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 Three policemen are killed and another injured in a bombing at a railway bridge in Songkhla. Another bomb at a school construction site in Pattani kills an army officer. The railway attack is just hours after a string of more than 100 firebombings late Tuesday in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. Most of the attacks caused minor fires only, with the exception of a rubber factory in Nong Jik district, Pattani, that burned for more than two hours. Police blame the attacks on suspected Islamic militants. (TNA) (AP)-
 Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra makes a surprise one-day visit to Myanmar's new capital, Naypyidaw, to visit top ruling general Than Shwe. On his departure from Bangkok, Thaksin says the trip involved "bilateral and multilateral issues" but declines to elaborate. He is accompanied by Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon and Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan. (Reuters) (TNA)
- Flooding from rains early Monday recede in Chiang Mai, but rains continue, prompting a warning about more flooding. Schools are closed, rail service is suspended and business is disrupted in Northern Thailand's tourism center. (The Nation) (The Nation)
 Laos officials cancel a meeting with their Thai counterparts that was to discuss bilateral cooperation to fight the outbreak of bird flu in the two countries. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon says he suspects Laos was put off by Thai media reports that blamed Laos for the outbreak. (TNA) Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi threatens the arrest of people who stir unrest by spreading "rumours" via SMS and the Internet, saying the government will monitor websites and blogs for seditious or slanderous material that could undermine the country. (NST) (AFP) The Philippines military says four people are killed in a major operation on Jolo Island aimed at capturing militants linked to al-Qaeda and Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani as well as two suspects in the 2002 Bali bombing, Jemaah Islamiyah militants Umar Patek and Dulmatin. The rebels are contained near the town of Indanan. (AFP)
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- King Bhumibol Adulyadej is released from Siriraj Hospital to continue recovery at home from spinal stenosis surgery. Accompanied by members of the royal family, the 78-year-old monarch, seated in a wheelchair, waves to the crowd as he passes tens of thousands of well-wishers, some bursting into tears at the sight of their king. Throngs chant "Long Live the King" and line the route from the hospital to Chitralada Palace. (TNA)
- Seven members of the Abu Sayyaf are killed in the fourth day of a major Philippines offensive against Muslim militants on Jolo Island. Three suspected Abu Sayyaf members are captured by a navy vessel as they try to flee. Among the dead are Ismin Sahiron, son of Radullan Sahiron, the one-armed Abu Sayyaf commander. (AP) (AFP)
- Malaysia will send 1,000 soldiers for peacekeeping in Lebanon, Defence Forces chief Admiral Tan Sri Dato' Sri Mohd Anwar bin Hj Mohd Nor says. "We will send armoured vehicles and troops in highly bullet-proof attire to face any consequences," he says. (Bernama)
 Singapore's government says it is tightening the rules on foreign publications previously exempt from the media code. Newsweek, Time, the Financial Times, the Far Eastern Economic Review and the International Herald Tribune will be required to appoint a publisher's representative in Singapore who could be sued, and to pay a security deposit of S$200,000. The move comes after FEER published an interview with Singapore opposition leader Chee Soon Juan. (AFP)
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- A 27-year-old man in Uthai Thani died from bird flu, Thai officials say. It is the second death this year. The other victim was a 17-year-old boy from Phichit, who died July 26. (TNA)
- A grey wolf that escaped from Chiang Mai Night Safari is captured in the foothills of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai after being free for about one month, all the while feasting on domestic fowl and puppies. A veterinarian confirms the animal had a sexual encounter with a local dog. It is one of six grey wolves bought from a zoo in the Czech Republic for the fledgling tourist attraction in Chiang Mai. (Bangkok Post)
- The Singapore Fireworks Festival 2006 commences with a 12-minute performance by a team led by Italy's Francesco Ambrico. (CNA)
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- Plans to build the first liquefied natural gas terminal with an annual capacity of three million tonnes is announced in Singapore. (CNA)
- Thailand's Armed Forces Supreme Commander Gen. Ruengroj Mahasaranond departs for Myanmar on a three-day trip that will include talks on boosting relations between senior border officials and solving the problems of narcotics smuggling and illegal labour. He is to pay a courtesy visit to Senior General Than Shwe in Myanmar's new capital, Naypyidaw. (TNA)
- Thailand's Transport Ministry says local airlines should start using Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 15, ahead of the airport's official opening on September 28. Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways say they won't be ready, however Orient Thai plans to comply, and Thai Airways International says it will base some domestic flights at the new airport, with the exception of the Chiang Mai and Phuket routes, which carry large numbers of foreign tourists. (The Nation)
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- At a Buddhist temple in Yangon, National League for Democracy activists hold a ceremony to mark the 18th anniversary of the August 8, 1988 pro-democracy uprising. (AFP)
- Mayon Volcano sends ash columns up to a half mile high, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of villagers. (AP)
- Singaporean filmmaker Martyn See is given a warning after being investigated by the police for making a documentary about Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan. The film Singapore Rebel, came under investigation after the censorship board classified it as a "party political film", which is prohibited under the Films Act. (AFP)
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- Singapore, with one of the highest rates of myopia in the world, launches a large scale study to find effective treatments for the condition.(CNA}
 Tens of thousands rally in Aceh, Indonesia, celebrating a full year of peace but calling on Jakarta to honour the pact which ended three decades of separatist warfare. (AFP)- An oil spill 17 miles long is left off the coast of Guimaras Island after Friday's sinking of the tanker Solar I. The ship, which went down in rough seas and lost 20 crewmen, is 3,000 feet under the water, and authorities are struggling to contain the spill of fuel oil. (AP)
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 Southeast Asian ministers gather and agree to accelerate economic union within ASEAN by five years to 2015. (CNA)- Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy calls for an investigation of Monday's beating of anti-Thaksin demonstrators, promising to stage a large protest if the investigation results are not released publicly. (The Nation) (TNA)
- Medical teams are dispatched to Nan Province to assist villagers affected by flash floods. (The Nation)
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- Most Indonesians reject the implementation of Islamic law despite calls by radical groups to make a theocratic state, according to Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) survey, released on Thursday (24/08). Aceh province is the only region of Indonesia allowed to implement Sharia, and only because it was granted as part of a plan to end a decades-long civil war there. A few provincial districts on Java and Sumatra islands have adopted local regulations in the spirit of Sharia. (ANTARA)
- The US and ASEAN sign the Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA), which is seen as a precursor to a full free-trade agreement. US Trade Representative Susan Schwab is present for the signing with ASEAN trade ministers in Kuala Lumpur. (CNA)
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- A two-hour shootout causes the death of an army sergeant and three communist rebels near Tacalogon after an ambush on the military convoy. (CNA)
- Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng launches the Overseas Singaporean Portal to help connect them to their home country. (CNA)
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- Nearly 60 people are arrested in Sumatra in connection with forest fires that cause haze pollution over much of Southeast Asia. In addition, the government is dropping water bombs and conducting cloud seeding operations to douse the blazes. (ANTARA)
- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez visits Malaysia. (The Star)
- Hong Kong pop star Gillian Chung files an injunction against the Hong Kong magazine, Easy Finder, after photos of her undressing while backstage at a concert in Genting appear on the cover. Additionally, she calls for an investigation by police in both Malaysia and Hong Kong. (The Star)
- Thaksin Shinawatra assassination attempt:
- An old battery tied with wire to an alarm clock in a paper bag is found near Thaksin's home, police say. "It is a hoax by someone who wants to see the country in a mess," police Col. Sathorn Sasomboon says. "This kind of stuff could not have exploded." (CNA)
- Nearly 50% of Bangkok residents believe last week's reported assassination attempt on Thaksin was staged, according to results of a poll conducted by Bangkok University. (Bangkok Post) (The Nation)
- The English-language daily newspaper, ThaiDay, published by Sondhi Limthongkul's Manager Media Group as an insert to the Thailand editions of the International Herald Tribune, will cease publication this week after 15 months, due to financial difficulties. (DPA)
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| Events |
- 2006 East Timor crisis
- July 31-August 3: Flash flooding in Chiang Mai, Thailand
- August 21-26: ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, Kuantan, Malaysia
- Haze pollution, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
- Guimaras oil spill, Philippines
- Khmer Rouge tribunal preparations, Cambodia
- 60th anniversary of the accession of Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand
- Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak, regionwide
[edit] Natural disasters
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| Trials |
[edit] Recently concluded
Ongoing:
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Upcoming holidays
and observances |
[edit] August
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