CHONBURI — 29 January 2026, as gold prices continue to rise, police in Thailand’s Sattahip district have staged a tactical drill to prepare for a potential gold shop robbery, highlighting the readiness of their rapid response unit.
The exercise was held at about 13:00 by the Crime Suppression Division of Sattahip Provincial Police Station. The Rapid Response Unit, known locally as the Special Operations team, took the lead in securing and controlling the simulated incident, demonstrating speed, coordination and professional conduct.
The drill was overseen by Pol. Col. Komsan Khamtunkaew, superintendent of Sattahip police, along with Lt. Col. Chanathat Nawakhunrangsi, deputy superintendent for crime suppression, and Lt. Col. Sila Sajjai, inspector for crime prevention and suppression. Operational command was assigned to Lt. Col. Kosol Sila, who led patrol car units, motorcycle patrols and the Special Operations rapid response team through an intensive exercise.
Throughout the simulation, the special unit showed high mobility, precise target engagement, systematic communication and rapid area containment. Officers were able to bring the mock situation under control within a limited timeframe, reflecting continuous training and preparedness for serious incidents.
Police said the exercise underscored the frontline role of the Special Operations rapid response unit at Sattahip station in dealing with major crimes. It was also intended to reassure residents and business owners that security in the district remains in the hands of highly capable officers.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a meeting in Beijing Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
BEIJING (AP) — The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global uncertainty.
Neither publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the American president’s challenges to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds.
“I think that working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing as we build this relationship in the way that I’ve described,” Starmer told Xi in his opening remarks.
The two met in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing as their nations try to improve relations after several years of acrimony. Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Great Britain, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war, and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997. Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit in eight years.
“China-U.K. relations experienced setbacks in previous years, which was not in the interests of either country,” Xi said. “In the current complex and ever-changing international situation, … China and the U.K. need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability.”
Xi also appeared to acknowledge the criticism that Starmer has faced for reaching out to China despite national security and human rights concerns. The U.K. recently approved controversial plans for a huge Chinese Embassy in London, removing a sticking point in relations but also overriding fears that the “mega-embassy” would make it easier for China to conduct espionage and intimidate dissidents.
“Good things often come with difficulties,” Xi said. “As long as it is the right thing to do in accordance with the fundamental interests of the country and its people, leaders will not shy away from difficulties and will forge ahead bravely.”
Starmer, who became prime minister in July 2024, has said he would protect national security while keeping up diplomatic dialogue and economic cooperation with China. He told Xi that it has “been far too long” since a U.K. prime minister visited.
“I made a promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outward again,” the leader of the center-left Labour Party said. “Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, from prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”
His government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised and ease a cost-of-living crisis for millions of households.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, third left, and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second right, attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, Pool)
More than 50 top business executives have joined him on the trip, along with the leaders of some cultural organizations, as he seeks to expand opportunities for British companies in China.
The disruption to global trade under Trump has made expanding trade and investment more imperative for many governments. Vietnam and the European Union upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership Thursday, two days after the EU and India announced a free trade accord.
“At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners,” European Council President Antonio Costa said in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Starmer is the fourth leader of a U.S. ally to visit Beijing this month, following those of South Korea, Canada and Finland. The German chancellor is expected to visit next month.
The U.K. leader earlier Thursday met Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress. The two countries were expected to sign a number of agreements later in the day.
One will try to disrupt the trade in Chinese boat engines used by smugglers to bring people across the English Channel to Britain. More than half the engines come from China, the British government said. Under the agreement, U.K law enforcement agencies will work with Chinese authorities and manufacturers to prevent engines from ending up in the hands of criminal gangs.
FILE - In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Myanmar police hand over five telecom and internet fraud suspects to Chinese police at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug. 26, 2023. (Chinese embassy in Myanmar/Xinhua via AP)
BANGKOK (AP) — China executed 11 members of a Myanmar-based family crime syndicate that killed 14 Chinese citizens and ran scam and gambling operations worth more than $1 billion, authorities said.
The Wenzhou city Intermediate People’s Court announced the execution in a statement Thursday morning. It sentenced the 11 people to death in September. They included Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, who the court found led the scam and gambling operations, as well as key group members Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming and Luao Jianzhang.
The group filed an appeal that was rejected by the court in November.
The family members were detained in November 2023 when Chinese authorities exerted pressure on authorities in the border areas shared with Myanmar to crack down on scams.
Scam parks have become an industrial scale business in Southeast Asia, especially Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, where a mix of trafficked and willing labor have carried out digital scams on victims around the world.
Authorities in the region face growing international pressure from China, the U.S. and other nations to address the proliferation of criminal activity.
BANGKOK — 29 January 2026, Royal Thai Air Force announced that, the AT-6TH attack aircraft crashed during a training mission in Chiangmai, killing both pilots on board.
Air Marshal Chakrit Thammavichai, the air force spokesperson, said the aircraft from Squadron 411 of Wing 41 went down at 10:20 during a combat search and rescue training flight in Chom Thong district, Chiang Mai province, about 60 kilometres southwest of Chiang Mai airport. The crash did not affect nearby residents or damage civilian property, Chakrit said.
The pilots were identified as Flight Lt. Sammacha Khunmas, an instructor pilot, and Flight Officer Korawit Jenkit. Both were killed on duty.
Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha, the air force commander, ordered the immediate securing of the crash site and appointed an aircraft accident investigation board to determine the cause.
The Royal Thai Air Force expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased pilots and praised their dedication and sacrifice. It said it would provide full assistance to their families.
BANGKOK — Global superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal has been named the face of Thailand’s latest tourism push, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand on Wednesday launching its latest tourism campaign, “Feel All the Feelings,” at Wat Arun Ratchawararam, one of the country’s most iconic cultural landmarks.
The high profile event marked a major push to reposition Thailand as a quality leisure destination, highlighting not only scenic beauty and cuisine but also deeper cultural value, local lifestyles and emotional connections experienced through travel.
Lisa, a Thai singer, dancer, rapper and actress with global recognition, will serve as a key representative of Thai tourism, presenting the country through a fresh and meaningful perspective to international audiences. The campaign also encourages Thais to act as good hosts, reinforcing confidence in the tourism sector through the Trusted Thailand initiative, aimed at ensuring safe, welcoming and memorable travel experiences.
Speaking at the launch, Lisa said she was deeply moved by the setting and the honour of the role.
“When I walked the red carpet and went up, I had tears in my eyes. It was incredibly beautiful, truly Amazing Thailand,” she said. “It is a great honour to work with TAT on this campaign. As a Thai person, I feel proud, grateful and very honoured to be an ambassador.”
She said she hoped to showcase Thailand beyond familiar images.
“Thailand is not only about beautiful places or delicious food. It is also about warmth,” Lisa said. “I always feel that warmth whenever I am here. I would love to introduce lesser known places as well, including my hometown, Buriram, where you can find amazing luk chin yuen kin.”
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Lisa’s global influence would help reshape perceptions of Thailand.
“We believe that telling Thailand’s story through Lisa’s perspective will allow people to see the country as a high quality tourism destination with depth, not just physical beauty but value and meaning in every experience,” she said.
She added that the campaign aims to turn each trip into a lasting memory, inspiring repeat visits and word of mouth promotion.
The “Feel All the Feelings” campaign focuses on the emotional richness of travel in Thailand, from interactions with people and culture to local atmospheres across destinations nationwide. The concept is conveyed through a new promotional film series titled “Feel All the Feelings, Travel Thailand, Feel Every Emotion,” available on the Amazing Thailand YouTube channel.
The films also feature Thai actors Win Metawin, Gulf Kanawut and Blue Pongtiwat, who join the journey to reflect shared travel emotions across Thailand’s diverse landscapes.
The launch at Wat Arun highlighted Thailand’s ability to blend traditional heritage with contemporary creativity, reinforcing the country’s evolving tourism image on the global stage.
The charity dance performances entitled “Her Majesty Queen Sirikit : The Divine Mother of Dance – From Local to Global, Fairy Doll and Peter Pan 2026.” were successfully staged under the leadership of Dr. MomLuang Preeyapun Sridhavat, President of the ATOD Children and Youth Development Association with principal dancers such as Timarin Wing Holmes and Yiran Sun
The event received generous support from various organizations, including Australian Teachers of Dancing International (ATOD International), ATOD Children and Youth Development Association, TaoKaeNoi Food and Marketing Public Company Limited, Kenber Geotechnic (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Podology Center Clinic and Thai Lion Air Proceeds from the performances were donated to support underprivileged youth.
The performances featured outstanding young dancers who have earned recognition from international dance competitions, including Phatcharanat Pamornmaitree, Timarin Wing Holmes, Suraswadee Inthano, Panyawee Fuentakool, Fahsai Pavawattananusorn and Wuttipong Mongkolphan from Passion Dance School, together with youth performers from several schools in Chiang Mai. Participants also included students from Chiang Mai Ballet Academy, a leading ballet institution in the region.
The donation was formally presented to underprivileged students, with Dr.Saisom Wongsasulak, License Holder of Chalermprakiat 48th Pansa School, under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, graciously receiving the funds.
The handover ceremony took place on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at the National Theatre, Dramatic Arts College, Chiang Mai.
An AT-6TH light attack aircraft assigned to Wing 41 in Chiang Mai crashed at about 10:30 on Tuesday. The Royal Thai Air Force has not yet said what caused the incident, and an investigation is under way.
With few details available, the crash has raised questions about the AT-6TH itself — a model that only recently entered service with the air force and remains in the early stages of operational use in Thailand.
The aircraft was inducted into service with Squadron 411 at Wing 41 in September 2025, meaning it had been in active service for less than a year. It was introduced as part of the air force’s plan to replace its ageing L-39 ZA/ART jet trainers, which had been in use for decades.
Thailand has acquired a total of 12 AT-6TH aircraft, purchasing eight under a contract signed in 2021 and a further four in 2022. The fleet is relatively small, a factor that can place additional focus on training, maintenance and operational procedures when incidents occur.
The AT-6TH is a turboprop light attack aircraft designed for a range of roles, including close air support, reconnaissance and surveillance. It can also be used for combat search and rescue missions. Such aircraft are typically valued for their flexibility and lower operating costs compared with jet-powered platforms.
Although often described as a modern platform, the AT-6TH combines contemporary digital systems with an airframe concept that has been widely used for decades. Investigators will generally consider multiple possible factors in a crash, including mechanical issues, pilot workload, environmental conditions and maintenance practices. No conclusions have yet been announced in this case.
The aircraft’s cockpit and flight systems are intended to support pilots transitioning from fighter aircraft, including a flight control system similar to that of the F-16 and a fully digital display layout. It is also equipped with systems that allow it to share data with other Royal Thai Air Force aircraft through the domestically developed Link-TH network.
To support its introduction, Thailand’s first group of eight AT-6TH pilots completed training in the United States, covering flight operations, weapons employment and maintenance. All were certified as instructor pilots and test pilots before the aircraft entered service.
The Royal Thai Air Force has said it will release further information once the investigation into the Chiang Mai crash is completed.
29 January 2003, remains one of the darkest days in modern Thai–Cambodian relations. What began as a wave of nationalist outrage escalated into violence, culminating in riots that saw the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh set ablaze and Thai-owned businesses across the Cambodian capital attacked and destroyed.
The unrest was triggered by an unverified report published by a Cambodian newspaper, which falsely quoted a Thai actress as saying that Cambodians had “stolen Angkor Wat from Thailand” and that she would not visit Cambodia until the temple was returned. No evidence ever supported the claim. Many observers later believed the rumour was deliberately circulated for political means, stoking nationalist sentiment at a sensitive moment.
Even as the allegation spread, Cambodia’s then-prime minister, Hun Sen, publicly commented on the matter, saying the actress was “no more important than a blade of grass at Angkor Wat.”
The actress quickly denied the claim, stressing that she had never insulted Cambodia or its people. Her clarification, however, failed to calm the growing anger.
On 29 January, nationalist protesters gathered outside the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. The situation rapidly spiralled out of control. Rioters stormed the compound, looted offices and set the building on fire. Ten Thai diplomats and staff were forced to flee through a rear exit as the mob surged in from the front, destroying everything in its path.
The violence did not stop there. Thai-owned businesses, company offices and properties across Phnom Penh were attacked and burned. That night, reports emerged of mobs hunting for Thai nationals in the capital, forcing many into hiding.
In response, the Thai government dispatched military aircraft to evacuate Thai citizens and all diplomatic staff from Cambodia. Bangkok also expelled Cambodian diplomats and ordered the closure of border crossings as tensions reached a breaking point.
International media, including The Guardian, reported that Western diplomats believed the violence appeared to have been orchestrated, noting that security forces seemed to have been under orders not to intervene immediately. Cambodian authorities later arrested more than 50 people in connection with the riots, including two journalists charged with inciting violence by spreading false information. The editor of Rasmei Angkor eventually admitted that the original story had been published without verification, despite being widely repeated by other outlets.
Hun Sen later described the riots as the work of a “small group of extremists” and said they had been planned to destabilise the country. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, however, accused the government of exploiting the unrest to divert attention from mounting domestic problems ahead of elections.
Cambodia eventually agreed to compensate Thailand for damage to its embassy, with Thai officials estimating losses at about US$12.5 million. Dozens of Thai businesses were also damaged or destroyed, though compensation for private losses remained a complex and unresolved issue for years.
Twenty-three years on, the Phnom Penh riots stand as a stark reminder of how quickly misinformation, nationalism and political interests can ignite violence — and how devastating the consequences can be for ordinary people and bilateral relations alike.
The lesson remains painfully clear: unchecked nationalism and unverified claims should never again be allowed to push societies toward hatred and destruction, anywhere.
KOH PHANGAN — 28 January 2026, Thai tourist police announced the arrest of three suspects in a major transnational drug trafficking case on Koh Phangan, including a Canadian man, a Nigerian man and a Thai woman, with cocaine and drug paraphernalia seized.
Police on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province said they worked with related agencies to dismantle the network following patrols in Ban Tai subdistrict. Officers stopped a foreign man behaving suspiciously while riding a motorcycle and identified him as Kanan Abdulsalam, 40, a Canadian national.
A search found two packets of cocaine hidden inside stainless steel containers concealed in his sleeve, police said. Checks of his mobile phone revealed chat messages arranging drug deals via a messaging application.
Officers then searched his accommodation, where they found equipment used for consuming crystal methamphetamine and a digital scale.
Kanan confessed that he had purchased the drugs from a Nigerian man and a Thai woman for resale, police said.
Authorities then set up a controlled buy. A white sedan arrived at the meeting point, where officers arrested two more suspects: John Chukwudi Ukadike, 43, a Nigerian national, and his Thai wife, identified as Mintra, whose surname was withheld.
A search of the car uncovered cocaine wrapped in black tape hidden under the driver’s side floor mat, along with multiple items linked to drug distribution, police said.
Kanan was charged with possession of cocaine for sale, cocaine use and driving under the influence of drugs. John and Mintra were charged with jointly selling cocaine for commercial purposes, while John also faces a drug use charge.
All three suspects and the seized evidence were taken to Koh Phangan police station for further legal proceedings, as authorities continue to expand the investigation into related networks.
CHACHOENGSAO — 28 January 2026, Thai woman was injured after her motorcycle veered off the road into a roadside drainage ditch, leading to the discovery of nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition and religious artefacts dumped in the water, police said.
The incident occurred late in the afternoon when local police in Chukcho subdistrict were alerted by residents who reported finding a large quantity of ammunition discarded in a ditch along Ban Don Road, Soi 5, Moo 4, in Mueang district, Chachoengsao province.
Officers arriving at the scene found a large white fertiliser sack with green markings near the ditch. Nearby was a pile of ammunition, including practice rounds for .38-calibre firearms and 12-gauge shotgun shells, some still in their boxes and others loose. Police also recovered two Buddha statues measuring about 5–7 inches across the lap and a bronze likeness of King Rama IV.
Residents told police the discovery followed a motorcycle accident involving a woman identified as Urai Jitprasong, aged about 45–50. She lost control of her motorcycle and fell into the roadside ditch, suffering injuries that required her to be taken to hospital.
Afterwards, children from her household came to retrieve the motorcycle and search the water for her missing mobile phone and the motorcycle’s remote key. While searching the area, one of the children stepped on a heavy sack submerged in the ditch. They dragged it up onto the embankment and emptied its contents, only to be startled by the sight of a large cache of ammunition and religious items inside.
Police believe the items may have been stolen and hastily dumped by suspects who panicked after noticing patrol officers in the area. Villagers said their dogs had barked loudly late at night three to four days earlier, raising suspicions that someone may have been moving through the area at the time.
Local leaders, village headmen and police routinely conduct night patrols in the subdistrict, which officers believe may have prompted the suspects to abandon the sack in the ditch.
Pol. Capt. Wichai Anansapying, deputy investigation chief at Mueang Chachoengsao police station, said all recovered items had been seized and handed over to investigators to trace their ownership and check whether any theft reports have been filed.
He said the ammunition boxes were still in good condition and had not been significantly damaged by water, suggesting they had been dumped only two to three days earlier.
