All Eyes Fix on Thaksin Ally’s Mysterious PM Frontrunner

By

-

7 February 2019, 17:22

Thai Raksa Chart party officials talk to reporters on Feb. 5

BANGKOK — Much of the internet and media spent Thursday speculating over who will be announced as the prime minister candidate for a party allied to former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

While other major political parties have revealed their candidates to lead the next government, Thai Raksa Chart has kept its list tightly held and has only hinted that it will be an earth-shattering “surprise,” fueling fervent speculation and rumors over who will get the nod.

Update: Princess Nominated to Lead Thailand in Election Shocker

The torrent of rumors comes as word the party backing ongoing military rule now faces bleak prospects. One of its potential candidates joined a number of prospective nominees to withdraw from the race, while junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha has been tempering expectations he will accept their nomination.

“Please wait for Feb. 8,” Thai Raksa Chart chairman Preechapol Pongpanich said.

Like other media outlets handling the information with an abundance of caution, Khaosod English cannot yet confirm any of the rumors.

Speculation about Thai Raksa Chart’s nomination began after the party said it would only formally submit its names to the Election Commission on Friday – the last day possible – instead of announcing it at their party headquarters as other parties have done.

On Twitter, Thai Raksa Chart was among the top-trending Thai topics. Party officials held a highly anticipated news conference earlier today, but only discussed internal matters and did not divulge any key information, much to the the chagrin of political observers perched on the edge of their seats.

Some time in the afternoon, a document purportedly showing the name of the would-be nominee was posted to the internet, but Thai Raksa Chart said it was a fake.

Friday also marked the last day Gen. Prayuth can give his answer to the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party’s invitation to run on the top of its ticket, an announcement that until recently was considered fait accompli.

Although the junta chairman has long hinted at running for the next term as prime minister, he abruptly changed his tune last week, saying he would have to think about it.

And just as some in Phalang Pracharat were floating the idea of a Plan B by nominating Prayuth’s economic czar Somkid Jatusripitak for the job instead, Somkid himself announced today he would not accept.

Speaking to reporters, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs said he dropped out in order to make way for Prayuth to be the lone candidate.

“I only support one name: Gen. Prayuth,” Somkid said. “This is my answer. Don’t ask me again. It’s over. No need for interpretation.”

The Action Coalition for Thailand Party, which is aligned with Thaksin’s political opponents, also announced today it would not nominate anyone to be prime minister. The party said it would support Prayuth as the next premier if he runs.

Sources inside Thai Raksa Chart said party leader Preechapol will arrive at the Election Commission office tomorrow at 9.10am with the nomination. At roughly the same time, Phalang Pracharat executives will visit Gen. Prayuth at the Government House to hear his answer.

Candidate Claims Harassment After Cops Fine Campaign Truck

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

-

7 February 2019, 16:30

Pheu Thai MP candidate Leelawadee Watcharobol talks to reporters Thursday.

BANGKOK — An MP contender for the Pheu Thai Party said Thursday she was unfairly targeted by police who took action against her campaign truck for being illegally modified.

Leelawadee Watcharobol, who’s running to represent part of Bangkok’s old quarter, said officers from the Samsen Police Station stopped her truck yesterday as she was canvassing Samsen Road. The former MP said police had never before taken offense at campaign trucks in her career.

“This kind of thing never happened,” she told reporters today. “I see this issue as discriminatory. I don’t want police to be anyone’s tool during [the election season].”

Leelawadee, who was elected to represent the Dusit area in 2011, said her party would file a harassment complaint with the Election Commission because campaign trucks of other parties have not been fined by police.

“If our party is punished, all parties should be punished, too,” the politician said.

The Pheu Thai caravan was stopped in front of St. Gabriel’s College on Wednesday and fined 2,000 baht for adding loudspeakers and ramps to the truck.

A Samsen police traffic cop said the ticket was issued because the truck was modified without permission from Land Transport Department.

“It was not about discrimination,” Lt. Col. Nanthapol Damnin told reporters, adding that Leelawadee’s team was also fined for driving on a bus lane, along with other motorists on that day.

Romanians, Nigerians Arrested in Cambodian Drug Bust

By

Associated Press

-

7 February 2019, 16:23

Shards of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as crystal meth. Photo: Radspunk / Wikimedia Commons

PHNOM PENH — Cambodian police say they have arrested two Romanians and three Nigerians after seizing nearly 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of methamphetamine from one of them as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong.

Deputy National Police Chief Mok Chito said police on Wednesday found the drug, in a form known as crystal meth or ice, in a backpack belonging to Romanian Narcis-Manuel Olaru at the airport in Siem Reap in northeastern Cambodia.

Olaru told police four other members of his gang lived in the capital, Phnom Penh, where they were arrested. Mok Chito said the suspects confessed they received the drug from Laos and its ultimate destination was New Zealand, where it would be worth three times its Cambodian value of about USD$50,000 per kilogram ($22,700 per pound).

Aussie Envoy Mum on His Role in Hakeem Arrest

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

-

7 February 2019, 16:15

Prison guards escort Bahraini football player Hakeem AlAraibi in December from a court in Bangkok. Photo: Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press

BANGKOK — The Australian Embassy gave no comment Thursday after the immigration police commander said that Ambassador Allen McKinnon admitted to alerting Thai authorities in November about an Interpol red notice for the Bahraini footballer.

Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn said Hakeem AlAraibi, to whom Australia had granted political asylum, was arrested as a consequence of that alert. He told media Wednesday that McKinnon expressed contrition and that explained Australia “doubling its pressure” on Thailand to release AlAraibi.

Efforts to verify Surachate’s account of McKinnon’s remarks were not successful Thursday.

James Fettes, the embassy’s public diplomacy manager, responded to say a reporter’s inquiry about McKinnon’s role had been forwarded to the Media Liaison Team in Canberra.

After this story was published, the embassy sent a statement saying that the Australian government “never issued a red notice against Mr Alairaibi” but in fact it had been issued by Bahrain in “breach of Interpol’s regulations.”

It did not answer whether McKinnon had any role.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect a response sent by the embassy.

How Fake News and Disinfo Will Affect Thailand’s Election

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

-

7 February 2019, 14:52

By Jintamas Saksornchai and Todd Ruiz

BANGKOK — A woman stands silently by as a man makes thinly veiled threats toward the monarch in a 45-second video clip from 2010.

According to the pro-junta news group that posted the video, the woman was Pheu Thai Party PM candidate Sudarat Keyuraphan. According to Sudarat, who filed a police complaint Wednesday, the whole thing is a fake.

It’s the first high-profile charge of fakery to emerge in the runup to what will be Thailand’s first election since once-routine democratic functions worldwide have become tainted by digital disinformation and social media manipulation.

Though the prospects of misinformation being used effectively are high in a nation with some of the world’s most active social media users, experts believe that – given the circumstances – it’s likely to play out differently and on a smaller scale.

Internet transparency activist Arthit Suriyawongkul says one of the main goals of so-called fake news – inflaming discord on divisive issues – isn’t needed in Thailand.

“It’s not necessary to systematically spread fake news in Thailand, because the Yellow, Redshirt rhetoric already works sufficiently,” he said. “In Thailand’s situation, even when people share valid information, we still don’t want to listen to each other.”

There are also different habits. Thai voters are just as likely to share information uncritically over chat application Line. At the height of the 2016 US election, a story that the election of Hillary Clinton would presage World War III from a site parroting pro-Moscow talking points was widely circulated via chat.

Peerapon Anutarasoat, who has produced and hosted a fact-checking program on MCOT since 2015, said Line, like Facebook, should be closely monitored during the election season.

“There are users from almost all backgrounds on Facebook, and it’s fairly easy to create, share, reproduce and receive information,” he said. “Line allows users to have conversations in closed groups and there’s no system to monitor the content overall. From my experience, I believe existing Line groups will be used for distributing political information even more.”

He said most of the fake news he’s seen didn’t have a political agenda, and although some contained political content, most were clickbait for commercial purposes.

To him, the inevitable disinformation war is unlikely to blow up on a national scale but rather be focused on local issues and circling in limited communities to “maintain the old fans and convince them to sell their ideas to people close to them.”

In Sudarat’s case, she told the police Wednesday that the clip widely shared on Facebook and Line showing her standing by as the most socially taboo threats were being made on a Redshirt stage in 2010 was digitally manipulated.

The post, now deleted, was of a very low-quality and grainy video clip taken nearly nine years ago in the final moments of Redshirt street demonstrations that paralyzed the capital for weeks. In it, prominent Redshirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong threatened from a rally stage to “wipe out” several important institutions including Siriraj Hospital, where the late king Bhumibol resided until his death in 2016.

Internet activist Arthit said efforts to systematically disseminate fake news on social media prior to the general election next month won’t be as severe as has taken place elsewhere due to several factors: the short timeframe before Election Day, and efforts by the platforms to step up security.

More likely, he said, is the spread of information sowing “confusion” in the form of fake news or recycled news, both online and off, including posts from online influencers on issues that might swing voter sentiments.

And those efforts were likely set in motion well before Election Day was announced last month.

Since the date was announced, Google Ads have gone into rotation promoting what is presented as an independent “fact checking” site called Thai-Truth. It shows a masked man extending a hand helpfully below a watchdog-like logo.

Most articles published there, which are shared to Facebook, focus on comparisons between the administrations of fugitive leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra and that of junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha.

But a cursory review of the site finds that despite an apparent neutral tone, the content mixes stridently pro-establishment political content with popular social positions.

Among things it deemed truthful was that it was legal for the pro-junta Palang Pracharat Party to host a fundraising dinner and a statement that “Thanathorn used to be a Redshirt,” in reference to the billionaire founder of the anti-junta Future Forward Party. It also deemed truthful the popular sentiment that “the black panther case has taken longer than usual,” referring to a poaching case has inflamed the public for the past year.

Assertions deemed false included ones that “Prayuth’s government has accumulated more public debt than Yingluck’s,” it was illegal for four ministers not to resign after joining Palang Pracharat, and Prayuth has done less to crack down on drugs.

Arthit’s Thai Netizen Network, which advocates for freedom and transparency online, examined the site and found it was launched one day before Prayuth’s official website was rolled out, and the language of the privacy policies on both sites were nearly identical, including the same misspelled words.

Official Response

Concerns over fake news and disinformation were cited in the Election Commission’s decision to regulate social media campaigning for the first time in its history, a move criticized as outdated and unfair especially to new politicians and parties.

Commissioner Charungwit Phumma defended it as a preventive measure to protect candidates against those seeking to discredit them.

“It’s not a restriction. We’d just like them to inform us in advance,” he said. “Our main concern is about people creating fake accounts looking to damage them. If we don’t verify their accounts first, we’d never know which one is real.”

He said the commission has readied a “war room” with the help of experts to monitor information on social media, saying he has “gained a lot of knowledge” in the process. He added that many candidates nationwide have registered their social media accounts with the commission.

Fact-checker Peerapon said that while he agrees with measures to verify candidates’ social media accounts in advance, the biggest challenge the commission faces is not how much disinformation it can get rid of but how effectively it interprets content that may be more ambiguous than straight-up false.

Khaosod English has reached out to Facebook, Twitter and Line to learn more about their specific plans to combat misinformation during the Thai election season.

What comes after is another matter, according to Arthit the transparency advocate. He expects attempts to spread disinformation to scale up after votes are tallied.

“These efforts won’t be used before voting, because the time frame is very tight,” he said. “If the results don’t turn out as they’d hoped, each party might start accusing others of distributing distorted information to discredit them and try to have them disqualified.”

Asian Markets Rise on Hopes for Interest Rate Cuts

By

Associated Press

-

7 February 2019, 14:33

Asian Stocks Fall After IMF Downgrades Economic Outlook — A man walks past an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in 2017 in Tokyo. Photo: Shuji Kajiyama / Associated Press

SINGAPORE — Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday on news that the Reserve Bank of Australia may cut interest rates, driving hopes that other central banks could come to the same conclusion. Markets in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year.

When borrowing is made less expensive, the increase in spending by businesses and consumers could give the economy boost. Central banks in the Philippines, India and the U.K will meet later today but they are expected to leave rates unchanged.

Thailand’s SET traded at 1,661.57 on Thursday afternoon, a 0.2 percent increase. Australia’s S&P ASX 200 rebounded 1.1 percent to 6,092.50.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.6 percent to 20,751.28 on concerns over U.S.-China relations. U.S. Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin and trade representative Robert Lighthizer will lead a delegation to Beijing next week for the next round of trade talks, but the issues at hand are complex.

These include contentious issues like Beijing’s technology policy and trade practices, where progress has been limited so far.

Mnuchin also said that there were no plans for President Donald Trump to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “If there are remaining issues that we can’t get closed, I think President Trump expects that he’s going to sit down with President Xi and address those issues,” he said.

In other trading, New Zealand’s NZX index advanced 0.7 percent to 9,902.84 and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.1 percent to 2,205.05. India’s Sensex picked up 0.4 percent to 37,119.92. Stocks rose in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines but fell in Indonesia.

Wall Street

Video game companies Electronic Arts, whose titles include “The Sims”, and Take-Two Interactive, maker of the “Grand Theft Auto” series, reported weaker-than-expected earnings on Wednesday. They also posted disappointing forecasts because of tougher competition. Communication sector stocks tumbled, snapping the market’s five-day winning streak, but strong earnings by other companies cushioned the blow. The broad S&P index lost 0.2 percent to 2,731.61. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 percent to 25,390.30 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.4 percent to 7,375.28. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks eased 0.1 percent to 1,518.02.

Energy

U.S. crude lost 26 cents to USD$53.75 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 35 cents to settle at $54.01 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gave up 36 cents to $62.33 per barrel. It added 71 cents to close at $62.69 per barrel in London.

Currencies

The dollar eased to 109.92 yen from 109.99 yen late Wednesday. The euro slipped to $1.1359 from $1.1363.

Story: Annabelle Liang

Briton Falls to Death in Balcony ‘Suicide’

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

-

7 February 2019, 12:53

PATTAYA — A British national fell to his death near Pattaya last night, police said.

The 60-year-old man was found dead outside a condominium in the Jomtien Beach area at about 9pm on Wednesday. A police officer said he believes he took his own life.

“We suspect it was a suicide. Murder is unlikely,” said the officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Police said CCTV records would be studied and other evidence gathered to formally establish the cause of death.

Khaosod English is withholding the man’s identity until there is time for his family to be notified.

Indulge in Valentine’s Day Dinner With Special One at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

-

7 February 2019, 12:19

BANGKOK — Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is inviting lovers to celebrate the fate of love in romantic setting at the hotel’s restaurants and turn Valentine’s Day into a sweet memory that lasts forever.

$C:\Users\dell\Downloads\khaosodenglishvip525\2.jpg$

Throughout February, the stylish Lobby Lounge is treating lovers with pink afternoon tea set that is packed with delicious savory and sweet nibbles such as Sweet and sour raspberry candies, Strawberry chocolate bon bon, Love eyes cookies, Berry macarons, Passion fruit tart, Almond tart, Vanilla and rose cupcake, Strawberry scone and clotted cream as well as savory items such as Butter brioche sandwich with strawberry cream cheese, Raspberry foie gras rocher, Smoked salmon and cucumber bite, smoked chicken and berry jam and pumpernickel bread. Indulge in the sumptuous and sweet afternoon tea set at The Lobby Lounge during February 1 – 28, 2019 from 12:00 HRS to 18:00 HRS at THB 999++ per set, inclusive of tea or coffee for two persons.

$C:\Users\dell\Downloads\khaosodenglishvip525\3.jpg$

On the Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2019, Goji Kitchen + Bar is delighting lovers with Valentine dinner buffet, filled with surprises and special treats. Highlight menus include fresh premium seafood on ice, Belon oyster, Boudeuse oyster, Boston lobster, Alaskan crab, crayfish, razor clam as well as sushi, sashimi and Wagyu beef roll and foie gras roll. Be mesmerized by the meticulous cooking techniques by the experienced chefs with the thrilling open kitchen. Watch as seafood like river prawn, squid, scallop, oyster and many more is transformed into succulent dishes. Don’t miss the Surf and Turf station that entices with prime meat, lobster with special desserts. Besides an array of flavorful dishes, Goji Kitchen + Bar is providing lovers a special souvenir photo for every couple. The international buffet is served on February 14, 2019 from 18:00 HRS to 22:00 HRS at THB 2,352++ per person.

Another outlet that celebrates Valentine’s Day in style is Akira Back, the fine dining outlet on the 37th floor renowned for the modern Japanese restaurant with East-meets-West flair. On February 14, 2019, the restaurant is serving 6-course dinner filled with love for every couple. The menus include: Tuna pizza with orinji mushroom, Tataki of A5 Waygu beef with ponzu and truffle sauce and white radish, Hokkaido scallop and butter sauce with nori served with crispy pancetta, Turbot fish with chestnut salad cream, Iberian pork from Spain with hot and spicy Korean sauce served with grilled asparagus and the last course, Yuzu cake served with tropical fruits and mango sherbet. The special dinner set is served at THB 3,500++ per person from 18:00 HRS – 23:00 HRS.

Not only couples, but singles can also celebrate Valentine’s Day at ABar, a Victorian London vintage and 1930 American flair concept. ABar organizes a single party with free flow cocktail package, special for Valentine’s Day only, unlimited free flow cocktails & drinks package served at THB 1,400++ per person during 18:00 HRS – 22:00 HRS.

$C:\Users\dell\Downloads\khaosodenglishvip525\4.jpg$

Couples can also enjoy their quality time at ABar Rooftop under the stars with Bangkok’s sparkling nightscape as a backdrop. Enjoy the alluring champagne of your choice that comes with signature appetizer and light snack, free flow of signature gin, sparkling wine and cocktails from 17:00 HRS to 22:00 HRS. Bask in the romantic night with special table setup and live saxophone that will make Valentine’s a night to cherish forever.The bar accommodates only 16 couples at THB 9,500++ per couple, inclusive of rose bouquet and special gift.

$C:\Users\dell\Downloads\khaosodenglishvip525\5.jpg$

Savor the romantic atmosphere and fine feast filled with love and make this year’s Valentine a lasting sweet memory at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park. For information and reservations, please call +66 (0) 2 059 5999 or email [email protected].

Or connect with us via these channels:

Website: www.bangkokmarriottmarquisqueenspark.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bangkokmarriottmarquis/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/marriottmarquisbkk/

About Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park

The largest hotel in Bangkok and the first Marriott Marquis hotel in Asia Pacific, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is a new landmark in heart of the Thai capital. The hotel offers extensive facilities, including 1,388 rooms and suites, over 5,000m² of function space across 37 venues, two swimming pools, 24-hour fitness center, the Quan Spa and a collection of restaurants and bars. Centrally located on Sukhumvit Road, in Bangkok’s vibrant business and entertainment district, the hotel is the perfect choice for all travelers to this pulsating city.

Romance Runs Rampant This Valentine’s Day at Park Hyatt Bangkok (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

-

7 February 2019, 12:14

BANGKOK — Dine at Park Hyatt Bangkok’s two restaurants and rooftop this Valentine’s evening, Thursday, February 14, 2019.

EMBASSY ROOM

Savour 3-course Set Dinner with optional wine pairing serenaded by Dixiology Jazz Band and sultry saxophonist. After chef’s surprise amuse bouche, dine on Canadian Lobster ravioli and a glass of Chardonnay, wood-fire grilled Black Angus Beef tenderloin and a full-bodied red, and Strawberry tart, raspberry & white chocolate ice cream with a glass of port.

Priced THB 1,950++ pp/wine pairing THB 1,200++ pp.

Reservations recommended. No deposit required. Table will be held for 30 minutes.

Two seatings at 6pm and 8.45pm.

No a la carte.

Poolside tables, limited to five, available at 8.30 pm only.

PENTHOUSE GRILL

Let chef’s 4-course Set Dinner with optional wine pairing bring you closer together. Begin with burratta/watermelon sorbet and a light red wine. Proceed US diver scallop, cauliflower, pomegranate, lime and an Italian white. Reach a culinary crescendo with tender Wagyu Beef Cheek, winter black truffle and Cabernet Sauvignon. Seal the deal with Rose & Lychee, white chocolate, raspberry, Bourbon and a glass of port.

Priced THB 2,450++ pp/wine pairing THB 1,500++.

Two seatings at 6pm and 8.45pm.

A la carte menu available.

Reservations recommended. No deposit required. Table will be held for 30 minutes.

SWEET SENSATIONS ON THE ROOF – THE LOWDOWNS SESSION

Love is the drug at the Rooftop, delivered in honour of Valentine’s with a live concert by The Lowdowns with Jenny Lackgren, romantic ambiance, and drinks inspired by the occasion.

Live music from 9pm – midnight.

Minimum spend applies for tables with the best views.

A la carte menu available.

Window tables can be reserved in advance with special package including 1 Bottle of Billecart Brut or Rosé and oysters.

A la carte menu available

SAY IT WITH VALENTINE’S FLOWERS

Give the girl some flowers and make her heart flutter. Add some bubbles and the night is yours. Available at all venues.

Flower bouquet THB 2,600++

Flower bouquet + Billecart Salmon Rosé THB 7,000++

Please reserve in advance.

Timed to perfection

Penthouse Grill

Lunch: 12.00 – 14.30 hours

Dinner: 18.00 – 24.00 hours (last food orders at midnight)

Penthouse Bars

Sunday – Wednesday: 17.30 – 01.00 hours (last food orders 24.00/midnight)

Thursday – Saturday: 17.30 – 02.00 hours (last food orders 24.00/midnight)

About Park Hyatt

Park Hyatt hotels provide discerning, affluent business and leisure guests with elegant and luxurious accommodations. Guests of Park Hyatt hotels receive highly attentive personalized service in an intimate environment. Located in several of the world’s premier destinations, each Park Hyatt hotel is custom designed to combine sophistication with a distinctive regional character. Park Hyatt hotels feature well-appointed guestrooms, meeting and special event spaces for groups, critically acclaimed art, food and beverage programs, and signature restaurants featuring award-winning chefs. There are currently 41 Park Hyatt hotels in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Beaver Creek, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Busan, Canberra, Changbaishan, Carlsbad, Chennai, Chicago, Dubai, Goa, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Hangzhou, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Jeddah, Maldives, Mallorca, Melbourne, Mendoza, Milan, Moscow, New York, Ningbo, Paris, Saigon, Sanya, Seoul, Shanghai, Siem Reap, St. Kitts, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto (under renovation), Vienna, Washington, D.C., Zanzibar, Zurich. For more information, please visit parkhyatt.com. Follow @ParkHyatt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #LuxuryIsPersonal.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 14 premier brands. As of June 30, 2018, the Company’s portfolio included more than 750 properties in more than 55 countries across six continents. The Company’s purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to attract and retain top colleagues, build relationships with guests and create value for shareholders. The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences, vacation ownership properties, and fitness and spa locations, including under the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Andaz®, Hyatt Centric®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Hyatt Residence Club® and exhale® brand names. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Thailand’s New National Fish Triumphs at Ice Sculpture Contest

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

-

7 February 2019, 11:33

Thailand’s winning sculpture at the 46th International Snow Sculpture Contest. Photo: Hokkaido Fanclub / Facebook

SAPPORO, Japan — Less than two days after the fighting fish was declared the nation’s official aquatic animal, a Thai ice sculpting team’s rendition of the animal swam to the first prize Thursday in an international contest.

The icy likenesses of three Siamese fighting fish impressed judges at the 46th International Snow Sculpture Contest in Japan. “Betta Brilliance – The Beauty and Strength of Thailand” was sculpted by Kusol Bunkobsongserm, Amnoaysak Srisuk and Kitsana Wongtes.

“The way Pla Kad swims is very dignified but gentle, like Thai people,” the description of the sculpture on the festival’s website reads, referring to the Thai name of the fish.

Read: The Siamese Fighting Fish is Now the National Aquatic Animal

Second prize went to a dragon sculpture from Macau. Nine teams participated: China, Korea, Finland, Hawaii, Indonesia, Macao, Poland, Singapore and Thailand.

Upon winning, the team said that their biggest challenge this year was the falling snow.

The festival has proven to be a Cinderella-like story for Thailand, now ice-sculpting champions six times over. Having participated in 22 contests since 1991, Thailand snagged the top prize in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010 and most recently in 2018.

Kusol, Amnuay and Kitsana, who have entered the contest multiple times, won the 2018 prize by sculpting a pair of fighting cocks. Kusol is an employee at the Shangri-La Hotel, Amnoaysak works at the Grand Hyatt Erawan and Kitsana is a freelance sculptor.

The cabinet on Tuesday officially declared the Siamese fighting fish the national aquatic animal.

Thailand Freezes Out Competitors at Ice Sculpting Contest in China (Photos)

Siamese Fighter Flagged for National Fish

Siamese Fighting Fish That Looks Like Thai Flag Fetches Record Price

Official Response

Hot News

LATEST NEWS