Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Thursday blasted the secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), saying he should read the holy Koran carefully before making criticism about his government’s handling of the violence in the Muslim-majority south.

BOT hikes rates in bid to counter inflation

Consumers are bracing for a tough time ahead with runaway inflation and sky-high interest rates. Yesterday the Bank of Thailand prescribed another shock therapy to combat inflationary pressure and cool down the domestic demand by raising its 14-day repurchase rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent.

SUMET: IT’S AGAINST NATURE

The area surrounding Suvarnabhumi Airport is not the ideal location for a new city, an architect who heads a team of city planners charged with designing the new urban development, said yesterday. In an interview with The Nation, Sumet Jumsai said the whole area was sinking and the plan to set up “Nakhon Suvarnabhumi” as a new province ran against nature.

CRISIS IN SOUTH: Kantathi hits out at OIC

The government lashed out at the world’s largest Islamic organisation yesterday over comments it made about violence in the deep South, while relations with Kuala Lumpur have soured following a war of words over the handling of the 131 Thai Muslims who took refuge in northern Malaysia.