A US citizen was jailed for two-and-a-half years today for insulting the Thai monarchy, prompting the US Embassy to speak out at the severity of the sentence and say it supported the freedom of expression everywhere in the world.

Thailand's prime minister has cancelled plans to attend a Pacific trade forum in Hawaii this weekend as she struggles to cope with her country's worst flooding for half a century.

Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook is at the centre of more unwanted controversy after an e-mail, appearing to be sent by him, went to Nedum Onuoha's cancer-stricken mum by mistake.

Malaysian reaction to local tycoon Tony Fernandes's purchase of newly-promoted Premier League club Queens Park Rangers (QPR) ranged from patriotic support to indifference, to jibes on fan forums.

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of an ousted Thai leader, is vowing to work for national reconciliation after formally becoming the country's first female prime minister.

Thailand's controversial crown prince has agreed to pay more than £12m in order to secure the release of an impounded plane that is at the centre of an unlikely diplomatic spat between his nation and the German authorities.

Thailand's new Prime Minister tells Andrew Buncombe that she, not her exiled brother, is pulling the strings to unite a chaotic nation

The woman set to become Thailand’s first female prime minister sought to seize the momentum today, securing an agreement with coalition colleagues in order to bolster her party’s mandate and starting work on what she hopes will become her flagship policies.

Noisy celebrations erupted in the centre of Bangkok yesterday as Yingluck Shinawatra defied her critics and stormed to a comprehensive electoral victory, putting her on track to make history as Thailand's first woman prime minister.

A year after violent clashes left more than 90 people dead and drove a divisive knife through Thai society, the country today goes to the polls for an election that could cause yet more turmoil and confrontation. It could also deliver Thailand its first female prime minister.

In Bangkok's Rajamangala stadium, a venue usually occupied by Thailand's national football team, there were a lot of red shirts. Most of them were decidedly wet red shirts.

On the street below, a woman reached up towards Abhisit Vejjajiva and held out a bag of tropical fruit. Thailand's Prime Minister pressed his palms together in a gesture of thanks and respect and quickly reached down to accept the gift.

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's former prime minister whose political party has a clear lead before an election on 3 July, reduced free speech, made immense personal profits and dominated politics "in a way never before seen", claimed secret US diplomatic cables now revealed.

A controversial report based on leaked documents suggests members of the royal family are vying for power before election