THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
Four Indians are to appear in a Mumbai court today after a week in jail on charges of “stealing” from their employer and uploading a Game of Thrones episode before it was broadcast.
The US and South Korea begin the Ulchi Freedom Guardian war games today.
It is reliably reported Kim Jong-un is displeased.
You may hear much more than you need about a full solar eclipse tonight, because it’s going to occur over middle US and Canada, visible from coast to coast in most of North America. Total blackouts during the Great American Eclipse will be about three hours. You won’t see any of it over Thailand.
Since you’re asking, the last total eclipse over Bangkok was Oct 24, 1995. It was a good month for T-shirt sales. On April 11, 2070, there will be a total eclipse over Hua Hin that will be about 60% visible from Bangkok and Phuket.
TUESDAY
The, er, colourful and mildly comely Khon Kaen girlfriends who allegedly strangled and dismembered a karaoke bar worker and then got coddled by cops are to be officially indicted for murder today.
There’s a black moon on the rise, and that’s not from Creedence Clearwater Revival. It’s the night of the new moon, except you definitely won’t be able to see it. The moon will be completely invisible, a rare astronomical event. It’s the phenomenon that caused the Great American Eclipse.
Thailand face the Philippines this evening in the SEA Games Group B football round-robin. The Filipinos are credible challengers this year, but the real barn-burner should be on Thursday: Thailand vs Vietnam.
WEDNESDAY
A new law on drug procurement officially goes into effect today, and it is as popular as a red shirt at a government reception. The chief complaint is that the new Public Procurement Act cancels the former law’s requirement for state agencies to buy all medical supplies from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.
Pakistan and Thailand are to sign a free trade agreement today after just eight negotiating rounds. Pakistani goods that should be cheaper include yarn, textiles, all types of garments and sports goods. Gold medal favourites Philippines face Thailand today at the SEA Games’ hockey tournament — real hockey, not the one people play on grass. Angola gets to vote for its president today while Thailand gets not to vote for anyone.
THURSDAY
Crazy Chatchai is offering CRAZY mortgage rates at the GH Bank Expo 2017 today through Sunday at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre — 2.9% if you act now and sign up quickly. Amartya Sen, Indian Nobel laureate in economics and a Bangkok crowd-puller, returns to wow his fans and perhaps make a few new friends with a lecture on “Globalisation, Inequality And Thailand 4.0” at the InterContinental Hotel at 6pm. Foo Fighters have been around so long they’re in the “rock legends” category. They played Bangkok in 1996 when they were two years old. Now 23 but not, thankfully, all grown up, the group play Impact Challenger Hall 2 at Muang Thong this evening. Tickets from 1,500 to 4,000 baht at ThaiTicketMajor. “Homage To The Great Thai Kings” is the name of the concert playing tonight at Nation University in Lampang. The tribute to Thai monarchs by piano virtuosos Nat Yontararak was hosted by Payap University on Tuesday and is due at Sala Sudasiri Sobha in Bangkok on Sunday at 4pm.
FRIDAY
There’s a rumour something or other will be happening this morning at the Supreme Court. It’s about some woman troublemaker, apparently. The government says all spectators are welcome, but it may not be serious about that. South Korea’s criminal court is to announce the verdict today in the corruption trial of Samsung icon Lee Jaeyong, a family similar to the Yoovidhyas except they allow courts to judge their accused kin.
Oh, and the Supreme Court will rule on whether ex-commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 27 close friends are to be jailed for an allegedly fake government-to-government rice sales while That Woman was prime minister.
SATURDAY
Tomorrow morning Floyd “Money” Mayweather will make around a bazillion shekels for trying to knock the stuffing out of MMA fighter Conor “The Notorious” McGregor in Las Vegas, raising a rather obvious question: Why do fighters have such ridiculous nicknames? First bell should be around 10am. Venezuela’s “leader” Nicolas Maduro will whip up his shrinking support base with an anti-Trump, anti-US civil-military exercise this evening.