MILESTONES

DIED: At 101 at Ramathibodi Hospital, Thanat Khoman, the last survivor of the five foreign ministers who founded Asean. Thanat served under military dictators Sarit Thanarat and Thanom Kittikachorn. In 1962 he negotiated the Rusk-Thanat Agreement which allowed US warplanes to attack Indochina from Thai bases, and in 1967 he founded Asean. In 1971, at dinner at the Oriental Hotel, he received a phone call saying Thanom had launched a coup against himself, ending Thanat’s public service.

PRAISED: By Alexander Grigoryevich “Europe’s Last Dictator” Lukashenko of Belarus, the military regime led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. While most governments would squirm under Mr Lukashenko’s approval, the defence ministry spokesman said Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon lapped it up. The Belarus godfather, who won 83% of votes in the last so-called election, “admired Thai armed forces for stepping in”, explained spokesman Maj Gen Khogcheep Tangtravanich.

UPHELD: By the Supreme (Dika) Court, lower-court rulings that red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan defamed ex-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. In a speech exactly six years ago, Jatuporn accused Mr Abhisit of dodging the draft — fair criticism, said the court — and of ordering the military to kill red shirt protesters in Bangkok. The latter defamed Mr Abhisit, the Supreme Court agreed. The penalty is six months in jail, suspended for two years, and a 50,000 baht fine.

ARRESTED: At Perth airport, a British man, 45, arriving from Thailand carrying 500g of methamphetamine in pellets, hidden where the sun doesn’t shine. Australian police provided him free room and board until he expelled the 106 pellets containing the drug. They did not give the man’s name.