THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
The always interesting National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission is confident that mobile phone operators (plural) will pick up bidding papers today for a planned second attempt at a bandwidth auction in September.
The new initial coin offering (ICO) “portal process” comes into effect today, a regulating framework for sale and purchase of cryptocurrency. Legally, only registered companies with at least 5 million baht of registered capital can participate.
The Myanmar government and Yangon court are actually going to start trying two Reuters employees today for the crime of reporting while being Myanmar citizens. The Malaysian parliament begins its first session since the election that threw out the possibly super-criminal Najib Razak. Presidents Trump and Putin hold a summit this evening in Helsinki.
TUESDAY
Economy tsar and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and a team of private-public sector executives are in Tokyo for four days of meetings at the fourth Thailand-Japan High Level Joint Commission.
If you think you’re going to hold your usual cybersex session with Yahoo Messenger this evening, think again. As of noon today, it’s as dead as a dodo. South Africa will celebrate the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela this evening, with Barack Obama giving the main speech.
WEDNESDAY
The CAT Labour Union will meet today to express joy at the news that CAT and TOT are to be merged again, instead of being further broken up into subsidiaries. Ratchanok Intanon leads the Thai badminton contingent to the Lion City for the Singapore Open, with the finals to be played on Sunday.
Cosplay addicts from around the world will don costumes and descend on Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, from tonight through Sunday. Uefa Champions League matches are the best you’ll do, now that there won’t be another World Cup match for four years. There are numerous matches this morning and tomorrow but only one involving a top-ranked team — Celtic vs Alashkert, Thursday morning at 1.45.
THURSDAY
The Pattaya Criminal Court opens a pretrial hearing today for mercurial glamprisoner Russian “sex coach” Anastasia Vashukevich, aka Nastya Rybka, who keeps claiming she has the goods on Donald Trump and keeps not producing anything.
Asean foreign ministers are in India for a new two-day round of the Delhi Dialogue.
Golf’s British Open begins its 147th run today at Carnoustie, with three Thais in the field: constantly improving Kiradech Aphibarnrat — one of a tiny few golfers in the world who can play in every major field — and promising 22-year-olds Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma. A Tel Aviv court will take the “not guilty” plea tonight from Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin, and accused of fraud and breach of trust.
FRIDAY
All 11.4 million Welfare Care holders can ride the Purple and Blue lines for free, beginning today and lasting forever. The Hong Kong International Robotics Olympiad 2018 begins today. The Thai team will include one of the “stateless” Myanmar boys from Chiang Rai who have become noticed because of the Wild Boars.
Myanmar’s Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration will hold a two-day effort to boost Thai investment today, by inviting 500 Thai businessmen to their “Myanmar Insight” at the Thai embassy in Yangon.
A court in Zambia will announce the punishment today for two men who committed the high crime of having sex.
SATURDAY
The 12-man Din & Tonics a cappella group of Harvard University return to Bangkok, and will have a show tonight at 7.15 at The Siam Hotel. Today and tomorrow are the last two days of the Goethe-Institut Thailand’s trashy show “Pure Gold — Upcycled! Upgraded!” featuring 76 exhibits by 53 designers who added value to rubbish in inventive ways. The expo is at TCDC Bangkok.
The International University Sport Federation opens the 10-day, 40-nation Fisu Muay Thai World University Championship tournament today at the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya.
WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (45-4-1, 40 KOs and unbeaten in his last 18) will face experienced South Korean contender Young Gil Bae (28-6, 2 KOs) in a non-title fight this afternoon at Workpoint Studio. Srisaket was to face No.1 challenger Mexico’s Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada in a title rematch, but the fight was rescheduled to take place Oct 6 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.