A resident looks for a usable item Monday following a tsunami at a cottage in Tanjung Lesung, Indonesia. Photo: Tatan Syuflana / Associated Press
JAKARTA — Indonesia has widened the no-go zone around an island volcano that triggered a tsunami on the weekend, killing at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.
The country’s volcanology agency said Thursday that the Anak Krakatau volcano’s alert status had been raised to the second highest level and the exclusion zone more than doubled to a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius.
The eruption on Saturday evening caused part of the island in the Sunda Strait to collapse into the sea, apparently generating tsunami waves of more than 2 meters (6 1/2 feet).
The government has warned Sunda Strait communities to stay a kilometer (less than a mile) away from the coastline because of the risk of another tsunami.
Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan raises a hand to shield his eyes from sunlight Dec. 4, 2017, in a cabinet photoshoot at the Government House which launched a scandal over the many multi-million baht, ultra-luxury timepieces he often wears.
Top: Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan raises a hand to shield his eyes from sunlight Dec. 4, 2017, in a cabinet photoshoot at the Government House which launched a scandal over the many multi-million baht, ultra-luxury timepieces he often wears.
Deputy junta chairman Prawit Wongsuwan, aka Big Pom, sure gave his critics and the media a lot to talk about throughout 2018.
There was the collection of undeclared luxury watches he never fully explained – animating memes and mockery from Thais of all political affiliations.
Then there was the time he blamed the sinking of a ferry that killed 47 Chinese tourists – Thailand’s worst maritime tragedy in decades – on the Chinese travelers themselves. His remarks caused tremendous outrage in China, and the number of Chinese visitors plunged for the first time in years. The lost revenues are estimated to be in tens of billions of baht.
That’s not to mention the countless times the 73-year-old general, who also serves as defense minister and deputy prime minister, picked fights with reporters, criticized a former prime minister, defended pro-junta politicians, lashed out at activists in a fury of profanity and banter that always made for colorful headlines.
“We have a saying that Big Pom is the shell impact area,” said Wassana Nanuam, a reporter who attends Prawit’s daily news conference, using army jargon for an area marked for artillery barrage. “He has always been at the center of controversies.”
But despite a turbulent personality that has been an embarrassment to the government, political observers recognize Prawit as the “Big Brother” of the ruling junta, a powerful army man who wields respect across an institution usually known for squabbling factionalism.
Wassana, who’s written multiple books and columns on military affairs, went as far as to suggest Prawit was responsible for keeping junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha – nine years his junior – in power.
“We can say that Prayuth is still here today because Prawit is his Big Brother,” she said. “His baramee [influence] is not only limited to the government or the junta, but also over the armed forces and police. His influence is far-reaching. He can use it to settle any dispute.”
Even his chief opponent gives the same assessment. Pro-democracy activist Ekachai Hongkangwan has been staging a one-man protest at the Government House for the past year that’s mostly aimed at Prawit. Ekachai said he deliberately singled out Prawit because he sees the general as the real power behind the junta.
“In all the military right now, Prawit has the biggest influence,” Ekachai said. “Even Prayuth, who used to be the army chief, didn’t have the same influence. All the military and police reshuffles were dictated by Prawit.”
Born 1945 in the capital, Prawit spent his school years at the elite all-male St. Gabriel College and went on to attend the armed forces academy (Prawit famously said despite being bullied there, he “didn’t die” after a young cadet was killed) before getting his first job as an infantryman based in the east in 1969.
Thanks to his connections to the army’s Eastern Tigers faction, Prawit gradually rose through the ranks. He was an officer by 1976, a battalion commander in 1981, a regiment commander in 1989, a division commander in 1996 and army chief in 2004. Big Pom was also close to the palace circle, having served in the royal bodyguards that protect the king’s summer palace in Hua Hin.
As the junta’s second in command, Prawit, especially this past year, at times matched or eclipsed the prominence of his boss, Prayuth. Both men are always the first to comment on the nation’s issues of the day, especially those involving national security and politics.
Prawit Wongsuwan as a military cadet.
And, as Wassana said, both men tend to lose their tempers – not always a helpful quality when leading a country.
“Prawit likes to blurt out his thoughts all of sudden,” the writer said. “Big Pom sees reporters as his subordinates … sometimes he feels personally close to reporters, and then he airs his personal thoughts into a microphone.”
It’s unclear how other officials in the government view Prawit, who has caused so much controversy, but after Prawit declined to quit in the wake of the watch scandal, even one of his cabinet colleagues openly criticized him in an interview to the BBC, an unprecedented move in the buttoned-down regime.
According to Wassana, the general is under no delusion that he is much liked.
“He once complained out loud that he was dragging down the government. He knew what he did,” she said.
Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha shares a laugh with his deputy Prawit Wongsuwan in an undated file photo.
Ekachai, the activist who has been assaulted by street assailants he believes dispatched by Prawit’s underlings, grudgingly accepts that the powerful man, often photographed in mirthful laughter, is not of sterner stuff like tyrants in other countries.
“If he wanted to kill me, he would have done so already,” Ekachai said. “Even though he is a dictator, he is not cruel like the dictators in Africa. He doesn’t go that far.”
As the regime’s term is about to end – at least officially – with an election in February, Prawit’s future is yet unknown, but one thing is certain: No matter who makes the next government, they will have to acknowledge Prawit’s place in the military.
“He can play a Big Brother from behind the scenes and spare himself the spotlight,” Wassana said. “I think anyone would still know that Pom is the man behind the military. He is the real power.”
Ekachai suspects Prawit might have an even bigger ambitions: to supersede 98-year-old former army chief Prem Tinsulanonda as the most respected elder statesman after his death.
“I think he’s trying to compete with Prem,” Ekachai said. “He’s the only person who dares to.”
Ed. Note: Hours after this story was published, the National Anti-Corruption Commission announced it had cleared Prawit of any wrongdoing in the watch scandal.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Cave Rescue Team
A man poses for photos in front of a mural depicting the “Heroes of Tham Luang.”
Cave explorers, rescue divers, a governor in his last days on the job and hundreds of volunteers from the world over won international renown after they managed to pull off the “impossible” task of saving 12 boys and their coach from a flooded cave in July.
Nuttaa “Bow” Mahattana
Security officers bar activists Nuttaa Mahattana from entering the parliament on June 14, 2018.
Not a single week passed by without resistance and open criticism of some form against the ruling junta from Nuttaa, who’s a single mother of one. Her next protest is planned for Thursday.
Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn
Police Deputy Commissioner Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpal points some arrested foreigners.
From crimes against tourists to scams and raids on undocumented foreigners, Surachate always manages to insert himself in the news. Rumor has it that he’s eyeing the top post of police commissioner – not a far-fetched prediction: Big Joke has 13 years left before he’s retired out.
Chanyawee Sompreeda
Chanyawee Sompreeda speaks at a panel about Love Destiny.
An obscure 2010 novel set in Ayutthaya era by Chanyawee (an archaeology graduate) became a cultural phenomenon this year after it was adapted into TV lakorn “Love Destiny,” reviving interest in Thai history.
Premchai Karnasuta, far left, sits in the campsite where he was found on Feb. 5, 2018, with the remains of a leopard, panther and other wildlife in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province.
KANCHANABURI — The verdict in the black panther poaching case will be delivered in March after the trial concluded today with the last defendant taking the stand.
Prosecutors said both sides will file their final statements to the Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court in Kanchanaburi province by Jan. 25. The court on Wednesday scheduled the date for its ruling at 9am on March 19.
Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development and the primary defendant at the center of the case, did not appear in court today.
Specialist Peter Mazza, left, and trader Thomas Cicciari work in 2017 on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: Richard Drew / Associated Press
SINGAPORE — Asian markets were mostly lower on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said that there was “nothing new” in efforts to end the partial government shutdown over a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Traders had no fresh leads from Wall Street, which was closed on Christmas. U.S. stocks are headed for their worst December since the Great Depression in 1931.
Keeping Score
Thailand’s SET was down a marginal 0.04 percent Wednesday afternoon at 1,556.06. South Korea’s Kospi gave up 1.6 percent to 2,022.36 and the Shanghai Composite index shed 0.1 percent to 2,503.05. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, which plunged 5 percent on Tuesday, picked up 0.5 percent to 19,241.87. Shares rose in Taiwan but fell in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Markets in Hong Kong and Australia were closed.
US Shutdown
The partial shutdown of the U.S. government that started Saturday shows no signs of abating. “Nothing new. Nothing new on the shutdown. Nothing new. Except we need border security,” Trump told reporters. The White House said Trump will reject any deal that does not include any funding for a wall or a fence. The Democrats have opposed this and are offering USD$1.3 billion for security. The routines of 800,000 federal employees are expected to be disrupted by the shutdown, but essential services will keep running.
FED Criticism
Trump’s criticism of the U.S. central bank triggered a drop in Asian equities on Tuesday. “The only problem our economy has is the Fed,” the president said on Twitter. “They don’t have a feel for the Market, they don’t understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders.” Trump has since said the hikes were a “form of safety” for an economy that was doing well, while stressing that the Fed was raising interest rates too quickly.
Analyst’s Take
“The outsized moves are not reflective of the current U.S. economic landscape, but that seems to matter little so far as fear mongering continues to permeate every pocket of global capital markets,” Stephen Innes of OANDA said in a market commentary.
Energy
Benchmark U.S. crude added 15 cents to $42.68 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract settled at $42.53 a barrel in New York on Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 19 cents to $50.28 a barrel.
Currencies
The dollar strengthened to 110.45 yen from 110.31 yen. The euro rose to $1.1414 from $1.1392.
KOH SAMUI — Island police are on the lookout for a repeat wildlife offender who farms tourists for money by charging them for photos with a gibbon.
Koh Samui police were looking Wednesday for Ismail Thalang, 35, after someone posted a video clip of him approaching beach-goers with a small ape slung over his shoulder earlier in the week on Chaweng Beach.
“It won’t be hard to capture him. I caught him myself a couple of months ago,” Col. Thongchana Hankittikanjana of Bo Phut police said. “Police are looking for him since this morning, after reporters told me about the story that farangs first reported on.”
In July, police arrested Ismail at his home on the island for illegally possessing a protected animal and seized a 2-year-old gibbon. Evidence there led the authorities to arrest his gibbon supplier, 23-year-old Ruengwit Aolueknoi, in the Sooksamran district of Ranong province. There they found two more gibbons.
Thongchana said he does not remember what Ismail was fined.
The popularity of wildlife tourism produces an unseemly market for exploitation of wildlife for the sake of tourists often unaware or indifferent to the circumstances. Despite efforts to rein in trafficking and illegal exploitation of wildlife, they are still widely practiced.
Thongchana said that the “same group of people” are using gibbons to ply money from tourists, and they all hail form Ranong, like Ismail. They are also suspected of exploiting iguanas for photos.
A clip of Ismail pitching animal selfies first appeared Monday on a local Koh Samui Facebook group.
“The SAME guys were seen back on the SAME beach. With what looks like the SAME gibbon,” Arkadiy Kulev wrote.
Gibbons, which do not breed in captivity and therefore must be poached from the wild by killing their mothers, have a short work life, Kulev also wrote. Handlers often kill them when they reach the age of 6 or 7 when they develop teeth and become aggressive.
Gibbons are protected under Thai law, and possessing them alive or dead without authorization is punishable by four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht.
From left to right: Cherprank BNK48, Bella and Pope, Sek Loso.
BANGKOK — It’s that time of the year again, when many Thais reflect upon the year’s most pressing issues, such as social injustice and environmental degradation. Yeah, no.
It was circus of celebrity – who slept with whom, who left whom and who just lost it – that filled Facebook feeds and a forest’s worth of newspaper pages.
And there’s no better way to recap it all than the entertainment reporter association’s annual tradition of bestowing nicknames upon them all.
10Seksan ‘Sek Loso’ Sukpimai : “Facebook Live It All the Way to Therapy”
Sek Loso and his girlfriend Eve Maxim.
Everyone’s loved/hated erratic rock star returned to the list for a second consecutive year, this time for livestreaming his craziness in a whack series of videos that left the social media debating the age-old question: drugs or mental illness? Sek ended up in a mental hospital for a month. The latest we heard is that he’s made a good recovery – for now.
The protagonist of period smash hit soap “Love Destiny,” Thanawat played a muen – a nobleman equivalent to the British rank of esquire. Offscreen, he got a reputation as a player, accompanied or fed by the usual “leaked” images showing him chatting up multiple babes in direct messages on Instagram.
8Peeranee ‘Matt’ Kongthai : “Love Mischief in Norway”
Peeranee ‘Matt’ Kongthai
When a popular Norwegian-Thai actress was spotted with newly divorced superstar Songkran Tejanarong in Norway, she initially denied even knowing him. The claim didn’t stick long; Songkran soon admitted the two had been dating five months.
7Sornram Theappitak: “Suddenly Dad”
Sornram stars in TV drama Prissana
The soap star triple-shocked his fans by not only abruptly announcing he broke up with singer Nicole Theriault, and not only announcing his engagement to his new stuntwoman girlfriend, Sornram went one further – she was already pregnant with his child.
Bella after being transported back in time to the Ayutthaya era in ‘Love Destiny.’
As the lead actress in romance lakorn “Love Destiny,” Bella quickly became the hottest celeb out there, snagging various presenter deals with big names like 7-Eleven.
5Davika ‘Mai’ Hoorne and Chantavit ‘Ter” Dhanasevi: ‘Funny Chimpanzee and Uncle’
Mai Davika and Ter Chantavit
The couple, known for their humor, call each other “Chimpanzee” and “Uncle,” references to a popular Japanese TV show known in Thailand as “The Funny Chimpanzee and Bulldog.”
4BNK48 : ‘Fortune Cookie Conquers Ota Hearts’
BNK48 performs at Rajamangala Stadium
Best known for their pop anthem “Fortune Cookie,” the girl group went from niche to mainstream this year, amassing a zealous horde of ota, short for die-hard otaku fans in their spiritual homeland of Japan.
3Nadech Kugimiya and Urassaya ‘Yaya’ Sperbund : “Sweet NY”
Nadech and Yaya together in lakorn “The Crown Princess.”
This celebrity couple (N & Y) is known for diabetes-inducing, cloying social media posts, inspiring awws and ewws alike.
2Chutima ‘Arm’ Sodapak : “The Broken Jar”
Chutima Haithongkam
Formerly on Haithongkam (“Golden Jar”), Chutima ended up sued by her own label for copyright infringement. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn, but not before a nasty war of words damaged their relationship beyond repair.
1Pramote ‘Oat’ Pathan : “True Love Loses to Passion”
Oat Pramote
When news broke that his relationship with a longtime girlfriend was over, Pramote would only say it’s because he lost his “passion,” drawing mirth and ridicule from netizens.
The Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN) led by Mr. Sompong Srakaew, Director and Founder of the organization, hosted a training program to improve workers’ quality of life, especially migrant workers, by providing knowledge on labour regulations and welfare under Thai labour laws.
The session was a part of Labour Voice By LPN, a joint project between Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) and LPN, to promote Thai labour laws, prevent unfair practices and improve the workers’ quality of life. LPN hosted 24 training groups with a total number of 960 workers from Myanmar and Cambodia have been participated in this year.
In addition, CP Foods and LPN announced to extend its partnership in “Labour Voices Hotline” project for 2nd year to further promote transparency and fair labour practices within CP Foods’ workplace.
In 2019, LPN plans to develop the hotline’s operation and proactive activities to make employer and employees, regardless of the nationality, get closer, such as dormitory visit, in-depth conversation and leadership development to bring employer closer to its employees.
A man carries a cat April 25 out of the wreckage of Pom Mahakan.
BANGKOK — Were you stuck above traffic for a change, somewhere between BTS Phloen Chit and Nana? Did you mourn the loss of a favorite hangout? For another year, the only constant to living in Bangkok was change and, possibly, everyone’s love-hate relationship with the capital.
We bid farewell to the nation’s oldest zoo, which closed after eight decades in the old quarter, as well as one of its oldest remaining cinema houses in Siam Square. Khaosan Road may never be the same after City Hall fought Round 2 to clear its sidewalks and improve street traffic, a conflict that has seen little noticeable improvement.
Here’s a look back at some of what what in the capital city this past year as a reminder of how we got here – and where we might be going.
Battlefield: Khaosan Road
Khaosan Road sidewalks were clear of vendors Aug. 2 as new regulations were put on hold. Photo: Matichon
City Hall continued the sidewalk wars against vendors and motorcycle jockeys for a fourth year since the military seized power. An unexpected front this year was the world famous Khaosan Road – unexpected because it had been exempted a year prior due to its value as a vital tourist draw.
Attempts to rein in its informal market met strong resistance from spurned vendors who accused administrators of breaking their promise to rush through impractical and ill-conceived rules to regulate the street. It all fell apart when local police refused to enforce the new rules, but that didn’t discourage the man in charge. With several revised regulations, another city plan, also rejected by the mostly unified band of sellers, has been put in place to make it look more “pleasant.”
Next year could see the street’s fate written in a third and final chapter with the vendors either reclaiming its charm or capitulating to City Hall.
So Much BTS Fail
Photo: BTS Skytrain / Facebook
Glitches and disruptions are not uncommon on the city’s popular rail network that turns 20 next year. Some signs of age such as leaky carriages showering commuters drew outrage but surprised no one. Most people took in stride the terrifying moment doors remained open on a moving train and an escalator collapsed.
But the most outstanding moment – actually many of them – were a series of the worst breakdowns ever, as many as 20 in June alone. It caused severe headaches at almost all stations during peak hours. As for the eventual explanation, who’d have expected the trains were simply killed because they shared the same frequencies as free Wi-Fi hotspots and Bluetooth?
It was yet another disheartening year for commuters with disabilities. One wheelchair-bound activist let loose his fists of rage and shattered a glass elevator door when he was barred from using it without filling out a form. Though City Hall approved up to 256 million baht for more elevators seven months ago, no further developments have been announced despite a nearly four-year-old court order that all stations be fully accessible.
Eviction of the Fort People
A worker picks up litter May 31 in a park being built behind Mahakan Fort.
This year came the city’s final blow that brought the curtains down on one of the oldest Bangkok communities that lived behind a historic fort for hundreds of years. After a legal battle running decades, the last residents of the Pom Mahakan community left for good at the end of April. Where the old, traditional wooden homes once stood is now a green space.
The eviction has long been criticized as another frivolous destruction of heritage and culture. But talk to the former community’s neighbors and find that they were delighted to say good riddance to a run-down neighborhood.
Dusit Developments
In this Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018 photo, a Thai family of four take a picture of their waving hands at an exit gate of Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press
A zoo much-loved in the capital and beyond shut down permanently at the end of September. The palace last year announced the Dusit Zoo would be relocated from the old royal quarter to a spot on the edge of town 80 years after it was built by King Rama V.
Another storied venue on royal land, the nearby Nang Loeng Racecourse, held its final race in September after 102 years. The palace has made no announcement as to what it plans to do with the tracts of reclaimed land, but it also saw the Thai Red Cross’ annual fair kicked out of its home of nearly a century at Suan Amphon, and the rumored eviction of two universities in coming years by the Crown Property Bureau.
It comes as a new crown property law granting the king final say on what’s considered royal possessions came into effect in November.
Goodbye Lido, Hello Lido Connect
After 50 years, a beloved but not so busy independent cinema in the heart of central Bangkok called it quits for good after losing its lease with Chulalongkorn University. But minds were put at ease earlier this month when it was announced that instead of becoming yet another mall, the space will be kept as a multi-purpose cultural hub for performances, exhibitions and the arts.
Fight Over the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre
BACC interior. Photo: M-louis / Flickr
Only a few public venues are dedicated to the arts, but the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre has been an alternative to the malls which surround it for about a decade. A bastion of relatively free expression, its future became clouded when City Hall signaled it would take over and turn it into something else, namely, a desk-filled co-working space. It backed off quickly under sharp criticism and instead shifted gears to starving it of funds. Its future remains in limbo.
Return of the Chao Phraya Boardwalks
An unpopular plan once thought dead in the water was raised again by a government that seems set on redeveloping the banks of the mighty Chao Phraya River. Despite being criticized as an eyesore and threat to the environment, a plan to pour concrete along both banks to build a concrete “promenade” was pushed front and center again, only to draw litigation by its opponents.
Paralyzed by Growth
A traffic-clogged road during stormy weather in August in Bangkok.
Notorious traffic got even worse because of massive transportation projects consuming much of what little road space there is. This year saw the usual feeble proposed remedies such as banning trucks. One official even thought it would be a great idea to ban buses. Meanwhile, a plan for the country’s first underground expressway was proposed as a means to satisfy a government demand that all traffic problems be solved ASAP.
One measure that has been effective is the traffic police’s new surveillance system targeting lane cutters at several major intersections and overpasses.
Also, These …
The city hasn’t failed deliver its share of wackiness. Here are some reminders of those eyebrow-raising moments in creative public policy.
Millions of the residents woke with their feathers ruffled after Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered all localities to step up their pigeon-mitigation efforts – which mostly meant trying to stop people feeding them. Citing health risks, some pigeons were rounded up and shipped off to shelters for release “back into the wild.” Experts said it was more likely they’d just fly right back, as pigeons tend to do.
In a strange turn from what started as a straight-up denial by Bangkok’s governor – he strongly denied people ever used Lumphini or any park for sex – lower-ranking officials later acknowledged that such reports, however “shocking,” were true. Several half-hearted measures such as signs telling people not to do it were quickly promised.
WASHINGTON — A 7-year-old girl who talked to President Donald Trump on Christmas Eve still left out milk and cookies for Santa despite the president telling her it was “marginal” for a child of her age to still believe.
Then again, Collman Lloyd of Lexington, South Carolina, says she had never heard the word “marginal” before.
Collman had called the NORAD Tracks Santa program Monday night to check on Santa’s journey delivering toys. In an interview with the Post and Courier of Charleston, she said the scientist who answered the NORAD phone asked her if she would like to speak to the president.
Six minutes later, Trump was on the line. “Are you still a believer in Santa?” Trump asked. When she responded, “Yes, sir,” the president added, “Because at 7, that’s marginal, right?”
Collman didn’t know what “marginal” meant and simply answered, “Yes, sir.” Trump closed by saying, “Well, you just enjoy yourself.”
Trump’s chat with Collman was initially reported as being with a boy named Coleman. Only Trump’s end of the conversation could be heard by reporters, but Collman’s family later posted video of the call on YouTube.
Collman told the Post and Courier that she and her 10-year-old sister and 5-year-old brother left iced sugar cookies and chocolate milk for Santa. She reported that Christmas morning, the food was gone and presents were under the tree.
In addition to the NORAD Tracks Santa program and church services Christmas Eve, Trump participated in another holiday tradition, wishing U.S. troops stationed around the country and the globe a merry Christmas. He spoke Tuesday by video conference to members of all five branches of the U.S. military.
“I know it’s a great sacrifice for you to be away from your families, but I want you to know that every American family is eternally grateful to you, and we’re holding you close in our hearts, thoughts and prayers,” Trump said. “We love what you do and love your work. Amazing people.”
The president spent a rare Christmas in Washington because of a stalemate with Congress over government funding that left several departments and agencies shuttered since the weekend, affecting the livelihoods of some 800,000 federal employees.
Trump usually celebrates Christmas at his Florida estate. He scrapped plans to travel to Palm Beach because of the shutdown.
“I thought it would be wrong for me to be with my family,” he told reporters in the Oval Office after the give and take with members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard from their stations in Guam, Bahrain, Qatar and Alaska.
“My family is in Florida, Palm Beach, and I just didn’t want to go down and be there when other people are hurting,” Trump said. He didn’t say which family members were at the Mar-a-Lago estate.
BANGKOK — Tom Yum tacos or krapao burritos? We’ll see.
While originally promisedfor late 2018, Thailand’s first Taco Bell branch will keep people hungry to “make a run for the border” wait a little longer.
The American fast food import got an official opening day of Jan. 24 at Mercury Ville, a shopping mall near BTS Chit Lom.
The arrival of the American chain was first announced in June by the Mahagitsiri family, which owns strategic investment holding company Thoresen Thai Agencies. The family last year bought Pizza Hut from Yum Restaurants International.
