Former Social Democrat MP drowns in Thailand

Czech Radio has reported that former Social Democrat MP Jiří Václavek has drowned while on vacation in Thailand. Czech Radio cited Czech embassy official in Bangkok, Božena Kunová. According to reports, the 68-year-old former politician had gone snorkelling while on a boat trip with other travellers, when the accident happened. Others noticed he had stopped moving in the water and emergency services tried but failed to revive him on shore. Jiří Václavek, an economist by profession, was an MP from 1996 to 2006, after which he made an unsuccessful bid for the Senate.