and warm, welcoming vibe for patrons throughout 3 outlets in Rama III, Ram-Indra and Chaengwattana. With patrons that include families, friends and catering, the microbrewery welcomed 850,000 customers in a year at all its 3 outlets with 38% of patrons from Tawandang German Brewery Rama III, 36% from Ram-Indra and 26% from Chaengwattana.

“We believe that Tawandang German Brewery is the landmark of Bangkok in terms of microbrewery. 50% of expats living in Bangkok are familiar with us, and tourists find us via guidebooks and travel tips. I cannot say we are without competitors, but so far, we’re the only one left standing. Those that came before us are no more, and those that follow our footstep, hoping to copy us, are all out of business. But Tawandang German Brewery’s biggest competitor is in fact Tawandang German Brewery. We have to work hard, maintain our strengths and improve ourselves. For the past 20 years, our increase in sales is considered from spending per person. When we first open, one customerswould spend around 300 baht, and now it’s 700-800 baht. This may due to the increasing price of living, which also increase our income. My expectation is humbly to gain 10% growth every year. Our current income is 800 million baht, and I think it’s not too far-fetched to reach 900 million by the end of this year.”

Tawandang German Brewery looks to strengthen its four pillars in the business, i.e. beers, food, entertainment and services. Supote says Tawandang German Brewery now adds two new beers in the menu, which is the rose-hued rose beer that will be a hit among women and Hops Bomb, or Indian Pale Ale, that offers pleasant hoppy palate. The other three beers – Lager, Dunkel and Weizen – have already become favorites among Thai customers.

For food, Tawandang German Brewery has set up PD (Product Development) department to create new menus every 3 months. The new menus, besides being flavorful and wholesome, have to appeal to younger generation customers. The menu will also have more dessert dishes. The overall quality and consistency will be overseen by a central kitchen that acts as a center for produce purchase, ingredient selection and making sauces and soups for various dishes, such as steamed fish with lime, sour soup, tom yum and dipping, to maintain standard throughout the 3 outlets. Best-selling menus are still deep-fried pork knuckles, deep-fried seabass with fish sauce, stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce, yentafo soup with no noodles, lotus root somtum and others. Japanese food lovers are also treated to Yuyake Sushi Bar that offers authentic Japanese dishes made with fresh ingredients and whole fish imported from Japan. The Japanese food section is 15% of overall income from food.

Entertainment-wise, Tawandang German Brewery incorporates new technologies and features to offer more wow-effect that include digital mapping, shows in series, short plays in Thai and so forth under the supervision of Bruce Gaston. Each of Tawandang German Brewery outlet has its own artistic direction when it comes to entertainment, to best serve different target audience. Supot stresses that Tawandang German Brewery has the unbeatable entertainment offering that cannot be found anywhere else, with live concerts of Thailand’s big-name artists every month to draw more potential customers to Tawandang German Brewery.

Last but not least is the service where Tawandang German Brewery offers training to staff members for them to deliver fun, welcoming and genuine service. For 2 decades Tawandang German Brewery has accumulated the unique service know-how that win the hearts of the customers and send them to the number one spot in the microbrewery industry.

Supote continues that, “During the festive season at the end of the year, we earn more than 80 million baht from catering and special events. This is all thanks to our strength as a one-stop service that can accommodate up to 2,000 customers and offer a complete package with stage, entertainment, singers, light and sound system, food and services and ample parking space. Many keep coming back and only use our venues for their special events. I dare say that no other restaurants can do it like us. They may be able to but the price will be too high.”

Celebrate 20 years of Tawandang German Brewery with the campaign “Eat and Drink with KTC”. Indulge in a sumptuous array of food and drinks and enjoy nightly entertainment at three of Tawandang German Brewery branches. Every payment with KTC card receives 10% discount, and every 1,000 baht spent gets one chance to win a package trip for two (worth of 432,000 baht) to Oktoberfest 2019 in Germany until July 7, 2019.

“Previously we have offered something similar – the “Drink German Beers with Tawandang German Brewery” in 2003 and 2006 – and the campaign got overwhelming feedback from our customers that kept asking us to do it again. For our 20th anniversary, we think it’s a great opportunity to respond to the demand with the alliance with KTC. Only 30 lucky winners will get to come with us to Oktoberfest 2019 to enjoy the authentic German vibe, German food and German beers as well as exclusive experiences curated by Tawandang German Brewery. Besides, the trip will happen through the romantic routes in Germany during autumn. All perks and privileges considered, the price we offer is a great deal,” Supote says.

Patrons can enjoy series of 20th anniversary celebration activities by Tawandang German Brewery. Simple follow Tawandang German Brewery on social media and connect to the brand via LINE to get updates on discount deals. Tawandang German Brewery is gearing up to develop its social media membership of 15,000 to build lasting brand loyalty and offering various activities to entice microbrewery lovers and create fanbase and clientele in the younger generations. The celebration will also include an array of diverse, flavorful and high-quality food menus and new dishes to entice customers.

“What we aim to do from now is taking good care of the living and non-living aspects of Tawandang German Brewery. The non-living are the restaurants, the beers, the food and entertainment, and the living being our colleagues and staff. This is our duty,” the CEO of Tawandang German Brewery professes.

Bye Bye Big Pom? Prawit Aides Clear DefMin Office

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 July 2019, 18:36

aW1hZ2UvMjAxOS0wNy8xNDQyZjhmNGRjYzJlZDI0YmNkNjk5MTY1ODVhNWMwNS5qcGc= — A file photo of Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Image: Matichon

BANGKOK — Staff attached to Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan were seen packing his belongings at the Defense Ministry on Tuesday, in a sign that the junta second-in-command may not return to the post in the next cabinet.

Gen. Prawit, whose leadership on military and national security often propels him to national news, has been reticent about his career future in recent weeks. He likewise declined to answer reporters’ questions when he arrived at the ministry today.

“See you in the next government?” one reporter called out to him, to which Prawit wordlessly gave a nod. His aides were seen carrying his belongings from his office earlier today.

Read: Police Defend Buying 1 Billion Baht ‘Private Jet’ For Prawit

The general is due to attend the ASEAN defense ministers’ summit on Thursday.

Media reports quoting government sources have said the 73-year-old was reluctant to take up the influential post of Defense Minister again in the new cabinet, which junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha has said will come into power “by the end of July.”

Some reports also claim Prawit will retain a seat as a deputy prime minister in the new administration. Prawit has repeatedly refused to discuss the matter with reporters.

If the speculation proves to be true, it would mark the end of Prawit’s controversial tenure as head of the Thai armed forces, which was riddled with alleged corruption scandals, political feuds, and a gaffe that might have single-handedly cost Thailand millions in lost revenues from Chinese tourists.

But an observer of military affairs has named Prawit the real “Big Brother” in the junta who has played an invaluable role in ending bitter rivalries among army factions.

‘Delicious Food’ May Have Drawn Terrorists to Thai Hotel: Prawit

Historic House on Sathorn Becomes Swanky Seafood Place

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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9 July 2019, 17:48

BANGKOK — One of the city’s hottest property spots, a historic house, is now a swanky seafood restaurant.

A meal at “Paii,” a Thai seafood restaurant in The House on Sathorn, could cost around 2,000 baht apiece. But in the House’s history of being a private nobleman’s residence, a hotel, an embassy, and even a Turkish-inspired restaurant, a Thai seafood eatery may be the most “accessible” incarnation of the neoclassical property yet – if you’re only after a drink.

Paii’s seafood is multicultural, like its location’s history – half the seafood is locally sourced, the other imported.

“If you go eat seafood at regular places by the road, then you’ll only get to eat local seafood,” Chef Weeraket “Joe” Nilayon said. “The atmosphere here isn’t like eating street food either. When you eat here, whether in this yellow room, at the bar, or in the garden, it should feel like home.”

Jean-Pul N1 oysters (690 baht) with the French razor clams flambeed in Mekhong rum and XO sauce (520 baht).

And a fancy home it is. The banana-yellow neoclassical house on Sathorn, a tropical oasis surrounded by skyscrapers, is a 130-year-old landmark that in 1889 housed Luang Sathorn Rajayutka, the wealthy businessman who built Sathorn Canal. “Paii,” meaning both “paddle” and “to paddle” is a nod to the house’s founder.

After his death in 1895 from influenza, the house passed to his son-in-law, then to the Crown Property Bureau, then to an Italian woman. For almost half a century from 1948 to 1999, the property was leased to the Soviet Union as the first Russian Embassy in Thailand. After a brief spell of government takeover – it was registered as an archeological site in 2002 by the Department of Fine Arts – W Bangkok took over and in 2015 opened The Dining Room, a Turkish-inspired restaurant.

Meals at Paii begin with an amuse-bouche of rice crackers made of mushrooms, shrimp and carrot, with passion fruit and seafood sauce. The Jean-Pul N1 oysters (690 baht for three, 1,300 baht for six) and French razor clams flambeed in Mekhong rum and XO sauce are served to you with flaming pyrotechnics and are heavy on the rum (520 baht). River prawn tom yum kung is tourist-safe and unspicy. Although the prawns are pretty huge, the dish is a steep 1,200 baht a bowl. Still, you might snag some better deals through mindful ordering.

A pot of New Zealand black mussels baked with white wine is 690 baht (smelling of zesty Thai herbs). The kua gling tenderloin, although tasting authentically southern with soft, soft beef, is 950 baht. The fried seabass topped with banana blossom yum is 1,350 baht. The baked cabbage with fish sauce (although pretty photogenic for a cabbage) is only 180 baht, but had a tough, difficult-to-eat stem.

Fried seabass topped with banana blossom yum (1,350 baht).

New Zealand black mussels baked with white wine (690 baht).

Baked cabbage with fish sauce (180 baht).

Perhaps the set course menus are a better option for “saving”: one option costs 2,200 baht per person and another 2,900 baht per person.

At this price point or less, Thailand has an almost endless number of eateries with quality seafood. The only edge Paii has is its haven-like location, and moments when it takes artistic license. For example, the cocktail menu is a must-explore for lovers of Thai spirits and herbs, filled with Mekhong rum and kaffir lime leaves. The “Pai Fizz,” for example is a refreshing, clear mix of sparkling wine with elderflower syrup and lemongrass (380 baht).

Another option for soaking in the atmosphere at a reasonable price is splitting dessert with a friend: maybe the parfait-like Coconut Sundae full of coconut ice cream, mock pomegranates, and sago (400 baht) or the Thai Tea-ramisu (450 baht), exactly what it sounds like. Add a pot of TWG Tea for 150 to 180 baht.

Much of Paii’s clientele since its launch in May have been expats, especially wealthy Chinese tourists. On a recent visit, a visitor called over Chef Joe to tell him that he’d never had such good sua rong hai (weeping tiger) marinated beef before.

“Initially we had much stronger, spicier flavors and went all out, but we had to tone it down due to the feedback from Asian expats and tourists,” Joe said. “But if you eat spicy, let us know.”

Joe, 42, used to waiter and cook in Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast while studying culinary arts in Queensland. Upon his return, he became known in the food scene during his seven-year stint as chef at Siam Kempinski Hotel before he began to work at The House in February 2018.

This review was based on a hosted visit. Paii is open every day from noon to midnight and is a very short walk from BTS Chong Nonsi.

Some Junta Laws to Remain Effective Under New Cabinet

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 July 2019, 16:59

Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to reporters July 9, 2019, at Government House.

BANGKOK — Some special laws enacted by the junta’s absolute power will stay in place even after the new government takes over, a deputy prime minister confirmed Tuesday.

Wissanu Krea-ngam said the junta will soon issue a special order to dissolve nearly all 100 special laws or “orders” implemented during its reign – which range from media control to replacing governors – though “fewer than 10” will remain effective. He did not name what those laws might be.

“We will leave fewer than 10 orders in place as requested by different state agencies,” Wissanu said at Government House.

Read: Activists Petition MPs to Repeal Junta Orders

Under Section 44 of the 2014 constitution enacted after the coup, junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha had the authority to enact any legal measure deemed necessary to improve national security and the economy.

The provision continued to be invoked even after a new charter came into effect in 2017, and even after the March 24 election, drawing protests from junta opponents who accuse Prayuth of interfering with the transition to the so-called civilian government.

Indeed, Prayuth invoked Article 44 just yesterday to block the selection of new national telecommunications regulators. But the junta chief said today he will no longer resort to his special powers as the new cabinet is being deliberated by His Majesty the King.

“The time of using Section 44 is over,” Prayuth said at a news conference. “Even though I can still use it until the ceremony to swear in the new cabinet, I don’t think it would be appropriate.”

While the government has defended the provision as a measure to better enforce the law, the opposition says Section 44 was effectively a blank cheque for Gen. Prayuth to enact policies without scrutiny.

Junta Replaces Pattaya Mayor by Article 44

Police Defend Buying 1 Billion Baht ‘Private Jet’ For Prawit

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 July 2019, 14:02

BANGKOK — A transparency activist on Tuesday filed a complaint to probe the police’s purchase of a 1.14 billion baht jet for ferrying deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan and his entourage.

In the wake of public outrage at photos of the junta’s second-in-command exiting a private jet with a flight attendant in tow, campaigner Srisuwan Janya called the acquisition a waste of taxpayers’ money and urged the state auditor to look into the matter. Police top brass have defended the jet, saying it’s necessary for government trips.

“Is the Royal Thai Police’s purchase of the jet to service Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan valid spending, or does it suggest corruption?” Srisuwan told reporters after filing his complaint to the Office of the Auditor General.

Read: Activist Protests Higher Salaries for Generals

Srisuwan also noted the Dassault Falcon 2000S bought by the police cost about 350 million baht more than the global market price.

“Why does Thailand like to buy things at a higher price than other people?” the activist asked. “Or was there some special [deal] that they haven’t revealed to the people?”

The jet, which entered the force’s service in September 2018, was first spotted when it took Gen. Prawit and other officials to Lopburi province on June 28 for a government event. But photos of the aircraft only went viral on social media last week.

Anger on the internet was further fueled when it emerged that the police paid 1.14 billion baht for the private jet. Many netizens also questioned why the plane appears to be staffed by uniformed flight attendants.

“Is my tax money being used for someone’s convenience?” user Yat Phanchang wrote in reply to a news thread.

But police spokesman Piya Uthayo insists the plane was a sound investment, as the vehicle has been used to carry not only Gen. Prawit but also the police commissioner and other high-ranking officials.

“The plane is suitable for airports with short runways, and it can fly in all weather conditions [when] normal helicopters cannot fly,” Police Gen. Piya said at a news conference.

He also said officials use the plane on important assignments outside Bangkok, like government inspections, drug raids, and to follow up crucial investigations.

But Srisuwan the activist says the police already have a fleet of 71 other airplanes and helicopters which can fly in all conditions.

Public grievances over questionable acquisitions of expensive hardware have been common since the junta came to power in the 2014 coup.

In January, the army announced it had bought 14 Chinese battle tanks with a collective price tag of 2.4 billion baht.

A month later, the Ministry of Defense signed another 2.2 billion baht deal to buy more armored vehicles from China, sparking complaints that the funds should have been used to improve infrastructure and hospitals.

Celebrities Support Slapping Future Forward’s Pannika, Netizens Hit Back

By

Tappanai Boonbandit, Staff Reporter

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9 July 2019, 13:02

Amita Marie “Tata” Young, left. Photo: tataamitayoung / Instagram. Pol “Pete” Christensen, right. Photo: petepol / Instagram. @a_adisorn now-deleted post from June 13 which reads “#WaitingToSlapEChorAtTheArrivalGate,” center. Photo: a_adisorn / Instagram.

BANGKOK — Online debate is swirling Monday after celebrities were caught supporting an Instagram post about slapping a Future Forward Party spokeswoman.

Netizens noticed today that Thai-American singer Amita Marie “Tata” Young had commented in support of a post threatening to slap Pannika Wanich, possibly made in jest, by user @a_adisorn on June 13. @a_adisorn is allegedly the account of Adisorn Sopha, a travel and media businessman.

“#WaitingToSlapEChorAtTheArrivalGate,” read a now-deleted Instagram post by @a_adisorn. “Chor” is Pannika’s nickname while “E” is a derogatory prefix.

The aggressive hashtag likely referred to Pannika’s return to Thailand on June 13 from a trip to Yangon.

“This is a way to decisively win over my hatred against you #EChorNukPaenDin #EChorShortNeck #EChorHasMumps #IDon’tWantYourNewFuture,” the post continued.

Among several supportive comments under @a_adisorn’s post was one from Tata’s verified account, @tataamitayoung, reading “Please do me a favor!”

A screenshot of @a_adisorn now-deleted post from June 13 which reads “#WaitingToSlapEChorAtTheArrivalGate," with Tata's comment "Please do me a favor!" highlighted in the red box. — A screenshot of @a_adisorn now-deleted post from June 13 which reads “#WaitingToSlapEChorAtTheArrivalGate,” with Tata’s comment “Please do me a favor!” highlighted in the red box.

Another singer, Pol “Pete” Christensen or @petepol, also commented “#Mumps” with a laughing emoji.

Although @a_adisorn’s post was made on June 13, netizens unearthed the comments today in a new round of online debate, with the hashtags #TataYoung, #PetePol, and #WaitingToSlapEChorAtTheArrivalGate trending as of Monday.

“You can’t fight with your wit, so you have to resort to violence? I’m ashamed that your education and wealth has failed to increase your humanity,” @funny_yhong tweeted on Monday.

“Her concert is coming up in October. Let’s see the consequences of her recent political hatred,” read another tweet by @ywkrnt.

Some netizens complained that Tata’s comment went against an interview condemning bullying published in The Standard in 2018.

“I see bullying as an act in which the perpetrators should be ashamed of themselves,” Tata said in the interview. “These people might have problems on their minds, but since they can’t figure out how to deal with those problems, they have to gather themselves up as a group to feel they belong. It’s quite a pity that they have to use hostility to bring themselves up.”

The two celebrities defended themselves online late Monday, with Tata insisting she never took the threat of a slap seriously.

“I admit that I made such a comment on my close friend’s account without thinking of the consequences,” Tata wrote on her Instagram post. “I do not support the use of violence, but as a Thai citizen, I’m following politics…I apologize for what happened.”

Meanwhile, Pete said he made the comment about “mumps” in jest and reaffirmed that he is not salim, a derogatory term used to refer to supporters of the Yellow Shirts.

“I find what [@a_adisorn] posted to be funny but I do not intend to support harming anyone,” Pete wrote in an Instagram post. “I only posted an emoji with #mumps to laugh at [@a_adisorn’s] remark. I never intend to bully anyone. Please do not get me wrong and I have to apologize for the misunderstanding #IAmNotSalim.”

In contrast to the apologies though, @a_adisorn stood by the original post with a screen capture of a notification from Instagram advising the June 13 post had been deleted. An accompanying caption reads, “I didn’t delete it myself. Figure out the chronology of what happened and you’ll know why I have to slap her.”

Amid the social media debate, Phalang Pracharath MP Parina Kraikup and singer-actress Haruthai “Au” Muangboonsri – both long-standing detractors of Pannika – also came out in support of Tata and Pete.

“Love Tata Young, because Tata Young loves Thailand,” read a Facebook post by Parina.

“Preventing artists from expressing their political opinions? Democracy your ass! Do I have to be a politician to talk politics? Not necessarily!” said Haruthai on Facebook.

While Pannika herself has not given a statement on the slapping scandal, Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul touched on the posts in a Monday press conference.

“I urge everyone to give attention to things that really matter to our country,” Piyabutr said. “If we bring up small things like this, society will be distracted from the misdeeds of government and monopolized capital.”

In recent months, Pannika has become a prime target of attacks from pro-junta supporters. Earlier in June, online debate swirled over a 2010 graduation photo showing Pannika watching a classmate point at a photo of King Rama IX, with some accusing the photo of constituting lese majeste.

Parina vs. Pannika: Pro-Prayuth MP Says Future Forward Rival’s Grad Photo Violates 112

Pantsuit-Gate II: Pro-Prayuth MP Piles on Rival’s Fashion

Pantsuit-Gate: Future Forward MP Criticized for Not Wearing All Black

Swiss Air Force Team Apologizes for Fly-By in Wrong Place

By

Associated Press

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9 July 2019, 11:01

In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 file photo, the Swiss Air Force Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team performs during an alpine ski, men's World Cup combined in Wengen, Switzerland. The commander of the Swiss air force's aerobatics display team has apologized after his unit performed a low-altitude pass over the wrong village at the weekend Saturday July 6 - Sunday July 7, 2019. Photo: Marco Tacca / AP

BERLIN — The commander of the Swiss air force’s aerial display team has apologized after his unit performed a low-altitude pass over the wrong municipality.

Residents of Langenbruck looked up in vain Saturday while expecting to see Switzerland’s Patrouille Suisse squadron swoop by to mark the centenary of the death of local aviation pioneer Oskar Bider.

The team flew over nearby Muemliswil instead.

Switzerland’s Defense Ministry said Monday that the formation hadn’t practiced the maneuver and got distracted by an unauthorized helicopter in the area. The ministry says the team leader spotted what he thought was a tent for the Langenbruck celebration that turned out to be for a yodeling festival in Muemliswil.

The ministry said the Patrouille Suisse team’s red and white F-5E Tiger II jets aren’t equipped with GPS devices.

Lam Says Hong Kong Bill Is ‘Dead’ but Unclear If Demand Met

By

Associated Press

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9 July 2019, 10:55

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam pauses during a press conference in Hong Kong, Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Lam said Tuesday the effort to amend an extradition bill was dead, but it wasn't clear if the legislation was being withdrawn as protesters have demanded. Photo: Vincent Yu / AP

HONG KONG — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday the effort to amend an extradition bill was dead, but it wasn’t clear if the legislation was being withdrawn as protesters have demanded.

Lam noted there were “lingering doubts about the government’s sincerity or worries whether the government will restart the process in the Legislative Council.” But she said at a news conference, “I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead.”

Hundreds of thousands of people have protested in the territory for the past month against the extradition legislation and have expressed growing fear that Hong Kong was losing the freedoms guaranteed to it when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

In the most recent protest on Sunday, tens of thousands of people, chanting “Free Hong Kong” and some carrying British colonial-era flags, marched toward a high-speed railway station that connects Hong Kong to the mainland. They said they wanted to carry a peaceful protest message to people on the mainland, where state-run media have not covered the protests widely but have focused instead on clashes with police and property damage.

On July 1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, a peaceful march drew hundreds of thousands of people but was overshadowed by an assault on the territory’s legislative building. A few hundred demonstrators shattered thick glass panels to enter the building and wreaked havoc for three hours, spray-painting slogans on the chamber walls, overturning furniture and damaging electronic voting and fire prevention systems.

Protesters also are demanding an independent investigation into a crackdown on June 12 demonstrations in which officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds blocking major streets.

Lam said Tuesday investigations would take place under the Department of Justice “in accordance with the evidence, the law and also the prosecution code.”

Trump Will ‘No Longer Deal’ With UK Envoy Who Panned Him

By

Associated Press

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9 July 2019, 10:45

President Donald Trump with first lady Melania Trump gestures upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, July 7, 2019. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

LONDON — President Donald Trump threatened Monday to cut off contact with Britain’s ambassador to the United States after leaked diplomatic cables revealed the envoy called the Trump administration “dysfunctional” and “inept.”

The U.S. leader tweeted about Ambassador Kim Darroch a day after a British newspaper published the diplomat’s unflattering assessments of the current administration in Washington.

“I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US. We will no longer deal with him,” Trump wrote.

The documents — published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper — have created awkwardness between two countries that are longtime allies. British officials said they were hunting for the culprit behind the leak, which was both an embarrassment to Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and a major breach of diplomatic security.

Darroch has served as Britain’s envoy to Washington since 2016, and the cables cover a period from 2017 to recent weeks.

In the leaked documents he called the Trump administration’s policy toward Iran “incoherent,” said the president might be indebted to “dodgy Russians” and raised doubts about whether the White House “will ever look competent.”

“We don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” one missive said.

The documents were intended for senior U.K. ministers and civil servants. Government officials think the mole will be found among British politicians or officials, not foreign governments or hackers.

“I’ve seen nothing to suggest hostile state actors were involved,” said May’s spokesman, James Slack.

Some U.K. diplomatic cables go to more than 100 recipients, though more sensitive messages have a smaller distribution list.

The inquiry is being led by civil servants in the Cabinet Office, and Slack said police would only be called in “if evidence of criminality is found.”

But Conservative U.K. lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, who chairs Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said he had written to the chief of London’s Metropolitan Police asking for a criminal investigation into the leak.

It’s possible the leaker could be charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act, which bars public servants from making “damaging” disclosures of classified material. Breaching the act carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, though prosecutions are rare.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there would be “very serious consequences” if the culprit was caught.

He said the ability to communicate frankly was “fundamental” to diplomacy.

Amid the trans-Atlantic strain, Trump on Monday renewed his criticism of the outgoing prime minister’s handling of Britain’s stalled departure from the European Union.

“I have been very critical about the way the U.K. and Prime Minister Theresa May handled Brexit,” he tweeted. “What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way.”

He added: “The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister.”

May is set to step down later this month, replaced either by Hunt or by his predecessor as foreign secretary, former London mayor Boris Johnson. Trump has previously praised both men.

Slack said May had “full faith” in Darroch, a long-serving diplomat, though didn’t agree with the ambassador’s characterization of the Trump administration.

He said ambassadors were hired to provide “honest, unvarnished assessments” of politics in the countries where they served, which didn’t necessarily reflect the views of the British government.

But Trump’s tweets increased the pressure on Britain’s government over Darroch, who also has been accused by some Brexit-backing U.K. politicians of having a lack of enthusiasm for Britain’s departure from the EU.

The journalist who reported the leak, Isabel Oakeshott, is a strong supporter of Brexit and an ally of Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who also is Britain’s leading champion of Trump.

Trump said in 2016 that Farage would “do a great job” as an ambassador to Washington.

Farage brushed off that idea Monday, saying “I’m not a diplomat, and I think that’s quite an understatement.”

But Farage said Darroch’s comments were “pretty irresponsible.”

Robin Renwick, who served as Britain’s ambassador to Washington in the 1990s, said Darroch had done nothing wrong but the leaked cables had made his position “untenable.”

“There will of course be a decent interval. He will then have to be moved on,” Renwick told the BBC.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox called the leak “malicious.”

“I think it is unconscionable that any professional person in either politics of the civil service can behave in this way,” he said.

Fox, who was meeting Trump’s daughter Ivanka in Washington on Monday, told the BBC he would apologize for the fact that standards of “either our civil service or elements of our political class” had “lapsed in a most extraordinary and unacceptable way.”

Story: Jill Lawless.

Fears of Future Assaults Force Activists to Seek Police Protection

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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8 July 2019, 18:19

BANGKOK — Three pro-democracy campaigners assaulted by men they believe to be acting on the junta’s orders said Monday they have sought police protection.

Citing fears of further harm from mysterious assailants, the activists said they set aside their suspicions and requested both formal and informal assistance from the police – before balking at the condition that they must quit politics while the protection is in place.

Sirawith “Ja New” Seritiwat, who spent over a week in hospital after a group of men attacked him with batons as he was leaving his house on June 28, said the Witness Protection Bureau offered to enroll him in its service, provided he no longer participates in political rallies.

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“I told them I would like to think about it first,” Sirawith said by phone Monday – his first media interview since the assault left him with serious facial and head injuries.

Sirawith, who was discharged from hospital yesterday, said his family has requested that local police keep an eye on his residence for now. He added that he would appreciate some form of police protection by next week, as he has to leave his home to follow up criminal cases he filed against his assailants and attend medical checkups.

Speaking to reporters today, deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan said it’s up to the police to set the conditions for its protection programs. None of the four attackers who ambushed Sirawith have been identified so far.

An Offer They Have to Refuse

Campaigner Ekachai Hongkangwan said the Bureau of Witness Protection laid out a similar offer of protection in exchange for quitting politics.

Ekachai, who has been beaten, punched and doused with fermented fish, said he signed the agreement out of fear for his safety, but has no intention to stop participating in political activities.

“There’s no choice,” Ekachai said by phone. “In the end, even if you don’t trust [the police], so what? I don’t have a choice.”

The 60-day agreement, which he signed a month ago, dictates that he can neither post political messages on social media nor join political rallies. But Ekachai says he has openly flaunted the ban. In fact, he said he has even attended demonstrations with plainclothes policemen assigned to watch over him.

Ekachai Hongkangwan stages a one-man protest in front of Government House on May 1, 2018.

“If they want to annul the contract then they can do so,” said Ekachai, though he added that his minders told him the bureau is aware of him breaching the agreement. Ekachai has been assaulted seven times over the past year.

The Bureau of Witness Protection, which operates under the Ministry of Justice, was not available for comments as of publication time.

Activist Anurak Jeantawanich, who was beaten by a group of masked men wielding wooden sticks in April, said in today’s interview he declined the same offer from the bureau.

Instead, Anurak said he negotiated with local police to receive some protection. He also said he is toning down his public campaigns in order to be on the safe side.

“I don’t think the police can afford me 100 percent protection,” the activist said. “But I’m trying to work with them and am reducing the likelihood of being assaulted by taking precautions in expressing myself politically, for example.”

Anurak questioned whether the military government is dangling personal safety as a reward for not resisting.

“What the dictator wants is for us to stop political activism,” Anurak said.

Additional reporting Teeranai Charuvastra

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An Offer They Have to Refuse

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