The six-star Park Hyatt Bangkok hosted the Dot Property Southeast Asia Awards 2025, where the region’s most accomplished developers, visionary projects, and high-performing agencies gathered for an evening that underscored the stature of Southeast Asia’s premier real estate awards programme. Recognised as one of the region’s most respected honours, the awards continue to highlight companies and individuals driving innovation, excellence and progress across Southeast Asia’s property sector. More than 350 distinguished guests attended the black-tie, end-of-year gala, enjoying elevated hospitality, first-class networking and exceptional entertainment.
A standout moment of the evening was a powerful live performance from iconic Thai singer Jennifer Kim, who captivated the ballroom with a set created exclusively for the awards. The celebrations continued late into the night with a winners’ afterparty at the Penthouse rooftop bar overlooking Bangkok’s skyline.
One of the evening’s most anticipated accolades, Developer of the Year Southeast Asia 2025, was awarded to Vinhomes, reaffirming its position as a driving force and market leader within Vietnam’s fast-growing real estate sector. Another of the night’s most celebrated achievements went to Dusit Central Park, which secured both Project of the Year 2025 and Best Iconic Landmark Development.
Thai and Chinese authorities transfer the first group of 100 Chinese nationals from a detention facility at the Tak immigration checkpoint to board a charter flight back to China on Dec. 16, 2025.
MAE SOT — China has begun repatriating another 1,000 suspected Chinese scammers following a major crackdown on fraud operations in eastern Myanmar, with charter flights operating over four days under cooperation among China, Thailand and Myanmar, officials said on Tuesday.
Thai and Chinese authorities oversaw the transfer of the first group of 100 Chinese nationals on December 16 from a detention facility at the Tak immigration checkpoint in western Thailand. They were taken by bus to Mae Sot International Airport and flown to China after completing legal procedures under Thai law, where they are expected to face prosecution.
This marks the third batch of Chinese nationals repatriated to China for investigation and prosecution following the Myanmar crackdown. The previous operation, carried out from December 1–4, involved 1,208 people.
Thai authorities said all individuals handed over by Myanmar in those operations were processed under Thai law before being repatriated through diplomatic channels.
Thai and Chinese authorities transfer the first group of 100 Chinese nationals from a detention facility at the Tak immigration checkpoint to board a charter flight back to China on Dec. 16, 2025.
In February, more than 12,500 foreign nationals linked to scam operations were detained in the region, with nearly 10,000 deported through Thailand. During that operation, China used 16 charter flights to repatriate 1,041 Chinese nationals.
Thailand has stepped up cooperation with China since reports circulated widely on Chinese social media that scam workers — including Chinese actor Wang Xing — were trafficked through Thailand. The reports discouraged Chinese tourists from visiting Thailand, threatening a key source of tourism revenue.
White smoke billows after an explosion at KK Park online scam center in Myawaddy township, Karen State, Myanmar, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sarot Meksophawannakul)
The operation follows raids on large scam compounds in Myanmar’s Myawaddy area, including KK Park and Shwe Kokko, along the Thai-Myanmar border in October-November.
Chinese Assistant Public Security Minister Liu Zhongyi earlier joined Thai and Myanmar officials, including Thailand’s Anti-Cyber Scam Center deputy director, Police Lt. Gen. Jiraphob Phuridet, and Myanmar Deputy Police Commander Min Htike Myo, to inspect sites where buildings linked to scam networks were dismantled. Myanmar authorities arrested large numbers of suspected scammers and transferred them through Thailand to Chinese custody.
Myanmar media, however, have reported that Chinese criminal groups are moving to establish a new scam hub more than 20 kilometers from the Thai border, with armed groups in Myanmar believed to be providing protection. Authorities from the three countries have acknowledged the need for continued joint enforcement.
Later the same day, Liu and his delegation met Thai Justice Minister Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat in Bangkok to bolster cooperation against transnational crime, including online scams, call center gangs and human trafficking. Officials from several Thai agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation and cybercrime units, also attended the meeting.
Thai soldiers place their national flag at the Ta Kwai temple site in Surin province, Dec. 15, 2025, following armed conflict with Cambodian troops that left the historic temple damaged. The temple, known as Ta Krabey in Khmer, sits in a disputed border area.
S ingaore’s Chinese-language media Lianhe Zaobao submitted 6 questions to Khaosod English’s Pravit Rojanaphruk today, December 16, 2025, about the week-long Thai-Cambodian border war. Here’s the answers.
In your view, has the Thai military’s intent to cut logistics and strategic supplies bound for Cambodia gone too far? What’s the impact or how effective is this move?
The whole border war between Thailand and Cambodia is in itself has gone ‘too far’. Attempts to cut petrol supplies to Cambodia are just an ‘illogical extension’ of Thailand’s war mentality. It may be partially effective for only a short period of time, as Cambodia also shares a border with Vietnam, not just Thailand and Laos.
Do you expect a strong reaction from the international community?
Not really and not yet. They are too busy with the Russia-Ukraine war, or the Russian continued invasion of Ukraine and the impact on the EU, on tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan, and the Gaza Strip.
With a caretaker government in place now, could the military become uncontrollable or even take drastic actions?
The army has been more or less only nominally controlled by the government even before the House dissolution. Thailand has a long history of staging ‘successful’ military coups. Now they are more popular than ever, further eroding any semblance of civilian supremacy over the military.
According to Thai media, Thai forces seized a fifth-generation, guided anti-tank missile system known as the GAM-102LR at a Cambodian base. By implicating Chinese arms and probing who bankrolled Cambodia for the procurement, what is Thailand’s motive?
The Chinese government has denied today that these are new weapons. For those who do not believe, the question is whether China is quietly supporting Cambodia. Thailand’s desire is to be as independent of external meddling, be it from China or the US.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs set out three conditions for any ceasefire along the Thai–Cambodian border, insisting Cambodia must announce a ceasefire first. Is it some kind of delay tactic or is Thailand serious about these conditions? How likely is Cambodia going to comply?
It is both a delay tactic but more importantly a pre-condition set out to humiliate the Cambodian leadership. Cambodia would be seen as kowtowing to Thailand if she directly approaches Thailand for a ceasefire negotiation first. Both sides are equally egotistical. I do not think Cambodia’s supreme leader Hun Sen cares much about the lives of foot soldiers.
They are expendable and the figures of Cambodian soldiers killed and injured have bizarrely not been revealed even after a week. On the Thai side, the story is similar, and virtually all of the 17 soldiers killed so far were low-ranking soldiers with no say about the course of this needless war.
In this war, it’s the lower class on both sides who are suffering most.
What should we take note of to see whether this conflict is likely to escalate or de-escalate ahead of Thailand’s upcoming election?
It will likely escalate without a stronger demand by the international community, as all parties want to portray themselves as nationalist and strong, including the main opposition People’s Party, which has made no call for an end to this needless week-long war so far.
Ruampat Ceramic Co., Ltd a leading innovator in health- and environmentally friendly tiles under the PORCELA brand, continues its commitment to corporate social responsibility through the “PORCELA Sharing Happiness Project, Year 6.” The initiative aims to support communities in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, affected by recent flooding, reflecting the company’s strong commitment to conducting business in parallel with social and environmental responsibility (ESG).
Ms. Panjama Laowiwatwong, Managing Director of Ruampat Ceramic Co., Ltd assigned Mr. Chairuch Santisiroj, Regional Sales Executive, together with the company team, as representatives to deliver donated supplies to flood-affected residents in the target areas recently.
On this occasion, PORCELA received strong support from key dealer partners in Songkhla Province, including Mr. Nopadon Tangkhehanam, Executive of Hatyai Klungpoon Ceramic & Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd., and Mr. Durong Changsirivathanathamrong, Executive of Cornerstone Construction Co., Ltd. Their collaboration played an important role in ensuring that assistance was distributed efficiently and reached those in need comprehensively.
The donated relief items included bedding, daily necessities, and essential medical supplies such as rice, dry food, beverages, personal care items, and basic medicines for children, adults, and the elderly—addressing the fundamental needs of flood victims across all age groups.
The PORCELA Sharing Happiness Project is one of the company’s core CSR initiatives and has been carried out continuously for six consecutive years. It reflects PORCELA’s determination to be an active contributor to Thai society, particularly during times of crisis when communities face hardship.
Looking ahead, PORCELA remains committed to further strengthening the mission of the Sharing Happiness Project, with plans to expand the scope of assistance to reach broader segments of society. The company aims not only to provide relief during crises but also to enhance quality of life in the long term—reinforcing PORCELA’s position as an organization that pursues business excellence while serving as a vital driving force in supporting sustainable growth for Thai society and overcoming challenges together.
People weep and offer flowers at a floral memorial for victims of Sunday's shooting at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
SYDNEY (AP) — Before the bloodshed and broken hearts, there was a little girl with a gentle soul, a loving grandmother who delivered meals to the needy and a young man dubbed a “golden person” for his kindness. And there was an 87-year-old grandfather who sought solace in Australia after surviving the Holocaust, only to die in what officials have called antisemitic terrorism.
Matilda, a 10-year-old whose last name has been withheld at the request of her family, was the youngest person killed in the massacre.
Matilda’s language teacher, Irina Goodhew, who launched a GoFundMe for the girl’s grieving family, described her in a Facebook post as a gentle girl who saw beauty in everyone.
“Matilda was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is found in the love and compassion we share,” Goodhew wrote. “Her memory reminds us to carry kindness in our hearts and spread it to the world. May the light of her eyes live on through us — in our actions, our words, and our love for one another.”
Family members of a victim from Sunday’s shooting mourn at a flower memorial made after the shooting at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
The assistant rabbi who showed a kind heart
Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, organized Sunday’s Chanukah by the Sea event. He was a father of five, the youngest of whom was born just two months ago, according to Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement that runs outreach worldwide.
The 41-year-old, London-born Schlanger also served as chaplain to the state’s corrective services department and as a chaplain at a Sydney hospital, where he ministered to patients and families.
Schlanger would go wherever he was needed to help people including prisons, said his friend, Ben Wright.
“Eli was a very special person,” Wright told The Associated Press while standing near a cordoned-off section of Bondi the morning after the attack, a black box containing Torah verses strapped to his arm. “He spent a lot of his time trying to get Jews to do one good deed.”
Wright, who saw friends and strangers gunned down during the attack while cradling his 6-month-old baby, said he hopes to emulate Schlanger’s goodness.
Rabbi Motti Feldman, lower left, speaks at a menorah lighting ceremony at a floral memorial for victims of Sunday’s shooting, at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
A pillar of the Jewish community known for kindness
Yaakov Levitan, a rabbi and father of four, was known for his kindness and dedication to helping others, according to the Chabad movement, which described him as a “vital, behind-the-scenes pillar” of Sydney’s Jewish community.
Originally from Johannesburg, the 39-year-old served as the general manager of Chabad of Bondi and worked with the Sydney Beth Din, or religious court.
Thoughtful volunteer who delivered meals
Marika Pogany, an 82-year-old grandmother and community volunteer, delivered thousands of kosher meals to those in need, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary said in a statement.
COA, a Sydney volunteer service for Jewish seniors, said in an Instagram post that Pogany was part of the “beating heart of COA and a source of warmth for thousands of people.”
“For 29 years she arrived at COA with her quiet smile and her steady kindness,” COA wrote. “She lifted the room simply by being in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything.”
Zuzana Čaputová, the former president of Slovakia, called her “Marika” and described Pogany as her “long-term close friend” who had visited Slovakia every year since 1989.
A ‘golden person’ with a talent for soccer
Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French national described by his brother as “a golden person,” was a talented soccer player who lived with his girlfriend in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Elkayam’s brother, Jérémie Elkayam, told broadcaster France Info that his brother was “someone extraordinary … who profited from life, wasn’t at all materialistic, who understood the value of things and who loved to travel.”
“We are four brothers and, of the four, for me he was the kindest of us,” Jérémie Elkayam said.
Sydney soccer club Rockdale Ilinden FC said in a statement that Elkayam was an extremely talented and popular player with the club’s Premier League team who “will be sorely missed by his teammates and everyone that knew him.”
“Those who were closest to him described him as a down to earth, happy go lucky individual who was warmly embraced by those he met,” club President Dennis Loether said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote in a post on X that Elkayam’s death was “yet another tragic manifestation of a revolting surge in antisemitic hatred that we must defeat.”
Retired police officer considered a rugby club ‘legend’
Peter Meagher, known to friends as “Marzo,” was a retired police officer and a team manager and beloved volunteer at Randwick rugby club, which condemned the “abhorrent targeted attack on our Jewish community” in a statement Monday and called Meagher an “absolute legend in our club.”
Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Bondi Hanukkah event, the club said, noting his presence was “simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”
A photograph with the statement showed “Marzo” written in chalk on a rugby field, along with a team jersey.
People and emergency workers gather at location where a holiday event was taking place and then a reported shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Heroic bystander who tried to stop the violence
Reuven Morrison, 62, was killed while trying to stop one of the shooters, according to his daughter, Sheina Gutnick.
Gutnick told CBS News that her father is the person seen in widely circulated video footage throwing objects at the gunman, which Gutnick said were bricks, after another passerby, Ahmed al Ahmed, wrestled the gun away from the shooter.
“I believe after Ahmed managed to get the gun off the terrorist, my father had then gone to try and unjam the gun, to try and attempt shooting. He was screaming at the terrorist,” she said.
Morrison migrated to Australia from the Soviet Union five decades ago to escape antisemitic persecution. He thought Australia would be safe, Gutnick said.
“This is where he was going to have a family, where he is going to live a life away from persecution,” she said. “And for many years, he did do that; he lived a wonderful, free life. Until Australia turned on him.”
Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher after a reported shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
The Holocaust survivor who protected his wife
Alex Kleytman was an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who had moved to Australia from Ukraine.
“I have no husband. I don’t know where is his body,” his wife Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside a Sydney hospital Sunday. “Nobody can give me any answer.”
Larisa told The Australian newspaper that her husband died while protecting her.
“We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down,” she said. “At this moment, he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me.”
The couple survived “the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust” as children before moving to Australia, according to a 2023 report by JewishCare, a service provider for Australia’s Jewish community.
A grandfather filled with family pride
Tibor Weitzen, a 78-year-old grandfather who saw the best in people, migrated to Australia from Israel in 1988, his granddaughter said.
“My grandfather was truly the best you could ask for,” Leor Amzalak told the Australian Broadcasting Corp., the country’s public broadcaster. “He was so proud of us … and loved us more than life itself.”
Thai and Chinese officials stand in front of destroyed scam compound buildings during a joint inspection in Myawaddy, Myanmar, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
MYAWADDY — Thai and Chinese officials toured demolished scam centers in Myanmar on Monday, marking a significant step in a trilateral crackdown on fraud operations that have victimized people across Asia and beyond.
Police Lt. Gen. Jiraphob Phuridet, deputy director of Thailand’s Anti-Cyber Scam Center, and Liu Zhongyi, assistant minister of China’s Ministry of Public Security, inspected the destroyed buildings at KK Park and Shwe Kokko in Myawaddy, Kayin State. Myanmar Deputy Police Commander Min Htike Myo led the December 15 tour.
The once-sprawling compounds, which housed casinos and served as headquarters for international fraud rings, now lie in ruins after recent demolitions.
Following the site visit, officials from the three countries met at 2:20 p.m. at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge conference room, where they agreed to establish a Joint Task Force to share intelligence and evidence within 24 hours of requests.
Thailand’s Anti-Cyber Scam Center will serve as the central hub for information exchange, officials said.
“Crime has no borders, suppression must have no borders,” officials emphasized, committing to rapid cooperation without restrictions.
Destroyed scam compound buildings stand in Myawaddy, Kayin State, Myanmar, during a joint inspection by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar officials, Dec. 15, 2025.
The agreement includes continued efforts to cut electricity and internet access to criminal operations in border areas. Officials also pledged to streamline repatriation procedures for foreign nationals escaping from Myanmar.
Liu’s delegation later inspected a detention facility in Myawaddy holding Chinese nationals awaiting extradition to face fraud charges in China.
The coordinated action represents the culmination of efforts to dismantle transnational scam operations that have plagued the region for years.
An aerial view shows Rob Reiner's residence Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director’s killing, delivering the unsubstantiated claim in a shocking post that seemed intent on decrying his opponents even in the face of a tragedy.
The statement, even for Trump, was a shocking comment that came as police were still investigating the deaths of the director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, as an apparent homicide. The couple were found dead at their home Sunday in Los Angeles. The couple’s son Nick Reiner was in jail Monday after being booked for what investigators believe was the fatal stabbing of them at their Los Angeles home a day earlier, authorities said.
Rob Reiner, from left, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan, and Jake Reiner arrive at the premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
It was not immediately clear what charges Nick Reiner, 32, would face. A police statement said he was being held without bail and the case will be presented to the district attorney’s office on Tuesday.
Representatives for the Reiner family did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it wasn’t immediately clear if Nick Reiner had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction. By 18, he had cycled in and out of treatment facilities with bouts of homelessness and relapses in between. Rob and Nick Reiner explored their difficult relationship and Nick Reiner’s struggles with drugs in a semi-autobiographical 2016 film, “ Being Charlie.”
FILE – Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner arrive on the red carpet at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Dec. 2, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)
Trump has a long track record of inflammatory remarks, but his comments in a social media post were a drastic departure from the role presidents typically play in offering a message of consolation or tribute after the death of a public figure. His message drew criticism even from conservatives and his supporters and laid bare Trump’s unwillingness to rise above political grievance in moments of crisis.
Trump, in a post on his social media network, said Reiner and his wife were killed “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
He said Reiner “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The president did not mention his personal connection to Reiner’s wife, who was a photographer. Peter Osnos, the original publisher of “The Art of the Deal,” confirmed Monday that Michele Singer took the cover image of Trump’s 1987 bestseller.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who has bucked much of his party’s lockstep agreement with the president, criticized Trump for the comment.
“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered,” Massie wrote in a post on X. “I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because they’re afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican whom Trump branded a “traitor” for disagreeing with him, responded to Trump’s message by saying, “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”
Republican Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, who are not known for pushing back on the White House, also criticized Trump’s message.
Reiner — a director of beloved films like “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally” — was one of the most active Democrats in the film industry and regularly campaigned on behalf of liberal causes and hosted fundraisers. He was a vocal critic of Trump, calling him in a 2017 interview with Variety “mentally unfit” to be president and “the single-most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States.”
The White House, which shared the president’s post, did not respond to a message about the criticism it was receiving and calls for Trump to take it down.
Speaking at the White House to reporters later Monday, Trump doubled down on his criticism of Reiner when he was asked if he stood by his post. Using the third person, Trump said Reiner “was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned.”
“I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way shape or form,” Trump said. “I thought he was very bad for our country.”
A security guard stands outside Rob Reiner’s residence Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The unsympathetic message was the latest example of Trump’s unsparing prism through which he views those he perceives as enemies.
He made retribution against political enemies a prime focus of his campaign for the White House last year. And he has in the past made light of violence when it’s befallen those on the other side of the political aisle.
That’s despite his comments after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year. Trump said Kirk’s killing was “the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.”
Honoree Rob Reiner, second from left, poses with his wife Michele and children Jake Reiner, Romy Reiner and Nick Reiner at the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall on Monday, April 28, 2014 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
His administration then sought consequences for people who were critical of Kirk or even celebrated his killing.
Jenna Ellis, who was one of Trump’s lawyers and worked on his efforts in 2020 to overturn the results of the presidential election, pointed out Trump’s double standard and called his post “NOT the appropriate response.”
“The Right uniformly condemned political and celebratory responses to Charlie Kirk’s death. This is a horrible example from Trump (and surprising considering the two attempts on his own life) and should be condemned by everyone with any decency,” Ellis said in a post on X.
When Trump spoke at Kirk’s memorial service, he used his remarks to underline how he views his adversaries.
BANGKOK — Thai aviation authorities say flights between Thailand and South Korea are operating normally and safely, even as officials acknowledge a sharp decline in South Korean visitors this year and roll out measures to revive demand.
The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI) said air traffic operations meet international safety standards and are fully capable of handling international services, including routes from South Korea. Chairman Pichet Kunathamrak said the agency has sufficient personnel, technology and safety measures to ensure smooth operations with no impact on tourists’ travel.
AEROTHAI data show 19,870 international flights to and from Thailand this year, averaging 54 flights per day. Incheon Airport in Seoul accounts for the largest share, with about 45 daily flights, followed by Gimhae Airport in Busan with seven and Daegu Airport with about two.
AEROTHAI officials hold a press conference on air traffic management to accommodate increased flight volumes and improve service efficiency for South Korea routes, Dec. 14, 2025.
Flights between Thailand and South Korea rank eighth among all international routes in fiscal 2025, accounting for about 4% of total international traffic. AEROTHAI forecasts daily flights to rise to about 60 between December 2025 and January 2026, signaling sustained demand.
Despite stable aviation operations, South Korean arrivals have fallen markedly. Thani Saengrat, Thailand’s ambassador to South Korea, said South Korean visitors to Thailand totaled about 1.4 million in 2025, down significantly from about 1.8 million in 2024 — a drop of more than 400,000. Thai visitors to South Korea also declined to about 130,000.
Thani cited a slowing economy and negative foreign media coverage as key factors weighing on the market, particularly reports about tensions along the Thai–Cambodian border and transnational crime, which have raised safety concerns. The decline in Thai travel to South Korea, he added, is partly due to stricter immigration screening.
Amazing Thailand X Lisa
To reverse the trend, the Thai Embassy in Seoul is coordinating with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and related agencies to accelerate promotional measures, especially during the remaining two to three months of the winter season. Planned initiatives include inviting South Korean influencers and content creators to Thailand to refresh the country’s image and highlight new travel routes beyond traditional destinations.
Thani said TAT’s appointment of K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal of Blackpink as an Amazing Thailand Ambassador is expected to help attract South Korean travelers by showcasing fresh perspectives and experiences.
Separately, AEROTHAI said it is preparing for increased traffic during the extended New Year holiday from Dec. 29, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026, when total flights are projected at 27,632, or about 2,763 per day, in line with Transport Ministry plans to facilitate travel and ensure safety.
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), displaced people flee shortly after a Thai bombing near their villages, at Srei Snam district, Siem Reap province, Cambodia, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.(AKP via AP)
MONGKOL BOREY, Cambodia (AP) — Heavy combat between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second week on Monday, with Phnom Penh claiming that Thai bombing is hitting deeper into its territory, coming close to shelters for people who had already fled dangerous areas along the border.
According to Cambodia’s defense and information ministries, shortly after 10 a.m. local time on Monday, Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped two bombs near camps for displaced people in the Chong Kal district in the Oddar Meanchey province and the Srei Snam district in the Siem Reap province.
The bombing in Srei Snam, located more than 70 kilometers (43 miles) inside Cambodian territory, targeted a bridge, said the Cambodian authorities.
Siem Reap is home to Cambodia’s world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the country’s biggest tourist attraction.
There was no immediate comment from Thai officials.
Access to the combat zone and nearby areas is limited, so few claims by either side can be independently verified.
A displaced people prays as she takes their refuge in Prey Chamkar Ta Doak market in Banteay Meanchey province, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, after fleeing home following fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
The two sides are battling over longstanding competing claims to patches of frontier land, some of which contain centuries-old temple ruins.
More than two dozen people on both sides of the border have officially been reported killed in the past week’s fighting, while more than half a million have been displaced, according to officials.
Thailand claims to have badly hurt Cambodia’s military
At a news conference on Monday morning, Thai officials issued an estimate of what damage has been inflicted on Cambodia’s military since a skirmish on Dec. 7 that wounded two Thai soldiers ignited large-scale fighting the day after.
They said Cambodian losses included 12 tanks, 10 armored vehicles, four anti-aircraft artillery systems, 7 artillery pieces or mortars, five anti-drone systems, 175 drones, five communication hubs, and one BM-21 mobile rocket launcher.
Thailand says Cambodia has fired thousands of rockets from the truck-mounted BM-21 launchers, which have a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles) and can fire up to 40 projectiles at a time.
Members of a Thai Explosive Ordnance Disposal team inspect the site of a rocket attack during clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in Kantharalak district of Sisaket province, Thailand, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thailand’s government announced on Sunday that a rocket attack from Cambodia had killed a 63-year-old villager, its first civilian death reported as a direct result of combat.
Col. Ritcha Suksuwanon, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said on Sunday an intact Chinese GAM-102LR guided anti-tank missile system was seized. Thailand estimates among Cambodia’s losses some 82 military positions and 505 Cambodian military personnel reportedly killed.
Cambodia has dismissed as disinformation previous Thai estimates of its military death toll but has not released its own figures. Thailand acknowledges the deaths of 16 of its troops.
Phnom Penh said Monday that 15 civilians have been killed and 73 wounded.
Thailand seeks to choke off supplies to Cambodia
Thai officials also said they were trying to cut off the supply of fuel and weapons to Cambodia, but denied reports that a full-scale naval blockade would be mounted. Capt. Nara Khunkothom, assistant spokesperson for the Thai Navy, said only Thai-registered vessels would be subject to their controls in what they have officially designated a “high-risk area” in the Gulf of Thailand.
Officials also said fuel and weapons would no longer be allowed to go through a major land checkpoint to neighboring Laos that is close to Cambodian territory, declaring that military supplies and logistical support must be cut off.
In a surprise admission, Thai officials implicitly acknowledged that attacks had damaged centuries-old Ta Kwai temple — known to Cambodians as Ta Krabey — in a disputed area, but blamed Cambodia for allegedly using it as a military stronghold.
Displaced people sit on the floor as they take their refuge in Prey Chamkar Ta Doak market in Banteay Meanchey province, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, after fleeing home following fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Phnombootra Chandrajoti, director-general of Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, said that historical sites should not be used as bases for military operations and that the most important priority is that Thailand must secure and preserve the area.
The new fighting derailed a ceasefire promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump that ended five days of earlier combat in July. It had been brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.
Trump announced this past Friday that the two countries had agreed at his urging to renew the ceasefire, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied making any commitment and Cambodia announced it was continuing to fight in what it said is self-defense.
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Sopheng Cheang reported from Mongkol Borey. Associated Press writers Grant Peck and Wasamon Audjarint in Bangkok contributed to this report.
BANGKOK — The Russian Embassy in Bangkok said on Monday that reports in some Thai media claiming Russian citizens were involved as mercenaries in fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border are false.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the embassy said the reports were untrue and appeared to be fabricated from sources outside the region. It said the allegations could harm the rights of Russian citizens in Thailand who are in the country as tourists or for business, and risk damaging long-standing relations between Russia and Thailand.
The embassy said Russia maintains friendly and cooperative relations with both Thailand and Cambodia and supports a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.
The statement cited remarks by the Russian Foreign Ministry made during a briefing on December 11, in which Moscow reaffirmed its position that disputes between Thailand and Cambodia should be resolved exclusively through peaceful means.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated in recent days following clashes along their disputed border, prompting heightened security measures and diplomatic exchanges.
