THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
A new ramp that whisks you straight into Don Mueang airport from the outermost lane of Vibhavadi Rangsit Road is open today. It took exactly a year and 150 million baht but as a bottleneck-breaker it can’t be beat.
Speaking of airports, it’s the last day to submit your bid to build the Don Mueang-Suvarnabhumi-U-Tapao railway for 224 billion baht or less. The project is integral to the government’s selfvaunted Eastern Economic Corridor. The bid winner will be announced tomorrow. Four nights of public hearings began today to allow the Rights and Liberties Protection Department an idea of how hard to press for same-sex marriage. (Spoiler: They aren’t going to press at all.)
TUESDAY
The annual Asean summit opens at 9am in Singapore. The boys and girl will enter the room tomorrow. On Thursday, Thailand officially gets the gavel to become chairman for 2019.
The Indian Supreme Court will hear protests and appeals to its recent ruling that women and girls past puberty can go into temples, including the revered Sabrimala shrine. The court hearing will be followed closely by violent protests. Foreigners who don’t qualify for free visas can apply beginning today for a multiple-entry tourist visa valid for six months, and allowing a stay of up to 60 days on each entry with no limit on number of visits. And it will cost only five times as much.
WEDNESDAY
The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee meets today. It might possibly do something “interest”-ing for the first time since April, 2015. (See what we did there?)
The Asean Summit goes global, welcoming many world leaders at its sub- and mini-summits, including with China, Russia and Japanese phuyai. Vice-President Mike Pence, right, will represent the US in the absence of Orangeman.
The Sri Lankan parliament might convene today under one, both or neither of its intensely feuding prime ministers, elected-but-fired PM Ranil Wickremesinghe or the lovely president’s pet, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a wartime nationalist.
THURSDAY
One of Asia’s finest moments in propaganda will take place today when a group of Rohingya pass from Bangladesh to Myanmar to display the three-way thrill of true forgiveness and repatriation, everyone as sincere as a Bangkok chit fund salesman.
One of the country’s best wat fairs begins today and runs through Nov 24 at the Golden Mount Temple.
There is no Premier League play this weekend, just Uefa Nations League and international friendlies. Very late tonight (early Friday) England play the US national team at Wembley, match time 3am Thailand time.
FRIDAY
The shambolic and quite meaningless UN-backed Cambodia tribunal charging Khmer Rouge with genocide will rule on two more “senior leaders” — Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan — just as if no one really knows their part in the Pol Pot rule. Small and medium business owners might like the quite large GSB Smart SMEs Smart Startup 2018 expo, today through Sunday at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Netherlands face France in the friendly of the night, actually at 3am Saturday. The hugely colourful but also arguably way-too-touristy Surin Elephant Round-Up begins today, and ends Sunday.
SATURDAY
Straight out of Singapore, leaders meet today and tomorrow at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at Port Moresby.
It is World Take-A-Hike Day. Pass that along to friends and frenemies alike; it works for both.
England face Croatia in Nations League play tomorrow at 9pm.
Thailand host Indonesia in a Group B match in the ongoing Suzuki Cup tournament. Game time is 6.30pm at Rajamangala National Stadium.
The nine-day annual Furniture Fair ends tomorrow at Impact Muang Thong.