US removes Cambodia from arms-embargo country list

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5 February 2026, 11:32

APTOPIX Trump — President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The United States has formally removed Cambodia from its list of arms-embargoed countries, according to a final rule released by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the US Department of Commerce.

The rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to remove Cambodia from Country Group D:5, which covers countries subject to US arms embargoes. The change follows a November 2025 decision by the US Department of State to lift the embargo under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

The White House announced the embargo’s removal on 26 October 2025. The following day, the State Department said it would begin reviewing defence-related export applications involving Cambodia on a case-by-case basis.

In its November rule, the State Department cited Cambodia’s renewed engagement with the United States on defence cooperation and efforts to combat transnational crime as key reasons for lifting the embargo.

BIS said it removed the D:5 designation to avoid confusion among exporters and re-exporters. However, Cambodia remains listed in Country Group D:1, meaning restrictions related to military and military-intelligence end uses and end users remain in force.

The rule took effect on 3 February 2026.

15-year-old arrested over Hat Yai gold shop robbery

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Khaosod English

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5 February 2026, 10:50

SONGKHLA — 5 February 2026, Police have arrested a 15-year-old suspect in connection with a gold shop robbery at a shopping mall in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, and recovered the stolen jewellery after the youth fled to Ubon Ratchathani.

Police said the suspect, a male juvenile from Songkhla, carried out the robbery on 3 February at a gold shop in tambon Kho Hong, Hat Yai district, opposite Prince of Songkla University’s Hat Yai campus. The suspect made off with gold jewellery weighing a total of 33 baht-weight before fleeing the scene.

At 18:45 on 4 February, officers from the Crime Suppression Division arrested the suspect at the Ubon Ratchathani bus terminal after reviewing CCTV footage and related evidence that identified him as the perpetrator.

apprehended900x600 — The suspect, in a black t-shirt, being taken away

Investigators said that after the robbery, the suspect left the stolen gold with a friend in Songkhla, then travelled by air from Hat Yai Airport to Don Mueang Airport before continuing by bus to Ubon Ratchathani. When officers approached to identify themselves, the suspect attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended.

During questioning, the suspect confessed and led police to the location where the stolen items were hidden — a friend’s house in Songkhla. A search of the property uncovered more than 30 gold necklaces concealed inside the house. The items were seized as evidence.

Legal proceedings are continuing in accordance with juvenile justice procedures.

Toyota sedan slams into wall outside Lottery Office, driver seriously injured

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Khaosod English

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5 February 2026, 10:00

A Toyota sedan crashed into a wall and overturned outside the Government Lottery Office in Nonthaburi late on Tuesday night, leaving the 45-year-old driver seriously injured, while a passenger caused a disturbance at the scene, police said.

The incident occurred at 22:15 outside the Government Lottery Office on Sanambinnam Road in the Tha Sai subdistrict of Mueang district, Nonthaburi.

The driver, a 45-year-old woman, suffered a serious head injury. Rescue workers provided first aid before rushing the driver to Krungthai Pak Kret Hospital.

Police also found a passenger standing in the middle of the road, shouting at police officers, rescue workers and security guards from the Government Lottery Office, who had initially helped remove the injured driver from the vehicle. The passenger repeatedly refused to allow the vehicle to be removed from the scene for several hours, prompting police to escort the individual to the station to calm the situation.

passenger900x600 — The passenger, known as “Joy” at the scene, uninjured but seemingly upset with authorities

Police identified the passenger as Ms. Joy, a figure previously in the news over a high-profile dispute with a tow-truck driver in June 2023. In that case, the tow-truck driver had attempted to assist a vehicle before it later crashed into a traffic island, after which Ms. Joy alleged an assault, leading to legal proceedings and widespread media coverage.

Police said skid marks at the scene indicated the vehicle had lost control. CCTV footage showed the car travelling before suddenly swerving left without the involvement of any other vehicle, causing it to crash into the wall and overturn.

news108450 di60Ju6a0z1770231114 — Aftermath showing damage after the vehicle was removed

However, police said they would question the driver again about the cause of the crash once she has recovered from her injuries.

Action star Tony Jaa battling gallbladder cancer

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Khaosod English

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4 February 2026, 19:37

pageew — Thai action star Tony Jaa, also known as Jaa Phanom, has been battling cancer and is now improving.

Bangkok — Fans have poured in messages of support for Thai action star Tony Jaa, also known as Jaa Phanom, after it emerged that he has been battling gallbladder cancer.

Concerns grew after the 49-year-old actor recently shared photos on Instagram showing a noticeably slimmer appearance. A person close to Tony Jaa later told Nine Entertain that he was diagnosed with stage three, nearing stage four, gallbladder cancer nearly two years ago.

According to the source, Tony Jaa first sought medical treatment after suffering severe abdominal pain, along with jaundice affecting his skin and eyes. Doctors later confirmed gallbladder cancer. He has since undergone surgery to remove the malignant tissue and has been receiving chemotherapy on an ongoing basis.

The source said his overall condition has improved significantly, adding that Tony Jaa is now stronger and exercises daily, though he remains under close medical supervision. His family is said to be taking good care of him, while further details are expected to be clarified by Tony Jaa and his family themselves.

Tony Jaa rose to international fame with Ong-Bak (2003) and later Tom-Yum-Goong (2005), establishing himself as one of Thailand’s most recognisable action stars. His international credits include Furious 7 (2015), xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Paradox (2017), Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), Triple Threat (2019) and Detective Chinatown 3 (2021).

German man ‘Mr. Spray’ arrested over Koh Phangan ‘Save Gaza’ graffiti spree

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Khaosod English

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4 February 2026, 19:03

67e5a9c2-c751-40bc-a221-7b3fd2203052 — A German tourist, known online as “Mr Spray”, was arrested on 4 February over ‘Save Gaza’ graffiti sprayed at more than 40 locations on Koh Phangan.

BANGKOK — A 58-year-old German national, dubbed “Mr. Spray” by locals, was arrested on 4 February for spray-painting messages at more than 40 public locations on Koh Phangan, Surat Thani province, immigration police said.

Officers from Immigration Bureau Division 2 tracked the suspect to a hotel in the Sao Chingcha area of Bangkok, where he was arrested under a warrant issued by the Koh Samui Provincial Court on the same day. He faces charges of damaging public property and illegally spray-painting messages on walls, electricity poles and public structures.

Police said the suspect was later transferred to Koh Phangan police station for legal proceedings.

The case sparked widespread anger online after images circulated showing English-language graffiti sprayed across the island, including messages such as “SAVE GAZA” on roadside information signs and “LIBRE” on electricity poles. Other markings appeared on roads, rubbish bins, traffic signs and kilometre markers, many of which are state property.

Earlier on Wednesday, before his arrest, the man contacted Khaosod English to explain his actions. He said he loved Thailand, had been visiting the country frequently since first arriving in 2001, and had always been treated well by Thai people. He added that he was shocked by changes he observed on Koh Phangan, particularly the growing number of Israeli nationals living on the island.

He claimed he believed some “war criminals” were residing in Thailand, which made him deeply uncomfortable and prompted him to act.

“My intent was to remind Israelis of their history and ask for discourse regarding war criminals,” he said.

The man apologised for his actions, saying: “I am sorry for the damage I caused to private property. I am sorry for upsetting the Phangan local community.”

Israel strikes Gaza, killing 19, mostly women and children, after saying Hamas violated deal

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Associated Press

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4 February 2026, 17:53

Israel Palestinians Gaza — (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 19 Palestinians, most of them women and children, by midday Wednesday, according to hospital officials. Israel pledged to continue strikes, saying that it was responding to a militant attack on Israeli soldiers that seriously wounded one.

Among the Palestinians killed were five children, including a 5-month-old and a baby just 10 days old; seven women; and a paramedic, said hospital officials. They are the latest Palestinians in Gaza to die since a ceasefire deal, which has been punctuated by deadly Israeli strikes, came into effect on Oct. 10, 2025. More than 530 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli in that time, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The escalating Palestinian death toll has rocked the U.S.-backed truce and caused Palestinians in the strip to say it does not feel like the war has ended.

“The genocidal war against our people in the Gaza Strip continues,” said Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, in a Facebook post. “Where is the ceasefire? Where are the mediators?”

An Israeli military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military policy, told The Associated Press that Israel would continue striking the strip. Since the ceasefire took hold, Israel’s military has defended deadly strikes by saying it is responding to Hamas violations or militant attacks on its soldiers. The military says four soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took hold.

Mediators have condemned the attacks and Hamas has called them violations of the deal.

Early Wednesday, Israeli troops fired on a building in the Tuffah neighborhood in north Gaza, killing at least 11 people, most from the same family, said Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included two parents, their 10-day-old girl, her 5-month-old cousin and their grandmother.

Israel’s military said its aircraft and armored units had returned fire after militants started shooting at troops, badly wounding a reservist soldier who was evacuated to a hospital. Israel called the militant attack a violation of the deal.

After the Tuffah strike, Israeli fire continued across the strip, said hospital officials. An Israeli strike on a family’s tent in the southern city of Khan Younis killed three people including a 12-year-old boy, said Nasser hospital, which received the bodies. Tank shelling in Gaza City’s eastern neighborhood of Zaytoun killed another three Palestinians, according to Shifa Hospital, including a husband and his wife.

A strike on a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis killed at least two people and wounded five others, according to a field hospital run by the Palestinian Red Crescent in the area. The dead included Hussein Hassan Hussein al-Semieri, a paramedic for the Palestinian Red Crescent who was on duty at the time, said the hospital.

Over 71,800 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Thailand Election 2026: Why Abhisit Vejjajiva still matters despite slim odds

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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4 February 2026, 16:06

625246232_1466059548213483_1933907171150553106_n — Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva returns to the race as the Democrat Party’s candidate in Thailand’s 2026 election.

As Thailand’s major parties battle for dominance, Abhisit Vejjajiva’s Democrat Party enters the race not as a frontrunner, but as a familiar establishment force that could yet shape the next government from the margins.

This article concludes a four-part series examining Thailand’s major political leaders ahead of the election. Following our previous analysis of Anutin Charnvirakul, the focus now turns to Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose candidacy represents the most traditional establishment option in a race increasingly defined by polarisation and political fragmentation.

With no polls suggesting that the Democrat Party—Thailand’s oldest active political party—will win more than 40 seats, the chances of the Oxford-educated Abhisit returning to Government House is quite slim.

May be an image of one or more people, speaker, crowd and text — Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat Party’s prime ministerial candidate, speaks with supporters in Phatthalung on 3 February.

There remains a marginal possibility that the 61-year-old Abhisit could lead a minority coalition government if there’s a political deadlock, or at least be part of the next coalition government as a deputy prime minister or through one of his senior party members, such as former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij who is the party’s deputy leader.

Among the conservative camp, Abhisit remains the most broadly acceptable choice, even when compared with Anutin. While his party is predicted to win no more than 40 seats, Abhisit and the Democrats are likely to remain key players in Thai politics, particularly in a fragmented parliament. Abhisit was also warmly welcomed by supporters in Bangkok wherever he went and insists his party will win at least a few seats in Bangkok after a shockingly dismal performance over two years ago that saw the party winning not even a single Bangkok constituency.

Like the People’s Party, the Democrats vow to restore Thailand to what they describe as its former glory during the high-growth decade, when the country played a more prominent role in the international community.

With less than a week before the election, Abhisit’s controversial role in the deadly 2010 crackdown has resurfaced as a topic on social media.

May be an image of one or more people, phone, crowd and text that says 'ประชำธินิตย์ 圖本 รชอน ไทย.อน นายจน ไทย ด้วยคน O กาน 11 no เลือกพรรค เบอร์ 27 MMWT G' — Democrat Party PM candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva poses for photos with supporters at Min Buri Market, Bangkok, on 25 January.

The deaths of 99 people—many of them pro-Thaksin “Redshirt” demonstrators—during the 2010 political confrontations between the military under then prime minister Abhisit and the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) mean he is unlikely to win support from voters who would normally back Pheu Thai or the People’s Party. This sentiment persists despite a court ruling that he committed no crime, and despite Abhisit’s own widely criticised remark at the time: “Unfortunately, some people died.”

This time around, the Oxford-educated Abhisit, arguably the most cosmopolitan candidate in the race and one of only two former prime ministers seeking a return to the top job, is focusing on poverty eradication, lifting Thailand’s GDP growth rate to 5 per cent per year, and declaring zero tolerance for corruption.

In a deeply polarised political climate, Abhisit has emerged as the other conservative option for this who os not fully committed to Anutin but felt they couldn’t trust either the People’s Party or the Pheu Thai Party due to their political stance and past records.

Cambodia upset after Thailand brings FBI, international media to expose scam sites

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Khaosod English

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4 February 2026, 14:39

Cambodia Thailand Scams Photo Gallery — A Thai journalist wears a fake Singapore police uniform at a mock-up set resembling a police station inside a scam compound in O'Smach, Cambodia, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Cambodia has lodged what it described as its strongest protest against Thailand, accusing Thai authorities of leading an unauthorised field visit by foreign military attachés and law enforcement officials in Cambodian territory.

In a statement, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the visit, led by the Chief of Intelligence of the Thai Army, took place on 2 February at two hotels in O’Smach district, Oddar Meanchey province, without the consent of the Cambodian government. It said the visit violated Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The accusation came after Thai authorities took foreign military attachés, FBI officers and international media to inspect a suspected scam-centre site in the O’Smach area along the Thai–Cambodian border. The inspection uncovered abandoned buildings believed to have been used by call-centre gangs, along with evidence of global fraud, including fake police stations and mock government offices from various countries, as well as counterfeit US dollar banknotes.

Cambodia claimed the sites visited are about 397 metres from the O’Smach international checkpoint near border pillar No 15, in an area it said was seized and occupied by Thai armed forces during clashes between 7 and 27 December 2025.

Cambodia said it rejects what it called the illegitimate exercise of Thai sovereignty in the area, arguing that the actions violate the UN and ASEAN charters and amount to an attempt to legitimise the occupation of Cambodian territory. It added that it remains committed to resolving border disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law.

‘Mr. Spray’ apologises to Koh Phangan locals, cites concerns over alleged war criminals on the island

By

Khaosod English

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4 February 2026, 14:09

news107779_8kkF1nkisU1770015318 — A foreign tourist at the centre of the Koh Phangan graffiti controversy speaks to Khaosod English.

A foreign tourist has sparked outrage on Koh Phangan after images circulated online showing him spray-painting English messages across public spaces and official signs at more than 40 locations on the island.

The graffiti included slogans such as “SAVE GAZA” on roadside public information signs and “LIBRE” — meaning “free” in Spanish or French — on electricity poles. Other markings appeared on roads, rubbish bins, traffic signs and kilometre markers, many of which are state property. Locals have dubbed the man “Mr. Spray”.

On Tuesday, 4 February, Mr. Spray contacted Khaosod English to clarify what happened. He said he loves Thailand and has visited frequently since his first trip in 2001, adding that Thailand and Thai people have always treated him well. He said he is particularly fond of Koh Phangan.

However, he said he was shocked by changes on the island during his latest visit, claiming there are now many Israelis living there long term. He said he believes that some war criminals are residing in Thailand, a claim that made him deeply uncomfortable, and that he wanted to send a message.

“My intent was to remind Israeli of their history and ask for discourse regarding war criminals,” he said.

Mr. Spray added that in Europe he has taken part in protests opposing Israel’s actions. He apologised for his actions, saying: “I am sorry for the damage I caused to private property,” and “I am sorry for upsetting the Phangan local community.”

He said he did not expect the incident to become major news and is now worried. He reiterated that local residents have always treated him well and said he wants to apologise directly to them. He said his options now are limited, including fleeing, turning himself in to police, or helping clean the signs he spray-painted.

In recent years, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and several other destinations in Thailand have seen an increase in long-term Israeli visitors. There have been occasional complaints from local residents, including reports of “No Israel” signs at some restaurants on Koh Phangan and IDF (Israel Defense Forces) stickers appearing in some public areas.

Foreign tourists mistake funeral for food court, welcomed with Thai food

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Khaosod English

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3 February 2026, 17:32

qqqqqqttt — A group of foreign tourists sit down at a Thai funeral in Nakhon Si Thammarat, mistaking the ceremony for a food court.

A video showing foreign tourists being warmly welcomed at a funeral in southern Thailand has gone viral, drawing praise online for Thai kindness and cultural openness.

The clip, shared by a Facebook user, shows the moment several foreign tourists walked into a funeral being held in Khanom district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, mistakenly believing it was a food court. The funeral was taking place near a night market, and hosts were serving evening meals to guests, in line with local tradition.

According to the post, the tourists approached a table and asked whether the area was a food court. When the hosts explained that it was a funeral, the visitors appeared shocked but politely asked if they could remain seated. The hosts agreed without hesitation, and the family of the deceased went on to serve them food and drinks, including Thai iced tea, pink milk and pa thong ko (fried dough), as is customary at community funerals.

The following day, a similar incident occurred when three Dutch siblings entered the same funeral, again mistaking it for a food court and asking to order drinks. After learning it was a funeral, the hosts explained the situation and invited them to join the meal. The visitors were reportedly delighted and deeply impressed by the generosity shown.

The video has been widely shared on social media, with many users praising the hosts for their compassion and welcoming attitude, describing the moment as a reflection of Thai values and community spirit. Others noted that the incident highlighted cultural differences, while also showing how simple acts of kindness can leave a lasting impression on visitors.

The uploader said the foreigners later expressed gratitude and said they would remember the experience as a unique and touching example of Thai hospitality.

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