Thailand's Gross Domestic Happiness Index fell to 5.1 points compared with 5.7 in November, according to an ABAC Poll. The survey also found that happiness hit a nationwide low of 4.9 points in Thailand's southern provinces, due to the separatist insurgency. Elsewhere, the happiness index was 5.07 in Bangkok, 5.08 in Isaan, 5.15 in the central provinces and 5.2 in the North. The poll showed the largest declines in public happiness with the government handling of security in the majority-Muslim deep south.
DPA
DPA
Thanyarasmi Siraphatphakorn, a 21-year-old student, was named Thailand's most beautiful kathoey on Friday in the 10th annual Miss Tiffany Universe competition for transsexuals. Along with the tiara, Thanyarasmi won a 100,000 baht cash prize and a new Mercedes Benz. The winners of the Miss Tiffany pageant are often showered with entertainment deals, but Thanyarasmi said she wanted to return to the Issan region where she grew up to become a social worker.AFP
The Thai government said Thursday that it has decided not to press charges against Google Inc after the company reportedly promised to remove all videos from its YouTube.com website that Thailand deemed insulting to the king. Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pokaiyaudom said he had received a letter from Kent Walker, a Google vice president, saying that the U.S. company did not want to promote hostile feelings over the video clips. The minister said the letter stated that the company's slogan is, "Don't do evil," and it did not want Google to become a source of hostile feelings due to the king's video clips. Sitthichai said it would be up to the National Police Office to decide whether to drop pending charges of lese majeste against Google.DPA