National symbols of Thailand

Elephants call out to each other using individual names that they invent for their fellow pachyderms, a study said on Monday.

While dolphins and parrots have been observed addressing each other by mimicking the sound of others from their species, elephants are the first non-human animals known to use names that do not involve imitation, the researchers suggested.

A heavily injured baby elephant left behind by a migrating wild herd in southwest China has been rescued, state media reported July 13, the latest twist in a chaotic odyssey.

The herd of Asian elephants has spent months roaming across Yunnan province, travelling more than 500 kilometers from their home nature reserve in one of the longest ever animal migrations of its kind in China.

Thailand has a new king, with the country's crown prince formally taking the throne to succeed his much-revered late father, who reigned for 70 years.

Thais on Oct. 11 wore pink for 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a color they believe will help improve the monarch's health, two days after the palace said he was in an unstable condition. 

A Thai faces prison after being charged with lese majesty for insulting the king's dog, his lawyer said on Dec. 15, in an escalation of the already draconian royal defamation law.

Thanakorn Siripaiboon, 27, has been charged by police with lese majesty for a "satirical" Facebook post about the king and his dog, lawyer Pawinee Chumsri told AFP.

Thailand's army-dominated national assembly approved amendments to the country's draft constitution at a third reading on June 18, paving the way for a referendum on the newly drafted charter next year. 

Among the proposals in the charter is a clause that allows for an unelected prime minister and for the upper house Senate to be largely appointed.