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It was he first time since the survey began that people in ASEAN picked China over the US if forced to take sides.
The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore released its annual report titled "State of Southeast Asia 2024" in April, after surveying opinions from nearly 2,000 people representing five groups across the 10 ASEAN countries. The report revealed that in a survey on the economic influence of major powers on ASEAN, 70.6% of Thai people believed that China had the most economic influence on ASEAN, behind Laos, where 77.5% expressed the same opinion. Laos and Thailand are the only two ASEAN countries that attributed more than 70% of economic influence to China, significantly outpacing other major powers in terms of economic influence in the region, such as the US, Japan, and the European Union. The US is perceived to have an economic influence of only 8.1% and 11.4%, respectively. While similar views were held in other ASEAN countries, the exception was the Philippines, where China’s economic influence was seen at 30.7%, slightly ahead of the US at 27.9%. Even though the sample group in Thailand believes that China has the greatest economic influence on ASEAN by a wide margin, when asked about their "approval/concern" regarding this influence, 80.3% of Thais expressed concern compared to 19.7% who expressed approval. This sentiment aligned with Laos, where the proportions were: 72.7% “concerned” and 22.6% approve. When asked about their decision if they were forced to choose between China and the US, 50.5% of respondents chose China and 49.5% the US. This is the first time in five years since the inception of the annual report that China has edged out the US in the response to this question, the institute said. The survey, conducted between January and February of this year, also represents a significant shift in ASEAN public opinion compared to the previous year, when 61.1% of respondents chose the US and only 38.9% chose China. One of the main factors driving most ASEAN countries to increasingly turn towards China is Beijing’s large-scale policies, investment projects, and economic cooperation agreements in the region, the report said. In 2022, oublethink Lab, in collaboration with the “China in the World” network, unveiled the results of the China Index, which found that "Thailand ranked fourth among countries most influenced by China globally, behind Pakistan, Cambodia, and Singapore, out of a total of 82 countries/economic regions. The index was based on surveys of experts regarding various Chinese activities in each respective country." In the "Indo-Pacific Power" report for 2023 by Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, it was found that since 2018 the US has consistently lost influence to China in four key areas in the Indo-Pacific region. They include economic relations, military networks, diplomatic, and cultural influence. In that year, China led the US 52:48. By 2022, China had widened the lead to 54:46. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Many countries in South and Southeast Asia have been experiencing extreme heat for days. 45 degrees were measured in Thailand, Myanmar and India and in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the perceived temperature also reached that height. The end of the heat wave does not yet appear in sight, which is why schools in the Philippines will remain closed for the next two days. In Thailand, where the heat has already claimed 30 lives this year, authorities are warning of "serious conditions". In the north of the country, a temperature of 45 degrees was measured for the first time in history last week. It is also well above 40 degrees in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, schools were closed for a number of days due to the heat, but they will reopen tomorrow. The heat is expected to last for a few more days. Cooler temperatures are expected in the region again in the coming month. Fewer Indians go to the polls The heat also appears to have affected the first round of voting in India's national elections, which was held last week. Turnout in the world's largest democracy was remarkably low: 4 percentage points lower compared to the first election phase in 2019. That is almost 8 million people. According to scientists from the international research group World Weather Attribution (WWA), extreme heat waves on the South Asian subcontinent will become thirty times more likely in the future due to climate change. The Dutch may also notice something from the heat wave here, but in their wallets. Due to previous droughts and other weather extremes, part of the rice harvests failed last year in Indonesia, Thailand and India. Because those countries account for a large part of global rice products, prices for rice rose worldwide. There is also the fear that the harvest of various products will be affected by the heat wave, as a result of which the prices of those products will rise in many places in the world
Ten monthly records in a row 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded worldwide and experts say there is a good chance that that record will only stay in the books for one year. Since June last year, every month has been warmer than ever measured, good for ten monthly records in a row. In addition to climate change, the high temperatures are also caused by the weather phenomenon El Niño. This occurs when the surface temperature of the water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator is warmer than average. In the tropics this can lead to extreme weather. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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The final cabinet reshuffle list has already been signed off by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and submitted for royal endorsement, according a Government House source. The PM, however, remains tight-lipped about the matter. After the coalition parties submitted the names of new cabinet ministers in their quota to Mr Srettha on Thursday, the Secretariat of the Cabinet on Friday ran a check to ensure all the names submitted were qualified to be appointed, said the source. After the line-up was verified, the PM submitted the list for royal endorsement the same day. Mr Srettha on Saturday morning avoided saying whether he had already submitted the cabinet reshuffle list, saying the answer would be known when the list is royally endorsed.
The PPRP has one more quota slot which initially was meant to be a deputy commerce minister; but the party asked to change it to a deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister's position instead. The change was the idea of Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow, also PPRP secretary-general, who aims for absolute control of this ministry. Meanwhile, the United Thai Nation Party has resolved to trade the position of a deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister, which is currently held by Anucha Nakasai, for a deputy commerce minister's position to which the party has nominated list-MP Suchart Chomklin, said a source.
All in all, the final cabinet reshuffle list sees seven new faces appointed, while four current cabinet ministers lose their position, according sources familiar with the matter. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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When the protagonists of the gay-romance drama "Cutie Pie," Lian Kilen Wang and Kuea Keerati, tied the knot at the end of the series, they did so knowing that their marriage would not be legally recognized, even in the fictional world of Thailand's "boy-love" TV shows.
But now, in real life, that is about to change, as Thailand is set to join Taiwan and Nepal as the only places in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. Cutie Pie, which has an assertive pro-LGBTQ+ stance, is one of many shows in a genre called Boy's Love (BL). These shows focus on romantic relationships between two male characters, and are mainly enjoyed by a primarily straight female audience. "What the Thai BL industry is already working on is increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ people," said Natthanai Prasannam, associate professor of Thai literary and cultural studies at Kasetsart University in Bangkok. Thailand's BL series have attracted a large following internationally, especially in Asia — including China where the government bans the genre — and even in South America. Last year, rom-com "My School President" starring Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak and Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul racked up at least 150 million views on different streaming platforms. Given the main actors' chemistry on and off screen, the cast held live meet-and-greets with fans all over Asia — from South Korea and Japan to the Philippines and Singapore. Some fans have even started learning Thai. "I started learning the language myself several months ago because I wanted to understand what my favourite 'couple pairing' says," Rose, a 19-year-old fan in China. Thailand now has a reputation as an exporter of "boy-love" series. In 2020, when the breakout show "2gether" was aired, there were only 24 BL shows. Last year, over 60 series were released, according to local media. "The popularity of the Thai BL industry is closely linked to the fact that we produce more than other countries due to legal, religious and cultural factors," Natthanai said. He added that the actors' charisma, coupled with the extensive interactions between the actors and their fans through meet-and-greet events, and social media also contribute to its success. Perpetuating gender stereotypes? While portraying the lives of queer communities gives them more representation, there are concerns over stereotypical gender roles assigned to the lead couples in the Thai BL shows. Many of them follow traditional heterosexual norms, with one person taller and more masculine while the other is usually smaller and more feminine, according to Bangkok-based data center Rocket Media Lab, which studied 13 Thai BL series aired between 2020 and early 2021. Critics have also pointed out that these series don't reflect the real diversity of the LGBTQ+ community in Thailand. "You don't really see flamboyantly gay people in the shows. When you do, they exist as props or funny characters," said Jason, who has been a BL fan for a decade. But some experts say this trend is gradually changing. "Effeminate gays are being shown more in the media and portrayed as empowered individuals. This is a significant development," Nattanai said. "But we must not forget that BL series' role to increase LGBTQ+ awareness cannot take place without other changes such as the attitude of the audience or the public and that of the government," he added. Mixed feelings from LGBTQ+ community While Thailand enjoys a welcoming reputation for these BL series, some say the characters are free of the real-life obstacles that many queer people have to go through. Instead, the majority focus more on marketable scenes and romantic tensions between the leading couples. "I like watching these boy-love series because, for me, they have become a source of escapism, everything is so easy," said Jason, who is part of the Thai LGBTQ+ community. Nearly 60% of the Thai BL series produced in the past decade do not address real-world problems faced by LGBTQ+ community, according to Thailand's online newspaper The Matter. "Sometimes some scenes are oversimplified, for example, when they come out to their family and friends, they are either immediately accepted for who they are or people would say 'I've known for a while, no big deal.' But in real life, it's not that simple, especially when you are not from a big city," Jason said. But he admits that reinforcing the normalization of the queer experience — even if current portrayals can still be problematic — does help change public perceptions, especially those of more conservative older generations. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Myanmar junta troops have moved back into a vital border town they were ousted from by an alliance of ethnic rebels and anti-junta fighters this month, military sources told AFP Tuesday.
The Karen National Union (KNU) and “People’s Defence Force” fighters ousted around 200 military soldiers from their positions in the lucrative trade hub of Myawaddy around April 10, in a major blow to the junta. The troops withdrew to a bridge that connects Myawaddy to Thailand’s Mae Sot town following the clashes, which sent thousands fleeing Myanmar. On Tuesday “some of our troops arrived at the 275 military command,” junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told AFP, referring to the previously vacated military base in Myawaddy. He said the military still did not have “complete control” of Myawaddy and did not say if there had been fighting in the town on Tuesday. He said there had been “casualties from both sides in previous fighting,” without giving further details. AFP has asked a KNU spokesperson for comment. A Myawaddy resident said that the town appeared quiet on Tuesday. Another military source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to the media, told AFP troops had retaken the 275 base on Tuesday. The military has carried out airstrikes around Myawaddy in recent days, according to residents, and has sent reinforcements towards the town. Fighting was ongoing around the town of Kawkareik, which sits on the route to Myawaddy, according to Zaw Min Tun. The military now controls the town itself, he said. The Karen State Border Guard Force, a local military-aligned militia that controls much of Myawaddy, announced this year that it would no longer take orders from the junta. It is not clear what role it played in the recent fighting around Myawaddy. AFP was unable to reach the group for comment. The conflict in Myanmar sparked by the military’s 2021 coup regularly sends people fleeing across the 2,400-kilometre (1,490-mile) border with Thailand. Thailand’s foreign minister visited Mae Sot on Tuesday and called for an end to the clashes. The junta came to power in the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, ending an experiment with democracy and plunging the Southeast Asian nation into turmoil. The putsch sparked renewed conflict with ethnic rebel groups and birthed dozens of newer “People’s Defence Forces” that analysts say have surprised the military with their effectiveness. The fighting has displaced more than 2.5 million people, according to the United Nations. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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