THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
It’s the last day of the Future Park mall’s farmers’ market, featuring organic produce and products.
The National Reform Steering Assembly will send its own proposal on national reconciliation to the National Assembly today or, at the latest, tomorrow. It was put together by the NRSA’s committee on political reforms.
Astana is the site of today’s Syria peace talks, which are hosted, however, by Russia and Turkey. It will be the Trump administration’s first appearance on the international political front. Venezuela’s MUD coalition will hold bigger, better, noisier street protests against the corrupt socialist Maduro regime this evening, Thailand time.
TUESDAY
The defence will start its presentation in the trial of more than 100 people accused last year of running the inhumane and often fatal human trafficking ring for Rohingya through southern Thailand. The three-day Water Institute for Sustainability begins today at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
The nominations will be announced this evening for the 89th Oscars, which will take place on Feb 27, Thailand time. The England League Cup semi-final series conclude very late tonight/early tomorrow with Liverpool vs Southampton at 3am and 24 hours later with Hull hosting Manchester United.
WEDNESDAY
The five-day, annual Thailand Tourism Festival begins today at Lumpini Park, including the Villages of Five Regions areas. In addition to regions, ethnics will be showing their food and dances — Akha, Lahu, Hmong, Karen and others. It’s the last day to register, at www. thaicrossword.com, for the Feb 4-5 ECC Crossword Puzzles Open & Kumkom Thailand Championship — crosswords, maths, Sudoku and kumkom mind-benders, all in one place. Never-beaten WBC minimumweight champion Wanheng Menayothin (44-0, 17 KO) will try to defend his title for the sixth time, against also undefeated Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem (11-0, 7 KO) of the Philippines in Phitsanulok this afternoon.
Businessman and accused gangster-killer Mahimananda Mishra, arrested in Bangkok on murder charges on Christmas Day and whisked away to India, gets another bail hearing today in Cuttack, Odisha state.
THURSDAY
The top-rank women’s golf tour resumes today, so it’s off to he Caribbean for Ariya Jatunagarn, where the champ will start her campaign to be world No 1 in the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. Thongchai, Prom and Kiradech will be playing at the Qatar Masters, while many Thai stars will be next door for the Myanmar Open, first event of the year on the Asian Tour.
The popular light and sound show, “The Miraculous Acts Of King Naresuan The Great”, will run through the weekend from today at Suphan Buri as part of the Don Chedi Monument Fair. Show time is 7pm. No elephants will be harmed, because all of the elephants will be depicted on a 3D display screen.
To our south and west, Australia and India celebrate their national days today. Craft beer, a five-course meal and five beer pairings for 1,100 baht this evening at Brewski, Radisson Blu Plaza.
FRIDAY
It’s New Year’s Eve for a lot of people. Drive carefully. China officially begins its nine-day Golden Week holiday this afternoon — for those who think five-day weekends are excessive.
The ninth Thailand International Jazz Conference starts today at Mahidol University with 60 (yes six zero) bands plus workshops and showcases. Check (www. tijc.net) for all details. Cheating, shmeating, two provincial police regions will announce results of police cadet exams today — but not the Metropolitan Bangkok Police.
The second annual Galleries Night Chiang Mai, which is actually two nights, will take place at 24 venues across the Rose City. Tonight, the focus is on Old Town and the eastern areas, like Baan Tuek Art Centre.
SATURDAY
It’s the Year of the Rooster. Sawasdee Pee Mai Cheen, Happy New Year, Gong Hay Fat Choy, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Chuc Mung
Nam Moi, etc, etc.
If you think Millions of Dead Cops would be a great name for a punk band, man, you are really behind the times. MDC is on tonight at the Immortal Bar, Phaya Thai.
The Premier League is off for the weekend as the FA Cup returns. At 7.30pm, watch Liverpool play Wolverhampton, then at 10 see Spurs tackle Wycombe.